Can you start a business while working full-time? Absolutely—here’s how. If you dream of building your own business but feel stuck in a demanding 9-5, you're not alone. The good news? You don’t have to quit your job to get started. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how I launched a 6-figure business while working full-time—and how you can do it, too. You’ll learn how to choose the right business idea, make time in your busy schedule, and grow your income without risking your paycheck. Let’s dive in. 👋 Who am I? I’m Luisa Zhou — Princeton graduate, business coach, entrepreneur, and investor who’s helped 3,500+ people start and scale their businesses. This guide is based on my decade of hard-earned experience (including plenty of mistakes you won’t have to make). Read more here! Key takeaways: You already have what you need to start: You don’t need a new degree or years of experience—just the skills you already use at work. I’ll show you how to turn them into a business that people will actually pay for. Time isn’t your problem, your system is: You’ll learn how to build serious momentum using just 1 hour a day (or even 15-minute time blocks), no matter how packed your schedule is. Playing it safe can still lead to big success: This isn’t about taking wild risks. I’ll show you how to use your existing skills to create a low-cost, high-impact business that replaces your salary and gives you your time back. So, what will you learn? Get the Ultimate Guide for building a 6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom! Get the PDF Now How to start a business while working full time You can start a side business while working full time! Choose a business model that’s easy to start Set up a business legally Set aside a 1 hour every day to work on your business Budget to manage your money Set goals Build an entrepreneurial mindset Overcome your fears Don’t quit your full-time job just yet! Why a side-business is a good idea The best side-business ideas Let's start with understanding if it actually IS possible to have a business while working full time... Can you have a side business while working full-time? Look: You might wonder if it's even possible to build a business while working full-time. Let me share a quick story to show you how I did it — and you can, too. How I started my business on the side Before I started my business, I was where I had always wanted to be (or so I thought). I was managing a team and millions of dollars in business every year. I had made it with a six-figure salary and proud parents. But on the inside, I wasn’t happy. I was sick of the endless meetings, being stuck behind a computer, and not living up to my potential. Then, in a year, everyone in my family suffered life-threatening illnesses. My mom got diagnosed with cancer, my dad was rushed to the ER, and my sister nearly lost her eyesight. Not having enough vacation days to be there for them was a big "aha" moment for me. I KNEW I wanted a life where I was in charge of my own time. And a business would help me get there. But instead of quitting right away, I worked on my business on the side. My old cubicle – before I made the jump Over the next four months, I built a coaching business and made my first six figures. Then I quit my job. Can YOU start a business while working? Building a successful business while working full-time isn't up to luck or other external factors. It comes down to you. Yes, you’re busy. Yes, it feels scary. But we’re talking about a business that lets you spend more time with your family, make more money, and be happier and healthier than you are in your 9-5. All of this while helping people do something that has a huge impact on their lives. So, yes, you can do it, and it’s well worth the effort. I’ll show you how to do it next, so keep reading! Note! Starting a business while employed can come with a few obligations on your part. For example, you might have a non-compete clause in place. While the FTC has issued a non-compete ban, many countries still allow non-competes. Of course, this is not legal advice — I’m not a lawyer and wouldn’t be qualified to make those recommendations so make sure to clear things up with your employer before you start working on your business. 1. Find a business idea It all starts with finding the right business idea. People often think they need to find the Next Big Thing – but that usually requires a team, money, and a lot of time. And the business might still fail. If you’re a risk-averse person like me, you want something that will safely let you quit your job. So, what will let you build a business fast and profitably? Packaging your existing skills as an online coaching, consulting, or freelancing business. And it's something most of us can do! You see, you have all kinds of skills that can be monetized. Your job skills, things you're naturally good at, and things you've learned. You just have to find a profitable niche – in other words, you have to solve a problem that people are willing to pay for. I personally started with work skills – I helped other entrepreneurs run Facebook ads. That said, your skill doesn't have to offer a monetary result. My clients have used their skills to start businesses in niches like health, mindset, parenting, and productivity. Write down at least 10 skills you have and use this as a starting point to decide on one skill. From there, do some research! If there’s an existing service, that’s a good thing – it means there’s a market for your idea. Having an idea is one thing, but starting your business is another. I'll tell you how to set it up next, so keep reading! 