Part time businesses

[Yellow Fang]

Has anyone tried starting their own part time company? What were your experiences? It looks like I might be getting a proper job at long last, but I am still thinking about starting a dormant or part-time company to see how it goes, or in case things go tits up.

 

[oldwheels]

Doing what? It is often a good idea to start off small if you can to test the market. Lots start off with a big splash and lots of publicity as they are good at PR but otherwise have not a clue. Last a few months before the whole thing goes tits up. There are lots of examples in the “ craft “ business.

 

[Moodyman]

Has anyone tried starting their own part time company? What were your experiences? It looks like I might be getting a proper job at long last, but I am still thinking about starting a dormant or part-time company to see how it goes, or in case things go tits up.

An office colleague ran a mobile coffee van on the weekends. He mostly did music festivals and popular local tourist spots.

Said he made decent money but gave it up as he didn't have work/life balance. He was working 7 days.

 

[Moodyman]

Another chap I worked with had a stall at a local Sunday market. He sold mobile phone accessories. This was in the early/mid noughties when changing phone fascias was de rigeur.

 

[screenman]

I train people and supply the tools to start up in windscreen repair, many of my customers only do it part time, but most are very full time.

 

[Moodyman]

A close friend is a qualified car mechanic, but now works in a white collar job.

He still does odd mechanic jobs on the evenings and weekends for friends, family and neighbours. Really enjoys the latter as he can choose if/when he takes on jobs.

 

[Slick]

Early 2000 I looked round the room to see what my likely future held and didn't particularly like what I saw. I decided to start my own thing very small whilst keeping the safety net of my original job. It was tough, I won't bore you with that but you can imagine. It quickly became apparent that there was a demand for my venture that went from strength to strength over the next 15 years. I employed a number of people, brought apprentices in to the industry and continually punched well above our weight with the many prestige contracts that we won before suffering total burnout. I'm glad I did it, but delighted I no longer have to.

 

[Drago]

A then fellow police sergeant started a small eBay business. It's now ballooned and he quit the police and drives a new AMG Merc. www.polambproducts.co.uk

You need a good idea, and the savvy to make it work.

 

[slowmotion]

I'm not sure that it's possible to run a "part time business". It creeps in and becomes "full time" really quickly.

 

[screenman]

I'm not sure that it's possible to run a "part time business". It creeps in and becomes "full time" really quickly.

Not always, many businesses fail rapidly. As I said earlier I supply plenty of part timers.

 

[PaulSB]

A then fellow police sergeant started a small eBay business. It's now ballooned and he quit the police and drives a new AMG Merc. www.polambproducts.co.uk

You need a good idea, and the savvy to make it work.

Very surprised our emergency services have to purchase this type of kit from eBay - presumably using their own cash.

I would have imagined much of this was standard issue??

 

[Levo-Lon]

Check you have all the relevant tax and" liability covered " if your going to deal with the public whatever you do.

I loved having my business but it can be so stressful when your waiting for payment,finding work ect.
Part time is ok But you will soon miss having a life..
Go for it and see,nothing worse than wishing you had in 20 years time

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I set up a nice little business after retiring and getting bored after a year or so.

It grew too big and a few years ago I throttled it back to a position where it suits me better.

As with any new business venture, large or small, you need to be 100% committed for it to flourish as well as being prepared for the amount of your life it consumes - especially within the formative stages.

As @screenman has already alluded, many small businesses fail quickly. In my experience this is either because they are under-capitalised, the rose tinted market simply doesn't exist or the owner(s) simply don't have the skillset to actually sell their product or service.

Notwithstanding this; it can be great fun and in truth I've derived more pleasure from owning this little enterprise than I found in the considerably chunkier corporate roles that I held in my 'old' life.

Good luck if you do give it a shot!

 

[MarkF]

I'm not sure that it's possible to run a "part time business". It creeps in and becomes "full time" really quickly.

Not always, many businesses fail rapidly. As I said earlier I supply plenty of part timers.

I think that a growing successful business becomes full time, without a doubt. Most businesses will have books to keep, tax to pay, vat to pay, companies house to deal with, web optimisation, accountants, selling (obtaining orders), dispatching orders, getting paid (hopefully), phone enquiries, email enquiries etc etc

I set up a PT business within a business I already ran with a partner, I had to do it myself because everybody else said it wouldn't work. I had a huge advantage in being able to use the existing business premises but the thing exploded very quickly. I made a lot of money before the idea/system/website (right down to the text) was copied by umpteen competitors (they always are) and like @Slick I was glad when it was all over.

I think just about everybody has a similarly bright idea, but hardly anybody acts on them so go for it OP.

 

[MarkF]

A then fellow police sergeant started a small eBay business. It's now ballooned and he quit the police and drives a new AMG Merc. www.polambproducts.co.uk

You need a good idea, and the savvy to make it work.

Is that a bricks and mortar stock business or (I am assuming) a "forwarding on of orders" business?