11 Signs It's Time to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business
Published on October 27, 2021. Updated on December 5, 2022.
From a young age, we’re all told that if we want to succeed in life, we need to go to school, get good grades, graduate college, and find a good paying job with benefits. While people will tell you to go to school to become a doctor or a lawyer, it’s very rare that people will tell you to go to school to become an entrepreneur. By taking the traditional path of going to school and getting a job, sometimes you might find yourself “stuck” in a job that you don’t like. If you’re feeling stuck, then you might like the idea of owning your own business.
How does owning your own business compare to having a regular job? When you have a regular job, you work for someone else. This means that you have a boss who determines when you have to show up, when you can leave, how much you get paid, and if you’ll get any time off. If your boss is not satisfied with you for any reason, then they can let you go. On the other hand, after you start your own business:
At the same time, there are different types of businesses you could start. These are the most common ones:
For the majority of people, starting an online business is the best option because it typically has far fewer risks, and it costs significantly less than a traditional business or a franchise. More specifically, an online business directory & coupon website can be an excellent option because it gives you all the perks of having your own business without the risks or costs that come with a traditional startup or franchise. At Ideal Directories, we offer a turnkey solution for anyone looking to get started and hit the ground running with their own online directory & coupon website. We even provide support in the form of sales scripts, sales flyers, helpful articles and guides and professionally designed marketing materials you can use to grow your business.
The advantages of running your own business are often attractive enough alone to make someone want to ditch their 9 to 5, but here are 11 signs that it might be time to quit your job and start your own business:
1. You’re Sick of Your Commute
If you live in or near a large city, then chances are you have to deal with rush hour traffic during your commute to work and/or your commute home from work. In some cases it might even be bumper-to-bumper traffic. Or maybe you live in a small town and have to travel a long distance (at least 45 minutes) to get to work, having to pay for gas and maintenance on your vehicle. In any case, the commute can get tiresome and expensive.
When you have your own business – especially an online business – you can work anywhere with a reliable Internet connection, such as at home or at a local coffee shop. Your commute could consist of walking from your bedroom to your home office. This also saves you gas along with wear and tear on your personal vehicle. If you’re sick of bumper-to-bumper traffic to/from work or driving too far to get to work, then it might make sense to start your own business.
2. You Feel Undervalued
At some places of employment, you might be treated like a “cog in the machine” or a “spoke in the wheel.” In other words, it’s possible to have a boss who cares less about you personally and more about you showing up, doing your job, and/or meeting certain metrics.
In some cases, you might be in a position where your boss will increase your responsibilities without increasing your pay. They’ll try to get as much as they can for as little as they can. If you try to ask for a raise, they might get irritated and tell you that if you don’t like working there, you can leave.
If you’re not fully valued where you work, starting your own business can be a great option. You’ll have the opportunity to serve clients who value your products/services. When you take very good care of your clients, they’ll show their appreciation in the form of positive reviews and sending referrals.
3. You Feel Bored or Unchallenged
If your job is tedious or repetitive in nature (such as working in a call center or factory), then you probably feel very bored where you’re at. Although you don’t fully enjoy it, you're probably only doing it because it pays the bills.
It’s also possible you might have been at your current job for years and feel like there is no more room for growth and advancement. When you run your own business, there is no corporate ladder to climb because you own the ladder in a sense. You’ll also get to deal with more meaningful challenges such as how to market your business and better serve your clients.
4. You Hate Your Boss
As an employee, you have very little control over who your boss is. There might be some cases where you start off at a job with a wonderful boss, but then that person ends up being replaced by someone else who is a worse boss. Some bosses can be very demanding or downright disrespectful.
When you run your own business, your clients are the boss, so to speak, since they pay you in exchange for a product or service. But at least you get to pick and choose which clients to work with. If you end up with a toxic client who is demanding or disrespectful, you have the power to terminate that relationship.
5. You Want More Free Time
When working for someone else, you spend time at the job itself in addition to traveling to and from work. Depending on your schedule or how far you live from your place of employment, you might have very little personal time. If you wish you had more free time, then you might be experiencing an unhealthy work/life balance.
