How I’m Showing My Parents I Can Be a Successful Entrepreneur
By: Hannah Haefele
Tags: Freelancing, Small Business, Entrepreneurship, Careers, Productivity

How I’m Showing My Parents I Can Be a Successful Entrepreneur

Photo provided by author.

After 13 years of longing to work for myself full-time, I’ve finally had the chance to take the leap. That’s right, I’m 25 now, so I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur since middle school.

Because of that dream, I’ve never been one to desire company benefits. Sure, they’re nice. But to me, nothing is worth giving up my freedom and flexibility.

My parents on the other hand? They value those benefits and the “security” you get from a full-time traditional job. I use quotes because I think we all learned that no one is job-secure.

But because of my parents’ belief in getting a job with benefits, they haven’t always been as supportive of my entrepreneurial plan. It’s taken a lot to convince them it’s possible. And I know it will take even more to convince them it’s possible for me.

As I leave grad school behind and start working full-time for myself, I know I will have to do a lot to prove to my parents that I’m making a good choice.

If you’re in the same boat, you probably understand the struggle. Parents want the best for their kids, and it can be easy for parents to think what was best for them will be best for us.

So here’s what any budding entrepreneur can do to show their parents it’s the right career.

Talk About Earnings

I’ve already started telling my parents when I hit certain financial milestones. I told them when I surpassed my 2019 income in 2020. And I told them when I had made more in a year from freelancing than I would have at my pre-grad school job.

Money is often seen as a taboo topic, and I know it can be awkward to talk about. But giving my parents real numbers has shown them that I can make money doing this.

I remember when I first started writing, I was talking with my mom. She said she thought I was probably making $5 per blog post. And I was able to say it was more like $50 or more.

If you can, telling your parents about your income is a great idea. It can show concrete proof of your work.

Compare Income and Hours Worked

In the beginning, you may not make a lot per hour. But as an entrepreneur, you can charge as much as you want. If you offer services, you can charge per project instead of hourly.

Once you get good at what you do, you can artificially increase your hourly rate pretty quickly. My hourly rate fluctuates, but I have a pretty decent rate when you average it out.

When you compare it to how many hours I spend on that work, it looks even better. Since I’ve been in grad school for two years, I’ve only worked part-time.

But I can use my hourly average to predict how much I can earn next year from client work alone. Because yes, I have other streams of income as well.

Sharing Income Streams

As an entrepreneur, you need multiple streams of income. You don’t always know what will work out and what will fail.

Clients can come and go. You may decide something takes up too much of your time. It’s essential to have other things to fall back on.

And if you do, tell your parents about those streams. Remind them that if you lose your biggest client, you’ll still be okay. They may still be skeptical, but they may also respect you for the work you do.

Of course, you don’t want to have too many income streams to the point where you feel overwhelmed. But having a few clients and some products can help you show you and your parents that you can run your own business.

Following a Consistent Schedule

A lot of non-entrepreneurs see freelancers and business owners as lazy. After all, many businesses owners don’t need to work a full 40 hours each week.

So it’s up to us to show our parents that we can still work just as hard. If you’re an entrepreneur, you know you probably will have to work harder than someone in a traditional job.

Set a schedule you can stick to so that you’re always moving your business forward. Make sure you can be productive and get stuff done, so don’t be afraid to set a schedule that works for you…one of the many benefits of working for yourself.

You can tell your parents when you work each day and what you do. You don’t have to go into a ton of detail, but get the point across that you’re not just sitting around all day.

Dedicate More Time

Now that I’m out of school, I can spend a lot more time on my business each week. I still want to have work-life balance, but I don’t have to also worry about classes.

While I spent about 3–4 hours a day working during school, now I can spend closer to 8 hours. Now, I might not do that every day. Some days will be shorter and others longer.

But dedicating more time to my business will prove to myself that I can do this. The only way I can make this work is to show up consistently.

That way, I can live the life I truly want.

Making Hard Choices

Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. In fact, it’s probably the hardest choice you could make.

They say that entrepreneurs have to do things most people won’t, so they can live a life most people can’t. That means putting in the work to grow your business.

To prove to yourself and your parents that you can be a successful entrepreneur.

I’ll be putting in the work. Will you?