How to Start a Side Hustle

So you’ve worked your 9–5 for quite some time. All this time you’ve felt comforted knowing you have a stable job and steady income you can depend on.

But then the pandemic hit, and you realize your income has taken a hit, or worse, no income at all. You start drawing from your savings only to realize your crappy 9–5 job didn’t even let you save extra money.

That’s where a side hustle comes in.

One lesson I learned from the pandemic is that you can never rely on one source of income. Having multiple income streams is essential if you want to thrive and succeed in the 21st century.

The harsh reality is that while your 9–5 may keep you secure today, it can be gone tomorrow. The world is unpredictable and there’s no way you can know for sure what will happen to the economy or the world in which we live today.

According to Zapier, 1 in three Americans, or 30% percent have a side hustle, and that number keeps rising each year.

Figuring out what your side hustle isn’t as hard as most people think. You just have to sit down with a piece of paper and figure out what your interests and passions are.

Here’s how to do it

Step 1

Take a piece of paper and make a list of all the things you are interested in doing. Then go through each one by one and ask yourself: “How good am I in each area?” Now, narrow it down to things you are most interested in doing and ask yourself: “Is it something I can market to make money?”

Hint: You don’t need to be an expert in each area to start a side hustle. You can build your skills as you go. The most important is that you identify what you are good at and how you can utilize your skills to scale your business.

For example, a couple of years ago I realized I had a passion for words and saw myself becoming a freelance proofreader. That’s when I knew I needed to hone my skills in those areas so I could start offering my services to different clients.

Maybe, like me, the love for language is in your blood. Maybe you have good business and selling skills and dream of opening an online store. Or maybe you like teaching and could do well with tutoring.

Everyone is different, and that’s why you need to take the time and figure out for yourself what will work best for you.

Step 2

Once you identify areas for a potential side hustle, you can work on building the skills in that area. If you think you need more knowledge and direction, maybe you could take a course that will help you improve your skills in a particular area. Or maybe you want to go a self-teaching route and do research on your own and find resources that could help you build your skills.

For example, after the pandemic started I discovered I had a passion for writing. At the same time, I also knew I loved editing as a passion for words had always sat in me. So I put my hands on as many grammar resources as I could possibly find online. In doing my research I found many free proofreading resources that could help me hone my grammar and polish my writing.

Step 3

Start marketing your services to clients. Before you do that though you need to know your basic rate for the services you offer.

For example, before I started offering my editing services to clients, I had to figure out what my basic rate would be per hour or per project completed. Your rates may vary greatly depending on the project.

Ultimately, the rate for each project would depend on its length and complexity. Not every project is the same- for example for proofreading I charge a different rate than I charge for editing because editing is by and large more involved and requires more work. For shorter projects, I charge more than for longer projects.

Once you decide on the rates, figure out what platforms will be best to promote your services. Depending on what your services include, you can choose different platforms. Not every platform will be suitable for every side hustle.

For example, there are many freelancing job boards for people with a diverse set of skills. These include Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, ProBlogger, Freelancer. On these platforms, you can set up your profile with the services you offer.

You can also respond to job boards directly with services that you offer. Choose projects that appeal most to you and that pay decent rates for your services. If you’re just in the process of building your side hustle, you may want to start with low-paying projects and then raise your rates gradually as you get better.

Don’t underestimate the power of social media. For example, there are many FB groups designed for freelancers. There you can post ads and advertise your services.

The takeaway

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to have a side hustle. A side hustle allows you to have an extra income you can lean on during tough economic times.

To start a side hustle, identify what skills you’re good at and build from there. Make sure your side hustle revolves around your passion and it’s something you enjoy doing. Depending on the area, you may need to upgrade your skills as you go. And remember you don’t need to be an expert in your field to start a successful side hustle.