You Can Have it Your Way
During this time of year, we start to think about “new paths” for our lives. It’s only natural since we are prompted to make New Year resolutions and goals. But what I find most are people trying to juggle their current obligation to a job and their desire to be financially free as an entrepreneur. I’m here to tell you: you can have both.

If you choose to.

How to Keep Your Nine to Five but Pursue Entrepreneurship
Let’s face it, most successful companies were started by people who had nine to five jobs and fostered their entrepreneurial skills at home (or in their parent’s basement or garage). We all have to start somewhere, and most importantly we all have to live and pay bills while we do it.

That’s why I want you to think of your job as a blessing. A job isn’t holding you back. It should be the fuel that will keep your dreams alive while you start to build your amazing business. If you didn’t have that paycheck coming in, you’d be out trying to raise the money you need rather than focusing on the game plan. So think of your job as a steady partner, there to help you through until you’re ready to make the transition.

Yes, a job is a time sucker. You are forced to spend at least 40 hours a week on something that isn’t your number one priority. But let’s break down the numbers and see just how much extra time you have to be an entrepreneur.

There are roughly 168 hours in a week. You spend 40 at your job, maybe you’re lucky and get 56 hours for sleep, you’re still left with 72 hours. USE IT! That’s 72 hours you can use to keep planning to build your business. Find ways to maximize your time.

Manage Your Time
Speaking of maximizing your time; take imperative action every day. With those 72 hours you have leftover in your week, you want to make sure that the time you are putting in is time that is actually making a change for your business.

Don’t waste your hours on picking color schemes for your logo or fancy pens and notepads for marketing give-a-ways. Those will be important at some point, but not right now. Focus on choosing your business structure (Garrett wrote a blog about this not too long ago), figuring out your employee needs, and all the other parts to your business that are needed to get you off the ground. Get your foundation set first and try outsourcing the rest.

You might be reading this and be thinking, “But I HATE my job, I can’t do this much longer”. If you are one of these people… I say use that hate as fuel! Use it as motivation to get your business up and running so you can leave!


When you’re annoyed that you have to wake up so early to go punch the clock, use it as fuel. When you feel the fear of your job stability, use it as fuel. Use it to push you even further toward success and creativity. I’m telling you, sometimes pressure is the thing we need to find creative solutions. So use it!

Use whatever motivation you need to drive your business venture forward, use your nine to five to push through till the end. You got this!


By Ken McElroy