For those ambitious entrepreneurs juggling multiple side hustles, what’s one key tip for staying organized and on top of things? How will this help them succeed?
These answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only organization made up of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs. More information at yec.co.
1. Think about when you work best
Set a schedule that works for who you are. If you do your best work between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., go for it. Many people deliberately structure their days so that they have at least some time to work after hours. Even if it’s just an hour a day, you’ll be surprised how much better the mind filters data when you’re not being mercilessly pinged by email, Slack, and more.
– John Rampton, Calendar
2. Set boundaries
Don’t let projects or clients mix in any way. This applies to your finances, your filing system, the time you block off on your calendar to work on different side projects, your email, and more. Boundaries are essential to ensure each project gets enough time and the right focus. Prioritize and schedule your time, and stick to the schedule. No distractions.
– Jonathan Prichard, MattressInsider.com
3. Focus on the big picture
To-do lists are great for keeping track of ideas and staying organized, but keeping a bigger mindset that not everything has to be done is key. Sometimes the art of doing nothing is more difficult than doing too much. Ask yourself what will really move the needle, get meaningful results, and create the maximum profit margin. Small things can often be introduced for bigger things.
– Givelle Lamano, Law Firm of Lamano
4. Use a project organizer
Keeping a project organizer can be of great help. It doesn’t matter if you prefer a digital solution for this or if you stick to the old school methods. A project organizer helps you maintain multiple to-do lists and measure deliverables for different projects with ease. It helps you minimize clutter and keep track of your goals for multiple side hustles without getting overwhelmed by the whole process.
– Jared Atchison, WPForms
5. Keep a strict schedule
You must maintain a strict schedule of all business activities and ensure that each business receives the attention it needs on a daily basis. Look for scheduling or productivity software that helps you track deadlines and keep track of everything you need to do for every issue. When creating your to-do list and setting deadlines, prioritize the most important ones and do your best to optimize your processes.
– Bryce Welker, Crush The GRE Test
6. Carry out weekly reviews
A key tip to stay organized and above all else is to have scheduled reviews. This means setting aside time each week or month to review your progress, goals and tasks. This will help you stay focused and on track, and will also allow you to identify any areas where you need to improve. Having regular reviews will help ensure your success when running multiple side hustles.
– Sujay Pawar, CartFlows
7. Create automated processes
Make the most of your time by spending an hour a week building and improving automated processes. Focus first on automations that can be duplicated or slightly changed for use in multiple side moves. At first, it doesn’t seem like much is happening; however, within a couple of months, you’ll have built a stack of processes that consistently work on your side.
– Monica Snyder, Song of the Birds
8. Hire a Virtual Assistant
My best advice is to hire a virtual assistant or use online gig platforms to help you manage your multiple businesses. Having a dedicated assistant or team to handle day-to-day tasks will allow you to focus on growing your businesses and achieving your goals. Plus, this approach can save you a lot of time and hassle, and ultimately help you succeed in the long run.
– Syed Balkhi, WPB Beginner
9. Take advantage of Timeboxing
Timeboxing can help you stay organized and manage various side issues. Create a calendar with different time slots that you assign to your projects based on their scope and importance. This allows you to channel your efforts in the right direction and manage your time optimally. Timeboxing also helps you achieve work-life balance as you manage multiple projects simultaneously.
– Stephanie Wells, Formidable Shapes
10. Assign lateral movements to different days
A key tip for staying organized and on top of things when running multiple side moves is to allocate different days and times for each side move. This will help you focus on each lateral movement separately and give it the attention it deserves. It also helps prevent your side issues from crowding into each other and taking up too much of your time.
– Abhijeet Kaldate, Astra WordPress Theme
11. Prioritize ROI
Whatever makes you the most money for the time and effort invested should be your primary goal. Then allocate more time to developing projects and rushes. Create recurring daily calendar items with multiple reminders to keep you on track and on task if needed.
– Scott Levy, Fuel Online