7 Ways to Deal with Your Side Hustles
In a perfect world, we’d all get paid handsomely to do what we’re most talented at doing, or what we’re most passionate about doing. In our society, however, we often end up choosing jobs and career paths for a more complicated set of reasons: some skills are more marketable than others; bills need to be paid, or maybe there aren’t enough full-time job openings for someone who makes custom jewelry for hamsters.
Whatever the reason, your day job might not be your ideal passion.
Don’t forget that if you have a skill or interest that isn’t fully developed, you can take classes or spend some time honing them into business-ready shape. You don’t need to be ready to launch overnight.
Make sure it fits.
If you have a skill that might be profitable, but you don’t love doing it, then you may be better off not pursuing it. Remember that you’ll likely be doing this in your spare time. If you can’t face the idea of going home after a long day at work and spending three more hours editing the massive batch of photos you were hired to take at your cousin’s friend’s bar mitzvah last weekend, then maybe you’re not ready to start a second career as a photographer.
Check out your potential market.
Before you start any side business venture for yourself, research the heck out of it! Know what sort of online sales and marketing channels are available to you and what type of audience you would be serving. Make sure you understand who would be buying from you and what kind of quality they expect.
Get expert advice.
If you have a brilliant idea and a plan for implementing it, but you need money to pay for materials or development, consider crowdfunding it.
Build your brand.
There are so many free online tools you can use to promote your business; there’s no excuse not to take advantage. This is especially key when you’re just starting. If you’re not sure yet whether you want to invest your full attention and resources into your new business, start with basics like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram before you invest in creating and maintaining your website.
Develop your business sense.
In addition to getting your skills and plan in order, make sure you also know about any legal or financial implications. It can’t be a surprise that Uncle Sam will expect you to pay taxes on your excellent new enterprise, so make sure you’ve done your research about how your taxes will be affected by your status as an independent vendor or contractor.
The hustle is real. As long as you’re doing something that’s fun and stimulating for you (and legal!), there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a mini-career on the side. And who knows? It could turn into your full-time gig somewhere down the line.
