You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

How To Start A Business While Being An Employee The easiest and most logical business idea to think of while still being an employee is starting an online business.

By Tareq Samara

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

Life is all about living it to the fullest while actually working hard in order to be able to put food on the table at the end of each day. And it is no wonder considering the high expenses which increase as we move forward in our life- the majority of ordinary employees are struggling day in and day out to try to increase their income.

And I was one of the above ordinary men who always thought that there must be a certain way I could increase my income despite the usual method of "asking for a raise". So, I thought I'd share my experience with the world on how I did it back in the day when I was still an employee doing a 9 to 5 typical job.

1. Upgrade your mindset: You may think that it is an easy step, but unfortunately it definitely is not. You need to change every single aspect of your thinking methodology and put it to a state where you totally believe that everything is possible as long as you put your brain and heart and hard work into it.

2. Time management: In order to be able to accomplish the first step above, you must complement it with a proper time management, this step should be relatively an easy task for a typical employee since you know exactly what time is available to you to be able to work on your startup and accomplish as many necessary tasks needed to initiate and grow your business idea.

3. Think 'online': The easiest and most logical business idea to think of while still being an employee is starting an online business. Since it's all done and easily managed using your own computer and even on you break times at work. Let's face it, we all have some time while at work where there are no urgent tasks and you spend this "spare" time browsing Facebook or checking the latest sports headlines. You can definitely use this time to learn more about your future business and start with the very easiest initial steps such as the fourth step below.

4. Put social media in place: In today's world, every single business has its own social media presence, which dramatically helps with putting your first footprint in the big web i.e. the internet. Anyone of us can easily create a Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram accounts, and that is exactly what you should be doing. Thanks to certain online services which allows you to search for available domain names in addition to social media account names in which you can decide what to name your business.

5. Register a domain name: Having a website representing your business is no more a luxury accessory, but it is indeed a necessity to prove that you have a strong online presence. And this particular step doesn't necessarily mean that you need to be a geek. You can simply Google how to register a domain and you will find out that it is the easiest and cheapest task you can ever do online by yourself.

6. Register your new business: You will be amazed on how easy it has become to register a new company almost anywhere in the world. You can simply do it over the email, without the need to go back and forth and wait in queues to sign papers. It is all done online with a couple of clicks and, of course, an electronic payment.

7. Find a business partner: A trusted one who can make your life easier and help you while you are stuck at your office desk, he/she can do all the things you cannot accomplish at this time, like attending meetings or closing deals.

At this point you have a pretty good foundation which you can be proud of, and it will act as motivational boost for you to continue further with your business idea! Now you have to benefit from the people closest to you and outsource some tasks, such as logo design, email setup, initial communications… Or you can even outsource some tasks to a virtual assistant who you can hire for a very reasonable price per hour which could reach for as low as US$3 using Upwork.

Take a look at the steps above one more time, and accept the fact that all of these steps have been done while you are sitting in front your computer, and the time where you will be a full time entrepreneur will soon come.

Related: The How-To: Ending The Year On A Business High

Tareq Samara

Founder, Elite Digital Coach

Tareq Samara is a serial entrepreneur who has been working in the online space since 2004. In the last couple of years, Samara has been on a mission to help other coaches, consultants, experts and other entrepreneurs to start and scale their online business and personal branding via the power of the internet and social media. He recently co-founded two training and consulting agencies in Jordan and UAE that help individuals and enterprises to grow their businesses online through the utilization of online organic traffic. He is also the founder of Elite Digital Coach, a premium consulting and coaching agency to help professionals, experts, and coaches to monetize their expertise and knowledge online.

Side Hustle

He Took His Side Hustle Full-Time After Being Laid Off From Meta in 2023 — Now He Earns About $200,000 a Year: 'Sweet, Sweet Irony'

When Scott Goodfriend moved from Los Angeles to New York City, he became "obsessed" with the city's culinary offerings — and saw a business opportunity.

Women Entrepreneur®

Against All Odds: Nicole Smith-Ludvik, The Woman Who Stood On Top Of The Burj Khalifa For An Emirates Airlines Ad

Professional skydiver and stuntwoman Nicole Smith-Ludvik shared her message of hope, positivity, and courage.

Leadership

You Won't Have a Strong Leadership Presence Until You Master These 5 Attributes

If you are a poor leader internally, you will be a poor leader externally.

Starting a Business

Starting a Business: How to Start a Business in 12 Steps

Starting a business doesn't have to be difficult. Check out this 12-step guide to start your entrepreneurial endeavor the right way.

Science & Technology

10 AI Tools That You Should Be Using In Your Business This Year

Here are 10 AI tools that you can be using today to help increase productivity and hopefully profits.

Business Plans

Elements of a Business Plan

There are seven major sections of a business plan, and each one is a complex document. Read this selection from our business plan tutorial to fully understand these components.