Everybody in the world we are living in today needs to have a side job. But not everybody thinks that it is important to build a side job because their actual job pays them enough to cover their expenses and make savings.
But in case your day-to-day job does not guarantee you a life with complete financial freedom then I think you have to consider opting in for a side job.
WHAT IS A SIDE JOB
According to Wikipedia, “A side job, also informally called a side hustle or side gig is an additional job that a person takes in addition to their primary job in order to supplement their income”
This means that your side job is not meant to replace your formal or primary job. It is an additional activity that you can do in your spare time that will generate extra income to supplement what you are gaining from your primary job.
It may not be easy to build yourself a side job. But with an open mind and with the ability to accept new experiences we will discover new opportunities.
STEPS TO SET UP A SIDE JOB
These are the five steps to set up your side job.
- Discover your passion.
- Turn your passion into a skill.
- Test the Market.
- Put yourself in your new shoes.
- Get started.
1. DISCOVER YOUR PASSION
I think, since your side job is your primary job, it must be something you are passionate about. Something that you are doing or that you can do even if you are not paid for it.
This is very important because it won’t grow if you choose to do something as a side job and you don’t have passion for it.
Remember you are going to consecrate your spare time to this job. You shouldn’t feel pressured doing it.
Maybe you like taking photos, then you must try to become a professional photographer. As for me, I love writing things so I decided to write things that can be useful to people. Who knows somebody may hire me to write for him.
Everybody has some particular talent that we can share with the world.
You need to find the area in which you are good.
Once you find that particular thing you are good at doing, that is what you must concentrate on and try to turn that passion into a skill.
2. TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A SKILL
Now that you have discovered that passion, it is time to develop that passion and turn it into a skill.
With the internet today, it is now easy to learn any type of skill right from your home. You will never be taught many things in a formal training or education system, you will find on the internet.
There are two ways to get training online.
Somebody says that YouTube is the best university in our world today. You will practically get free training on YouTube concerning any topic.
For instance, if your passion is to take photos and you want to become a professional, you will see videos on YouTube that explain it in detail.
But if you have a budget. You can go for online courses on Udemy.
As you are learning, you must also try to put into practice the new things you learn. By practicing, you will master and become more perfect.
Remember that, the learning process never ends.
3. TEST THE MARKET.
I believe you have discovered your passion, and you have taken the necessary training. You have also upgraded your level, now it is time to research a market for your skill.
Remember, it is no more a passion but a skill so you can monetize that skill.
Do thorough research on the internet of people in need of your skill. Perhaps you want customers from your city or town. Maybe your skill is something that you can monetize online.
Some of the ways you can use to find make your research are to use
- Search engines. Search engines like Google, Bing or Entireweb are places where people go to look for answers to their questions. You can use the Google keyword planner to find what people are looking for.
- Keyword Tools. These are other tools you can use to research on the web for what people are looking for. Some of these tools are Semrush, ahrefs, Ubersuggest etc.
4. PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR NEW SHOES.
I will still use photography as an example. So I am assuming the passion you have developed and get training on is photography.
Always put yourself in the mindset of a photographer. Even when on the way to your primary job, start thinking like a photographer.
The people around you, the events taking place in your city and so many beautiful moments that a photographer will not miss.
Doing this will help you prepare your mindset to take on your new side job.
Imagine yourself with a camera in the streets and capturing moments around you.
People will start calling you a photographer, and this I bet helps your mindset a lot.
Remember you’re about to start your side job so it is important to give it some level of seriousness.
Many people have developed their side jobs into a real business and are earning far more than what they used to earn from their 9 to 5 jobs.
One typical example is the case of the two brothers Shep and Ian Murray who both left their 9-5 jobs to start the Vineyard Vines. You can read their story and that of some others on CNBC‘s article “People who quit their jobs and made millions“
5. GET STARTED
Now you have discovered the passion to turn into a side job. You also have got training by watching videos on YouTube or taking courses online. I also believe you have done some experiments about your side job and you have researched and found the market for your side job.
Now that everything is in place, what remains is for you to get started.
You must bear in mind that this will request a lot of time and dedication from you.
Related: 12 new ways to improve boost sales in 2022
It won’t be easy when you just get started because people don’t know you yet. When people don’t know you, it will be a little hard for them to trust you in the beginning.
Related: 8 steps to set up a business online in 2022.
There are several ways to promote yourself or your new side job so people can quickly and easily discover you.
Some of the ways to promote your side job are
- Create a YouTube channel. A YouTube channel is the best way to directly get people aware of the services you are offering. You must create some videos about your former works and get people to see you and know you can provide that particular service or product to them.
- Create a blog. Blogging is also another way of getting yourself In front of people. Creating a blog is now easy and if you don’t have a budget to pay for hosting, you can still a create one for free using blogger.com
- Freelancing. This is another way of reaching out to people. This consists of creating gigs on freelancing platforms like Fiverr, Upfront, People per Hour Freelancer etc.. People who need your service when they come across your gig will contact you and you can start earning extra income doing your side job.
Like I said earlier, you will need to be dedicated and patient when you are getting started.
Conclusion
Starting a side job whether online or offline is not forcefully an easy thing to do. Once you get started, you must look at your side job as a new business you’re building. Taking it carelessly will only make others take it carelessly too. So you need to keep motivating yourself in your journey to build a side job.
So what are you still waiting for to join the boat of those building their own financial freedom today? If you are not yet building your side job, get to it now because only you can create your own financial freedom.
