In almost every industry we are seeing two things happen. 1) people are losing their job and 2) people are being asked to go from full-time employment to part-time employment. In the case of number 2) this can present an ideal opportunity for people to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur.

For example, in the UK more than one million people are forced to work part-time. For many wannabe entrepreneurs this presents a fantastic opportunity.

There are a number of issues people have to face when leaving employment and entering the world of entrepreneurship. The first is the cultural transition. This is often the hardest. Entrepreneurship is a completely different game. The typical employee mentality just doesn’t work. As an Entrepreneur you are on 24/7. You eat, drink and breathe your business. But the main thing is that you actually enjoy it. It’s fun.

As an entrepreneur, you have to be a million times more assertive. You can’t hide behind a large organization. Another issue is the “right first time” mentality that stifles creativity in established organizations. You need to ditch that as an entrepreneur, and work using a more experimental approach. Okay, I’ll admit it, a more “trial and error approach” (based on your best guess, of course).

The second issue is lack of resources. Bootstrapping is a skill. By working part time you are still receiving an income while you are getting your business off the ground. It also gives you time to get to grips with running a business on a small budget.

You can make the transition from employee to entrepreneur gradually. You won’t suffer the initial shock that many people who enter the entrepreneurial world straight from employment feel.

Working part time will help you with time management. You will be forced to fit your new business activities into the time outside your part-time job.  Also, the income from your part-time work gives you a certain amount of space to focus on the medium to long term of your new business. Without the part-time job you may be in a situation to make “short term gain” decisions that may be detrimental in the medium to long term.

In summary, it’s a bit like going off drugs. Changing from an employee to entrepreneur can be quite difficult. By working part-time you don’t have to leave the world of employment cold turkey style. You can gradually make the transition into your new business as revenues begin to increase.

Ultimately, being told by your boss that you will have to work part-time could be the biggest opportunity of your working life.