Manage Your Full-Time Job With Your Side Business With These Easy Tips
Not all of us have the luxury of kissing our 9-5 goodbye when we venture out to start our own business.
Heck, some of us might be completely satisfied working for someone else while we rock our own business on the side. Whatever you're going for, don't let your full-time job be the reason you don't open your own business, especially if it's something you're really passionate about.
Related: 10 Ways to Develop An Entrepreneurial Mindset
Trust me, I get it, working your business at the same time as your job might feel overwhelming to even think about. But it is definitely possible. And you can do it without feeling like you're going to shut down and have burnout. Here's how.
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Have A Plan, Sis
So before you start this amazing journey of launching a business while you're still rocking your full-time job, you gotta get a plan. And not just a business plan, a real-life plan. For starters, do you ultimately want to be able to work your business fully, or keep a job on the side, even if you don't need it? I totally get it if you don't necessarily dream of being your own boss but still want to express your passions with a business. Full-time entrepreneurship doesn't have to be for everybody. Or, do you want to work your business as much as possible until you don't need a job anymore?
Whatever you decide will determine how hard you'll go and how much work you'll put in on the regular. Of course, you can adjust and radio edit as time goes on, but it's super important to have a plan instead of aimlessly wandering into this life changing step. It doesn't take long to write down where you want your business and your career to be in six months, a year, three years, five years, and so on. It's your prerogative and it's your business. You just have to make sure it makes sense for you.
Make The Most Of Your Weekends/Days Off
If you're working a Monday thru Friday job, or even a job that requires you to clock in on the weekends, you really have to make the most of your days off. If you have the standard two days off a week, then make one of those days off that you work on your business like crazy. You could even split it up and work a few hours a day on each day if you're worried about getting overwhelmed. Because as much as we love the grind, even a superwoman needs a rest day more often than we'd like. It's all about working smarter, not necessarily harder.
You can also take advantage of some evenings after work, or if you work nights, some mornings and afternoons before work. Whatever you do, just make the most of your time off and your free time in general. If you live in a major city like Chicago or New York where you rely on public transportation, you can even use those moments to brainstorm and write down the amazing ideas you have rolling around. You just have to find your sweet spot and balance between taking advantage of every free moment, and not burning yourself out. Because if you go way too hard and get exhausted, your business and your health could get the short end of the stick.
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What's Your Real Goal?
Whatever it is, go for it. The sky's the limit. The new Kanye might be on some other stuff but the old one was right when he said, "You gon touch the sky baby girl!" All you have to do is go for it. I think the best idea is to write down your dream goal. Not just when it comes to revenue and profit but also when it comes to your reach, target audience, and benchmarks you want to meet. Put dates next to them, and then write a plan on how you'll get it done.
Once you put details next to your dreams, like the how's and the when's, you'll see that they're much more reachable than you might have ever thought. For this particular point, the when is the key. Even if you have to get a cute planner to schedule and write down time you'll work on your business in the morning, on your lunch break, and whenever you see fit, you'll find that you're inching closer toward your goal; even if it is slowly but surely.
Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help
At some point, as your business grows, you're going to need help; especially while you're working your full-time job. I love that within my group of friends, all of us have different strengths, and we let each other capitalize off of them. Whether it's me editing one of their blog posts or them helping me sit down and focus on my brand image, it's not a bad thing to use other's strengths in areas where you might be lacking; especially if you're offering your own services too.
Related: 5 Women Share How They Found Their Mentors & How It Changed Their Lives
Another way you can ask for help is to find a mentor. While your business idea is a unique one that will bring something special that no one else can offer, it's pretty likely that someone else has already accomplished something similar. Whether it's in a different industry or with a different target market, don't be afraid to reach out to someone and ask them to guide you along until you take off the training wheels.
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Rock That Budget
So one of the best parts about having a full-time job is that it can pay for your business until you're ready to fly solo (if that's what you aim for in the future). While you're working your job, use that to your advantage to fund projects, events, or anything that can help build your businesses in the long run. Even if you're just starting out with an idea and haven't been able to lay out the logistics, thanks to your job you can at least start a savings account that will serve as a pretty nice cushion when you're ready to launch.
Related: The 411 on the 50-30-20 Rule
From building a website to advertising to potential clients, business expenses can definitely add up with the quickness. So don't be ashamed of letting your hard work at your job pay for it until you don't need it anymore.
Have you started on your own business? What are some tips you have for navigating owning a business and having a full time job?
Featured image by Getty Images
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Charmaine Patterson is a journalist, lifestyle blogger, and a lover of all things pop culture. While she has much experience in covering top entertainment news stories, she aims to share her everyday life experiences, old and new, with other women who can relate, laugh, and love along with her. Follow Char on Twitter @charjpatterson, Instagram @charpatterson, and keep up with her journey at CharJPatterson.com .
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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I think we all can agree that social media really is a double-edged sword. What I mean by that is there is just as much bad that can come out of it as good. At the end of the day, it really is about 1) having your own mind, 2) finding balance when it comes to how much time you spend online, and 3) doing your own research instead of taking random people’s opinions as the gospel (i.e., facts).
Gee, I wish more folks did all of this when it comes to if a man needs to have a large penis to sexually satisfy a woman (he does not) and if a woman who has had multiple sex partners will ultimately end up with a vagina that is too large for smaller penises to please her (a lie).
Science totally has my back on debunking both of those things (more on that in a bit). Know what else does? A particular type of sex method that is becoming more popular by the day. One that just might convince you to, as they used to say back in the day, focus less on the “size of the wave” and ride out the “motion of the ocean” instead.
It’s called shallowing. Here’s what it’s all about.
