These days, just about everyone is pursuing some type of side hustle on top of their traditional 9-to-5 lifestyle. At our lifestyle public relations agency, we have many thoughts on this. Whether it is purely for fun, purely for profit, or some combination of the two, it can be difficult to manage your time and balance all of your responsibilities without dropping something. Here are some tips for maintaining your side hustle to get the most out of it.
Set your goals
Even if you’ve already started your side hustle, you need to fully understand why you started it. Do you like to do this just for fun, regardless of the money? Are you trying to make some extra cash? Do you want this to become your full-time job?
Identifying the motivation behind your side hustle will help you set goals for yourself and stick to them. Remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place to inspire you to continue to make your side-hustle thrive.
Communication is Key
If you have a full-time job as a specialist at a lifestyle public relations agency, and you set up a PR consulting business on the side, chances are your employer is going to be interested in hearing about it. In order to have the best chance at success, you need to open communication with your employer about your new projects. Ensure that there are no conflicts of interest or rules you are violating. One of the fastest ways for a side-hustle to fail is from breaking the law. Be sure your business is in the clear.
Additionally, you need to open communication with your personal support group: your partner, your family, your friends, your mentors, anybody who is really involved in your life. A side hustle is bound to take up a lot of your time. Be honest with them about your new time commitment will help them understand how they can better support you. This will give you the best possible chance of success.
Set a schedule
Once you know what your goals are and you’ve talked about it with the important players in your life, you need to set up a schedule – and stick to it. Make sure you aren’t overlapping your 9-5 with your side hustle, and be sure to set aside some “me-time” to avoid burnout. Determine how much time per week you want to dedicate to your side hustle, and block off specific hours in your day to work on it to really make your hustle a part of your lifestyle. There are even some great apps that can help you budget your time wisely, so feel free to try out different systems until you find one that works for you.
Stay optimistic
Chances are, your side hustle won’t start making you millions of dollars right away. Honestly, you might not gain traction even in the first few months. Try not to get discouraged, and remember to start small and build your business slowly. The more your business grows, the more your interest in it will grow. This makes it easier to dedicate time and more effort toward it. If you stay optimistic and invested, you will create something incredible.
