How to Balance a Side Gig with Your Main Gig
Balance is key to a successful side gig.
Taking on a side gig when you are already so busy with your main income source (and, you know, the rest of your life) can feel overwhelming and intimidating. However, it is possible to have your cake and eat it, too (and with a side gig, you might be able to afford that really good, fancy cake you have had your eye on). Check out these tips and tricks to incorporate a side gig into your life:
• Schedule time to invest in your side gig. “‘Over 80% of the investment needed to start a side gig is time,’ says Ryan Robinson, content marketing consultant, writer and host of The Side Gig Project. ‘It’s the period you need to acquire (or sharpen) a skill, find and serve clients who will pay for your work.’” With that in mind, sit down and evaluate how much time you can realistically devote to a side gig and, if it is helpful for you to do so, create and organized schedule so you can clearly see where you have time in your week to build your side gig.
• Keep your cash investment small when you start. Experts say, “you don’t have to invest all your savings into your side business to fuel its success. It’s smart to start something that doesn’t require a lot of capital or an idea that can be tested at a small scale. Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup, found 1,500 people who’ve turned a modest investment — some of them less than $100 — into a $50,000+ business.” So how do you keep from investing too much cash up front? Enter the internet! Social media is a great platform to help promote your side gig and lots of website platforms offer free options to help you create a simple website so you have somewhere to send interested clients and customers for more information.
• Set realistic, detailed goals. The clearer your vision, the easier it will be to accomplish your tasks to build your side gig. “Be realistic about what you want to accomplish and how quickly you want your goals realized. You’ll want to break down your ‘idea to launch’ plan into clear, defined next steps with deadlines.”[1] Not having a clear plan of action can leave you feeling overwhelmed or feeling like your efforts are not paying off. Keep it simple, keep it realistic, and keep it organized!
What are your favorite ways to balance your side gig with your main gig? Show us how you make it work by tagging us @therealbodepro on social media or let us know in the comments!
[1] “How to Succeed at a Side Gig When You Work Full-Time.” Looka, 7 Feb. 2019, looka.com/blog/side-gig-how-to-succeed/.