A long time ago when I first quit a good job to start out on my own, a very good friend of mine was shocked.
“You have a family and a mortgage,” he said. That was true. He was amazed at the idea of quitting a job to start out on one’s own. “How can you deal with the risk?”
“It’s not that different,” I answered. “Even in your job, with your salary, you are only as safe as the numbers you bring in.” We were both vice presidents in a market research and planning consulting company. We both ran our groups. “If your numbers turn sour, so does your job.”
The owners couldn’t help that, really, even though it was a small company. You can’t make payroll if you don’t have the revenue.
Things worked out for me, but it’s still a serious question. And to make that more interesting, there’s a new website that measures your job security in that existing day job. Interesting idea, no?
Here’s the link: Job Security Score. Predicts consumer’s income and credit risk
Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and Bplans.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timberry.
