Soooooo.... I really just did that

[schaefferjosh]

I have officially quit my job. After 8 years of working full-time for a company and giving them everything I could. It all came crashing down due to a single manager. I decided it was best that I leave the team, and I am focusing on my business full-time (I am terrified). We have been up 20% YoY, and it is demanding more of my time. While I took a part-time manager position to help pay some bills in the winter months and to ease into this, I am excited to have my business be my primary income source. It's amazing how you can be an incredibly respected employee to feeling like crap within a short period of time. 8 loyal years.... and all I got from the company was a cold "Thank you for your service to the bank." Though my coworkers did make me breakfast, and that was nice. Do I feel bad leaving my coworkers at a difficult work time? Yes. Do I feel happy that I left for myself and my mental well-being? Yes. 

While I do not think that it was time for me to jump head-on into this, sometimes the world gives you the signs and you just gotta follow em. 

So tell me, when did you decide to go headfirst into the self-employed deep end of the pool?

[SVLFever]

Good for you Josh!!!   if you were waking up every day dreading to go to work, you definitely did the right thing.  If your business is causing you to wake up and be looking forward to the day, you definitely did the right thing.   If that's the case, you will be 100% fine, as you will just make it work.

I made the leap when my partners offered to sell me the business in 2010.  I knew I was signing my life away, but never had doubt that I wouldn't succeed.  It's was I love to do, and get up every day looking forward to what my work day will bring.   It's part of the reason I like to beta test actually...but I digress.

I made a further leap in 2019 to take out a 4.5 million dolllar loan to expand, and it's paying huge dividends.  I haven't looked  back.

Good luck and we are all here for you and wish you great success!

[Minion]

Big ol' congrats!  Yeah leaving some of the co workers may make you feel bad for a day or two, but after its all said and done it's your business, your sanity, your life.  Doing what's best for you is the main thing here.  

Although it may not seem like it's the right time, just from your reading your post it sounds like it was the perfect timing.  

I sort of did the same thing, but never did much planning, or banking money prior which hurt for the first couple years  I was just tired of picking up the slack of everyone else and then just getting a pat on the back day in and day out.  I work harder, and more hours than I did working any job, but I also don't dread going to work everyday.  I don't treat the days of the week the same either, it's not a "Monday, or a Friday" its just another day to learn or improve something. 

[MudFire_Dex]

My partner and I went from being on unemployment to opening our own business in 2008 (terrible market timing and perhaps an insane choice but at the time working for someone else wasn't working either....business economics and customer sentiment were bad but I got a lot of good deals on equipment and furnishings). We struggled through to 2014 not making much in income and the business wasn't ready to sustain payroll for us nor our 2 other employees. In 2013 we were offered a path out - to purchase our current studio and let the supply business go. I took on a $300K hotel commission making artwork while running the new business that left me sleeping on an air mattress and walking around like a zombie for 2 years but I got us out of the 1st business closure debt - and into the new business where we've been able to make payroll for ourselves and now 21 employees. We are on year 13 now and feeling great - we've got minor expansion plans this fall.