A side hustle is a way to make money outside of your regular job. It could be something that you work on in the evenings or on weekends. And it’s a great way to earn extra money, learn new skills, and challenge yourself! Even if you’re extremely happy and satisfied with your full-time job, having a side hustle can be very rewarding in a lot of ways.

So how can you go about developing a side hustle? Author Dorie Clark outlines the seven steps that you’ll need to follow:

  1. Figure out what product or service you’re going to offer – Try to focus on what people want or need. It’s great to do something that you love, but other people also need to be interested in order to be successful.
  2. Identify your strengths – Think about the areas in which you’re especially talented or knowledgeable. These are the areas in which you really have something to offer.
  3. Enhance your skills – Learn about what it takes to start your own small business. Reading a few books or taking a few classes on financial management and business strategy would probably be very helpful!
  4. Get some customers – Find customers by networking and by promoting yourself on social media. Post samples of your work. And ask your friends and family to let other people know about the product or service that you’re offering.
  5. Make people think that you’re legit – If possible, try to affiliate yourself with an established person or company. This will give you credibility. For instance, if you can write an article for a popular publication or get an endorsement from a well-known person, that would be extremely valuable.
  6. Keep your focus – Don’t try to do too many things at once. Focus on doing one thing well before you start trying to branch out.
  7. Get your first client – Once you get your first customer, you’ll feel wonderful. You’ll realize that you have something that other people value. And this will give you the confidence to continue to work on your side hustle, and make it a success. Good luck!

 

Clark, D. (2019). Establish your side hustle. Talent Development, 73(5), 30-35.