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My biggest complaint was the commute. Being stuck in traffic going to and from work was the most gut wrenching, attitude crushing, health endangering aspect of the entire work day. I could handle the fickle bosses who couldn't make up their mind from day to day how they wanted the work completed, the ever changing and looming deadlines and the emotional roller coaster of dealing with all kinds of personalities. No, at the end of the day the one thing that was the killer was the commute. Oh I tried to make it better by subscribing to satellite radio so I would have a smorgasbord of content to entertain myself but in the end an hour on the road in bumper to bumper traffic is the same no matter how much lipstick you slather on that sow.
Bosses can be a major bother in most work environments because we have no idea why they are so demanding, unpredictable or just down right mean. Unfortunately they also have bosses and pressures we never consider which could be driving there irritating behavior. In most cases your boss if probably doing a very good job of juggling corporate concerns, customer demands and employee satisfaction. If your unhappy you can bet it is rubbing off on others and vice versa. You see a bad attitude is like a virus, it spreads everywhere and affects almost everyone. I have found it best to focus on the fewest people I have to have direct contact and only work to appease those conflicts rather than worry about the entire organization. This alone drives many people to the internet looking for any, and I mean any way to make a living from the comfort of home.
Coworkers can also be a factor that drives one to seek other employment opportunities. I am not talking about he crazy engineer in the basement who talks to himself and is a proud member of the aluminum foil hat brigade (for the uninitiated, it is believed that aluminum foil will prevent the government and other purveyors of evil from reading your thoughts. I find heavy duty grilling aluminum foil works the best ;) ). Just your average joe who lingers about throughout the day telling everyone every tasteless, inappropriate, mildly amusing joke he has heard from all the other average joes in the workplace. You also have the irritating, incessantly smiling, stab you in the back at the first opportunity types you always have to avoid. Unfortunately I have had these types sitting next to me for far longer than I care to admit. But the ones that are the most dangerous are the ones you consider a friend. You get lulled into a sense of security and say whatever pops into your stressed out mind. This so called friend runs to your boss to score some points and the next thing you know you are called into a conference room for a very uncomfortable conversation with your boss.
Running your own business can help you avoid these confrontations because honestly, most of the time you are the only coworker you have to worry about. If you are having these problems working by yourself then you have bigger problems to resolve than your business.
So, all in all there are many reasons why someone would go into business for themselves but the ultimate reason is a desire to control ones own destiny. But this path is not one for the faint of heart. You must consider many factors before venturing into these uncharted waters. You probably enjoy a very nice health benefits package in your employment so you will want to figure in the cost of health care into your business plan not to mention 401(k) matching, stock options, etc. Overall, it is a most enjoyable experience but you will want to consider all aspects before jumping in.
