Keep a job or start your own business?

Musician Brett Dennen summed up many people’s internal debate with a probing tweet:

Would you rather be self employed and work tirelessly non stop, or work for someone else and work leisurely and less… http://t.co/jWhjxeeFThu Sep 15 21:00:34 via Formspring.me

In a tough economy quitting a safe job doesn’t sound like a smart idea. However, many Americans have a burning entrepreneurial spirit and think their ideas can make them rich.

There are benefits to weigh when considering starting your own business. Being your own boss can be a powerful draw, but when you’re self employed, all of the tedious aspects of running a business fall on your shoulders.

Entrepreneurship isn’t in the cards for everyone though. Startup Daddy, a blog on startups, advises that starting a business can be a lot more than most can handle, and not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.

A steady job, on the other hand, offers structure and security. Self-employment might be a good option for someone who was laid off and hasn’t found work in months, but is the freedom of being your own boss worth the risks?

There’s really no right answer, it depends on a person’s constitution and dedication to doing a lot of work to start a business up and keep it running. I’d love to own my own business, but I’m not sure if I could handle the day-to-day issues that I, and only I, would be responsible for. Maybe the security of being an employee would be better for me.

Weigh in on this issue either in the comments or on Twitter. Use hashtag #jobsquest to join the conversation, and answer the question that Dennan posed: would you rather slave for your own business or work a nine-to-five for someone else?