I read somewhere that the price of freedom is uncertainty.  I have been reflecting on that a lot over the past few weeks and I agree with the statement.  When you have a nice steady job that pays the bills, you can live comfortably.  You have certainty.  Your salary will come into your bank account at the end of the month.  You can book your foreign holiday in 6 months time.  You can get a loan to buy a new car and know that in 3 years time you will be  happily paying off your car loan – ‘no worries’ as the Aussies say.

However if you are feeling unfulfilled and bored out of your mind and want to leave that job to start a business you will be trading your nice certain situation for uncertainty.  You may not know in 6 months if you can cover your bills let alone go on a foreign holiday.

The best advice is to start your business on the side as you keep your day job.  That way you can allow your business to grow as you keep your secure position.  When you see that the business works and can support you and when the demands of the business are such that you must leave then leave.  Your job is your safety net if the business fails.   The reality is that many businesses do fail or at least struggle to survive.  Statistics from the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), show that 30% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 50% during the first five years and 66% during the first 10.

No regrets

Of course even if your business does fail it is not the end of the world.  Take the lessons of that failure with you and start again.  In many ways the worst failure of all is to live a life controlled by your boss which is safe comfortable, certain and ultimately boring.  Do you really just want to tip toe quietly towards death?  One of the top five regrets of the dying (from a book by Bronnie Ware) is not having the courage of living a life true to yourself and not pursuing your dreams.  The price of freedom is uncertainly.

Best wishes,

Tom

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