A side hustle is a job or work you take in addition to your primary means of employment. Various places define it differently, but generally it is understood as some other means of employment in addition to your main income. This could be something creative, like freelance creative work you do in your spare time, to occasional part-time work, to more structured weekly income as well. Generally, it’s understood as something you’re pursuing because you are passionate about it as well. Recent survey data shows that anywhere between 1 in 3 and half of Americans have some sort of side gig that supplements their primary income.
What are the potential benefits of a side hustle?
The first benefit of a side hustle is the additional income. It offers you a way to make extra money. It can allow you a bit more financial freedom through making up potential shortfalls between your primary income and your regular expenses. Having a side hustle also gives you the ability to pay off debt more quickly or soften the blow from unexpected bills. The second potential benefit is the opportunity to explore a new area of career interest without committing yourself to it. Perhaps you’re interested in exploring a career in design or owning your own clothing company. Exploring a side hustle in these areas allows you to see if your interest can be sustained over the long-term, and whether you’d really like to do the job full-time. Another potential benefit is related to the previous: a side hustle allows you to explore new areas of interest without sacrificing the stability of your current paycheck.
How do I know if this is for me? And how do I decide what to do?
Maybe you're intrigued by the idea of a side hustle, but you’re not sure it’s for you. Maybe you want to get something going, but you’re not sure where to start. In any case, it’s helpful on the front end to ask yourself some questions and clarify whether a side hustle is for you, and what you’d like to do:
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
What areas/tasks do you excel in at your current position?
What are areas where others ask for your assistance/expertise, whether in your work or in hobbies?
What is something you’d like to learn more about through doing it?
What kind of spare time/money/mental energy would this idea require?
These questions can help clarify not only the kind of work that could turn into a side hustle, but they can also help you think through what you would enjoy doing as well.
Ok, I’ve got an idea – Now what?
Once you’ve got your idea you can start working on a plan. To do this, ask yourself some questions to get started:
What goals do you want to accomplish with this work?
How do you want the work to grow?
Are there milestones you want to establish? What are they?
What is your starting point?
With these questions, you’ll take your idea and turn it into a concrete plan, moving closer towards your goal of establishing a side hustle.
Looking for more information?
Set up a virtual meeting with one of our certified Career Coaches through the Book a Learning Coach form or by calling 803-929-3400. After you submit, we will contact you to set an appointment. Our team provides help with interviewing skills, your résumé, interest/skills assessments, and more. Follow Richland Library on LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel for career development tips and tidbits.