What Is Shallowing?
GiphyIf there’s one thing that I wish folks would say more thoroughly when it comes to women and orgasms, it’s that when it comes to75 percent of women not being able to orgasm from only intercourse, the accurate statement is they struggle with achieving a vaginal orgasm without the assistance of some type of clitoral stimulation. Yeah, we’ve really got to remember that very few things in this life are a complete monolith — orgasms included (check out “U-Spot Orgasm, Fantasy Orgasm & 6 Other Orgasms You Should Try Tonight”).
In fact, it was while I was reading up on pairing — a word that is used for when clitoral stimulation transpires during penetration — that I decided to do some deep-diving into shallowing (because it was mentioned inone of the articles that I read).And what is it? Shallowing is when a penis, finger, tongue, or sex toy of some sort is used in order to ever so slightly penetrate the vaginal opening of a woman.
And why is shallowing not just a current sex trend but something that every woman on this planet should try? It’s because of what I’ve said, more than once, on this platform: it focuses on the most sensitive part of a woman’s vagina, which isthe first two inches of her vaginal opening.
When the emphasis is placed there, not only does it increase your chances of experiencing “the big O,” but it can also build up anticipation, which can intensify your orgasms too — yes, shallowing can also be seen as a form of edging.
Another thing that’s cool about shallowing is — and it really and truly can’t be said enough — something that makes vaginal and blended orgasms easier to achieve for some women really has little to do with the size of a man’s package or even his technique; it’s straight up anatomy. Yep, the closer that a woman’s clitoris is to her vaginal opening, the easier it is for a penis to stimulate both. So, science makes it possible for vaginal orgasms to be easier for some women than others.
At the same time, shallowing can make it possible for more women who want to see what a vaginal orgasm actually feels like (because it’s easier for the head of the penis to stimulate the opening of the vagina while the shaft can rub up against your clitoris; based on the position that you are in, of course — the missionary with some pillows propped under the lower part of your back is ideal for this).
Now that you see what shallowing actually is, do you get why I said that penis size doesn’t matter when it comes to doing it — and getting the kind of orgasms that you want? Contrary to popular belief, your vagina is only around four inches. In fact, some health experts say that it ranges between 2-4”. Anything larger, your body literally has to stretch out to accommodate; this includes penises and babies. So, if your vagina is “making room” for more than four inches, why in the world do you think you need a 10-inch man? Yeah…exactly. It really is time to get over the silliness. The average penis continues to be 5.5”. Makes sense when you take it all in (no pun intended).
Aight, so now that you know what shallowing is all about, let me try and hard sell you on why it’s a sex technique that you should try as soon as tonight (if you possibly can).
1. It takes the pressure off of you and your partner.
I’ve been working with couples for almost 20 years at this point. This means that the topic of sex comes up quite a bit. And if there’s one thing that continues to be an issue is inconsistent orgasms (check out “Why Do Orgasms So Often Seem Like A ‘Hit-Or-Miss’ Experience For Women?”).
Listen, no matter how many articles you read or sex positions you try, if you’re anxious, stressed out, or overthinking, it’s gonna get in the way of you experiencing high peaks of pleasure on a consistent basis. Since shallowing is something that can easily be done even in foreplay (via fingering and/ororal sex) if you get that first “release” off, that makes it easier to just sit back and enjoy the ones that (hopefully) are to follow.
2. It teaches you more about your vagina.
A part of the reason why I keep repeating certain facts about vaginas in these articles is that it’s amazing how little certain things are discussed en masse — like the size of the vaginal tube. And since shallowing helps you to stimulate the nerve endings at the entrance of your va-jay-jay along with your G-spot (which is housed a little ways from your opening), shallowing is a great way to explore that area of your body as you figure out what truly works for you and…what doesn’t.
3. It’s the perfect merging of foreplay and intercourse.
When you really stop to think about it, shallowing is like the bridge between foreplay and intercourse because you can use so many different things to do it. So, if you want to experiment with a new sex toy or you want a bit more time to “warm up the engine” before full-on penetration begins, shallowing is one of the most sexually arousing compromises there is.
4. It can help to increase your partner’s stamina.
A few years back, I penned an article for the site entitled, “We’ve Got Some All-Natural Ways To Increase Stamina & Sensitivity.” Listen, even though I onceread a GQ article that said that over 60 percent of the people they polled were fine with intercourse lasting no longer than 5-10 minutes — that poll doesn’t speak for all of us, chile.
So, if you would like your man to build up to going longer, shallowing can help to make that happen. Since he’s barely putting beyond the tip in, he can learn how to be in you for longer periods of time without being, well, in you.
5. It helps you to appreciate whatever “package” he has.
Again — and it really can’t be said enough — if shallowing is all about exploring the mere entrance of your vagina, you don’t need a man with BDE (check out “BDE: Please Let The 'It Needs To Be Huge' Myth Go”) or honestly, even anything close to it.
I mean, even though, reportedly, the size that the average woman says gives her the most orgasms is eight inches — I bet those women have never really tried shallowing before. 10”, 8”, or the average 5.5” can certainly get the job done. And well.
6. It feels A-MAZ-ING.
Okay,so now that you know about shallowing, I promise that if you put the word into your favorite search engine, you’re either gonna see articles on golfing (LOL) or sex, especially as of late. That’s because more couples are trying it out and getting mind-blowing results from it. So, if you’re looking for something new to try, give shallowing a shot.
Hey, anything that’s designed to stimulate your most intense vaginal nerve endings has got to be something for the record books. I mean, how could it not be? Lawd.
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Featured image by Juan Moyano/Getty Images