When you decided to start a side hustle, your dream was to build a business that will eventually mean you can become a homepreneur.
You dream of working for yourself and having the freedom and flexibility that comes with being your own boss.
What we sometimes don’t realize, is that there is a huge difference between building a business and being self-employed.
Business owners scale their income.
Self-employed people trade dollars for hours.
Business owners leverage the skills and talents of others.
Self-employed people rely only on their own skills.
Discouraged yet?
Don’t be.
Every business owner started out as self-employed. Just don’t stay there!
So when you’re working on plans for you business, please consider the following tips that will help you build a sustainable business instead of just another job.
Don’t Try to Do It All Yourself
Starting out, it might seem cost-effective to simply do everything yourself — especially in the start-up phase when you likely have more time than money.
And you know what?
This approach is the fastest path to burnout and stress.
Try this Instead.
Separate your tasks into those that you love and are especially suited for (such as marketing) and those you dislike and aren’t good at (such as web design or creating blog posts).
Then make a solid plan to get tasks you dislike off your to do list.
Even If you feel like you can’t afford to outsource it all right now, just start with what you tend to procrastinate the most on, even if it’s just a few hours each month.
Don’t Allow Yourself to Work All the Time
The trouble with building a business while working full- time is that you will be working all the time, if you don’t watch it.
While you can leave your corporate space, working at home means that you live where you work. And that means that there’s no clear line in the sand between your work day and your home life.
Since there’s always work to do, it’s easy to find yourself working every available moment—often to the detriment of your family relationships.
So help yourself avoid this by:
– Setting—and maintaining—clear work hours
– Having an office with a door that closes when done
– Scheduling time for family and other activities
– Taking time for yourself
Vacations and Downtime Are Important
Don’t create a business that requires you to be “in the office” every day.
At the start, you may need to be available more, but you should definitely be planning for the day when you can be “off the grid” for extended periods of time.
What are some ways to do this?
Make sure you have trusted contractors who can handle things when you’re not available. A good virtual assistant is worth her skillset in gold.
Be sure to leverage automation tools such as autoresponders and auto-webinar systems.
Take time to create repeatable systems so you’re not always re-inventing the wheel.
While you might not be able to hit the road with no internet access for weeks at a time, at the very least you should be able to reduce your workload to a daily check-in.
Sound impossible? It’s not.
With some forethought and planning, you can create a team—and the systems they need—to successfully run your business without becoming overwhelmed and overworked.
No, reaching this point will not happen overnight. But as you are building your dream business, investing in and setting up systems and talent in the beginning, will set YOU up for success as your business continues to grow.
When the day arrives and you start to reap the benefits of your hard work, you will be so glad you planned ahead – and built a real business, not just another corporate job!
To Your Success…
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