I will be starting a new job in a couple of months. I currently own a company and have a few clients that I'm doing business with to pay the bills until I start my new full time job in July. I started my company after I finished graduate school, and after I was offered the job at my future company (I was offered the position about 8 months before my start date as is not uncommon for graduate students). In other words, I did not hide the company from them when I was offered the job. My question has two parts:
- What is a safe way to tell my future company about my current company so that nobody raises any eyebrows and / or thinks my loyalties lie elsewhere? I want to make it clear to them that my new job will be my priority, and that they don't have to worry about me shirking on my duties for my existing company (even if it means selling and / or shelving my company while I'm working for them).
- Should I ask them if I can retain ownership of the company to do part-time work on the weekends for my existing clients? If so, how should I phrase it? I want to make it clear that my main and #1 priority will be the new company, but I hate to leave money on the table by giving up this company which is a nice and easy source of income.