7 Ways Outsourcing Can Give You More Than Just Time

by Joy on October 16, 2017 Leave a Comment

Are you bootstrapping your business and still foregoes outsourcing?

If your answer is yes, you’re probably one of the entrepreneurs who is trying to do everything in your business thinking this is the right way to do. After all, building a business you’re passionate about is all about hard work, hustle, and grind, right?

Working hard is good. Working smarter is better. In fact, the benefits of outsourcing outweigh the cost.

If you think you need to outsource just to free up some time so you can get a breather from all the side hustling, think again.

Outsourcing can give way more than just extra time

[Read more…]

5 Cheap Vacation Ideas

by Mr. 4HWD on April 14, 2015 2 Comments

Writing about summer vacations last week got my wheels turning, and I thought it would be fun to research a few budget friendly vacation ideas. The news is good! There are plenty of inexpensive ways enjoy a vacation. Below I’ve listed my five favorite cheap vacation ideas.

Camping

Camping is the quintessential cheap vacation. Many campgrounds, including state and national parks, offer super reasonable rates. If you’re not interested in sleeping in a tent, many campsites offer lean-tos and cabins to rent. Additionally, some campgrounds have built in family entertainment including beaches, pools, hot tubs, game rooms, and playgrounds.

Visit Family and Friends

It is road trip time! A great way to save on accommodations is by staying with friends and family on your vacation, and let’s face it, they would love the chance to see you. Since you are saving on hotel costs, this frees up extra money to devote to sightseeing, food, and other travel expenses.

Play Travel Roulette

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How to Stay Focused on Your Goals

by Mr. 4HWD on January 6, 2015 5 Comments

We’re fresh into the beginning of 2015 which means most of us have set some new goals or resolutions for the year. Right now it’s pretty easy to stay focused on achieving our goals as they are fresh in our mind and our motivation is running on high. As the year goes on, however, it can become more difficult to maintain the same level of focus and intensity. Once our focus is gone our goals might not be far behind. Follow these guidelines to help you stay focused on your goals throughout the year.

Set Only Meaningful Goals

It’s important to set goals for yourself that are important to you and hold personal value. It’s easy to get caught up in setting a goal that you think you should accomplish, for instance saving money, exercising, or losing weight. While those are all goals worth setting, if they aren’t important to you personally, it will be more difficult to achieve them. By setting goals that are important to you, you’ll be more invested in achieving your goals, especially when it comes to facing and overcoming barriers and obstacles. I also think it’s helpful to follow the SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Trackable) when setting goals.

Strike a Balance Between Realistic and Challenging

The goals you set for yourself should be both realistic and challenging. Goals should push us outside of our comfort zone, but not be so overwhelming that we don’t know where to begin. If you don’t get a little sense of discomfort or even fear, you may not be challenging yourself enough. On the other hand, if you’re not seeing any progress over time, it could be a sign that you need to break down your goal into more reasonable pieces. If you suspect you’ve set an unrealistic goal for yourself you don’t need to scrap the goal entirely. Simply scale back your expectations to a more reasonable level.

Also, it’s important to be honest with yourself about whether or not you have the appropriate resources in place to help you reach your goals. Time is a great example of a resource we tend to overlook. When planning your goals for the year make sure you have enough time to dedicate to achieving your goal.

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How to Balance Your Side Hustle, Full-time Job, and the Holidays

by Mr. 4HWD on December 9, 2014 3 Comments

We can all agree that December can be a hectic time of year, especially if you are side hustling in addition to working your full-time job. Running a side business while working full-time can be exhausting on its own. Add to that a month filled with numerous holiday events and obligations, and you have the recipe for a stress-induced meltdown.

Rather than succumbing to stress and burnout this month, use these methods to ensure balance between your work and holiday obligations. You’ve worked hard all year long, and deserve to enjoy yourself while meeting your deadlines at the same time.

Make a schedule

Create a schedule that includes all of your day job, side hustle, and holiday responsibilities. Looking at all of your commitments in one place will help you stay organized and can be useful in planning your work for the month. Seek out free time in your schedule that you can devote to specific projects and tasks. Consider putting in extra work up front, especially during the lulls in your schedule, so that you can free up time for other events and obligations.

For example, if you know you are going to be busy with family and friends the last two weekends of the month, try front loading your time during the first two weekends of the month. By getting ahead on your work, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your events without feeling the pressure of looming due dates and deadlines.

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Boost Your Side Hustle During the Holidays

by Mr. 4HWD on November 25, 2014 2 Comments

The holiday season is upon us and with it comes the hope of a little downtime. At the very least it might mean a few extra days off from your day job. While it’s nice to take a break to unwind and spend time with friends and family, holiday vacations can be a great opportunity to squeeze in a little extra side hustle work.

I’m always looking for new ways to devote additional time to my side hustles. I have found that time off around the holidays is ideal because I’m not weighed down or worn out from my day job. However, that might not be the case for you, if your job requires you to work through the holidays or if you plan on traveling to celebrate the holidays. But, if you are able to find some free time during the holidays it can be a great way to fit in more time to work on your side hustle or side business.

