As more people turn to side hustles to supplement their income, they also realize how difficult it can be to keep track. Fortunately, there are tips and tricks you can use to stay on top of your side hustles, keep yourself organized, and make sure you are getting the most out of multiple incomes.
This article looks at the seven best tips for managing multiple side hustles and making sure you stay organized.
1. Set yourself a schedule.
One of the smartest things you can do when you have multiple projects is to set yourself a schedule. Creating a schedule is one of the best ways to stay organized and stop yourself from getting overwhelmed. The key is to make sure you maintain your schedule, so make it as realistic as possible.
An overall schedule of the things you need to achieve and when they need to be completed is excellent for ensuring you don’t take on too much. When you have multiple projects happening simultaneously, staying on top of what you have to do can be challenging. Having a schedule to refer to can help you track each project independently.
So, how do you set up a schedule? Many apps are dedicated to creating a schedule, or you could even use your phone’s calendar app. Otherwise, a handwritten schedule is a great way to visualize your calendar.
A top tip: distinguish one side hustle from another by color-coding with distinctive colors.
2. Plan Each Day.
Once you have set a schedule, consider what you want to achieve each day. Set some time aside to think about how you want each day to look. You might decide to split your day into blocks, with each block dedicated to one side hustle. Alternatively, you may only be able to fit in a couple of hours a day to stay caught up.
However, your day is likely to look, and planning every day out as much as possible is a great way to ensure you stay on top of tasks and don’t fall behind on any project. It’s also a great way to make sure you don’t get too busy and, hopefully, keep a good balance between work and life.
Your phone is probably an excellent tool for helping you plan everything you want to accomplish each day. A daily schedule can be stored in apps on your phone, including your calendar app. You also have the bonus of setting up alerts and notifications to keep you on track with your phone.
3. Learn to Prioritize.
You can break your daily calendar down even further by prioritizing the tasks you have to complete each day. Having a list of things you need to complete in a day can be overwhelming, but prioritizing is good to help you manage your expectations and what you need to do every day.
There are many ways you can prioritize your projects. For example, you might choose to organize by when each task is due, which can be helpful if you struggle to stay on top of due dates. You could also try organizing by time to finish the bigger, more difficult tasks first and then move on to the smaller, probably easier ones.
4. Consider Where Your Focus Needs to Be.
Even if you have multiple side hustles, you probably have one business or source of income that takes priority over others. This might be the source of most of your income or the project that you are most passionate about. Whatever your reasons for prioritizing this project, make sure you give it the time and energy required.
Having a single focus does not need to take away from your side hustles. On the contrary, it can be a great way to help you give them enough time. It can be easy to get carried away doing something you love, so focusing on one project over others can help you block out enough time to achieve everything you need, ensuring no project goes without.
The Organized Jane blog has more great tips on keeping your side hustles organized.
5. Create a System.
We touched earlier on the idea of color-coding tasks in your schedule according to each project. This is just one of the ways you can begin to systemize your side hustles and create a more streamlined schedule for yourself.
Systemizing your side hustles might mean anything from color-coding to filing. For example, you could create a complex filing system to ensure you never lose anything or systemize your time according to how much you have available. However you choose to systemize your side hustles, you are likely to see an improvement in how you manage your time and income.
Consider some of the other things you could systemize alongside your tasks. For example, you might systemize things like invoices and receipts, appointments and meetings, or social media accounts. Systemizing these things is a great way to ensure you are organized and have everything you need for your business.
6. Audit Your Time Carefully.
Time management is key to most things in life, mainly when multiple projects occur at once. Some people need to track every second of their day to be successful, while others get by on auditing specific amounts of time. Your choice will depend on what is suitable for you and your time.
Think carefully about how much time you can realistically spend on each side hustle. You must be realistic about your time, rather than thinking about how much time you would like to spend or how much you think you should pay. A reasonable amount to earn each day is much more doable and will keep your side jobs from taking over your life.
7. Stay on Top of Finances.
Earlier, we looked at the advantages of systemizing your accounts for each business or side hustle. However, you will probably be most appreciative of your system when sorting out your finances. Whatever you choose to do to stay organized, your finances must take precedence.
Everything from tax returns to business insurance is vital for the success of your side hustles, no matter how much you make or the time you put in. However, if you aren’t naturally money-minded, it can be overwhelming to face such things. So, it would be best if you stay organized from the very start when it comes to finances.
Fortunately, many apps and software are available to help you stay organized when it comes to money. If you are easily overwhelmed by finances, consider using an app or software to manage your income more efficiently. Some great options are QuickBooks and FreshBooks, which allow you to manage everything from payments to invoices.
Final Thoughts.
Side hustles are constantly growing in popularity to supplement income and put skills to use. However, as we have seen, it takes a lot of organization and planning to start and maintain multiple side hustles successfully. Therefore, you must be realistic about what you can give, stay focused, and keep a schedule as much as possible.
