How to start a part-time business without sacrificing your full-time job

It’s not easy, but it is possible. Working two jobs is extremely difficult and very few can do it properly. The key is knowing which is your priority and which comes second. Here are a couple of tips to becoming a bi-employed businessperson without killing yourself and losing your job in the process.

By Craig Falck for Africa Report
Photograph: © Dmitriy Shironosov | Dreamstime.com

What you need to do first is come up with an idea that you know you will be able to follow through with 100 percent in your free time. If it’s going to take up more time than you have, you might need to adapt your plan and come up with something slightly less time consuming. You need to be able to dedicate all the time necessary to your main job as it’s your primary source of income. The minute that it takes a backseat to your part-time work, you start to lose focus and that could cost you your job.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want your part-time job or work to be, you need to start planning how you’re going to do it. Obviously there’ll need to be planning on how much money is needed to start it, who will be employed (if you’re not the only one working at your new venture), where it will be run from… all the nitty gritty details that need to be in place before anything else can happen. Once these have been adapted and changed and you’re happy with them, it’s time to put them into action and kick off with your second job. It’s important that you tell your boss about your plans; you might have skipped over the small print in your contract of employment and might find that you’re obliged to tell them. Make sure that there’s no conflict of interest between your two jobs – you could find yourself out of work if you’re not careful here.

The next step is to make sure that you’re sticking to your plan of your second job coming second and your first job still coming first when it comes to your attention and dedication. Also, you mustn’t give up on your second job, no matter what happens. Even if it means waking up earlier, going to bed later or working weekends, you need to be dedicated and work at it. You’re an entrepreneur for starting a business, and entrepreneurs don’t give up, regardless of the obstacles.

Taking on a second job is never going to be easy. It’s also not something that you should take lightly. If you’re going to do it, you need to give it your all. Likewise, you mustn’t lose focus and let it take over your primary job. If you’re dedicated and have the support systems you need, nothing can stop you. Just believe in yourself.