How to manage your side hustle and a job

No more long-ass commutes. No more annoying co-workers that steal your food outta the fridge and guffaw loudly on the phone to their friends. (Side note: Open plan offices are actual hell.) No more working on somebody else’s dream … Just 100% focus on you and your amazing future.

Ah, that’ll be the day right?

But right now you’ve got a full-time gig working for somebody else.

Ain’t no shame in the game, lady! In fact, you should be proud of yourself for having a job and working on your business on the side. It’s super smart because you get the best of both worlds – stability while building your dream empire on the side.

So if you’re hauling butt to your nine to five, I want you to know two things:

1. Working full-time in a job doesn’t make you any less worthy as a designer or entrepreneur.
2. In fact, you are a total bad-ass for chasing your dreams.

Seriously. Own it.

But even bad-asses need to manage their time, especially when you’re spreading it across, two jobs.

So, with that in mind, I’ve curated three of my top tips for successfully managing your job and your side hustle at the same time (without checking yourself into the funny farm).

Secrets of a successful side hustle:
How to channel your inner Wonder Woman to do #allthethings

Be honest with your clients. Don’t tell your clients that you’re available five days a week, if you’re at work for three of them. Or if you can only respond on weeknights, let your clients know.

You don’t have to tell them your life story and daily schedule, but do be honest about your availability and when they can expect to hear from you. This will ensure you keep your clients happy and aren’t worrying about your business while you’re at your job and vice versa.

ACTION STEP: Add your communication logistics to your welcome kit, similar to this:  “I’m based in Brisbane, Australia (GMT+10), so I may be contactable at different times to you. You can email me at hello@annadower.com. My business hours are Monday-Thursday 9-3pm. I’m not available on weekends & it’s very rare for me to be available urgently at short notice.”

Be realistic with your goals. I know you want to build your empire as quickly as you can. But there’s no use running yourself into the ground to pump out work OR reach those oh-so-unrealistic money goals overnight … you’ll end up hating your business.

Instead, take small steps, often.

ACTION STEP: Make your mantra “Keep celebrating the small wins” – consistent steps of progress are better than standing still or burning yourself out. Download the free goal worksheet here and breakdown your BIG GOAL into bite sized pieces that are realistic and manageable.

Don’t let your hustle remain a hobby. Just because you are not working on your business full-time that does not mean you should undervalue your services.

If you are going to stretch yourself to manage both worlds, make sure it is worth your while … which means acting like a business! Set goals, have systems and processes in place and make sure you are charging what you’re worth.

Take yourself seriously and others will too. Side hustle or full-time business. 

ACTION STEP: If you are struggling to figure out your pricing and actually charge what you are worth I suggest you check out my mini eCourse “Pricing & Packaging your Design Offerings” here.