Side hustles are meant to be the kind of job that fits into your schedule non-obtrusively, and require less effort than your full-time job to keep up with. They’re often more passion projects, usually taken up to help you make some extra money and get your name out there. 

But occasionally, the side hustle that once fit all of the above criteria becomes something more time-consuming, demanding, and overall stressful to try and run. 

No longer does your little passion project take up the otherwise free ‘5 to 9’ slot you have on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Now it feels like you’re always lagging behind, and you’re going to lose any success you once had!

So it’s time to scale back the time and attention you give to your side hustle. Don’t worry, you’re not going to lose out on anything here; the tips below are all about freeing up your schedule and reducing stress WITHOUT costing you the extra income you’ve strived to build. 

Switch Your Schedule Around

Your side hustle wants more from you. The 3 hours you used to spend working on it in the evenings is no longer enough to get everything done and properly squared away before tomorrow. 

As such, maybe it’s time to switch your schedule around and start splitting up your side hustle hours across the day? That 3 hours could become an hour in the morning, one just after lunch, and one in the evening. Doing this could even help you catch the later messages, emails, tasks etc., that get sent or assigned to you outside your workable hours. 

Or maybe you should bulk this time up instead of spending it equally across the week itself? In the same way buying in bulk makes grocery shopping cheaper overall, bulking up your time could leave you with more free hours to yourself. You might just have a busier Tuesday than you’re used to, but that means Wednesday to Monday is totally free! 

Automate Interactions as Far as Possible

You don’t need to be present for every single little detail. You don’t need to put maximum effort into all the things you do! It’s good that you want to, but it’s just going to tire you out and make you far less effective as a business owner. 

And really, you can rely on automation software to get the bulk of the annoying admit tasks done for you. Whether it’s a bit of data input or a chatbot that helps cut down the time customer interactions take, feel free to make use of these tools. 

Automating your customer interactions doesn’t mean being impersonal, either. You can customize the messages you greet your customers with. Thank them for reaching out, reassure them you’ll get back to them soon, and let them know just how much you respect their time as well. Plus, they’ll still get to speak to you at a later point. 

Optimize Your Website to be Customer Friendly

A customer friendly website limits the amount of customer support messages you get. If the people that click through find what they’re looking for, and it’s not difficult to navigate, retrace their steps, and there’s a list of FAQs they can quickly check, your time won’t be so divided. Instead, you may only get a few queries here and there. 

Plus, the more optimized a website is for the customer experience, the more profitable it’s likely to become in the long run. Indeed, there’s a lot to be said about website optimization for conversions, and how running a website that puts the customer first can make you a far more popular choice amongst your niche’s user base.

Not only that, but when your website is made to be a smooth and convenient experience, you may just start climbing up the search engine rankings as well. 

Think About Taking it on Full Time

This is the final thing we want to touch on here, as there’s a chance your side hustle demands are becoming overwhelming because it’s more successful than your day job. 

If it’s simply requiring more time for a lot of busywork, feel free to follow the tips above and make a change for the better. However, you should think about where all of this new noise is really coming from. 

Look at the signs you’re getting. Have you got more engagement on social media than you’ve ever seen? Are the emails in your inbox less spam and more potentially money-making than usual? Are your clients coming to you with more questions, more tasks, and more billable hours than last month? 

While these things will make you busy, they’re not just busywork. They’re all indicators that your side hustle has begun to thrive. You’re connecting with the right audience, you’re bringing in organic leads, you’re being looked to as an authority (both online and off) — these are things worth celebrating!

So maybe it’s time to take on your side hustle full time? You don’t have to make a decision about this immediately, but it’s worth mulling over. Get a sense of what you’re doing, as well as what you could make, and think about making a drastic career change that could put you in a lucrative position. 

Don’t Let Side Hustle Demands Burn You Out

When operating a side hustle, it’s crucial to keep it part-time, lowkey, and within the boundaries of your normal schedule. When it starts breaking out of this box, it’s time to reassess the way you use your time. 

You may need to dial back and let the storm blow over. You may need to put a bit of automation in place. You may even need to consider quitting your job and taking on your side hustle full-time. 

No matter what’s going on, figure out where the problem lies and take some time back for yourself. You might feel like you’re going to lose out, but things can’t go on how they are!

Thanks for reading this article. 💚

If you loved what you read, would you be able to buy me a cup of coffee? It’s okay if you can’t right now.

If you have any questions or if you wanna work with me, feel free to contact me. I’m always available to help young hustlers like you @InuEtc on Instagram.

Keep hustling!