As the owner of your own business, you get to set your own schedule. You get to determine how little or how much you work. You also determine when you get up, when you go to lunch, and other aspects of your daily routine. If you have a friend’s wedding coming up or want to take a trip somewhere, you don’t have to make a formal request for time off. Since you’re the boss, you can approve your own requests for time off.
6. You Want More Money
If you’re looking to make more money, then you might feel your only options are to work overtime, work a second job, or find a new job altogether. You could also try climbing the corporate ladder and getting promoted. While this can lead to an increase in pay, it can also mean increased hours, more stress, and less free time.
Starting your own business with Ideal Directories can be a great way to earn more money. Instead of being paid based on how many hours you work a week, you would be paid based on how many listings you sell. There's no limit to how much money you can make and it's all recurring income. Whenever you want to make more money during a certain month, you could simply go out and sell more listings. It’s all based on your personal efforts and hard work.
7. You Dread Monday Mornings
Most working adults tend to experience the “Sunday night blues” where they know the weekend is coming to an end and they have to get ready for another week of work. In fact, nearly 81% of Americans get the “Sunday night blues” while 59% indicate they experience them really bad (source). Your Monday mornings don’t have to be so bad.
When you own a business, you can actually look forward to Monday mornings. After all, you decide when to wake up, when to get started, what your agenda will be, etc. You'll also love what you do.
There is no morning commute or anything like that to deal with. Instead of working for someone else, you’re working for yourself and selling products/services that you can be proud of.
8. You Leave Work Feeling Drained & Stressed
Some people might work a very stressful or demanding job. Whether you have to work outside in the heat, deal with irate customers all day, or deal with demands from customers and employees as a manager, these can all take a toll on you. You might even resort to a coping mechanism such as junk food or alcohol after work.
As time goes on, you could experience burnout. If you feel you’re approaching burnout, then starting your own business could be a great option. As a business owner, you determine the pace and how things are run.
9. You Work In a Toxic Environment
Unfortunately many working adults find themselves in a toxic work environment. You’ll either have disrespectful coworkers or disrespectful higher ups (if not both). Your boss might even have very little regard for you.
When you have your own business, you get to determine who’s on your team. If you decide to have partners or employees and they don’t work out, you get to fire them. You call the shots and determine who works with you. You determine the company culture, mission and attitude, and you can even set guidelines for personnel conduct that suit you and your personality.
10. Your Profession/Industry Is In Turmoil
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 crisis hit certain industries really hard. According to McKinsey & Company, the following industries could take years to recover from the effects of this pandemic:
If you have a job in one of these industries and you’ve felt the effects of this pandemic, you have other options. You could start a business in a recession-proof industry. The great thing about running a local business directory and coupon website is that businesses always need to advertise, and consumers always love deals! This way, even if another recession hits hard, you would be providing a product/service that fills a need no matter the current economic conditions.
11. Your Position Is Being Phased Out
With technology moving at a really fast pace (especially in regard to artificial intelligence), many jobs will either become automated or obsolete. According to CareerAddict, jobs like travel agents, fast food cooks, bank tellers, and lumberjacks are jobs that are being phased out and likely to disappear by 2030.
If you currently work in a job that is likely to be phased out, you don’t have to panic. You can be proactive and start your own business that’s not threatened by ongoing advances in technology. A local business directory website is actually the type of business that will improve with advancements in technology.
Final Thoughts
If you can relate to one or more of the 11 points mentioned above, it might be time to quit your job and start your own business. In light of the recent pandemic, ongoing updates in technology, and other factors, it definitely makes sense to own a business (even if it’s a side hustle). When you have your own part time or full time business, you are in so much more control of your future and your overall well-being.
If you’re ready to start an online business and enjoy the benefits of being a business owner (without the high risks or startup costs of a traditional or franchise type of business), then an Ideal Directories online business directory & coupon website would be a really good option for you. Find out how to get started here!
From a young age, we’re all told that if we want to succeed in life, we need to go to school, get good grades, graduate college, and find a good paying job with benefits. While people will tell you to go to school to become a doctor or a lawyer, it’s very rare that people will tell you to go to school to become an entrepreneur. By taking the traditional path of going to school and getting a job, sometimes you might find yourself “stuck” in a job that you don’t like. If you’re feeling stuck, then you might like the idea of owning your own business.
