Know how we’re always talking about why you should launch your business as a side gig, while still working your full-time job? How investing in yourself and your business while continuing to earn from your day job is a smart way to prepare for full-time entrepreneurship?
Now there’s a study that shows that businesses that are launched while the founder is employed and only later become that founder’s full-time focus are one-third less likely to fail than those that began as full-time ventures. (Click to tweet this.)
Say whhhat? You mean we’re more likely to create a business that’s sustainable and profitable if we build on the side of a day job? You mean side-hustling not only reduces risk but also increases the chance of us basking in autonomy, freedom and moolah down the road?
You bet. The study comes from the Academy of Management and is published in the August/September issue of the Academy of Management Journal, a peer-reviewed publication. I’d never heard of this group before their press release hit my inbox, but looking at their website, they have some pretty cool research and ideas on which tactics are most effective in the workplace.
What I love about this study — in addition to how it supports the build-before-you-leap approach that we talk about on this blog — is that it proves WRONG the sexed-up stereotype of the entrepreneur who takes a huge risk by quitting his day job and throwing himself into a new business. In truth, business owners who succeed often do a lot of scheming, preparation and business-building before taking that leap.
“The hybrid route [of starting your business as a side hustle while working your full-time job] to enterprise is superior in terms of business survival,” said Joseph Raffiee, a doctoral candidate who researches entrepreneurship at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and co-author of the study. “Yet, so strong is the stereotype of entrepreneurs as brave mavericks who quit their day jobs to pursue their dreams that we are only now coming to realize that there may be a better way than plunging right in.”
It’s kinda like how the startup community has glamorized investor funding, when bootstrapping is often a smarter option.
WHY is this the case? The authors of the study surmise it’s because running a side gig gives founders a chance to learn more about the business and assess its potential before going all in. It also gives you the opportunity to make mistakes while you still have a safety net, so you’re able to pick yourself back up and keep on keepin’ on, rather than losing everything at once. Finally, entrepreneurs that jump in head-first tend to be less risk-averse, the authors report, which likely affects other decisions they make for the business as well.
What do you think? If you’re thinking about starting a side gig, does this push you even more in that direction?
P.S. When you *are* ready to go all in with your business, I offer a guide on that topic: Turn Your Side Hustle Into a Full-Time Business. It details exactly how I did it, and is most useful for writers and other creatives.
I started my side gig last fall, and still have a full time job. I think it was a good idea for me to do it this way so that I slowly learned that I was capable of handling all aspects of the business – I have gotten the chance to figure them out one at a time as I have the time. If I had quit my job and started my own business immediately, I probably would have become instantly overloaded and immediately folded under the “I can do it all” pressure. Now I know that I don’t have to do it all, I just need to make progress.
This is very encouraging to hear! I recently started a side gig and this will keep me motivated to keep trying and get it off the ground. Thanks for sharing.
I learned this the hard way. I quit my job to pursue my business full time, but it took almost a year to bring in a consistent, full-time income! Although it was super difficult at times, I learned a lot about hustling. I encourage my clients to keep their day jobs until their side businesses can fully support them–no need to make things harder for yourself.
This is great! I am always telling clients to keep their main job for awhile. I’ll keep this post to share with them!
This is definitely encouraging, although I had planned to do so anyway because I have a feeling that it might take some time to find clients that will trust a newbie.