Hey guys so I own a small business on the side, I want to grow and hope to grow but I’m having issues. The problem is I work a full time job that takes up 8-10 hours a day ( I need this job to survive/ pay bills) I make good money at this job, more than my business so quitting or leaving isn’t an option) when I get home I have obligations at the house ( so does everyone I know) but mine in the form of two newborns. So this leaves me very limited time almost none to run a business. How can I get threw this ? I would love an employee to send out and do the jobs I land, but I don’t have enough jobs or revenue to justify this. I’ve thought of sub -contractors but I’ve herd a lot of people of this forum have had bad experiences. How can I grow this business when I don’t have time to invest in it?
if you don’t have the capital to advertise and hire simply put you cant do it.
its impossible too start from scratch and low income with out tons of time vested
So I have money to advertise, and when I did I actually got a good ROI. I just don’t have the time to do the work, and there not enough work to hire an employee. Which is why I was thinking of useing subs but have a feeling it could turn out to be a major headache.
IMHO, you need to find ways to simplify your life at this time, not complicate it. You owe it to your kids. Starting and running a business invariably adds complication. Perhaps this just isn’t the right time for you to be attempting this?
Adding responsibilities in the form of overseeing sub-contractors will cause more headaches. Unless you have a friend that you trust who can essentially take over all of your business responsibilities until you’re ready to step back in.
When I got my Real Estate license many years ago they said to have enough saved up to live off of for 6 -12 months, if I was going into it full time. You could try that with the money you make at your current job. You could also just do a couple of jobs a month to start. My kids are grown (30 and 38) so I know the difficulties you are facing.
I currently work full time as well and have been running my business for 2 years, part time.
My kids are 4 and 10. I’m pulling in crazy hours. Hardly home on weekends. I try not to schedule during weekday evenings as I usually use that for quoting and paperwork.
You will need to sacrafice some where. Either take on less jobs and do them on your days off. That is where I am. I do not advertise. I have a website and business cards but I do not even hand them out. I have enough work to fill my weekends up. These past 2 weekends, I did about 50 hours of extra work. I’m slowing that down because it is exhausting. And that is all I need for now. My daughter who is 4, doesn’t show too much concern that I work a lot(I give her lots of time still). My son, who is 10, complains a lot. I only have him 50 percent of the time. It sucks but I keep telling him it won’t be for much longer. It isn’t easy but it is a sacrafice. I involve him and he is excited for it to work so he can do it with me but to him it feels like forever. In a way, you are lucky with the newborns.
With newborns, you need your other half to be on your page. It is a good time to sacrafice weekends as they won’t notice much but your wife will have to take the blunt of the work.
Or, slow down and do it when you are ready. I have wanted my own business for almost 10 years and I finally got around to it. I also planned to go full time this year but realized i wasn’t ready yet. It is all about sacrafice. But I try to balance things out too. 4 weekends ago I took my son on a weekend trip. I’ll do something like that again in a month or so.
I thought of hiring or subbing too, but like others said; it will just add problems. Problems I am not ready to deal with.
I also make good money, good pension and benefits but when I go full time, I plan on working part time evenings(during the week) to help as I fill my monday-fridays up with work. I’ll have weekends back! The next step will be to eliminate the part time job.
It takes time, be patient, put the work in and make the sacrafices. You will have to choose now, or later.
Do what you can part time and do it right. I have surveys and complexes that are waiting for me when I go full time. Word of mouth is huge and people are willing to help grow your business with you, more than you may think.
Good luck! I hope it works out for both of us because it IS scary. But if you don’t make that sacrafice, that jump; nothing will happen. I know personally, after screwing up my past with chances to go really far with certain things, I have to make the jump or I will be miserable and have more regret than ever for not at least trying.
Invest what you can, do more when you are ready to make the sacrafices you need to.
Unless you are prepared to make this your business and ween away from your other “good paying” business, it won’t happen. If your spouse can’t commit to taking care of the newborns while you create a great business, it won’t happen.
The other option is to give up on life and work both full time. Not practical as I imagine you work 8-10 hrs during the day, and no one wants a window cleaner at 10 p.m. or later.
Do both part time. It ain’t easy, just ask any of us. Oh yea, you are - It ain’t easy!
Or, do windows as a side job when you have time and look at it as supplemental income. :-/
It sounds like you can benefit from being more selective about the jobs that are right for you. Storefront does have the advantage of having flexible times.
Who on their deathbead, wishes they had spent more time in the office, and less time with family and friends ?
F that man, Courage. Both feet or none.
