Start A Business On The Side: Launching A Business In Just Five Hours Per Week

A huge barrier for people wanting to start their own business is that they don’t feel like they have the time. For people considering a career change or starting a business on the side, they may have to work their new business around a busy lifestyle.

Just because you can’t spend 40 hours a week on your business, doesn’t mean you don’t have the time to start a business on the side. If you are interested in starting a business, we have compiled some tips on how to work your start-up around your busy lifestyle.

1. Block off five hours per week on your calendar.

Find five hours a week that you can block off in your calendar to work on your business. This may mean getting up an hour early each day or giving up a chunk of your weekend to devote to your business. No matter how busy you are, you will be able to find five hours to block off, which gives you ample time to focus on the essentials of getting your business up and running.

2. Focus on one thing at a time.

There is so much that goes in to starting your business that the list of things to do can seem endless. If you don’t have much time to devote to your start-up, focus on only one thing at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to figure it all out at once otherwise you will just get burnt out. Concentrate on one task at a time, even if it takes a little longer to get your business running.

3. Follow the 80/20 rule.

There is a saying that 80% of your results come from only 20% of your effort, so remember this when working on your business. Focus on the tasks that are going to produce the most results for your business, rather than worrying about things that will have little impact on your business’ success. An example of this would be to devote your time to working on an effective marketing plan, rather than spending hours designing the logo for your business.

4. Set firm deadlines.

If you want to start your business as soon as possible, set firm deadlines for all the major tasks you want to complete. Even though you may have blocked out five hours for the week, you might not be using this time as efficiently as you could, which is where deadlines can keep you accountable.

5. Review your progress each week.

When you are using snippets of time here and there to work on your business, it is important to reflect back on what you have done each week so you can keep track of where you are and where you are going. It can also feel very motivating to recognise the hard work you have been doing each week, which will inspire you to work just as hard the next week.

By blocking off time in your week and keeping yourself accountable, you can start a business in only a few hours per week.