In last month’s Ask Nicole, I shared some quick advice in getting started in consulting. This month, I’m touching on a topic I saw in response to what I shared and more broadly.

One of the main reasons why people want to get into consulting (or to be self employed in general), is to have more freedom over their day. It was one of my reasons. Typically, this is in response to something we’re experiencing in our current employment. Namely, toxic work environments, micromanagement, lack of opportunities for career advancement (or having no desire to advance within the organization), unnecessary meetings, unrealistic expectations from management, inadequate pay and benefits, and not doing the work we really want to do.

While I did experience the above in varying degrees, not doing the work I really wanted to do was the ultimate reason why I started a consulting business. I’ve mentioned here and there over the years the outcome of me leaving my 9-to-5, but never went into detail about the process of working for someone while building a business.

In short:

It’s hard building a business while working a 9-to-5.

“Then just leave”, you’re thinking. While some do quit their jobs to begin a business, most people start their business while still at their 9-to-5 and their reasons vary:

• Wanting to save enough money
• Leaving can impact quality of life
• The decision to leave can impact others (spouse, children, other dependents, etc.)
• Not being mentally prepared to leave
• Needing more time to confirm your proof of concept that what they want to sell is actually something people will buy
• The desire to build a business while having a steady paycheck
• Having a business and a 9-to-5 provides structure

The last two, still wanting my biweekly paycheck and my 9-to-5 providing structure, were my main reasons for remaining at my 9-to-5 for nearly 3 years while building my business.

In retrospect, I didn’t realize at the time how much my 9-to-5 gave me the structure I needed to build my business. Here’s a gist of how my time looked:

• 6 am: Wake up
• 6 am – 7:30: Business work
• 7:30 – 8:30: Get ready for 9-to-5
• 8:30 – 9:00: Travel to 9-to-5
• 9:00 – 12:00pm: 9-to-5 work (seeing clients, meetings, etc.)
• 12:00 – 1:00: Doing business work during lunch break
• 1:00 – 5:00: 9-to-5 work (while also sneaking in some business work)
• After 5:00: Maybe go to the gym, but sometimes go directly home. If I went to the gym, I would make it home by 7:00
• 7:00 – 11:30: Dinner, business work, shower and get ready for the next day

Because my time was so segmented, I had to know exactly what I was doing with my time, and what I needed to prioritize, and how much time I had to do it.

Whether your goal is to go full time into your business or have some extra income on the side, your business and your 9-to-5 will have to find a way to peacefully coexist for a while. Here are some takeaways from my process for you to consider as you build your consulting business while working at your 9-to-5: