The year was 2013 when we saw a rise in the side-hustle and I immediately knew this would be a trend for years to come. People were realizing that they could make extra money each month by tapping into what they were good at to live a better life. This new trend was deemed as a side-hustle and for a better definition of the term;
You do not have to quit your day job to dedicate to a side-line opportunity! As I always say, 2 or more incomes are better than one. You can still have both but it requires some agility, making sacrifices, implementing strategies and of course consistency. Here are some of my very own tips on How to Balance a Side Hustle with a full-time job.
1. Just Do It
Stop procrastinating and go for it! I know at the beginning it will be hard and various areas of your life might suffer as a result of this new change. Last year for example when I started a full-time career, my side-hustles struggled! So much so that this Blog and all my freelance gigs were dry! How I was able to receive balance was by creating a schedule and did time blocking for each task in each side-hustle which I implemented this year.
When I’m at work during the day, I do no other tasks relating to my side-hustles as I’m paid for those hours and believe I should dedicate all my skills for that. Once home I then dedicate at least 2 hours before bed to really invest in the hustle. This will take some time to get used to and there will, of course, be a matter of trial and error but once you get things down to a science you will be well on your way to seeing positive results.
2. Using Apps + Software
I was that girl who hated apps as they took up so much space on my phone, but look at me now! Apps are my bestie as they were designed to make life easier and of course more efficient! One of my side-hustles is Social Media Management (which is time-consuming) but I’ve been using Apps like the Repost App and Later to help with the look of my feed and also Software like Hootsuite for scheduling and publishing Social Media Posts.
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Gone are the days when I would schedule the posts on Facebook then have to find time to go on Instagram and create those posts — Hootsuite is my new bestie as it allows me to add various Social Media Platforms and with the click of a button they are all scheduled and ready to go! Think of Apps and Software as your online bestie for Side-Hustles.
3. Plan Ahead — Or Fall Behind
I am more of an A-type personality so planning ahead is my middle name! No really, it actually is. This involves forming a habit that is pretty much doing the same things for a period of time until it becomes a part of you.
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If I have an event after work relating to the Blog, I will pack my outfits, make-up, and accessories from overnight and even put them in the car so I’m not scurring in the morning or going back home after work to get to the venue. This, of course, will take some getting used to and really sticking to a schedule for it to be really effective. Another aspect of this is creating a schedule — you can use a yearly planner or your trusty Google Calendar! I use a combination of both and with this, you can easily keep track of events by dates. I especially like Google Calendar as I’m able to set a reminder and it also gives the option of setting an alarm just in case I forget throughout the day. You can also use your Google Calendar to invite individuals in your network to meetings. I use this at work and love it allows me to add, time, date and venue and once the contacts are already in my e-mail list, all I have to do is write the details in the slot for date and send the invite.
Here is a word of advice from a Budget Analyst who is a Wedding Planner on the side.
“Planning, planning, planning is key! Your business will only go as far as the energy and time you put into it. You have to put in the hours. If you plan accordingly, you don’t have to be an entrepreneur staying up in the wee hours of the morning and then report to their full-time job at 8 a.m.,” Brittany says. “I usually try to plan out my weeks the Sunday before and evaluate what I have going. Based on what I have going on that week, I plan out my wedding business hours accordingly.” –
Brittany Smith is a Budget Analyst for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, also known as DARPA by day, and at nights and weekends, she is a wedding and event planner based out of the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.
Are you looking for a side-hustle? Here are a few to consider:
– Photography for events
– Babysitting
– Running an online boutique
– Selling Digital Services + Products
– Doing Hair + Makeup
– Dropshipping
– Selling Vehicles
– Copywriting for brands + businesses
– Tutoring or Coaching
– Airbnb (Renting a House or Room)
– Selling Hair ( This is quite lucrative as you can also make + install wigs and incorporate dropshipping)
The possibilities are endless. Some of these side-hustles might require saving up capital to aid with the start-up and you will need a strategy and consistency to see positive results.
This year we are really going for it all the way — comment below some of the ways you will be honing your skills to start a side hustle.
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