Now running business full time...very scary!

[ian-d]

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Handed in my notice on my full time job tuesday after 10 years of service on a 'liveable' wage. Hopefully its not me but has everyone else when taken the plunge into running their own businesses full time had mixed feelings for days afterwards, maybe even months/years! One minute i'm up thinking of the possible improvements to the business and new ventures, the next i'm thinking what the hell i'm doing and why would i leave a job with a steady wage!

I have done the right thing, even if at worse case i get a few months of summer to enjoy after 10 years of solid work, but on the positive side i have the potential to build a successful business whilst gaining some free time from avoiding my currently 18 hour days (my accountant will vouch for the hours i send him emails lol).

The business has been running for some time and proven successful, all that restricts it at present is time, which should start to be free'd up in a few weeks time. I also want to get on with an affiliate program for the business (i have my ideas on who to use!), plus maybe look into promoting merchants myself as an affiliate. Plus i have two more businesses on the drawing board i'd like time to consider!

Not sure for the thread really, but if anyone has thoughts, suggestions, words of comfort which will help me through this time, i'd very much like to hear them, i'm sure a number of you have been through this, even if our industries are different!

[sgpratley]

Well Done Ian, you'll have more than a few terrifying moments, and still more 18 hour days ahead , but you'll never regret it!

[adrian]

Well done Ian. Big step, but from other similar threads, nobody ever seems to regret it and they go on to bigger and better things. Hopefully I'll follow you some day

[Mike_M]

Ian, speaking from experience this is one of the best moves you will ever make.

I sort of fell into working for myself - at the start I didnt get much time to wonder whether this was the right thing to be doing, but the worst case scenario is that you just get yourself another 'steady wage' job if things dont work out.

In my eyes the pros far outweigh the cons:

- work whenever you want to
- only accountable to yourself
- no david brent-style boss to tell you what to do
- no office politics
- the smarter you work, the more you're likely to earn
- run your business from a laptop anywhere you want to be - a beach in the maldives for example
- uncapped earning potential
- off-peak shopping/gym/days out etc. - no more queuing!

Cons:

- easy to let your start to the day become later and later
- becoming addicted to the Jeremy Kyle show
- i guess lack of job security on a serious note, but this seems to be the same for any job these days.

[brussell78]

Juggling Full time job and own business until it's up to wageable standards must be tricky!! Long hours I am guessing?

How do you know where to draw the line (income-wise) and take that leap?? Or is that a daft question??

[Steved]

Good Luck Ian! Today I'm sitting in the sun, in my garden, with some music, setting up a new website. Not many jobs that allow you to work where you want.

The hours are still long but when it's all going to your own back pocket it doesn't seem like a task anymore. I have a hundred new ideas a day now and my creativity has blossomed since leaving the corporate world and demanding clients behind.

You'll be fine, just those initial jitters to overcome

All the best

[jls]

Ian,
May I wish you all the best of luck in your new career. I am sure that it will go well.....Yes it is scary when you look back, but when you look forward it is far more welcoming and reqarding.

I have done it twice (or does that sound funny in the context of this thread). I left a large 'blue' company after 24 years to start up on my own, at that time doing project management. Long story behind that one, but the ecstacy of the leaving was beautiful, and NO NO NO regrets.

The life in project management was fine and provided longish contracts for most of the time for about 10 years. The main problem however was the travelling - which gets harder and harder - and the living in a hotel, and out of a suitcase. So I wound up the company about 3 three years ago, and have spent time doing various 'part-time' jobs, in varous industries, but always near home, and never on a long term basis.

This has lead to an interest in AM, and although I am not the brightest button in the box on the technical side, I am beginning to understand a lot more, and am just dipping my toe into the water for the first time.

We shall see.

One word of realism. When working for yourself it is all too easy to become obsessed with the financial side / costs / income etc. Whilst this is obviously important, do not make it the only objective. Take the time breath the air, and enjoy a few of the smaller things in life.

Good Luck

John