For years, people thought that they had to get a full-time job to make ends meet. The job search was always geared towards finding a full-time career that would have people working hours upon hours to get the kind of salary they wanted to pay bills and more. However, in the last decade, with the arrival of app-based hustles and a higher demand for online work, many people have discovered that side hustles can pay the bills, and then some. If you’re thinking about getting into side hustles, here are some things to consider and learn about:
Think about what you’re good at
One of the things that people pay attention to when choosing a side gig is their talent or even their favorite hobby. For example, someone who loves mountain biking may choose to get involved in mountain biking clinics for kids as a side hustle. An artistic individual may start up an illustration side hustle as a way to make some extra cash.
You may have always been great with kids. You could turn that skill into a side hustle of nannying, and as long as you pass nanny background checks, you could end up working with families that would be more than happy to offer solid compensation. The opportunities found in hustles are multiple.
Don’t forget taxes
As a self-employed person, you’ll want to make sure you’re not ignoring the other side of the hustle coin, which is managing your own taxes. With tax season around the corner, it’s important to make sure you’re staying on top of what is expected of you as an income-winning individual. Whether you educate yourself on self-employment taxes or you work with a tax professional who can help you manage them, you must keep this aspect of side hustles in mind.
Offer services to acquaintances
If you’re breaking into a new hustle, from copywriting to translating, you could consider offering your skills to people you know first. You may know people who own their own businesses or managers who can help you break into large companies. Offering your services to those you know may not be easy, but it can help you find connections much easier than trying to do it cold online. While not always successful, you won’t know unless you try. Who knows? You may build winning work connections that last for years to come.
Use gig-work websites
As a first-time hustler, you may not know where to go to get started. You may know you have a recognizable talent, whether it’s in translations or illustration, but you don’t know where you’d even start advertising your skill. With options like Freelancer or Upwork, you’re offered a place to market your skills and connect with businesses that are looking for professionals like you.
While it does take work to apply to these jobs and to find great clients, it’s worthwhile when you connect with businesses that are willing to fairly compensate you for jobs that you can do well.
Don’t quit your day job yet
The thing about side hustles is that they can be great for extra income. Before you decide to go full-on with the side hustle income, you’ll want to dip your toes into the water. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies on the hustle journey. So, if you’re just starting out with a side hustle, start out with side hustles as just that: something on the side of your main income.
Once you start seeing that this is truly the path for you, then you can consider dropping a job that you may not love to further pursue the hustle world that could become very lucrative for you.
In Conclusion
You never know where a side hustle can take you. Start researching options that are potentially lucrative in today’s market. Side hustles can be that extra income that makes a difference in your life, so don’t be afraid to give them a shot today.
