Great advice for time management, works well for IT positions.
You're in a good spot to have a full time job you enjoy and (presumably) pays well. For me, the hardest part was building capital. I'd recommend saving every penny you can.
As for how to start, try lots of small things. Most of my ideas that worked took, at most, two weeks to test. Many started from writing an email or making a phone call.
There are countless niches now, full of people prepared to pay money. I chose LSAT prep. I'm sure already there's thing you know how to do that people will pay for. Some ways you can monetize that:
* An e-book guide to something, with free html articles as marketing for organic SEO and links
* Some useful tool people will link to. Serves as marketing for either ads, a product, or a paid version
* Videos on a topic. Can be marketing for any of the above, or lead to a paid video product.
"Start small, stay small" by Rob Walling is an excellent guide to bootstrapping a business. Possibly the best. It's aimed at software developers, but I was able to use it as a non-developer for guiding principles and marketing.
The Moz guide to SEO is a very useful intro to how SEO works. Essential reading if you're planning on going the free marketing route.
Lastly, the Four Hour Workweek is what got me started, and it's a great overview of the hacker mindset applied to business. For me, the idea was not "hehehe, how can I be lazy and work only 4 hours". It was "how can I make a business that can keep running even if I choose not to work on it". I do work quite a bit, but I don't HAVE to now.
(Note: This last book rubs many people the wrong way. If a specific situation irks you, ask what principle he was applying, and if it could be applied to a situation that doesn't annoy you)
Authority:
http://www.amazon.com/Authority-Become-Following-Financial-I... http://nathanbarry.com/authority/
Start Small: http://www.amazon.com/Start-Small-Stay-Developers-Launching/...
SEO: http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo
4HWW: http://www.amazon.com/The-4-Hour-Workweek-Anywhere-Expanded/...
http://www.amazon.com/The-4-Hour-Workweek-Anywhere-Expanded/...
I started a number of sites like that years ago in college, with nothing but a static site built with a cheap template in a day, and some AdWords credits. If people actually signed up to learn more, or ordered a product, or whatever, then I'd spend the time building a real business around it.
The first time I saw that written down was in Four Hour Workweek several years ago. Now millions of people have been told to do the same.
http://www.amazon.com/The-4-Hour-Workweek-Anywhere-Expanded/...
The author has some really good points and ideas.
I was in your same situation. Once I managed to find a way to work remotely now I'm able to organize my time more efficiently and find time for my side projects/ideas.
> Deep Work https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/...
> Can't Hurt Me https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Hurt-Me-Master-Clean/dp/15445078...
> Talking to Humans https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Humans-Success-understanding-...
> Rich Dad Poor Dad https://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680...
> 4 Hour Workweek https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/...
> Steve Jobs https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648...
> The Design of everyday things https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expand...
> Siddhartha: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Novel-Hermann-Hesse/dp/055...
> The Four Agreements https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Fr...
> Rework https://www.amazon.com/Rework-Jason-Fried/dp/0307463745?dchi...