How does owning your own business compare to having a regular job? When you have a regular job, you work for someone else. This means that you have a boss who determines when you have to show up, when you can leave, how much you get paid, and if you’ll get any time off. If your boss is not satisfied with you for any reason, then they can let you go. On the other hand, after you start your own business:
- You work for yourself (you are your own boss)
- You set your own schedule
- You have unlimited earning potential (you can sell as few or as many of your products/services as you’d like)
- You don’t have to ask anyone for time off
- In many cases, you can work from home
At the same time, there are different types of businesses you could start. These are the most common ones:
- Traditional Business - you come up with your own product/service, your own branding, your own work space, etc. – this often comes with high risk and high startup costs.
- Franchise Business - you buy into an existing brand and business model, but it is often expensive to get started and there are often ongoing fees or royalties you have to pay to the franchisor.
- Online Business - this is one of the easiest and most affordable types of businesses you can start and as long as you have a computer and reliable Internet connection, you can start and run your business almost anywhere.
For the majority of people, starting an online business is the best option because it typically has far fewer risks, and it costs significantly less than a traditional business or a franchise. More specifically, an online business directory & coupon website can be an excellent option because it gives you all the perks of having your own business without the risks or costs that come with a traditional startup or franchise. At Ideal Directories, we offer a turnkey solution for anyone looking to get started and hit the ground running with their own online directory & coupon website. We even provide support in the form of sales scripts, sales flyers, helpful articles and guides and professionally designed marketing materials you can use to grow your business.
The advantages of running your own business are often attractive enough alone to make someone want to ditch their 9 to 5, but here are 11 signs that it might be time to quit your job and start your own business:
1. You’re Sick of Your Commute
If you live in or near a large city, then chances are you have to deal with rush hour traffic during your commute to work and/or your commute home from work. In some cases it might even be bumper-to-bumper traffic. Or maybe you live in a small town and have to travel a long distance (at least 45 minutes) to get to work, having to pay for gas and maintenance on your vehicle. In any case, the commute can get tiresome and expensive.
When you have your own business – especially an online business – you can work anywhere with a reliable Internet connection, such as at home or at a local coffee shop. Your commute could consist of walking from your bedroom to your home office. This also saves you gas along with wear and tear on your personal vehicle. If you’re sick of bumper-to-bumper traffic to/from work or driving too far to get to work, then it might make sense to start your own business.
2. You Feel Undervalued
At some places of employment, you might be treated like a “cog in the machine” or a “spoke in the wheel.” In other words, it’s possible to have a boss who cares less about you personally and more about you showing up, doing your job, and/or meeting certain metrics.
In some cases, you might be in a position where your boss will increase your responsibilities without increasing your pay. They’ll try to get as much as they can for as little as they can. If you try to ask for a raise, they might get irritated and tell you that if you don’t like working there, you can leave.
If you’re not fully valued where you work, starting your own business can be a great option. You’ll have the opportunity to serve clients who value your products/services. When you take very good care of your clients, they’ll show their appreciation in the form of positive reviews and sending referrals.
3. You Feel Bored or Unchallenged
If your job is tedious or repetitive in nature (such as working in a call center or factory), then you probably feel very bored where you’re at. Although you don’t fully enjoy it, you're probably only doing it because it pays the bills.
It’s also possible you might have been at your current job for years and feel like there is no more room for growth and advancement. When you run your own business, there is no corporate ladder to climb because you own the ladder in a sense. You’ll also get to deal with more meaningful challenges such as how to market your business and better serve your clients.
4. You Hate Your Boss
As an employee, you have very little control over who your boss is. There might be some cases where you start off at a job with a wonderful boss, but then that person ends up being replaced by someone else who is a worse boss. Some bosses can be very demanding or downright disrespectful.
When you run your own business, your clients are the boss, so to speak, since they pay you in exchange for a product or service. But at least you get to pick and choose which clients to work with. If you end up with a toxic client who is demanding or disrespectful, you have the power to terminate that relationship.
