Side Hustler Handbook
Avoid Side Hustler Paradoxes
8 Side Hustler Upsets You Haven't Heard 1,000 Other People Do
You Can Start Today!
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Handbook of Side Hustler
The rise of YouEconomy was not born solely from the reluctance of a certain generation to follow the status quo.
Nor was it born just out of the Great Recession.
You've heard tales of the changing work and economic landscape – the rise of the freelancer. What was once the legendary life of the determined musician has become the norm for more than 56 million Americans, according to an annual study conducted by Upwork and the Freelancers Union.
What it means to participate in YouEconomy is subject to debate, and that number might not include those who are seasonal workers, neighborhood owners, direct sellers, and occasional freelancers. The buzz has become a way for full-time employees to unwind, test new products, or fund annual vacations without sacrificing traditional job security.
Key Benefits of Having a Gig parallels of course lie in flexibility, virtually unlimited earning potential, and the satisfying feeling of being your own boss, even for an hour or two a day. But what is the price of that freedom?
This article does not cover the history or scope of side hustle or why, more than a decade after the term first became popular, it continues to be the main way for most people to dip their toes into the YouEconomy. This is not new information. What we'll offer you is a set of ground rules to consider as you embark on an adventure that could and should change the way you think about business, income, free time, and success. We'll also share some tips from those who have made a living out of their work to help people thrive in this new economy. They'll be the first to tell you that no matter how big your side hustle, you need to be prepared to work hard, show courage, and be creative when trouble arises.
The Biggest Perhaps the contradiction to this story is that choosing the “other” option for your life means letting go of the worn manual, the rules we are supposed to follow as workers and stepping into freedom and uncertainty. Going for the red pill means putting aside all previous beliefs and keeping an open mind. It probably doesn't sound like the lessons you learned in your college or high school career exploration classes, and you'll have to turn a deaf ear to well-meaning friends who advise a more conventional route.
A sideways hustle can be as small as a few hours a week driving Uber, or as big as creating a new product that scales into your primary source of income. The key to success is understanding your motivations, your strengths, and where you want it to go.
Here are the unofficial laws of sideways hustle, taken from those on the front lines.
Law #1:Understand that there are many paths to the same finish line.
Just because you have 10 friends earning extra income walking dogs in their neighborhood doesn't mean it's the right option for you.
If earning extra income is your motivation, it shouldn't be do at the cost of doing something you don't find enjoyable. Worse still, don't be tempted to sacrifice the best option for the easiest option. Instead, take time to reflect on your skill set and what you enjoy doing in your free time. Be stubborn in pursuing your dreams, but be flexible in how you get there.
Law #2:Be selfish, but understand that not everything is about you.
Selfish, in this sense, means putting yourself and your needs above the needs of the person issuing your paycheck. What would you do if money was no object? Images of remote islands with fruity drinks and no email might come to mind. And sure, that would be fun for a few days or even weeks, but what about after that? Maybe you dream of creating something that brings you wealth and fame. And after all that?
The point here is that ultimately, most of us don't want a life that revolves only around us. The best hustles, both practically and in terms of accomplishment, are those that add value to others, that change the world in some way.
Law #3:Remember that your gig can help your day job, and vice versa.
Although the number of people traditionally employed with side hustles continues to rise, so do many who feel uncomfortable discussing their side hustles with co-workers. They might even downplay the idea as "just this little thing I'm working on," as if their side somehow means they don't care or are less invested in their primary jobs. For many, however, the side gig can bolster their career recovery rather than hurt it.
If you're working in tech and building an app on the side, those skill boosts will often translate to your main job. Another example:You're a marketing leader for a national company and you just sold a book on the side.
“You're not your job,” says New York-based author and career coach Susie Moore. . “Your work is a part of your multi-faceted self, full of potential. ”
One last thing to keep in mind:many companies offer continuing education benefits in the form of funds to be allocated to classes, conventions and workshops. Get creative and find resources that can benefit both your work and your bustle.
Law #4:Just make sure your side gig doesn't cost you your day job.
We are breaking company rules about how employment is supposed to work here, not your actual company rules.
If your company has non-competition clauses or specific language about business ventures outside, make sure you don't violate them. Although you are usually not required to disclose a stampede to your employer, sometimes it can mean extra support and flexibility in your primary job.
Law #5:Be ruthless with your schedule.
Now is not the time to daydream about your sideways hustle while slacking off on your employee duties. When you are at work, be at work; when you're working on your side, be there, too.
Moore advises her clients to use the time sliver between appointments and while on the go to answer quick emails, type a few notes, or schedule appointments -you. If you have three minutes to wait on your train, ditch Instagram scrolling for a quick burst of productivity.
Law #6:Embrace a secondary mindset in your traditional work.
