Are you dissatisfied with your job, or reading the writing on the wall that suggests it may be time to think of your own exit strategy? If so, you are in good company. A Mercer’s What’s Workingâ„¢ survey last year, conducted over two quarters, included 2,400 workers in the U.S. They found, “nearly one in three (32%) U.S. workers is seriously considering leaving his or her organization at the present time, up sharply from 23% in 2005.â€
A Right Management survey found you’re probably working harder than ever and that weekends no longer provide the work respite they once did. The research said, “more than one-third of workers regularly get weekend emails from their boss who expects them to respond. Another one-third reported getting such emails from time to time.â€
Whether your motivation is that you are miserable at work or because you anticipate a layoff, it’s possible you may be better off marketing yourself as a consultant or starting a business instead of looking for another traditional job.
Consider these five tips to prepare to become a business owner.
Start saving money. If you’re the type of person who checks the calendar to find out when the next paycheck is coming because you are out of grocery money, it’s time to scale back your spending and save some money for a rainy day. Freedom and flexibility come with being able to manage to cover your expenses even without a regular job.
Audit your free time. Think about how you spend your time outside of work; is there any time to start a new business on the side? We used to call this moonlighting; some refer to it as a “side hustle.â€
Decide what you want to do. It sounds obvious, but if you want to run a business, you need to identify the intersection between what you know how to do and what people need and are willing to pay you to do for them.
Evaluate your skills. Are you totally disorganized when it comes to managing money? Do you avoid writing like it’s the plague? Do you cower in fear when it’s time to attend an in-person networking event? Would you rather get in a pit of king cobras than speak in front of a group? If you want to run a business, you’ll need to be prepared to take on these and other challenges.
Study trends and market needs. You may have great skills and a passion for a topic, but you need to know if people are willing to pay you to use those skills.
Keep an eye on your competitors, review employment and industry trends via resources such as the Riley Guide, and tap into services such as Trendwatching.com’s free monthly trend briefing.
Read the complete post on U.S. News & World Report.
photo by nicsuzor