Best jobs for entreprneurs

[flabastida]

I just had to take on a new full-time job because the money I was making from my new business wasn't enough yet. Since my area is sales, I got a job with a company selling equipment and installation of technology products. The base salary is $50K, and obviously getting ramped up with a sales pipeline in order for me to close large sales and make important commission income is going to take 6-9 months. At the same time, this is a 8-5 job, which leaves me next to no time to build my business (my partner does the creative, I do the sales. We're a production company).

Does anybody know of any better paying jobs I could get in the evenings or night-times so I can dedicate myself during the day to my business? How about FedEx or UPS dock working jobs? Any other kind of jobs?

Thanks!

[Steve MacLellan]

When I was building my business I was working 12 hour days, six days per week for the man, and the job was making me physically sick.

I could have found some reasons not to work on my business if I wanted to.

Regards,
Steve MacLellan

[TheColonel]

Try ebay. Flexible hours.

[JasonMurphy]

I worked the docs at UPS for a year or so. What a great experience! If I didn't have a full time job now I'd do it again. It really was like getting paid to work out. I'd wake up at 3 in the morning, go to the docs, usually get done around 8, grab a McMuffin on the way home and be ready for the rest of the day.

Only downside to this lifestyle was that I always felt the need for a long nap around lunch time because I was so exhausted, and my body couldn't stay up much past 8 or 9 PM.

But, when I was awake I felt great! My energy levels were some of the best that they had ever been.

[dgorila1]

$50k a year for 40hrs a week and you think you'll find a more flexible night job paying more? Good luck. I'm making just over $40k working 50hrs a week and am trying to decide the best route for my "career change". I've committed myself to school for the rest of the year to obtain several computer certifications (A+, N+, MCSA/MCSE) so I can start a new career in this field to leave the high stress job I currently have. I have also been offered the opportunity to buy a company from a vendor we use who is retiring, where he will stay on to train me in the technical aspects of the job. Its going to be hard to decide if I want to do this due to my schooling plus the need to take his business to the next level, since basically we are his only customer and we have been giving him less work lately. He never felt the need to diversify his customer base because over the last 5 years our company has provided him with quite a good flow of business and income, but this has decreased greatly in the last few years as our company has tightened its financial belt to reign in costs. I see the potential to build his company up, but I can't afford to go without an income while learning the ropes of the business nor do I need the substantial debt I would sustain, although I would probably get it for a steal and owner financing (we haven't talked $$ or specifics yet, but I've known him for 5 years since I've been dealing with him and he's the one that just approached me about taking over the business because he won't sell it to just anyone). I too have thought of leaving my current high stress job for a job with different hours to work around school and possibly this new business opportunity, but I also realize I would most likely be making only $12 or so at the most to do so. If I buy the business, I would focus on that full time to get new customers as fast as possible so I could build up a steady income .
Hard decision, as this business is very labor intensive and would require constant hustling to keep a regular work flow. It also has a high monthly overhead to keep up (electric, rent, industrial equipment, etc), but I have always wanted to be my own boss. I am getting the computer training because I figure ultimately I can do this in that field but with little overhead or startup costs, and in some cases could operate from almost anywhere in the world as long as internet access is available.

[SuccessPundit]

The best job for an entrepreneur is working in the industry you're planning to start a business in. Not only for the money, but also because you get first-hand experience on what works and what doesn't. And, lest I forget, you get to spy on your future competitors.

Secondly, I recommend getting a sales or marketing job in that industry. Creating a small business that survives is all about cash flow, and sales and marketing experience will help you do that. You might also make contacts with future customers, helping you capture immediate revenue when you open your business.

Good luck!

[SeriousKidding.com]

My computer is my full-time business. It's my "Dream Machine." I'll let my obsessive ways be my strength or my downfall, but either way, I'm totally set and ready to be successful doing what I love, more than ever, since I've discovered StevePavlina.com and all of YOU. I've always lived and loved to write. And, that's gonna work for me, even if not financially. This website of yours/ours has put me over the top. I can do this thing!

[Dani]

As someone above mentioned.

Take a -job- for what it teaches you, or gives you access too, not for what it pays you.

Jobs are things you do only until your business is paying you.

My key past jobs -

Facilitating Cashflow 101 games (Robert K.'s game) - facilitation skills and people skills, made a lot of contacts

Loan Broker - Money handling and loan management

Soldier - Got me VERY fit and gave me discipline, teamwork and organisation skills

IT Programmer - for far too long and a waste of time, but taught me how important systems are and how to do deep analysis and predict what people want, instead of what they ask for. e.g. When someone is buying a drill bit, he doesn't really want a drill bit, he wants a hole.

Bar tender - for personal skills, I would practice making friends as fast as possible with the most unruly and unpopular customers etc.

Proof reader in Japan - Got me contacts in a translating and printing company which I will be using in my business in the future. Also giving me extensive Japanese language practice and training.

Life Coach - M dream job really, and teaching others about getting their life in order has forced me to sort mine out first. Can't tell someone to do something you aren't doing yourself.

In the area you want your business is also good for knowlege in that area.

[maken]

Originally Posted by SuccessPundit

The best job for an entrepreneur is working in the industry you're planning to start a business in. Not only for the money, but also because you get first-hand experience on what works and what doesn't. And, lest I forget, you get to spy on your future competitors.

Good advice!
Also working full time means you don't dedicate enough time to your business, how long before you settle in your job and forget about the whole business thing?
If you're serious it might be better to get a business loan to supplement you until you start making a profit.

[Jason S]

I understand what you're asking about, but something in the title of your post and the way you frame your issue caught my attention, and made me wonder: if you're REALLY an entrepreneur, then why are you asking about JOBS?

The entrepreneurs I know might ask about the best way for entrepreneurs to make immediate $$$ while launching a business, or the best way to support themselves while nurturing a fledgling business, but they wouldn't ask about jobs. They disdain jobs! They shudder at the word; I can't imagine any of them putting J-O-B-S in the title of a post.

Are you sure you're not looking to live the EMPLOYEE'S dream of having a cush job and enough time to run a little something on the side? The ENTREPRENEUR'S dream is entirely focused around building the new business, both in deed and semantics... and while I'm sure you've got a great idea, it's not yet clear that you've invested your full heart and soul in the new venture.

Maybe I'm misreading you. It's just that I've been in your position myself and I know others who have been, too, both personally and professionally... and when I think about the successful ones, I am struck by the difference between the way in which you phrase the issue and the way these others phrased the issue when they were in your shoes.

The way we phrase things provides a big clue to what we're thinking on the inside.