To want to pack in the business and do something else?

[WhiteWingedDove]

So a quick rundown:
I started freelance graphic designing around 6 years ago and it grew so quickly I started a fully fledged business (with my sister as a business partner and a couple of employees and freelancers).

The money is good, the sense of achievement is good, but the stress is off the chart. I get that it's part of the territory of owning a business but it's caused difficulties with my sister (who is ridiculously lazy) and I've been getting more and more physically unwell from it.

I've been looking into coding recently as it's something I've dabbled with in the past. I desperately want to pack in the business, go back to doing my freelance graphic design stuff (which pays the bills), and learning coding as another side thing. Of course it means starting from scratch effectively and being on a lot less money but I just can't face much longer in the office 12-15 hours a day, carrying my sister, and dealing with constant stress even on my days off or holidays.

AIBU to pack it all in? I feel like all the people who say "wow look what you've achieved" will roll their eyes at me giving up (especially the MiL), but I also want a better quality of life and health!

life is too short....who cares what other people think...if the negatives are outweighing the positives, i would start reconsidering the situation...are you able to sell your share of the business? are you able to employ someone else to take up some of the burden? (i say that as it sounds like you "packing it in" would cause some friction between you and your sister)

in short, yanbu to consider doing something that could benefit you...

I agree, life is too short.

I trained in a profession and found that I hated the stress of the job once I qualified. After some major agonising - people will say what a waste of a qualification and all that studying! - I quit after a year to retrain and now I LOVE my new job. Really really love it.

Do it.

What is the point in living a life that you don't like when you can change that? What are we here for?

Pack it in. You're only going to get more and more unhappy. Your relationship with your sister will continue to deteriorate and your health will go with it.

Do it soon, don't dwell on it. You've got skills to tide you over whilst retraining and it sounds like you have a plan, so have faith in it.

I seems to me that you on the verge of making a positive change to your life.
Do it. And good luck!

YANBU. One of the challenges of owning a business is knowing when to quit (for whatever reason). Good luck!

Sell it to your sister and let her carry the stress...

There is nothing to stop you restructuring. Cherry pick your favourite type of service and just focus on that on your own. 😀