Side Hustlers – Your little bit on the side

The pace of change in careers has increased from fast to breakneck speed due to the global pandemic. Despite this challenging time for many careers, we shouldn’t allow our ambition to succeed to hit the slow lane.

Perhaps you are curious about your readiness for the next stage of your career journey? If so, you should be aware of the emerging opportunities that are available to you. Does having a mixed career, a side hustle or being a self-employed business owner sound appealing to you?

Let’s take a look at side hustling

A side hustle is a secondary job or business that earns or has the potential to earn extra income. Side hustlers contribute massively towards the national economy. More precisely, £72 billion in the British economy will continue to rise throughout the decades. A side hustle has become a popular option for many individuals, with 58% of people having the dream of making it their full-time job.

A side hustle is common amongst people who utilise their skills and talents to create extra income. Having a side hustle can act as a security blanket as each month you have an additional source of income to cover your bills. Around 40% of Generation Y with a side hustle express that it contributes to at least half of their monthly earnings.

It is important to remember that a side hustle is not just limited to creating additional income. It can be to prepare a ‘Plan B’ for the possibility that you change your full-time career in the future. A side hustle can help you get stuck into something you’re passionate about. Sounds tempting right?

Making the leap

A good way to get started is to work as a freelancer or part-time contractor. The average side hustler works around 6-15 hours a week. This is manageable with a full-time job, but at some stage, you might want to take the leap and go full-time with your side hustle.

The best time to make the leap is when you have the skills, experience and a network of contacts or clients that will comfortably replace your income. It may take some time for you to reach this stage of your side hustle career, but it is something to work towards. Going solo offers you more freedom as you can create your own assets and brands.

Eventually, you’ll be able to leave behind the demands of your ‘main’ job. It’s clear that too many people are paralysed by the fear of the unknown. People lack confidence in themselves and their own abilities to make the leap to work financially. These negative feelings can hold you back from pursuing a career in something you have a passion for and something you may be truly great at.

What is your passion?

Most people have passions and interests. These may offer potential for a successful side hustling opportunity. In this article about ‘How to start a side hustle and make your hobby earn money’, music artist and side hustle extraordinaire Professor Green offers his advice to eager side hustlers by saying: “Taking on a side hustle isn’t always easy; it takes preparation, thick skin, ideas and commitment enough to execute them. Prepare for rejection, and to get things wrong. If I stopped at the first ‘no’ I got or gave up after making the many mistakes I have along the way I’d be nowhere now.”

Do you have a vision and the drive?

Furthermore, the latest campaign created by Budweiser and DAZE Media is about side hustlers in the UK. The vision and drive that is required when going in an entrepreneurial direction is emphasised and highlights that if you have a vision and a passion, you have the ability to create a brand.

The campaign follows the stories of successful professional footballers, Wilfried Zaha, Eniola Aluko and Tyrone Mings who have effectively created their own brands alongside their ‘main’ job. The first documentary-style video ad looks at Wilfried Zaha’s side hustle, and explores his creativity off the pitch. Take a look at his clothing brand named ‘Long Live’.

Talk to us

Do you have exciting ideas or do you want some help creating ideas for your very own business? Are you eager to achieve self-made success? People are always talking about how one day they will do their own thing, but talk is cheap. How about actually making it a reality? There is no better time than now. You could be a Self Maker and achieve self-made success too.

Good luck and let us know if we can help.

Post by Alexander Blaikie and Conor Lynch