I need some help. Some advice! So I'm reaching out to you SG, because you've always been kind, and you've always supported me.
I have a great job, and I worked hard to get it. I'm paid really well for what I do, and I love my co-workers. But it is pretty boring.
I've been reading A LOT of books about starting your own business. I've even started. I went to a trade show, found suppliers, met with an accountant, bought some stock, photographed it, started making a website, etc.
I work 5 days a week. I'm tired when I get home and I really can't dedicate enough time to the business. Ideally, I'd be able to get this thing running, then quit the day job when its time. But I don't know if that's really how this works? Millions of businesses get started all the time and most of them fail. On the other hand, if I don't put more time into this I can't get it to make money.
I really believe in the business concept. I have saved some money, so I could quit my job and survive for a while. Maybe a year if I'm careful and sell some stuff on ebay. I've done this before - I used to sell stuff on etsy - I know I'd do things better this time around, I've read and learned a lot. And the only reason I quit was to see if I could get a 'real job'. Even in the horrendous economic situation here, I did it, I got on that career ladder. I had to work super hard, learn a lot, do training, save all the time, endure countless unpaid internships living off savings... it was hard work but I got there and I feel like I've done well. My job is friggin awesome for someone my age. In some ways the shitty economy was a good thing because it really made me up my game. Anyway.
I've been reading all these books. And I really hate working for The Man. And being bored. My life isn't my own - that's important to me. To be rich, you have to make your money work for you. A job isn't a way to get rich, its someone else giving you money for your time. There are ceilings. If you run your own company, your own success is directly related to what you can achieve - that was something I loved when I sold stuff on etsy. I don't care about my job (in some ways) - my only real motivation for it is how much can I get paid. I don't care about career progression or building relationships or training. I care about the money, and I kinda think when people say they care about all that other stuff, its bullshit.
But I'm in a good position. And failure is possible. And I WILL need to rent office space or at least storage space, for stock and stock photography, which is a cost before I've even begun to make money. I could buy a shed but I think running a cable out with an extractor fan ain't gonna cut it. Maybe for a while... but winter is coming!
At work I asked to go 4 days and they said no. They micromanage me a lot, its gross! And unnecessary. Ugh. Should I try to start this on my own time and keep the dayjob? Should I quit the dayjob? Should I ride it out, keep working, keep saving, start somewhere in the new year? Is 2015 my year? Starting a business in January is a bad time, people don't want to spend right after Xmas, starting before Xmas is good... Maybe its always a bad time, maybe there is no good time? What if, I could have done it all by now, but my fear of even starting is holding me back? What if I'm being a massive pussy? Am I being a massive pussy? I'm not afraid of being poor, for a while. I'm not afraid of working hard. What am I afraid of? What if I just think I could do it through some sort of vanity pride thing, like oh yeah I could start a business because I'm amazing, of course, and then actually I CAN'T?!
Arghhr! What do you guys think?
