Calling it quits?

[ATSCF]

Between my full time job (that pays well) and my business and my family it seems to have become too much. The stress of trying to get it all done and and finding time for anything else seems to have really worn on me.

Anyone else been here?

 

[Martyn]

It happened to me 10 years ago. My private work was growing but like you I was in a well paid full time job. I had a lot more expenses at that time as well but it all came to a head when my full time job went national and it meant travelling away for days. I had to pack the private work up at the time. Roll on 10 years and I took voluntary redundancy so with no mortgage, a good pay off and very low bills decided to start on my own. Haven't got nearly the same amount of work though that I had but it Sods Law isn't it. Anyway I'm happy

 

[cmonova]

Been there, done that....

When I started years ago I had my full time job, did the business afternoons/evenings/weekends for almost a full year and realized that it was not only burning me out but I was taking away from my family.

Still have my full time job, still have the business (store front now) but I now have employees and I am much more aware of time spent on the business. Being able to manage the business and not do "every" job myself makes it much easier to manage time.

It really comes down to priorities. You have to provide for your family, you have to make family time, you have to pay bills, you have to work.

Having your own business is great but I have come to realize that "nothing" can replace time with your family no matter how beneficial a business might be.

 

[MLCS]

I'm there now as well my friend. Though my job isn't necessarily "good paying". As far as IT specialists go I'm on the lower end of the pay scale. But it's steady income and benefits I need.

I have about an hour commute or more (depending on weather/traffic) each way. Also my wife works nights sometimes with her part time job. So you consider 9-10 hours of work per day, 2+ hours of commute, homework and dinner with the kids when I get home on the nights my wife works, etc. I get about 2-3 hours a night to get everything else done. I squeeze my computer repairs in first and foremost. This means a lot of side duties get swept aside. Car maintenance, yard work, house cleaning, gaming (me time), etc. Also this leaves me with about an hour of time with my children per day, and that's spent checking homework.

But no one ever said this was going to be easy. I feel it's the mud between the bank and the water we want. You can trudge through the mud till you get there, or you can cliff dive, and maybe you hit the water, maybe you hit the rocks.

Stick to it if you can bud. It's a sacrifice for your own future.

 

[ComputerStop]

Having your own business is great but I have come to realize that "nothing" can replace time with your family no matter how beneficial a business might be.

Well said! after being in the business for a few years I too realized this and started letting employees handle more things so I could be home in the evenings with the wife and kids.

It will be VERY hard no matter what for the first years (part of being a small business owner) but the payoff is quite nice.(success)

Not gonna tell you what to do, but I did it and it worked out better than I ever imagined! I now have even branched out and own a data backup company, and a carpet cleaning company (weird i know).

 

[venist]

Well said! after being in the business for a few years I too realized this and started letting employees handle more things so I could be home in the evenings with the wife and kids.

It will be VERY hard no matter what for the first years (part of being a small business owner) but the payoff is quite nice.(success)

Not gonna tell you what to do, but I did it and it worked out better than I ever imagined! I now have even branched out and own a data backup company, and a carpet cleaning company (weird i know).

Well I've heard people say in business you should diversify. I know a few business men who own tattoo shops all the way down to inflatable jumping toys for children. And they pay off pretty well. As much as I love working on computers, it always helps to have another source of income that is very busy making up for another source that is slow at certain times of the year.

 

[ComputerStop]

Yep, it certainly helps! My slowest computer repair month of the year is always April, and it is the the second biggest month for carpet cleaning. worked out pretty well.

 

[callthatgirl]

It it your dream to go on your own or just do it on the side?

 

[ATSCF]

It it your dream to go on your own or just do it on the side?

I want to go on my own but am realizing that it might never happen and could save myself alot of stress.

 

[lgtechcomputers]

I want to go on my own but am realizing that it might never happen and could save myself alot of stress.

“Whether you think you can or can’t either way you are right.” -Henry Ford.

It is up to you. You'll just go for what you really want.

 

[Corbin]

I cut my full time job back from 46 hours down to 32 hours and I kinda felt the bumps when I first did that but Im now staying busy, and doing better. I will be cutting it back to just 16 hours in a few weeks if I feel like I need to, but I do plan to keep my current job just incase.

Is this a possibility in your current full time job? Maybe find that sync in between the 2? Just some thougts.

 

[ATSCF]

I cut my full time job back from 46 hours down to 32 hours and I kinda felt the bumps when I first did that but Im now staying busy, and doing better. I will be cutting it back to just 16 hours in a few weeks if I feel like I need to, but I do plan to keep my current job just incase.

Is this a possibility in your current full time job? Maybe find that sync in between the 2? Just some thougts.

They want someone here during work hours so I can't really cut them, wish I could.

 

[callthatgirl]

Do what many do, get fired, then you have the time.

I really don't know what to say, I haven't been in the shoes of wanting something, but really having big risks. I don't know if you have family/kids, etc...but when you have mouths to feed, going for the big risk can not pay off right away.

Not that I didn't take a risk to go on my own, but I had nothing more than pets to feed and myself.

 

[ATSCF]

Do what many do, get fired, then you have the time.

I really don't know what to say, I haven't been in the shoes of wanting something, but really having big risks. I don't know if you have family/kids, etc...but when you have mouths to feed, going for the big risk can not pay off right away.

Not that I didn't take a risk to go on my own, but I had nothing more than pets to feed and myself.

That's the problem, I have 5 mouths I have to feed and I won't put that risk on them. Been raising my family out of highscool so never had a chance to do anything but take care of them. Maybe when the kids grow up I can get back into it. For now I thing I will just do it on the side here and there and drop the professional look of the compy

 

[K007]

That's the problem, I have 5 mouths I have to feed and I won't put that risk on them. Been raising my family out of highscool so never had a chance to do anything but take care of them. Maybe when the kids grow up I can get back into it. For now I thing I will just do it on the side here and there and drop the professional look of the compy

As Henry Ford said, in the end is all up to you.
I had "3 mouths" apart from my own when I started the adventure, but down the road, if not everything goes well, you will need their support, moral support, especially from your other half.
If you even think that your other half may not be behind you 100%, then forget about being your own boss, 'cause hard times will hit your family even harder when you are independent, and that is everything else you achieved can go down the drain.
Whatever you do, ask your other half and never go either way without full support from her.