“When did you know it was the right time to leave your job and go into business full-time?”
After seeing and hearing this question a lot lately, I decided to blog my own experience with taking the plunge by quitting my other job and making my business a priority.
Although I’ve run Studio Delta Designs since 2015, it wasn’t until this year that I went full-time. There were a couple of odd jobs that I was doing here and there on the side, but the main one was an actual part time job that made a small but steady amount of income. The problems I kept running into though, were juggling my different jobs, staying on top of my work, and scheduling meetings with clients at times that worked best in between. I’m a pretty driven person and will do whatever it takes to get a job done, but by the beginning of this year it was becoming pretty clear that if I wanted to move forward and really grow, something needed to change.
I seriously began to consider quitting my part time job in the spring, weighing the pros and cons of that major decision. By leaving that job, I would have more free time and less stress, with the ability to meet clients on a more flexible schedule, and take on a bigger workload which could more than replace the small amount of income my part time job was giving me. At the same time, that small amount of income was guaranteed and reliable while business can be unpredictable: you constantly have to be on your game with marketing, reaching out to clients and keeping up with work. The decision to take a leap would bring about huge change in my life, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready, and if I even had that much faith in myself at that point.
I’m a spiritual person, and believe in getting signs when I’m supposed to do something. Maybe it’s because I’m looking for signs or some sort of confirmation, being some sort of weird placebo effect, but nonetheless, I got some SIGNS that were really pushing me to take the plunge into my business. Family and friends offered support and advice, and obviously there are a lot of great articles out there that also offer great advice. There were also other supportive freelancers in social media groups online who shared their positive experiences with doing business full-time.
It’s a leap of faith, that’s all it is…
“Spiderman: Into the Multiverse, 2018”
One of the funniest signs though, was a quote from the movie Spiderman: Into the Multiverse. I absolutely love Marvel movies, and this movie blew my mind with the colorful visuals and deeper messages behind the playful dialogue. The one scene that stuck with me the most though, was an exchange between the protagonist, Miles Morales, and his mentor, Peter B. Parker. It was right before the climax and everyone had essentially given up on Miles, who felt like a failure cause he hadn’t reached his full potential yet. There were several scenes in the movie where Miles had cautiously crept to the edge of buildings and tried to swing and use his full powers, but he couldn’t bring himself do it. So, Peter B. Parker made the group decision that Miles was not ready to be a hero, and left with the other heroes to face the final fight. As Peter B. Parker turned to go, Miles defeatedly asked him, “When will I know I’m ready [to be a hero]?” Peter B. Parker paused, and answered, “You won’t. It’s a leap of faith; that’s all it is, Miles.”
By the time summer came around, my part time job rolled out new changes that would effectively remove my sense of stability there; cutting my hours and not giving me a set schedule. At that point, I just knew it was time to go. Again, I had the choice of quitting and finding a stable full-time job, or taking a leap of faith and becoming a full-time business owner: I chose the latter.
I’d like to say it’s been all smooth sailing from there, that I immediately got a flood of new clients, became successful and am writing this blog post from my vacation home in Bali, but that’s not the case! After taking the leap, I immediately fell really hard, and had to learn some valuable lessons about running a business, getting organized, networking, and putting just as much effort into marketing myself as I do for my clients.
Making the decision to be a full-time business owner has definitely been worth it, though. I have found a passion and love for doing business that I didn’t know I had, and the more I learn the more excited I am about growing and learning more! Plus the fact that I get to personally help other business owners grow and expand their audience is a huge plus. Seeing my work live and out in the real world makes me so proud, and I can’t wait to continue on this journey to see where it leads.
My advice for freelancers asking themselves about the same decision I made, is to really think about how much you want your business. How badly do you want to make it work? Cause running a business requires a lot of early mornings and late nights, constantly hustling, and being your own boss and marketing team. You can definitely support yourself and make your business work! You just have to be willing to put in the time, a lot of effort, accept that you’re going to fail, but have enough faith in yourself to believe you can do better.
Do you have a business idea that you want to get off the ground? I love working with startups and getting them all set up and ready to go, from branding to building a website, and marketing on social media! If you’re interested, fill out a quote here to get started!