Your side hustle is exciting. You strive to maximize your time, stay efficient, and prioritize the things you enjoy. You have fully embraced a mindset of growth and innovation. But who are you at your day job? What if you translated some of that personal ownership and responsibility into your day job? You may find that you have more autonomy in your 9 to 5 than you thought. Consider sitting down with your supervisor to discuss ways to eliminate unnecessary meetings, reduce email time, and increase creative thinking time.
Law #7:Harness Your Fear.
Fear is inevitable when going it alone. It is a natural response to changes and unfamiliar environments. But fear has no place in the side gig world. It can cripple you faster than anything.
Starting a business of any size is risky. You are risking your time, energy and probably money. But you're playing for something more:the chance to gain happiness, meaning, financial security, and independence…the chance to succeed.
Diane Mulcahy, author of The Economics of the Gig:the complete guide to getting a better job, taking more time off, and funding the life you want advises writing down your worst-case scenarios and, if they're even slightly reasonable fears, creating a plan to avoid them. Examples may include:Nobody will care about my product or service. It's a possibility. To calm this fear, focus on strengthening your personal and professional network. Gather 10 people from this network and do an informal product test.
Law #8:Never work for free, but understand that payment isn't always monetary.
You didn't start this side hustle from nothing. You already have some knowledge or skills related to your product or service. If you're promoting yourself as a photographer, you've probably used a camera before, and you've hopefully been told you have a sense of framing. Maybe a friend has even asked you to take engagement photos.
The thing is, you're already equipped with a skill set that not everyone else has. You should be compensated fairly for these skills. But if you're at the very beginning of your hustle, consider asking for testimonials or referrals as payment while you build your brand and reputation.
Law #9:Look for originality, but know it isn't necessary.
“What we perceive as original is often just a rearrangement of what came before us,” writes Jeff Goins in Real Artists Don't Starve:Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Era .
A popular excuse among would-be entrepreneurs is that it's already been done. That's right, but you didn't. Some of the best creators have spent years studying and emulating others in their field, including author Stephen King and renowned dance choreographer Twyla Tharp. After perfecting the art of imitation, the natural progression is to add what is uniquely yours, which is the accumulation of your experiences, personality, and worldview.
Law #10:Tackling Procrastination – It's Negativity in Disguise.
Side gigs are a risk, even with countless hours of research and planning. We devote all our attention to this interest which could fail, and in doing so, we lose the opportunity to devote our attention to other interests. This idea is a procrastination technique that Moore hears constantly.
"Just because you throw something doesn't mean you're handcuffed for life," she says. “All businesses evolve and change over time.”
Procrastination techniques may sound like a thoughtful analysis of a risky bet, but if we listen to that negative voice, we'll never start anything.
Law #11:Don't try to be an expert in everything.
You're like Liam Neeson (in some ways!):You have a very particular set of skills.
You probably started this side gig because you have some talent, interest, or experience for this type of work. But problems will arise when you then have to take on 15 other hustle-related tasks that aren't in your natural wheelhouse. If you're not making a big enough profit to outsource them, it seems like the only option is to complete the tasks yourself. This could be a mistake.
If you need a portfolio website, for example, consider what's really more expensive:spending countless hours learning how to build a website or investing fees unique for an expert to create a simple, clean website that displays your offers.
Law #12:Don't complicate matters more than necessary.
No amount of preparation will leave you ready to launch your stampede, no matter the size or scope of your effort. You might think that because you don't have a business degree or a decade of experience in the corporate world, you're ill-equipped as a business owner.
“If you leave when traveling across the country, you don't need to know every stop sign; you just have to look a little further,” says Moore. “Business is not complicated. It's a margin. Are you making money and are you satisfied with how much you earn for the amount of work you do? »
Law #13:Be Prepared to Break the Rules.
Fast forward six months. You have a little messy side as well as your traditional office day job.
Perhaps you make enough money to fund your vacation or cover most of your mortgage payment. Maybe you only earn enough to buy groceries. You work a lot, and for the most part, it's still enjoyable. But then you come home after a long day to find an upset customer on your side. Your brain is already tired and now you're wondering, Why am I doing this? Is it worth it?
It is in these moments that you must assess your situation. Are you just having a rough day or has that side hustle started to bring you down? Remember, the point of a side gig isn't to add more stress to your life, but rather to provide a creative outlet, bring in extra income, and strengthen your life. Don't be afraid to let go of something that no longer serves you. It's YouEconomy and it's endlessly customizable.
But let's say you're six months old and your side hustle has really taken off. YouEconomy experts quite often advise you on when to go from double duty to 100% focus on what started out as a side hustle:the moment it makes you more money than your day job.
The idea is that your side business will benefit from having all of you – all of your skills, effort and attention – rather than sharing you with your employer. And that's probably true. But you need to know your business well enough to get an idea of its true size. You need to know yourself well enough to have an idea of how long you can hold down a day job while building your own business. Maybe you love the work you do for your traditional employer, and you love the people you work with.
