By Colin Dunbar
Making the decision to "Quit the day job"
This can almost be a bigger decision than getting married,
or starting with a family. ;o)
I've personally heard so many people... "I can't wait to quit the
day job." "I dream of the day I can quit the day job and be my own boss." Nothing wrong
with that, provided it's done in the right way.
There is a method I use in almost all aspects of my life. I especially
use this method in/with business.
SIDEBAR
I've actually refined the details of this method, and turned
it into a free e-course that is very nearly finished, and will
be available on this site.
SIDEBAR
The method I'm talking about is what I call the
A.P.A.R > T method.
Awareness - Plan - Action - Review leading to
Tremendous, Thunderous... SUCCESS.
As I mentioned above, this has/does benefit me in almost every
area of my life - especially in my business endeavors.
Just a very brief background as to where I'm coming from, if
that's ok...
There was a period in South Africa
where people were being laid off/retrenched/made redundant -
given the golden handshake. And as result of circumstances, were
not able to find other employment. The result was that many took
their package and "started their own business". This was a panic
decision, in many cases. And then, seeing these entrepreneurs
a while after starting their business was actually almost the same
as when they were in their 9-to-5 job: stressed, frustrated,
anxious.
So, what's the point?
Bear with me just a while longer...
I've found there to be 3 main "areas" that influence a person's
decision to quit the day job.
Financial. This can be two-fold: 1) the need to
bring in money, e.g. being laid off/retrenched from work,
2) seeing/hearing what someone else does in his/her own business.
On its own, it may not be a good reason to quit the day job.
Practical. This is often linked to circumstances. If the
person is laid off and cannot find employment, business could be
the practical option. It may also be as result of traveling costs.
And it can be skill related - where a person has a marketable
skill where they can make a better living in their own business,
than working for an employer. This could be the one area,
if used on its own, that can result in success.
Emotional. The most dangerous. I say this because it can
blind the person to the logic, practical aspects of business. This
is frustration, anxiety, anger, "hatred", at/for the 9-5 job. But
emotion can also be a positive: it can give us the drive and
determination to go for it. Personally I would never suggest
using this as the only reason to quit the day job.
A combination of the 3 areas is usually a good idea in making the
decision to quit the day job.
As to the own business thing...
First and foremost, personally I love business! But as someone
said, "we're all different". I started my first home/part-time
business in my first working year, and have very rarely not had a
home business, of one sort or other. I've worked as a freelancer/
contractor, and had my own full time small business. I love everything about
business, but...
There are 2 distinct fields related to business:
- Self-employed
- Business unit (or business system)
They are different.
A self-employed entrepreneur, is actually no different to "working
for da man". If you don't produce, your business stands still. Zero
income. Zero growth. The good news about the web is that this is an ideal
vehicle for building a business unit.
A business unit is a real business. I say real in the sense that
the business goes on whether you are personally there or not. It's a business that
runs with or without your physical (or intellectual) input. It's a
business that could be sold one day, for a profit. It has equity.
Market value. You are not the business.
I'm not going to go into details here on what it means to be in business,
but I will say this: Let no-one tell you it's moon shine and roses to build a
real business.
It's possible that your first attempt at business will be unsuccessful. That's
not negative - that realistic. It is also possible that your first attempt
will be a runaway success. Also reality.
Should it happen that your first attempt is unsuccessful, means that you will
be streets ahead of the pack! You will be equipped with "real world" experience -
and that cannot be learned from books, or an educational institution.
Having gone the independant, sole entrepreneur route, I can assure you it's a
lonely, and often frustrating journey. Most of the time you learn by trial and error;
often expensive lessons.
These are just some of the things I now have readily available in my web business...
- A comprehensive, step-by-step guide that leads me through the process of starting,
running, and building my business.
- State-of-the-art tools to build a working business.
- A multitude of articles available on everything from site structure to keywords
to niches.
- A variety of articles on monetization ideas.
- A Support system that assists me with any technical hiccups I may have - within 24 hours.
And...
For specific questions, help, and encouragement, I have access to the private Forums.
Whatever you decide, I just ask that before you take the step to quit the day job, please
look at your options, and above all make the decision based on logic.
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Multi-millionaire Michael Masterson, in his book Seven Years to Seven Figures, says: "You don’t have to leave your job and risk everything to become an entrepreneur." You now have the ideal opportunity to start your own business
part-time, and you can build it to wherever you want.
Site Build It! is the all-in-one process and tools to build not only a web site, but a real
business.
And, apart from the process and tools, you also get access to the private
SBI! Forums, dubbed "The Place For Friendly, Success-Focused Discussion".
Not sure? See how these people are living their dreams, with SBI!
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