Published on February 19th, 2018 | by Guest

How to turn your part-time start-up into a full-time job [Infographic]

Software engineers are full of good ideas – it’s what makes them great problem solvers.

In practice, however, what this often means is that your imagination is left to fester while you work an unchallenging 9-to-5 job. In your spare time you start to tinker, and before you know it you’ve got an app or website that your friends actually think is pretty cool.

So how do you turn it from ‘pretty cool’ into ‘pays my rent’?

This is where you may need to rein in that imagination a bit and get working on a solid strategy. It is possible to turn a techno-side-hustle into a business, but it requires discipline and purpose. And it won’t happen overnight.

One thing successful businesses usually have is more than one employee. While you’re not ready to invite a whole team of hungry assistants to your garage just yet, as a computer boffin you can use your knowledge to automate as many tasks as possible to leave you time for the important stuff.

Meanwhile, if there are areas of expertise that you’re missing or certain tasks that neither you nor your MacBook can complete, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Got an uncle who runs a shoe factory? Ask him to be your business mentor. Have a former boss who’s made big bucks off an app she designed? Arrange to meet her for coffee, and prepare a list of questions. Successful people often like to help out up-and-coming talent if the attitude is right.

Then it’s all down to you. You’re going to have to get organized and use your time effectively – and that may mean that boring jobs like marketing and networking need to take priority over constantly perfecting this bit of code or that bit of design. Figure out where your limited time can be used most effectively, and you can sweat the small stuff later.

This new infographic from QuidCorner is all about turning a side-hustle into a serious job, and it all applies to your bedroom start-up too. Read it carefully, then sketch out a plan for the next week, month, and six months. After that, who knows where your business may be?