Tips from Veteran Entrepreneurs on Moonlighting

Moonlighting is not easy and it takes an extraordinary person to eagerly take on the pressures that come with it says Aubre Andrus, author of “Moonlighting: 5 tips from entrepreneurs who’ve been there”. Those zealous enough to launch their startup after putting in their hours at a typical 9-5 don’t often regret it. Here are some tips to help moonlighting entrepreneurs succeed.

Find a Free Workplace

Those launching a startup don’t need to spend money on a coworking office space right away. Perhaps all that’s really needed are tables, coffee, food, outlets and Wifi. “You can swap out an office for a lot of diverse places. Being entrepreneurial means you are able to find solutions to relatively widespread problems and be creative,” says Scott Dettman, a senior data scientist and PhD candidate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dettman works on his startup, VoxDel, with friends, he just looks for a place where they’d like to hang out like on campus, in a park or at a 24-hour restaurant and work as they are in team office space.

Make your Day Job Work for You

There are various benefits to keeping your day job in day offices. For Jerry Lee, his day job as a web developer eventually turned into a catalyst for his night job as founder of StoryLeather. His situation made a change for the better: He now works on StoryLeather during the day and moonlights as web developer after hours.

“Do something that is related to your day job so that you can make synergy between your day and night job,” he says.

Work Anywhere and Everywhere

“I work mostly from my kitchen table, my car and on the go before work, during my lunch break and every night,” says Samantha Cole, Advertising account executive of Virginia Beach and founder of Samantha Cole Digital Labs.

She also recommends keeping all appointments and deadlines written or typed up in the same place. “Don’t try to separate daytime life with nighttime life — you’re always working on all of them,” she says.

Network All the Time

For Asha who runs FoodLY during the day and publishes NOURISHED Magazine at night, the day is reserved for teaching cooking classes and offering personal consultations while her early evenings are reserved for writing which allows her to network with entrepreneurs in shared office space who are just ending their day.

“It’s very essential to meet people, get ideas and collaborate, even if you’re not working with them,” she says.

Conclusion

Are you interested of becoming successful moonlighter? Well, the tips in this article and The Smarter Way To Office will help. Whether you are a small business owner or a large enterprise, everything you need to optimize your business performance is right here – from day one. Your workplace comes complete with furniture, telephone lines and equipment, secure high-speed Internet access and a world-class business support team.