The Art of the Side Hustle: Build Your Dream Business While Keeping Your 9-5
There’s a narrative we’ve been sold that says in order to succeed at entrepreneurship, we have to take this giant leap of quitting our day job and diving into our new business full-time right off the bat. However, this approach isn’t necessarily the only or best path to success.
Starting a side hustle, or what used to be more commonly called moonlighting, is the art of building your business while keeping your day job. It’s an increasingly popular strategy as the cost of living continues to increase and getting to a point of replacing the salary you need to afford life with income from your own business is a longer road. This approach offers a blend of financial stability, personal fulfillment, and professional growth. If this is an option that is available and realistic for you, I highly recommend considering it.
The Benefits of a Side Hustle
Building a side hustle means you have a side business along with your regular 9-5 job. This way of working has some great benefits.
1. Financial Security and Risk Mitigation
First off, it’s safer money-wise. When you have a regular job, you get a steady paycheck and perhaps even benefits. That is your safety net. This means you don’t have the pressure of needing to make money from your new business right away. You can take your time to grow your business without the stress of needing it to pay your bills immediately. And even if you crash and burn, it’s not the end of the world. You also have the opportunity to reinvest the money you earn from your new business as you start making it, allowing you to grow even faster.
2. Test the Waters
Another good thing about a side hustle is that it lets you try out your business idea without too much risk. You can see if your idea works well while you still have your regular job. This is a chance to learn and get better without the pressure of having to succeed right away.
This might also buy you some time. If you are at the point where you feel like you can’t bear another single day at your job, adding in the novelty of working on something new and starting to rack up accomplishments and small wins outside of work can really change your perspective on things. Once you start feeling momentum towards something and feeling optimistic that you are on the path to being able to quit down the road and be your own boss, the short term becomes a lot more tolerable. At least for a while.
3. Skill Development and Networking
If you are lucky, your 9-5 already has some skill overlap with the business you are aiming to create. If not, explore new opportunities within your company (or consider switching to a new job) where you would have a chance to build the skills and network that will make you an expert at building and running your new business. Get paid to develop the expert-level knowledge and connections that will help you succeed in your own venture.
Even better, some companies offer paid education or education reimbursement. Tread a little cautiously here and read the fine print on your employer’s offer because there might be a clause that says you have to pay it back if you leave the company within a certain amount of time, but otherwise, definitely consider taking advantage of this for courses or workshops that would be beneficial for you.
Be Smart About Managing Your Time
Managing your time well is super important when you’re running a business alongside your 9-5 job. There is good chance that you already feel like your day job consumes way too much of your life. Here are some tips to help you manage your time effectively. Remember that one of the benefits of building a side hustle while keeping your 9-5 is that you don’t have to achieve hyper growth right out of the gate. Slow and steady progress might mean you only dedicate a few spare hours per week to start.
1. Make a Schedule and Stick to It
It’s a good idea to set aside certain hours every day or week just for your business. Treat this time like it’s as important as your regular job. Decide when you’re going to work on your business and stick to that schedule. For me, it’s the peaceful early morning hours before I start my day job. I sit down at my desk with my coffee and make the most of that time.
I loved this approach because I used to dread logging in to work every morning and facing the problems of the day for a business that wasn’t mine. Now, I wake up excited to get to my desk and work on my dream and carry that sense of fulfillment with me when I switch over to my regular work for the day.
2. Decide What’s Most Important
Not every task is equally important. Some things need to be done right away, and others can wait. Focus on the things that are going to move the needle and need to be done soon. I keep a “maybe later” list of less important tasks that can be done later or given to someone else to do. Use the tools that work best for you to plan and structure your time. I go into each day knowing exactly what I’m going to work on so I don’t get hung up on thinking or planning or not knowing what to do.
3. Use Technology to Your Advantage
There are more tools than ever out there that can save you time. Don’t get caught in the trap of signing up for everything you come across in the hopes that it will be the key that suddenly unlocks success for you, but do focus on some basics. For example, project management tools (like Trello which I’m partial to), or Buffer for social media scheduling, can save you valuable time and keep you on track. Use these tools to help you get more done in less time or find automations for repetitive tasks to make you more efficient.
Avoiding Burnout
Even if you are following good time management practices, keeping yourself from getting too tired or burned out is important when you’re working a regular job and running a business. Here are some tips to help.
1. Set Clear Boundaries and Stick to Them
It’s important to have clear limits between your job, your business, and your personal life. When you have clear boundaries, it helps you not to mix them up. This means you don’t think about work or your business all the time, and you can relax and enjoy your free time. Simple things like leaving your phone in another room in the evenings when you are spending time with your family, prioritizing your self-care activities like the gym or hobbies above work, and making it clear to your day job that you aren’t available outside of normal business hours can go along way towards maintaining your sanity and well being.
2. Give Yourself Breaks
Make sure to take breaks and take care of yourself. If you try to work all the time without stopping, you’ll run yourself into the ground and become less effective and productive. Breaks help you rest and come back to work with more energy. It’s okay to take a break, even when you have a lot to do. It helps you work better. Spend your downtime doing the things that recharge you. This is different for everyone. Maybe it’s reading, spending time in nature, participating in a hobby, or chilling with friends or family. The point is to spend some time living life and not just working around the clock.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
Building a business can often feel isolating in the beginning, especially if you’ve sacrificed some of your social time to fit it all in. You don’t have to do everything yourself. If you need it, ask for help. This could be hiring someone like a virtual assistant to do small tasks for you, or asking for advice from someone who knows more about running a business. Maybe it’s even asking a friend or loved one to lend an ear while you vent about a challenge you are struggling with. Getting help can make things much easier for you and you don’t have to go it alone.
Creating a side hustle presents an opportunity for a balanced, risk-mitigated approach to entrepreneurship. It’s about playing the long game, building your business foundation while maintaining financial stability. This approach may not be as dramatic and sexy as walking in and rage quitting your job tomorrow, but it offers a sustainable path to success, allowing you to grow your business at a manageable pace, learn valuable skills, and maintain your well-being.
Remember, every successful business starts with a single step. By starting your business as a side hustle, you’re not just dreaming about success; you’re actively working towards it, one balanced step at a time.
