Business Advice

[Zain]

Hey guys, I have been offered an opportunity I'm not too sure about yet.

I teach Tae Kwon Do as a hobby of mine, turns out it brings in a little over half of my income in only an eighth of the time of my part time job as a radio station productionist. Being a productionist is a dead end job, meaning I will most likely never move up in the ladder of success because there is only me, the sales manager, and the owner.

Making about 22k per year at the age of 18, living with my parents, and taking college courses on the side... I'm a pretty busy guy.

I turn around and see my dad, he owns a computer repair and retail store which he also manages along with my mom who does the bookwork. They have a few employees, one in which is leaving in about a month and a half, and she is the one who does their websites.

So my dad offered me her job, making just a little more than my radio job, but it's more hours too. And it's more work. Sounds like an easy turn for keeping the old job, right?

Wrong, you see he said I would start managing in 2 years. My income goes way up. My hours shortening just a bit, but the responsibilities are higher.

So what do you guys think I should do?

Option A. Keep the dead-end radio job with hardly any real worries, but no ladder to climb.
Option B. Take the website desgin job and be able to work my way up to manager within 2 years and possibly even end up owning it eventually.

Your input is appreciated.

[Ice]

I'd go for B.

[Centurion1]

Look i said gah because i think you should have a third option teach tae kwon do until you get your degree. i dont know what your majoring in but you can probably make more money with it. plus do you really want to work for your parents especially if its long hours. and in a few years he said you would be manager you will be done with college most likely by then.

[Zain]

I'm going in for Business Management and Accounting. Also the hours are basic 8 hours per day.

[Major Robert Dump]

If you think you can handle take pop up on the deal but understand there will be LOTS of pressure to succeed and any large margin of catastrophic failure/misconduct will have major repurcussions on the company and its morale (like getting caught sleeping with subordinates, etc)

On the up side of the family business, if you can get it going faster, harder and make it grow, you can eventually excuse yourself from the in-store aspect and maintain an indirect supervisory role, which gives you more free time to do other things, like make more money or chase skirts.

[ajaxfetish]

Option C: Take a research job studying post-communist social hierarchies in Estonia and the implications thereof for global feminism.

Ajax

[A Very Super Market]

Option C: Take a research job studying post-communist social hierarchies in Estonia and the implications thereof for global feminism.

Ajax

Gahhkk-!

Where did you get that idea? You took that right from my desk, didn't you! Agh, I can never trust those hedge clippers, always snooping around.... That's when you took my plans, isn't it? ISN'T IT? You're fired! All of you! I can trust nobody, not no--no one, no-how..

[Fragony]

Do both

[Ja'chyra]

Ultimately it's up to you but I'd go for option B, more scope for expansion and not just your own career but maybe the business as a whole, which as its a family business may well come to you in the end.

You can always do your martial arts stuff in the evenings and weekends and use it as a de-stresser, I use alcohol myself.

[The Stranger]

i'd say B, but it depends on your own attitude... if youre not afraid of some hard work, think you can handle the pressure and have some ambition, go for b...

[Mithrandir]

Do you like your job now?
Do you think your new job will be more fun, regardless of the hours?

Which job will give you the most happines? Which will give you the best chances of ending up doing what you really want to be doing?

[Andres]

I don't know the difficulty of your college courses, but I can tell you from personal experience that combining a full time job with university is hard and I wouldn't recommend it if this is your first year at college.

On the other hand, it's your fathers' business. I don't know how well that business goes and how much money it makes, but you do have a real opportunity to become "the big boss" one day.

Can he wait until you have your college degree? If that's too long, would his offer still be valid after one year (he can hire someone else just for one year?) ? At that time you'll probably have a better view on how do-able the combination job/college is for you. If it goes easy in combination with your current job, then you'll probably be capable of working fulltime and studying.

Something else to consider: you're 18. That's very young. A lazy job (temporarily of course, once you have your degree, you'll want something much better) => more free time. The combination being young-lots of freedom is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Do you really want to sacrifice that here and now?

I'd say: combine college with your current job for one year and take your decision once you know which amount of work your studies require.

And I'll repeat: you're 18, that's very young; whatever you decide now, you still have plenty of time and opportunities to change your mind.

[Csargo]

Sounds like you don't particularly want the radio job. Even if you do I'd go with option B.

[Zain]

Do you like your job now?
Do you think your new job will be more fun, regardless of the hours?

Which job will give you the most happines? Which will give you the best chances of ending up doing what you really want to be doing?

