How To Pursue Your Business Idea If You Have A Full Time Job. Should You Quit Your Job?

January 17, 2014

We all have to work to pay our rent. When people get struck with an interesting business idea, more likely than not, that are probably already working at a full time job. This puts them in a dilemma. And there is really no simple solution. If they pursue the idea on their free time, which for most people is mornings, evenings, and weekends, their personal life suffers, and in any case, that time is really not enough to build a business. So the business moves along very slowly. Plus, some of the most productive time of the week is given to your job and not your business. If people choose the other option, and quit their job, they take on a tremendous amount of financial risk, and add finance-related stress to their lives. Risk sounds fine as long as you imagine it, but you do not want to be on the bad outcome of a risky situation. It is not fun at all. So think long and carefully before you make such a decision.

Now let’s talk about some possible solutions to this situation. And I’ll start the solution by noting a very common mistake I observe entrepreneurs making time and time again. In all their excitement, many hopeful entrepreneurs over-plan their business idea and pursue a complex business idea when they can’t devote much time to that idea. So if you have a job, and you are trying to pursue the business idea on your free time, try to simplify your business idea. It doesn’t have to remain simple forever. In fact, you should keep your big ambitions and not lose sight of them. Keeping your big plans in mind will be one of the factors which will help you stay motivated. But figure out a way to start small so that you can actually get started.

Additionally, if you do have a full-time job, you can put some of the money that you earn to pay freelance workers. That way you can get reasonably priced help without having to risk your job. Explore resources like fiverr.com where you can get many types of different help for just $5. Be resourceful about how you outsource help.

Lastly, all entrepreneurs have limited resources (time, money, skilled labor), but if you have a full-time job to maintain, you have even fewer resources. So try to prioritize the tasks that you need to get done. Staying focused on growing that simple business, and keeping all your tasks focused on growing that business will go a very long way in helping you maximize the time that you have available to you. Plus, a great option is to get experienced mentors who can help you understand which tasks should be prioritized, and what strategies your business should pursue.

Before I end this section, I want to make an important note about handling your full-time job and your business. Do not use your work time, or work equipment to work on your business without the permission of your boss at work. You don’t have to tell your employer that you are pursuing a business on the side, but if you plan to use the employer’s facilities or equipment, get their permission. Additionally, if you ever signed a non compete agreement with your employer, make sure you honor that.

Further Business Resources

For more business-starting resources, please take a look at our business planning mobile apps. Here is the iOS business plan app and here is the Android business plan app. Additionally, here is the iOS marketing app. And here is the Android marketing app. And here are our business apps on the Kindle. And here is an article where I give the argument that our Android apps are the best business apps on Android.

And please check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel where we cover many marketing topics.

Auteur : Alex Genadinik