As cliché as it sounds, the key to a successful life is, ultimately, balance. Once you have established balance in your life, you will notice how evenly your life flows and how much easier it is to be successful in your endeavors!
One of the ways one achieves balance is by determining the focal points in your life and devising a plan to apply pressure equivocally in their directions.
Nowadays, the two driving forces behind most of our motivation is our jobs and as of late, our businesses. In addition to the corporations, we’ve been influenced and trained to work for since we were of working age, small businesses are budding left and right!
But for those of us who haven’t made the full transition into entrepreneurship, how do we effectively and efficiently manage our businesses while striving in our nine-to-five?
I’ve shared a few ways that I, myself, and a few others, have done it so feel free to thank us later;
1. Part Time Employment/Flexible Jobs (Parlay and Flex)
If you’re not already tied down to an entity, you should consider seeking part-time employment and/or a “flex” job.
Working part-time will allow you to divvy up your day in a way that works well for your boss and for the boss that you are! Depending on your background, you could secure a PT position that pays just as much as a FT position, if not more.
What is a “flex” job, you ask? Well, they’re ALL the new rave as most of them give you the option to get paid daily, work from home, work at your own pace, and in a way, work for yourself!
Examples of “flex” jobs would be delivering packages for Amazon, groceries for Instacart, or simply driving people to and fro via Uber or Lyft. Jobs like these allow you to pick and put down your obligations, create your own schedule, and access your pay immediately so that you can return to your “baby”, your business.
(A good rule of thumb is to always be aware of your monthly dues so that you can position yourself to cover all expenses in a timely manner if you are going to be exercising a flexible work schedule like so. Join Phil Cunningham’s “Fall in Love with Your Finances” for free financial advice – more details here)
2. Work in a Like Minded Industry (Employ Your Employer)
Secure a position in an industry related to that of the one your business is centered around.
This way, you’re always in the headspace of your craft! You can pick up tips, learn more about your industry, network with like-minded individuals, and get paid to do so!
In other words, employ your employer and make your work work for you!
(Another good rule of thumb is to practice safe measures to ensure you are not exhibiting a “conflict of interest”. If you’re still working, it’s because you still need that source of income and you don’t to fudge it up by steering clients from your company, purchasing/stealing supplies, or anything else that would benefit you but hurt your company.)
3. Automations (Work Smarter, Not Harder)
Use as many or as many automated systems as you need so that your business is still operating in your absence.
If you must work a FT job, that takes a big chunk of time out of your day. Your clients and customers will miss you during this time!
Setting up automation tools to respond to emails, post to social media, proofread, save important documents, and more can not only prevent you from having to do these repetitive tasks but also, keep your business flowing while you’re in the workflow.
(Good rule of thumb; don’t let your automations drive out the human factor. Your customers still want to hear from you! These tools are just to pacify you/your clientele until you’re available to further assist.)
4. Virtual Assistant (Two Heads Are Better Than One)
So, maybe robots aren’t your thing, then there’s always the human factor. You should think of adding a personal or virtual assistant to the team!
These are REAL people who are either local or online that will pick up the slack while you’re picking up the pieces of your life at work.
Assistants can perform tasks like answering/returning calls, taking/relaying messages, responding to correspondence, conducting research, and can even run errands for you!
Most assistants will create a custom structure with you for you!
(Rule of thumb: Those awesome individuals are there to help not hinder. Treat them with respect, be communicative, and don’t assign them any tasks that you could do yourself. You want to optimize the assistance that you’re getting!)
5. Use Your PTO (Paid Time On)
40 hours a week, in most cases, is A LOT of time to dedicate to someone other than your customers if you’re a business owner!
That’s why it is imperative that you take advantage of the time you have off from your job so consider that “paid time off” to be “paid time on” as you have the option to get PAID while spending TIME ON your brand!
Schedule ahead of time what. you’d like to do and carpe diem!
(Last rule of thumb: Your off days are the perfect time to schedule meetings, perform follow ups, research analytics, and make updates to your brand/business!)
With that being said, being a dual worker is about balance!
It’s a balance of your job meeting your business in the middle.
It’s a balance of your customer meeting your boss in the middle.
It’s a balance of your income meeting your outcome in the middle.
The tips above can help you stay afloat until you reach the shore that is a full fledged business owner.
May the balance be your buoy!