Everyone dreams of being their own boss. But anyone who has actually done it knows that there are two sides to the coin. We asked self-employed business owners to spill the beans on their experience. Here are 10 thoughts on the positive and negative sides of bossing yourself.

"It's nice to have the option to take time off whenever you want to, but that means nothing is getting done. It depends on the business, but in most cases if you're not working, there is no money being made."
Harry, 52

"[I enjoy] the freedom to set my own schedule, to take on as many projects as Iwant, and to decide with whom I want to work."
Alison, 25

"You need to always push yourself to keep working. Sometimes, it's hard not to feel guilty when you're not working, but know you should be."
Tony, 34

"Self-promotion is hard. I am really picky about how I present myself professionally, so I have trouble branding myself."
Dan, 26

"Laptop = $1,000. Sofa = free from parents. Boxers = $6. Getting paid to work in your underwear = priceless."
Dawson, 28

"It sounds cool and people are generally envious when you tell them you're doing a side project (and getting paid for it, no less)."
Zack, 24

"You are married to your business and it can very quickly become your entire life, leaving little extra time for fun. You have to be ready to make a lot of sacrifices, and be prepared for a long wait before any rewards."
Jennifer, 28

"Self-employment takes a tremendous amount of discipline, and not in the way that one initially thinks. You need to be diligent about separating 'your' time from the company time. It's much harder to strike a healthy work-life balance."
Joe, 33

"[I like] watching things develop that I helped directly control, and taking something small and trying to make it stand on its own."
Brady, 34

"What I like about working for myself is that I can see the immediate results of my efforts, both good and bad."
Mark, 52