“The dream is not something you see in sleep, the
dream is the thing that doesn’t let you sleep” –
A.P.J Abdul Kalam
VENTURES AFRICA – It was 3:45pm on a sunny
afternoon. I rushed to the Bank to quickly get
some cash and jet off to a meeting on the Island.
The meeting was scheduled for 4:20pm, and a
glance at my wristwatch showed I was 50
minutes away from the venue.
“Man, I have just 2 minutes to spend in your
bank, please do make the transaction fast.” The
young man at the counter collected the slip from
me, punched some keys into his system and
softly said “ Sir, sorry you will have to wait till
4pm before I attend to you.” I insisted that he
answer me or I report him to his superior.
He moved closer and whispered, “I am tired of
this Job! I need to talk to a young man like you
who runs a successful business.”
My nerves relaxed. I gave him my call card but he
begged me to spend 10 minutes with him
because he had already made up his mind to
resign without any job offer or business
opportunities.
Unemployment in the country covers both the “I
–Have-No-Job” and the “I-Don’t-Like-My-Job.”
We have many graduates leaving home every
morning- all dressed up, only to return at night
with nothing to show for it, except more stress.
Most of them end up spending the meager salary
on transportation. The better part of their life is
either spent on 3rd mainland bridge traffic jam
(in Lagos) or at the office. Home is just a place to
take their bath and change clothes.
We no longer live in a world where the course you
study at the university dictates how successful
you are or how much you earn. I know a Doctor
who earned N15,000 monthly for one and half
years before he changed career. I also met a
Masters Degree holder working in a private
secondary school. His take home was N9,200
monthly.
The story is no longer go to school to become an
accountant, chemical engineer, doctor, lawyer or
xyz profession that will make you the talk of the
town. It is now a new world with a new way of life.
Get educated, Get smart and rule your world. I
chuckled when a banker friend told me last year
that there are 2 types of staff in the bank; the
Bankers and the Bank Workers- 85% are bank
workers.
Though we call it 9am – 5pm active day at work,
it is more than that! I call it 5am – 9pm. Workers
sometimes spend more time on the road and the
office than they do at home. The thought of
many, like the young man that stopped me at the
bank is that they need to start their own
business. Resign from this headache-giving job
and start something they can call their own.
Wake up anytime, Go golfing with their partner,
send the kids on vacation and call the accountant
to pay some tangible millions into their account.
Yes, it is possible . . . . But the truth is if you want
an initial freedom, being an employee is better
than starting your own business because you will
never do 9 -5 on your business. Business owners
spend every minute thinking and working on
their project. No weekends, No Xmas, No Easter.
Every day is a working day.
So before you resign from that job to start your
own business, you must know that
entrepreneurship is not for the faint
hearted . . . . . it could be more demanding than
the job you hate with so much passion.
Even if you are not truthful to everybody, it will
help you a lot if you can tell yourself the truth. Do
you think you have the courage to push your own
business? Many left their jobs, ventured into
business, failed and rushed back to the labour
market.
Before you turn in that resignation letter to
escape the 9 -5 syndromes, sit back and
answer these questions:
1.Why do I want to start my own business? Is it
because I hate the stipend I get from my
employer or I had this plan of being on my own a
long time ago?
2. Is my office environment; boss, co-workers,
infrastructure pushing me away?
3.Can I combine my 9 -5 with my business
tentatively?
4. Am I gaining any experience from this paid
job?
5. Will I miss anything if I resign now?
6. How much do I know about the business I
want to start?
7. How do I cope if I fail to breakeven in 2 years?
(Backup Plans)
8. Do I have a little money set aside that can take
care of me for 3 months?
9. Am I really ready for a change?
Resigning from a paid job to start a business is
not as easy as we think. Talking someone into it is
even more difficult. The best advice is to sit down
and talk to your mind. Whatever decision you
make now determines where you will be in
future. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing
gained!


You can also drop ur comments here
www.ventures-africa.com/entrepreneurs/2012/diary-of-an-under-30-ceo-escaping-the-9-5-syndrome/2022

very well said, initially when i started, i just glance thru but when i got to the bottom something caught my attention and i decided to start from the very beginning, a very good post and a reality about the facts of life.

I must confess this is the most decisive post I have come across in this tread.

Starting a business while more promising than a normal 9 - 5 job can be more frustrating than working for a downsizing company!

Before I came this far, I learnt businesses but never made a reasonable penny till after 3 YEARS! It took me that long to PRACTICALLY "Crack The Code".

So, you need to have a preset mindset and FOCUSED determination to succeed.

Most time you may not need to outrightly leave your 9 - 5 JOB before putting up something for your self.

See how you can start your own company before quitting your 9 -5 JOB.

http://sceptrebusinessmagazine.com/blog/5-easy-and-proven-ways-to-start-a-company-without-quitting-your-day-job/