The biggest problem with your average job situation is that more time is spent with toil than enjoyable elements of work. If you do not have this type of problem with your job, congratulations! Move along. This is not meant for you. This is meant for people who are not satisfied with what they are doing.
Before you make any decisions, though, figure out what it is that you’ve always wanted to do for a living. Until you figure this out and are completely sure of the answer, do not make any drastic changes. This way leads to madness and disappointment. Once you have your answer firmly in mind, your next step is research. When I talk about research, I must stress that you research every aspect:
- What skills do you need?
- What materials do you need?
- How much time do you need to take out of your day to do this?
- What can I sacrifice to make my dreams come true?
There are many ways to get skills. For example, I met a woman who wanted to get into costuming and wardrobe, but the schools around here wanted her to spend several thousands of dollars on a full course load, prerequisites, and the like, just to get to the point where she could take the two courses she really wanted. Meanwhile, there was an independent fashion designer, right in her neighborhood, who was looking for someone to help her out. An unpaid apprenticeship proved to be a much cheaper way to go.
Materials costs do not only relate to what you’re going to be producing, but also how you’re going to promote it. You can knit all the pillowcases you want, but you won’t sell them unless you can get the word out effectively. Frequently, your success will relate to how you can cut these costs. Depending on your chosen pursuit, there may be some “outside-the-box” ways to reduce these costs significantly.
Consider how much you can do, at least in the short term, in your spare time, and how much you’re going to have to need out of your regular day. If you can keep your job and do your work while relaxing, keep your job and save up as much of that income as you can for now, because once you go full-time, you are really on your own. Quitting your job and jumping directly into business without sufficient funds can result, very quickly, in homelessness.
The fourth item, while (strictly speaking) optional, is a huge portion of how you can convert your savings into money for your work. For example, I used to be the type of person who could go through a two-liter of soda and a pot or so of coffee a day. I was the member of a monthly coffee service. I also subscribed to several magazines, many of which I only read for one or two articles. By switching to water, dropping the coffee service, and getting rid of the magazines, I saved almost a thousand dollars a year. That’s enough for me to create a prototype run of a hundred game sets! Even if it hurts (and it certainly wasn’t easy for me!), drop your expensive habits and funnel it into your work. In the end, you will be glad that you did.
After you have answered these questions and tackled issues of cost, you will be well on your way to making a plan. I’ll be discussing this some time later, though–my own business calls!
Speaking of which, if you need help with your own processes, just drop me a line.
–Michael