I’m 39 and feel stuck after 4 years of self-employment following a $70K job loss. Should I return to full-time work or take a part-time job to supplement my income while I figure things out?

I’ve been self-employed for just about 4 years now. I run a few online stores after getting let go from a $70K web/content job due to restructuring. I haven’t worked at a company since then, and my self-employment isn’t generating enough consistent income, so I’m now trying to figure out my next direction.

I’d ideally like to continue scaling my business, but it’s not realistic for me to rely on it full-time at the moment. So I’m weighing whether to go back into full-time work or take a lower-pressure part-time job alongside self-employment to reestablish some sense of stability.

I have 10 years of post-secondary education (both college and university) across business/finance, insurance, and graphic design, and I’ve worked in banking, insurance, healthcare, fitness, and university/medical environments across web/content, data entry, finance, IT/asset management, and systems-based roles. I also worked in retail/management in the past, but that was 15+ years ago.

I don’t like corporate environments or sales, and I’ve stepped away from pursuing graphic design outside of my self-employment work. I prefer jobs where there's more movement and interaction, and I don't have to think about work off-hours.

For example, I came across a part-time grocery store role 5 minutes from my place, but they're only offering $20.85/hr. It's a do your job and go home kind of position, which I like, but I don't know if I'd just be wasting my time. I also wondered if something like Costco might be worth trying.

I’d appreciate any guidance and perhaps input as to the types of roles I should consider.