Freedom is something that everyone looks forward to when self-employed. More time for yourself, live life on your own terms.However, just like the business and financial risks, there are personal and lifestyle risks associated with self-employment.Now do bear with us here, we aren’t talking about risk to put people off self-employment. We just want you to be aware of the risks so that you can manage them and take advantage of what lies ahead. So let's get into it!We will be covering three main topics in this episodePersonal and Emotional riskLifestyle implicationsPractical suggestion to manage time and riskOne of these suggestions involves you being the key employee in your business. Sounds a bit odd, but have a listen and find out morePersonal & Emotional RisksThere are many when self-employed. These include InstabilityThere is no such thing as a job for life when you are employed. Your employer may not want to see you go, but you may wish to move on. When you are self-employed you appreciate that no customer is forever. Keep in mind that theres no certainty here. So always be on the lookout to create resources and business opportunities in case things start to dry up!Personal developmentMake sure that you plan for that career and personal development and make sure that you're on top of your game in your business.PassionFeeling passionate about your business is a good thing but is not the most important. Just because you love something does not necessarily mean that it should be converted into a business. Instead, research your business idea, check its viability and make sure there's a sufficient number of people out there that have got a problem that you are looking to solve. Feeling passionate is important, but passion doesn't pay the bills.WorkloadI myself am victim to this. This can mean putting off tasks that you don't enjoy, and we're talking about tasks that are absolutely critical for your business. This can sink a business faster than anything else!If it's a task such as getting a quote out to a client, picking up that phone, updating your accounts and records to get them off to the tax authorities. You must make sure that you prioritise and know that you can't afford to waste time on unimportant tasks while those critical ones pile up.Obviously, all tasks need to be done, but prioritisation helps. If you haven't got the time, think about investing some, energy and money in bringing on somebody on board to help you out.LifestyleLooking back over my 25 plus years of being self-employed, one thing that I can say is that lifestyle is severely impacted both in positive and negative terms. From here on out your lifestyle will not be that of an employee.Your working hours are going to be slightly different. When I say slightly I mean a lot more.Most of us starting out won't have an office space to go to. We'd typically start in a spare room in our house. As for myself, I started my business in my back bedroom.In the early stages of your business, big office space are not a critical need. Eventually, when things pick up, you can move out of that back bedroom, as I did myself. Though I must say, homeworking does bring its own challenges and risks as well as some potential rewards. Pyjama working certainly does have its attractions!Practical tipsSome tips I can share with you on lifestyle. Consider having...

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