I built a six-figure remote business and walked away from the 9 to 5 at age 46. Every Tuesday, I email a story, tip, or idea to help you climb down the corporate ladder and live life on your terms.
6 Reasons a lifestyle business might be your best path out of the 9-5
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A friend of mine is a very successful entrepreneur. In many ways, our businesses look similar from the outside. Like me, he’s the only employee in his company. He runs everything himself, and he’s built a very solid business as a solopreneur. But that’s where the similarities end. His dream is to build a big company. He envisions earning millions in annual revenue and leading large teams. He loves the idea of building and running a big organization. Every time he talks about that vision, I laugh and tell him he’s crazy. It’s not a bad goal, but it’s the last thing I would want to do. Maybe it’s because I spent more than twenty years in the corporate world, managing teams and dealing with the complexity that comes with large organizations. That’s what I ran away from, so it’s the last environment I would want to recreate inside my own business. When I decided to start a side hustle and create my path out of the 9–5, I made a very intentional decision. I wanted to start a lifestyle business that supported the kind of life I wanted to live. In other words, I designed the business around my lifestyle, not the other way around. And I plan to keep it that way. In fact, here are a few reasons why I’ve chosen to keep my business a one-person lifestyle business, and why I think this model is so powerful for freelancers and solopreneurs. 1. I can keep my business incredibly simple One of the biggest advantages of being a solopreneur is simplicity. My wife helps me with my business, and I outsource some work, but I don’t have to worry about employees, payroll, HR, or the complexities of management. My business is a laptop, an internet connection, a handful of great clients, and the skills I’ve developed over time. That simplicity removes a lot of stress and allows me to focus on doing great work. 2. My overhead stays very low Lifestyle businesses tend to have very few fixed costs. I don’t have a building lease, equipment loans, supply costs, or a large payroll to worry about. When your expenses are low, your business becomes far more resilient. Even if one client leaves or a project slows down, I can still manage. My business runs at about a 95% margin before taxes. Most of my expenses are pretty minimal... a few software subscriptions, the occasional laptop upgrade, and travel for one conference I attend each year. The low overhead gives me breathing room, which is incredibly valuable. 3. I have full control over your schedule This is probably the biggest benefit for me personally. As an employee, your calendar is largely controlled by someone else. Meetings, deadlines, and schedules are often set for you. The same is true if you own a traditional business with large numbers of customers and/or employees. As a freelancer or solopreneur, you have far more control over how your days are structured. I can start earlier, start later, block off time for personal commitments, or take a weekday off if I want to. That kind of flexibility is hard to put a price on. 4. I can work from almost anywhere Because my business is fully remote, all I need is a laptop and an internet connection. My wife and I have worked from home, coffee shops, airports, and hotel rooms. The ability to travel and still run the business is something I value enormously. It creates a level of mobility that most traditional businesses simply can’t offer. 5. I earn a great living without a huge company A lot of people assume you need a large team or a rapidly scaling startup to earn a high income. In reality, many freelancers and solopreneurs build very profitable businesses with just a handful of clients. When you charge based on the value you provide rather than strictly by the hour, you can build a very healthy income while keeping the business lean. You don’t need dozens of clients or employees to make the numbers work. 6. I get to define what “success” looks like Perhaps the most underrated benefit of a lifestyle business is that you get to decide what enough looks like. You don’t have to chase growth for the sake of growth. You can design the business around the kind of life you want to live, whether that means working fewer hours, traveling more, spending time with family, or simply having less stress in your day-to-day life. My goal was never to build the biggest business possible. All I wanted was to build a business that gave me freedom, flexibility, and the ability to do work I genuinely enjoy. In fact, keeping things small has been critical to my success. If the idea of building a lifestyle business resonates with you, but you’re not sure what it could look like for you, or where to even start, I’d love to help. Over the past 4 months, I’ve met one-on-one with more than 50 people who felt stuck in their careers and wanted some help figuring out their next move. In many cases, they weren’t looking for the perfect plan. They just needed clarity, a sounding board, and someone to help them think through the possibilities. If that sounds like you, please feel free to book a complimentary call with me. I still have a few openings available this month, and I’d love to hear your story and see if I can help you map out your own path beyond the 9–5. 💛 In case you missed it...latest from the blog!💡ResourcesFREE! 2-Minute Side Hustle Quiz FREE! 7-Day 9-5 Escape Roadmap Video Course 30-Day Launch Playbook — Freelancer Edition Free 30-Minute Side Hustle Clarity Call |
9-5 Escape by Colin Graves
I built a six-figure remote business and walked away from the 9 to 5 at age 46. Every Tuesday, I email a story, tip, or idea to help you climb down the corporate ladder and live life on your terms.
Yesterday afternoon, while I was working away, I started getting messages from complete strangers on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Most of them started with something like: “Hey, I just read an article about how you turned your side hustle into a full-time business and quit your job...” At first, I had no idea why I was suddenly getting all these messages. Then I realized my 9-5 exit story had just been published by the U.S. edition of the Daily Mail and picked up by MSN as well....
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