How To Run A Marketing Side Hustle Working Full-Time 💁🏼‍♀️

A big question, often asked by many and taken on by even less.

Are YOU Interested in building your own agency or consultancy while working full-time for someone else? Wondering how to balance the demands of multiple careers without burning out? 

Jen Herman has successfully run her social media consulting business for over 11 years while simultaneously working a full-time job in the aerospace industry. Here are her tips for nurturing a budding business and avoiding burnout 😮‍💨

Clear Communication 🗣️

Attempting to hide a fledgling side business often breeds resentment among family members later on when your divided time and attention becomes apparent. Setting realistic expectations prevents misunderstandings and friction when your focus gets pulled in multiple directions.

Start by explaining specific goals, aspirations, and timelines with those closest to you. For example, let them know whether you’re aiming to fully replace income down the road or just looking to generate supplemental cash in the short term. 

Second, be upfront about any concrete impacts on your schedule like potential absences at certain family gatherings or a lack of flexibility around dinnertimes going forward. 

You also need to outline any support you’ll need from a partner with household chores or childcare duties to free up bandwidth. 

During these conversations, be sure to create space for loved ones' input, but make your non-negotiables clear regarding activities that spark joy or promise career advancement.

You can revisit these conversations as your business evolves.  

Strategic Scheduling ⏳

Maintaining two careers alongside other life commitments leaves little margin for error scheduling-wise. This slender margin means you’ll need to comprehensively calendar every fixed obligation across the sectors of your life, from staff meetings to project deadlines to family activities. 

Block off every chunk of time dedicated solely to your main job, your side job, creative brainstorming, professional development, networking, etc. Block out time for life circumstances such as holiday schedules or children's school demands. Block off time for nurturing seasons of rest and renewal because attempting a life of nonstop hustle will prove unsustainable. Finally, set reminders leading up to big deadlines, and most importantly, stick to the boundaries created around both jobs' scheduled demands. 

Pro Tip: As you move through the year, pay attention to the natural ebbs and flows in your energy levels as well so you can continually adjust your calendar.

Your Exit Strategy 🚪

When starting a side hustle, it’s important to think through the future and consider where you want to end up down the road. Do you hope to turn the business into your full-time job one day? Or gain valuable skills to advance your career? Or take a break to refocus on your passions?

Once your end goal is clear, outline and construct an ideal timeframe upfront to get you there, then map out milestones to aim for along the way. 

Building this plan early on gives you clarity, prepares options if juggling both jobs gets too stressful, and can define your exit strategy from the side hustle or your full-time job.

Stay flexible and adjust your exit strategy when needed. But keep a vision in mind for life after your side hustle years.

Today's advice is provided with insights from Jenn Herman.

Q&A

• So, are you ready to run a side hustle that could change your future?

• Do you have any pain points I can help you with smoothing out?

• Do you think you could utilizing from these points above could impact your future?

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Book a {10 MINUTE} Business Power Call with me, to arrange working together to make your social media videos stand out online as I tweak your approach, and analyse how to improve your current video, business strategy or marketing.

2. Don’t have time to create great videos yourself? Focus on your business, whilst we focus on creating the videos that you’ve always dreamed of. Get in touch to find out more.

Until next Friday, love to you all!

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