Start Your Own Business Read Online Free PDF Page B

business plunge and giving up your comfy salary and cushy benefits keeps you awake at night biting your nails, then perhaps a part-time business is best. On the other hand, if you need to work long hours at your current full-time job, you commute 60 miles round-trip and you have 2-year-old triplets, piling a part-time business on top of all those commitments could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
    TAKE IT EASY
     
    D oes all work and no play make entrepreneurship no fun? Some entrepreneurs who run part-time businesses based on hobbies, such as crafts or cooking, find that going full time takes all the fun out of the venture. “Going full time turns an adventure into a job,” as business expert Arnold Sanow puts it.
     
     
    Some entrepreneurs have trouble grasping the fact that their businesses aren’t just pastimes anymore. They can’t work at their leisure any longer, and their ventures may require them to develop talents they didn’t know they had and perform tasks they’d rather leave to someone else.
     
    Don’t get so caught up in the creative aspects of the venture that you lose sight of the business responsibilities you must assume to make your startup succeed. Take a realistic look at what going full time will require. Perhaps you can hire people to handle the business aspects you dislike, such as sales or operations.
    Of course, a full-time business does require long, long hours, but a part-time business combined with a full-time job can be even more stressful. If this is the route you’re considering, carefully assess the effects on your life. You’ll be using evenings, weekends and lunch hours—and, most likely, your holidays, sick days and vacation time—to take care of business. You’ll probably have to give up leisure activities such as going to the movies, watching TV, reading or going to the gym. How will you feel the next time you drag yourself home, exhausted after a late night at the office ... then have to sit right down and spend four hours working on a project that a client needs the next morning? This is the kind of commitment you will need to make if you expect your part-time business to succeed. Carefully consider whether you have the mental and physical stamina to give your best effort to both your job and your business.

Decisions, Decisions
     
    Whether to start part time or full time is a decision only you can make. Whichever route you take, the secret to success is an honest assessment of your resources, your commitment level and the support systems you have in place. With those factors firmly in mind, you will be able to make the right choice.
    PART-TIME POINTERS
     
    B alancing a full-time job with a part-time business isn’t easy—but it can be done. Arnold Sanow, co-author of You Can Start Your Own Business , suggests these tips to help make your part-time business a success:
    • Involve your family in the business whenever possible . Whether it’s answering the phone, stuffing envelopes or putting together orders, giving your family the chance to help out is a great way to get more accomplished in less time—while also making your family feel like they’re part of your business.
    • Be ready to give up personal time . You won’t have much time for TV, reading or hobbies you used to enjoy. Be sure the sacrifice is worth it, or both your job and your business will suffer.
    • Focus on the task in front of you . When you’re at work, focus on work; don’t let thoughts of your business distract you.
    • Make the most of every minute . Use lunch hours or early morning to make phone calls; use commuting time on the train to catch up on paperwork.
    • Take advantage of time zone differences and technology . If you do business with people in other states or countries, make time differences work to your advantage by calling early in the morning or after work. Use faxes and e-mail to communicate with clients at any time of day or night.
    • Don’t overstep your