Christmas around the corner, planning a vacation, eyeing new shoes–you could use some extra money. And I sympathize with you, I can benefit from more money too but we have to work for it!
November hosts National Entrepreneurship Month and I will prepare you to add the prestigious “e-word” to your many talents. Today’s post is the teaser; next week launches the dedicated series to entrepreneurship. So let’s get to it…
2018 will be a big year for me, with a wedding coming up and all, but that also invites many more expenses. Putting in extra hours at work isn’t an option, nor is it desirable! I considered a few passionate side projects, and I started to monetize them! Next week, I’ll delve deeper into that topic. Today, I’ll present the general first steps in making that a reality for you!
Embarking on a side business is no easy feat. Nothing worth earning is all that easy! The most consoling thought is understanding your reason for the hustle. If your “9-5” is exhausting, chances are, you may skip out on your “5-9”. In reaching your entrepreneurial goals, motivation and passion are actually the key. When “giving up” creeps into your thoughts, your “why” will be the reason for keeping up consistent, quality effort. Know your why and determining what to do will be easy.
Before you start any work, conduct a mini “situation analysis”. Do you have an efficient workspace? What’s your workflow? Organization from the beginning will contribute to your long term success. Keep a planner like this one, create a display calendar with key, or use this simple checklist method. A prepared person will beat out a talented/lucky person any day.
My mental capacity and schedule is most successful when I create new content in the morning and plan social media at night. Believe it or not, “night owls” are not the only successful entrepreneurs. There’s this misconception that you have to work until 2 am or 3 am in the morning to be a “hard working entrepreneur.” Working strategically and optimizing your free time, will set a path for success. Your planning will yield results!
Lastly, be prepared to start off small and grow with your audience/customer base. Your loyal first customers are family and friend. In time, their word-of-mouth marketing and your spot on promotion will grow your following. However, if you neglect that core group of followers, your reach will not expand far at all. Shower them with appreciation, reward them, and ask for them to share your services.
These are but a few key items to keep in mind when considering a side hustle. I challenge you to brainstorm a business idea, do a little research, set a schedule to work on it, and start inviting friends and family to help you build your audience. Next week, for starters, we’ll talk about that business idea.