Are Aspies Better Off Self-Employed?

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Employment seems to be a major issue for some of the people on these message boards. Either they have problems with the interview, the politics at work or with other coworkers.

Do you think Aspies are better off being self-employed with their own business or as an independent contractor where they can make their own job in their own environment that they feel comfortable with?

Perhaps instead of compelling employers to comply with burdensome regulations or get sued, maybe the focus should be to do away with some of the burdensome red tape and income tax codes to lower the barriers as much as possible for someone who wants to have a startup business. By making it easier for everybody this by default will go a long way to help the problem of underemployment of Aspies.

Yes.

Two sides to every coin. I have worked for someone for ten years now, because I am a follower. I would love to make my own rules and they will be the right rules. But then, whatever I want to do on my own, I would probably have to talk on the phone a lot, not something I am happy with. If I could be self-employed and everyone automatically knew what I wanted and just did it without ringing me up or whatever, then yes, great. Then there's customers. Aargh! Vicious circle!

I personally think my non existant organisational and financial management skills would get the better of me. I also find having a job useful in that even if I'm not getting out at all I still have some social contact with my colleagues every day which keeps me from going nuts.

I had a pretty successful eBay business going for a couple of years. I think that sort of thing is perfect for me. The only thing I struggled with was how ass-kissy you have to be with some customers and how some people just want something for nothing. Frustrating. The only reason I stopped was due to eBay doubling store fees and substantially increasing seller fees. It became far too time-consuming for the profit I was making.

Yes, yes, yes.
My husband has many of the positive and negative ASpects of AS, so for all intents and purposes I consider him an Aspie. For example, he took a paralegal course, aced it, got the certificate, and then nobody wanted to hire him (perhaps because he never made any eye contact whatsoever)...meanwhile he knows law inside and out. He can read a book about plumbing or electricity, then go fix anything (visual thinking)- and work on stuff alone for hours at a time. He was chronically underemployed until we were able to buy a couple inexpensive duplexes. So now he is able to use his gifts.

I think so. If I had my own business, I'd be able to keep my own hours, and work from my home, or a vacant warehouse, selling my artwork, in many forms.

I've always been happiest when self employed or running my own business. Luckily more jobs can be done remotely these days, and it's often more efficient than being in a distracting office. I love having a home based studio where I can work in PJs

I am self employed now, and it will never pas through my head apply to work for someone again.

I think so, as we would set our own hours, and not have to go through an interview or deal with co-workers or supervisors. For the most part, the jobs I did have were ones that I didn't have to interview for. I also like the idea of working from home, as some companies allow employees to do that. I think that would be good for Aspies as we would be able to get our jobs done at home without having to deal with office politics.

Yes, self-employment has many advantages for aspies but I think it is important to choose something where you do not interface with your clients face to face, or need to sell something or nurture relationships in order to continue doing business. So, online commerce sites are ideal (but let someone else manage the complaints, maybe! Unless you can be less aspie-honest and more polite and "yes the customer is always right" in your responses, even though we all know they are often in the wrong).

If you can partner with an NT that understands your strengths and weaknesses, it is ideal. You're the brains, they're the face... works well, if there is good trust between you.

The main problem with self employment in the USA is that most Americans rely upon their employers for health insurance.

The main benefit of self employment in the USA is that you can write off a LOT of expenses as business related, and pay a lot less in taxes compared to someone who works for a paycheck.

Microsoft is a great place for aspies to work. I suspect there is a large concentration of aspies there, so being aspie is not viewed as that much out of the ordinary. Plus the benefits are great, and there is a large degree of trust and freedom granted to employees there.

Good fortune,

- Icarus supports the work/life balance initiative...

Yes, I'm self-employed and hope to never have to go back to being a wage-slave. I do have to deal with clients face-to-face but that's good as I get to practise my NTness without having to spend all day, every day with them. I see individual clients and their horses for an hour or so at a time and how many I see in a day depends on how I arrange my diary.

If I was working from home I'm sure I'd never get anything done as I'm a terrible procrastinator and can always get absorbed in something else I'd rather be doing. I'm not sure I'd have the discipline to sit at home, surrounded by my books, music, dvds, the internet etc and get any work done

Cool, you work with horses! I think we make excellent careers working with animals, b.t.w. If I knew what I know now about aspie-ness when I decided what to study after school, I would have probably pursued my childhood dream to become a vet much more. I think owners don't really care about your quirks, as long as you can fix their animals you will be respected and even well loved by them.

I was gonna b a cricket coach which meant i would have been self employed n a lot of ppl said 2 me i would have a very good cricket coach but im not ready 2 b self employed as im already employed full tym but maybe in a few years tym i will go self employed as i would like 2 b involved in maps.