Business Opportunities Weblog

June 13, 2007 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Orlando Sentinel:

Once upon a time, Jennifer Sloane used to come home after a hard day at her Winter Park law practice and relax.

Then she became an entrepreneur.

Now, after a typical workday, Sloane finds herself in front of her home computer, either working on her startup company or catching up on legal work that got put off because of her business.

“I think I have the stamina to keep it up,” said Sloane, who invented and sells Privacy Strips, small adhesive tabs that close gaps between the buttons in women’s blouses. She added with a laugh: “It will be that way till I pay off my law loan.”

Like Sloane, many entrepreneurs are moonlighters who start a business in the off hours from a paying job.

Nearly one in three self-employed entrepreneurs — 32 percent — holds down a second job, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

For entrepreneurs, trying to squeeze in time to run a startup around another job is difficult — but smart, said Jerry Ross, director of the Disney/SBA National Entrepreneur Center in downtown Orlando.

“I usually tell them, ‘Don’t quit your job until it costs you money to go there,’ ” he said. “It’s all about income. If it [the business] is not making profit, it’s a hobby.”

To minimize the stress, Ross suggests entrepreneurs choose a paying job with flexible or off hours — or pick a startup concept that can be worked on during evenings and weekends.

Photo by Privacy Strips.

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Tags: Employees, Entrepreneurial Lifestyle