Are You a Part Time or Full Time Entrepreneur?

How can you get your business off the ground if you’re still working full time for an employer? I attended an entrepreneurship & innovation networking event on Friday night as part of Entrepreneurship Week USA and ran into some interesting guys with some great ideas who are definitely full time entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs
Chris runs on online service, Athletes4Hire, that helps graduating and former collegiate athletes find their spot in the corporate world. His growing business was recently featured by Entrepreneur’s magazine.

Both an artist and a businessman, Andrew is the owner of Acronym Designs, a company that sells elegant environmentally friendly high-end furniture. His products are a little out of my price range but he knows exactly who his target market is and he’s riding the rising popularity of “green” companies and products.

As the president of podCast411, Robert Walch has become a podcasting pro. He began podcasting when it first came on the scene and has made a career of it. His success in the industry is reflected in his speaking and consulting jobs and the recent book Tricks of the Podcasting Masters that he co-authored.

Part Time vs. Full Time
These entrepreneurs found a way to make a living by being involved in things they are passionate about. They’ve found ideas and niches that allow them to dedicate their time and effort solely to their ventures.

Meeting these and other entrepreneurs made me realize the huge difference between part time and full time entrepreneurs. I thought it was tough trying to balance my day job with my outside ventures. Although the time management is challenging I realize it’s a whole different ball game than being a full time entrepreneur.

Without the security of regular paychecks and benefits they must live and breathe their business to make it a go. I admire their determination and drive but with a new baby, I don’t know that I’d be able or willing to take the same risks and commit as much time as they do at this point in my life.

Weekend Entrepreneur to Full Time Business Owner
One of the things I’ve learned from running this site and from guys like Brian Clark and Darren Rowse is the power of blogs to help small businesses reach a larger audience in a convincing, authoritative way with minimal costs. As I spoke with Robert Walch about the local opportunities for some type of blog consulting for small businesses his advice was to “keep my day job”. He thought the need was out there but it would take time to make it a viable business.

This seems to be the approach of many part time entrepreneurs nowadays. Hold onto your paycheck while you figure out how to make money on the side. After a while you’ll learn the ropes and if the opportunity presents itself you can make the move from a weekend entrepreneur to running your business full time. This is the approach I plan to take, I’d be interested to hear the stories of others who have taken either route.

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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