Many people start off so excited when they see a side hustle opportunity
they think will be a good fit for them. They make plans and think about how
they’re going to spend their extra cash, or how they’re going to quit their
jobs the moment their side hustle takes off.
But before they even get halfway to success, they give up all of a
sudden. They make excuses as to why their side hustle isn’t working.
Take Inventory Of Your
Special Skills And Talents
You’ve probably got a lot of skills and talents that you can put to good
use. But since you’ve got a limited number of free time (provided you work
full time at your day job), then you need to choose a profitable side hustle
that will help maximize your time.
How do you do that?
Well, for starters, you can take an inventory of your special skills and
talents. You can start by writing down your work experiences (paid or not),
and then write the skills you used to do those jobs.
Build On Your Strengths,
Outsource Your Weaknesses
Do you believe in the saying “time is money?” If you do, then you know
that your time is better spent doing things you’re good at. You can then
leave the rest (meaning, the things you’re bad or mediocre at) to people
who are way better than you.
In the beginning, it may be perfectly okay to do everything in your side
hustle business all by yourself.
Map Out Your Hustle Idea
And Strategy
Planning is key to your side hustle success. Without a good plan, you
may just as well be playing in the dark. You’re almost guaranteed to fail. If
you want to increase your chances of success (and who wouldn’t?), then
it’s a must that you plan out your side hustle idea and lay down a solid
strategy.
You know your strengths and your weaknesses better than anyone. If
you say you’re not good at planning, then you better think of a way to move
‘planning’ to your strengths column.
Analyze And Validate Your
New Hustle Idea
Breaking away from the comfort of your day job is a scary thought,
especially if you’ve never once attempted to do something so radical
before. Or, perhaps you have, but you failed.
Well, there’s a way you can minimize failure, and that is by analyzing
and validating your side hustle idea. This technique will help you cross out
the side hustles which aren’t going to be worth spending your time on
simply because they aren’t going to be profitable.
Implement A Solid
Marketing Strategy
If you’re shy and timid and you’re scared at the thought of talking to
random people and businesses, then you’re in for a shock. Your side hustle
is never going to take off if you don’t go out there and let people know
you’re open for business.
So, before you even think about which marketing strategy to employ,
you need to figure out how you can toughen up ASAP.
Set Realistic Goals And
Timelines With Your Hustle
At this point, your side hustle is exactly what the label says, you work on
it on the side, meaning it’s not your full-time job or your day job. You’re
basically working on your hustle on days when you don’t have regular work
or even before/after you go to work. Obviously, your schedule will depend
on you and how busy you are at the office.
When you’re just starting out at your side hustle, you need to be realistic
with your goals.
Keep Your Side Hustle
Separate From Your Day Job
If you value your day job, then you wouldn’t want to lose it, especially
not when your side hustle has barely even started. Even when your side
hustle reaches the point where you’re making more money than at your day
job, you may still want to keep your job.
If you work at a job you really like and enjoy and you find it very fulfilling,
then, by all means, stay in it.
Create And Follow A Strict
Side Hustle Schedule
How many free hours do you have on a workday? And how many free
hours do have on your days off? How many hours do you need for your
personal routines? For sleep? For family time?
There are plenty of reasons why you need to create and follow a strict
side hustle schedule. For one, you’ve only got 24 hours in a day. That’s
fixed, non-negotiable.
Focus Your Time On What
Generates Revenue
As much as possible, you want to generate some revenue every time
you work on your side hustle. So, you’ve got to figure out how you can
streamline your processes and your systems to come up with the most
profitable ‘formula.’
As you already know, not all side hustles are created equal. Some side
hustles are straightforward, while some are a bit more complicated and
require thorough planning.
How To Avoid The Side
Hustle Burnout
Working full-time can be hard and stressful enough. Working on a side
hustle can take your stress levels to the next level. No matter how
passionate you are about your side hustle, even if it’s your favorite thing to
do in the world, there will come a time when you’ll start feeling burnt out.
So, how can you avoid the side hustle burnout?
When It's Safe To Quit Your
Day Job
So, your side hustle is finally starting to take off and your future has
never looked so bright. You’re excited at the prospect of working full-time
on what was once your little side project. You probably feel the way Bill
Gates and Steve Jobs did when they were finally ready to move out of their
garages to launch their brilliant products to the world!