Sometimes, when you're slogging away at the keyboard, while everyone else is watching Wimbledon, or the World Cup (if they're still “in it”!), or just chilling, you can be forgiven for wondering if it's really necessary.
Yes, that extra income from starting an online business would be really useful – but…… the regular income is ticking along fine, you're comfortable enough. Perhaps you should be satisfied with whatever you're lucky enough to have in life?
Then out of the blue a sidewise swipe slap across the face reminds you just WHY it's always worth having a Plan B.
Mum… I Just Got Back From Hospital…
Earlier in the week I was sitting tapping away on the keyboard, minding my own business when the phone rang and it was my younger son – pretty shaky – which is unlike him. He was bearing the scary news that he had badly gashed his arm in a work accident, and had just got back home from hospital.
He is self-employed and his occupation is such that a damaged arm could end his whole career/business. Here in the UK there’s no sick pay if you’re self-employed, and he could hardly sue his “boss” (himself LOL) for compensation.
Thankfully “someone up there” was looking after him, as, despite him needing 10 stitches and 5 injections, there seems to be no lasting damage to his tendons and muscles. However I think he’ll have a nasty scar to remind him to take things a lot more steadily in future. (Plus interminable nagging thoughtful reminders from his frazzled wife and mum.)
It's when something like this happens that I am reminded exactly WHY I work extra hours when I could be slobbing in front of the TV instead.
I suspect my usual readership on this blog are fully aware of this, and most are already beavering away – so I'm largely preaching to the converted here – but in case you need motivation to “keep going”, or if you've just stumbled across this post by chance…….
Why You Might Need a Plan B
I firmly believe everyone should have a Plan B in place, in case our main source of income suddenly dries up.
It needn’t be caused by a work accident – Matt's accident just triggered the thought for this article. Your challenge could be caused by
- Pension failure
- Redundancy
- Death or incapacitation of someone who helps pay the monthly bills
- A sports injury or
- Broken bone from falling on some mud in your own garden – like I foolishly did a year ago while rushing about like a headless chicken! Happily the bones didn't break 🙂
I’m already working on my Plan B, and so are most of my regular blog visitors. Are you?
If not, are you SO confident of the future that you feel no need to think about alternatives? If you are, I’m genuinely pleased for you and congratulate you for “having all your ducks in a row” – is that a UK-ism?
However, if you feel that you, or someone you know, could benefit from some forward planning to get an alternative (or additional) income I strongly encourage you to take action right away. There are many ethical ways to start an online business, some of them explained on this blog, some on the posts of fellow bloggers who comment on my other articles.
Pick something you can do alongside whatever your main source of income is. Don't “give up the day-job” – that would be crazy. But take a little time every day to build your Plan B. Even one hour a day is better than nothing.
I hope you won’t need it in “emergency mode”, but starting an online home business can also lead to a very nice additional income, for more of the good things in life.
