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Building Your Creative Empire On a Part-Time Basis
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Building Your Creative Empire On a Part-Time Basis

It’s no secret just how competitive jobs in the creative industry can be. Everybody wants to have these jobs, but there are only so many to go around! There is another option, however, and that is to create your own position, in your own company. This will, of course, be difficult, but if you’re waiting for your dream job anyway, why not give it a go? You can start building your empire on a part-time basis, working around your current full or part-time job.

Here’s what you need to know to make it happen:  

Assess your time

You can’t have everything in life. If you want to have a job, be working on your own projects, have time to socialise, and sleep, then, well…you can’t. Something has to give. Even though you’ll initially only be testing the waters with your company, it’ll still be taking up a lot of your time, and as such, you’ll need to structure your time more rigorously. If you think you’ll be able to live without those after work drinks – instead using the time to work on your business – then it might be right for you.

Make sure bills are in order

Remember: you’re only trying to build your company on a part-time basis. You’re doing this because you need to keep your current source of income. Don’t lose sight of the fact that it’s your job that should be given priority, not your business. If you think your work is suffering because you’re using too much energy on your side project, then it’s time to rethink your approach; your company will not have been worth it if you lose your job before your business is bringing in a livable income.

Build your online presence

It’s important for all businesses to have an online presence, no matter what industry you’re tapping into. Your website can be a basic portfolio to showcase your talents, or a full e-commerce solution to sell your products. Setting it up is quite straightforward, but it’s essential to have a branded domain name and reliable web site hosting to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Getting help

Your business will be small, but if you’re trying to fit in its growth around your full-time job, then it’ll be too small. Even if you can’t commit to long hours, you can always hire a couple of part-time staff members to keep things ticking over while you’re at your primary employment. With a host of applications allowing you to manage your business away from site, you can afford to spend minimal time in the office; things like shift planning software, employee records databases, and employee messaging services will all help you remain in control, even when you’re not physically able to be there. If you’re not yet able to hire workers, rope in friends and family to help you take care of some tasks until you’re able to commit your time fully.

Focus on perfection

When you’re juggling a job and a company, your business priority should be on perfecting your service, not growth. In the long run, ensuring ten customers have a 10/10 experience with your company will be more beneficial than the financial rewards of one hundred customers. Once your business is watertight, you’ll be able to think about expanding.

You’ll have to work twice as hard to build your business on a part-time basis, but it can be done!

 

Image credit: Unsplash