Let me get straight to the point. Life is hard. And unless you have been given a proverbial silver spoon, you need a reliable side hustle business. Many of us spend upwards of eight hours a day working for the man, trying to earn a two dollar bill. And many more of us realise, that to get to where we want to be in life requires more than just that one job.
There are thousands of jobs that you can create, and all you have to do is to spend a few minutes identifying the ones that suit you and your budget. Starting a side hustle is not always an expensive exercise, so ignore anyone who tells you that you need thousands of dollars to get started. Also ignore anyone who tells you that you cannot start a business or do something to earn money on the side.
Look at me.
My Side Hustle Story
In 2008, I decided that I wanted to find a part time job. I knew that my salary at the time was not enough to give me the life that I desired. I applied at restaurants, hotels, airlines and wherever I could think of that needed people to work at night and on weekends. Eventually, I was able to get a job writing for an online newspaper on a trial basis. It did not last very long, because I was fully employed and it was difficult to get to assignments. In the coming years, I worked on a few research projects which also paid relatively well, but those were only for a time.
Then I started Odd Cents. I had writing and research experience under my belt and it was just a natural progression to start my own site. It was mine. I could say what I wanted to say, when I wanted to say it and how I wanted to say. I did not need permission from anyone to do anything. Following on the heels of Odd Cents were a Barbados travel blog and a healthy superfood website that were created as an “affiliate sites.” Back then affiliate sites were the rage and I was hooked and invested. Because it was easy to start I jumped in, but both of them were short lived and they fell by the wayside.
Caribbean Travel Website
Fast forward to the end of 2014. I had not visited a Caribbean island in years, but yet I came up with the brilliant idea of another travel themed website. This time I started a Caribbean travel website that would build on my ideas for the now defunct Barbados travel blog. My only initial start-up cost was $12.99 for the domain name. I already had hosting with Big Scoots for another website, so I was able to host the new site on that same package. (When starting out, this will cost you less than $10 a month, which is a minor sum.)
I registered email accounts on the major free email providers Gmail and Outlook and because branding is key to every business, I secured free vanity social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and wherever else I could think of. I wanted to create an organised and cohesive feel to my website/ business and to show that this is a serious brand. Some years later, I registered the business name with the local corporate affairs office for $50.00.
Every business needs tools that will keep it running the way that it’s supposed to. Because this is an online business, I utilise online business tools like WordPress, Canva, Planoly, Mail Chimp and Buffer. These keep my business in front of readers and customers and ensure that it is always seen. In the background, I am liaising with companies and businesses who want to be featured; building relationships with Caribbean tourism partners and giving back to tourism in the Caribbean by offering internships to tourism students.
Business Performance
This travel site pulls in just about 2,000 views per month and I’m on track to meet my viewership targets. I currently publish Caribbean travel articles a minimum of once per week using Caribbean themed keywords that people are actively searching for. The site is monetised with ads from a few ad agencies including Google Adsense and Amazon. And I’m currently finalising a couple guides and other travel products to scale this business upwards.
This was not difficult. I can work from the comfort of my home. And it’s a reliable side hustle that will make money in time.
Why People Get Discouraged About Creating Side Hustles
We’re living in a society where everyone wants to get rich quick. My travel business uses a model that is not for everyone. The hours are long, the work can be tedious and time consuming and the pay is crap initially. There’s the possibility that I may be working on this business for a very long time without seeing more than a couple dollars a month. However, I know that this business is worth the effort.
Patience
Being patient in the face of little or no immediate results is one of the tests that you may face when starting a side hustle. But that’s when you can create a business that finds a unique lane, where you will find success. Finding the right niche to operate in, will be the defining moment of your struggle. When you find the proverbial sweet spot, you will realise that the struggle was worth it.
Competition
In the business world, you should always be prepared for the very real possibilities of other entrants entering the market place by replicating what you have done. I find that the more difficult it is to enter the market or the more difficult it is to make money, the number of people looking to jump in is less than if it was an easier niche to enter or one where it’s easy to make money. This should encourage you to keep working at your business to ensure that it’s offering the right products and services for its target market.
Investing in Your Business
Depending on your desired hustle, you may have to part with some cash. Instead of looking at it as a burden, reclassify it as an investment. You are investing into an idea or dream that you will work on to turn into a bigger enterprise. I was drawn to the online business model because it does not require a lot of upfront cash, but the trade-off is that I have to wait a bit longer to see returns.
Side Hustle Business Ideas
There are hundreds of side hustle business ideas that you can start right now. When I started the travel website, I was focusing on creating a resource that was a bit different to other websites. I wanted to push Caribbean businesses, especially those that operated in the tourism sector as much as I could. And I still do this to this day. I have other business ideas, which are still going through the testing phases. One in particular is in the creative/ hobbies industry in which I will be creating a physical product to sell. This is not a new idea, but it’s an innovative one which utilises a talent that I’ve been sitting on for too long. Sometimes, that’s all you need to get started.
What talents do you have that you are just ignoring? What are the things that you are good at, that can be monetised well? Are you technical? Have you perfected a craft? Do you have a skill that was developed in your traditional 9 – 5 job? Is there something that you’ve helping people with quite successfully, that hundreds or thousands others need help with? All of these can be used to make legal money on the side. The common denominator is you.
