7 Tips on Managing your 9–5 with your Small Business
Juggling a full-time job and business is no easy feat. While it is great to have multiple streams of income, it can take a while for one to properly adjust, and not burnout while at it.
Aside from having multiple streams of income, most individuals who run their business with a 9–5 do so to make it easy when fully transitioning into business, and to test the waters before taking that big leap. This is commendable and wise; however, navigating both worlds requires intentionality.
Because beyond work, you also have a life, right? You want to create time for your family, go out with friends, do house chores, etc. So, how does one balance it all? This article will provide all the answers you need. Let’s dive in.
7 Tips on Effectively Managing Your 9–5 with Your Small Business
Let’s examine 7 tips to help you effectively manage your 9–5 with a small business without breaking down.
1. Have a plan and set goals
The first thing is to create a clear plan and set goals on what you would be doing for your business per time. This could be monthly, weekly, or daily.
For example, if you plan to acquire three clients in 1 month, you can set goals such as, “I would create three social media content for my business every week. I will make cold calls or send cold emails to people I want to work with. I would batch produce some of my products, etc.”
This would give you clarity on what to do per time to move your business forward. Little drops can become a big ocean if you are consistent!
2. Create a daily routine to stay disciplined
Discipline is the key here. Without being disciplined, juggling your 9–5 with a business would be difficult. It all starts with having a structure and routine around your day and sticking to it.
A routine could mean waking up by 5 am to work on your business till 6 am before preparing and leaving for your 9–5. It could also mean using your lunch break at work to create content for your business. Creating a routine and staying committed to it would help you more than you can imagine.
You should read: Everybody is not your target audience
3. Set boundaries for office work
I spoke to a friend with a 9–5 and side hustle, and he gave me this tip that I think every business owner with a 9–5 should pay attention to.
To build a great business while working a 9–5, create boundaries for office work. This simply means office work should remain at the office while you focus on your business at home.
To achieve this, set clear boundaries to avoid working overtime without being paid, enabling you to maximize after-office time for your business.
This also says that Netflixing after work will be on hold for a while. Yeah! You must put in those extra hours and make them count for something. Don’t worry, you can Netflix and do other things at a minimal level, but for now, you need to prioritize your business.
4. Maximize weekends, public holidays, and work leave
Aside from creating boundaries to prevent office work from eating into non-working hours, you must also maximize your weekends, public holidays, and official leave from work.
After working for your boss from Monday to Friday, dedicate tangible time to work on your business on weekends and public holidays. This gives you time to test the waters and see how things would pan out when you eventually decide to launch fully.
Also, take that official leave you’ve been postponing, to grow your business and get adequate rest.
5. Maximize your support system
A solid support system is key in this journey. Imagine having a child less than 2 years, working a 9–5, and running a business on the side. Without a support system, one would collapse sooner or later.
A support system can be a supportive partner who relieves you of certain duties when you have a lot on your plate, family and trusted friends who offer to have your kids over for the weekend, etc.
6. Join a business community
The entrepreneurial journey is full of ups and downs, highs and lows, wins and failures, challenges and victories, etc. You surely don’t want to walk that journey alone, which makes joining a community of go-getters with similar values, goals, and challenges non-negotiable.
At our business community, we provide the support you need in terms of expert knowledge, credit, community support, business resources, etc. to grow your business from hustle to portfolio. Joining us gives you access to the support system you need to grow your business enough to quit your 9–5.
7. Take breaks to avoid burnout
You should have a life beyond work!
Because while it is great to crush it at work and business, you need to pay attention to the other things in your life. Succeeding at this requires that you pace yourself to avoid burnout.
While all the tips above are great to help you prioritize your business and work; it is key that we talk about avoiding burnout.
When you are ill, you won’t be of much use to your employer or business. So, always prioritize your health and other relationships to stay balanced.
Acing your 9–5 while Building a Profitable Business
“Work on yourself more than you work at a 9–5 or on your business”. That was the first statement a friend said when we discussed this topic. And I find it profound
It is easy to fall into the trap of working endlessly when you have a 9–5 or business that you forget to invest in yourself. This is bad and can be detrimental to your career and business growth. So, take out time to invest in yourself by taking courses, attending business seminars, reading books, getting coached, etc.
Also, before you quit your 9–5 to face your business full-time, ensure that the business is generating enough money to take care of your monthly recurring expenses. This helps you avoid being frustrated and broke while building.
At Triift Africa, we are passionate about helping small business owners go from #HustleToPortfolio. Through our community, we provide members with the resources, tools, finance, expert advisory, etc. that they need to grow.
Ready to scale your business? Join our exclusive club of winning business owners.
Struggling with running your business while working a 9–5, send an email to hello@triift.africa or visit our website to book a consultation session.
