At last week’s meeting, we had a great conversation focusing on “Showing up for your business.” One of our members said something that surprised me.
“Everyone needs to take their business seriously, after all, it isn’t a Jobby!”
I had never heard the term “Jobby” before. When I asked about it, she explained that a “Jobby” is when people say they have a business but do not take it seriously. The company is treated less like a job and more like a hobby = “Jobby.”
See why it stuck with me?
I see it all the time: someone has decided to start their own business, so they build a website, start selling their product, and jump right in! It is excellent and brave, but it isn’t always the right thing. Online business owners can easily “open their doors for business” without a firm business plan. Some may test the waters to see if they attract any clients, and some start doing this online work as a side gig while working their full-time job.
If this is how you opened your business and now you are in elbows deep, can you tell if you have a business or if it is still just a hobby?
My first business started as a hobby; I loved taking photos of my kids. A hobby traditionally is an activity that pleases you and you do in your spare time. On the other hand, a business provides a service or products to clients, has business hours, and strives to make a profit.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if you are working on a business or a hobby:
- Do you have firm business hours, or are you working irregular hours as your family or full-time job allows?
- Do you make the most of your business hours or work time by working as efficiently as possible? Or do you get distracted by social media or other behind-the-scenes tasks?
- Do you have a business plan that includes expected profits for one year?
- Do you make opportunities happen or wait for them to come to you?
- Do you withdraw every penny from your account after clients pay you? Or do you give yourself a pay structure and reinvest some of your profits into software, training, or other business expenses?
If you were unsure before, you should now know if your business is indeed a business or a “Jobby.”
