Congratulations on starting your own side hustle! As your business begins to grow, it's important to inform your boss about your new venture. While it may seem daunting, disclosing this information is essential, especially from a legal perspective. You should make sure that you're not violating any of your company's policies on outside employment. Most employers don't ban side hustles, but they may restrict the type of work you can do to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. According to a survey conducted by Lending Tree, 44% of Americans had a side hustle in 2022. Amid the recession and layoffs across prominent companies, disclosing your side hustle to your manager is becoming increasingly important. It's important, to be honest, and transparent with your boss so that you can build a relationship based on trust. You wouldn't want your boss to find out about your side hustle from social media, especially if you're using it for marketing.
Being upfront and honest about your side hustle shows initiative and drive. To help you have a productive conversation with your manager, we reached out to three experts, including an entrepreneur who took her side hustle full-time. It's important to acknowledge that employees may fear disclosing their side hustles to their bosses due to several reasons, including concerns about not having enough work or being wrongly judged for having a side hustle for financial reasons. It's crucial to address these concerns and assure your boss that your side hustle won't interfere with your job. If you're unsure about pursuing your side hustle, it may be best to keep it to yourself until you're sure it's viable.
According to Moore, if your side hustle is already a successful business, it's best to mention it upfront during any discussions with your employer. However, you should refrain from disclosing unnecessary details. A good approach is to highlight how your side hustle has contributed positively to your skill set and experience. You shouldn't come across as apologetic or seeking permission. Avoid exaggerating the importance of your side gig, such as claiming it's your ultimate passion or what you want to do full-time. Chase Coleman, an Amazon employee, disclosed his content creation side hustle during his interview process. He wanted to be transparent to avoid any negative consequences later on. His managers were fine with his side gig as long as it didn't interfere with his work and didn't reflect poorly on Amazon. You can also express the benefits of your side hustle, especially how it complements your full-time work.
It's important to maintain high levels of performance even when pursuing a side hustle, as a dip in performance may lead your boss to believe that you're not focused enough. One way to address this issue is by having an honest conversation with your boss and highlighting the benefits of your side gig for your full-time work. By discussing what you're learning and how it gives you a creative outlet, you can demonstrate how it can make you more energized and satisfied at work. This approach was taken by Lissette Calveiro, who effectively positioned her blog venture to her manager by explaining how it allowed her to develop new skills that benefited her then-employer, a PR company. Calveiro's transparency about her successful business helped her not only build her own brand but also improve her company's results. It's important to set boundaries for your time and energy to balance both your full-time work and side hustle.
As an assistant, it's important to prioritize time and energy management and communicate these boundaries to your boss. Dedicate time to tasks that drain your energy and save them for the weekends to avoid sacrificing productivity during working hours. It's important to protect both your employer's and your side-hustle space by avoiding intermingling them. By doing so, you can ensure that you are able to give your best during work hours without feeling drained.