You have a full-time job, but you want to start (or already have) your own business on the side. How do you manage both? Even if you do manage to get it off the ground, how will you ever be able to grow it big enough so that you can quit your day job?
It can be hard to manage a job and a business. You have to juggle your time between meetings, deadlines, lunch breaks, and more. The job is always there, but the hustle isn’t. So how do you balance it all? Check out these tips for managing your job and side hustle!
Work smarter, not harder.
1) Set goals that are realistic and achievable.
Set realistic goals for your job and side hustle. Write them down, make deadlines, and priorities to suit both jobs.
In order to balance the two jobs successfully you need a plan with specific time periods that work well for each job’s needs. Decide when you are going to be working on your job or business based on the job’s needs (i.e. if your job is busy Monday-Friday, you’ll be doing more of your hustle on Saturday and Sunday)
2) Create a schedule and stick to it.
When juggling your side hustle with a full-time job, you need to make it a priority. You can do this by creating a schedule for your side hustle and sticking to it. This will allow you to find time in the day for both. You want to think about which tasks are most important and when they need to be completed, then arrange them on the schedule accordingly.
3) Prioritize your tasks.
One of the reasons people can’t balance work and their side hustle is because they spend all of their time on work instead of focusing on their other responsibilities like paying bills or going grocery shopping, or hanging out. It’s important that you prioritize your tasks so you can make sure everything is taken care of.
Did you spot a recurring theme in those three examples? They all have something to do with setting objectives, deadlines, priorities, and creating a timetable. These are the most critical guidelines for starting a successful side hustle.
Let’s discuss a few more things…
4) Don’t neglect your full-time job responsibilities.
When you’re at work, make sure it’s productive and don’t get distracted by your side-hustle!
It can be tempting to mix your job with side hustle, but this inevitably leads to a lot of wasted time and stress. If you’re constantly switching between tasks for work and the job, then it becomes overwhelming when there’s an urgent deadline looming that needs two hours worth of attention. It’s better to put all side-hustle-related responsibilities aside during job hours, and not worry about anything until after work when you can switch into full hustle mode.
5) Decide if you want to keep your side hustle on the side, or eventually turn it into a full-time job.
This is an important decision to make. Consider which side of the equation will be more fulfilling for you in the long run: how much money are you making from your job right now? Or what can you make from your job and hustle combined? Have you thought about your future goals?
6) Be honest with your boss and co-workers.. and don’t cross-pollinate.
Many firms do not allow their employees to have a side hustle since it may create a conflict of interest. Check company policies to ensure there isn’t a violation. However, as long as there is no conflict of interest, the music industry is generally open to side hustles.
It’s sometimes even a good idea to inform your boss about your side venture. However, make sure to carefully investigate the company culture. It’s important to be open and honest with them since corporations may recognize additional value you can bring to the table.
But, and this is a big but… DO NOT USE ANY OF YOUR JOB’S RESOURCES FOR YOUR SIDE BUSINESS. This includes utilizing their email to contact someone, attending meetings for your job, and discussing your side venture. You must keep them completely separate.
Finally…
Recognize your limitations; there are only so many things you can do. There is a time limit on the amount of time you can be absent from work. Your job will always be there, but your side hustle might not be. Take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising on a regular basis for your physical and mental wellness!
Balancing a job and side hustle can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Some of these tips may work for you while others might need to be tweaked or experimented with before finding what works best for your situation. If you have any other secrets that we didn’t mention here, leave them in the comments below! We’re looking forward to hearing about how you’ve managed your side hustles successfully over time.