Posted by u/night_freelancer_92
When is it safe to quit my W-2 for the side business?
Answered by Ask a Shop Owner ·
Side gig is doing $6k/mo. Day job pays $85k. Wife is nervous. What is the number?
u/askashopowner Owner-operator advisor
Top answer
Three conditions, all three: side business net (not gross) covers your full personal burn for six straight months, you have six months of personal expenses in cash separate from the business, and you have a signed pipeline that covers the next 90 days of revenue.
Six thousand gross a month is not close. Net after tax and expenses is probably $3.5k. That is a paycut, not a business. Grow it to $12k to $15k gross while employed, then jump.
The other option: negotiate to 4 days at the W-2 and use Friday for the business. Bosses say yes more often than you think, especially if you frame it as staying long-term at 80%.
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