BUSINESS MAGIC WOMEN Working 9 to 5 (and then 5 to 10): Let’s Start a Business

Steph Nelson does it again! In this third installment of Business Magic Women (from our Fall 2011 issue), she tackles the subject that so many creative types are now struggling with—doing work you love while also working that other job to pay the bills. Check it out! 

By S.O. Nelson

By this point, we all know that times are tough in the employment world. Recent graduates are having a hard time finding work.  Experienced professionals are being laid off.  As an example, I am an attorney who graduated from law school three years ago.  It has not been easy entering a market with an oversaturation of attorneys and a lack of open positions.  Instead of sitting behind my desk with my face in my hands, I have been re-thinking my career plans.  I want to self propel! I am shifting my focus from legal practice into legal writing and I am also starting to build a prototype of a law firm that I will eventually open.  Additionally, my husband and I are considering starting a food truck business!

In this time of economic turmoil, starting your own business might seem scary.  But it might also be the best option – not only for your future career goals but for your mental health! Here are some reasons why starting your own business is a GOOD idea:

1) It will keep you happy.  This is your project.  You are calling the shots. Starting a business makes a boring day job more tolerable because you will be humming with ideas inside your head.  Building a business will keep you busy while you are unemployed (see #2).  Your project will be a light at the end of a doldrums tunnel. 

2) It will keep you busy.  Idle = unhappy.  Let’s face it, being busy keeps us from worrying.  When you are working on something you love, you’ll get lost in the moment.  It is a great feeling.  A creative lady in 2011 could use some lost moments for sure.

3) It will keep you focused.  Maybe you want to start a jewelry business.  But along the way, you realize that you would rather market the wares rather than bead a necklace.  Starting your own project will help you narrow down exactly what you’d like to do best.

4) It will lead to greater things! If anything, building a business will lead to some new friends and contacts, some new experiences and absolutely new ideas for more projects.

As additional inspiration, there are oodles of rebel women writing blogs about taking their careers into their own hands.  Do what you want to do and succeed! As a start, check out: Cordelia Calls It Quits, The Middle Finger Project and Brazen Careerist.