2. Set up your business There are a few things to do to start your business while working. Step one: Choose between operating as a sole proprietorship or a limited liability company (LLC). A sole proprietorship is easier. There’s very little paperwork involved. But LLCs come with tax benefits and legal protection. Get the Ultimate Guide for building a 6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom! Get the PDF Now Step two: Register your business, which can be as easy as giving your business name to your local or state government. If you use your name for the business, you might not need to register at all! But keep in mind you won’t get certain protections or tax breaks. Step three: Figure out if you need a license or certification. You probably won’t, depending on your niche. But you might need a permit or home business license, so I recommend double-checking before you start offering services or products. Better safe than sorry! The key to successfully running a business while still working is knowing how to make time for it, which I'll discuss next. 3. Make time for your business By now, you know what it takes to build a business while working full-time. I won’t lie: Starting and scaling a side business while working was tough. But 34% of Americans have a side hustle and manage to do it – and you can, too. For me, it all came down to two things. 1) Focus on a few things Focus on the things that will get you results right NOW. In fact, try to do as little as possible. I focused on a few things I repeated daily to bring in clients, like posting on Facebook or doing livestreams. Your tasks depend on where your clients are. Maybe you pitch one client a day, do a livestream, or post content in social media groups. But you need to be disciplined about your tasks to get fast results. 2) Create a schedule I spent about 30 minutes to an hour on my daily tasks, plus weekends. And I always made sure I could work on them in 15-minute chunks during any “gap” time I had, like lunch breaks or after work. I was able to be so disciplined about this because I scheduled everything. In fact, I still do it to this day. If something’s in your schedule, you’ve already booked out that time. So, you don’t have to use your valuable willpower to decide if you should or shouldn’t get your tasks done. Fill your gaps when you’re most productive. For me, it was 15 minutes right before work, 15 minutes during my lunch break, and 15 minutes after work. I’ll tell you about the financial side of things in the next section. Keep reading! 4. Understand your costs There are expenses in your business, like taxes, that you need to account for and figure out before you start your business. But you'll also need to consider the costs of the business model you choose. That's why choosing a low-cost, high-profit business idea is essential when launching a business while working. That's what's so great about coaching, consulting, and freelancing. They require very little investment to set up. After all, you already have the skills you need to help your clients. And you don’t need to worry about the costs that come with other business ideas, like building a product or signing a lease for a physical space. You just need a laptop. That means you won't need a loan or funding, which significantly lowers your financial risk. Next, we’ll talk about the most important parts of starting a business while working full-time: Setting goals and developing the right mindset. 5. Set goals Goals are crucial to starting a business while working because they help you gauge your growth and offer clarity on your journey. The kind of goal you set – short-term or long-term – doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’re good goals that guide you to the result you want. Setting good goals starts with making them achievable. If your goal is too lofty, you won’t reach it. It becomes a dream instead of a goal. If you know you’re going to achieve your goal, you’re on the right track. Get the Ultimate Guide for building a 6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom! Get the PDF Now For example, you wouldn’t set a goal to make $100,000 in your first six months if you’ve never started a business while working. Instead, focus on setting attainable goals, like finding your business idea, getting a client, and earning a monthly income. Once you have your goal, work backward to figure out exactly which steps you’ll need to take. For instance, let’s say you set a goal to make your first 10 sales. How many people do you need to reach to do it? How many tasks will you need to do each day to reach them? I’ll tell you more about setting goals in this guide. 