I hope you’re all well and keeping safe.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of side hustles over the last few weeks. I’ve always believed that it’s important to have more than one stream of income and if 2020 has taught me anything it’s that multiple income streams are going to be very important going forward into 2021. Not forgetting that adapting your skills, business and mindset will be vital because life and the market as we know it can change literally overnight.
A side hustle doesn’t have to be something big. You don’t need to start it with the aim to take over your day job – don’t neglect your work-life balance. To me, a side hustle is a money-maker which you can work on in your free time. Start small with the aim to earn a little extra cash each month to supplement your main income.
A side hustle can simply be an additional stream of income. It can be a method of paying off debt, saving for a rainy day or something much more extravagant. I personally look at my side hustles as a safety net. If one stream of income goes away there’s another one ready to help with the hit.
This has all been instilled in me since I was very young. When I worked at a department store on a Sunday I was still doing a paper round early in the morning. When I was at university I split my spare time between shooting photos in clubs to working at Music Zone (remember that?) at 5AM.
I’m not saying you SHOULD have a side hustle. What I’m saying is that multiple streams of income will be useful and a side hustle is one way to accomplish that. An extra somethin’ somethin’ each month is always a bonus.
There’s no need to stop whatever you’re doing and dive into setting up an online business tomorrow. It’s been a hard year for everyone, even more so after the latest COVID updates. If you want to watch reruns of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix and drink mulled wine then do that and enjoy it. I know I will be. However, if you have been thinking about setting up a side hustle then now is a better time than ever.
There are so many things you could do to start bringing in an extra income. One of the ways that appeals to me and is something I’ve been looking into recently is online selling. There are a host of marketplaces to pick from and it can be hard to know where to start. One which has caught my eye recently has been Incobis Marketplace Buy and Sell. I love the layout, use-ability and social aspect to it. There’s the option of sharing interests, products reviews and recommendations with the community. It seems like a fun way to start a business and find like-minded people along the way.
Many marketplaces enable sellers to list their products quickly and safely and you get a delightful ‘ping’ on your phone when a customer places an order. When selling products online it’s important to sell through a reliable and safe platform so that both you and your customers feel safe parting with details.
I’d love to know if you’ve been thinking more about side hustles this year. Perhaps, like a few of my friends, you’ve already set up a business during 2020 or maybe it’s on your goals for 2021 (find out more about the importance of setting goals). Either way I’d love to hear your thoughts around the topic.