How to Negotiate a Flexible Work Schedule

How to Negotiate a Flexible Work ScheduleHow to Negotiate a Flexible Work ScheduleMany people have the option of working a flexible schedule which allows them to miss that rough commute to work. Others will have a compressed workweek that enables them to work four, 10-hour days instead of five, 8-hour days. Still, others will work remotely, telecommuting from home. Use these tips to help you negotiate for a flexible work schedule. Advantages of a Flex-Work Schedule The advantages of a flexible work schedule for employees are clear and well-documented. So, plan to negotiate a flexible work schedule with your employer in mind. The negotiation is not about you. Its not about what works best for you and your family. The negotiation is about the advantages to the employer for allowing you to work a flexible schedule. With thoughtfulness and a little creativity, you can turn every advantage to you and your family into an advantage for your employer. Will You Need to Negotiate? Incr easingly, employee-friendly workplaces have flexible work arrangements written into their policies and procedures. Check your employee handbook and talk with Human Resources staff. In one New York publishing company, employees can work from home two days a week. In a large computer company, 55% of the employees telecommute, most of them full-time. According to the Wall Street Journal, Seventy percent of Cisco Systems employees regularly work from home at least 20% of the time. So do 34% of workers at Booz Allen Hamilton and 32% at S.C. Johnson Sons. Ask around in your organization to binnensee if other employees have flexible schedules. Find out what they did to negotiate the schedule and heed their tips for making the schedule work. Organizations with flexible work schedule policies also have guidelines. These often include that employees must have alternative childcare arrangements made, so telecommuting parents are free to work. Others define the availability of the employee for frequent communication and require attendance electronically at meetings. Some stipulate the length of time required to respond to communication. Make a Plan to Negotiate a Flexible Schedule Dont approach your boss about a flexible schedule without a plan. You have just one chance to negotiateif your company does not have a policy. Make it easy for the boss to say, yes. Think about what you want to negotiate. What work schedule will provide the work-life balance youd like to achieve? Think about your life and your job. Can you work components of the job from home? If so, how many days would be ideal? Or, will a later start time allow you to drop the kids at daycare? Take a serious look at your life and work habits. Some employees cannot work from home. The laundry is always calling, or bills need to be paid. They find the company of coworkers stimulating and would miss office banter. Ask yourself if you can compartmentalize your life. Employees who do this well are the best can didates for telecommuting. How the Flexible Schedule Will Benefit Your Employer Once youve created your plan for what you want to negotiate for your flexible schedule, think about how the flexible schedule will benefit your employer. Perhaps you will be able to work for the two hours you now spend commuting. Less stress will make you a better employee. Knowing that you can drop the children at daycare and pick them up will make you less concerned about their welfare. Many employees find they get more work accomplished by starting early, staying late or telecommuting. Employees find they can accomplish more work when there are fewer interruptions. If telecommuting is your flexible work solution, negotiate around the fact that your employer wont need to supply daily space or an office for you. When you are ready to negotiate, make your case. Offer to try the flexible schedule on a trial basis to reassure the boss, coworkers, and customers that the arrangement benefits all parties. Write a Plan to Negotiate With Your Employer Your written proposal should include the following Why you want a flexible scheduleHow a flexible schedule will benefit your employerIf youre telecommuting, describe your home workstation, and your equipmentHow you will maintain frequent communication with your boss, customers, and coworkersHow you will accomplish the work and attain your goalsHow you and your manager can regularly review the effectiveness of the flexible work schedule with periodic evaluationThe kooperation you will need from your manager to make the flexible arrangement successful Any needs you have specific to your position and job responsibilities Negotiate With Your Supervisor Assuming you have created a viable plan that benefits both you and your employer, set up a meeting with your supervisor to request a flexible schedule. Keep in mind that your supervisor has the responsibility to carry out an existing company policy and to ensure ritterlichness and cons istency across his or her department and other company departments. When you negotiate a flexible schedule, you are not the only consideration. Your written plan, shared with the supervisor, will help your cause.Seek to agree on communication standards, goal achievement assessment, performance evaluation markers, assessment of success, and ways to evaluate ongoing success with your manager, customers, and coworkers.Especially important is the feedback loop you establish with your manager so that his or her concerns are addressed. Your manager needs to be able to defend and support your flexible work schedule in your work community. Other employees will soon request the same or similar accommodations. You will want your decisions to be viewed as fair by the other employees. A flexible work schedule can work successfully for all parties. You need to negotiate your case, reassure your employer that you are working and contributing to his best interests, and find ways to measure and pu blicize the success of the arrangement. You need to assure that communication with coworkers and customers is as successful as before the flexible work schedule. Measure your results. Communicate results. Keep in touch. Attend your weekly meetings. Work the core required business hours. Understand that the responsibility to succeed, when you negotiate and work a flexible schedule, lies squarely in your court.

