How to Start a Side Hustle While Keeping Your Day Job

Your side hustle idea may seem awesome and disruptive to you, but your potential customers will likely ignore it like most “brilliant ideas” or even not have a need for it. So, ensure you're not creating a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, as this is one of the top causes of startup failures.

You can do that with objective feedback from potential customers and asking them to join a waiting list, pre-purchase your solution or hire you as a service provider. 

Secure your value propositions with a serious competitive advantage. 

That can be anything that differentiates your business from the competition. This can range from smart/low pricing, aggressive sales tactics, higher profit margins, unmatched customer service, best-in-class features, strategic relationships, intellectual property and other specific factors that clearly differentiate your brand from the competition.

At the beginning bring in one customer at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the demands of larger numbers.

Having practical goals that are attainable on a daily, weekly and monthly basis helps you develop positive habits and train yourself for success. One good framework to use when formulating goals is the SMART Goals Criteria.

A good, viable side hustle idea should be launched, monetized and iterated. Don't waste time obsessing over trying to build the perfect solution when you don't yet know what exactly your customers will resonate with most.

To help you beat the inertia, draw up a simple action plan that lays out key milestones and deadlines that'll guide you from start all the way to launch date. 

Starting a side hustle you're going to have weaknesses and some of the skills necessary to efficiently running your side hustle must be outsourced so you can free up your time to do only what you're best at within your business. 

It's also more affordable in the long run as the value of your time increases significantly.

Without feedback from your first customers, you risk failure as your project may not satisfy your customer’s needs.

Without objective, external feedback, you risk executing the plan and investing resources, only to lose all in the end. Try to internalize harsh feedback and you'll force yourself to continually improve your solution as you progress.

Don’t work on your side hustle during company time or with company resources. Not only is it unethical, but it may violate your employment agreements.

Honor every contract term and perform well at your day job even as your side hustle picks up momentum. Compromising your quality of work and reputation in the office will prevent you from re-engaging and even potentially partnering with your old employers once you go full-time as a business owner yourself. 

Keep your day job until your side hustle is providing you with a sustainable, growing cash flow that exceeds 75% of your day job income, so you can increase your chances of success.

Moreover, have at least six months worth of savings for both personal and business purposes.