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orion_joel
12-11-2008, 01:48 AM
Hi All,

I am more and more beginning to question just why i am doing what i am doing. This is more so starting to come from work as a main source of frustration. I am in a position of somewhat responsibility, getting a pretty ordinary wage, and i find that they are pushing for more to be done for the money in basically less time, and while i know you cannot exceed your limits, i just tend to get more and more frustrated, because i tend to pick up much of the others slack.

What is more of concern for me is that i tennd to feel trapped by the position, because even though i have ample money in the bank to not need to work for at least a year maybe more. I find that i am in a position where working is to some extent expected of me, even though i would like another try at my business, i am again unsure that i would actually be able to make it happen like i would like to.

Is there any way that anyone can see that not working can be validated, top those that may be concerned if i am not working, and why do you think that the requirement to work is become such a big thing that if you are not working you are considered to be not going anywhere.

Steve B
12-11-2008, 04:30 AM
I'm not sure I understand your situation. It sounds like you want to quit working and not pursue your business either. Is that correct? After you use up your savings - what would you do for food and shelter?

I wouldn't worry about what others thought of the fact that you are working or not working - it's your life so do what makes you happy. Not working for a year might be just what you need to figure out how you can feel more satisfied for the rest of your life.

I can tell you that being unemployed is not as fun as you might think. A day is actually a very long time without something meaningful to do. I imagine you would want to stay busy volunteering or doing something else productive even if the pursuit is not related to making money.

billbenson
12-11-2008, 10:17 AM
I pretty much hate what I'm doing right now Joel. 10 plus hours of telephone sales a day, handling everything from clerical stuff to web design isn't fun. I enjoy the web stuff. The type of sales that I'm doing isn't fun and the fact that I'm overloaded really isn't fun. I'm also digging myself out of a hole that started in the last recession.

I did look for work a few years ago. 30 yo kids get the good jobs, not old farts like me. I never found anything that paid more than I make now.

I would say its bad timing to make major changes if you are currently successful. Its not fun doing something you don't enjoy either.

KristineS
12-11-2008, 12:46 PM
I'm not quite sure what you're asking Joel. Are you looking to quit working for someone else and just work for yourself? Or are you just looking to quit working period and enjoy life.

I suppose it doesn't really matter in either case (although I'd like to know which you're thinking about) what matters is what you want to do. If you have enough money saved that you could take some time off and enjoy life and that's what you want to do, do it. If you'd rather quit your day job and work on your own business than do that. As long as you're aware of the risks of following either choice and you're prepared to accept them, and as long as you have the support of whomever else might be effected by your decision (significant other for instance) then you should do what you think is right.

vangogh
12-11-2008, 01:24 PM
Joel if I'm understanding right what you'd like to do is leave your current job and get your business going, but two things are stopping you.

1. The fear that you might not be able to get your business going again to the degree that it would support you. Sounds like you have enough money to last awhile before that becomes an issue, but the uncertainty is still troubling.

All I can say is you have to trust yourself and have faith you will be able to rebuild your business or build a new one before the money runs out. Unfortunately there's no guarantee it will happen, but hunger is a strong motivator.

Can you start rebuilding the business part time after your day job? If you can get it going again part time it should build your confidence that you can get it going again full time and at the same time add more money to your cushion in the bank. Maybe you could get the business going part time until you have a year and a half cushion instead of a year. That and knowing you have part time revenue coming in should make the transition from employee back to business owner easier.

2. The fear of what other people will say during the time where you're not really working steadily or not taking in a steady paycheck while you get the business going.

Again starting up part time could help, because it would prove to others that your business can bring in revenue again and that you are still working.

In the end though you can't let what others say derail you. If others think you're supposed to be working that's their issue, not yours. I'm sure many of us here had to put up with others not thinking we were being productive when we first started in business. I know I get it all the time. Because I work from home friends and family something think I don't really work. I hear comments all the time that let me know some of them don't really believe what I do is work. They probably see me as a lazy freeloader of some kind. But I know that's not true. I probably work harder and more hours than most of them. It just doesn't fit with their conception of what work is.

Ultimately you can't let those other people's attitudes keep you from doing what you want to do. There will always be some people that don't get what you do and why you do it. That will be true whether you're an employee or in business for yourself. You have to remember that their attitude is their issue and not yours. Keep in mind that the most brilliant people throughout history were often the ones most persecuted. Regardless of what others think and say you have to be true to yourself.

orion_joel
12-12-2008, 12:23 AM
I am thinking i probably did not word my first post very well. The current job i have is full time job, but it is night shift (5-6pm start, 2-3am finish). This is the job that i would like to drop. As an alternative i would like to pursue, my own business, and other projects like web sites, and just pursuing other avenues. I would probably look to take another job part time to still fill a little time and to have a small amount of income still coming in.