Do I like my job? Yes, I enjoy how simple and easy it is. What I don't enjoy is that it is so dead-end.

Do I think my new job will be more fun? No, I suppose it will be more difficult.

Which job will give me most happiness? At first, at my age, the radio job is because it gives me free time. But I'm also an early bloomer and I want success at an early age. Managing my own store will give me all sorts of happiness.

Which will give me the best chances of ending up doing what I really want to be doing? I want success, I don't really care what I have to do to get there.

Now my real question is should I do this now or wait?

[Andres]

Wait.

I can't stress this enough: young+freedom : it's a priviledge and if you have it, don't throw it away as it happens only once.

[Mithrandir]

Ok, we're one step ahead, you decided you want to go through with it...

Do you think you'll change jobs, if you join the family business now, once you've finished your school?

If not, why would you delay your career?

But I should mention... Andres makes a damn good point, this is one of the last few years you have complete freedom (though it may not seem like you do), you can save money for a long journey abroad, enjoy more time with friends, expand on other skills... If this however does nothing for ye: the sooner you start your job, the sooner you'll grow into it and climb the ladder...

[caravel]

Have you considered a lucrative and exciting new career in camel breeding?

You should do what you want to do. You know your own situation best.

[Mithrandir]

Have you considered a lucrative and exciting new career in camel breeding?

Or teaching Tae Kwon Do to the adopted camels who didn't receive training at birth

[Zain]

Haha, so common consensus is do it. But then I'm being told to wait. The whole idea is that I am going to do it, and the opportunity is now but it will come again.

Should I wait and keep my youth and freedom or go ahead and start on my career? I'm 18 and 1/2 exactly in about 11 days.

[Togakure]

I'd say B. Your educational path compliments the family opportunity you're being offered. For me, the trick was getting into my career field full time before finishing my degree. It gave me a distinct edge when competing against those who graduated with me. Sounds like you have an opportunity to do this too.

Meh: Fun Shmun. What has been said is true to a degree, but I've found that balancing fun with smart planning and smart, hard work while youthful will provide more "fun" later in life, while protecting you from a lot of "un-fun." It's not particularly fun to look back at all the fun you had in your youth when you're older, under-funded, dreamed out, and opportunities to improve your situation are so much more scarce and harder to realize.

So ... it's up to you. Are you in the US? Where you live affects the potential impact of living a more "care-free" youth. The US isn't real kind to those who don't plan effectively for the future. Trust me on that, heh.

Planning is good, hard work is good, fun is good--and so are adaptation skills. Everything can change in a New York minute ....

[Zain]

I'd say B. Your educational path compliments the family opportunity you're being offered. For me, the trick was getting into my career field full time before finishing my degree. It gave me a distinct edge when competing against those who graduated with me. Sounds like you have an opportunity to do this too.

Meh: Fun Shmun. What has been said is true to a degree, but I've found that balancing fun with smart planning and smart, hard work while youthful will provide more "fun" later in life, while protecting you from a lot of "un-fun." It's not particularly fun to look back at all the fun you had in your youth when you're older, under-funded, dreamed out, and opportunities to improve your situation are so much more scarce and harder to realize.

So ... it's up to you. Are you in the US? Where you live affects the potential impact of living a more "care-free" youth. The US isn't real kind to those who don't plan effectively for the future. Trust me on that, heh.

Planning is good, hard work is good, fun is good--and so are adaptation skills. Everything can change in a New York minute ....

I am in one of the cheaper parts of the US to live, South Texas, and in that comes the opportunity to live on the family farm, or live with my parents until I get married. Which I'm seeing to be in about a year.

Overall, I can see both angles and am torn between the two. I've always been one for looking and planning ahead, as well as been the kind of guy that will randomly get up and visit a friend late into the night just for fun. This will be something that goes away, either my spontinuity, or my rest levels.

[Major Robert Dump]

The problem with working in your family business is that you can't sleep you way to the top. Unless it Oklahoma.

[Fragony]

Haha, so common consensus is do it. But then I'm being told to wait. The whole idea is that I am going to do it, and the opportunity is now but it will come again.

Should I wait and keep my youth and freedom or go ahead and start on my career? I'm 18 and 1/2 exactly in about 11 days.

Best thing about a 40 hour workweek is doing it twice. Combine it, having experience as a manager at a young age is going to serve you very very well. It isn't going to ruin your youth and freedom, it will provide it to you just that much sooner. Having money = independence, being able to do whatever you want to do. Like opening your own radio station, or whatever.