Mid this year we posted an article advertising 2,900 temporary IEBC jobs. Response to that article was crazy. We received 198 comments, most of which were from young guys who had applied for the job. Is employment the only money making option for 20 something year olds, why don’t we opt for self-employment?

Steve Pavlina, a self-help author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur, has identified 10 myths associated self-employment that discourage most youth from opting for self-employment. For the next 10 weeks, on our My Money in My 20’s segment, we will break down each of these myths.

First on the list is the fear that one will have to work for long hours. In as much as this is true, at most times most entrepreneurs choose to work for long hours. It might be because they enjoy their work so much that they want to put in long hours or perhaps they have set up their businesses in such a way that their physical presence is necessary for income generation.

Many self-employed people start businesses where they get paid only while they’re working. A classic example is a DVD movies library. You might have to be present to generate income, but then again, this might not always be the case. Many 20something year olds have set DVD shops in neighborhoods and hired fellow youths to run the business.

As Pavlina puts it, self-employment is all about establishing systems that will bring in money. You might choose to have a system which forces you to be physically present in order to generate income but then again you can set up systems that generate income for you, systems you own and control.

Working for long hours is a matter of choice. There is no law of self-employment that says you have to start a business that only generates income while you’re working. You as the entrepreneur decide how to set things up. Working longer hours is largely a symptom of the type of business you create as well as your personal choice.

If you don’t want to work for long hour’s you certainly don’t have to.