At no other time in human history have we seen such rapid growth in the number of women who have begun working for themselves. From app developers to freelance writers, business consultants, creative producers, and startup founders, there’s no shortage of women across the globe willing to take calculated risks to create their own self-employed careers.
Although a few of these women quit their day jobs and dove headfirst into new ventures and interests, a great many of them had to ease into the process by finding a side hustle and then cultivating it to become their full-time jobs.
Now starting a business on the side while you’re still working full-time is hard, but it gifts you security, diversity of income, and most importantly, the fulfillment of purposefully creating something more than the mindless 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rat race. And when the time comes for you to pursue your side hustle full-time, you will find that you already are focused on what delivers the highest impact in your chosen niche thereby lessening the pressures and uncertainties of entrepreneurship on yourself.
So let’s take a look at the best ways to go about finding a side hustle that’s right for you:
Identify your strengths and interests?
Clearly, it’s crucial that you choose a side hustle you actually are passionate about but a core aspect of that passion should be your own strength and personal interest. If you love your day job, observe your usual duties because there are scored of companies out there ready to hire you as an independent contractor or a freelancer. So what skill sets does your new business idea require?
What do you enjoy? What would you do even if you wouldn’t get paid for it? Do you spend any time copywriting? Putting together blog posts? Creating proposals or presentations? Photography or graphics designing? Whatever your interests are, chances are high that you already possess at least some of the necessary skills to turn your strengths into your business. But if you truly are passionate about an idea but you lack the essential skills, then it might be time to learn the skills you need (thank God for online classes) so you can kick start your side hustle.
Don’t underestimate your own network
The best way to start up any side hustle is through freelancing, and sometimes the best place to start is from your own circle. Your inner circle when true will lift you beyond your wildest expectations but if all they do is drag you down, then its’ probably time for you to make better friends. So identify friends, family, former co-workers, or classmates that you either have worked with or that currently work at the companies you could see yourself freelancing for. Touch base with the people in your network, and let them know you’re now taking on freelance projects. Sometimes, a referral from a friend or a colleague is all it takes to land your first client.
Set optimistic but realistic goals
It’s great to be positive but it’s just as important to be painfully honest with you as well. Plan ahead and set achievable goals with realistic timelines because it’s preferable to take your first steps with at least an idea of where you’d like to end up.
Without setting attainable goals, you’re going to get discouraged very easily and without setting out timelines for yourself, you will waste a lot of time chasing own tails. It’s best to set daily, weekly and monthly goals for yourself because, this constant accountability helps you stick with both your short- and long-term objectives.
In the beginning, your daily goals would probably look like simple to-do list type items, but they will get more complex as you grow so you need to be really disciplined from the onset. Organize your best works into a very simple portfolio because this way, you can better communicate to your prospective clients, the type of work you’ll deliver for them without wasting your time or theirs.
Outsource your weaknesses
If you’re anything like the rest of us human, then you probably wouldn’t want anyone else planning your goals, or telling you what your product or service should look like. The reality though is that even in our areas of interest, we aren’t always great at every single thing. This is where focus plays a huge part because; a crucial aspect of focus is recognizing what you aren’t great at in your budding side business.
For instance, it would certainly be lovely if you could create your own website but if you don’t already command a knowledge of developing, you’ll be looking at a few months of dedicated learning time just to understand the basics.
So my advice here is simple; explore and exploit every opportunity to outsource every possible part of your business creation that you can’t manage. You need to be doing only what you do best, so focus on that and outsource the rest.
Maintain the fine lines between your day job and your side hustle
It may seem obvious, but please don’t work on your side hustle during company time. Also, refrain from using company resources on your business, because unless your employer missed some major lessons along the way, your contract probably clearly stipulates that you’ve agreed not to do exactly that.
It will be challenging but it’s important that you respect the boundaries between your full-time job and your side hustle. Work on your business early in the morning, in the middle of the night, after work hours, during your lunch breaks or on weekends. Slacking on your full-time job can get you fired before you are ready to quit and it can also destroy relationships that could still prove helpful to you someday.
Finally, I must admit that starting a side business while working a full-time job isn’t all glitz and glamour. You will worry yourself sick at every turn. It will strain your relationships and you’ll continually be forced to make tough decisions. But stay focused, and remain on your path. If it’s really important to you; and if you want to do it eventually, you’d best begin already and correct course as you go.