6. Work on your mindset You can have all the right strategies and tactics, but if you don't change your thoughts, you likely won't succeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he5E9c2x6po Shift #1: Embracing a beginners mindset Right now, you're starting from scratch. And you need to learn a bunch of new skills, like selling, content creation, and more. So it's essential to shift your thinking from "Why aren't people buying from me?" to "I get it. I'm earning my stripes." When I started my first coaching business, I knew I had a lot to learn about copywriting, marketing, and creating videos. I focused on learning from many people who are great at what they do in different industries. At all times, I asked myself, "How did I do this time? What else can I do?" Shift #2: Embracing failure Yes, failure sucks. But you need to get good at embracing it to succeed. A few failures shouldn’t get you thinking, “Maybe I’m not cut out to be an entrepreneur.” There are SO many things you do in your business that will fail. It’s just part of the process. Ask yourself what you can learn from those failures instead of wallowing or giving up. Shift #3: Getting comfortable with selling There’s nothing scammy about selling. It’s about exchanging value. You offer something in exchange for money. And trust me – if your clients want it, they’ll buy it! If not, it wasn’t for them. They can make their own decisions. 7. Overcome your fear of starting a business You might feel you have nothing to offer or are afraid of what people will say if you put yourself out there. Look: It’s scary to start a business. In fact, it’s probably one of the most challenging things you’ll ever do in your life. You can go on to read hundreds of blog posts on this topic, but I guarantee that it won’t cure your fear. What will help you get over it is to get started. The sooner you start, the sooner you get to a point where you can finally quit your job. Here’s the thing: You will “fail” in one way or another. You might “fail” at finding the right business idea the first time. Or you might get rejected. Or you could be so afraid of putting yourself out there that it takes months to get started. Trust me, putting yourself out there for the first time will feel like the scariest thing you've ever done. Even today, I get rejected like this podcast pitch (and at this point, I’ve been featured on sites like Forbes and Business Insider and my business makes multiple 7-figures). It’s just part of being an entrepreneur and putting yourself out there. But you'll never succeed if you don't overcome those first failures. So, address your fear by expecting to fail. If you want more, I show you how to overcome your fear in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APPs7dnX-i0 When to quit your full-time job Look: I know you’re itching to quit your job. I remember telling myself every week, “Next week, I’ll turn in my notice.” But whatever you do, don’t quit your job right away. You shouldn't leave your job before you know for sure that your business will continue paying your bills once you don't have a steady salary coming in. In fact, I recommend not quitting until you’ve doubled your take-home salary. Why double? Because you have other expenses in your business, like taxes, that you need to account for. If you focus on a few tasks every day, this isn’t a process that will take years. That’s the beauty of a coaching and consulting business — you only need a handful of clients. Here’s the key to scaling a business while working: Be good at your job and your business. Remember when I mentioned splitting your business tasks into 15-minute chunks? Instead of multitasking, it allows you to compartmentalize your life: You have your business time and your work time. They don't overlap. This also means you need to spend your free time more wisely. You can't spend weekends watching TV or hanging out with friends -- you have to focus on learning and working with clients. Trust me, it was worth it to not have to worry about my bills once I did quit my job. I recommend not quitting your job until you have at least one of the “321 rules” under your belt: 3: You have at least three months' worth of consistent business sales 2: You’ve saved at least double your current salary to cover the benefits you’ll lose and any unexpected expenses 1: Have a safety net of at least one year’s living expenses Following the 321 rule will better prepare you for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. And yes, there are ups and downs – but there are tons of benefits to starting a business while working. I’ll tell you about them next, so keep reading! Get the Ultimate Guide for building a 6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom! Get the PDF Now Benefits of starting a business while working There are plenty of perks to starting a business while working: A guaranteed income: You'll still have a steady income from your full-time job, so there's not much financial risk involved. Any extra cash can be used to invest in your business! You still have benefits: A full-time job offers valuable perks like paid time off, healthcare, and retirement planning. You’ll have to pay for those out of pocket when you quit your job. You can test your idea and adjust it when necessary: Starting a business while working offers the flexibility to test and refine your business idea without the pressure