When do you know it's time to go out on your own?
Not everyone is built for entrepreneurship – but it's crazy how many people have told me I am. In the end, I don't trust other people's understanding of my situation though, because I have way more details than they ever will.
It's not about trusting your gut, it's about getting some clear numbers out on the table, making sure you have the intestinal fortitude to handle the inevitable up's and down's and taking the bull by the horns, when all of the details line up.
When your passion drives you to it
Are you a passionate person? Is your enthusiasm infectious? Do you go way over and above when on a task? Is that work in high demand in the market place? At that point if you're well networked, and know how to sell your work – passion does indicate a very strong possibility you're suited for starting your own thing.
When the numbers are staring you in the face
When you do a personal profit and loss statement and see a steady increasing profit but are finding the limit of your time as a constraint - the risk starts to seem less risky. Passion + Numbers = you're starting to get a much more clear indication it's time to be out on your own.
When you feel you can successfully replace yourself
Hell, I'm not one for leaving your company in the lurch. It's crucial from my perspective to do your absolute best to either hand-off or systemize the things you're working on to make sure that your company will be successful long after you leave.
Luckily for us all, the process of templating, delegating and systematizing is extremely important in the process of building a business – so dive in, learn as much as you can about how to do this effectively and as you hand off tasks ask how you could make the transition smoother. A month is a very solid amount of time to give if you want a guideline – if you can't get all of your key tasks templated in this amount of time, you might not be cut out for entrepreneurship after all. ;)