Quit daytime job and go full-time on business?

Ahhh, last day of work…. Can you imagine how liberating it is to pack all your stuff inside a box, kiss your colleagues goodbye, and leave your office for the very last time? We can almost taste how sweet it is!

I think most of us have this dream of one day walking out of our office door and never ever come back. I have the same feeling in 2015. I so desperately wanted to quit working. I even moved to a different company thinking that change of environment is all I need to snap out of whatever sadness I’m feeling. But it didn’t help.

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Next year, June 2019, I will finally quit my daytime and go full-time with my businesses. I cannot explain how excited, exhilarated and happy I am when I finally made the decision. But can I be honest? The journey to entrepreneurship is not a walk in the park.

So let me tell you some truths I learned during my journey…

Most entrepreneurs are glorified for making the leap from full-time worker to business owner. While this strategy can work for some people, other times it adds unnecessary risk.

Don’t quit your job (yet)

If there’s one thing I know from onset is that I can start a business without the need to quit my day job. I don’t want the unnecessary stress of making ends meet instead of focusing on how to make the business grow and profitable. How can one tap on her creative side if she’s thinking where to find money for rent payment? Yes, I’m a dreamer and have strong faith but I’m also practical and pragmatic.

I launched SLIAN NAILS in February 2017 and it only started getting profitable after 1 year. Now, if I resigned in 2017 thinking that my business will feed my family then we could have been starving for a year. Not fun at all. Just like most business ventures, it took sometime for us to figure out what works and what doesn’t. My husband and I don’t have a business degree. We don’t have any business experiences (unless you consider selling ice candies when I was a kid as an experience). Everything we do is new and experimental. It’s all gut instinct, asking around, researching and what makes sense.

I’m sharing this story to give you an idea that your business might not be earning money on the onset. It might take 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or even more than that. Do you have enough cash as buffer if in case it won’t generate income immediately?

This post is not to discourage you. The Wealthy Pinay is very passionate about 2 things – Positive Money Mindset and Business. And I’m here to encourage you to have these two. I’m just sharing my two-cents. This is what worked for me and the reason why I still have my sanity. LOL.

Working full-time while having a side-business is ain’t easy for sure.

Truth be told, having a side-business while working full time is not easy. If you are treating your side-business as a real business (and not just a hobby) then you will soon realize the importance of time management.

Your day job brings fixed money on the table. The company you are working for deserves your 100%. It’s just fair that you focus on your job when you are in the office. Excel and be the best employee as you can be. Because you know what? You don’t want your own employees to slack in your business too, right?

As I mentioned, if you fail to manage your time well, several things will suffer:

1. Either you will neglect your health by skipping meals and foregoing sleep
2. Your relationships will be strained because you will have zero time for socializing (forget quality time!)
3. You might not see the growth you would like to have on your side-business. It might end up being a side-business for a very long time.

These risks are definitely real but can be overcome by effective time management. Sabi nga nila, kung gusto may paraan. Kung ayaw, madaming dahilan.

Treat your day job as a training ground

I had 180-degree shift of mindset when I finally realized that the problem is not the companies I’ve worked for but my attitude. I had the realization that being an employee is actually a blessing.

• I am earning monthly salary that I can use as capital and/or save to serve as my buffer during the first few months of business.
• I’m learning how to manage people. Dealing with suppliers, colleagues and bosses is like an on-the-job training on how to handle my staff, suppliers and customers. This is like going to a business school for free!
• You might probably experiencing too much stress at work. The deadlines, the boss, the workload itself. I used to cry because of stress. But I’m happy to report that my stress tolerance became so high that nowadays it takes a lot to freak me out. The newfound peace of mind is very useful in managing my own business. I don’t get agitated with simple things anymore and because I’m not stressed, I can think clearly.

You will experience a lot of things, good and bad, while being employed. Use all these experiences as a lesson in preparation when you become THE BOSS.

Prepare to quit

From the depression phase of my life in 2015 up until now, instead of crying and wallowing in my pain, I decided to take lots of inspired action. I saved money, read many financial books, participated in my forums related to personal development and attended online trainings about business. All these preparations helped me finally decide to quit my daytime job.

It’s better to resign knowing that you are prepared financially and mentally to start something new. And you cannot be ready unless you start.

Don’t just wish to resign one day. Prepare to resign instead.
Don’t just daydream. But take actions.

The Wealthy Pinay’s mission is to inspire you to live the life you have imagined for yourself. If entrepreneurship is your calling, I want you to experience it.

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All the love