"I want to be my own boss"

"The freedom of man lies not in the fact that he can do what he wants, but that he does not have to do what he does not want " - I pinned this quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau above my desk years ago. It has always been my dream to bemy own boss one day, but I didn't have the courage to do it for a long time.

There is no security

As a tax consultant, it makes sense to set up your own firm. But when you work independently, you have to make the right decisions and take the risks yourself. There is no longer any security. I have seen time and again how difficult this is with our clients. There were quite a few who had fulfilled their dream of owning their own store, but then failed after a short time. I learned a lot from these mistakes.

Meticulous preparation is the be-all and end-all

Forward-looking advice is essential. I took every opportunity to further my education, attending training seminars and courses. And I was successful. More than once, I noticed that customers specifically wanted to be advised by me. A huge compliment, because word-of-mouth recommendations from clients are worth their weight in gold for a law firm. But my boss didn't reward this performance. He refused to give me a pay rise and wouldn't even reimburse me for the costs of the training.

When the end is a beginning

I had finally had enough, resigned and opened my own office shortly afterwards. That was four years ago. I started very small back then. My first office consisted of just one room. I was so motivated that I was happy to work 14 hours a day. But now I was doing it for myself and my pocket. The effort has paid off. I can now afford prestigious premises in a modern office complex. I also have three employees. We are working at full capacity and I often have to sacrifice the weekend for important appointments. But in return, I earn a good wage and am busy and happy."

Send us your story of happiness

When have you been really lucky? Together with "Deutsche Fernsehlotterie ", "Idee für mich " is looking for your story of luck. Simply send your story of happiness to redaktion@idee-fuer-mich.de. The best stories will be published on www.idee-fuer-mich.de and awarded prizes.