Putting Your Side Hustle 1st
Written by: Mamie Green
These days, having a “side hustle” is a must. Between increasing costs to live and the pandemic, it has become more and more common to have multiple streams of income. No matter where you are in life, there is some other thing you do outside of your main stream of income to collect money. If not, there should be! Sports gambling, collectors items trading, real estate investing, car detailing, the list literally goes on and on. The list of ways to get “extra money” is endless. So what do you do when the universe tells you to PUT YOUR SIDE HUSTLE FIRST?
1. KNOW WHEN ITS TIME
We know life may still require you to have to get to your traditional job as scheduled. But that doesn’t mean you can’t put the time and energy into a blossoming side hustle without missing a beat. So many people go from monetizing a hobby to starting and operating a full business, usually from just doing what they love. With the right focus and tools, this can be a seamless transition. A good indicator is when your sales cause your workload to get overwhelming. If you are at your 9–5 answering emails and calls about sales and YOU HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK from past sales, it might be time to consider getting set up. This does not mean quit your 9–5, just that it’s time to start putting on paper what you are already doing on the side. There are so many resources available to ensure you have what you need. The first thing you really want to make sure of is that you are ready to make the transition.
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Once the choice is made, do your research on the industry in your spare time. In the morning when you are spending time alone preparing for work, listen to podcasts and videos on your product/service/industry. You have time during lunch to eat, but you can also spend that time reading or listening to information that can help you get your business set up properly. Coaches 4 Freedom has tons of videos for you to use. Once you put that into practice, just keep changing out the information you research as you move along in your business, you will never stop learning.
3. BUILD YOUR NETWORK
Now you know more about your industry and how you want to position your business. This is when you may want to start to talk to people that are in the business. Remember, there are various levels to your business and you will need relationships in all forms. Joining groups online and in your community is the best start to good networking practices. Let people know what you do and seek the people that provide products and services that will help you get your business up and running. Work may not always be the best place depending on the environment, but you can always go to networking events after you get off to meet other small business owners. The weekends are always a great opportunity to network. Lots of people are working during the week and looking for ways to meet up over the weekend in the city. Online networking is especially popular right now.
4. BUILD YOUR BRAND
Once you’ve done the research and started to make your connections you can begin to personalize your business so that it attracts the customers you want. Your brand will be the representation you need to transform your hobby into a sustainable business that is well recognized and clear to understand. The name, images, and text that is presented will more than likely be personal to you by now and you’ll be confident and eager to share your new venture!
So now, that 9–5 you’ve had for the last 8 years is starting to get in the way of your new small business. You didn’t necessarily plan on it, it kind of just happened. Make it your own. The resources you need are out there for you to use. Build your team over time and don’t be afraid to ask questions and get help. Always keep in mind Coaches4Freedom.org for your business, health, and wealth resources.
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