Building your Micro-ISV “on the side”

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Are you starting a Micro-ISV (or any business venture for that matter) in your spare time while you hold down a full-time job? Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s going to get worse before it gets better“?

Starting a business is a long-term proposition, and, if executed correctly (and with a little bit of luck), the long-term benefits are many - including perhaps financial independence, your own schedule, and ownership of your life. However, to get from where you are now (in the rat-race), to your utopia, is going to take a lot of time, energy, and focus — the kind of time, energy, and focus that most people are not willing to expend.

It’s all about priority, and context. Your priority probably looks like this:
(1) Work your Job
(2) Relax/Watch TV
(3) Go out on the Weekends
(4) Work on business

I know, I know, you THINK your priority is this:
(1) Work your Job
(2) Work on business
(3) Relax/Watch TV
(4) Go out on the Weekends

… but, it’s really the first one. Don’t agree?

Ok. Lets say you have to run to the doctor for your kids. What time segment do you “borrow” that from?

1) Your Job? Probably not.
2) Your Relaxation time? Nope - you need to relax (so your mind tells you) although you still Work before you Relax (but not build your business before you relax??).
3) Are you taking time from going out on the weekeds? Nope - you still go out (you have to have a social life-right?).

So, it comes from the time you work on your business — and therefore, that is your LAST priority. Every excuse in the world becomes the reason you have not spent time on your (your) business. Those same excuses would never hold a candle for your full-time job (the boss would never go for those excuses), but you (as the boss of your busiess) allow yourself (the employee of your business) to get away with it, time after time after time.

In my opinion, the priority SHOULD be as follows:

(1) Work on business
(2) Work your Job
(3) Go out on the Weekends
(4) Relax/Watch TV

Do you want to be successful? For every hour you give of your life to someone elses company, you should AT LEAST be giving one to your own. Therefore, working on your business should be your priority (if you want it to replace your job, that is).

Relaxation should be last — it is a benefit of meeting all of your priorities for the week. Didn’t meet them all — you lose your relaxation time.

So, how do you do it? Work on the weekends. 10 hours Saturday, 10 hours on Sunday, and 4 hours a day Monday through Friday – at least until you have replaced your full-time job with your business (but probably longer).

Nobody said it was easy to build a business. Like I said in the beginning, building your business is going to take a lot of time, energy, and focus — the kind of time, energy, and focus that most people are not willing to expend. Are you one of those people?