Should I take a full-time job while trying to save the company?

Whether to take a full-time job while trying to save your failing business is a complex decision that depends on financial necessity, realistic assessment of the company's viability, your capacity to handle both, and whether dual focus helps or hinders. Arguments for taking employment include: immediate income stability that relieves personal financial pressure and allows you to meet mortgage, bills, and family obligations while business uncertainty continues; reduced emotional pressure from not being entirely dependent on the failing business for identity and income; new perspective that employment outside your business might provide, helping you see your company's problems more objectively; preserving your professional skills and network through continued employment, which matters for future career prospects if the business ultimately fails; demonstrating to family that you're taking responsibility for household finances rather than gambling everything on uncertain business recovery; and pragmatically acknowledging that if the business genuinely cannot be saved, having employment already established makes the transition easier than facing both business closure and unemployment simultaneously. Arguments against include: splitting focus between full-time employment and running a business typically means doing both inadequately—you cannot give either full attention and energy; businesses in crisis often require intensive focus and rapid decision-making that employment obligations prevent; employers typically expect and deserve your full professional commitment, and attempting to run another business simultaneously may breach employment terms or ethical obligations; the physical and mental exhaustion of working full-time while managing a failing business can lead to burnout, health problems, and poor decision-making in both areas; and if the business genuinely has a realistic chance of recovery, part-time attention might sabotage that chance. The key question is honest assessment of business viability: if professional advisers tell you the business cannot be saved and you're simply delaying inevitable closure, taking employment now while winding down the business responsibly makes sense—you're planning for reality rather than false hope. If advisers believe the business has genuine prospects with proper restructuring and focus, divided attention might prevent recovery that could otherwise succeed. A middle option might be part-time or contract employment rather than full-time, giving you income without completely abandoning business focus. Some directors successfully manage this balance temporarily while restructuring. Consider practical factors: what does your business actually need from you right now? If you're in liquidation or administration, professionals are handling operations and you may have limited role, making employment viable. If you're actively trading and managing the crisis, full-time employment is probably incompatible. Can you afford not to take employment? If you're facing personal bankruptcy, mortgage default, or inability to feed your family without immediate income, employment isn't optional regardless of business implications. What obligations do you have to co-directors, employees, or investors? Taking full-time employment essentially signals you've given up on the business, which may be premature if others are depending on your commitment. Be honest with potential employers: accepting employment while secretly trying to save another business is ethically dubious and practically unsustainable—employers will notice divided attention and commitment. Some employers might actually be flexible about supporting a temporary arrangement if you're honest about the situation. Consider the emotional and psychological aspect: for some directors, taking employment feels like giving up and accepting defeat, which may be premature if recovery is genuinely possible; for others, it's accepting reality and taking responsible steps to protect family, which can actually be emotionally relieving after the stress of failing business. Many directors successfully transition into employment after business failure and find it provides stability, structure, and relief from entrepreneurial stress, though others find employment frustrating after running their own business. A pragmatic approach might be: seek professional advice about realistic business prospects; if advised that failure is inevitable, begin employment search immediately while managing business closure responsibly; if advised that recovery is possible but requires focused effort, avoid employment for now but set a clear deadline for reassessment; if immediate income is critical regardless of business prospects, prioritize employment for family security and accept this probably means business closure is inevitable; and whatever you decide, be honest with all parties—family, business partners, and potential employers—about what you're doing and why. Finally, recognize that taking employment doesn't make you a quitter or failure—it may be the most responsible, mature decision available given circumstances, particularly if it protects your family's financial security during an uncertain period. Many successful entrepreneurs had periods of employment between ventures, and this can be a valuable reset and learning opportunity rather than a defeat.