In recent years, with a large number of Americans either out of work or under-employed, a new wave of entrepreneurs has emerged—not in corner offices or flashy tech startups—but right at home. Many individuals have started home-based service businesses, fueled by necessity or the dream of self-employment. But here’s a sobering truth: not everyone who files for an LLC or designs a logo is actually running a business. In fact, many are what we call “jobbies.”
So, what exactly is a jobbie?
A jobbie is someone who appears to run a business but is, in reality, working a job that they own. It’s a solo act where the person is both the boss and the employee. While this might sound empowering, it comes with a unique set of risks—ones that many solo practitioners fail to fully understand.
What Makes a Real Business?
A business, in its truest form, is an entity unto itself. Even if it has a sole proprietor, the business should live on if it changes hands. It exists independently of the individual who founded it. Businesses can be sold, scaled, systematized, and staffed. They are built to last beyond the founder’s direct involvement.
A true business operates with systems, processes, and other people. It doesn’t rely solely on the founder to generate revenue. It’s capable of surviving a vacation, a sick day, or even a sale to a new owner.
You Can Sell a Business, Not a Job
A job, on the other hand, is a task or function performed by an individual—typically in exchange for money. It requires the continual presence of the worker. The moment you stop showing up, the income stops too.
You can’t sell a job. No one wants to buy a role that vanishes the second the seller walks away. That’s why it’s essential to know the difference.
And that’s where jobbies find themselves—often without realizing it. They mistake being self-employed for being a business owner.
Why Many Solo Practitioners Are Actually Jobbies
There’s nothing wrong with being a jobbie. In fact, it can be a rewarding way to make a living. But let’s be honest about what it is. If you are the product, the service, and the salesperson—if you are the work—then you’re not a business. You’re self-employed. You’ve created a job for yourself.
A wedding photographer who takes all the photos, does all the editing, handles all the marketing, and answers all the emails isn’t running a business in the traditional sense. They are running a job. Ditto for a freelance web designer or handyman working out of their garage. They are often solo operations without the systems to scale or the infrastructure to transfer ownership.
Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad and Cashflow Quadrant, would categorize a jobbie as “self-employed” in his Cashflow Quadrant framework. In this model, the self-employed (the “S” quadrant) are individuals who work for themselves and rely entirely on their own effort to generate income. While they may enjoy independence and control, their income is directly tied to the hours they work—if they don’t work, they don’t earn. Kiyosaki emphasizes that people in the “S” quadrant often believe they own a business, but in reality, they own a job. A jobbie fits this description perfectly: they are their own boss, but they are also their only employee, and the business cannot operate without them. True business owners, in Kiyosaki’s view, reside in the “B” quadrant, where systems and teams allow the business to function independently of the owner’s daily involvement.
Being a jobbie is not without its risks. Unlike employees, jobbies don’t have paid time off, unemployment insurance, or a steady paycheck. Unlike true business owners, they don’t have leveraged systems or teams to keep things running.
They often invest in branding, equipment, or marketing that assumes scalability—but without systems in place, that investment may never yield a return.
A jobbie is subject to the same business risks—market changes, competition, health issues—without the buffers that real businesses have in place. And they usually shoulder all that risk alone.
How Horizon Interactive Evolved Beyond a Jobbie Operation
A great example from my own journey is Horizon Interactive, a business I built with the intention of functioning beyond just my personal effort. Unlike many solo-run ventures, Horizon Interactive employed a team of W-2 staff, each with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. We developed and implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs) that ensured consistency, efficiency, and scalability. These systems meant the business could run smoothly even when I wasn’t directly involved in every task or decision.
Because the business was built to operate independently—with the right people, processes, and documentation in place—I was eventually able to sell Horizon Interactive. That’s something no jobbie can do. The ability to transfer ownership and maintain operations is a hallmark of a true business. It wasn’t just a job I owned; it was an asset with real value.
SteveBizBlog: A Jobbie in Transition
In contrast, SteveBizBlog is currently what I would call a jobbie in transformation. While I am still the central figure behind the content, I’ve intentionally begun building infrastructure to reduce dependency on myself. I work with a distributed team that includes a virtual assistant in the Philippines, an editor in Costa Rica, and a web developer in Pakistan, to mention just a few. Their support helps keep things moving, even when I’m not directly engaged.
Additionally, I’ve started leveraging artificial intelligence to refresh and reimagine older blog posts based on the cumulative insights and data already produced by me over the years. This allows me to scale the blog’s impact without having to manually rewrite every piece. It’s a powerful way to extend my voice, improve relevance, and evolve the brand—systematically turning a one-person content engine into a scalable knowledge platform.
Invest Like a Business, Not a Job
When jobbies start spending like business owners—investing in expensive websites, branding agencies, or marketing campaigns—but have no systems or team in place, they’re throwing good money after bad.
If you can’t be replaced in your business without everything falling apart, you don’t have a business. You have a job with overhead.
That’s why it’s critical to think carefully about where you’re investing your time and money. Ask yourself whether those investments will produce returns, or whether they simply make your job feel more like a business—without actually being one.
So… Are You Really Running a Business?
There’s honor in doing honest work—whether that’s freelancing, consulting, or mowing lawns. But clarity matters. If you’re a jobbie, own it. Just be mindful not to mistake it for entrepreneurship unless you’re laying the groundwork to build something that stands on its own.
And if you want to move from jobbie to business owner, start by building systems, delegating tasks, and focusing on how to replace yourself in the business over time.
Are you building something that can grow without you, or have you just created a job with no backup plan?
