How to Transition to a Business While Still Working a Full-Time Job

Having entrepreneurial goals and aspirations is great, but until your business takes off you may find yourself stuck in a full-time job. That can make it tough to make the transition to owning your own successful business. While difficult, it’s not impossible. With careful prioritization and discipline, you can successfully make that transition.

Continue Your Education

Depending on the business you’re building and the industry you’re operating in, it may be necessary to obtain occupational licensing or certifications. Earning these usually means taking courses to get the necessary knowledge and training to do the job properly and then taking an exam to prove you’ve learned what you need to. Since you already have a full-time job, you may find the flexibility offered by online courses to be a good fit for your lifestyle. Succeeding in an online course will require you to set goals for yourself. Be disciplined in sticking to them.

Start Small

Businesses don’t tend to be successful or able to sustain themselves right from the start. It takes time, work, patience, and diligence. Start small until you feel your business can sustain itself and you, enabling you to step away from your full-time job and more fully into the role of a business owner. As your business picks up, you may need to reduce your full-time hours to part-time hours. If your job offered benefits, those may have been contingent upon your full-time status, so make sure you know what your 401(k) options are and you’ve made arrangements for health insurance.

Keep Your Job Entirely Separate from Your Business

It may be tempting to use whatever downtime your job allows you to work on your business. Sending a quick email about your business using your employer’s computer isn’t hurting anyone, right? Not necessarily true. Using your employer’s property to move your own business forward can lead to legal issues down the road. Plus, you should never assume emails are private when sent using company property. This could lead to being disciplined for not using company time properly, even costing you your job before your own business is ready to support you fully.

Making the transition to owning your own business while still working a full-time job can be a real challenge. Be disciplined in how you use your time and prioritize your education. Be patient with yourself and your business as you work to make it self-sustaining. Remember to keep your full-time job and your business separate. It’s a lot of work upfront, but making this investment in your future now can pay off down the road.

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