So you want to quit your day job! Unfortunately there are only a few lucky ones out there who are happy with their jobs and don't want to quit them! I am really happy for them. It is not my case, though, and, since you are reading this, most likely not yours either. But when SHOULD you quit your job? Right when you start (so you can have enough time to spend at building your online business)? After you have cashed out your first check? After you have made your first profit (two different things)? OR, should you wait a little bit? Not sure? Keep reading.

Why would anybody want to work for themselves, in general, and work online, in particular? Some of the reasons that come to my mind right now are: they don't like their job or boss - well go find another one that you would like; they are not too fond of the commuting - move closer to your job or find one closer to your house; they want to have more time for themselves while still having enough financial resources to live at least a decent life - touchee! By the way, working online, if done the proper way, can get you much further than living a decent life. That was just for exemplification purposes.

So you want to become financially independent! It can happen for you as it happened for so many other people, only, depending on the time, dedication, seriousness and money you invest in your online business, it may take a little while. A month, two, three, half a year... You don't know. I don't either! That is why you should be prepared for the future.

Let's face it! As much as attractive it can become for you to quit your job tomorrow, at the end of the month your mail box will fill up with bills. Do you have money to pay them? And this is where I wanted to get! I have always advised people to make sure they have enough financial resources to cover their minimal expenses (bills, food, gas, unexpected expenses plus the monthly ones involved with their new business).

The first thing you should consider is your savings. Do you have enough money in your savings account to cover at least such expenses for a period of at least three months? If not, I recommend you wake up in the morning and keep going to that job you hate for a little while longer.

O.K. You do have enough savings! It's still not a good idea to say good bye to your job just yet. What if, for some reasons, something happens, and your business doesn't go accordingly to your projections? You spend all your savings and eventually will have to find a job again. Chances of your former boss taking you back are pretty slim. Your savings are gone, you have to start at a brand new job (with a small paycheck at the end of the week), you won't have the same time available to work your business, which will make it even harder (not impossible, just harder) to grow and bring you the income you have been hoping for. And it all comes down to you exposing yourself to a lot of frustration. My point is that even if you have the amount of savings I have told you before, I still don't think you should be quitting your job yet.

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket" Heard this before? I hope so! This is probably one of the most important financial advice one could get. There is an incredible number of people who lost everything because they invested all their money in one place or relied on one stream of income. Don't make the same mistake. Make sure you have at least two streams of income before you tell your boss to take his job and do you know what with it.

As a matter of fact, no matter what your financial situation is, no matter how many streams of income you have, you should wait before taking such an important step. Wait even after you see your first check! Wait even after you see your first profit (no matter how big it is)! Wait until your business is on autopilot; until you have enough customers and the kind of customers who have shown reliable, repetitive buying habits; until you have enough serious affiliates of your own to help you build and develop your business. To give you an exact point of reference, you should wait until you see that your profits at least equal your present paycheck for a given period of time either at a relatively constant level from one month to another or on a steady trend of growth.

Why have I given you such advice when you see so many people promote businesses using slogans like "Join today, quit your day job tomorrow!". That is, actually, the reason. There are too many of them. And the number is increasing. But if you check carefully, you will see that no serious business encourages you to do so. On the contrary, most of them have positions similar to mine when it comes to this subject. More than that, some of the most successful people who run their own business - on or off line - would, most likely, give you the same advice.

On the other hand, it is true that you can never have the certainty that unpleasant, unpredictable surprises will not show up at any time. That is one of the risks you have to take when having your own business. Let me rephrase that: You can have part of such surprises whether you work for yourself or stay an employee. Everyone's job is at risk, especially with all the downsizes going on today. So, please don't take this article as an attempt to discourage you to start your own business (that would be just plain stupid from and for me and my own business) but rather as a friendly advice. No matter how insecure jobs are today (and they are very much so), do not leave yours until you have at least the same level of security from your business as the one from your job.

You like to take risks? Very well! The world would be boring, and definitely not where it is today, without people who like to take risks. But if you are more like me - if you like a certain level of financial security - you should think about all I said before you storm into your boss' office and say "I quit!"

About The Author: Cosmin Miclea is the owner and webmaster of CosminPTR.com Make Money Online (http://www.cosminptr.com) where you can find Online Home Based Business Opportunities, tips, advice, tools and resources to help the new and experienced online entrepreneur.