It's not an EITHER/OR choice... do your day-job AND build your business

For the first years of BetterPhoto's life, I worked my full-time day job (as a Web developer at Alaska Airlines) and built my own business during my non-working hours, while continuing to develop my craft.

Keeping the dream alive was easy; I was always fueled on by the excitement and creativity of it all. 

The end result: I've been fortunate enough to have built up a successful, creative business and... bottom line, BetterPhoto is still thriving after 14 years. 

If you are trying to balance your day job with your creative "side" business, here are a few thoughts that may help you:

1. Don't quit your day job. I did that (at another time with my photography business) and I was surprised at how much my creativity froze, once I was consumed by worry about putting bread on the table. You need to feel secure in order to be as creative as you can. 
2. Let lower-priority tasks go... Put them on the "Can Wait" list or get someone else to do it. My point: do only what you and only you can do.
3. Price your products so you pay yourself what you're worth. Don't give your goods away, just because it takes courage and confidence to ask people to pay you fairly for you products and services.
4. Use any discontent you may feel with the day job to fuel your entrepreneurial endeavors.
5. Know that you're going to make lots of mistakes. Everything is a test, and business building is all about course correction. Many business ideas fail (often because we entrepreneurs fall in love with our ideas and inventions before fully testing out market need) so be prepared to be embarrassed, and have set backs from time to time... Just keep going.
6. Mainly because of that last note (that it will inevitably be messy), get started today! 

If you're afraid and want to make sure all your ducks are in a row before you quit your day job, that's great. But don't let this need for certainty and perfection stop you from getting started. 

You have to get started today AND keep your day job. Yes, it's hard... but do-able.

It's very good to be risk-averse. Careful is good, especially when it comes to leaving the day job. But, as the saying goes, great dishes are made in messy kitchens. It will be messy and it will take a lot of energy. But when you balance "doing what you love" (your soul passion) with "serving the market with what it's starving for", you will find yourself continually fueled with the energy you need to do both... until it's time to fully focus on your business.

And I know your next question... "when will I know?"  You'll know. It will be very clear to you when the time is right.

Comments

[Karen Orr]

Hey Jim,

"Don't give your goods away, just because it takes courage and confidence to ask people to pay you fairly for you products and services."

I imagine a lot of people will relate.

Also, since it takes risk to post a comment on a blog - let alone write a blog - can you help your readers by sharing more about how you got to be risk-averse?

Karen

[Jim Miotke]

Thanks Karen - YES! I will definitely do that. Let me think about it and gather some of my best techniques for being more risk-friendly and post them in an upcoming blog. Thanks again!

[Jendra]

Great post. As someone who has successfully given up my day job 6 years ago, and has been getting paid to do my soul's work, I wholeheartedly agree: You will just know when it is the right time to give up your day job.

In my case, as I was tipping the scales over time leading to less and less of my side job, it became clear when the side job was no longer necessary and hanging onto the side job was holding me back in my dream job.

[Fiona]

This is perfect for me! I have had it with my present career and was thinking about going back to school to completely change careers, but the stress and money to leave my family, job, home for 2 years to do something I wasn't sure I'd like anymore than what I was doing seemed crazy! Then last week someone asked me - what is your passion? That was when the light bulb went on! I have put my camera aside for the last 14 years to do a normal job, which I now loath - it all makes sense that this is what I was meant to do! And the advice was the same - do your day job, whilst building up your new photo business on the side. I'm so excited I can't tell you! I can't wait to read more advice for starting, so thanks for the reaffirmations Jim, its so appreciated!