This week we’re talking all things side hustle…so let’s start with defining what exactly a side hustle is in case you’re confused.
A side hustle is something you do to provide supplemental income to your main job…although often it becomes a main source of income or an important income stream.
That’s because, in today’s flexible gig economy, nothing is certain and especially not jobs. But – and it’s an important but – that is no bad thing as it means we all have to become more entrepreneurial out of necessity which also means we learn to rely on ourselves.
I released the latest, updated version of my Wonga course this week precisely because I know how important it is to have a side hustle or several, especially if you are new to this working for yourself thing.
I think it is empowering to have resources you can turn to for quick injections of moolah as that means you can use those to keep yourself afloat while you build your business and perhaps even turn those resources into part of that.
We all need several streams of income and I believe that safety lies in diversity as, indeed, does success.
So let’s take a look first at how to set up a side hustle with Mr Side Hustle himself, Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation. Listen and learn exactly how he does it in this excellent podcast:
Now let’s look at some side hustle ideas that I am giving you in addition to those in Wonga (and by the way, if you are joining us from Wonga then welcome and it’s lovely to have you here!).
First up is a great alternative to Shopify and a quick, easy way to open your own online store that doubles up as a social marketplace:
https://www.storenvy.com/open-a-store
If you have writing or designing skills then Boost Media is a great place to use them to bring you in some nice extra spondoolies:
https://www.boostmedia.com/creative-network
While if coaching is more your thing – in all kinds of areas – then Livecoach is something you really need to check out. As with all your suggestions here, it won’t cost you a bean:
https://www.livecoach.io/for-coaches
Got a bunch of books and especially textbooks gathering dust? Great – get rid of them on Book Scouter and boost your bank balance into the bargain:
And to turn that into a nice side hustle, take note of what’s popular on the site and source it in local charity/thrift shops, on eBay or Amazon and sell it on at a mark up.
Steady is a website and app that lists all kinds of gig type jobs that are flexible and can be done from home:
https://web.steadyapp.com/signup
Another great champion of the side hustle is Chris Guillebeau and his Side Hustle School podcast has some great ideas including this on organising closets (a friend of mine does really well at this) and taking it further:
That’s a perfect illustration of how you can take a simple side hustle and build it into a thriving business that you really enjoy.
There’s something people rarely mention about working for yourself and that is that it can get lonely. After all, there is no water cooler to gather round save the virtual versions on social media…so here is a wonderful TED talk to help you realise you are not alone in that:
