Working is the hardest part of being an adult and inevitable so. If we don’t work, we won’t be able to take care of ourselves. In Nigeria, a lot of people are doing jobs that take up a lot of their energy and pays so little, as such many of such people are thinking of how to start a side hustle in Nigeria to make ends meet.
Most times, while it is great to start a side hustle, you must not yield to the temptation of quitting your job prematurely for your side hustle. There are good reasons why aspiring entrepreneurs should stick to traditional work as they grow their side hustle – rather than quitting their job to make a full leap of faith. In fact, almost 15% of small business owners have a second job early in their careers, something that many young entrepreneurs don’t know.
Why Starting A Side Hustle In Nigeria Can Be A Good Thing
I was working as a full-time accountant when I started my first blog project (a side hustle). I spend 40 hours per week building a company with great people who have a variety of skills and potential. I have always been proud of my work as an accountant and though I didn’t want to leave, I still wanted to create something of my own.
That’s when I started Exelle Web Media, which was a website I started to teach people how to start a blog.
As I continued my job as an accountant, I realized that both can influence my life positively. I naturally have an analytical mind which means I fitted in with both analyzing the company’s inflows and outflows which helped me understand how businesses works.
In fact, working there opened my eyes to the business world and I resigned later to start up a hair extension business, which unfortunately was hit badly by the Covid-19 pandemic. But I learnt quite a lot from the experience and have never regretted ever trying.
Thinking about good business opportunities was what gave rise to this ideahub.com.ng, which I started while working as a full-time digital marketer for a digital marketing agency. My digital marketing skills were sharpened because of my experience with the first blog I opened and the digital agency was pretty impressed with my work.
So, running a side hustle in Nigeria and working a full time job is very possible and you can benefit both ways from both experiences.
3 Tips to work full-time while starting a side hustle in Nigeria
Here are some tips to help you keep it all together if you are considering starting a side hustle in Nigeria while working a full-time job.
a) Schedule like a boss and follow it like an employee.
It is difficult to stick to a daily routine which turns out to be one of the most important parts of running a side hustle. Your full-time job has the tendency to take over your side hustle business if you don’t put it in your schedule. What’s the solution?
Find time to plan and schedule the things you want to do on your side hustle business as your full-time boss would have asked of you, and make out time to work on it (as an employee who fears not meeting up a boss’s deadlines would).
Read Also: 15 Awesome Online Business That Pays Daily
b). Make a Checklist On Tasks You Need To Do
It takes organization and focus to move your side hustle forward, while still making it to work every day. This is why it is essential to draw a checklist to assess yourself.
You can start by listing all your tasks and ranking them in order of priority. Next, schedule them into your week and get to work. Tick the ones you completed and leave the ones you didn’t complete. Then rate yourself every day.
Just using productivity tools does not necessarily mean you are productive. So don’t forget the importance of self-discipline.
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c) Never forget why you started your side hustle
Sometimes I lose touch with the original motivation for starting my side hustle. So I asked myself, “What motivates me to do this? Recall the reasons why you decided to pursue your passion. If after revisiting the reason why you started it in the first place and it still doesn’t ignite your passion, it might be time to quit.
Building a side hustle is not for everyone. You might not succeed at it the first time. Be patient with yourself and be organized. Although the journey may not always be enjoyable, you will find satisfaction in your achievements later.
