Page 31 - The UnCaptive Agent

4 THE UNCAPTIVE AGENT

in? Do you want to control to a greater degree the way
you live your life (and how your working hours relate
to that)? This has driven many successful OAA agency
principals to leave companies like Farmers, Allstate,
Farm Bureau, and other captive insurance companies.
In the process of building freedom, these individuals
have also built better incomes and real wealth.
Or, are you interested in having greater flexibility
with your time? As an employee, your employer tells
you when and how much you must work. Even as an
insurance producer, your time is dictated to you to a
greater degree than many realize. How much vacation
time can you take? How often do you have to be in the
office? Are you missing your children’s plays, perfor-
mances, or games because someone else requires you to
be somewhere else? Many people begin their businesses
simply because they want to have greater flexibility of
time. My wife wanted this capability so that our chil-
dren, when they were babies, could come to the office
with her, and she could build her business while never
missing any “mom” things. Owning your own business
is the ultimate way of creating your own time system.
Perhaps the biggest reason that many people take the
risk to launch their own business is because they want to
make more money. If you’re working for somebody else,
the truth is that they intend to make a profit on your
labor. They’re taking the risk to provide a workplace, a
work environment and an opportunity for you, so that
they can make more money. If you own your business,
that additional income can be yours. And everyone
looking at starting their own business has that in mind.
Is that why you’re beginning your own business? If it
is, you need to be clear and honest with yourself about
that—and also understand the truth about how much
more money you can actually make (along with the