It is 2024.
You are probably looking for ways to start your side hustle.
You think how everyone does it so you can do it too.
There is something that stops you.
Full-time job.
Loads of obligations.
Not enough time.
You end up quitting even before starting.
But you feel that feeling of wanting more.
To do something else.
To reach from A to B.
Why don't you start?
And who am I to tell you this?
I agree starting is not something we can do immediately.
There is a change of perspective or mindset shift to start anything.
It is not an easy thing to do.
That idea in your head or that itchy feeling for more is there for a reason.
This article is here to help you define baby steps on how to start moving in the direction of starting a side hustle.
For full-time employees, I advise checking their employer's non-compete clause. If you are eligible to work part-time, freelance, or have a side biz.
Depends on the country and employer's agreement, so be sure to check that first.
When you cross that out of the list, you can start to explore the list below.
Start a side biz:
1. Freelance platforms
2. Build a personal brand
Freelancing platforms
There are many freelance platforms out there, like UpWork or Fiverr.
I will not go into much detail here because there are numerous guides and how-to's on using freelance platforms.
To start on a freelancing platform, you need to find one, make a good profile, and start applying for jobs.
I started freelancing in my student days.
I started with Freelancer.com in 2020.
I couldn't work from home when COVID-19 started.
I took a leap of faith and decided that to make money, pay the bills, and have food on the table, I needed to start working online.
Somehow.
I started with writing there and eventually moved to UpWork.
I had a good income there, and it took me a few hours per week.
I applied for the jobs.
Did tests or non-paid tests and got elected.
Not a bad thing to do to get a bit of a side cash.
Building personal brand
I decided to do this.
Therefore, I will give what I did and am doing on my journey.
Having a personal brand is a thing to have today.
If you want to start with one, I hope this helps you.
How can you start building a personal brand?
This is not an easy thing to do, and it takes time.
Being consistent here is what keeps you going in the long run.
If you do this with a full-time job, it might be even more challenging.
Not to mention if you have family.
What will be your reason to keep going?
Even when you don't want to.
Define that 'why' that makes you do what you want to do.
It does not matter the reason.
That reason can also change.
It should be strong enough to keep you going.
It can be:
financial freedom,
more free time,
live the life you want,
have your own rules,
combine the skillset and sell it,
helping people...
When you have that 'why', continue with the points below.
Define how much time you have every day?
"... Time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day..."
Just like Linkin Park said, time is indeed a valuable thing.
With so many things to do and a full-time job, it looks like it is slipping away.
It leaves you frustrated.
By the end of the day, you might give up.
The trick here is to use planning.
You don't have to plan every minute of it, but you can calculate the amount of minutes you use for each day.
You can make a list of things you do per day.
Roughly calculate how many minutes or hours you spend on it.
Set some time aside for your side biz.
Remember, consistency is the key.
You don't want to start with 5 hours per day.
Start small so you don't end up giving up.
An hour per day.
30 mins per day.
Decide your biz idea
Okay, you have your why and your day all planned out.
There is another problem.
What to do?
How?
For who?
You start hyperventilating, and the room starts spinning.
Suddenly you don't know a thing.
I dramatically painted this picture, but you will get that feeling of not knowing anything.
If you don't get it, well, consider yourself lucky.
Imposter syndrome is a feature of most people I know.
There is no trick, you have to go through it.
And yes, I am saying that while writing this article and thinking the same.
To define your biz idea, I like a 4P that my marketing professor used to love talking about:
1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion
I tweaked it a little bit.
I call it 3P with a twist:
1. Product
2. People
3. Place
Why?
To start your biz, you need to define what will you sell.
Is it a service?
Is it a skill?
Is it a product?
To whom will you sell it?
Also known as your ideal client persona.
Yes, I hated it too.
I did it anyway.
There will be an article about it too, don't you worry.
Why place?
I want to know how to reach those people with my product.
You can do it online.
This is what most of us do today.
You can reach anyone online.
Price and promotion are needed too.
I personally think when you are at the beginning, this is something you don't need right away.
You have to grow while building your business.
When you have the product, you are ready to go online.
Create content & build an online presence
You don't need a website, even though you can get one.
You can start on any social media.
I started on Instagram, Linked In (but I sent LI on a rest), and Medium.
Use free tools and resources that are available out there.
Find what fits you the best.
Keep showing up there.
Create content - it can be either short or long form, but practice your writing.
If you have resources to outsource someone to write for you - great!
If you don't, start writing yourself.
Writing is the basis of everything anyway.
We use words to communicate with people.
Use them to communicate online.
Make reels, short videos, or intros...
Do whatever makes you happy and experiment as much as possible.
That way, you don't only practice creating content.
You are building your online presence, reaching new people, and building your self-esteem and skills.
You are doing great things for you, even though it might be scary.
Shift your mindset (embrace beginner mindset, failure, experiment)
This could be the most important thing(s) when building your biz.
You can't continue with the same mindset.
Prepare yourself to grow, fail, and try again.
Rinse and repeat.
Embrace the beginner mindset, which is hard to go with once you reach adulthood.
Be a beginner.
Experiment.
Have fun doing it.
Test the waters.
Beat that fear.
Embrace failure and the possibility of it.
So what if you fail?
Keep going.
Real-life example:
I was so scared of launching my first web post that I was thinking about posting months before the actual post.
I was redoing my website, thinking it was never good enough.
I remember publishing the post.
All the drama in my mind.
Nothing happened, okay, literally nothing.
The first likes I got were from my friends.
The first followers I had were my friends.
The first website I saw was on a Canva site, and a person had thousands of followers.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
It needs to be good enough for you.
I know 'just start' can't apply to many of us, but the reality is...
... will you succumb your life to fear?
Will you keep wishing for more and do nothing about it?
I know I wouldn't.
This is why I put minutes into writing, shaping, and sharing the story & tips.
I want to help you to get that life you want.
What do you think about it?
Would you like to start with a side biz?
How does it feel for you?
This is a part of my side biz journey.
I think making this article into a series of 'full-time hustlers'.
I will try to do each subject so it is clear as day for you.
Be sure to continue following the articles if you like them.
Follow me on socials and become a part of my journey.
It seems like we would be a good fit?
Do you have questions to ask?
Need help with starting your business?
Contact me.
Thanks for reading,
Until next time.
Amalija
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