Heres how to break up with a work bestie

Heres how to break up with a work bestieHeres how to break up with a work bestieEvery professional at every company and with every position they hold require a few necessities. Feedback on their work, the space to be autonomous, the opportunity for growth, a competitive salary and a work bestie. Different from any other friend you might have, this type of interpersonal relationship is your safe harbor, your listening ear, your confidant, and the person who can actually understand what your office life is like since they are a few desks down from us. As career coach and author Mary Camuto explains, these dynamics help us refresh, focus and be productive at work. When theyre healthy, they foster our physical, mental and emotional energy, allowing us to perform at our highest level.But then - quite quickly - they can turn toxic. The tricky part is not only understanding the warning signs when they rear their red flags, but also how to mitigate the situation before it jeopardizes your work or reputation.If youre always unhappy and negative, tread carefullyConsider the last three conversations you had with your work bestie. What were they about? Did you congratulate one another on a successful project? Or do you primarily complain about your anfhrer and gossip about the one coworker who annoys you? Camuto says when a friendship caters to negativity only, it doesnt elevate your energy, but rather, dampens it. This is when you should tread lightly - and be mindful of your patterns.If you are caught up in your best friends drama and negatively, your own attitude and reputation may now be impacted, she explains. Ask yourself if your friendship is enhancing your work life in positive ways. Ask yourself if you still have positive work relationships with your boss and colleagues.Though it is true we all need friends - bad ones arent helpful to your career or your happiness.If you cant trust them, move onMuch like any other friendship, your work bestie should be someon e you trust through-and-through, and in all situations. Without this confidence, it makes it impossible to build a deep connection. As professor at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Wendy Osefo says, if information you shared privately becomes public knowledge, it isnt a strong sign. Not only does it show an absence of loyalty, but it can be a clear indicator they are talking poorly when you arent around, too.There are other sneaky ways to betray your confidence, too. Apart from sharing private information, if they steal your ideas and claim them as their own- youre in trouble.Whether they want to get ahead before you or just dont want to see you get ahead, anyone who pulls the rug out from under your chances for growth and advancement isnt a friend, mentor and business coach Christine Agro says.If you cant shine on your own, its time to create distanceThough it can be fun to be part of a twosome or feel as if youve met your match at the office, Agro says when someone stands in your sha dow, its tough to shine brightly. Sometimes when a pair of friends are considered twins, they get lumped together, even when they are different. Especially if your so-called other half doesnt quite have the same ambition that you do.If your workplace bestie is a goof-off slacker and everyone thinks you two do everything together and share the same values, if youre planning on growing at your job, its time to put some distance between you two, Agro continues. People assign values and characteristics to us by the people we surround ourselves with.So how do you part ways - or finagle space - without ruffling feathers? Here, a few ideasDont be accusatory or overly emotionalFirst and foremost, take a breather before you lash out. When youre prompted to sever ties because theyre frustrated you or actively upset you, dont start the conversation until youve calmed down. Camuto says there is no need to bring drama into your office, but rather, remain calm and talk privately about your conc erns.You may also be breaking up the friendship outside of work and need to explain your reasons. Assure your friend that you will not gossip about the breakup and that will you will maintain a professional and positive working relationship, she explains. Set the expectation that your friend will do the same. It may take time to regain trust with others. Focus on work and good interpersonal relationships with everyone.Establish boundariesPerhaps you really adore your work bestie, but you find your interactions dysfunctional in the workplace setting. This situation doesnt call for the severance of ties, but rather, creating clear boundaries.Clarify the aspects of your relationship that will not continue - like exclusive lunches every day sharing complaints and gossip about people, customers, and other departments, Camuto suggests. But then consider what you want to continue What about commuting together, taking breaks together? Will you keep work out of weekend social activities? Bo undaries, ground rules, and honesty are required if you are to continue working in the same organization.Dedicate yourself to workCareer expert Joy Altimare suggests professionals ask themselves one important question is this relationship affecting my work performance and ability to grow? If youre nodding along in agreement, you know it is time to recenter yourself. Instead of explicitly breaking up - shift your priorities at work. After all, you cant ghost them since youll see them every dayVolunteer for more projects that will require you to spend more time with other cross-departmentally. This will help you be more engaged with others, legitimately - thus, causing a natural separation.

