Collaborative post. It’s not easy when you are struggling to make ends meet. Many will use up all the payments from their full-time job and have little left over for food and other essentials. The good thing is there are all sorts of different ways you can earn extra in the UK. You might want to go it alone and set up your own business. But most are not overnight successes. It takes time, patience, and the right skill set to get a new business up and running and make a profit. Here we look at a few ways you could use to help you make time for a side business.
Making Time for A Side Business
The type of job you do influences the number of hours you work each day. This of course isn’t the same for high-powered jobs. But then the pay packet would be much larger and thus invalidate the need for a side business.
Use Spare Time Wisely
Mornings and Evenings
If your job is from Monday to Friday from 9-5 then you’ll find that you could get up a little earlier to do some work. The same can be said in the evenings. You should be able to find a spare hour or even a little more to devote to your new business. It’s important to avoid overdoing it though. This could have a negative impact on your full-time job and you may find all of a sudden you have more time than you thought to devote to it but without the security of a full-time wage.
During Your Commute
Those that commute to work using public transport will find they have time to devote to their new project. Many will spend between 30 minutes to an hour each way. This can provide a substantial amount of usable time each week to use for business development.
Lunch Breaks
You could make the most of your lunch break to make phone calls that may be required for your side business.
Weekends
The weekends may also be a good time to work on the project but it is important to also schedule time for yourself. Use your time wisely. Arrange to work on particular goals but also to have time to relax or go out with family or friends. Finding a balance can be one of the most difficult things to do but also important.
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Organise Your Time
To get the most out of your time each week it helps to be organised. Time is already limited so planning out what needs to be done, deciding on the importance of each task and allocating time for each task is vital. Buy a planner to help you keep on top of things and all the information organised efficiently.
Stay Focused
It can be easy to get distracted or lose focus especially when you are tired. Make sure you are getting adequate rest first of all. It also helps to ensure your workspace at home is suitably prepared for you to use daily. Your workspace can affect your level of focus and productivity. Also, consider looking at some of the focus techniques available. They will help you to use short amounts of time efficiently. One such example is the Pomodoro Technique where you try to complete the work in intervals. Between each is a short break. It is supposed to help boost efficiency, boost focus, reduce mistakes, and more.
Don’t Forget
Your chosen side business should be something you enjoy doing. As a result, you’ll be more enthusiastic about the work required. You’ll also be able to think creatively and find ways to improve the business. Be flexible, adapt where you need to so you can allow for setbacks.
If you are looking to start a business then you might find my post What To Consider When Starting Your Own Business helpful.
When Making Time for A Side Business you’ll find a range of obstacles may get in your way. As an entrepreneur, it is up to you to think on your feet and work around them.
Do you have an additional business aside from your full-time job? If not is this something you are looking to set up?
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I would like a side business if I had the time. I could always use the extra cash. You have some awesome ideas here. Being organized is a must.
Being organised makes a big difference to a business. Lack of this can mean a business may not work.
Finding time can be hard. This is a good way to find time with multitasking.
It can, it doesn’t work for everyone.
Learning how to spread out my time and make special slots of time for my passions or side business has become such a necessity in my life. My hardest hurdle was getting past the newness and turning it into habit.
But, once you got there I bet you never looked back!!! Great to hear it’s going well.
This is such a helpful post! Having a side business is always a great idea if you’re able to do it!
It can be helpful to have the extra income.
Side hustles are a great way to earn money on top of your regular 9 to 5 job. It is just effective planning and time management that you need to make it successful. Thanks for your tips and advice.
If you are good with time management then in many cases it should work well.
Your tips will certainly help in creating a side business.
Thanks, I hope it helps those looking to make an extra income.
I don’t have kids so my time is my own at the moment. I take a dinner break and get to work on my side hustle. I do make time for myself.
I’m glad you make time for yourself too!!!
I’ve had several side businesses and love that extra income that comes in. Multiple streams of income is the only way to live.
That’s great to hear. I bet it makes a big difference to you and your family.
I’ve been working on getting a side business up and running. I think it’s great to be able to have one so that you can earn a little extra money.
It can make life that bit easier!!
Aside from my work Me and my family has a small business its a mini grocery store and it really helps a lot with our expenses
It can help bring in extra money to use for bills etc.
I would like to have a side business, but I don’t know where to find all that time. I think my family needs me too much!
It can be hard when you already have a lot of commitments.
Time management is key for when you are considering any sort of side hustle to supplement your income. There is nothing worse than sacrificing your down time or worse time with the family just to make a little bit of extra money! But utilizing those breaks you have during the day where you may have just “wasted” time can be very beneficial!
It sure is. Why not use what would otherwise be wasted time and put it to good use.
These are such good points. I work from home on the side and it can really use up a lot of time. It is so important to focus and also have a schedule!!
Having a schedule can help you focus on completing tasks in the time available and can encourage you to be more focused.
I sell items we no longer use on eBay like clothes the children have grown out of
That’s great as you get something back for items you no longer use.
This is a very inspiring post and your guidelines sound pretty good. However, I’m not a sucker for multitasking, hence, I’m focused on my real job 🙂
It helps when you are speaking from expereince. Not all can spare time for an extra business.
Great tips to help people have a side business and I’m looking to have one soon as well. Thank you for sharing!
That’s great, I hope it all goes well.
All these tips are surely helpful as time is very inportant where anyone like me could surely loose track of time being productive, I think its all about managing it really well.
It is helpful to be able to manage time well.
Thanks for these great tips! It’s easy to lose focus. But one thing I’ve noticed also is that I can get hyper focused on the side business and then have no spare time for other things that need to get done. I agree that balance is important.
Balance is very important for our mental health. It is very easy to be side tracked so we need to control this.
When people wonder how I manage to spend money despite the pandemic, I inform them about my side hustles and even encourage them to do one. It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it. And you’re completely correct that choosing a side business should be something we enjoy doing.
That’s great to hear. It can make a big difference to your life by having that extra income.
I have 2 children they keep me so busy i don’t have a side business but could certainly use extra money . Fantastic idea
It may be something to consider when they are a little older.
I use my free time for my blog a lot on the weekend. I got so much done for it too! It is hard to work on it during my commute as I am packed with so many people on a crowded train for 15 minutes
The trains can get busy depending on when you travel. Getting on early can often secure a seat which can help.
Side hustle is so worth it. Using our spare time wisely to make things we love more productive and earn extra is a must.
It certainly is. It’s not always enough to just have one job these days.
I don’t thing I’ll ever have time for a side business, doing administrative work requires that I am in the office from 8Am to 5Pm plus I go to school, but I am trying hard to turn my blog into a side job.
That is always a great idea for a side business. It can take time to start earning on a blog though.