Reflections on Going Back into Employment (On My Own Terms)

Let’s be completely honest: the last few years have been tough for freelancers and small business owners. Between the ongoing cost-of-living squeeze and the explosive growth of AI, winning contracts and steadily growing a business has become significantly harder for many of us.

While some freelancers are thriving, many others are quietly struggling behind closed doors. In fact, over the last 12 months, I’ve seen more colleagues either take on part-time employment or completely close or sell their businesses to return to full-time employment than at any other point in my 12+ years as a business owner.

I’ll admit it: I’ve considered it myself several times.

Why Closing My Business Was Never on the Table

Whenever the thought crossed my mind, I hit an immediate roadblock:

I genuinely think I’m unemployable!

Beyond that, I love the work I do. I want to continue working with the clients I’ve supported for several years because I believe deeply in what they do and I’m committed to helping them succeed, so closing the business was never an option I was willing to take.

At the same time, taking a conventional part-time job with rigid hours wouldn’t work either. Despite my youngest daughter now being 13, I still have daily school runs to manage and family commitments that require genuine flexibility.

Financially, though, things have been tough.

I know part of that strain for me came off the back of dealing with health issues in 2024 and 2025, which naturally impacted my capacity.

Stepping Back into the Workplace as an Exam Invigilator

I needed a solution that would bring in reliable supplementary income while still giving me the freedom to run my business and be there for my family. So, when I saw an advert from my daughter’s secondary school looking for exam invigilators, I decided to put an application in and see what happened.

In mid-May 2026, I walked in and did my very first shift.

Going back into an employed environment after more than a decade of working for myself hasn’t been without its challenges. I’ve had to adapt to working under other people’s systems again, strictly following institutional rules, and accepting that on the days I’m in school, I have zero flexibility over how I structure my time.

When you’re used to being the master of your own calendar, that takes some getting used to. Yet despite those adjustments, I’ve genuinely enjoyed it.

There is something surprisingly refreshing about getting up with a defined place to be, interacting with colleagues face-to-face, and witnessing the sheer resilience of young people sitting their exams.

I’m not personally a huge fan of our high-stakes exam system, I believe our education model could be designed much better to take that intense pressure off young people (though that is a topic for an entirely different blog). But being present in the exam hall, helping to bring a sense of calm to the room, and offering a quiet, reassuring smile when someone is visibly struggling has made me feel part of something bigger.

It feels like giving something back to our local community.

Making Side-Employment Work Alongside Running a Business

The experience has been positive enough that I’ve decided to keep invigilating, whether I strictly need the additional income moving forward or not.

I’m still figuring out exactly how it will balance against my business commitments during peak exam seasons, but because the role allows me to pick and choose specific shifts, and because most of my client work isn’t strictly tied to set hours, it gives me the flexibility I need.

Stepping back into employment in this way hasn’t been entirely simple, but I’m grateful to have found a balance that works alongside my business rather than replacing it.

Most of all, this experiment has reaffirmed what I already suspected: I definitely can’t go back to a traditional, fixed-hours full-time or part-time job. But finding flexible, purposeful work on the side? That might just be one of the best decisions I’ve made this year.

Have you had to rethink how you balance your business and income over the last couple of years? Would you ever consider taking on flexible part-time work alongside your freelance business? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.