Join us for the Master Class with Laurie Robinson Haden: How to Pursue Your Side Hustle and Dreams While Working a 9 to 5 at the 17th Annual CCWC Career Strategies Conference on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 from 10:30 am until 11:30 am.
There are plenty of reasons to keep your full-time job while operating a side business. You can enjoy the benefits of a steady paycheck, health insurance and company perks. And you won’t have the unnecessary pressure of generating a certain amount of income in order to maintain your lifestyle.
Balancing your full-time job with a side business is challenging – not impossible. But you’ll have to carefully manage your time and energy if you want to grow your business without sacrificing your job performance. Here are a few things you can do to balance your full-time job with your side hustle.
1. Set goals and boundaries.
As a full-time employee, you only have a limited amount of time to work on your business. That’s why you must evaluate your goals and the sacrifices you are willing to make to reach them.
Schedule time to clearly outline your objectives. When defining your goals, here are some questions to consider.
- How much income do you want to generate with your side business?
- Do you want to quit your full-time job?
- What pastimes are you willing to sacrifice while building your business?
- What are the exact reasons that you want to start a side business?
2. Spend time working on your side business each day.
When you only have a few hours of free time each day, it can be easy to develop an all-or-nothing mindset. Some days you may have a few hours to work on your business. On others, you may have only 15 minutes.
Progress is the goal – not perfection. Manage your time wisely, and you will be surprised at the amount of time that you actually have to devote to your business. Here are times you can work on your business.
- Lunch Breaks
- Early Morning Hours
- After You Put the Kids to Bed
- During Your Daily Commute Via Train or Bus
- On the Weekends
Maximize your time by outsourcing low-level professional and household tasks. Hire a cleaning service to tidy up your living space. Find a part-time bookkeeper to complete your taxes and manage your expenses. Invest in automation software to handle your social media, marketing and emails. Hire a virtual assistant to respond to inquiries, answer phone calls and perform tasks while you are at work.
3. Take care of your mental and physical needs.
Whether you work for yourself or an organization, practicing self-care is essential to good health. Burning the candle at both ends can lead to burnout, low energy and poor health. Here is what you can do to take care of your physical and mental needs.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
- Snack on fruits and vegetables.
- Exercise daily.
- Get the appropriate amount of rest.
- Meditate.
- Smile and laugh as much as possible.
- Focus on positive thoughts.
4. Remain productive while performing your day job.
For now, your day job is paying your bills and helping you meet your needs. You don’t want to jeopardize it by slacking off and performing poorly.
Be sure to arrive at work on time or early. Complete projects before the deadline. Use your sick and personal days sparingly. Fulfill your job duties to the best of your ability.
5. Evaluate your progress.
Every month, you should evaluate your progress to determine if you’re moving in the right direction. If your side business isn’t meeting your goals, make changes as quickly as possible. This doesn’t mean that you should abandon your business. However, you should know if your business is growing. That way, you can determine what you’ll need to do to get back on track.
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Explore the following resources that can help you work a full-time job and manage your side business.
- Side Hustle Millionaire: How to Build a Side Business That Creates Financial Freedom by Tony Whatley
- 100 Side Hustles: Unexpected Ideas for Making Extra Money Without Quitting Your Day Job by Chris Guillebeau
- Work, Your Way: Reinvent Yourself, Create the Life You Want and Thrive as a Consultant by Lisa Hufford
- The Big Life: Embrace the Mess, Work Your Side Hustle, Find a Monumental Relationship, and Become the Badass Babe You Were Meant to Be by Ann Shoket
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