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offering adequate customer service or responding quickly enough to their needs.
    Perhaps the biggest problem for part-time entrepreneurs is the risk of burnout. Holding down a full-time job while running a part-time business leaves you with little, if any, leisure time; as a result, your personal and family life may suffer.
     
    AHA!
     
    If you’re a part-time entrepreneur seeking a full-time professional image, check out business incubators. For a small fee, business incubators provide office space, services such as answering phones, and access to equipment like copiers and fax machines. The biggest plus: Incubators also provide startup help, such as marketing and accounting assistance.
    “Working by day and running a business by night creates a host of potential conflicts and can add a tremendous amount of stress,” cautions Arnold Sanow, co-author of You Can Start Your Own Business . Sanow says conflicts between a day job and a sideline business are common, as are family problems: “I’ve seen a lot of divorces as a result of working full time and having a business on the side.”
    That’s not to say a part-time business can’t work. It can, Sanow says—if you have excellent time management skills, strong self-discipline, and support from family and friends. Also crucial, he says, is your commitment: “Don’t think that, since you already have a job, you don’t really have to work hard at your business. You must have a plan of attack.”

Market Matters
     
    As with any business, your plan of attack should start with a thorough assessment of your idea’s market potential. Often, this step alone will be enough to tell you whether you should start part time or full time.
    You can’t become so caught up in your love for what you’re doing that you overlook the business realities. If you find there is a huge unmet need for your product or service, no major competition and a ready supply of eager customers, then by all means go ahead and start full time. If, on the other hand, you find that the market won’t support a full-time business, but might someday with proper marketing and business development, then it is probably best to start part time at first.
    Investigate factors such as the competition in your industry, the economy in your area, the demographic breakdown of your client base, and the availability of potential customers. If you are thinking of opening an upscale beauty salon, for example, evaluate the number of similar shops in operation, as well as the number of affluent women in the area and the fees they are willing to pay.
    Once you have determined there is a need for your business, outline your goals and strategies in a comprehensive business plan. You should always conduct extensive research, make market projections for your business, and set goals for yourself based on these findings. It gives you a tremendous view of the long-range possibilities and keeps the business on the right track. Don’t neglect writing a business plan even if you’re starting part time: A well-written business plan will help you take your business full time later on.
    Certain businesses lend themselves well to part-time operation: Holland cites e-commerce, food products, direct marketing and service businesses as examples. Doing your market research and business plan will give you a more realistic idea of whether your business can work part time. (For specifics on conducting market research and writing a business plan, see Chapters 6, 7 and 10).
     
    WARNING
     
    Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Starting a business that competes with your current employer may get you in legal hot water by violating noncompete clauses in your employment contract. If you start a business in the same industry, focus on a small niche your employer has overlooked.
    If you’ve got your heart set on a business that traditionally requires a full-time commitment, think creatively: There may be ways to make it work on a part-time basis.