The wisdom of the ‘side hustle’

Let’s face it – the job and career environment is changing and it is not for the better.

When I left college in the UK some decades back, I never really worried that I could not get a job. It was not that I was super qualified. I studied business at college. But back then there was not the prevailing fear that college grads seem to have now about getting a job.

The situation is much more insecure today. Jobs are not as easy to find, the pay rates leave a lot to be desired, freelancers have to hustle more, and there is less of a chance for people to stay in one job for a long period of time – let alone having a job for life.

This is an important reason to consider setting up a Side Hustle.

Side Hustle?

More and more people are looking to the internet to build a business for themselves on the side, even if they have a full-time job.

WAY TO GO?

There are three ways to look at this.

Firstly, a side hustle running a business online could bring you in extra income every month that helps provide security for you with money to do things that may be a stretch at the moment – paying for your kids’ education, going on holiday, buying a bigger car – the list goes on.

Secondly, a side hustle could provide you with a sense of security. Many of us have experienced the shock of losing a job and the fear of finding another one. Running a side business could help you while you are looking for another job, or provide enough to support you and your family.

Thirdly, a side hustle could lead to a full-time online business. If the small online business that you run in the evenings and on weekends pans out and brings in a substantial enough income, you may want to consider devoting yourself to it full-time.

WHERE TO START?

The idea of setting up your own business online can be daunting – particularly if you are not already running a business or lack an entrepreneurial mindset.

The good news is that all this can be learnt – the skills to run an online business and developing the right mindset that is combination of a willingness to embrace risk and a belief that whatever your background, you really can have success if you put your mind to it.

Let’s keep things simple – if you are starting out, there are two main paths to choose from:

– Building a business around your skills, knowledge and expertise
– Promoting other people’s products as an affiliate for a percentage commission

Let’s consider some examples. If you are a fitness coach you might want to set up a website and compile video training courses which you sell for a fee. If you are a writer, you may want to set up a website that offers your writing and editing services. If you are a stay at home mom who is good at making jewelry, you may want to sell these products online.

There are many ways to business a business around your existing skills.

Then there is the option to make an income as an affiliate marketer. There are literally thousands of products and options to “make money online” through the promoting of other people’s products. This is a great way to not only build an income but also get the practice to build your own business.

The good point about promoting somebody else’s product is that you don’t have to deal with the payment portal and customer service. All you need to do is find traffic – people who could be interested in buying the product.

LEARNING WHILE DOING?

Many people are looking to build a business online but there are so many options that it is hard to know where to start.

One of the biggest challenges for a newbie is gaining the skills to market and run a business online.

This is why it is worth considering signing up for an internet marketing system or product that provides training and the ability to make commissions promoting the product.
There are a number of internet marketing systems available but it can be hard to know what works and what does not. One of the biggest challenges is being overwhelmed by the online products. Typically, those who enter the internet marketing space end up buying a lot of products – but failing to follow through and market the product, partly due to poor quality products or due to the marketer’s reluctance to buckle down and work on their business.

CUTTING TO THE CHASE

If you are looking for a good system to turn into your “side hustle” or a full-time business, then the following two options are worth checking out:

– Super Affiliate Network – Provides all the training you need, plus the ability to make commissions
– Power Leads System – Provides training and the ability to make commissions, and a “backend” that allows you to promote whatever online product you want.

The key point here is that following one or both of these systems allows you to “learn while doing” – building a side hustle that could well turn into a full-time online business.