44% of CFOs say social media use is biggest time-wasting worry

44% of CFOs say social media use is biggest time-wasting worry44% of CFOs say social media use is biggest time-wasting worryResearch has found that 40% of people who use social media have deleted an account within the last year because of privacy scandals at Facebook an Twitter, but it turns out that employees dont always use it for just goofing off in the office.While more than 4 in 10 employees overall say they use social media for work purposes, 40% of people surveyed in this category report being on it for a nadir of one hour every day. The data also shows that 44% of CFOs surveyed say that employers are most worried about wasting time at work when it comes to workers being on social media.As for how the research was carried out, more than 1,000 American office employees and more than 2,200 CFOs in more than 20 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas were surveyed.Employees on social media What employers worry aboutCFOs weighed in on this topic.Wasting time at work 44%Behaving unp rofessionally 35%Posting financial or confidential company information 11%Posting negative comments about the company 10%This is some pretty heavy stuff, but its actually not all doom and gloom.Here are the best ways to use social media on the jobCFOs said that good things can result for companies when workers utilize social media platforms.Expand network of valuable contacts 30%Promote companys attributes and accomplishments 22%Attract new business 22%Provide better customer service 21%Michael Steinitz, executive director for Accountemps, commented on the research in a statement.A well-crafted approach to using social media at work can greatly benefit you and your company. Use the platforms as a way to increase productivity, rather than seeing them as a time-waster, he said.What employees say they use social media for in the officeThese were the most popular reasons.To do research 35%To promote the company to their social networks 28%To uncover new business contacts 26%Clearly, the re are positive ways to use social media at work, butlet this be a word to the wise dont use it for anything that you wouldnt want to have to explain to your employer.

