Having a side-hustle, or perhaps a few of them is wonderful. Whether you’re a student getting some extra cash, a career professional with a weekend activity, stay-at-home mom, practically anyone could make use of a side-hustle in life. The recent Covid-19 lockdown (at the time of writing this blog post), social distancing needs, and an economic downturn, has further intensified the importance of having a second, and even, various streams of income.
Disclaimer: My blog is to be used for general information, inspirational, and motivational purposes. I share things that I’ve learnt and experienced. In case of need, do seek help from a professional in the relevant field.
As a self-improvement blogger, I’ll highlight 5 benefits of refining your side-gig, with examples:
1. Optimize your hobbies
While a side-gig is a great way to get additional income, it doesn’t have to be an obligation or a chore. Many people start by practising their enjoyable hobbies and develop them into money-generating activities. Some even take it up full time, having reached a satisfying level of performance.
I work from home, being my own boss, doing different things for over 6 years already (at the time of writing this blog post). Aside from my work, I started this blog in 2018 as a hobby, to support me in working on my life goals, while sharing what I learn and experience with my readers. While the main purpose of my blog isn’t monetization, I have partnered with some relevant brands.
2. Start a business
Ameliorating your hobbies, skills, talents, in the form of your side-hustle can become a potential business option. You may even opt for being a solopreneur, by setting up and running a business on your own. A self-employed can benefit from working from home with no additional rental costs, hire freelancers, and outsource key services to better focus on the activities that are best done by him/herself.
Some side-jobs and solopreneur ideas to consider are:
- Blogging. It takes time to grow your audience, so choose something that’s right for you. Define your ideal readers (personas) to attract the right potential clients.
- Vlogging. Are you more into making videos and talking than writing? Consider starting a YouTube channel or IGTV on Instagram.
- Podcasting. If you’re shy or don’t feel comfortable on camera, then perhaps starting a podcast is right for you.
- Have a product. You can choose to blog, vlog, or podcast. Perhaps more than one of them, if you can handle all the work. With a side-hustle, you naturally need a product or service to sell. Otherwise, you won’t make any money. If you’re a newbie with nothing to sell of your own yet, you can meanwhile start with ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts, reviews, and freelancing. However, you need enough traffic to start seeing results and make sales.
- Freelancing is a popular option. There is a variety of specialisation you can choose from. Start by considering what you already know, learn, polish your skills, and maybe even take formal courses at some point. Network to be known, gather client testimonials and pitch through emails when needed.
- Sell digital services. Sell your photography, music, writing, influencer, and other digital creative services on platforms that connect buyers and sellers.
3. Improve your skills
Just as when you learn to sing, and get better with practice, improve your skills through a side-hustle. Hobbies help you develop inborn, hidden talents, and through a side-hustle, you may place the bar at a higher level and perform your very best. That’s because when you consider your skills and talents more seriously, you’re likely to be more determined about working on them to achieve desired results by setting goals.
4. Self-improvement
Learning to do things that you love better, is a great source of inspiration and intrinsic motivation. You may be more of an artist, sportsperson, content creator… Invest your time in honing your skills and duly harness self-improvement for the better.
5. Self-care
A side-hustle is an ally of self-care. They go hand in hand. Self-love isn’t selfish, it’s vital in life. When you choose something that you genuinely enjoy, it doesn’t feel like work, but an activity that supports your wellness.
Business plan
There are endless ways to start a side-hustle, while enjoying yourself, growing personally, and earning some extra cash. You could potentially take it to a full-time income level, and also have multiple streams of income. However, do test the feasibility of the idea, consider the resources needed, and other vital factors. Having a business plan is a must. Learning business skills can support you in making the most of your side-hustle.
Conclusion
To sum up, side-hustles are fun, support your self-improvement and self-care. If taken seriously, they can become a good source of income. Would you like to share your thoughts and experience? If you know someone who would benefit from my blog post, please share it. Thank you!!
