9 Easy Ways to Make Time for a Side Hustle
We love that millennials are investing in their talent and starting side hustles in droves this summer. But even though we’re daydreaming about quitting our day job and making the courageous decision to pursue our passion project full-time, most startup owners are still paying their bills with a steady nine-to-five. So how exactly are we supposed to cram an extra few hours into our already jam-packed iCal? We asked, and the experts answered: Here are nine totally feasible ways busy girbosses can make time for their side hustle on top of their full-time gigs.
1. Talk to your boss. While it may seem counterintuitive to casually mention to your boss that you’re pursuing another hustle, it may actually be a life-changing move. “No, your boss isn’t going to give you time off or a lighter workload to make your side hustle happen, but they can free up your time in other ways,” councils co-founder of Earn Spend Live Meleah Bowles. “If you have a rough commute, they may be willing to let you come in an hour early and leave an hour early to stay out of the traffic. Another option is to talk to them about working from home one or two days a week, eliminating the commute entirely for those days.”
2. Work on your side hustle at lunch. That’s right, ladies. Make the most of your 30 minutes by answering emails and phone calls or checking in on your social media, advises BillBusters co-founder Michael Kaser. Just make sure you leave enough time to actually eat your grub so you can properly fuel all your girlboss pursuits.
3. Use social media tools to manage your side hustle while you’re at your day job. “I use tools like Co-Schedule and Quuu to make it appear like I am active on social media all day long,” notes blogger at Rocky Mountain Bliss Annie Murlowski. “These systems allow me to automate posts during the work day, so I can focus on my day job but still appear to be active on all my other channels.”
4. Schedule time (no matter how little) to work on your side hustle. “We find it’s not about forcing more time in your day, but just prioritizing and using your time wisely,” advise the directors of The Moderna Pauline Brookes and Clara Emanuel. “Starting a business can come in as little as 15 minutes a day or an hour a week, if that is all you have to give to start off. Just schedule it and make it sacred — and do that with all your projects and pursuits so that you can make a point of using your time wisely.” Even scheduling a daily five-minute social media update can make a *huge* difference in the success of your side hustle.
5. Pre-prep your dinners. “I’m not kidding when I say how much time this saved me,” co-founder of ElleBox Bunny Ghatrora notes. “Not having to go home and figure out what I was going to eat for dinner each day and then having to make it was a game changer. I was able to come home, do the things I needed to and eat dinner without wasting my whole evening. I was accomplishing way more, and it made getting through the day that much easier.”
6. Stop trying to build your own website. “I have a podcast editor, WordPress developer, and designer I work with so I’m not trying to do it all,” Paula Jenkins of Jump Start Your Joy says. “I purposefully identified tasks that were taking me a long time (and were not the part of my business that brought me a lot of joy) and sought out other entrepreneurs who specialize in those areas. It’s a win-win because I get more time, and I get to work with people who are passionate about tasks that help my business move forward. At first, I was hesitant to spend the money, but now I see it as one of the best decisions I’ve made for my business… and my personal sanity.”
7. Stay an hour later at your day job. “Most of us get home from work and we are brain dead or find ourselves swept up into other things, like cooking and cleaning,” founder of Tech Biz Gurl Jessica L. Williams says. “To combat this, you can try extending your workday — stay an extra hour later at your office or head to a coffee shop right after work and work on your side hustle then. This way, once you get home, your ‘work day’ is done.”
8. Take advantage of your bonus time. Whether it’s your daily commute or simply waiting in line for your morning cup o’ joe, great entrepreneurs take advantage of every second they can get. “You can use this time to knock some things off your to-do list, like brainstorming blog post ideas, listening to a business-related podcast, or creating some social media posts,” Williams advises. “You can also use this time to return phone calls.”
9. Get together with other girlbosses. “What’s better than a girlboss? A group of other girlbosses! Every couple of months, I meet with women who are also running their own side hustles,” says Keli Smith, a full-time pharmaceutical administrative assistant by day and founder and CEO of KAIKE by night. “Catching up after work or at networking events allows us to let our hair down, share our goals and fears, ask for help, and encourage each other. There’s power in great minds that think alike. Plus, being accountable to fellow girlbosses ensures that everyone gets into formation.” *Cue Beyoncé*
How are you making time for your side hustle? Tweet us @BritandCo!