In reflection of my second year in business, I wanted to share something I’ve learned. This goes against what a lot of small business coaches preach; but your business does not have to be your only source of income for it to be successful. That doesn’t even have to be on your goals list.
Some people enjoy their jobs, some people have great benefits at their jobs that financially makes it make sense to be there. Some people need the structure of a job or the busyness in their schedule just to feel sane. Some businesses can be built on part time hours alone and that is enough.
Before I was a business owner, I graduated with my associates degree while I was also working 60 hours a week, I literally worked a job every single day - I still got my degree. I wrote my book and self published, also still working 60 hours a week, also working every single day. I still published it. I work two jobs now, and I’m still building a business. Don’t let people tell you you can’t do it.
If you’re not starting with a ton of capital when you launch a business or buying one that’s already established, it takes time to build it sustainably. People don’t understand how much risk is associated with relying on that solely for income and most people can’t fathom the amount of work and time it takes either; people love to gloss over the investment of time and work it takes to turn an idea into profit - just to increase their own profits. There’s just so much stigma and judgement around accomplishing entrepreneurship in a non traditional way, that new entrepreneurs think you can’t do it a different way. You can; and truly it’s much safer of an investment that way.
The way the world is now, and how much you can do through the internet, you can accomplish so much more in so much less time. Owning a business, especially one you start and run yourself is like any other source of income. It’s an investment. Much like investing it makes sense to diversify where that income comes from because it protects you when things fluctuate over time.
Some of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in business come down to being able to trust myself & the process.