4 Steps for Building an Effective Side Hustle
With the economy in such disarray, many people are attempting to launch a side project to supplement their incomes over the coming months. Some people are considering starting their own business, whilst many have started searching for ‘’part-time jobs near me’’ to make some extra income.
Not only does a side-hustle provide you with extra income, but it also looks fantastic on your resume. Future employers will be impressed at your initiative especially if you start your own business and the lessons you learn along the way aid your future immensely.
Building an effective side hustle takes time, commitment, and resourcefulness, but it’s well worth the effort. There are plenty of great resources around to provide you with information regarding business, so if you’re thinking of launching one in the near future, here are 4 steps that will help you succeed in your endeavor:
Think Small, Act Big
Think of a side-hustle as a supplement. Whilst launching one is indeed a challenge, it should never be more time consuming than your primary career.
It’s vital that you do not put too much pressure on yourself when starting your side-gig. You don’t have to invent the next Facebook or Google for it to be a success – you just need something that pads out your resume whilst making a few extra bucks on the side.
Studies have shown that accomplishing small, attainable tasks does a lot for our confidence – allowing us to undertake more complex challenges later on. This is exactly what your side-hustle should be in its early stages – something small, actionable, and realistic. You can then aim to grow it from there.
Take the pressure off yourself and start getting to work one step at a time.
Consider Your Skills
If your skills are in marketing, it’s no good launching a side business in computer programming.
Try and keep your side-hustle as relevant to your skills as possible. Not only will this help prevent you from being overwhelmed but it will also aid your confidence. If your skills are in languages, for example, you could aim to do a bit of part-time tutoring on the side. Not only will this help your bank account, but it will also teach you valuable lessons about dealing with clients and managing an increasingly-busy routine.
Make your side-hustle as manageable as possible. It’s no good overworking yourself in an area you have no real expertise in.
Grow Your Network
One of the best things about building a side-hustle is that it organically grows your network for you. However, it never hurts to take the time to get on LinkedIn (for example) and aim to grow it further.
Not only will you meet others in the same trade as yourself, but you will also land potential customers to help get your side-hustle off to a lightning start.
Your contemporaries will also be full of helpful advice that you can utilize for your own benefit. You’ll also be more in-tune with your field and be able to be a better judge of what your customers want, need, and appreciate.
They say business is about who you know just as much as what you know – so start reaching out to others to help your side-hustle skyrocket.
Learn From Your Mistakes
Mistakes are unavoidable in business no matter who you are. When launching a side-hustle it’s important not to take on too much work at the start, as you risk alienating yourself from your main employer and risking your primary job altogether.
Whilst it may be tempting to take on all the work you can at the beginning in a blaze of motivation and self-belief, it can quickly backfire if you’re not careful.
If you do fall victim to a mistake or two along the way – don’t panic. It’s all part of the learning curve and you’ll know not to make that same mistake again.
Think of mistakes as nothing more than learning experiences. This will make them more manageable in your mind and you won’t be beating yourself up for making them. Even Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos have made plenty of mistakes along the way, and if they can bounce back from them – so can you.
Building a side-hustle takes time. Don’t panic if it doesn’t all start to come together overnight. Believe in yourself, have trust in the process, and aim to improve every day. As long as you’re focused on those three things, then your side-hustle will be blossoming before too long.