Quest for freedom: A company I work for is going to replace me, with me from 9 years ago! // ETA till freedom: 30 days.
I just got an email from a company I work for since 2011.
They have found a replacement for me and he's going to call me for all the info.
I checked out his website and it's basically me from 9 years ago!
He charges 30 euro an hour (undercharging himself..huge mistake) and he does everything!
From reinstalls, building websites, flyers and god knows what else.
O boy....what a flashback.
They must have googled cheap.
When I just started my company I did everything to.
I was clueless, yet eager.
You are so grateful for any work that you end up saying yes to everything and anything.
And you say yes to everything charging almost nothing.
A decision that will haunt you for a long time.
Especially when you realize that when you want to make a living out of it you need to at the least double your rate somehow.
But that's a tough cookie to sell to any clients once they get used to 30 euro.
I was thinking that maybe I can help him like others have helped me.
Or maybe he needs to make his own mistakes first, I never know what is wise in these situations.
All I know is that it took me many years to make my business profitable and charging too little was the main reason.
Luckily over the years, you learn to become more business savvy.
That knowledge has now also helped me in my crypto 'career'.
Before making the switch to live of the blockchain I build a fiat buffer.
Making sure to always have money ready to make investments (example: buying computers/servers) for bigger jobs or for times when work is slow is something you learn working for yourself.
I know this new adventure is a big risk and mitigating some of that in a form of a buffer is natural to me.
It protects me against these current markets that don't look pretty tonight for instance :)
I do wonder how low it will go this time and if I get another chance to invest.
Whatever it will do! It beats reinstalling any windows computer or server :)
ETA till freedom: 30 days.
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Great to move on
Typical "young people problem".
Oh wait I said this like I was old :D
Hard times ( shock,financially, offense, or whatsoever) are always a golden chance to be a turning point in ones life ! Like someone to be fired of his job and this to be the shifting point to start his own business and have a brighter future. I know it is not the same in your case @exyle since you already a self employed ... but the shifting point no one knows about it except you yourself ( maybe changing the business line or the same line but in a completely new strategy! Only you who will take advantage of this golden chance !
Yeah, you have a big point here. There is always an opportunity in every opposition
Yeah ! it breaks the fear ( or worry we always carried towards the change we always thought of)
Thanks for the reply and upvote. I appreciate that. Now following by the way, i believe you would have a lot of knowledge and ideas to share
Thanks @morgangreat for your kindwords, I am honored 🙏🏼
Hard times doesn't kill but makes one stronger
Agree 100% 👍🏼 But it depends on the kind of person who is believing in that !
I personally experienced that in my life and every time I fall down I stand up stronger ( my friends witness that clearly .. and I believed in myself when first happened and I managed to stand again stronger) .. which helped in second and third time in my life !
Building a fiat buffer is real important and the first step when we want jump into any kind of business, otherwise if anything goes wrong , will not be in a position to recover. When we don't have that buffer, then we will charge minimum in the process of filling that buffer and once we filled, we can charge according to our wish.
When your young you are eager and hungry. As you get older and more refined in your career you tend to want to work smarter not harder.
I saw that you have reached a point to where you told your clients you don't have time to work on their projects anymore. I'm almost there but not quite...
Guess the false sense of stability of a regular paycheck tends to force us not to take risks.
Agree to a great extent 👍🏼😎
But sometimes a shock or unexpected attitude from a client , employer,or whoever awakens the motivation ( u always kept inside) to make the change!
@exyle Mark you see the FINISH LINE just UP ahead. The Marathon is almost over. 30 Days to go to Break Clean. It is a good thing if you want to help the NEW guy that is taking over your past clients, then you can do that on your OWN TERMS. Very little Stress that way..........
Agree! Your replacement. 30 euros an hour is not that bad for beginning. Once he shows he is good at it he can ask for a raise. I can imagine how you look at him as at yourself, but 9 years ago. That’s funny, because now look where you are. Perhaps, in the next 9 year he will leave for blockchain as well.lol
It definitely reminds me “Me” many years ago.
Wouldn't that be something :)
Yea its crazy sometimes you can see yourself again when someone new steps into your line of work but sometimes they arent strong enough and dont last as long as you, I have seen it happen many times, indeed it will be interesting how low it will go perhaps a good opportunity for many @exyle.
I think it's better for him to learn from his mistakes. When the tie comes he'll discover what he's been missing/loosing for charging low. Then he'll be the one to voice out. If you try to help him now, you might be having enemy form your former company. Just save tour friendship with both sides.
If I ever have the chance to invest, I'll power up for the benefit fit of this platform. Thanks @exyle for always visiting my blog. @steemmusicng is the official blog for my STEEM MUSIC. Kindly check out to see what I have to propose. Thanks
your story very nice in life. If you do not make your own mistakes to learn from the bad and keep the good. clients you don't have time to work on their projects anymore.. ,at that moment everybody wants to join a job whatever the payment is.It's always better to have a extra business..a person and it sounds just like you in the past!i am inspired of your story.everything is super sir..good job..thank u very much for your good post sharing.@exyle