How to Launch Your Own Fashion Gig (Whilst Staying Employed)

We all have dreams of breaking free of the 9-5 and overseeing our business success. Whether that success is running your own business of a similar design to your current role or chasing the dream of making money from your passions and hobbies, every entrepreneur starts somewhere, and just because you have an existing job it doesn’t mean you have to compromise on those dreams and be stuck making money for someone else forever.

If you have a passion for the fashion world and aspire to have your own fashion line, sell a unique product with a strong following or sell niche fashion items to a captive audience, the idea of juggling your full-time role with a fashion side hustle can seem impossible.

But, believe it or not, you can start the business while still working on your existing job, and still enjoy financial and entrepreneurial success. Of course, whilst you’re juggling multiple responsibilities, you can expect progress to be slow, however with the right attitude, you’ll be able to successfully launch your own fashion gig and manage your other role – at least until you’re able to take on your fashion business full time. Want to know more? In this post, we’ll explore how to launch your fashion gig (whilst staying employed) read on to find out more.

Work to a New Schedule

Keeping your full-time job has never been more important, as the income from your role can be directly funnelled into your fashion business. To get the ball rolling, you must set yourself clear working guidelines and ensure that your side hustle and your 9-5 don’t overlap. This is crucial for keeping your boss happy, and for preventing burnout.

Figure out the hours you have available to work on your fashion side hustle, a few hours each day is a good benchmark. In this time, you can take a look at your budgeting, your target audience and take a closer look into whether you’ll be buying wholesale, or manufacturing products yourself.

Look to brands like Bee Inspired, who managed to have a successful brand while playing part-time football and having a day job. They worked in the evenings and posted orders on their lunch breaks.

Consider Outsourcing Your Vulnerabilities

Time spent agonising over your website is only going to distract you from your regular job, which in turn could impact your work performance. By outsourcing your weaknesses, whether it be website design, logo creation or even marketing, you can have your fashion side business constantly running in the background while you earn your daily living. This approach means you’ll hit those short and long term goals, quicker.

Know Your Company’s Policy

Did you know that many companies have strict policies on employees starting their own side hustles whilst in their employment? A look through your employment contract or speaking with your HR representative can help make the details around this clause clearer and protect your current role. Remember, you don’t have to be completely secretive about your new fashion business idea, just be respectful, reach out to your boss for clarification. There’s no harm in asking!

Final Thoughts…

Staring a fashion gig whilst in full-time employment can feel overwhelming, however, with the right approach and flexibility, you should be able to manage both successfully.