Understanding Different Types of Workplace Teams

Understanding Different Types of Workplace TeamsUnderstanding Different Types of Workplace TeamsWhatever job you land in life, youll also be on a gruppe. A team is any group of people organized to work together, both interdependently and cooperatively to accomplish a purpose or a goal. Three common types of workplace teams include functional or departmental, cross-functional, and self-managing. You can participate in many differentteamsat work- and you probably already do. But, your most basic team is normally your department team, the group with whom you are organized to produce a product or a service. Your end product either serves the companys external customers directly or the internal customers whom you support in producing the product that directly serves the customers. How Do geschftlicher umgang Teams Win? Teams are created for both long-term and short-term interaction. A product development team, an executive leadership team, and a departmental team are long-lasting plan ning and operational groups. Their way of winning is to continue to produce quality work and provide continued value to the company. They can accomplish their value through strong sales (in the case of a sales team), or through reducing costs (such as an HR team that works to reduce turnover). Teams can also win when their new product (for a product development team) outperforms the competition. When you think of winning for a production team, setting records on the number of parts produced is winning. Organizations often have teams that are elend dedicated to providing a product or a service to the external customer. Rather, their purpose is to create a work environment that fosters employee happiness, engagement, wellness, and safety. Teams usually limit the terms of their members to a year so that many employees have the opportunity to serve and bring fresh ideas to these teams. Examples of these teams include the employee events committee, the health safety team, a green environ ment team, the employee wellness committee, and an employee motivation and morale committee. Short-term teams might include a team formed to develop an employee onboarding process,a team that plans the annual company party,a team that implements a customer data collection ordnungsprinzip to assess service qualitya team tasked with responding to a specific customer problem or complaint. behauptung short-term teams win by accomplishing their goals. What Is the Optimum Size for Work Performance? The team size that is optimum for team performance is a topic much researched and debated. The problem is that you need to consider a number of factors when determining optimum team size. Factors that affect optimum team size include the purposeforwhich you formed the teamthe expectations you have of the team and its membersthe roles that the team members need to playthe amount of cohesiveness and interconnectivity necessary for optimal team performancethe function, activities, and goals of the team Determining the optimum team size is not an easy answer. However, in general, the optimum team size is five to seven members. The team size that continues to function effectively is fournine members. And, teams are known to function cohesively with a size of up to 12 members. If you seek effective input, the optimal team size ranges from more than two up to 18-20 members, but these individuals are not expected to form a cohesive, highly interconnected team. In most cases,large size teams form sub-teams and working groups within the team to accomplish the actualproject work. For example, these larger groups are effective for strategic planning input, overall project communication, building support for an idea, and so forth. Functional Department Teams The functional or departmental groups of people come from the same work area or department. They meet on a regular basis to analyze customer needs, solve problems, provide members with support, promote continuous improveme nt, and share information. These are the teams youre probably the most familiar within the workplace. You may not even use the term team. Instead, you call it adepartment, but its a team. The members work together to accomplish a goal. Working together doesnt necessarily mean that there is constant interaction between team members. For example, in an employee relations team, you may have seven employee relations specialists who support seven different departments (or other teams). They may work very independently. But, a good team shares successes to help team members build best practices. A good team also shares failures so that the other team members can learn and help develop solutions. Cross-Functional Teams Groups of people who are pulled together from across departments or job functions to deal with a specific product, issue, customer problem, or to improve a particular process are cross-functional teams. These are often teams with a specific goal with an end date. For ins tance, a company may put together a team to handle a layoff. This team would consist of representatives from human resources, finance, legal, the executive team, and employees from affected areas. They work closely together to develop a plan that works best for the company. Each person comes with a different responsibility and a needed contribution. For instance, legal is concerned with compliance, finance is concerned with budgets, and HR wants to ensure that the best people are retained. Self-Managing Teams Groups of people who gradually assume responsibility for self-direction in all aspects ofwork is called self-managing teams. Self-managing teams work together to reach a goal without a great deal of oversight. These teams are extremely effective when you have capable, independent workers on the team. They often report their findings, or progress, to a bossor team lead, but that boss doesnt necessarily participate actively in the team.

4 things to do if youre always running late, no matter what

4 things to do if youre always running late, no matter what4 things to do if youre always running late, no matter whatThere are ways to ease the blow at when youre late for work sometimes, but what happens when you cant seem to avoid this trap?Sometimes, no matter what we do, were always running late - no matter what day of the week it is.Here are four things to do whenattempting to wish away your chronic lateness just isnt working.Take showers at night, not in the morningResearch has found that nighttime showers can help us sleep better at night, but they also reward us with time saved the very next morning.Keeping this in mind, why scramble to take a two-minute shower before flying out the door when you could take a more luxurious one the night before? Youll most likely have more time for self-care routines if you shower at night.So take advantage of what the night has to offer and spend extra time resetting before the next day.Take out your clothes the night beforeThis comes in h andy when preparing for work on the weekends, but you can also make this an everyday practice. Just take out everything you need and put them in an accessible place for the AM rush. Plus, you also have the luxury of taking your time and putting a little more effort into your look, if thats important to you.Also take this as your cue to pack up your bag and/or lunch the night before. You definitely wont have the time or energy to deal with this in the morning- even if youre tempted to skip this step right now.Set the right alerts on your phoneChances are, your lateness makes you feel scatterbrained at times. But thats where your phone can work in your favor.Setting alerts for a variety of things- fromappointments, to meetings, and prompts to take your vitamins at a certain time- can counteract this feeling. Programming reminder settings as part of the alerts can also go a long way when you have a lot going on.This way, youll always remember what you need to do and where you need t o be, at the right time.And finally always give yourself more time than you needIf you always underestimate how much time youll need to get ready to head out somewhere, you need to start earlier. Massively overestimate it, and youll be prepared if something doesnt go as planned (and lets face it, this always happens).You might even get somewhere - wait for it - early for onceSo embrace giving yourself more time than usual. You deserve it.

