Dreaming of leaving rat race

[Countrymumoftwo]

Has anyone left a well paid job to start up a business of their own whilst still managing mortgage, bills etc etc?
Feeling so so fed up of the rat race being in a job that brings no joy or purpose. Hating the every day rush, commute, stress and constant tiredness. Feeling like I haven't got energy for the kids or my husband. I just want to be more present, happy, relaxed and able to genuinely give them my time, cook good meals for them and stop telling them 'later' and never doing it.
Don't get me wrong I understand that having a business of your own brings plenty of stress and hard work, but do you feel it's more worth your time and energy? Or am I being selfish for wanting that, am I better sticking with the job I have and being more 'secure' for the family. I know the world has changed and mums are expected to go to work as much as dads now and I have an absolute diamond of a husband who does so so much, but again that brings on the guilt of I'm not doing enough at home.
Has anyone else made the leap to be self employed and found it works?
The other issue is I don't know what I'd actually do! I don't have any specific skills but we do have a little bit of land. Obviously there are start up costs and I don't have any savings. I think I'm just dreaming..

Sorry OP no advice but following as I feel exactly the same!!

Ah came here hoping for lots of replies and inspiration as I feel the same. Could you set up a dog sitting business with your land? I think the insurance costs are quite high though and you do need to be willing not to go on hol at peak times as that's when you'd be most in demand.

There are plenty of options between the "rat race" (whatever type of job that is, I'm assuming something corporate) and running your own business. I work in the public sector, my job has plenty of purpose and I know what I do is helping people. Work out what values are most important to you and look for a job that aligns better with them.

I have! But I’ve only been doing it since the end of September when I finished working my notice period 🤣 I’m an architect with 2 young children and I’ve set up my own practice.

It’s been pretty great so far, for October I will invoice for just under what I took home as a part time employee which isn’t bad for my first month. Life has just felt much less chaotic, the washing is done, the house is more ordered, I have more emotional energy to support the children, I’ve potty trained my youngest. AND I’m maintaining my professional skills and establishing something for myself on my own terms. Seems pretty win win tbh.

I should add that financially we can just about afford to eat and pay the household bills on just my husbands salary which does take the pressure off a bit, my eldest starting school and the 30 free hours coming in has really helped to make this possible. Our childcare bill is thousands less than it was a year ago.

I did, and didn't regret it. I went 50pc part time whilst setting up. Enjoyed running my business (but I had to retrain for it, and it definitely didn't earn as much as my corporate job). After we had DC I went back to the corporate job but 50pc part time in a much smaller company and actually enjoy it now.

I think if I had thought of moving to a smaller company and going part time I probably wouldn't have retrained and perhaps would have been further along in my career. So what a PP said about there being options between the rat race and own business is worth considering.

I did work in the public sector for a while but found it soul destroying for various reasons and much preferred the private sector.

How much land and where in the country? You could use the land which would need fencing for secure dog walking.Bee keeping ,growing veg,flower growing.I know someone who does well at that but it will only bring in a small amount compared to a full time job but it could be extra to help pay bills whilst you continue thinking of a new way of life.Many people move to a cheaper area and start again but it involves the whole family.

The problem is always the same
We need money to live :(

I did this five years ago - jacked in a management role to open my own dog walking business - safe to say it was the best decision I could have made and I’ve genuinely never been happier.

I did it 10 years ago and left a very high flying corporate job to set up my own shop. I absolutely adore my business but it is all consuming. I have taken a big step back since having kids which in many ways is amazing. I get to spend so much time with the kids whilst they are small and to me that’s priceless. But the flip side is that I have to pay staff to work for me instead, and that eats all my profit. Real talk, if it weren’t for my husband, the bills wouldn’t get paid right now. But my kids are still preschoolers so if yours are older, it might be easier. I also feel like I am never out of work mode. I’m constantly dealing with emails and have guilt that I’m either not parenting properly or not managing work properly! My husband gets to switch off once home from work & the kids are in bed, but that’s then my time to work on my website / emails / accounts etc so I do feel constantly stretched. But as cliché as the saying is, if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life. I no longer have the Sunday night fear and absolutely love going into work. But the financial worries do keep me up at night sometimes so make sure you have a good business plan in place and a way to meet the bills whilst getting started. Good luck!

I did, it isn't for the faint hearted, I have known of people doing this, ended up in employment as it didn't work. If you have good savings and a good business plan go for it. It's been good and bad for me, consistent trying to making thousands a month profit can get exhausting and you can feel like its 24/7. You are responsible for everything and tax as well to keep in mind.

I know exactly how you feel.

I moved out of London 3 years ago for a cheaper area in the South East (Kent coast) and I finally left the London-based office job I hated (toxic and chaotic) about a month ago.

I have freelanced for a while alongside office jobs and now I am only freelancing and hoping I can continue to work for myself. I do digital marketing, web design, social media management and copywriting. I also to take on project management and virtual assistant gigs. I work from home most of the time.

I am finally able to sleep well and my stress has decreased. My previous job was literally making me sick.

If you have land you could try a dog and cat boarding business.

I felt the same OP. I don't have loads of skills or any resources though so instead of leaving I went part time. I'm lucky in that I did apply for this role back when it was in office because I liked the company, and now we are WFH.

So my answer would be, can you compromise, even temporarily, with a role more suited to your home life? It would bring you happiness in the meantime and give you more time to consider options for going self employed.

I retrained in a field that had been a lifelong hobby for me and, one year into the course started my own business. I absolutely loved it and did it until I retired. Money was tighter but the rewards outweighed that.

I joined The Society of Alternative Entrepreneurs which has helped identify my talents and learn about funding and I recently launched a community focused business. It is hard work and you do need to expect financial changes but it is hugely rewarding and I know feel more secure not less.