Every person deserves to take a shot in life if they want to give it a go.

That goes for all kinds of different things, but when it happens in business, it doesn’t always go over so well.

People tend to get competitive and jealous if someone who works for them decides to branch out on their own.

But that’s how things work, friends!

A person wrote the story below and talked about why they’re considering starting their own business…because they’re doing most of the work where they’re at anyway.

Let’s take a look!

My Cousin Owns the Business. I Run Most of It. Am I Crazy for Wanting to Start My Own Thing?

“I’m 22 and work for my cousin’s jewelry business.

Over the past few years I’ve taken on more and more responsibility.

They’re doing a heck of a lot here!

I handle product photography, Etsy listings, SEO, descriptions, customer service, social media, quality control, packing, shipping, custom orders, and even factory visits.

Most of the daily operations eventually come through me in one way or another.

The Etsy shops I manage have generated around $13,000 in revenue with nearly 10,000 visits and dozens of orders.

The business operates at roughly a 20%-30% profit margin. My compensation is about $200 per month for expenses plus a 1.5% incentive on deposited sales.

I’m thankful for the experience because I’ve learned a lot about e-commerce, jewelry manufacturing, marketing, and running an online business.

You can’t blame them for feeling this way…

But lately I’ve been asking myself a difficult question.

If I already know how to source products, create listings, photograph products, manage customers, coordinate production, and generate sales, why am I spending all my energy building someone else’s business?

I understand that my cousin took the financial risk, invested the money, and owns the business. I’m not saying I deserve ownership of something I didn’t start.

They have a point!

What I’m struggling with is whether it makes sense to continue down this path long term when I could be using these same skills to build a business of my own.

Recently I’ve been thinking about starting a brand in a different category, possibly mobile accessories, and selling through Amazon and other e-commerce platforms.

Even if it doesn’t work out, I feel like the experience I’ve gained in e-commerce, operations, marketing, and business management would still make me employable in the future.

Part of me feels like this is the best time in my life to take a risk. I don’t have a mortgage, children, or major financial obligations. If I fail, I can learn from it and still pursue a career using the skills I’ve built over the last few years.

Has anyone here been in a similar position?

Would you continue helping grow your cousin’s business, or would you take a shot at building something of your own while you’re still young?”

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who just let clients complain after her boss refused to approve overtime.

Let’s see what folks had to say about this on Reddit.

This person weighed in.

Another individual spoke up.

This Reddit user shared their thoughts.

This individual spoke up.

And another reader weighed in.

It sounds like this person has a good head on their shoulders and they want to see what happens.

I say go for it!

Hey, you only live once, you should try to do stuff like this when you’re young.

Sometimes, you gotta branch out on your own and take a risk!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who rejects a low contract offer and leaves the company instead.