A side hustle is an endeavor you are involved in on the side, while working full time somewhere else. Financially prudent people who desire to live a better life, have realised the importance of developing a business that augments their salaries. So while their colleagues and friends close from work and go home to watch television, or hang out chatting with friends all evening, these people spend a few hours every day growing their other business. Often, employers will discourage or insist that employees, do should not be involved in any side business while working with them. But the question is: ‘How does what I do with my evenings and weekends concern my employer?’
These points will help you in finding a side hustle:
Be open minded
Don’t lock your mind up with the fact that you have a job, thereby preventing you from doing other things. Let your eyes be open to any opportunity you can make income from. Try to acquire experience for something else that you will start as time goes on. No experience is a waste, it will even be a story on your own part later in life that will be used to inspire others.
Don’t lose your vision
Planning is what no one should do without, even in the smallest things we want to do. By now, you ought to have discovered what you want to do on the long run. Ensure you are building and preparing yourself for that vision, while also building up your financial base. Re-evaluate yourself when it seems you are falling short of the plan. You can intern in that industry or sector you desire to build on in the future. Learn everything that is required to succeed. Understand the trends, because the future may hold something totally different from what is happening today.
Be on top of your game
Determine to be the best in what you do and attain the point where you are the best in that sector. Let there always be a touch of excellence and a quest to satisfy your customers. This will not only give you a continuous inflow of business opportunities, your customers will also become your ambassadors. Build your contacts and relationships because they will define how far you will go.
Be prepared to put in all
Nothing good ever comes easy. It will not be easy, especially at the building phase. Yes, it will be tasking and will require a lot of patience and tenacity. It will take your time and resources. If you do not want to be mediocre, or just one of the many people in that line of business, then you will have to work hard at it.
Balance the equation
You must ensure that your main job does not suffer while you attend to your hustle. You will need to develop the ability to effectively combine both without allowing either to suffer neglect. In the end, when you have developed your side business to the point where it is now your main job, then it might be safe to quit your main job. Of course, there will be fear and apprehension in deciding to quit, but always remember that your employer was once an employee and if they had never quit, they wouldn’t be where they are today. Please be sure and deliberate and do your homework well before making any drastic move. But if you are waiting until such a time when you will have no fear at all, you will never be able to take that bold step needed to start your own.
Look around, ask questions
Check online for opportunities and you will certainly find something. There are side businesses you can do in the evenings and weekends.
Planting watermelon in commercial quantity is something you may wish to consider. The gestation period for watermelon is approximately three months. This means you can have four planting cycles in a twelve-month period. If you harvested 10,000 watermelons and sold at an average unit price of N250, you can make up to N2.5m in a quarter. You can request for a business plan and the requirements for starting a watermelon farm. Other side businesses you can try are planting of potatoes, hair making and make-up, fashion designing, block manufacturing, cleaning services, blogging, buying and selling and more.