5. You Want More Free Time
When working for someone else, you spend time at the job itself in addition to traveling to and from work. Depending on your schedule or how far you live from your place of employment, you might have very little personal time. If you wish you had more free time, then you might be experiencing an unhealthy work/life balance.
As the owner of your own business, you get to set your own schedule. You get to determine how little or how much you work. You also determine when you get up, when you go to lunch, and other aspects of your daily routine. If you have a friend’s wedding coming up or want to take a trip somewhere, you don’t have to make a formal request for time off. Since you’re the boss, you can approve your own requests for time off.
6. You Want More Money
If you’re looking to make more money, then you might feel your only options are to work overtime, work a second job, or find a new job altogether. You could also try climbing the corporate ladder and getting promoted. While this can lead to an increase in pay, it can also mean increased hours, more stress, and less free time.
Starting your own business with Ideal Directories can be a great way to earn more money. Instead of being paid based on how many hours you work a week, you would be paid based on how many listings you sell. There's no limit to how much money you can make and it's all recurring income. Whenever you want to make more money during a certain month, you could simply go out and sell more listings. It’s all based on your personal efforts and hard work.
7. You Dread Monday Mornings
Most working adults tend to experience the “Sunday night blues” where they know the weekend is coming to an end and they have to get ready for another week of work. In fact, nearly 81% of Americans get the “Sunday night blues” while 59% indicate they experience them really bad (source). Your Monday mornings don’t have to be so bad.
When you own a business, you can actually look forward to Monday mornings. After all, you decide when to wake up, when to get started, what your agenda will be, etc. You'll also love what you do.
There is no morning commute or anything like that to deal with. Instead of working for someone else, you’re working for yourself and selling products/services that you can be proud of.
8. You Leave Work Feeling Drained & Stressed
Some people might work a very stressful or demanding job. Whether you have to work outside in the heat, deal with irate customers all day, or deal with demands from customers and employees as a manager, these can all take a toll on you. You might even resort to a coping mechanism such as junk food or alcohol after work.
As time goes on, you could experience burnout. If you feel you’re approaching burnout, then starting your own business could be a great option. As a business owner, you determine the pace and how things are run.
9. You Work In a Toxic Environment
Unfortunately many working adults find themselves in a toxic work environment. You’ll either have disrespectful coworkers or disrespectful higher ups (if not both). Your boss might even have very little regard for you.
When you have your own business, you get to determine who’s on your team. If you decide to have partners or employees and they don’t work out, you get to fire them. You call the shots and determine who works with you. You determine the company culture, mission and attitude, and you can even set guidelines for personnel conduct that suit you and your personality.
10. Your Profession/Industry Is In Turmoil
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 crisis hit certain industries really hard. According to McKinsey & Company, the following industries could take years to recover from the effects of this pandemic:
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation
- Accommodation and food services
- Educational services
- Transportation and warehousing
- Manufacturing
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
If you have a job in one of these industries and you’ve felt the effects of this pandemic, you have other options. You could start a business in a recession-proof industry. The great thing about running a local business directory and coupon website is that businesses always need to advertise, and consumers always love deals! This way, even if another recession hits hard, you would be providing a product/service that fills a need no matter the current economic conditions.
11. Your Position Is Being Phased Out
With technology moving at a really fast pace (especially in regard to artificial intelligence), many jobs will either become automated or obsolete. According to CareerAddict, jobs like travel agents, fast food cooks, bank tellers, and lumberjacks are jobs that are being phased out and likely to disappear by 2030.
If you currently work in a job that is likely to be phased out, you don’t have to panic. You can be proactive and start your own business that’s not threatened by ongoing advances in technology. A local business directory website is actually the type of business that will improve with advancements in technology.
Final Thoughts
If you can relate to one or more of the 11 points mentioned above, it might be time to quit your job and start your own business. In light of the recent pandemic, ongoing updates in technology, and other factors, it definitely makes sense to own a business (even if it’s a side hustle). When you have your own part time or full time business, you are in so much more control of your future and your overall well-being.
If you’re ready to start an online business and enjoy the benefits of being a business owner (without the high risks or startup costs of a traditional or franchise type of business), then an Ideal Directories online business directory & coupon website would be a really good option for you. Find out how to get started here!
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