Recently I went to the Our Maker Life knitting and crochet event (nerdy, I know) in Toronto and while there a speaker named Stephanie from Miyuki Crochet said something that really resonated with me. I’ll paraphrase because I can’t remember her exact words, but she said something along the lines of “Why is having a 9-5 so bad?” Which got me thinking – why is having a 9-5 job, or a part-time job in general viewed so negatively in the entrepreneurship world? Why do we have this stigma that because you have a 9-5 job it means that you “fail” at being an entrepreneur? Or that your business hasn’t succeeded? I, along with her don’t think that’s the case. In case you didn’t know already – I do have a 9-5 and I wouldn’t change that at all!

3 Reasons why the 9-5 grind isn’t that bad:

You’re Financially Supporting your Dream

Working your own biz full time by yourself is hard and stressful. You are eating what you kill, and what you sell is what pays your rent, your bills and puts food on your table. We’ve all heard of the “struggling artist”, and it’s true because most small business don’t turn a profit until they are past a year in. By working a 9-5, or a part time job you can A) Take away the stress and have that steady base that pays for your basic human needs and B) You can take that money and invest it into your business to help it grow even larger. You can’t grow if you don’t have product, and you can’t make stock if you don’t have the materials, and you can’t get those materials if you don’t have money!

All Aboard the Organization Station

Working full time and juggling a small biz means you have to be very organized and be prepped. It doesn’t mean you will fail at your small business. In fact some people (like myself) thrive on it having both. If you love your calendar, day timer, deadlines and just in general being busy then it’s the perfect blend. I personally hate free time. It sounds wonderful but when I get to it I twiddle my thumbs, get that awful itch and try to fill it with something else. Note that just because you have a 9-5 and a small business doesn’t mean that you won’t have free time at all. You just have to plan it in..

Sometimes You’re a Shitty Boss

Being your boss can be great and all  but sometimes it downright sucks. It can be draining and you can come down to the hard cold fact that you could be: A shitty boss. Having someone else push you to do things can motivate you to work better and faster. Ever worked harder in a workout class, just because you had others watching? You must have the mentality to be your own boss and crack down when it’s needed. If you suck at this you may end up waking up later and later each day, and loose half a day to a “Keeping up with Kardashians” marathon by accident. Not to mention for in future should you get larger don’t forget that if you hire? You fire.

Some people thrive with owning their own small biz full time and others don’t. Just because you have a part time job or a full 9-5 doesn’t make you any less of an entrepreneur. So next time you see someone being judgy, or get those judgy feelings, break the stigma. A 9-5 ain’t that bad!