Not ready to make the leap from employee to business owner because of financial concerns? Why not start a business you can run part-time while still working your present job? Many businesses can be a good fit for this type of situation and many more can be made to work with a little ingenuity.
For example, just about any manufacturing, sewing, writing, and craft business could start out as a part-time or weekend venture. Computer and Internet businesses can be run whenever you find the time, even in the middle of the night if you should so choose. With a little creativity, you can run many others such as pressure washing, auto detailing, guided tours, and even some food service businesses on nights or weekends.
Keep in mind that many people have managed to start wildly successful businesses in their spare time, and you can too if you take the time to carefully consider not only the right business to get into but, even more important, how you will build it into something that will support you and your family.
Start out small and increase the time you put in as the business grows. Eventually, you will either be making enough money to leave your job or you will decide this is not the business for you and look for something else. If it is the latter, you will be glad you started out part-time and that you still have your job to fall back on.