If you’re just starting out in your business, you know you need to make some sacrifices and invest in more important things. Doing a side hustle is tough especially when you also have to work to increase your monthly income.
If you’re a newbie in the business like me, you may find it hard to say no to some things that won’t matter in the next 5 years. Someone told me recently that I should not chase after money or financial independence too much because it will come naturally.
I’m not after the money. Money is just a number and can be printed by banks. I’m after the freedom and life of having financial independence could bring. I do think there is nothing wrong with aiming success in life.
Now, I understand the concept where at some point, you need to relax and have some fun. However, if the “fun” thing feels uncomfortable and will force you to spend more, it’s not worth doing it. All it will cause you is to worry about where you’re going to get that money spent back to your pocket again if it’s already gone. It’s not going to make you feel relaxed since it will actually do the opposite.
I don’t agree with taking things slow and just let the world do its miracle. The world won’t provide you that if you don’t hustle. Yes, I get frustrated sometimes but we all do and it’s normal.
All of us feel that way whenever we’re not able to meet our expectations. If you’re someone who’s just starting and doesn’t have the budget to spend yet for a nice vacation, then you have to say no at least for now. Remember and understand that your situation today, juggling a side hustle and a normal job, will eventually pay off.
I’ve learned that in order to manage your small business, you need to make sacrifices and invest in money-making stuff.
Here are some of the simple things I have sacrificed so far:
- I’ve temporarily stopped going to the movie theaters (pre-pandemic) and replaced it with waiting patiently for the free release of HD movie copies online.
- Eating ramen just once a month. I swear it was hard especially when I have cravings but I’m glad I got it controlled by replacing it with lomi, bachoy, or goto.
- Minimizing our out of town trips (pre-pandemic) and just spend my weekends experimenting on healthy meals at home for now.
- Not buying personal stuff so much like clothes, expensive beauty products, bags, and footwear. I opted on buying cheap but good quality beauty products instead. I’m also still using my 2-year wedge sandals that surprisingly until now is still intact.
- Instead of buying books, I download free ebooks or PDF’s to read on my phone instead. But if you prefer something like physical book, that’s still fine. Sometimes we all need to disconnect from our phone and a good book is a fantastic replacement.
These are a few things I have invested in:
- My cellphone. This is my number 1 priority as my tool for my side hustle. It has great specs for a reasonable price. It’s not cheap but it’s not too expensive as well. I’ve been using it for 2 years now and it still functions very well!
- My laptop. Anyone who has a side-hussle needs to have a machine where you can operate your business. It is a good investment especially today where everything is being done online. It’s only now that I realize how necessary it is to have a working computer since I’m working from home.
- My time and effort. You know what they say, time is gold and efforts pay off. That is why I disagree with not pushing so much for my small business. How will you know if it will work if you don’t push for it? In order for it to be profitable in the long run, you need to make some sacrifices. I mostly spend my time online for self-learning and developing my skills to offer more value to my clients/customers.
Right now, I’m finding ways to inject some fun in my journey without spending too much. Knowing your priorities is necessary. After all, we are different and the direction and method that I used may not be applicable to others, but the bottomline is, you have to navigate what you can do and what system works for you. If you need help, then hire someone. At the end of the day, you cannot do everything by yourself. It’s okay to run your business by yourself but it’s much more easier to have 1 or more people to help you as well.
>> Speaking of letting other people to help you, I offer my Virtual assistance services to help you out so you can focus on growing your business. Get in touch with me here.
Going back…
The key factors to consider making sacrifices and investments are:
- What will you get in return?
- How will it impact your future, let’s say in the next 5 years?
- Will you be able to commit to it?
Be wise enough to say No to the things that will not benefit you in the long run, and say Yes to those that will. Before I end this post, I leave you with this inspiring quote below:
Push yourself because no one is going to do it for you.
