If your contract allows it, then there's no reason you cannot start a business alongside your regular job.

Of course, it would be unethical to start a business that is in direct competition with your employer, but there is nothing to stop you from generating extra income with a side hustle.

Many people in the UK do so by selling items on eBay and other similar sites but city workers may have more professional services they want to sell which means operating at a slightly more elevated level.

What's involved?

Establish Your Online Presence

All start-ups need to create a professional image that both clients and would-be investors can buy into.

If you want to become an entrepreneur, then you will need to consider the impact on your professional and personal life but setting up the essential part of the business – its website – need not take a lot of time or effort.

These days, you can register multiple domain names to cover all your proposed brand identities before you pick which one to go with.

Having the domains you want registered and ready to go is a wise move because the last thing you want is to design the site, logo and corporate identity online to find the domain name that suits it best is already taken.

Setting up a website using a standard template requires no tech or graphic design skills nowadays, so you can have your digital home established over the course of an evening or even during your commute to and from the city.

Start Networking

The next thing you'll need to get your business up and running is some commercial interest.

Depending on the type of enterprise, you could consider joining trade associations or professional bodies and linking to your website from their directories.

Attending chamber of commerce meetings and showcase events is another good step for aspiring entrepreneurs with a portfolio of professional skills to highlight.

If possible, try to seek mentoring from someone who is already successful in your area. This can be a good way to establish word-of-mouth recommendations and many new entrepreneurs find that taking on work assignments this way fits in with their other work commitments without overwhelming them too much.

Build Your Brand Presence

As your business grows, you might no longer be able to run it on a part-time basis. If so, you'll need to consider quitting your job so you can devote more time to it.

This is often the trickiest time for entrepreneurs because it can feel as though there is no longer a safety net.

To help overcome this, build your brand's presence and reputation so that you have enough work coming in to bridge the gap between employment and full self-employment.

Your website will be key in this regard. Invest in search engine optimisation strategies to increase your digital reach and establish a more varied client base, something that'll give you the confidence to progress.

Conclusion

Self-employment is a lifestyle choice that doesn't suit everybody. However, it is something that can be truly rewarding, not merely in the financial sense, because it is often empowering, too, in a professional sense.