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There are a lot of reasons to start a side business. Many people may quiver at the thought - after all, most of us don’t have enough free time with just one job - but for others, it’s a great way to develop yourself and get a new source of income.

Beginning a side business, of course, is a pretty tall order. But you don’t need to quit your full-time job in order to do it. (That’s kind of implicit in the term ‘side’!) You just have to make sure you’re prepared to engage in this endeavor properly. Here are some of the things you need to keep in mind if you’re planning on starting your own business in this way.

The income from your full-time job will be a lifesaver

A lot of people who want to start a business end up quitting their full-time job in order to pursue their dream. They become convinced that it’s not something they can only pay some attention to. What you need to understand is that most businesses - and a large proportion of very successful ones - began as side businesses. The reason the founders were able to keep that business going was because they had another full-time job that was making them profit. It’s unlikely you’ll see any profit from your own business for a good while - so don’t believe that you’ll only be able to do this if you quit your job.

Bye-bye, weekends

Don’t be fooled: just because it’s a business you’re running on the side, it doesn’t mean that it won’t take up pretty much all of what you previously knew to be your free time. Getting your business to the level at which it needs to be probably means working in the evenings after your regular work hours and then spending most of your weekend doing the same. Your time for friends, family, and other fun things is going to be fairly limited. This emphasizes the need to take smart time-saving steps. For example, if you want to run an e-commerce business, then using a reliable online store builder will help save you several hours, if not days.

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Have patience

A new startup that’s been run full-time probably won’t see quick growth and development. The businesses you’re running on the side will probably be even slower to grow. It’s essential that you exercise patience during this endeavor. A lot of budding entrepreneurs end up getting discouraged and give up with their side business because it’s taking way too long to get anywhere. Again, remember that you’re still earning an income from your other job - otherwise, that slow growth would be much more disastrous!

Relax

Yes, you need to invest a lot or time and effort into this. But the problem with a full-time job and the running of a side business is that you risk burning yourself out. And if you want your performance in both those jobs to remain solid, you need to make sure that doesn’t happen. Too much stress will seriously hamper your ability to concentrate and do good work, so make sure you know how to deal with it!