Building many revenue streams was unheard of a few decades ago; it was frequently costly, time-consuming, and complicated. But thanks to the internet, expanding your business’s revenue streams is now simpler and more economical!
You’ve come to the correct site if you value independence and financial stability and are looking for ways to increase your income. Although the idea of managing various revenue streams can be daunting, the advantages of doing so can make the work worthwhile.
We’ve put together a few pointers to assist you create and develop many passive income streams and stress-free manage them. Take a look at these viable extra income options if you’re ready to have more than one source of income.
How To Manage Multiple Income Streams Like a Pro
These days, having several streams of income, accumulating passive wealth, and improving one’s financial situation are highly desired. Everyone appears to be talking about it, from millennials considering greater passive revenue to teenagers learning about NFTs.
More money is a wonderful thing. But earning more money and not understanding what to do with it is equally as horrible as not earning any at all. Perhaps the time and effort you put into earning the money make it much worse. Congratulations if you’ve gone on the numerous streams bandwagon and increased your revenue, but the trip doesn’t stop there.
For surplus income to be truly profitable for you, you must manage it well. How are you able to accomplish it?
1. Clear your debt
No one likes going through their months with debt and interest getting piled on. If you weren’t side hustling to reduce debt to begin with already, strategise your new income around your debt before you add on to your lifestyle or goals.
If you have multiple types of debt on you, section out a bigger sum for high-interest debts. The longer that stays, the more money you have to give up. You could also look into tackling such debt with high yield investments or savings accounts to maximise your income.
2. Backtrack to see your goals
Sure, the primary reason behind having multiple streams of income is to have more money. But why did you decide you needed more money? Were you unhappy with your quality of life? Do you have loans to tackle or are planning a major life decision?
It’s easy to get swayed by surplus income. It doesn’t take much to go on a shopping spree or book your next travel ticket. To ensure you don’t sway from your original goals, regularly backtrack to see how well you’re actually doing on those goals. Look into how far those goals are now and how much extra income is needed. In short, prioritise.
3. Add to your emergency fund
Try to think of an emergency fund like insurance you’re keeping aside for yourself. With more streams of income, the scope of a crisis across streams increases. If you’re aiming at growth and longevity from your side incomes, then you’d be willing to take hits from them. This is all the more reason to increase your emergency fund.
The obvious reason being that it’s good to have an emergency fund with wider coverage. Be it health, accidents, or lack of job security, your fund should be strong enough to have your back through it all.
4. Bump up retirement plans
Similarly to the emergency fund, a good way to use your surplus income is to add it to your retirement plan. Retirement isn’t a plus 60 concept anymore, and the wishful age for retirement is reduced by the day.
To actually achieve this, explore ways you can save and invest for your retirement. A good way to calculate how much you’d need to retire is to multiply your annual expenditure by 25. This is a rather popular way to ensure that if you live on just 4% of this calculation, you’ll be able to live comfortably. There’s a bunch of calculators out there, give them a spin and set a skeletal retirement goal for you to build towards.
5. Sort out your taxes
This has to be your priority regardless of any goals. Multiple streams of income mean multiple tabs of taxes you fall under, which you now have to calculate and pay.
Learn about the ways you can save on taxes and increase your income tax returns. Depending on your streams of income, see what tax plans the government has laid out, and what kinds of investments, insurance, or even donations might help you save on taxes.
Having multiple sources of income makes it too difficult to keep track of them. Being able to automatically track all of your revenue and take the tax implications of this additional money into account is the first step towards managing numerous income streams. Thankfully, there are contemporary methods to help handle this, such as online money management software that connects to your accounts directly and synchronizes on its own.
To further simplify your accounting, consider opening a second daily bank account specifically for these kinds of payments. You can keep better track of your additional earnings in order to file your taxes by keeping your finances divided across two accounts.
It might be time to think about obtaining an ABN and establishing yourself as your own business if your side project is expanding and you’ve started doing more freelance work. Engaging in self-employment as a contractor can streamline and fortify your brand, as well as the financial structure supporting your additional revenue.
To find out if your bank offers any helpful banking tools for handling numerous income streams, such accounting software to streamline your invoicing and bookkeeping or calendar reminders that help you set up notifications to remember deadlines, you can check with your bank.
These are just few suggestions for beginning to make additional money. Having various sources of income can help you not only earn more during prosperous times but also sustain yourself in the event of unexpected unemployment, take a sabbatical from work, or decide to pursue this as a full-time profession.
Read Also: Tax Implications of Multiple Income Streams
Creating several revenue sources takes time and involves a lot of ups and downs that may be rather taxing. So remember to reward yourself when you do achieve a goal. Spending a little money on entertainment, relaxation, or even just being lazy occasionally is perfectly acceptable.
Just make arrangements on how to allocate your extra cash to its most advantageous uses. Just decide what you want to do with the money and keep track of your progress—it doesn’t have to be a lofty objective.