The One Thing to Do for How to List Degree on Resume

The One Thing to Do for How to List Degree on Resume You should list coursework that relate to the position youre applying. The absolute most important point to remember when writing out your degree is that consistency is critical. You ought to take into account not merely the field in which you are searching for a position, but likewise the position or level or seniority youre trying to obtain, when you make appropriate amendments to your sample resume. Likewise, in the event you decide to compose your degree name out in full, you have to do so for all your degrees. The business already knows that because you applied for a specific position. Your career objective should clearly describe the position you are looking for in the organization and explain to them your abilities and unique traits which make you suitable for the position. At the close of the day, the recruiter wishes to observe the way your background is related to the position. For example, if youre doing a compet ition on Kaggle, its going to be important to mention your ranking. Significant NO because every business receives tons of applications daily so enjoy every people they likewise dont have enough time to read it from the starting till the end. If you believe handing in a resume that resembles everyone elses is a fantastic concept, then do it. A house health career could well be among the sensible choices it is possible to make to get a stable and trustworthy supply of revenue. The Truth About How to List Degree on Resume Targeting your job statement to the specific job will impress the employers and boost your probability of finding the work interview. It is crucial to draft a great Education Resume which will assist you to receive a dream job. If its not related to the job which you want to know mora about, skip it. By way of example, in CV, if youre asking for work in education, you can want to platzdeckchen your teaching experience in addition to the CV. You simply have t o think about whats really crucial for a recruiter to see. Everything which you want to tell to your recruiter. As it will helps recruiters to learn more about you and how they can get in touch with you. Choosing Good How to List Degree on Resume The way the role and the outcomes are almost always bold. The skills section should consist of info about your competencies and abilities. Your current expert experience and career stage and your career goals should shape your choice. Numerical rating your skills arent meaningful as they are not standardized or calibrated. Before you begin, it will be worth your while to take a look at some sample resumes to receive a feeling of structure and language. Opt for a normal font or typeface, which is streamlined and straightforward instead of decorative, and make sure it remains consistent throughout the full document. So in the event the typeface employed in your resume sample is inappropriate it may have a negative visual effect on the reader. Notice you could click just beneath the ruler above your document to make alignment markers. New Step by Step Roadmap for How to List Degree on Resume If youre thinking well, recruiters should just try more difficult to review every resume no matter the format, then you might be right, but thats just not the reality. A Cover Letter example for men and women that are seeking work in airport. Putting Findings Into Words As a forensic accountant youre going to be part of a group of specialists coming from other backgrounds. Even when youre a skilled writer with an advertising background, you will be surprised by how good a professional resume writer can force you to look. At this time you dont have to get the worlds most unbelievably amazing personal site. If youre sending a resume to a company, it ought to be a given that youre offered for an interview and you will provide references if requested. Optionally you could also include what youve got to offer the busi ness. A great beginning will always generate improved results. Remember to ensure that there are not any spelling or grammar errors. Your resume, as stated, isnt an all-out explanation of each step youve taken. Flowery language and long words together with unnecessary verbiage dont have any place on your resume, save that for some upcoming project where good language will help you produce a very good impression.

