Struggling to get started on that side hustle? Fear no more!

Side hustle! This is the one word that has been getting a lot of traction, especially among the younger generations.

In today’s online world, starting one is easier as interactions between people are more abundant. This means more opportunities to sell your service to people and companies that need them.

However, you might be experiencing some fears and hesitation to start the side hustle you have been thinking about. That’s normal. Everyone has commitments and responsibilities, and hence, many times, not have enough time.

If you are struggling in your quest to do your side hustle, this article will help you to kick start that.

#1: Check with Your Primary Employer First

A “side” hustle implies you have a primary occupation. If your primary occupation (e.g. full-time job) is one where you are employed by someone else, the first thing you need to do before launching your side hustle is to check with your primary employer on their policies regarding you (as their employee) taking on something on the side.

Some are less restrictive and allow you to pursue side hustle or part-time work, while some are not. There are different reasons why some companies do not allow you but the main reasons are commonly conflict of interest and/or competition. Remember that they will be looking out for their own interest rather than yours.

Start by checking your employee contract, an employee handbook, and talking to a relevant superior such as your manager or Human Resources (HR) team.

#2: Calculate How Much Resources You Have

Once you are sure that you can work on your side hustle, you need to figure out how much resources (e.g. time, energy) you can afford to spend. This could vary greatly by individual.

For the purpose of this discussion, let’s focus only on time for now.

The number of hours you have for the week to work on your side hustle ultimately also determines how much money you can make. The more, the better, but that is not always the case as everyone has different arrangements and commitments.

When it comes to occupied time versus free time, you need to be aware of how much you must set aside as untouchable time. For example, ask yourself these:

  • What hours must I work for my primary job?
  • What hours are taken up by commute?
  • How many hours do I spend with family?
  • How many hours should I use for rest and sleep?

Depending on how occupied you already are how flexible your current commitments are, it could be tricky to make time.

Organize your thoughts and your resources. Identify your partners, stakeholders, or superiors for each and have conversations with them to negotiate clear boundaries or flexibility, as needed. Most importantly is do assure them that the quality you deliver will not be degraded because of this new endeavor.

#3: Decide on the Best Side Hustle for Yourself

This decision is not easy. The ‘best’ side hustle is subjective and it depends on what your considerations are. It is always best to do something that you are naturally good at or what you have been doing at work already.

If you have been doing Information Technology services for your company, it is natural to extend that service to others. The transition into a side hustle that is similar is always going to be easier.

However, a side hustle is not always purely profit-driven. You could be doing it out of passion and interest. Having just one main job can sometimes be limiting and you might need an outlet to explore other things in life.

#4: Set the Right Expectations and Goals

This is where it gets complicated. Many people quit their side hustles in the beginning due to a mismatch between their expectations and goals to reality.

It’s important to get this right at the beginning and is tightly linked to point #2 on time.

If you only have about 3 to 4 hours a week to work on your side hustle, you need to reduce your expectations of making significant progress in the first few months. Goals will need to be set within a longer time frame as you only have a limited amount of time.

Furthermore, you would need to think hard about this question. Will this side hustle supplement your income or are you looking to make it into your main hustle.

If the objective is to make it into your main hustle, you need to have expectations and goals to ramp up your side hustle in a given time frame. This means more time spent on making it work and eventually exiting your main job.

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day so don’t expect your side hustle to be successful in one day either.

#5: Determine the Investments to Get Started

Time to get the nitty gritty down. You will need to think about the investments into the resources that you need for your side hustle.

The best way to think about this would be, if I don’t make this investment or have this resource, will I be able to deliver good work to my clients?

For a freelance writer, Grammarly is very important as it enables you to detect errors and the best way to write. Without it, you might be giving a bad impression to clients if errors crop up.

For a designer, design software are of paramount importance. The same can be said about other professions such as data analytics, copywriting, information technology, and many others.

#6: Plan How to Get Clients

Once you have set the right expectations and goals and got the required resources, it’s time to get clients. There are many ways to do this but ultimately it is up to the industry and the time you have.

There are a couple of excellent freelance platforms such as Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, and others. Firstly, you would need to set up your profile to market your services to clients.

If you have more time, you can cold call or email potential clients. If you want to take it a step further, establish a social media presence showcasing your projects and works. The proof is in the pudding after all.

Conclusion

Side hustles don’t need to be hard or overwhelming. If you are finding it hard to start, these steps above can provide you with a structured framework to get started. Who knows? Maybe the side hustle could be your calling to something bigger in life.

 

What kind of side hustles are you thinking to start? Let us know in the comments below!

You May Also Like