This is something I have been wanting to do for a very long time, but have been too scared to. Yes, I never had the courage to ride a roller coaster. Today I got over one of my fears.

Everyone has their fears. Face them, don’t let them stop you from doing what you want. Most individuals are too scared to start a business or invest their money. What is the worst thing that can go wrong? Failure, oh well. Failure is how we learn. The secret is to learn from your failures quickly and keep pushing.

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I got the blue screen of death Wednesday of last week. I can only try to tell you how upset I was. Words would not due my feelings any justice.

What is the blue screen of death (BSOD)?
It is the screen displayed by Microsoft’s Windows operating system when it cannot (or is in danger of being unable to) recover from a system error.

Here I am always preaching the importance of backing up your websites but not even thinking about my computer. Actually,I take that back because I did purchase a Western Digital External Hard Drive a few months ago for music and pictures. I just never took the time or thought about backing up my files for some reason.

Ok,  so I had a computer tech here by Thursday afternoon to check everything out. He informed me there was nothing he could do on-site because of the time involved. He took the computer to his workshop and told me I’d have it back in about 48 hours. He called me later in the day and told me the hard drive is fried and he couldn’t get anything out of it. He suggested we reinstall Windows and start from scratch. Ummm, NO!!! I told him the data was extremely important. He explained he has some programs to get the information, but they will just take 12-18 hours to run their course. At that point he still couldn’t guarantee he could get any of my data recovered. I had no choice but to let him do his thing.

What should you do if you get the blue screen of death?
First off don’t panic, yet. Sometimes you will get the BSOD and can simply reboot without any further complications. Before rebooting write down the error message. If you are able to get back onto your computer do a Google or YouTube search for that error code. During my issue I found tons of results giving me guidance. If it is something you can fix then do so, if not call a professional. While you have your computer back up either in regular or safe mode copy all your files to a CD, Zip Drive or anything you have. Worst case scenario you do not have anything to store the data email the most important files to yourself.

TIP – Never let your computer tech reinstall Windows. There are ways of getting information off of a hard drive, not every tech knows how or is equipped to do so. Get your hard drive back and seek a professional data recovery specialist. Depending on the size of your hard drive you are looking at $300-$2000 for data recovery.

Here are some of the many options of backing up your hard drive:

1. On-site Backup – Purchase either an external or internal hard drive. The main benefit of an external drive is the ability to take it on the go. As I have already stated above I purchased a Western Digital External Hard Drive. Next, you will want to purchase some kind of backup software. I’d suggest using Norton Ghost.
2. RAID1 – RAID1 also known as Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is the process of having an additional hard drive to copy your primary hard drive. Using this configuration allows you to utilize the second hard drive as the primary if for some reason the primary goes down. Depending on your operating system you may be able to purchase an additional internal hard drive and configure your motherboard to run this.
3. Off-site Backup – Using your internet connection you can store files at another location. The first way of achieving this is with the use of a dedicated server. If you go with this option make sure to use some type of encryption software so people can not access your information. Do not attempt this with shared hosting. Shared hosting companies do not allow for this and will more than likely suspend your account. The other option which is extremely affordable is Mozy.com. For $4.95 per month you can store an unlimited amount of data. What I really like about Mozy is the backup software is included. They will provide the software to manage all of your backups.

After reviewing the options I have selected to go with Mozy.com. Mozy is the cheapest up front option at only $4.95 per month which includes the data storage and backup software. Mozy seems to be the safest. Their server rooms are fire and earthquake proof. They store your information on several servers in case one goes down. Lastly, you can access your files from any computer. Oh and if you need less than 2GB of backup space, it’s free.

In the end, I was able to get all of my data – thank goodness. I track all of my domain names and site advertisers through an excel spreadsheet. I also had a lot of contact info stored on there as well. I would have been highly aggravated at the loss of some of the data that’s important for my day-to-day work.  I really would have been lost without a lot of the information. I learned my lesson for sure.

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Being self employed takes a lot of guts. You have to be brave enough to even make the decision to be someone who is their own boss. Then you have to carry that courage with you as you endure successes, failures and all that comes with it. As with everything in life, there are no guarantees things will work out. Someone who chooses to be self employed has to be ok with the possibility of failure or success ahead of time.

I’ve been self employed consistently now for about 4 years. Previous to that, I was self employed for a small stint. That particular business failed so I dusted myself off and went back to working a “normal” job while I brainstormed for my next venture. It wasn’t long before I started a small project on the side while I was working, but that didn’t work out either. Then, I stumbled into real estate and my life was never the same. My point in sharing this is to tell you you have to be willing to take a huge chance and if it doesn’t work out you have to pick yourself up, be ok with what happened, learn from it and move on.

Being self employed is not for everyone. There are many distinct personality traits entrepreneurs possess. I did some research and found the following traits to be the most commonly cited on many different lists:

1. Ambitious
2. Obsessive some say Passionate (my wife can vouch for my obsessiveness)
3. Self Disciplined (need to be able to motivate yourself)
4. Self Aware (knowing ones strengths/weaknesses)
5. Perseverance
6. Visionary/Creative
7. Flexible
8. Resourceful
9. Risk Taker
10. Competitive
11. Hard Worker

If you don’t have every single trait on this list don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t mean you’re going to fail. In fact, the list would be longer if I put every single trait that I found on the lists. I personally don’t possess every single one of these traits. Yet, I’m thriving just fine. These traits that are listed are based on many other expert’s opinions and observations of entrepreneurs. Yes, it is true, some people are just born entrepreneurs, but I believe some can be created if you’re flexible and willing to put in the hard work required in being self employed.

I think one of the most important traits on here is #4. You really have to know yourself well and know what you are capable of and not capable of. You need to be willing to ask for help when you have no clue how to do something. I have found that there are things I have learned how to do for myself after someone has helped me or shown me what to do. Then it’s no longer a weakness of mine. There are some things though I gladly leave up to the experts.

If you think you have what it takes to be self employed then gather up as much patience and courage as you can to take the plunge. Come up with a business plan that includes any marketing strategies you have so you’ll have an outline of what you’re doing. Keep in mind you can revise your business plan at any time as needed. I’m a huge fan of putting things down on paper even if it’s a napkin with just a few random thoughts.

One of the few things I actually enjoyed about working a job for someone else is that once I left work for the day, I was done with work for that day. When you work from home especially, it’s difficult to stop working. Self employment is one the most stressful things I’ve endured.For me, the benefits of being my own boss has out weighed the stress. I have no rush hour traffic. I don’t get up early. In fact, I sleep when I want. I have no work clothes to worry about because I can dress how I want. I get to spend a lot of time with my wife and kids. If myself or one of the kids is sick I don’t have to call off work worrying if someone is going to be mad or if I have any paid time left. The list of pros of me being self employed could go on and on. However, it is not for everyone. It can be a scary and crazy ride at times. I hated working for someone else. I wouldn’t want to live my life any other way. Only you know if you have what it takes.

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