How to Balance your Day Job with your Side Business
The cliche about not giving up your day job often turns out to be solid advice for business ventures that net little or no profit. Unfortunately, juggling a traditional 9-to-5 gig with a side business can be incredibly difficult, particularly if your schedule is also swamped with school, family and social obligations. There’s no need to give up your dream business just yet; with a little streamlining of your daily routine, you can continue to pursue your passions without leaving behind the financial comfort of your normal job.
Learn How To Say No
As a day worker with a side gig, you will eventually need to learn how to draw a line whenyou’re up to your ears in work. If you take on too many freelance clients or spend twelve-hour days at the office, you’ll quickly find your quality of work suffering on both fronts. Learn to only take on clients and assignments capable of furthering your business. You should also determine whether your current day job is ideal. Although you cannot completely give up traditional employment at this time, switching to a more flexible day job could prove beneficial.
Evaluate Your Schedule
With two jobs, it may feel as if you never have a moment to yourself. But with careful tracking of your day-to-day activities, you may find that you possess more spare time than you initially suspected. Those mindless fifteen minute periods of Facebook surfing add up quickly; this is all time you could be using to promote your business.
Use Your Day Job To Your Advantage
Instead of looking at your normal workday as a source of drudgery, try viewing it as an opportunity to further your outside business aspirations. The contacts you make at your current place of employment could be invaluable in the future. Make a point of attending social functions sponsored by your employer when you can squeeze them into your schedule. While chatting with coworkers and clients, tell them of your aspirations and offer them professional business cards decked out with all the necessary details surrounding your side venture. Patrons are eager to support businesses run by friends and associates; they’ll gladly lend you support if you give them the opportunity.
The combination of a day job and a side gig can create a scheduling nightmare, but this setup will also offer you a greater sense of financial stability. By streamlining your efforts, you can make the most of a challenging situation.