Photo credit: theconnectionexchange.com

Many of us are dreaming of working for ourselves, building multi-million dollar businesses and leaving legacies to last well after we’re gone. Or we just want to get out of the rat race, have more work-life balance, spend time with our kids, and not ever have to deal with a micro-managing boss.

And the fact is, entrepreneurship is on the rise, as evidenced by the rise of entrepreneurial activity from 22 to 53.4% from 2003 to 2013, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. Among this wave of new entrepreneurs, many of them Millenials, are those who juggle a full-time job and a part-time gig.

Here are 10 quick but effective tips to build a business while working full-time (and raising a family, trying to make it to the gym, or finding clean socks any day of the week):

1. Have a clear vision! Building a business is hard, whether you’re working full-time or not! Make it easier on yourself, and get a good head start, by having a clear vision. What do you want to accomplish? What products will you be selling? Who is your targeted clientele? If necessary, hire a coach to help you.

2. Have a plan! It doesn’t need to be a defined one. Have a general timeline for your prospective business, and key milestones to reach. Use it as a guide as you’re progressing, and be open to changing it as well. Finalize it and turn in into a bona fide business plan you can present to investors soon!

3. Build a schedule! Time is of the essence, especially when building a business while working full-time. It’s easy to get sucked in to meaningless, no-impact activities, instead of focusing on the meat and potatoes of the business, literally. Construct your schedule around major activities, and try to stick to it!

4. Focus your efforts! Newsflash: you can’t do it all! Whether it’s getting new clients, building a killer website, or growing your email list, focus your efforts as you go! Tackle one major theme for a certain period of time, get the best out of it and move on to something else…

5. Use the power of “productive laziness”! There’s such a thing as harnessing the power of laziness to produce results. Automate time-consuming manual tasks, get a virtual assistant, skip on perfection, and focus on what matters!

6. Yet don’t forget immediate action wins! Perfect is overrated, and so is excessive contemplation! If you want results, you’ve got to act. Go past your limitations and act on your side projects, even if they are imperfect! Remember, if you’re not embarrassed after looking at your first product, you may have waited too long.

7. It’s a marathon! Building a business while working full time is taxing, and is not the road to immediate riches. Yet it is your consistent efforts that will lead you to success. Stop looking at the clock, counting the days, or frantically checking your sales page, you’ll get there in time.

8. Don’t quit just yet! Stay put at your current job until you’ve gathered enough financial and mental cushion to move on. Trust that the Universe is in motion for your success, keep acting but don’t rush!

9. Use your current job! Your current job is not only providing you with resources while you’re transitioning careers, it’s also teaching you skills as you go. Dealing with co-workers, finding solutions to every day issues, juggling work and side hustle, all of the everyday stuff you may overlook is preparing you for the next phase of your career.

10. Stay open! Building a business will teach you who you are deep down inside. It will reveal your strengths, and show your weaknesses. It will make you incredibly happy and unbelievably miserable at times. Stay open to the change, to learning about yourself and others, and to receiving success. Work with the Universe, it wants you to succeed!

How did you build a business while working full-time?

The Corporate Sis.