Leaving office work

[Pirate Sarah]

Hi all!

I am currently a part time nail tech. I work in an office during the day which I dont really like. Its only temporary, until xmas but I am worried that I will go for another office job instead of being a full time nail tech as its the safe option. :irked:

I have thought about carrying on temping part time whilst I build up my client base but I can't see that working. I feel I would have to give it all my time and effort.

Are any of you in this situation? do you have any plans? or have you been through this and have any advice you can give?

Thanks babes xxxxxxx :green:

 

[jebelote]

Sarah,

Hope you get this worked out. I too am in an office job looking to get out. I got my cosmetology license years back and went to work just out of school in this salon. Had a very bad experience with the owner and left for the office job when it was offered. It was a sure thing and I took it. Within weeks the salon closed the doors and she never paid anyone, cept me. Anyway I really want to get back into it and mostly the nails.

Good luck to you!
Jackie

 

[Katmoz33]

im in a similar situation im in a job i hate but scared to leave and do nails full time?>! i have being doing nails for about 2 1/2 years now and im almost set up its just having the bottle to do it...i feel im almost there and im just hoping when the time is right i will just go and get on with it!
whats the alternative? stay in a job i hate? the more i think of it and the as im getting busy er as time goes on i think i will be out of there by xmas at the very latest!
my advice to you is go for it?! you can always go get another boring 9-5 job in an office or like me in a sweatshop lol
hope this helps you?! it kind of helps me i just need to take my own advice eeeeek sooooo freakin scary lol :green:

 

[Urban Geek]

I was in that situation a year ago. I worked part-time in the City whilst building a client base and tweaking my skills. I took the plung at the end of last year into nails full-time and doin't regret it one bit. Good luck!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I was in a job I hated and handed my notice in without a job to go to it was that bad. I'd wake up feeling sick to the pit of my stomach, round my mum's in floods of tears and so on. I just took a step back and thought that life is too short. So I decided to look for a complete career changing taking me back to my artistic roots and getting out of the rat race. I fell upon being a nail tech by chance.

I went from mega salary (£35 -£50K pa depending on my commission, and all the benefits) to a pittance. I paid more in tax in my old job than I took home as a nail tech.

It's been a struggle, but the bills always get paid somehow (I'm a single mum). I wouldn't go back for the world. I love my job! I managed to wangle 5 days off this week, but I've still taken on 2 appointments because it doesn't feel like work. I can't pay £500 for a jacket like I used to, but so what? Why would I even need a jacket now?!!

BUT being a self employed nail tech isn't just about the nails! You have to have a certain amount of business acumen too.

 

[bombini]

I would proably stay in the safe option but look for another part time job that you will enjoy doing.

I am self employed and it can be very boring & lonely sometimes when you have a week with very few clients - not to mention lack of income !
How many hours are you doing part time ? perhaps you could find a job with better suited hours like just working mondays or mornings only etc. that might free up a bit more time ?

 

[fluffysheeps33]

i have a simular situation at the moment i have a job with a local insurance firm and also am a fully qualified nail tech i have just come back from my holidays and really cant face going back to my office job infact i am ment to be in work now ooopps lol anyway enough of my naughtieness if thats how you spell it i have to make a decision if i am gonna go back to the job i hate or take the risk open my own salon (with no client base) i think i know what i am gonna do though thanx just needed to get that off my chest
good luck with whatever you do though
xxx

 

[Pirate Sarah]

Thanks for all your answers! They have been a fantastic help!

Sassy your answer really put things into perspective for me, you had far more to loose than I have and a bigger risk but you still went ahead and made a sucess of yourself!

I agree that you need a good business head to be self employed. I have a lot of experience working in areas such as advertising, purchasing, accounts etc.. I guess working in an office was good for something!

I think if I do work part time I will get a job in a shop or something similar as if I go into an office I might get pulled back into it. :-S

I will save this thread so when I leave here at xmas I can read what you've all said and feel confident in my desicion!

Cheers ducks!
xxx

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I found being solely focussed on nails as a career MADE me get up off my butt. I advertised like crazy, did leaflet dropping ( I actually did it for an estate agents and so whilst I delivered theirs I did mine too, so really I got paid for delivering my own leaflets lol!), and so on. I never turned away an appointment no matter what time of day or what day it was, I just needed the business. Now I have set working hours, but when you start you need to take it all!

Trouble is I think if you have a part time job to fall back on it doesn't make you as focussed and determined and push yourself that bit harder.

I set myself targets each month for new clients and if I didn't reach them I knew I had to try and think out of the box to get them. That said when i first went self employed there was very little competition, it's MUCH harder now. I've thought about getting a part time job too, not so much for the salary, but for the company. Working from home or mobile can be a very solitary existence. I really miss my work colleagues. That's why i come on here so much, let's me know the outside world is still there!!!!!!

(ps forgot to say that I didn't go straight as self employed. I worked in a nail bar for a year and I started on £3.70 an hour which was the minimum wage then!)