Pursuing a path from employee to entrepreneur is risky, yet rewarding at the same time. You report to yourself, set your own schedule, and choose which tasks and projects to pursue.

If you are married, taking care of an elderly parent, or a child with special needs, balancing work and family life can add to the stress of pursuing the dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

The opportunity to inspire others to pursue their passion that contributes to job creation in communities and improving neighborhoods was enough for me to want to jump in with both feet along with being able to help women improve their quality of life financially.

You can expect roadblocks of obtaining financing to fund the identified passion, trying something new and failing, and sleepless nights during the initial start-up phase.

I am not trying to deter you from your dream, but let’s be real here.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. The thrill and satisfaction of building and nurturing your pet project an seeing it succeeding after all the blood, sweat, and tears is worth the challenge right?

When you know you are ready to go from employee to entrepreneur

• You dream of being your own boss.

• You find yourself during a business meeting at your job saying to yourself, “I can do it better.”

• You are tired of the 9 to 5 lifestyle and find becoming a digital nomad interesting.

• You want to spend more time with your family.

• You are tired of watching your boss spend all day rearranging his/her office and dumping projects on you at the last minute.

• You are tired of your boss’s micromanaging behavior and taking credit for all your hard work.

• You are experiencing cubical farm burnout.

• The daily cost of commuting to work, traffic delays, and hours spent on the road are taking a toll on your health.

• You know what kind of business you want to start and can’t stop thinking about it. In fact, it makes you giddy about the possibility.

• You want to invest in your community and give back to others by starting or supporting a charity.

Small Business Resources

Getting started on your dream job isn’t as complicated as one might think.

There are a lot of resources out there for small businesses that can help you with reducing start-up costs.

Non-profit organizations SCORE, KIVA, and the Small Business Association (SBA) have expert volunteers who have lived it and survived another day to share their best tips with you at no financial cost except time.

SCORE has volunteers who are small business owners that you can request to sit down with to discuss ways to grow your business at no cost to you along with free online courses and workshops about ways to finance your start-up, social media marketing, taxes, business entities, etc.

A business plan is one way of documenting your dream job and celebrating milestones along the way.

The SBA site has a free business plan template for download. Another benefit of utilizing a business plan is to budget for start up costs

If you’re a female, there are a plethora of financial resources and small business mentorship through several non-profit organizations that support and promote female entrepreneurship.

Providing feedback to another woman business owner can prepare her for the roadblocks ahead and provide tools on how to overcome adversity from past experiences by fellow small business owners.

Wouldn’t it be easier just to stick with the job you hate and continue to live paycheck to paycheck?

No, but taking the leap without fear and reaping the rewards of personal freedom sounds more fun!