A Recruiters Take On Video Interviewing - Spark Hire

A Recruiters Take On Video Interviewing - Spark HireSeveral weeks ago I had my first experience with one-way video einstellungsgesprching.A one-way bewerberinterview is a way for a hiring manager or recruiter to provide a list of questions for a candidate to respond at their own pace via video recording. The candidate has a chance to think about each question then record a response. A huge benefit for the candidate in this situation is the ability to view and re-record responses as needed, prior to submitting.As a recruiter, I had prior experience with two-way video interviews via Skype or other similar programs. I had my doubts about the one-way video interview at first, but after experiencing it from the candidate point of view I quickly began to understand the benefits of this type of interview for a hiring manager or recruiter.SpeedBy utilizing the one way video interview, a hiring manager can significantly speed up the interview process by viewing many different candidate interv iews in a shorter amount of time.The one-way video interview also offers a concise and on topic interview. For instance, when speaking with a candidate live, the conversation can go off topic or lack conciseness from the hiring manager or candidate. By using the one-way interview, the hiring manager gains more control over the interview process by addressing the necessary questions and limiting the candidate response time to each question.PersonalityThe ability to see a candidate via video versus a standard phone conversation can provide you with a better feel for their personality and style.Is the candidate enthusiastic? Does the candidate have an upbeat personality? These are things that can quickly be deduced from not only the sound of the candidates voice, but also from their physical actions when responding to interview questions.PlaybackHow many times have you interviewed a candidate and questioned your memory or notes on how they responded to one of your interview questions?W ith a video interview, this is no longer a concern. There is no further need to worry over accurately taking notes during the interview. If you have a question or do not remember how the candidate responded, you can very simply watch the video again and your questions are immediately answeredAs a recruiter, I would highly recommend that any hiring manager or HR professional consider integrating the one-way video interview into their candidate selection process The benefits alone will improve and enhance the quality and speed of your interview process.What are the benefits you see in utilizing the one-way video interview in your candidate selection process? Please share your thoughts below in the commentsImage sabelskaya/BigStock.com

Dan McCarthy - The Balance

Dan McCarthy - The BalanceDan McCarthy - The Balance

How to Become a Top Performing Retail Employee

How to Become a Top Performing Retail EmployeeHow to Become a Top Performing Retail EmployeeMy first job out of college was in retail, and it was a humbling experience for me. As a confident new grad with my fancy bachelors degree, I didnt expect to find myself folding sweaters full-time. But I ended up gaining a lot of skills during my time in the retail world. I uncovered the abilities that I needed to succeed in my role as a front-line retail worker, which are valuable to any occupation and position. Whether youre a student going back to school and looking for a part-time or seasonal retail job, or youre already a retail employee trying to get promoted, these are the essential habits of top-performing retail employees.Keep on top of product knowledge If theres one skill you need in retail, its a thorough understanding of product knowledge. How can you sell something you know bedrngnishing about? Remembering products, their materials, qualities, store availability, alternative prod ucts and complementary products is essential. Many sales associates are assigned to a section, division or type of product. Study the products you sell. This not only makes your job easier, but it boosts confidence with customers who ask you for help. It bodes well with management, too. If you can market your products well, it says that you are knowledgeable and hold yourself accountable.Use your tech savvinessWe are no longer in the Stone Age. Today the average retail worker is equipped with many tools, from walkie-talkies to the point-of-sale system to the inventory software program. Learning these technologies makes you both an efficient employee and a well-rounded one. You present yourself as reliable for a variety of tasks, from ringing up customers to assisting the store manager with inventory management. What is the best way to get promoted? Go above and beyond to learn all the tools.Keep track of the schedule Its foolish for a student or working professional to not keep a ca lendar of deadlines and top priorities. The retail employee would be careless to ignore store events and company announcements such as the introduction of new products, inventory deliveries and layout changes. You may not be involved in all of the store changes, but you want to be aware of them. Knowing what happens around your store allows you to understand where products are or have moved to, what promotions are happening or have expired, the stock levels for various items and when to expect new inventory. Tracking store happenings makes it easier to know your priorities as well as serve your customers.Read and react to customer behavior Body language, expressions and tone of voice are all indicators of what your customers are thinking. If you can decipher these clues you can know your customers. Youll know which ones dont want to be helped or which dont mind assistance when offered. Youll be able to identify which can be upsold and which cant. Look at your customers body language and pay attention to the tone of their voice when they speak to you. Attention to body language also can prevent a situation from escalating.Keep up appearancesIm not just referring to proper attire and hygiene. Its about serving that customer who insists that you check the inventory for an out-of-season item. If theres one thing a customer cant forgive, its poor customer service. Even if you know that a color is no longer in stock, or if youre positive that store policies state no refunds without a receipt, you still want to go through the motions as if youre going to check the stock room or confirm the policy with the retail supervisor. If a customer doesnt see you take action on a request then they assume you dont care. So put your attitude away and replace it with a smile. If you can win customers over, you can win extra points on your evaluation.

