If you want to earn some extra money on the side, there are a lot of potential ways you can do that. One of the best is to set up a side business that you can run. Depending on the nature of this business and how it fares, it might be that this brings you a little extra cash, or even that it becomes wildly successful to the point where you can quit your day job and make it your full-time gig.
If you are thinking about starting a side business, there are a number of things you may want to keep in mind to ensure that you are doing it right – and to ensure that it’s as profitable a venture as possible. Here are a few things you should consider when starting your side hustle.
Coming Up With Your Idea
The idea behind the business needs to be as strong as possible to ensure it will be successful. The first thing to do is to come up with your idea and to make sure you are genuinely and fully happy with it. This should be something that you are excited about pursuing because that is what will make it easier to carry on with it day after day, even when it might not be making enough money for you yet. If you can come up with something like that, it’s going to make for a much better start to the business.
If you see that someone else is already doing the things you want to do that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it too. How many different brands of bread are there in the grocery store? How many brands sell an almost universally flattering shade of pinkish-brown lipstick? Someone else doing the same thing or something similar shouldn’t deter you on its own. It might just be proof that there is a market for what you want to offer.
Coming up with your idea is one thing, but you’ll have to do some research to make sure that you’re bringing a little something extra to the table. There is a reason you choose your brand of bread and there’s a reason you choose one brand of lipstick over another. It could be the price, nostalgia, or aspiration, but there is a reason. Make sure there is a reason that someone will choose your business over the competition.
Setting Up Online
Chances are you’re going to be running your side business largely online. Even if your main focus will not be driving online sales or site traffic, it’s still a good idea to have a website to lend some legitimacy to your venture. Setting up your business online can be complicated, and there are several things you’ll need to do if you’re going to make your business work and give it the best possible start.
First of all, make sure you choose a good domain name, one that is going to be memorable and functional for your business. Beyond that, you should then look into building an attractive website and start thinking about SEO or how you’re going to draw people in. You may also need some good payment processing solutions to ensure that you can accept payments easily.
The steps you’ll need to take to get set up online are going to vary based on the nature of your business. Work through the steps one at a time and watch YouTube channels or read blogs about the issue you’re having and you’ll have a functioning website up in no time.
Try Freelancing First
It’s not always necessary to set up a complete business right away. In fact, you might find that it’s best for you not to. If you have a service-based business you might want to try your hand at freelancing first to see if it’s truly something you’d enjoy doing. For example, if you want to offer social media management you might want to do some freelance gigs at first before going through the trouble of setting up a website.
You might discover that there is a sizable market for it and that you should expand into a fully-fledged business. Or you might not. Either way, it’s good to know, and this can be a good way to test the waters.
Add a Little LOVELY to Your Inbox
Subscribe to get exclusive updates, my beauty & style favorites, and curated round-ups of the things that help me make my life lovely.
Keep Records
As soon as you start, make sure that you are keeping records because this is vital for ensuring that you are setting the business up right for the future. You need to have a record of what you spend and what you have coming in. These records should be as clear as possible. That way, you can be sure that your business is making money and not just breaking even or worse, losing money.
I hope you aren’t discouraged from starting a side hustle. Increasing your income and keeping your expenses low is the way to build a more stable financial future and earning money from a side business helps make that happen.
