I've been working as an IT technical support for 10 years already?
Asked by pingnavarro
I find my work very routinary and I'm losing my interest anymore. I'm looking for more challenges. I'm not planning to resign and apply to other companies. What I want to do is engage into a business/businesses. I' sure that my business can equal the salary that I'm receiving right now , but I'm having my fears because being employed gives me more security in terms of medical, retirement, and other benefits that the company gives me.. If I resign, I would shoulder all these expenses. Any advise or opinions?

Best Answer:
you have asked the age old question of entrepreneurship. i recently made the jump that you are talking about and struggled with the exact same questions you had regarding security, health benefits and retirement. the question you have to ask yourself is, do you have the skills to keep your business afloat if you do it outside the umbrella of your employer? at the same time, do you have the salesmanship to woo in new clients to provide services for them? for me, the main benefit for going at it on my own was two-fold. it allowed me to set my own hours. so i often work far harder than the normal 9-5, but sometimes i can go several weeks with not much work at all. at the same time, as your own boss, if you find the right mix of clients you can make far more money than you would as a salaried employee, especially in the IT support field. I'm also just an individual so my health care costs are not nearly as expensive as the health premiums for a whole family. So bottom line is this. first do some math, calculate how much at a minimum you would need to make to keep the lights on; test the waters, see if you can tentatively find 2-3 stable clients who can pay those bills for you. then ask yourself if you have the risk profile to handle not working for a few weeks then working your tail off for several weeks. set aside about $3-$5k depending on what state you are in for initial start up costs, then go for it. best of luck to you.

You can keep your job right now and keep all the 401k, retirement benefits you would like to do until such time you may be able to earn them, like 20 years in employment and you be awarded of special separation pay. And since I think you want just some kind of diversion, if you have enough bucks to capitalize, I guess it's ok to start accepting contracts of IT or I say, set-up any business relating to internet or online games, either you construct them or accept contracts that might involve IT nowadays. Or be a network administrator and keep some clients who would like to maintain their websites.That would not be moonlighting i think, at least a part-time job that is still related to your specialization but you get to keep your own money for your services, right? Good luck
Answered by Sheepish TinTin

Submit your resume into IT specialized staffing offices and see what happens. You can't do any worse than where you are now and as far as the benefits go, do you really use them or do you just like having them? How much is in your 401K? How many times do you go to doctor's offices each year? Are you even appreciated at work? You have to ask yourself those questions and more before you make your next move!
Answered by scorpion187us

Risk equals reward. Just be ready for you and your family to take the step of moving from one job to another. Just dont let your fears of losing your "safety net" get to you. You will have to decide of moving on to your new job or adapt to your current job.
Answered by bluefox1025

Test the waters. Interview some independent contractors that have similar abilities. Contact the SBA (Small business administration). Read about small business and taxes and record keeping. Stats tell us that most small businesses fail within the first three years because the owners can't make it financially. Have enough padding (savings) to keep you for awhile. You could start part-time, if you company doesn't have rules about you moonlighting in what you do for them. Advertising and marketing are VERY important so absorb info on that too. BOL
Answered by vancouverdew