I built a successful side hustle selling digital products on Etsy that replaced my income. I achieved this while working full time and starting my family.
It all started with dabbling.
But it wasn’t until I mastered these 3 vital habits that the real money started pouring in.
Here are three vital steps to starting a successful side hustle while working full-time that you need to master.
1. Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Most advice will tell you to become an expert time manager.
But here’s the real truth: it’s not about finding time. It’s about finding the energy and focus for the tasks at hand.
After a full day at work and family commitments, you’re probably mentally drained. The secret is to identify when your energy peaks during the day and reserve that for your side hustle.
If you’re like me, early mornings are prime time for focused work. Others might find late evenings their sweet spot. It’s vital to determine when your energy is at its highest for focused work and allocate those high-energy and focused moments for tasks that move the needle in your side hustle. Then, use low-energy or distraction-prone periods for more routine work.
2. Outsource the Noise to Maintain Focus When Starting a Side Hustle
As a mom, my to-do list feels like it is never-ending. One thing no one tells you about starting a side hustle is that not all tasks deserve your full attention. The key is figuring out what you don’t need to do yourself.
Here’s the secret: Outsource anything that takes time but doesn’t require your personal touch.
One of the fastest, easiest, and least expensive ways to outsource is to hire a housekeeper to clean your house once or twice a month (or, if you have older kids, make them do it). Hiring a virtual assistant for administrative tasks can also be helpful if you can afford it. I even hired neighborhood teenagers to help me with basic admin tasks, and it was well worth the money and the time I got back to focus on more profitable tasks.
By delegating tasks that need to get done but don’t move the needle, you can focus on growth activities like strategy, product development, service delivery, and scaling your side hustle.
3. Learn from Other Side Hustler’s Mistakes
Another vital way to accelerate your side hustle is by learning from those who’ve already achieved what you want to achieve. I dabbled for years, trying to figure things out with free content. But, when I bit the bullet and invested in a digital products course and dedicated time to absorbing the content, I found success came so much easier.
Investing in courses or training programs can equip you with the specific skills you need, whether in marketing, sales, or managing the business side of your hustle. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or pay for expertise—what you learn could be the game-changer that propels your side hustle to success.
If you’re a busy working mom, you don’t have the time to learn things the hard way. It’s much better to pay to learn from someone who has the right answers than to spend your valuable time floundering to figure it out yourself.
It’s about working smarter, not harder.
The Bottom Line
Starting a side hustle while working full-time—and being a full-time mom—isn’t for the faint of heart. But with the right approach, it can be done, and it can be extremely profitable. Remember to manage your energy, outsource where you can, and save time by learning from other people’s mistakes when possible.
Still here? Check out this Blueprint for Starting a Side Hustle Online
There are a ton of ways to quit your 9-5 job and make money from home, but if you’re interested in learning more about how to do it with Etsy, check out The Shockingly Simple Guide to Selling Passive Income Products on Etsy. This free, in-depth guide is a deeper blueprint for passive income that will help you learn exactly how to create digital products on Etsy!
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