If you work online as a webmaster or SEO, then it’s probably safe to make a few assumptions about you. You’re probably a fairly technically-minded person, but at the same time down-to-Earth enough to grasp the basics of business. This probably means that you’re fairly intelligent, without being too socially withdrawn – though you probably spend a lot of time in your own head thinking and probably enjoy your own company just slightly more than anyone else’s.
If that sounds true, and if you’re fitting the typical portrait of someone who works online, then I know enough about you to tell you that you should be running at least one side project. Here we will look at what I mean by that, and at why you need it.
What is a Side Project:
First of all, what is a side project? Well essentially a side project is any work you’re doing that’s not central to your ‘main’ business. For most people reading this article, that will mean a project other than your main website, or other than the marketing you do for clients.
Of course this side project can be pretty much anything you want it to be. It can be another website – such as a personal blog for instance, or it might be a piece of software you’re writing. It could be a novel and have nothing to do with the internet, or it could be an ambitious plan to build a new browser. It’s up to you what your side project is, as long as it’s something distinct from your main livelihood.
First of all, what is a side project? Well essentially a side project is any work you’re doing that’s not central to your ‘main’ business. For most people reading this article, that will mean a project other than your main website, or other than the marketing you do for clients.
Of course this side project can be pretty much anything you want it to be. It can be another website – such as a personal blog for instance, or it might be a piece of software you’re writing. It could be a novel and have nothing to do with the internet, or it could be an ambitious plan to build a new browser. It’s up to you what your side project is, as long as it’s something distinct from your main livelihood.
Why You Need One:
So why do you need one? Well first of all it’s about your personality. It’s about who you are as a person. If you’re a typical online entrepreneur, then chances are you’re very driven and that your mind is constantly whirring around and conjuring up new ideas. When your main website or your SEO work is going slowly, this can be incredibly frustrating for someone who always wants to be building the next thing and if you don’t have an outlet of some sort, then you’ll likely get bored and move on. You need that side project so that you can enjoy what you do enough to stick with the boring parts of your work that don’t stimulate you.
At the same time a side project can also be what gives you hope and what gives you a contingency plan. Working for yourself can be tough going sometimes. The money isn’t particularly stable or predictable, and while the highs are high, the lows are definitely also low. Having a side project though will mean that even when things aren’t going well, you know you have other endeavors on the go. It can never all be bad news, because you have your fingers constantly in lots of pies. But only if you have lots of side projects…
Lastly, having a side project is a great way to develop your skills and stretch yourself. You’ll learn, you’ll come up with ideas, and you’ll be able to bring that all back to your main job in order to deliver better.
Author Bio:
Today’s feature writer, Mike, is a passionate blogger and likes writing about internet marketing techniques. He works for Wisdek, a company that provides website marketing and various SEO services. You can know more at their website.