Garret asks: I’m very interested making the leap to full time video production. I’m employed as an engineer but want to make video production work my primary source of income so that I can have a job that I actually like doing. I do have a family so I cannot up and quit my current full time job. So my question is how have others in my situation made the transition?

Answer: Garret- this is one of the most popular questions on the DV Show and our answers are usually the same. Every once in a while it’s nice to visit the question again because we’ve been getting lots of this type of question all this month so answering it here would benefit tons of people who asked.

First, I would not suggest quitting your job tomorrow. Sure, you feel good doing your own thing but don’t do it unless you have a positive plan of action for an easy transition.

There are many reasons why someone would want to quit their job or the situation they’re in the most popular ones are: to get back at a bad employer or bad boss, they hate the people they work with, they were passed up for a promotion, pay is low, burn out or they just want to be free from the daily grind.

Never leave a job cold turkey for any one of these reasons. Have a plan first and a clear vision of what you want to do before forging ahead or things will start falling apart:

1. Your savings will start to dwindle away – you suddenly find yourself putting out more cash than what is coming in.

2.  When the finances start to show some stress, so do family relationships.

3. Next, your self esteem starts to slip – your social life starts to fade and you no longer want to hang around people.

With all of this stress, you’re defeated and frozen with overwhelming fear and anxiety instead of running the business you dreamed about.

4. When all you’re doing is sitting around, your physical health starts to topple.

5. You then find yourself in desperation mode looking for any ol’ job that will pay the bills.

6. When you finally land that new job, you’re daydreaming about quitting and starting your own business again.

Plan ahead for a smooth transition before you start running this gerbil wheel of hopelessness.

If you’re doing video production work now and it pays you more than what you make on your current J-O-B then I would seriously speed up your planning process for an easier and quick transition. My dad always told me to NEVER quit a job until you have another job and it’s true.

Believe me, you’re in a different world when owning your own business. It takes getting some used to when a steady paycheck is not there any more. You really have to prepare for this mindset.

A few things you can do if business is good right now:

Keep your current job but work your videographer business on the side as a full time business to see how the logistics of it work out.

When I made the transition, I hired a business manager (also an aspiring young filmmaker) and let him find the jobs. When you land the jobs, hire a crew and manage this. You can still do this without leaving your full time job. When your business grows to a critical mass and you have a steady income knowing what months bring in the most money and what months don’t (which are usually July and August) you will have a better handle on the transition and you can then leave your job with a smile.

Never jump out of a window without something below to catch you.

Related Posts

1. Starting A Video Production Business With No Cash
2. Any Government Jobs For Video?
3. 10 New Years Resolutions for the Home Video Enthusiast
4. I Want To Start A Video Production Business But…
5. Poking Fun at the DTV Conversion
6. Best Computer For Video…Mac or PC?
7. Two Pros Teach You to Shoot Video in High-Def
8. Get Seen: Online Video Secrets