Again:This is YouEconomy, and it's endlessly customizable.
Do what works best for you.
Related: Christy Wright's Top Tips for Starting a YouEconomy Business
Avoid Side Hustler's Paradoxes
Going it alone with a side gig is meant to bring us happiness, fulfillment, and extra income, among other things. But those things come at a price.
After all, you're balancing a full-time job with a business that could always benefit from more focus and time. We tackle three of these paradoxes with Susie Moore, career coach and author of What If It Works? How a side hustle can change your life .
Brand awareness or maintaining your sanity
Consider the types of secondary gigs where you may need to promote yourself to get more and better gigs. Brand awareness is essential. It also opens you up to a constant stream of feedback, which is necessary.
But with that necessary feedback often comes cruel feedback and unnecessary negativity. Social media has been proven time and time again to increase feelings of low self-esteem and diminished creativity. How do you balance the two?
"What's more important?" Moore said. “Is it the fact that you want to hide, or the fact that you really want to do this and want people to see it?
“Create without an expected result, just with the intention of doing something precious that feels real to you. As Brené Brown says, unless someone in the arena is doing work like me, I don't care what you have to say. »
Unlimited growth potential vs life balance
In YouEconomy, there can always be more customers, more growth, more productivity. Your hustle is supposed to bring you happiness and fulfillment, but how do you prevent it from becoming an unhealthy addiction?
"If you just create what you create, there's going to be a ceiling to that," Moore said. “But I know a lot of onlookers who are really happy with this cap. Set an intention:How much money do I want to earn? Most people don't do that. They think it must continue to grow; he put on weight. Bigger can be better in some cases, but not always.
“However, if you want to scale and grow, you probably need resources and help. People tend to ask for help quite late. »
Favors for paychecks
As an entrepreneur, you and your brand are linked. This merged identity can open the door to blurred relationships between friends and potential clients. When someone can be a customer, what does it mean to be yourself? What's the line between a friend asking for a favor and a client?
"You've probably been struggling for free for a while without knowing it," Moore says. “That's what gives us the confidence up front to get started.
“If you're trying to build a brand, offer a reasonable price, like a special introductory price. Then give it an expiration date…. Not everyone can do [what you do]. Appreciate your talents and appreciate yourself. »
Related: 3 lessons to grow a YouEconomy business
8 Side Upsets You Haven't Heard 1,000 Other People Doing
1. Listening Services
Basically an unbiased friend for hire.
2. Errand Runner
For the elderly or housebound.
3. Gardening Consultant
Because not everyone wants to hire an expensive landscaper.
4. Wholesale of live insects
For reptile owners; this business makes $15,000 a month for Jeff Neal, founder of TheCritterDepot.com.
5. Snack Organizer
Richard Foulkes, founder of JensSweetShop.com, runs this business providing customizable candy boxes in the evening after his day job.
6. Private Security
An attractive option for veterans or those in the civil service industry.
7. Return antiques or collectibles
Buy low, sell high.
8. Separation Coach
This category of niche therapy that allows Chelsea Trescott, founder of Breakupward, to work with clients around the world.
Related: 7 Gigs That Can Make You Money While Traveling
You can get started today!
Direct selling offers the lowest barrier of entry.
You might be reading all of this and thinking, sounds great, I'd like more money and a chance to stretch. And at the same time, you might also be thinking, but… I can't code. My writing isn't great. I am not an artist.
We hear you. And this is where direct selling could make sense. Because you don't need any highly developed or special skills in direct selling (also known as network marketing or social selling), you can be equipped for immediate success based on nothing more than your desire – your determination, drive, and drive to grow into something new.
Here's how it works:Companies that operate on a direct sales model provide products and services backed by research, funding and fully trained marketing systems to troubleshooters who are excited to try their own thing. The individual entrepreneur has constant access to the marketing, support and technical resources of the company providing the products or services.
Direct selling is one of the industries that makes the most of social media to market and even sell, making the start-up financial cost minimal. Many direct sellers say the inexpensive, easy-to-learn, and easy-to-support systems are not unlike joining a family business. If you're intrigued by the idea of starting a proven side hustle, ask someone you already know in direct selling to show you how they got started.
“There are a few steps from desire to wealth, but you start with desire,” once said iconic motivational speaker and author Jim Rohn, who got his start in direct selling. “[Direct selling] is a chance to turn pennies into fortune, a chance to turn nothing into something. »
What kind of stuff suits you?
The questions below are about your work style and motivations. Circle the answers that resonate best with you. At the end, your scores will be represented by the number of a's, b's or c's you have circled. There are no right or wrong answers here. This is the time to explore the scenarios where you work best and figure out how you want to join the Gig Economy.
