Timing Your Business' Launch Date

From Part-Time to Full-Time does not happen overnight—it is a process.
     When Joanne was divorced twelve years ago, she realized she needed to get a job to help support herself and her children. Joanne was skilled in quilting, but it was too labor intensive and she needed to bring in cash to meet expenses. She took a job selling wallpaper in a home decorating store where she became familiar with wallpapers and paints.

     When one of the customers asked Joann to paper her walls, she decided to give it a try. This first customer was a dean of a women’s college and encouraged Joann to go into business for herself and advised her to attend the business seminars held at a nearby Small Business Development Center. “They gave invaluable advice about beginning a business,” she says. In the meantime others began to ask Joann if she would paper and paint their houses.

     For six months Joann worked at one job and her papering and painting business until it became just too much. “Working two jobs, and being a mother was more than I could handle,” she says. “I liked my business, so I stepped out in faith, and went full-time.”

Overcome Your Apprehension with Adequate Preparation
     The better-prepared you are, the more you will know the risks of your undertaking. Take the time to research and prepare for going full-time. A woman home business expert said at a talk I attended, “If you are going to sell apple pies to restaurants, try baking 100 pies in a week, to see if this is something you really want to do, full-time.”

Be Self-Confident
     You will have “nay-sayers” who may try to discourage you, but if you believe in yourself, you will be more likely than someone who is overwhelmed by self-doubts.
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NEXT: CONSIDERING YOUR FAMILY'S INVOLVEMENT IN YOUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLANS