A One-Person Business Is The Only Way To Build Financial Freedom. Here’s Why.
Your 9–5 is an asset, not a liability.
Your 9–5 job is keeping you broke.
Wages that barely match inflation. Increased working hours. A complete lack of meaning. No control. You can survive, but you will struggle.
Now, a 9–5 job is great to start.
You get paid to learn. You build foundational skills. But it should only be used to launch your biz. You can do this with 3–5 years of working. After that, you can get lazy.
Being 30, most of my friends are hitting that upper limit.
I’ve seen them slide into the mediocre average.
They are bored out of their minds. But they can’t beat their addiction to a monthly salary. They dream of quitting. Doing their own thing. But they never built anything for themself, so they remain stuck.
The world of work is changing. Rapidly.
Your office is a nightmare.
You work under fluorescent lights with Karen from HR body odor is assaulting your senses. Gross. You look around and see overweight and barely alive Brett struggling to use email and typing with one finger.
To top it off, you have to sacrifice an hour of your life commuting.
Standing cramped in a disease-ridden carriage with the sound of coughing and sneezing serenading your trip. You get the pungent hit of someone’s constipated-induced fart filling the air.
This all happens before you even start work.
You deal with clients who hate you. A boss who hates you. Colleagues who hate you. Go home to a partner who hates you. Kids you barely see. And spend time with your mind, which also hates you. You feel trapped.
But you accept this reality. And call it your life. No thanks.
I know you’re frustrated. Tired. Maybe even angry at yourself. You stare at yourself in the mirror, thinking: “How did I even get here?”. You’re motivated to change but don’t see a way forward.
There is good news. We are in a new revolution.
The path is simple. But not easy. Modern technology has given the average Joe and Jane the leverage to build a one-person business based on any skill or personal interest that can change your financial fortunes.
If you want to change, here’s the answer.
If you like this reality, click off the article.
The hidden market force that makes people rich.
In July 2024, I packed up my bags and left Australia.
I bought a one-way ticket to Singapore. I haven’t looked back since. The growth of the region is incredible. I’m now planning to base myself out of Southeast Asia for the next 3–5 years.
I currently live between:
Indonesia (Bali).
Thailand (Bangkok).
Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh).
Singapore (Singapore).
I’m a fan of big, chaotic cities. Bali is my nature getaway.
Aside from the food, culture, and family, there’s another reason why I want to stay in Southeast Asia.
I’ve stumbled upon uan ncommon form of leverage:
Arbitrage.
Put simply, arbitrage is the buying and selling between two markets and profiting from the difference.
I’ve exploited arbitrage for my benefit:
Lifestyle arbitrage:
I’ve based myself out of low cost of living in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. But I get paid high-ticket rates in USD. My cost of living is developing world standards. My income is developed world standards.
Wealth is created between what you earn and what you spend.
Business arbitrage:
I’m incorporating my business in Singapore which has lower corporate tax rate than Australia and 0% effective tax rate for dividend income. The structure of a company means I can control my tax liability. You can’t do this when you earn a salary. You’re taxed immediately. And tax is the largest expense you pay.
Services arbitrage:
I purchase my memberships from Vietnam. My gym and co-working space are global brands. I can use it anywhere, even in expensive countries like Australia and Singapore. But I pay Vietnamese prices, which are a quarter of the cost.
Labor arbitrage:
Cheap talent is abundant across Vietnam and Indonesia. These are young populations who are eager for opportunities. Approach any local university, and you will find talent everywhere. I’ve hired contractors who are young, eager for experience, and cost-efficient. Win-win.
Information arbitrage:
Being in a rapidly growing economy means I get early access to trends and knowledge faster. The ROI of being in a hub of activity is priceless. This is why Silicon Valley attracts tech. Hollywood attracts actors. New York attracts finance. Birds of a feather flock together.
These are all unfair advantages I’ve got.
Is it fair? Nope. Can everyone do this? Also, no.
But I sacrificed a lot to be able to do what I’m currently doing. I’m also not trying to speak to everyone. If you’re a single person with a remotely doable job, you can do this, too.
If you can’t do this, there is hope. You can access arbitrage. The internet means there is a global marketplace with arbitrage opportunities.
Paid communities = information arbitrage.
Fiverr & Upwork = labor arbitrage.
Online brokers = service arbitrage.
But if you can move physically, great.
I would recommend that you do it.
Where you live determines where you will go.
What car you drive matters.
