Image by: Nuggety247
By: Giovanni Fields

You have the greatest up and coming business concept on the market and it’s eating up all your free time. That’s great, but the only problem is free time is often few and far between when you are obligated to grueling out 40 hours a week at your full timer. I’m sure it only seems like an unrealistic fantasy of yours to supplant the 40 hours with your budding auto tech career–or perhaps even your kindle self-publishing endeavors (or any other self-centric form of business).  But don’t get too down in the dumps yet, as there are a multitude of ways in which you can lift your business off the ground and categorize it as the your main source of steady income.

So instead of waiting on a miracle business fairy to come rescue from your dreadful day job, go ahead and consider taking initiative yourself after mustering up the courage to change. Here are just a few tips I’ve gathered that will help you with your goal of punching your own time card instead of somebody else’s.

#1) Save Money

Before you even consider quitting your day job, it is of great importance that you have a financial backbone prepared should something go wrong in your life or with your business. Your boss may have pissed you off enough to consider evacuating the workplace in a bawling fray of rage, but before you consider abandoning the cubicle, rather than quitting, consider any inconsistencies in the workplace of your day job as fuel to aid you in your quest as CEO for your personal business.

At least twelve months living expenses would be ideal for a start if you do decide that you eventually want to get rid of the full timer and invest all your time and energy into honing your craft. This way, if things don’t go as you has envisioned and your business is still nursing its way through the half way point of that twelve month span, you can avoid risking homelessness by seeking another form of income before its too late. Don’t be discouraged if it happens to come to this, as failure will almost certainly be prevalent at the start of your career.

#2) Talk to a Mentor

Advice from a seasoned mentor can be one of the most useful guides to taking the plunge and giving yourself over to your business.  They have more hands on experience dealing with similar scenarios. He or she would be able to help you construct a coherent business plan, warn you of the do’s and don’ts of the vast entrepreneurial world, as well as answer any questions you may have regarding topics or regulations about how to appropriately run a business. It may be quite pricey to hire a mentor, but the professional advice you will receive will be an invaluable piece to the puzzle when building a successful business.

#3) Be Persistent

It may be tough showing attention to your business while recovering from other priority tasks like working to pay the bills, tending to a relationship or perhaps taking care of a child, but if you truly believe that business you have in the works is capable of thriving, then giving up is not an option. It may be a side job now, but after months or years of a personal investment, you may find that your concept can be quite lucrative.

While this, unfortunately, won’t always be the case, it is also important to have a backup plan should something not meet your standards. Having a plan B is not only a good safety net to fall in should something go wrong, but will also give you a good scapegoat to take the blow should a risk you’re taking backfire. Trying and failing is okay so as long as your foundation remains, but not trying at all is unacceptable. Have faith in your business, show it delicate care and attention and watch it grow!

Are you the proud owner of a business you built from the ground up all by yourself? That’s Fantastic! Tell about how you managed to flip your side job into your main source of income, and how you are now reaping the benefit of your courageous effort.