5 Ways to Effectively Balance a 9 to 5 and an Online Business
“How do you do that?”
“Do you even have time for all of that?”
“That’s a lot!”
Those are just a few reactions that I get when people find out that I chase news as a local TV reporter and balance clients in my online business. My response?
“I love it!”
I love serving my clients outside of my job because it’s what I was born to do. I’m a writer at heart so that explains why I go hard for my business outside of working 8 hours as a reporter. The secret to balancing it all is simply to stay disciplined.
For myself, this seems to be easy because I’ve been a go-getter since my high school and college days. For others, it isn’t so simple which is completely understandable. That’s why I want to share a few tips to get you on the bandwagon to balance and productivity.
1.) Plan! Plan! Plan!
It’s always great to have a planner in general but I advise entrepreneurs to get another planner for business purposes only. This can be used to solely keep track of deadlines, business ideas, to-do lists, etc. These days, there are some neat planners on the market that cater to content creators such as myself. These not only keep you on track but they also increase your productivity.
2.) Stay Organized.
As an business owner, it’s easy to get swamped with so many documents, photos, and emails. Don’t fall into that swamp! Instead set aside some time each week to go through your emails and place them in
specific folders, so that you can easily refer to them. The same goes for documents and photos. Create specific folders for them so that you don’t have to take too much time hunting for what you need.
3.) Change of Scenery.
My favorite place to work on business is from my
apartment. Simply because I have everything that I need (peace, coffee,
comfort.) However, to keep the flow of productivity going sometimes I like
to change my scenery whether that be a park or coffee shop. Take
advantages of things in your city that could serve as great working
environment. If there is a co-working space near you, go!
4.) Outsource
You’re human! Don’t forget that. It means that you’re not
perfect, so you can’t do everything or be everywhere. If there is something
that you can outsource to another trusted entrepreneur, do it. If you can’t
handle certain things that are on the back-end of your business, it’s time to
search for a virtual assistant instead of spending hours on it yourself.
5.) Automate and Batch
Isn’t it great how far we’ve come digitally? We’re
able to schedule emails, content etc. To further increase your productivity,
research systems that could work for you with social media, email
campaigns, client meetings, and client payments. If you create content such
as blog posts or articles, schedule a time each week to sit down and write
them in one work session. This truly saves time for your week or month.
Trust me you will thank me!
I hope these tips help as you continue bringing in the dough from your business
while also working at your 9-5. I completely understand that it can be tiring. Trust
me, if anyone feels your pain, I do! But it’s completely worth it to sit down and
follow these tips for a bit more productivity in your routine. Your routine, will not
be perfectly seamless, because being an entrepreneur is not a breeze but these tips
will help you feel more balanced to grow and scale your business.
