Shanae Jones, Founder of the acclaimed tea brand, Flyest, remarkably managed to grow her side business while working full-time. Her journey into entrepreneurship began in November 2016, when she utilized her non-working hours to build and refine Flyest, integrating her love for tea with her commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles.
Jones’ innovative business model, which blends music with wellness, attracted substantial interest and popularity. Even in the face of challenges, she pursued further education and expanded both her business and knowledge. Her persistence and determination have made her a resilient figure in her industry.
The entrepreneur shared the key steps to transition from a side hustle to a full-time business, highlighting that spreading entrepreneurial visions, creating a strong business plan, maintaining cash flow during the transition, understanding your market, and maintaining resilience are necessary prerequisites.
Jones also emphasized the importance of market research, financial planning, securing intellectual property rights, and having an effective marketing strategy. Validating a business concept before investing resources, forecasting expenses, and ensuring intellectual property rights were among her primary suggestions to budding entrepreneurs.
She also endorsed the significance of a robust digital presence, recommending entrepreneurs to maintain a well-branded website and social media platforms. Regularly updating content, leveraging search engine optimization, and proactively responding to customer feedback on social media are some of the ways she suggested for engaging with the audience, enhancing customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty.
Efficient time management plays a pivotal role when juggling a full-time job and a side business. Jones stressed the importance of prioritizing tasks, taking regular breaks to recharge, and having a tidy workspace to streamline tasks and maintain a constant workflow. She urged entrepreneurs to remain adaptable and resilient while navigating through unexpected changes.
Jones championed for careful planning while transitioning from an employee to an entrepreneur to minimize financial risk. A well-thought-out exit strategy plays a crucial role in ensuring the financial viability of the start-up before leaving a stable job. This planning can alleviate financial uncertainties and assist in a smoother transition into entrepreneurship.
Jones’ transition from an employee to an entrepreneur serves as an inspiration for those planning to maintain a side business while holding a full-time job. Her journey is a testament to the fact that through careful planning, patience, determination, and resilience, juggling both roles is achievable.
