All right you hate your job, you hate your boss, and it’s simply not the career you want to follow, so you have decided to start your own business. Even if you strongly want to quit your job, you need to stay employed to have money coming into your account. Quitting your job can be risky, as it could take you months to get revenue from your business. So having a job while building your business is a great strategy to work towards your freedom.
However it is not that easy to work on your side project and perform your job properly. The first thing I will suggest is to avoid using your work emails and telephone to work on your project, because some companies are do checking on employees’ browsing and telephone conversations.
Here are some tips on how to do effective research:
Develop your Online presence
Social Media is important for building a business. Social networking can be a great source if you’re looking for new partners. So connect with new contacts and engage to forums related to your project industry, and follow potential partners. Nowadays the first thing people do is to type your name on Google and see your online presence. Develop your personal branding online.
Develop your Network
Networking is key when your start a business. Networking is very important to refer you to prospective partners / clients, or simply to give you advice and tips. The aim is the create relationships of mutual help.As you know the most successful marketing is word-of-mouth, so start networking. Develop new networks and sustain the existing ones for advice and information. Oh yeah, it’s “who you know”. So start networking, contact former colleagues and meet new people. You can develop good networks in your leisure time, hobbies, sport activities, networking events related to your sector, and friends.
Never Stop Giving Your All at Work.
Don’t give up working hard in your current role. It could be quite difficult to juggle between two works, but try to keep motivation at your job. So do your best to give your all on that job. Your side project is not bringing you money, so keep going. Doing your best at your current job can enable you to get recognition and value and this is truly helpful for your next move. It’s important to leave a job on good terms, and leave a good impression. Your current colleagues are your tomorrow’s networks and referrals for professional activities.
Project Management System
It’s important to have a project management system because it will allow you to stay organized and keep track of your activities. It can be quite overwhelming to manage a side business and a job, so I would suggest you to create a spreadsheet, and use project management techniques. Manage your time and set deadlines for each task. Monitor your progress daily and weekly to track your activities. Use the productivity tools you have available on your different devices.
Having a job and a side project is not an easy task, and it can put your current job in an uncomfortable situation. However you can do it by being secretive and organised. Just use different methods to meet your goals and do not lose motivation.
Picture By herlitz_pbs on Flickr
Lisiane Ndong 