You’ve decided to start a business while working your 9-5, and although you feel really passionate and driven, when you get home from work, you’re not exactly sure what you “should” be doing to make progress on that side business!
This is a place many new entrepreneurs find themselves in while they struggle to balance their full-time gig with their side hustle.
While there is no formula to follow, here are some guidelines that will give you clarity on how to move forward.
4 Questions to Help You Create a Plan to Grow Your Side-Business
Question 1: How much time do I realistically have each day?
Even though you may technically have five hours after work that you could be spending on your business, it’s not a very realistic number when you factor in family, dinner, or just time to unwind.
For you, one hour a day might be the most you can do, and given that you already have so much on your plate, that’s okay.
Small, consistent actions on a regular basis are more impactful than irregular binge-working sessions.
When you’re aware of how much time you have, you’ll have more clarity on what you can realistically achieve and feel less like you’re spinning your wheels.
Questions 2: Where do I want to be in 30, 60, or 90 days?
The best way to figure out what you should be doing every day to truly move your business forward is to figure out where you want your business to go.
If you’re someone who likes a goal that is more immediate, you may want to look just 30 days into the future, and if you’re someone who likes a longer-term vision, 90 days might be the best fit for you.
As you create these goals, use metrics like money, number of clients, number of projects, and number of new people working for you.
For example, in 30 days, I want to have 1 new client and be bringing in an additional $500 a month.
While these numbers might not be exact, they give you something to aim for and help you stay focused when you wonder if you should be updating your Twitter account, posting on Facebook, or writing a blog post.
When you have clear goals in mind, you’re able to delineate between what’s important and what can wait until later, which can make or break your business when you have limited time available.
Question 3: What bite-sized actions I can break my goals into?
Once you know your goals for 30, 60 or 90 days from now, you might still feel overwhelmed by all that you have to do.
To help you focus in even more, break down your goal into bite-sized actions.
So, if you want to have 1 new client and be bringing in an additional $500 a month after 30 days, here is a possible breakdown:
- Write a sales page outlining your coaching offer
- Make a list of 6-7 potential clients
- Write an invitation email to send to those 6-7 potential clients
- Set up a method for accepting payment
- Write out the process your client will go through when working with you
You can even take it a few steps further by breaking down those actions into smaller tasks, like making a list of the benefits of working with you before you write your sales page.
By breaking your bigger goals into smaller, actionable steps, you transform your indecision about what you should be doing into clear tasks.
Question 4: Can I create themes for my days?
Create themes for your days by batching activities of similar nature. For example, you can have an admin day, outreach day, copywriting day, client day, or “figure-out-tech” day.
When you batch your activities based on their nature, you get more done as you don’t waste time switching from one type of activity to another. It also allows you make sure that you create appropriate conditions for certain tasks to get done.
For example, if you decide that Thursday is your client day, arrange for the kids to be taken to your mom for a couple of hours after school. Once your partner is on board and your mom is on board, then all you need to do is be there for your client.
When you assign themes to your days, you reduce the risk of wasting your limited time deciding what to do. You also slowly build routines you can easily fall into.
Patience is Key
Starting and growing your side hustle is exciting and you may feel the need to jump ship from your 9-5 as soon as you see money coming in the door.
While that move may be right for some, it’s not for everyone, particularly those who have others depending on their income.
Choosing to wait until your business can cover its own expenses and those of your family does not make you any less of an entrepreneur.
Building a profitable business does take time, so be patient with yourself and the growth of your business.
Back To You
What’s one action you can start taking today to get more clarity on what tasks will turn your side hustle into a fulltime business?
