Calling Successful IMers who Started with a 9-5

1. Stick with one choice method of making money. Make sure that it is something that is sustainable and that you enjoy doing.

2. Change your username from "IM Pro" to something that is more fitting.

I walked out of a 9-5 corporate job to start a website... massive mistake.

Years later I figured it out, but I should have waited until I was making almost the same amount as my 9-5 before I jumped.

When you do go full time IM, if your experience is anything like mine, once you crack the code it takes about 20 minutes "work" each day to maintain what you've got.

If you want to expand the business it takes about an hour each day - at least in my case. But it took me a long time to get there.

Maybe the amount of time you have depends on the business model you're using.

Don't quit your job unless you're making good money online. As suggested by Brian, stick to one plan rather jumping from one to another.
I'd suggest start with Adsense websites. It can give you a substantial income in a year or two. After that go with affiliate marketing parallely.
Hope it helps.

I started with a 9 - 5. Spent some time with the family from 6 - 8 and then worked untill 12 - 1 am on my IM biz.

Given my day job was as web designer for clients, I was "in the business" but I only worked on my own IM stuff from after 8 pm. This was primarily in the form of affiliate marketing.

Eventually the affiliate money WAY overtook the web design stuff and I could scale back on the 'day job' and just do the IM stuff. I'd spend 1 - 4 hours per day on my "job" and the rest I could either work my IM biz or take the time off.

I do remember though that it was HARD work, LONG hours and a steep learning curve. I felt guilty at times about "neglecting" my family but now it pays off.

If you work according to a schedule, watch a bit less TV, give up 1 - 2 hours sleep and WORK then I reckon anyone who realy WANTS the IM lifestyle can then have it. It all depends on how bad you want it.

I have been self employed 11 years now, so cant even begin to compare it with corporate life, but I would not change it. Just like everything else, it has it's plusses and minusses but I like being master of my own time. I decide when to work and when to take time off. You can always make a $ back if you lose it, but every second you lose you can NEVER get back. So I always choose TIME over money. I'd rather be master of my own time than work for a huge salary and not have the time to enjoy it.

It's about keeping it in balance for me. Suppose I will never be rich according to Donald Trump (sleeps 4 hours per day and just work the rest) but it is what I choose to do.

There are more issues to consider than just replacing your income. If you are of a certain age or have chronic health problems, you may find it either very expensive or downright impossible to replace the health insurance you get from your job.

At least that is a US problem. Affordable health care is tied to group rates that are given to employers. Independent contractors had better be independently wealthy if they hope to stay healthy.

Thanks everyone for their posts, I really appreciate the input.

I'm wondering how much sacrifice like hanging out with friends/family, exersize, etc. - (I am not going to retire from 9-5 for a while until I'm making well beyond what I am making now)

Being an online entrepreneur can bring about certain freedoms like no other business model can.

However, you have to make sure you are setup in a secure position before quitting your day job.

And also like others have said above, to "get there" it is best to just stick with 1 solid method to make money online and start doing it over and over again or "rinsing and repeating" until you reach that mark to where you can comfortably tell your 9-5 to bite the dust.

I've finally made plans to go full time IM in November. Most earnings to date I've been able to reinvest or stock-pile. I'll be paying off most loans shortly. My IM money will be close to what I earn in my 9 to 5 job and should exceed it in the near future.

I've made sacrifices over the last few years, but it's all been worth it. All vacations and large chunks of weekends were spent in front of the computer. I've learned to get by on less sleep, but on the flip side I wake up excited about my online projects rather than waking up with no excitement about my job (I have the job still until Nov., but I'm always excited about IM which is highly motivating).

I've managed to stay in decent shape, but trips to the gym are my lunch hours. Every other spare moment is doing IM. When I go full time into IM, I expect to reclaim some leisure time and travel more.

I suspect most people started with a 9 to 5 so it's achievable. All it took for me was earning a few commissions and I was hooked. I knew it could work and made the decision to keep plugging away.

I havent worked a 9-5 job for a long time as I was a part time dancer before I fell pregnant.

I was doing bits and bobs online before but when I quit dancing I was forced to work full time from home online. I love it! I am so much more focussed. I really enjoy having time to myself and being able to get up when I want and work when I want to.

I am planning to be a full time stay at home mum once the baby arrives in January and I am working on boosting my earnings up each and every month to help achieve my goals.

My advice is sometimes it helps to be forced into the situation of working online, for example loosing a job as it keeps you motivated. I could never go back to working a 9-5 job or even a part time now. I love working from home!

I was working at Starbuck's 2 years ago...

I've not had a job since (...and, NO - I'm not on JOB SEEKERs ALLOWANCE)

But my passport is getting FULL!

I waited until my income online matched my job. I worked very late nights.

I still do the nights - I just sleep in now.

Enjoy the cash that your 9-5 brings you and build your business up with the cash you are making from your job.

Don't just leave your job in hope of making money online or at least enough to live off, I did this and it was a real struggle but built up my business from nothing too - just went limited as well so the switch can be made.

Chris