Why?

People have been asking me why I wanted to start my own business. There are a lot of different reasons. I don't want to assimilate myself into someone else's overly complex business, I don't want to get stuck in a cubicle all day doing mindless work, and I want to be able to have control over how much money I make. I have had dozens of interviews that all result in some variation of "you're not good enough". I'm tired of it because I KNOW I am good enough for any job I apply for.

I've been doing a lot of reading on how to start a small business, and one of the first things that I needed to determine was my view on how my business would be run. My view is that business should enable freedom. Freedom with regard to scheduling, finances, clientele, and my personal lifestyle. If my business helps me to accomplish this, then I can consider myself a success.

Also, I have been thinking about where I am in my life. If you look at it from a pessimistic point of view, I graduated from college after 4.5 years and I am still living at home working at a fast food job making 6.75 an hour. It's like I should have never gone to school in the first place. However, if you take an optimistic view, I have returned to my roots, strengthened my relationship with my family and friends, and I made a smart financial decision by starting my business from my parent's house (free rent, food, and internet access) and I am using my first client to learn essential skills and practices that I will need for my future clients.

So what is in my future for 2006? I will gain all of the necessary certifications to become a part of the Apple Consultants Network, I will gain 3-4 more clients through word-of-mouth advertising, I will establish a web presence as a business, and I will start formalizing Michael Sassman Consulting. It should prove to be a very interesting year.