What is a side hustle you may ask. A side hustle is when you keep your current job, but also do something on the side — like maybe you have an Etsy shop where you sell things you make, or maybe you sell cosmetics, or maybe you’re a consultant or coach or designer. Career coach, Sarah Vermunt shares reasons for having a side hustle and how you can juggle both a career and side hustle.

Why do people choose to have a side hustle?

Financial security
If you want to build your own business that takes time. Most people need the financial cushion their full-time job gives them while they build their business. People hate risk and doing your business as a side hustle before you take it full-time is a less risky way to do it. People often feel safer doing it this way.

You can work out the kinks
Despite what you’ve heard, starting your own business is really unglamorous and awkward. You have to try things out and see what works for you — for example what kind of clients you want to work with, what kind of schedule you like to keep, what works, what doesn’t. Building the business slowly, on the side, lets you work out the kinks before you jump in with both feet.

How do you stay sane if you want to keep your current job AND do something on the side?

There’s only so many hours in a day, so pace is important
Since you’re still working full time, this side hustle of yours is obviously going to take longer to get going than if you were doing it full-time. You have to be okay with that. So remember that the point is to go slow and steady.

Setting boundaries
You have your job, you have this side business, but you also want a life! Create a plan for how many hours you’re going to devote to it each week and stick with it. Sometimes having a side hustle is REALLY good because it forced you to have boundaries in your day job too. You’re less likely to work unreasonably long hours in your day job if you know there’s a project at home you want to work on.

Is there ever a point when you should stop doing a side hustle and make it your full-time thing?

Yes! For many people, a side hustle is a way to build a business slowly and safely with the security of another source of income. That’s awesome! But it’s not sustainable to have your attention is divided forever. If the point is to take your business full-time eventually, make sure you do it! Fear keeps so many people stuck in jobs they want to leave. So once your business is making progress and you’ve worked out the initial kinks it may be time to jump!