Here at OnlyHustles, we talk a lot about starting a side hustle and different ideas to pad your bank account. Lots of people have the information they need to start a hustle, but struggle to actually get one going. We know starting a side hustle can be daunting, so here are some tips to help you get that side hustle off the ground and running!

Keep a Planner

I’ve always found it extremely helpful to keep a planner of what I need to do. Initially, I started doing this for school, and I’ve carried it over into the hustles that I’ve dabbled in. Now, it’s important that you don’t treat your planner like a checklist, but allot a certain amount of time for the task at hand. You can’t make it impossible, but try not to make it too much, otherwise you might unnecessarily extend the amount of time you spend on a certain task just to make it fit into the allotted time slot. If you can’t figure out what time works best, be generous at first, and adjust as you get more experience. For example, if I needed to schedule some Instagram posts for my theme page, I would write the following in my planner: Schedule 5 Instagram posts – 3:00-3:30PM. I like physical planners, but digital planners such as Google Keep or paid services such as Toggl. 

Not only should you plan out your time for specific tasks, but if you’ve got a busy life, you should plan out when you should work on your side hustle. Try to make this somewhat consistent so you’ve got a schedule. Say you get home from work or classes everyday at 5:30. Try making 6:00-7:00 your side hustle hour, and work exclusively on stuff related to your side hustle. This will feel dreary and boring at first, but once you get in the rhythm, you can be extremely productive!

Get Rid of Any Distractions

Yes, I know this sounds obvious. Cut out any distractions to work more productively. But have you actually done it? Lots of people think they’ve cut out distractions, but they’ve actually created more. Try turning off distracting notifications, getting rid of your phone while you work, or going to a place that’s specifically for you to work to get into that mindset, and get to it.

Get a Timer

This pairs pretty well with keeping a planner. But, most people’s phones are a distraction to them, meaning they won’t really be able to tell how long they’ve been working on a certain project. To this, I say get a timer. No, not the timer app on your phone, but a physical timer. Once you begin working, set the timer and get working. Not only will this help you keep track of how long has gone by, but it will remind you to take breaks as needed. The timed method I recommend you use for this is the Pomodoro Technique. This method has you work in 25 minute intervals and is science-based so you only work short segments for optimal creativity and productivity.

Break Large Things Down

If you have a big thing that needs to get done for your side hustle, scheduling a few hours for it can be daunting. “Am I really going to sit down and work on this for x hours?” Break it down into chunks, and it can really seem daunting. For example, if I have to write 3 articles for a blog, I’d break it down into 3 different time slots (one for each article.) That way, it seems less scary and more approachable. 

Expense Management

Once your side hustles reach a certain point, you might start receiving and spending a decent chunk of change. It gets to the point where just trying to remember what you’ve spent and where. To remedy this, there are a variety of options. If you’re a spreadsheet wiz, you can always take that route with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, or you could find a free template online. If you’d like to take a different route, you can always go with a paid subscription budgeting software like QuickBooks Online, FreshBooks, or Float. 

Get a Virtual Assistant

No matter what anyone says, time is your most valuable asset. Once your side hustle has gotten to a point where it’s too much work for you to do alone, it’s time to delegate that work to someone else. Virtual assistants are helpers you can find on sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour that can handle almost anything a secretary would do: schedule appointments, manage social media, respond to emails, and take phone calls. Virtual assistants can be costly, but if you think you can make more money paying someone else to do work to free up your time, they’re absolutely a worthwhile investment you should consider.

Get Organized

Research has shown that working in a clean, organized environment boosts productivity. Not only that, but you can spend less time looking for that one password or searching for that note you wrote down 3 days ago. Organize your workspace. Make everything have a home, and be consistent with it. Right when you’re about to leave that thing on your desk, put it back where it belongs. 

Getting organized isn’t exclusive to your physical workspace, but also your digital workspace. Develop a system to organize emails based on what’s important. This can be any way you see fit, and if emails aren’t important to your side hustle, apply it to something that is. Organization can be applied almost anywhere, and it’s important to make sure you stay as productive and as time efficient as you can be. 

Quit the Multitasking

Everyone has had this bright idea before: “If I get this and that done at the same time, I’ll get both done in the same amount of time, and I’ll be done faster!” I’m here to tell you, take that idea and chuck it in the trash. When you’re multitasking, you can’t focus on what you’re doing as much, and as a result, your work will be of a lesser quality. Obviously, that isn’t something you want, so leave the multitasking in the past and focus on what you need to do.