Employed or self employed

I've held down a variety of jobs on the production shop floor of manufacturing industry. I was able to make those into positive experiences working mostly on my own with minimal and only necessary contact with others when needed. As long as I was producing up to, or even beyond company QA standards, I was left alone. I was labelled as stand-offish but was able to handle that.  indeed, at one point I was made a site manager --- which was a lonely position that suited me just fine!  I experienced a hat trick of redundancies which forced me into exploring self-employment. I had no idea of what sort of change I needed. I knew it had to be self-reliant work. After a few months of looking around I discovered a franchise that was outdoor work removing tree stumps with a diesel-powered, self-propelled, tree stump grinder. I bought a franchise package for one contracted period of 5 years then decided to set myself up under my own name.  I carried on with this work for the next 16 years until my retirement at age 76. 

I'm sure my story will not be of great use to your dilemma.  I think your only take-away may be to persevere and try to be brave with whatever decision you may make.  The bottom line is to first know yourself and what are your personal spectral limitations.  If you can meet whatever your chosen job description demands, you are onto a winner! 

As for myself, I knew solitary outdoor work utilising my electro-mechanical skills with maintenance and repairs to a stump grinder as an owner/operator was idyllic.

Further, when I first took the plunge, it was hard going marketing my name and what I offered. I thought the franchise would be more proactive in that regard, but not so. I had to take on agency work outside of stump removal work to pay the bills. After about six months of my own marketing efforts the work started to roll in steadily which allowed me to give up agency work.

Be perseverant ! 

I've held down a variety of jobs on the production shop floor of manufacturing industry. I was able to make those into positive experiences working mostly on my own with minimal and only necessary contact with others when needed. As long as I was producing up to, or even beyond company QA standards, I was left alone. I was labelled as stand-offish but was able to handle that.  indeed, at one point I was made a site manager --- which was a lonely position that suited me just fine!  I experienced a hat trick of redundancies which forced me into exploring self-employment. I had no idea of what sort of change I needed. I knew it had to be self-reliant work. After a few months of looking around I discovered a franchise that was outdoor work removing tree stumps with a diesel-powered, self-propelled, tree stump grinder. I bought a franchise package for one contracted period of 5 years then decided to set myself up under my own name.  I carried on with this work for the next 16 years until my retirement at age 76. 

I'm sure my story will not be of great use to your dilemma.  I think your only take-away may be to persevere and try to be brave with whatever decision you may make.  The bottom line is to first know yourself and what are your personal spectral limitations.  If you can meet whatever your chosen job description demands, you are onto a winner! 

As for myself, I knew solitary outdoor work utilising my electro-mechanical skills with maintenance and repairs to a stump grinder as an owner/operator was idyllic.

Further, when I first took the plunge, it was hard going marketing my name and what I offered. I thought the franchise would be more proactive in that regard, but not so. I had to take on agency work outside of stump removal work to pay the bills. After about six months of my own marketing efforts the work started to roll in steadily which allowed me to give up agency work.

Be perseverant !