For the uninitiated, a Side Hustle is a business that you create as a second income to your primary source of making a living. It can be used to pay off some debt or build an investment, but it can also be a way to test out a business idea that could perhaps become your full time gig in the future.
But there’s a problem. How do we find the time?
Here’s 7 ideas to help you side step this obstacle.
Be realistic. There’s no point setting yourself up for failure. Let’s say your planned Side Hustle is to become a yoga teacher. To achieve that you need to work through the training, then you need to find work to gain experience, and then you can look to build your own clientele.
If you have a full time regular job, then maybe setting yourself a goal of having this all done in 3 months is unwise. What is likely to happen with such an unrealistic time frame is that you blast away for the first few weeks, then fatigue, and after a few more weeks quit and feel like a failure.
So be kind to yourself, and be realistic. Think about what is possible given your other commitments and build your Side Hustle to suit.
Morning time. I know that not everyone is a morning person, but for the bulk of us, first thing in the morning is our most productive time. Getting up an hour earlier could give you the time needed to breathe life into your Side Hustle. The household’s quiet, and you’re rested. It’s a great time to get stuck in. And an hour each day can really create some momentum.
Many years ago I had a brief Side Hustle writing a text book for an education provider. I got this done by getting up early Sunday mornings for 4 months. I committed 3 hours each session. It definitely helped that I knew it was only for a limited time. But it certainly worked for me. I was fresh and productive, and it didn’t impact greatly on my family time or weekend.
Cancel Netflix. Could you find the time to build your Side Hustle by simply watching less television? Roy Morgan research found that Australians watch a touch over 18 hours of television per week.
We all need our down time, but a realistic Side Hustle might only need an hour per day. So cut 7 hours out of your TV watching per week, and you’re in business. And all while still finding time for the Bachelor!
Reduce social media time. Social Media Today reports that the average person spends 116 minutes per day on social media – almost 2 hours! – every day!
Perhaps there’s some scope to put your social media following time to better use working on your Side Hustle. As a handy side benefit, many people find that less social media equals more happiness.
Find a business partner. Teams magnify outcomes. None of us are all seeing and all knowing. Having someone else to bounce ideas off, or work on things that perhaps aren’t your strength, can help propel your Side Hustle forward.
Put your lunch break to use. Most days I sit at my desk to eat my lunch – not ideal I know, but I’m sure I’m not alone. I do want to take a break, but I can’t just look at the walls. I find this is a great time to search for a Youtube video on something I want to learn.
If you’re starting a Side Hustle, there will be all sorts of things you need to learn – from email marketing, to book-keeping, to boosting a post on Facebook. Indeed it is the learnings that you get from trying your hand at a Side Hustle, that is a core benefit. So while you munch on your 3 leaf salad, washed down by a vanilla slice, think about what you could learn to make progress on your Side Hustle goal.
Don’t feel that you have to do everything yourself. Outsourcing sites like Upwork can enable you to delegate tasks to people all around the world. Sometimes, a job that might take you several hours to complete, can be done by an expert in 20 minutes, keeping costs to a minimum and enabling you to spend your time on things you are best at. With the judicious use of outsourcing, your Side Hustle project can be gaining momentum, even while you’re at your day job, or in bed asleep.
A version of this article originally appeared here: Financial Autonomy.