Mixing Business with Business: Running a Part-Time Business with a Full-Time Job

I recently started a new business as a Virtual Assistant. I absolutely love what I do and enjoy being able to make my own decisions, meet a lot of interesting people and be as creative as I want to be. There's just one little problem. I still have a full time job.

A growing number of people just like me are starting new businesses and setting off on their own to free themselves from the confines of the 9-5 rat race. With that said many of these new business owners are not ready to make the leap from employee to entrepreneur full time for several reasons, but primarily because their jobs offer them a steady paycheck and often times great benefits (a safety net they would be leaving behind if they quit). With the recent downturn of the economy, people are more cautious about their financial future and not doing anything that might jeopardize that. So how does one manage to move toward building a successful business while maintaining their job and their sanity? It's not easy, but it can be done!

Flexible Work Hours

Ask your boss for a more flexible working arrangement. With recent skyrocketing gas prices, more and more companies are embracing the idea of telecommuting for part of the week or offering a shorter work week altogether. Find out if this is something your company offers.

Plan, Plan, Plan!

Plan business related tasks ahead of time around your day job schedule. Wake up an hour early to put together some marketing materials or shoot a client an email. Spend some time in the evening working on your business after the kids go to bed or while everyone is watching a movie. If done discreetly, you could check your business email or voicemail during lunch breaks or downtime at work, especially if you have a mobile device like a Blackberry so that you don't get in trouble using the company's equipment for your own work. You could also set aside a few hours on the weekend to take care of business related tasks that you don't have time for during the week.

Be Honest

Be upfront with your clients when starting out that you still have a day job but that the work you are doing for them will not suffer because of it. Keep them in the loop and let them know that you plan to quit your job once things really take off with your business. They might even help you find more clients so that you can leave your job faster. I have found my current clients to be very supportive of my business and my desire to leave my regular job and they have been referring me like crazy! While we're on the subject of honesty, you might want to consider letting your boss know about your business. As long as it is not affecting your performance at work and you are not directly competing for clients, they should have no problem with it and may even want to help you get started.

Recruit Your Family

Ask your spouse to make dinner or take care of the kids for a couple of hours a few evenings a week so you can have the time you need for your business. Also, If you have relatives or family friends close by, you could drop the kids off for the afternoon on a Saturday so you can have uninterrupted time to work.

Take Time For You!

You're no good to your boss or your clients if you're run down from working too much. Plan ahead and schedule in time to relax. Take the dog for a long walk, get a facial or curl up with a good book. By taking time to regroup, relax and recharge, you will stay at your best and those around you will thank you for it.

With a little help and a lot of planning, you will be able to launch your new business while holding down your job and before you know it, you'll be flying solo and it will all have been worth it!

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