to succeed instantly. On that note… You can take more risks: You can take more risks to figure out what works for your business while working because you still have a steady income. You have less time: When you start a business while working, you learn to prioritize tasks and maximize efficiency. Networking opportunities: Your colleagues could offer valuable insights and potentially become future customers! Ultimately, you'll have a safe and risk-free way of escaping your 9-5...without having to stress about finances or getting your business to work. So, what are the best business ideas if you want to start your own business while working? You’ll find out in the next section! The best business ideas The best part about all of this? People in all types of industries can start a business while working in dozens of different niches! Just ask my clients, many of whom have gone from employee to entrepreneur fast. Let’s take a look at a few. Health coach Health coaches use their own experience to help others reach their health and wellness goals. And it’s not just about weight loss. There are dozens of health coaching niches, including nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep. For example, my client David helps people lose weight using herbs. Relationship coach Yes, relationship coaches help their clients with relationship issues. But it’s not all about romantic love. For example, they also help improve existing relationships among family members or even co-parents. My client Ruby worked for companies like eHarmony for years. Today, she's a relationship coach who helps ambitious men find love. Career coach As a career coach, you help clients reach their career goals. Those goals can be anything, including getting a new job, earning a promotion, or seeing better results in their current job. The best part? You can work with people in any career stage. For instance, my client Anna is a career and leadership coach who works exclusively with women who want to further their careers. Consultant Consultants do more than offer guidance to big companies. You can help people reach all sorts of goals. Consultant niches include healthcare, legal, education, and financial. For example, my student Anna helps students get into the college of their dreams. For more ideas, I share the best “after-work” ideas here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5iFhg0cF_8&t FAQs about starting a business while working full time Can I legally start a business while employed? Yes, in most cases you can legally start a side business while working a full-time job. However, you should always check your employment contract first. Look for non-compete clauses or intellectual property agreements that might limit the type of business you can start or when you can work on it. As long as there’s no conflict of interest, launching a business on the side is completely legal. Can I use my work laptop or company time for my business? No, you should not use your employer’s equipment, time, or resources to run your business. Doing so could violate your employment agreement or even result in termination. To protect yourself legally and ethically, use your own devices and work on your business outside of paid work hours. How much time do I need to build a 6-figure business? Many entrepreneurs start their 6-figure business with just 1 hour a day. In fact, some begin with as little as 30 minutes per day and grow from there. The key is consistency and focusing on high-impact tasks that move your business forward. Over time, as your income grows, you can increase the time you invest in your business. When should I quit my job to go full-time? A good rule of thumb is to wait until your business brings in at least 3 months of consistent income. Ideally, you should also have a financial cushion with two months salary saved and one year of expenses planned out. This gives you the financial and mental stability to grow your business without panic. What are the fastest ways to grow my side business? Focus on revenue-generating activities first—like marketing, client outreach, and validating your offer. The fastest way to grow is to test your idea quickly, start selling as soon as possible, and reinvest profits into systems that save time (like automation or outsourcing). Choose a business model with low overhead and fast feedback, such as coaching or consulting. 🚀 Want to learn EXACTLY how I grew a six-figure business in just 4 months – from home? Get my step-by-step case study here! YOU can start a 6-figure business and quit your job As you’ve seen, it IS possible to start a business while working a full-time job. What you need to do is stay focused and follow a few simple strategies. The payoff is worth it: A business that lets you have the freedom and flexibility you want and that has a real impact. I get to work less than I would have in a 9-5, earn multiple 7-figures (note: this is after 5 years in my business), and spend so much more time with my family. I’ll show you how to build a 6-figure business from the ground using my tried and true blueprint for FREE. 👉Read more: How to Start a True Freedom Business (Full Guide) How to Be Your Own Boss How I Built a 6-Figure Coaching Business in 4 Months