Before you give up your career and order those cards for your spanking brand-new business startup, think twice.

The fact is financial success in a new business startup may take a while. If you can transition, rather than jumping without a parachute, your bank account will thank you.

First, let's go over the major "career paths' you can choose to earn a living. They are:

1. Employee
2. Self-Employed
3. Business Owner

As an Employee, you are hired to perform a specific role in a company. Many jobs allow you to leave your work at work, and spend your free time with your family, without worry. You also may receive great benefits, like healthcare, retirement plans, and most importantly, paid vacation.

If you are considering stepping out of the role of Employee, you need to make sure that your dissatisfaction with your job is not job-related. What I mean by that is, just because you hate your job, it doesn't guarantee that you hate all jobs. There are many opportunities with flex-time and relaxed work environments, where you can enjoy some of the freedom of self-employment, without the added responsibility.

If you can, it's best to start your business while you still have your job. You can work evenings and weekends while your business gets started, and ditch the job only after your business income is greater than your salary.

So, how can you possibly make as much money part-time as you can working as an employee full time for someone else?

It's actually fairly simple. Skip option two (Self-Employment) and move right into option three---Business Ownership.

The reason most people have to work so hard in their business is because they are Self-Employed. They are the ones producing the product or service in their business. The problem with this is that they are limited to how much time they can personally put into their business.

If your business does not operate without you doing the work, it's very difficult to transition out of the role of Employee. And if you do, you will probably find that you work much harder when you are Self-Employed than you ever did as an employee. Not only are you doing the production work, you are also in charge of administration, marketing, finances, and even making sure there is coffee for the coffeepot.

Consider starting a business that does not rely on you to perform the work. You could sell a product by mail order, and outsource fulfillment services. Or start a service business like cleaning or lawn care, where you hire staff to perform the work.

Granted, you should ideally have a work environment that allows you to take care of your business occasionally during work hours. You could also work with a partner, so you can share the responsibility, and cover for each other when necessary.

You could also create an internet business, and automate many of your activities with technology.

Be creative. Rather than dumping your stable income, figure out a way to "test the waters" before committing full time.

In addition to keeping a steady paycheck, you also benefit by being forced to systematize your business from Day One.

One of the biggest challenges startup business owners have is transitioning out of "doing everything". They limit their business to only being able to perform what they can get done, and end up exhausted and frustrated.

If you transition, you'll be forced to put systems in place that allow your startup business to work without you. Your role can be limited to guiding and directing you business, which is the true role of the business owner.

Bonus points for playing it safe! Who knew?