I often speak on the importance of having multiple sources of income and the best way to start is with a side hustle. You might ask, why it is called a side hustle. Just as the name implies, it is not the main job. A side hustle is any type of employment undertaken in addition to a full-time job. Most times, side hustles involve things a person is passionate about. Don’t get me wrong, some people do cleaning jobs as a side hustle. It doesn’t really mean they are passionate about cleaning. Well, let’s just say they need the extra cash. According to the Bankrate study, about 37% of adults in the U.S have a side hustle. Another study shows that two-thirds of Americans would are interested in starting a side hustle to add to their regular jobs. Still not convinced you need a side hustle?… Wait for it.

• INCREASE YOUR INCOME

Having an extra source of income is the dominant reason why a side hustle will always sound appealing even to the ears of a deaf man. Although it might be a small addition compared to your main income, trust me, it still goes a long way of helping you out financially. Sometimes, it’s not always smaller than regular income. A friend of mine has earned more than $45,000 in 18 months from blogging.

Depending on what your side hustle is, there is room to start shoring up your savings or paying off your student loans as the case may be.

• DEVELOP SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

When you start a side hustle, you will develop new skills and gain lots of experiences along the way without even realizing it. As the case may be, you might learn how to; market your brand, communicate with customers, determine pricing and so much more. Even if your side hustles involves you working from home, you can always add new skills to your portfolio to get ahead. These days, learning a new skill is quite flexible as there are so many online platforms like Lynda, Udemy etc. but a way to learn something new is by getting your hands on the experience.

• GREAT WAY TO NETWORK

Most people do not realize that this is one of the most rewarding benefits of side hustling. When you side-hustle and do it right, you will be able to build up an amazing network of clients and support. People will want to work with you and support you. You will meet people who may be able to assist you in progressing, either with your side hustle or your main job. Just think about that saying that goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. That’s exactly how the networking aspect of side hustling goes.

• EXPERIENCING FREEDOM

Having a side hustle gives you freedom in the sense that you can control how your business runs. You can choose to turn down a job, control how much you charge, and create your own schedule.

With a side hustle, their is no cap if you’d don’t want it to be. It can be as large or as small as you’d like.

• YOU CAN GO FOR YOUR PASSION AND DREAM

Do you have any idea that many people hate their jobs? Yes! To sound mild, I can say they at least don’t have any passion for their jobs. They don’t derive pleasure and inner satisfaction in doing the activities involved with the jobs. In this case, it is just about the money they are earning from it or the benefits it may provide. With a side hustle, you can get paid for doing what makes you happy!. You will be surprised at the many options of side hustles to go for, whether it is freelance writing, babysitting, pet training or traveling, you will chase your dreams and still earn from it.

Are you now convinced you need a side hustle but wondering how to start one? No worries, I got you covered. Knowing the reasons why you need a side hustle is one thing, but starting one is another thing altogether. If you plan to start a side hustle you might want to consider the following tips:

 Identifying your skills and areas of interest

 Be outstanding from other competitors

 Have defined goals

 Avoid getting fired from your day job (just kidding. Full time job not required for side hustle)

SIDE HUSTLES WITH LITTLE TO NO START-UP:

Virtual Assistant

Commercial Cleaner

Life Coach

Author

Social Media Manager

Blogger

Personal Shopper

Tutor

Web Design

Consultant

Become a Notary

Pet Sitter

Baby Sitter

Dog Walker

Photographer

And this list could literally go on and on….

Find something you’re passionate about and turn it into a source of income!