Are you a Plan Ber or Plan Beer ?

[juststarting]

My first attempt to PlanB failed miserably after I tried to kick it off while I was contracting.

At my client ,for a few days I was working on Plan B ( oh come on , less rude than CUKing from work ) but then realized you can't do both contracting and PlanB-ing at the same time (unless you are home-based). Not enough time.

So I dropped my Plan B but now being benched I am trying to work on it. (well come up with it TBH ). My experience is "I don't have enough energy/time to do more than 1 thing at a time" ( i am male human after all ).

So what is your experience ? Did you drop your Plan B ? Why? Are you re-trying ? Or maybe you managed to kick it off ?

[Cliphead]

I've been working at home so it was easy enough to work on Plan B which is now up and running. The workload for the client has been light anyway so I'm able to devote about 80% of my energies to Plan B.

Early in the new year I expect to be working full time on the new business, new premises, hiring staff all that stuff. Despite the recession we can't keep up with demand and are already looking to outsource different parts of the production process.

[VectraMan]

I had a couple of months plan B'ing over the summer, but then lack of income started to become an issue. Now I'm in a contract again I find I find myself daydreaming about how great it could be, and often "research" things related to the plan B at ClientCo, but doing the actual work has proved a lot harder. I sometimes take my laptop in and fire up Visual Studio at lunchtime, but it's not really enough time to make any real progress, so it's a couple of evenings and weekends at best.

I find on the one hand I think if I'm ever going to have my own business this is the time where I really need to get on with it, and as I don't exactly have a fantastic social life I may as well use the time for work and not lazing around in front of the TV etc. And on the other hand, I think maybe life's too short and I really should spend more time enjoying myself and not working.

I guess it depends how much you want it. Lots of people dream about having their own business; a lot fewer people are actually prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to make it happen. I do sometimes think about putting my money where my mouth is, give up the contract, and beg, borrow and steal as necessary to either make it work or go bankrupt trying. Maybe you really need the fear to drive you.

[Cliphead]

I guess it depends how much you want it. Lots of people dream about having their own business; a lot fewer people are actually prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to make it happen.

Never a truer statement.

[juststarting]

I had a couple of months plan B'ing over the summer, but then lack of income started to become an issue. Now I'm in a contract again I find I find myself daydreaming about how great it could be, and often "research" things related to the plan B at ClientCo, but doing the actual work has proved a lot harder. I sometimes take my laptop in and fire up Visual Studio at lunchtime, but it's not really enough time to make any real progress, so it's a couple of evenings and weekends at best.

I find on the one hand I think if I'm ever going to have my own business this is the time where I really need to get on with it, and as I don't exactly have a fantastic social life I may as well use the time for work and not lazing around in front of the TV etc. And on the other hand, I think maybe life's too short and I really should spend more time enjoying myself and not working.

I guess it depends how much you want it. Lots of people dream about having their own business; a lot fewer people are actually prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to make it happen. I do sometimes think about putting my money where my mouth is, give up the contract, and beg, borrow and steal as necessary to either make it work or go bankrupt trying. Maybe you really need the fear to drive you.

Some times I wish I was a woman . Because they say they can multitask ,where my brain is totally single tasking.

You are right you need to find your drive because TBH , as it is contracting now , we are ok for decent income.

I bought a book called the Toilet Paper entrepreneur. It is a motivational book but seems to be good since now I do plan to keep trying PlanBeing until the money drains out.

[PAH]

I bought a book called the Toilet Paper entrepreneur. It is a motivational book but seems to be good since now I do plan to keep trying PlanBeing until the money drains out.

I just can't take any of those books seriously since a workmate tried to brainwash me to join his Amway/NSA cults, where they make all the real money selling this tulip to mugs.

I'm sure some of them must be worth reading, I just daren't take the risk incase I get the urge to buy some cleaning products. I'm only renting, so cleaning is a waste of time.

[badger7579]

So what are peoples plan B? Just curious. To be honest this is my only plan, to continue contracting and accumulate as much cash as possible to be able to live on in retirement which will hopefully be earlier than most permies.

Contrary to other posts I have my own business (Ltd company) I'm in control of when I work although I intend to grab as much business as possible but also take time out when I need to.

I like the fact of changing clients regularly, meeting different people, experiencing different work cultures and being exposed to different business areas, which is all good for a PM.

Can I assume from the previous posts that contracting is just a means to and end for most people, ie working towards plan b?

[minestrone]

So what are peoples plan B? Just curious.

Mine is an online betting portal. It's much more than that but I don't want to tell the web about it. It is very promising.

I was benched for 5 months during the summer and never done a thing but I work on it about 5 hours a day now and for the last 4 months.

I have went out and hired someone for 2 months to finish it off and I have got someone to design the front end as well.

I just figured I would never finish it while I was working on it during the train journey and have taken the gamble ( sorry) to get it finished by paying.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

So what are peoples plan B? Just curious. To be honest this is my only plan, to continue contracting and accumulate as much cash as possible to be able to live on in retirement which will hopefully be earlier than most permies.

Contrary to other posts I have my own business (Ltd company) I'm in control of when I work although I intend to grab as much business as possible but also take time out when I need to.

I like the fact of changing clients regularly, meeting different people, experiencing different work cultures and being exposed to different business areas, which is all good for a PM.

Can I assume from the previous posts that contracting is just a means to and end for most people, ie working towards plan b?

Still trying to come up with a plan B......

[jmo21]

contractor i used to work with had 2 active plan B's, and was in the process of skilling up for his 3rd

the first 2, so he claimed, were working as a male escort, the legal kind presumably, and writing trashy romance novels.

the 3rd, he was taking helicopter flying lessons to set himself up as a private chauffeur!