Business Ideas
The internet has thousands of articles about the types of side hustles and small businesses that you can start. These websites have some excellent business ideas:
99 Side Hustle Business Ideas You Can Start Today (Side Hustle Nation)
On this website there are over 100 ideas, but my favourite suggestions are affiliate marketing, Airbnb, selling on Amazon, private labelling, virtual assistant services, teaching online, E-commerce, focus-grouping, Kindle publishing, t shirt printing services, sports coaching, book flipping, child care, care giving, computer repair service; cover letter and resume services; doula services; ghost writing; graphic design services; mobile laundry services; mobile oil change services, app development and a local rental business.
50 Ideas for a Lucrative Side Hustle (Entrepreneur)
Entrepreneur is a worthy resource for all things entrepreneurship. In the 50 ideas noted, my favourites are renting a spare room on Airbnb; managing social media for businesses; selling services on Fiverr; tutoring over Skype; starting a blog; creating an online course; writing an eBook; babysitting; selling technical services on UpWork; designing logos on 99 Designs; teaching a language; starting a food truck; giving music lessons; car washing and detailing; doing email marketing; becoming a house sitter and becoming a local tour guide.
42 Money-Making Side Hustle Ideas (I Will Teach You to be Rich)
I Will Teach You to be Rich outlines a number of side hustle ideas based on where you are in life. For beginners, there are transcription services; courier services; technical writing and business writing. For college students, suggestions include video production/ editing; sports/ personal training and search engine optimisation. For millennials there is programming/ web development; e-commerce consulting; and fashion/ image consulting. For mums and dads at home, suggestions pet services; home maintenance; crafting and human resources/ payroll services. For working parents there is photography; travel planning; tax and financial planning and career help. And, for teachers ideas include research; tutoring and coaching; exams prep and productivity coaching.
When choosing your side hustle, make sure that it’s practical for your desired market. Online businesses give you the freedom to start anything about anything. But traditional brick and mortar businesses have a few more limitations. For example, if you live in the Caribbean, you really should not open a physical store that sells snow gear. It’s just not practical for the region. But, you can open an online store that utilises Amazon’s drop shipping services or another similar product sales model.
How Much You Can Make From a Reliable Side Hustle
The million dollar question that everyone is interested in, is how much can you make from a side hustle. The million dollar answer is that it depends on much you can put into it. How much time are you willing to spend on the business? Having an idea is one thing, but operating the business is another. If you are a solo entrepreneur, you have to be willing to do everything that is required or outsource those things that are out of your scope.
Dog Sitter Makes $3,000 a Year
The Business Insider outlines what a few people have made from their side hustles in one year. A children’s book author makes $1,000 – $1,500; a dog walker makes $2,000; a stay at home mom makes $15,000 – $25,000 selling on Etsy; an artist manager for musicians makes $25,000; a food delivery guy makes $15,000; a lady who dog sits makes $3,000 and a fashionista makes $2,000,000 (yep… those zeroes are real). These examples reveal that you can make money with a side hustle that offers any type of service that you can think of.
Side Hustles Can Bring in Up to $7,000!
Research by Small Business Trends, reveals that side hustles can bring in as much as $7,000 each month. Some of the highest paying part time hustles, according to the research are selling or renting property which can bring in between $500 and $7,000 per month; eCommerce or drop shipping which ranges from $150 to $6,000; music or dance performances net between $100 and $5,000 and computer repair $100 – $4,200. Special mention must also be made of freelance work/ consulting and teaching which both bring in up to $4,000.
Real Estate is a Winning Side Hustle
Another good read is The Most Lucrative Side Hustles by The Hustle . It breaks down the most lucrative side hustles and the least lucrative side hustles and shows their average income per hour. Real estate earns an average of $90 an hour; management consulting $86; investment management $75; investment banking $75 and hospitality $43. Side hustles at the lower end of the scale were determined to be farming, with an annual rate of $9 per hour; arts and craft at $10; and health and fitness, cosmetics, music, design, writing and editing and photography at $11.
You can make money from almost any side hustle or idea. You have to take the appropriate steps to start the business, manage it and take the required steps so that it can grow.
Turn Your Side Hustle into a Successful Business
After you have been working on your side hustle for a while and you have seen the returns that you expected, it’s time to turn it into a business. Going back to my side hustle example, I started the travel website in 2015. It was intended to be a Caribbean travel website and that’s it. However, in 2018, after I realised that I could expand the idea into tangible products and take on tourism oriented projects, I registered the business name. I realise now that this could have been a disaster if someone else had registered the business name before I did. This was a mistake that I will not repeat.
The Importance of the Business Plan
If I could go back in time, I would create a business plan from the time the idea came into my head. I would have created a solid plan for where I wanted to take the business and outlined all of the options available and products that could be created. When you have a side hustle, creating a business plan should be at the top of your “to-do” list. Even if you have no desire to create a business, you should create a plan of action for your side hustle.
The business plan should not been seen as just a document that you create at the beginning of your business. It is a document that should be seen as a guide to your business. It is the blueprint for what you will do throughout the life of the business. A good plan will include consideration about finances, marketing, operations, human resources, corporate affairs, strategic planning, research and development and operations. All of these are required, if you want to create a successful business that will grow with time and adapt to changes in the market in which you are operating.
Staying Committed
On top of this, you have to remain committed to what you are doing and not get side tracked by outside influences. Being disciplined with the money that you make is a challenge for new entrepreneurs who make a lot more money than they did whilst working in the traditional 9 – 5. Managing your business finances the right way and investing in the business, will ensure that your business survives in both the good times and bad times.
Some people will say that money is not everything and in an ideal world it’s not. But we’re living in a time where you have to pay for everything. If you want to survive in a time where you basically have to make sure that your back is covered, you have to be willing to step up and make decisions that will make this happen.