FEMALE

February 2007

By Grace Tay

BE YOUR OWN BOSS!

Business aside…

Is self-employment a better option for you? Being an insurance or property agent, for instance, allows you to be your own boss without the cost and risks of starting a business. Answering only to yourself, you enjoy the prospect of unlimited income and flexible working hours.

Merry Riana, a financial adviser with Prudential Assurance, sees herself as not just self-employed but an entrepreneur, too. She explains: “My work is similar to running a business because my income in performance-based rather than fixed, I have flexible working hours, and I’m my own boss. However, unlike starting a business, I didn’t need to have a lot of capital, contacts, and skills. The risks were definitely lower since I didn’t have the same start-up costs that businesses may have.

“The biggest difference between being self-employed and a businessperson or entrepreneur is that for a self-employed person, no work equals no income. Whereas a businessperson can take a break any time – and still be making money – if the business has been set up to run itself.

“Generally, financial advisers are considered self-employed – you work for and by yourself – but I consider myself an entrepreneur because I’m not working just by myself alone. I’ve created a business system and build a team of assistants who help me in managing the system. Back when I was a financial adviser, I hired two assistants to arrange and confirm my appointment, handle the admin stuff, answer calls and service my clients. Now, as a Senior Manager, I have four assistants who help me in my recruitment, training, etc. So, even if I take a holiday for a week, all the business processes in my office still go on as usual.”

To know more about Merry Riana and her Organization, MRO, you can visit www.merryriana.com.sg or email merry@merryriana.com.sg.