Four years ago Kegan told me, "If you want to live happily, you must go for a job. It gives you regular predictable cash flow, financial security and peace of mind. Self-employment is a nightmare and we should not even think about it." I said, "Every citizen of this country has the right of freedom of expression. So, I don't want to say anything against what you believe in. May I know what made you jump onto this conclusion?"
Kegan was my neighbor in Hamilton. Though I knew he was working as a clerk in a bank, I never knew about his business ventures.
He replied, "After reading books on self-employment and making money, I enrolled myself in XYZ direct marketing business. I wasted my precious time and money on their startup kit. I had similar experience in a few other 'wonderful business opportunities.' Then I tried to become an Internet entrepreneur. I paid subscription fees to several websites that promised big income within a few days. All are liars. They cheated me. So, self-employment is not a good idea."
'Knowledge is an ocean. What we know is a drop in it,' I thought but did not tell him. "Any idea or experience can be seen from many angles and explained from those angles. You had a bitter experience and so you think self-employment is bad. That is a negative approach. Have you ever considered the positive side of it?" I asked.
With a sarcastic smile Kegan asked me, "I lost money. Is there anything positive about it?" I replied, "Some people say that when Newton was sitting under an apple tree, a ripe apple fell on his head and that made him discover an important scientific truth. If he had taken a negative view about it, either he would have asked the tree to be cut off or come to the conclusion that sitting under a tree is bad."
The sarcastic smile disappeared from Kegan's pursed lips. He asked me, "Well, I understand your point. Do you see any positive point in my negative experience?" I said to him, "When you go for professional courses such as Chartered Accountancy, you are required to undergo compulsory practical training so that you have real experience in addition to bookish knowledge. I think you have gained practical knowledge about scams by losing some money. Don't you think thousands of innocent people like you would be losing money every day? If they have the knowledge that you have now, will they become victims of scams? Why don't you create a product or a service that will help people avoid scams?"
"But how will I make money?" Kegan had a genuine question. I replied, "There are many ways to make money if you create a website on scams. The easiest way is to go for online ads. However, the amount of money you will make will be influenced by website traffic. You can write special reports and sell them as a product. You can even work on one-to-one basis and help people recover money for fees."
Kegan said, "That's a brilliant idea. Even though I have not yet fully come out of the idea that regular job is the best way to go, I will create a website on scams and rip-offs as a part-time home based business. I am moving to Auckland next month. If I am successful in my part-time business, I will be in touch you."
After three years, when I was browsing on the Internet, I came across a nice and useful website on scams. When I read the 'about us' page I was pleasantly surprised to note that it was Kegan's website. I sent him an email congratulating him for creating such a useful website.
Kegan replied, "Thank you very much for your email. I could not write to you earlier because I did not have your contact details. Creating website on scams was an enjoyable experience for me. I did not want to depend on online ads to make money. I give away free information on how to avoid scams in the form of a downloadable eBook and attracted thousands of visitors every month. I publish information on websites that are not safe. I have written a report on how to recover lost money and sell it for NZ$20 a copy. I am able to sell 5 copies a day and make NZ$3000 a month. I earn only NZ$2000 from my regular job. My view on job and self-employment has changed long ago. Self-employment is the most beautiful thing one can ever dream for in one's life."