How to run a business while working full time

When you have a job, you can’t be at the counter. So split the business into two kinds of work: the daily work that someone else can do (opening, selling, answering customers, receiving deliveries) and the owner work that only you should do (setting prices, choosing what to buy, paying suppliers, checking the numbers, hiring).

If you try to do both from your office desk, you will do both badly. Hand over the daily work properly and keep the owner work for yourself.

The person running your shop matters more than anything else in this guide. Look for someone reliable, good with customers and comfortable with a phone or tablet. Check references, start with a trial period, and pay a fair wage on time.

Then train them on your way of doing things: how to record a sale, how to receive a delivery, what to do when something is finished, who can give a discount, and when to call you. Training is a few days of your time that saves you months of problems.

Rules in your head only work when you are there. Write a one-page guide and keep it at the counter. It should cover:

A short daily check keeps you in control without being there. Do it at the same time each day, for example on your lunch break or after closing:

When you are away, records are your eyes. Give each person their own login so every sale and stock change shows who did it, let only you or a manager approve discounts and refunds, and count stock regularly. Our guides on stock taking and preventing theft in a retail shop go into detail.

Good systems aren’t about distrust. When the records are clear, honest staff are never suspected unfairly, and problems are found early, while they are still small.

Use a separate bank account for the business. Pay suppliers, rent and salaries from it, and pay yourself a fixed amount from it instead of taking money whenever you need it. Record every expense. It is the only way to know whether the business is really making money; see how to calculate profit and how to track business expenses.

In StockỌja, your staff sell at the point of sale on a phone, tablet or computer, each with their own login and role. Every sale shows who made it and how it was paid, stock goes down as items sell, and adjustments need a reason saved with the person’s name.

From your phone, your dashboard shows today’s sales, your best sellers, products running low and online orders waiting, and notifications tell you when something needs attention. You can record expenses, and add a second branch when you are ready. Start free with one store and two staff accounts.