My wife of 11 years understands this process. While she has struggled to make it in the television industry, I worked one corporate computer job after another. Last year, she achieved a major milestone in her career and this allowed me the freedom to pursue my career as a freelance writer. Without her, I would still be working both jobs and wondering when I would ever be able to make the leap into being a fulltime writer. Besides the obvious monetary safety net provided by such an arrangement, there are other benefits, as well.
Health care is probably the largest one.
Health insurance can be a major factor in deciding to start your own business. Its significant costs have to be figured into your financial plans if you are not covered under a partners health plan. If you are covered, it is like getting thousands of dollars in increased income before you even sell your first hour of consulting services. If you are not covered you can look into health plans that are sponsored by small business associations. These associations sell insurance at group rates to their members at significantly lower costs than individual rates.