Trying to figure out when it's actually safe to leave my job for my business — feeling stuck and burnt out
Hi, first time posting but I kinda need some advice from people who have been there. I've been building a photography business (headshots) alongside a full-time job for about a year now. The job has gotten bad enough that it's genuinely affecting my health.
For context: I live with my parents, have a stable but unfulfilling full-time income, and very little in savings. The business hasn't made money yet. I have fixed monthly costs (studio rent plus other bits) that add up to a meaningful chunk of what I'd need to replace. On top of that, my studio space has been unbearably hot with basically no relief, poor ventilation on top of the AC unit shortage that's hit the UK this year, so I can't even safely have clients in there at the moment (this is a work in progress, i do have fans and will be purchasing / having clients in there as it gets cooler).
It's a bit of a catch-22: the job is what's meant to fund me until the business can stand on its own, but the job itself eats the time and energy I'd need to actually fix the studio issue, chase bookings, and push the business forward. So the thing that's supposed to be buying me time is also part of what's stalling the thing I'm trying to build.
I know logically that with barely any savings and little business income yet, quitting outright feels reckless, i'm not naive to that fact, (being at my parents house feels like part of the reason it would be the best time to do it). But I've been telling myself "just keep going a bit longer" for about a year now, and I'm exhausted. It's hard to tell the difference between "this genuinely needs more time" and "I'm just scared to make a decision."
Not really looking for "just push through" or "just quit." more wondering if anyone's been in a similar spot (unwell from a job, business not quite there yet) and how you actually figured out the right timing, or what helped you get unstuck when everything felt like it was happening at once.
I appreciate the time thanks everyone.