How to Balance Your Time and Energy Between Multiple Income Streams?
A wise strategy to improve your financial stability and expedite the achievement of your objectives is to diversify your sources of income. However, how can you manage your time and resources between several revenue streams without becoming overworked or ignoring your priorities? Here are some pointers and methods to help you efficiently and successfully handle your sources of money.
Identify your main income stream
Your main income stream is the one that provides you with the most income, stability, and satisfaction. It could be your full-time job, your own business, or a freelance gig. This is the income stream that you should prioritize and protect, as it covers your essential expenses and supports your lifestyle. You should also invest in your skills and network to grow your main income stream and increase your value.
Choose complementary income streams
Complementary income streams are those that supplement your main income stream and align with your skills, interests, and goals. They could be passive income sources, such as investments, royalties, or online courses, or active income sources, such as side hustles, consulting, or teaching. The key is to choose income streams that fit your schedule, budget, and personality, and that don’t interfere with your main income stream or your well-being.
Set clear boundaries and expectations
One of the challenges of having multiple income streams is managing your time and energy effectively. You need to set clear boundaries and expectations for yourself and others, and communicate them clearly. For example, you could decide how many hours per week you’ll dedicate to each income stream, when and how you’ll be available for communication, and what your rates and terms are. You should also track your income and expenses for each income stream and keep them separate.
Automate and delegate where possible
Another way to save time and energy is to automate and delegate tasks that are repetitive, low-value, or outside your expertise. For example, you could use tools and apps to automate your invoicing, accounting, marketing, or scheduling. You could also outsource or hire help for tasks that you don’t enjoy or that take too much of your time, such as editing, design, or customer service. This way, you can focus on the core activities that generate income and value.
Review and adjust regularly
Finally, you should review and adjust your income streams regularly to make sure they are serving your goals and needs. You should evaluate the performance, profitability, and potential of each income stream, and decide whether to keep, scale, or drop it. You should also consider your personal and professional situation, and how it affects your income streams. For example, you might want to add or reduce income streams depending on your life stage, career path, or financial goals.
Essential Tools to Manage and Maximize Multiple Revenue Streams
Developing and expanding several revenue sources can be a very effective strategy to lower risk and boost financial stability. To succeed, though, you must effectively manage your streams and resources. Should you be overburdened, incapable of keeping up, or prone to missing deadlines, you may be endangering the prosperity of your company.
Fear not—tech and apps are available to assist. These are the top five tools that entrepreneurs utilize to efficiently manage several streams at once.
1. Project Management Tools
Web-based project management tools allow you to plan, create, prioritize, and execute projects and tasks for each income stream. Most apps also offer collaboration features, allowing you to work with team members and delegate.
Several options suit small businesses, including Trello, monday.com, and Asana. No matter which one you choose, here are some essential capabilities your project management tool should have:
- Automation — save time on repetitive tasks
- Alerts/reminders
- Options for visual learners — timelines, task lists, Gantt charts
- Integrations — integrate with your other apps/tools
- Analytics — facilitate effective decision making
2. Social Media Marketing/ Management Tools
These tools can help you create, schedule, manage, and track the effectiveness of your social media content and ad campaigns through a single dashboard. You can also handle all direct messaging from one location.
If you run multiple social media accounts or have different versions for each stream, these tools can help you become more efficient — saving you time and money.
Some examples include Hootsuite, PromoRepublic, and SocialPilot.
3. Accounting Software
Finance management tools like QuickBooks, Wave, or ZipBooks are essential to the operation of any small business — especially if you’re juggling multiple income streams.
The tool you choose should have the following capabilities:
- Analytics and reports (for example, profit and loss statement, balance sheet, cash flow, expenses)
- Direct invoicing (with customizable invoice templates)
- Bank account connectivity
- Expense tracking tools
- Automated payment reminders
4. Graphic Design Tools
Graphic design tools like Canva, VistaCreate, or Snappa provide small business owners with a simple and accessible way to create high-quality designs. These tools eliminate the need for extensive training or experience, allowing you to create professional-looking materials quickly and easily.
Most graphic design tools also offer easily customized templates to meet your specific needs. The ability to store and access previous designs also ensures that you can maintain a consistent look and feel across all your materials, which is essential for building a solid brand and establishing a professional image.
5. Marketing and Sales Automation Tools
Cloud-based marketing and sales automation software allows you to segment your audience and automate personalized communications with them.
Email marketing has been around for a long time. However, it’s still one of the most influential and popular digital marketing channels, allowing you to communicate directly with prospects and customers.
These platforms, which include Drip and ActiveCampaign, have the following capabilities:
- Email marketing/automation
- Lead generation
- Analytics
- CRM (customer relationship management)
Use technology and widely-available tools and apps to help you create, launch, manage, and market your multiple income streams.