Nicolette admits she’s a big fan of the “work smarter, not harder” philosophy in the workplace.
That’s what she did during the three years she was in corporate business. “While in advertising, I gave my managers and clients value and worked far more smarter, than harder,” she says.
Having additional income streams take pressure off salaries that currently just aren’t enough for the majority of South Africans. Once you have that extra income, you may realise that you actually do enjoy your job. This is because you’re backing it up with something else, Nicolette explains. “It’s essential that you don’t depend on one pot.”
You have to maximise the 24 hours you’ve got to work with. “You have to decide how many hours in a day you really want to work. Then ask yourself what percentage of your time you’re allocating to each job.”
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Currently, most people are allocating 100% of their time to their main job. But ask yourself if you’re happy with the salary you’re getting, Nicolette suggests. “If the answer is no, it means you need to find additional work or income streams,” she adds.
If you do decide to get a side hustle, you need to maintain the same effort as you do in your main job. “I’m not saying lose your main job. But instead of allocating 100% of your time solely to your main job, allocate 60%. The remaining 40% must be reserved for your side hustle, even though the side gig needs 100% of effort,” she continues.
Most people are afraid of starting a side gig because they think they won’t have a share of the market, but the pie is big enough for all of us, Nicolette maintains. “No industry is over-saturated. There’ll always be a market. It’s about how good you are and how well you do your job.
“When I step into an industry, I don’t care who’s already in it. That’s not my problem. My business is to become better and offer better value than those already in it,” she adds.
