Thoughts on the Benefits of Maintaining a Small Business

Choosing to keep a small business intentionally has been a conscious decision for me. My goal has always been to have a successful indie business, and for me, success means certain elements:

1. Independence: I never want to have a boss, and I want to live life on my own terms.
2. Flexibility: I don’t want anyone else dictating when and how I work.
3. Maintaining Control: I want to have full control over my business, avoiding external pressures.

To keep my indie business successful, I have made the deliberate choice to keep it small and manageable. This means:

• I prioritize not growing the business beyond what I desire.
• I avoid letting it dictate the kind of life I live or imposing rigid work schedules.

Simultaneously, I strive to increase the annual revenue generated by the business. It’s worth mentioning that I intentionally avoid pursuing recurring revenue (ARR), despite its popularity in the industry. This is because recurring revenue can limit flexibility and require constant attention and customer support. By avoiding the recurring revenue model, it allows me to maintain the freedom to pivot and explore new directions whenever I wish.

I find great value in being able to switch gears and embrace fresh ideas. Having owned and worked on failed products in the past, I’ve realized that building a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) app doesn’t align with my objectives. With SaaS, there’s a tendency for business owners to sell their venture and move on to new projects. While this may work for some, it’s not the path I want to take. My intention is to stay true to my business and never sell it.

Once, I had a conversation with my accountant about my future plans. I confidently shared that my vision was to continue doing what I love for the rest of my life. Being able to freely create, build, and ship new ideas is what drives me. When I feel forced into doing something, I lose the passion that fuels my work. Therefore, my aim is to avoid creating a business that engulfs my life.

I live for those moments when I can allocate 500% of my energy with unwavering passion. Setting deadlines and working tirelessly to bring ideas to life excites me. Currently, I have achieved this goal through my cohort-based online courses. The most rewarding aspect of my work is the direct impact it has on people’s lives. Online courses have the power to bring about real change, and to me, that’s the best mission I could have asked for.

In conclusion, I have intentionally chosen to maintain a small business to enjoy the benefits of independence, flexibility, and control. By avoiding recurring revenue and embracing opportunities for growth without losing sight of my passion, I can continue creating and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

tags: [“small business”, “indie business”, “business growth”, “independence”, “flexibility”, “control”, “annual revenue”, “recurring revenue”, “SaaS”, “passion”, “online courses”]