3 Questions Smart People Ask Before Starting a Side Hustle

3 Questions Smart People Ask Before Starting a Side Hustle3 Questions Smart People Ask Before Starting a Side HustleEvery side hustle starts with an idea. And your first step to pulling off a successful one is to find the right ideas. They may leid be obvious at first, but if you look closely, youll find no shortage of ideas that can be converted into money available for the taking.Before we go on, take note of an important fact about hustle ideas Not all of them are created equal. In fact, theres a tremendous sortiment of potential profit among them.Still, almost every one thats worth pursuing will make you nod your head yes to the questions below1. Is Your Idea Feasible?Your goal is to start a project in a short period of time that earns money outside your day job. If any of these pieces of the equation arent immediately evident in the idea youre considering, you dont have a feasible idea.Lets break down what feasible meansAnd lets break that down even moreExcited to Start a Projec t Youre actually going to do this, not just think about it. When you think about an idea, do you feel excited? Can you envision your next steps? If not, abandon the idea. Potential to Earn Money Remember A side hustle isnt a hobby- it produces income. If you dont see a clear way to get paid, abandon the idea. In a Short Period of Time If your idea requires three years to get going, abandon the idea.A feasible idea is one that you can turn into reality using the skills, time, and resources you already have. Even if you dont know every step of the way, you must be able to see a pathway from idea to launch. 2. Is Your Idea Profitable?Youre not looking for an idea that merely sounds interesting, youre looking for a profitable one. To make sure you understand the difference, consider two examples of entirely different ideas. Heres the first, from a personal chef with a love for high-quality dessertsI want to start an ice-cream-of-the-month club that delivers artisanal flavors to offices. The service is marketed to HR managers and small business CEOs as a way to increase morale and bring employees together for regular social experiences.In this example, theres a clear target market. Sure, the logistics of storing and delivering all that ice cream could get a little complicated, but it might be worth exploring if you knew how to source the ingredients and who your initial clients would be. This idea is at least potentially profitable.Now, consider another idea from a college graduate beginning the slow climb at a consulting firmId like to create an app that introduces a new form of payment for people who dont like credit cards or cash.Is that idea interesting? Sure, maybe. But how would you even begin to build and market it? It would be an enormous, expensive undertaking, even if you had a hintergrund in both information technology and finance. And even if you could easily build it, how would you go about making it stand out from all the other payment apps on the mar ket? At best, its a grandiose vision that would require a great deal of dedication and struggle. Thats not what a side hustle is about.Heres another quick test If you have a hard time explaining the primary benefit of your concept in more than a sentence or two, you may need to rethink the idea. If the primary benefit is unclear to potential customers, you wont convert many of them into paying customers.3. Is Your Idea Persuasive?Theres one more factor to consider as you brainstorm- and eventually select- your idea. Its not enough to have a good idea, even one thats potentially very profitable. Your idea has to arrive at the right time, and be so persuasive that its hard for customers to say no to.I recently went to an event where the parking cost $25. Normally, it costs $5 to park in this lot, but for the special event the price had increased 500% overnight. Was I happy about paying $25 for something that usually costs $5? Nope. Did I pay it? Yep. Supply and demand ensured that the parking lot owner was providing a service that was very persuasive on that day.Sometimes, youll have ideas that just arent ready yet. Thats okay you can hold on to them for later. Better to focus your current efforts on ideas thatre persuasive now. To be successful, you want the right idea at the right time.Lets sum this all up into a short checklistCan you describe how to turn your idea into action in one sentence?Is there an obvious way to make money with this idea?Does this idea solve a schwierigkeit for someone?Can you figure out how to make this idea happen quickly?Is it relatively low maintenance?Can you get paid more than once for this idea?The more yes answers you have to these questions, the more potential your idea has. And the more potential it has, the faster you should get to work. This excerpt was adapted from Side Hustle From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau, which came out September 2017. It has been republished here with permission.