Why I’m Quitting My Business to Work 9–5.
I’ve lived the laptop lifestyle, and it isn’t great.
There was one day, while I was in college, where I woke up and decided that it was time to find a way to start making some money.
Since I’ve never had any interest in drinking and/or going out all the time, I didn’t have too much of a reason to be making money in college, which made finding the hunger for a job almost obsolete.
I did, however, want to be able to afford to go out and eat every once in a while, or maybe even to start paying down my student loans… so I decided to get on the internet and start searching for “how to make money from your dorm room without really doing anything.” (Okay, that wasn’t the exact search, but you know that’s what I was looking for.)
To make a long story short… That is what led me down a three-year plus rabbit hole of affiliate marketing, dropshipping, service businesses, digital products, and the whole nine yards.
Today, I hold a BBA in Financial Planning, I have made thousands of dollars working freelance as a podcast producer, writer, video editor, etc., I have hired other freelancers, collaborated with big-name entrepreneurs…. and now it is time to go and work a 9–5.
Here’s why.
1.) The World Revolves Around the 9–5
I’m sure you already know this, but there is a reason baseball games and school plays always happen around 6 or 7 PM… the same thing goes for prime time TV.
It’s because the world is built around the concept that most people are working every day from 9–5.
What I always found online (to try and sell you courses and products to help you “escape” your 9–5) was that most of the “entrepreneurs” I would work with would only be responsive Monday through Friday from about… you guessed it… 9–5.
People like to work inside of that window of time, and it got to the point with myself where, as an entrepreneur and/or freelancer, I was constantly battling with my time management and trying to keep myself working between 9–5.
With all of that being said… the bottom line is that working as a freelancer or an entrepreneur does not grant you “more freedom” so much as it just creates more confusion around what times you need to be working and what times you don’t.
Boundaries are what create freedom.
2.) Benefits. Benefits. Benefits.
The income that you will be able to get from a standard 9–5 is, in most cases, a lot more than what you are going to be able to earn with a new business.
Obviously, this depends on how much of a wicked business ninja you are… but overall I can tell you that my business would probably be making more money at this point if I had a 9–5 income backing it.
Aside from just the money you make from your 9–5, you have to remember that companies are often providing you with insurance, retirement plans, stock plans, and a handful of other benefits.
You won’t have to worry as much about paying for your taxes, your retirement, or once you scale even your employees’ taxes and retirement.
3.) Still Having a Side Hustle.
Most freelancers would probably tell you they started their business or started freelancing because they saw an opportunity to gain some sort of freedom.
Freedom of their time, freedom of their money, freedom of when and where they worked…
What they don’t ever really mention is that with all that freedom you can actually take your business and make it a side hustle.
If you are young, just starting your career, or even a little older and just starting a freelancing or entrepreneurial career… You can choose to work on your business outside of work hours.
Always remember that boundaries create freedom and if you set yourself up to have a “part-time job” with your side hustle, and work set hours, you could be surprised with the results you get from doing so.
4.) Learning.
The last reason a 9–5 can be more worth your time than running your own business is that you learn more from a 9–5.
Some may think the best way to learn how to run a business, or work in a certain industry would be to run a business in that industry, but that is a flawed idea.
Who would you be learning from?
In almost any case, you will learn more from having a job where you are around other people that are doing what you want to do and have been where you want to go.
Working for a business that is operational in your field, has clients or customers coming through the door, and has been through the ups and downs will be far more beneficial for you than trying to “figure it out” with your own business.
