Should you get a regular 9-5 job working no more than 8 hours a day while you're trying to build a business, or get a better job as a product manager or management consultant? The former almost always has no career progression, while the latter is a good backup option in case business fails, as there is still a career progression path and the job in consulting pays a lot better. The customer service job would be purely for money to survive at a good company, while the consulting/design job would be at a good company and would involve more working hours. What's the right way to go?
If you are starting your own business, you likely have a significant amount of experience in your industry, or passion which is just as good. I found that a lot of skills I developed while starting new businesses are transferable and there is a demand for them in a freelance marketplace. I have been consulting on and off for pretty much my whole career, even when being neck deep in a new venture. I would suggest identifying a few skills which you can sell by offering them on part-time basis: writing, programming, SEO, creative design, etc. Utilize your network by offering your services or even use larger freelance marketplaces like UpWork. I do not think I would have been able to sustain myself without this kind of work while bootstrapping a new idea.
Answered 7 years ago
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