Quitting my job

[FarmerChick]

I'm not sure that this very moment is the one to start a business anyway-

******Enjoy the Ride is right on this one definitely. Times are only getting worse and people are tightening their belts harder now.

I worked my regular job and farmed. I would work Mon-Fri...doing all chores when I got home, in the fields, harvesting, making soaps and such----pack what I could Friday night and be at the market early, early Sat. morning. Sunday meant housework more or less..LOL----I worked like a dog definitely. But I built my customer base and did that for about 10 years...the last 3 now I got to quit cause of Nicole.

One thing too.....quitting a good job now is not what most people would do. If you needed badly, could you get another in the situation you are in now? Sometimes it stinks but sitting tight is a good thing....but I sure hear ya on "do what ya love" for work!!

 

[patandchickens]

Thanks for the suggestions! My dh & I have been saving a lot. We still owe on our house & my student loans. I've been really used to stable incomes, and the thought of dumping one of them to do something less predictable makes me nervous. But sometimes you've just gotta take a chance to find what makes you happy.

If you have enough saved up to live without your salary (like *completely* without, even if there turns out to be no farm income at the time) for like five years or so, then it may be a reasonable chance.

Unfortunately that's probably a reasonable time period (and even after that it is a very chancy business)... I do not think there are many people getting INTO farming and at least breaking even at it, these days, unless a) they have considerable farming-type experience already AND b) they are very shrewd, hardworking, connection-making businesspeople who are entirely willing to tailor what they do to what the market wants. Also a lot depends on whether you happen to be in a geographic location where there is a viable niche open (and where the niche does not inconveniently wink out of existance after you've committed yourself).

The people I've met who *are* making a living off relatively newly started small farms seem to spend at least as much time and energy doing non farming things (telephoning, meetings, sales pitches, driving all around, sitting at farmers markets several days a week, etc) as "working the soil".

What about trying to do something from where you are now, without quitting your day job, for a while and see how it goes. I know that is a lot of work but it is comparable to the amount of work you'd be doing 'farming' anyhow -- THAT sure ain't a 40 hr week - and might give you more of a sense of what you'd want to do, without the risk of quitting a job that you might not easily be able to get back if you changed your mind.

Just a thought, best of luck with whatever you decide,

Pat

 

[curly_kate]

Yeah, I'm definitely a little tentative about making any big changes right now. What I've done to myself is, given my self a day job, night job, and weekend job. In addition to my day job, I've started a teeny little nonprofit which provides after school activities for girls. So my M-F is pretty freaking busy right now, and my weekends are spent in the garden. So I really can't do anything more at this point. I think my extreme business is part of what's making me long for something simpler. Ideally, I'd quit the day job, find a way to get paid for the night job, and THEN have plenty of time for growing. But that's a little pie-in-the-sky at this point. :/

 

[enjoy the ride]

I think it is great to plan for what you want- it doesn't seem so far fetched to me.

 

[Beekissed]

I think it is great to plan for what you want- it doesn't seem so far fetched to me.

Same here! I don't know why the caution when you have an additional income from hubby. I have raised 3 sons on my measly income all these years and we are still here, still going, no disaster of insurmountable proportions have befallen us.

I say, pare down the debt, learn to live frugally on one income to get where you want to be. Why continue a work life that makes you feel unfulfilled? If I had the luxury of a second income, I would have quit my day job long ago and developed a business here at my house. Some businesses don't take a large amount of capital and can still become profitable, with a slow build. There are many women out there supplementing their husband's income with small businesses like you describe. I would, if I had a main breadwinner besides myself!

Think of the savings involved with gas for work, clothing for work, various impulse buys when you are away from home, cheaper insurance on a vehicle not used for work, not to mention the wear and tear on your vehicle with the every day work, one can spend more time serving better, less costly food when they are home to prepare the meals. There are all kinds of things to consider for the pro side of this argument....not to mention a happier wife makes for a happier family, happier home.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I am wondering do you have the land already? If so then I would first explore what it is you really want to do with that land. And then get educated with as much info as possible before you decide to start. Read, talk to people who are already doing it. Maybe buy all the equipment you are going to need ahead of time too. And as Beekissed said in the meantime learn to live on only one income. While paying down your debt with your income only. Maybe that way you could get your loans paid off, before quitting your job. One thing to remember even though people are paring back & tightening their spending they still ahve to eat & drink to survive. So food will still be needed. Good luck in your decision.

 

[cjparker]

I haven't had a "real job" in eight years, but I've earned a reasonable income by being an independent contractor in merchandising and in customer service evaluations. The beauty of my work is that I am not tied down to a set schedule or to taking on work that I don't want to do. With merchandising, I could be doing anything from putting stickers on merchandise, to replacing signs at office supply stores, to rearranging make-up displays at a drug store, to verifying that appliances and tvs are on display at a big box store......or any of dozens of other tasks. I contract with a handful of companies. I usually have at least a week in which to complete my tasks, and report online. It varies from company to company. For more information, you could check at

www.narms.com

They show a fee for taking their tests, but the tests are NOT necessary to register or to find work.

For the customer service evaluations, you could learn something about that here:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/139554/yes_legit_mystery_shopping_exists.html?cat=31

I also have done some demo work....you know, the ladies who set up tables in WalMart or wherever and show you the new hand lotion or cake mix?

These are all great jobs for those, like ME, who can't or don't want to commit to the typical 40 hour work week.

Just something to consider.

 

[RTRChick]

My parents farmed while I was growing up. It was a lot of fun looking back. We had steaks whenever we wanted.

Just being realistic here... I think the only time the farm made a profit was when they started renting out the land to my aunt. My parents put a lot of work into their farm, and gave up many things. They both also worked full time jobs because the farm didnt provide a reliable income.

I think it's great to have as a hobby... but realistically... I just don't see how you can make a living.. maybe i just need to spend more time here and be enlightened.

 

[Beekissed]

My parents farmed while I was growing up. It was a lot of fun looking back. We had steaks whenever we wanted.

Just being realistic here... I think the only time the farm made a profit was when they started renting out the land to my aunt. My parents put a lot of work into their farm, and gave up many things. They both also worked full time jobs because the farm didnt provide a reliable income.

I think it's great to have as a hobby... but realistically... I just don't see how you can make a living.. maybe i just need to spend more time here and be enlightened.

Tell that to Joel Salatin!

 

[miss_thenorth]

The only people I know who make money farming are the ones with reallllllly big farms. Hubby's uncle has over 2000 acres, does soybeans and wheat. My uncle had a huge pig farm, he did ok. My cousin has a greehouse operation doing cukes--he makes money. thones with only a few hundred acres, have to have other jobs to make ends meet.