The primary issue i had/have is if i cannot get my business moving when i am working i don't know what i am going to change when not working full time for someone else that will change the results of my business. I am spending a fair bit of time at the moment trying to get my website back into the form i had it previously when i did make even a few sales, however this is taking some time, and i think once it is done what results i can start to pull from it will be the signal of what i do.

Vangogh,

Both of your points are pretty much spot on, the thing that hits home for me on point one, is that i have been working in the job i am in now for close to 2 years. In these two years i have been looking to make my business work, but really have had little success, most of the lack of success though probably comes from only half heart'd efforts.

On the other point in #1 from your reply, i actual reserves i have, with continued income from interest (which would decrease the more i use of course) would probably actually last me closer to 5 years, assuming no major expenses. Which should be for the most part avoidable if not working.

On the point number 2, i really don't have anyone that by me not working is going to greatly impact, other then my parents, who would probably make the most noise about it. But this is probably due to my track record, For example the last long period out of work, i resigned my job because they did not want me working at the company if i was operating my own business due to conflict of interest or some other excuse they came up with. Well the month i resigned i earned more then double from my business compared to working, however by the end of the year it was less then half what i earned working per month. and i got a job. While it did pick back up a little it never really regained the same levels of income.

Really i guess there is not really any correct answer to this question, but more so what you opinions and believe's are of being in a similar position or if you were in the position.

Steve B
12-12-2008, 06:00 AM
Honestly, if I were in the same position as you, I'd keep the job until my passion for running my own business was overwhelming. It just doesn't sound like you have the passion for your current business right now. I've found it takes an incredible amount of time and determination to get a business started. Anything short of overwhelming passion is just too likely to fail.

When you stumble on an idea that motivates you - you won't care what others think and you won't be worried about getting a part-time job to fill the time - because there won't be any time! I'd keep daydreaming, exploring, dabbling, etc. until you find a new idea.

vangogh
12-12-2008, 11:02 AM
I guess there is not really any correct answer to this question

That's true. No matter what any of us here say it's going to come down to what you think is best for you. Also as much as it would be nice to know in advance what the better choice is you probably won't know until after you've made your decision.

Based on your participation here and other small business forums I'd suggest you do want to go into business for yourself again and if you stay at this job or move to another job you'll be revisiting this question again in 6 months or a year. From what I know about you I think you won't be happy unless you at least give owning a business at least one more try.

As far as the money is concerned you're in good shape to leave the job and go into business again. I think standard advice is to have 6 months saved. I had about a month's savings when I started. I wish I was in your situation as far as savings back then.

Your parents most likely just want to see you safe and secure and see the full time job as a way to pay rent/mortgage and bills and they see the business as a risk, which it is. If you express how you feel to your parents and let them know your reasons for wanting to go into business I think they'll understand. Maybe not right away, but over time they will and when you get to the point where your business is bringing in the same kind of money you're making at a job they'll certainly understand.

Again this is going to come down to you deciding what's best for you. You do have more than enough money to find out if you can make your last business work again or make a new one work. As a worst case kind of scenario you could give it a try for 2 years and at that point if it hasn't worked you could look for another job and still have 3 years savings. That's a pretty good position to be in and I'd imagine a better position than most people have when going into business.

This might be the same for you, but with me I couldn't work the full time job and still have the energy to give the business the time it needed. That's why I went full time into starting the business even without the financial reserves. For me there wasn't going to be any other way. If all that's stopping you is a lack of time and energy to get the business going then I'd take a chance on leaving the job and putting all your energy into the business. You do have a nice cushion.

However Steve is right about the passion. If your passion for going into business isn't there you probably won't be able to turn the business into a success regardless of how much you put into it. More than likely a lack of passion will keep you from putting much into the business. If you do have the passion for it then you need to take that leap of faith that you'll make the business a success. Only you can really know how passionate you are about this.

Looking at your situation from here I do think you feel the passion for going into business for yourself and you do have a few years cushion to make that happen. It seems to me that you're in a good situation now to give it a go. Worst case is you find in a year or two that working for someone else was better for you. At that time you'd still have plenty of money in the bank while searching for a new job. And if your current job isn't one that's making you happy there really isn't a compelling reason to stick with that one over another.