I, for example, have a four day weekend coming up due to Thanksgiving. I plan on spending Thanksgiving Day with family, however I have only a few other commitments for the remainder of the weekend. I will definitely take advantage of this extra time and plan on dedicating some of my free time to my side hustles.

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your free time during the holidays.

Make a plan

Rather than winging it when you find yourself with a spare hour, make a specific plan of action. Make a to-do list of the tasks you would like to accomplish and refer to your list when you find yourself with extra downtime. Look at your schedule of events for the holiday weekend and see where you can fit in extra portions of work. Share your plan with your family and let them know you plan on devoting certain periods of time to work.

Set a schedule

The holidays have a tendency to keep us busy with friends, family, and multiple events. Set aside specific time to work on your side hustle. Even if you only have 30 extra minutes a day, you can still be incredibly productive. Setting a schedule may mean you need to get up early to work one day. While it’s tempting to stay up late and sleep in during your time off, you’ll feel incredibly accomplished if you are able to devote some extra time to your side hustle.

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How to Find the Perfect Side Hustle

by Mr. 4HWD on October 28, 2014 10 Comments

These days having a side hustle is about as ubiquitous as Starbucks. A side hustle is a great way to help you achieve your financial goals. You can earn extra money to build a travel fund, pay down debt, or even save up to remodel your kitchen. Have you thought about starting your own side hustle, but aren’t sure where to begin? Perhaps you’re not sure what type of side hustle is right for you. Check out these tips to get you started.

Combine Your Skills and Hobbies

Ideally a side hustle combines a skill you possess with an activity you enjoy. For example, one of my side hustles is driving for Uber, Lyft, and SideCar. It’s a great way to combine my skills and interests. I have a great time interacting with fun and interesting people and I’m a skilled and courteous driver who knows the area well. That is why I consider rideshare driving a perfect side hustle.

A good first step to finding your perfect side hustle is brainstorming a list of your skills and interests. Be specific and creative. Think about areas in which you have extensive knowledge. Ask yourself if there has ever been a resource or service you needed that wasn’t available. If you can fill that need, you’ve discovered your side hustle. Add to your list when you think of new skills and interests, and eventually an idea will emerge from your list, such as tutoring online

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7 Ways to Find More Time to Work on Your Side Hustle

by Mr. 4HWD on September 9, 2014 6 Comments

Balancing a side hustle with full-time work is not easy. Finding the time to work on your side business can be difficult, but there are ways to devote additional time. Incorporating these time management tips will add valuable hours to your week, and more time means more money in your pocket!

1. Wake up earlier

Start your day earlier. Or, stay up later if that works better for you. If you wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal three times a week you gain 90 extra minutes. That’s over six hours per month! Imagine the amount of work you could accomplish.

2. Use your lunch break

Taking breaks during your work day is important. However, if you find yourself with down time at your 9-5, use it to your advantage. Use break time to research potential clients and pitch your services. Take a walk during your break and brainstorm new ideas.

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What Holds You Back?

by Mr. 4HWD on August 26, 2014 4 Comments

Most of us are working toward some big career and money goals. We want to do more with our professional lives as we build more wealth, and though our actions may look different across the board the end goal is pretty similar: we’re looking to secure more personal freedom.

We want to create systems and lifestyles that allow us to do what we want with our time, rather than being tied in — and tied down — to cubicles and 40 hour work weeks, or debt repayments and material possessions to maintain.

But we have to do more than want it. Achieving career success and building wealth take serious commitment and effort. There’s a lot of hard work to be done before we reach our goals of freedom. Thankfully, it’s not impossible. But you have to take action to make it happen.

So why are so many of us failing to make progress? Why can’t we seem to gain traction and get ourselves any closer to our goals of saving enough to become financially independent in X amount of years? Why haven’t we established our own side hustles or side businesses to explore our talents and skills (and ability to make more money)?

What holds you back? What bad stuff are you letting weigh you down? [Read more…]

3 Reasons Why Your Time Is Money

by Mr. 4HWD on August 19, 2014 Leave a Comment

3 Reasons Why Your Time is Money If you’re a busy young professional, you’re tasked with the challenge of figuring out how to spend both time and money wisely.

“Time is money” is an old adage many of us have heard — but have you thought about the actual implications that time has on our money? Time allows our investments to grow and provides us with financial opportunities.

Knowing how time and money relate to one another can open your eyes to a world of opportunity and increased productivity. Consider these 3 reasons why your time is money: [Read more…]

Work Less, Save More, Live More

Camping

Visit Family and Friends

Play Travel Roulette

Set Only Meaningful Goals

Strike a Balance Between Realistic and Challenging

Make a schedule

Make a plan

Set a schedule

Combine Your Skills and Hobbies

1. Wake up earlier

2. Use your lunch break

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