Comments on: Is starting a business impossible when you are the sole income earner in your family?

By: Harry

Harry — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:09:54 +0000

I think having a plan b and c as you mentioned is very important. You have to have something to fall back on. I found some supporting info http://ddlfrog.com

By: Work Yourself Up!

Work Yourself Up! — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 22:42:16 +0000

Can a Guy with a Wife and Family Start a Business?

Is starting a business impossible when you’ve got a wife and kids? Escape from Cubicle Nation asks the question and has some thoughts and suggestions for people trying to do it… Agree with the advice. And I can’t speak from

By: guanhua88

guanhua88 — Fri, 04 May 2007 02:49:49 +0000

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By: Kira Wampler

Kira Wampler — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 16:04:48 +0000

Excellent post! We have been hearing from a lot of women business owners, in particular, about their fears around diving in and starting a business. Many of them may not be the sole income provider for the family, but their current income keeps the family afloat.

That’s why I love your suggestion about getting the financial house in order. We see a lot of folks who really have no idea how they are doing financially (at a personal level). Then, they start a business without doing initial planning on when cash may start coming into the business. This vicious cycle leads to a lot of business closings because the owner didn’t really know how much money the family needs to survive (and/or where to trim) and didn’t plan for when cash would really start coming into the business.

By: Seeds of Growth

Seeds of Growth — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:01:11 +0000

The Carnival of Entrepreneurship is Here!

There may be no ferris wheels, hot dogs, or rigged games, but the Carnival of Entrepreneurship is exciting for a set of entirely different reasons. Every week bloggers submit their best entrepreneurship related posts and the best of that bunch then become

By: Mark Wooten

Mark Wooten — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 02:14:04 +0000

Pam – great post! Most of this advice is applicable to other scenarios, but mush of it is specific to us single-income families.

I think your best advice is to, as much as possible, ease into it. I realize that may go against much of the “just make the leap” approach, but I would guess that the success rate for startups is much better when they were started with some part-time experience, or some ready-to-go clients/customers.

Pam – your blog continues to be a source of inspiration and solid advice. Keep it up!

By: MyMicroISV

MyMicroISV — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:49:46 +0000

Going from paycheck to startup

By Bob Walsh
There’s a school of thought out there that only people unencumbered with families and mortgages and the like should start micro-ISVs. Paul Graham is best known for this, but there’s no denying how hard it is to put down a steady payche…

By: Steve Silverman

Steve Silverman — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 15:45:47 +0000

I totally agree with Pam’s post and I would like to expand on Matthew’s point of view. I did start 2 businesses in my 20′s and although I did not turn up as a millionaire, the experience has been priceless. Now that I’m in my late 30′s with 2 kids and a wife that works part-time, my financial reality is completely different and starting a business now is a completely different ball-game.

For me, the “what” is somehow more important than the “where”, although sometimes I find myself to disagree with this statement. Once you know what you want to do with your professional life and this direction is compatible with the choices you’ve made on a personal level, then the “where” might be not relevant.

My advice to anyone who knows the “what” is to plan, to plan, to plan and to plan. Starting a business may the ultimate experience to discover your true self.

By: Matthew Scott

Matthew Scott — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 17:34:35 +0000

As Pamela mentioned in her post I moved from San Diego to Portland to start my company The Life’s Work Group.
Like Pam has mentioned many times in her guidance-I too completed a life-plan before I completed my business plan. During this time period of discernment, reflection, imagination, etc.. I was convinced that the “where” of my business was as important as the “what.” My wife and I traveled around the country with the pledge to each other that we would find the version and location of “home” as indicated in my life plan. From east coast-mid-west-to west coast we searched and discovered Portland. Besides the cost-of-living differences from San Diego to Portland-the unforeseen variable has been quality of life and how Portland has become a part of the branding image of my company.
So my guidance is find the “where?” as part of your life/work plan.

By: Topher Cyll

Topher Cyll — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 21:13:15 +0000

Can’t say I’ve ever lived in the Bay area, but I do live in Portland, Oregon. If anyone is looking to escape the prices down there, Oregon is a great place to live (and maybe starting to have a bit of a tech boom, too). Come on up!