If your end goal is financial freedom, the vehicle, and road you drive matter.
Some people take the slow lane.
Other people take the fast lane.
Entrepreneurship = fast lane with a green Lambo.
A 9–5 job = slow lane in a Toyota Prius.
If you want to work for 40+ years, save 10–15% a year, go on a few vacations to show pictures to Karen and Brett in your office, and then retire with arthritis and bad back, go ahead. Get in your Prius and get comfortable. It’s a long drive.
But I know you want more than that.
Business is the only vehicle where you can make more money without having to work more. You also make money first. And then decide how much tax to pay.
Any increase in your 9–5 salary means you have a new role and responsibility. Longer working hours. And more office politics to navigate. No thanks.
I experienced this firsthand.
The day I became a Director was the worst day of my life. I realized I was trapped. I looked at the people above me and didn’t look up to them at all. They were working long hours. Barely getting anything done. And didn’t even enjoy the work they were doing.
I quit my job 4 months later.
The thought of becoming like them terrified me. I wanted out. I went headfirst into entrepreneurship. At this point, I’m basically unemployable. At this point, I’d rather die than go back to a 9–5 job.
Become an entrepreneur like your life depends on it. Because it does.
Take the ‘Zero Risk’ approach.
Nowadays, entrepreneurship is much less risky.
The one-person business model offers 9–5 workers an opportunity to change the car they drive. While working my 9–5 job, I started writing online. Over time, my followers grew, and I started offering ghostwriting services.
I started making $7–9k per month alongside my job.
I did this for a few months. And then I realized I could go all-in on this. I didn’t need to pay rent, inventory, or even hire anyone. My costs beyond my laptop and internet were zero.
This wasn’t possible a generation ago.
I’ve seen my dad start businesses that required heavy start-up capital. Rent that ate into profits. And labor costs that made positive cash flow almost impossible.
His experience taught me a lesson.
I vowed to only start an online business based on info and knowledge. I wanted to monetize my mind, not my time. A mixture of arrogance and being naive made me pursue this goal. I didn’t even know if it was possible.
But since 2020, I’ve seen too many people do it.
Dan Koe.
Justin Welsh.
Lara Acosta.
Tim Denning.
They built an online audience around 2020 and then turned this into a highly scalable, highly profitable one-person business based on nothing but their perspective, information, and knowledge.
You don’t need to quit your job.
Start by creating content online first. Build an audience. Foster distribution. Once you have distribution, you can build whatever business you want. You don’t need permission, money or mentors. Just start.
The only risk is doing nothing.
How do you become a six-figure entrepreneur?
Hang around people who are six-figure entrepreneurs.
The conversation, ideas, and mindset will rub off on you. You can’t help but work towards making six figures.
This is why I base myself out of Bali.
The average person in Bali is likely a 6+ figure entrepreneur. Say what you want about Bali, I don’t care. I make the most business progress when I’m in this environment.
In Bali:
Reading books.
Building a business.
Eating a balanced diet.
Investing in your mental health.
Taking care of your physical health.
This is the default behavior.
It’s hard not to be successful when everyone else is working towards the same goals as you. Everyone respects the hard work and understands how hard the journey is. Building a business is already hard. You need all the help you can get.
In Australia, the opposite is true.
Most people around me are settling for the average. Mediocre salaries, marriages that will probably end in divorce, and enemies disguised as friends. The tall poppy syndrome makes people sh*t on your dreams.
I hated it. I felt like I was dying a slow death.
I’ve become sensitive to my environment. I heavily limit who has access to me. I don’t give my time away freely. I’ve left behind friends. Distanced myself from some family. And curated my content environment.
Show me your environment, and I’ll predict where you’ll be.
You are 12 months of focus away from changing your life.
No one is coming to save you.
You are responsible for everything that happens to you. The reason you haven’t achieved what you wanted is because you’re okay with the life you have. You haven’t perceived your current situation as a problem.
Stop procrastinating. Making excuses. Settling for average.
So, where do you start?
Start with 1 hour per day.
Spend 30 minutes learning.
Spend 30 minutes building.
Make it a non-negotiable hour first thing in the morning.
You can invest 1 hour in yourself every day. Even with a 9–5, kids, and a mortgage.
12 months.
1 hour per day.
Your dream life is there. Now take it.
👉 I’ve previously sold a one-person business and I’m in the process of scaling another one to $20k per month. If you want my one-person business growth system, I’ve created a FREE email course for you to get started.
