How To Start Your Successful Side Hustle In 5 Easy Steps

Side hustle gigs are more popular than ever!

They have quickly become the “go-to” way to put extra cash in anyone’s pocket.

The internet seems to be overflowing with stories of people who have turned a part-time side hustle into a money-making business. 

Now, you’re ready to jump on the bandwagon, right? 

The only problem is, where do you start?

And once you have started, what will it take to turn your side hustle idea into the next success story?

Well, as with any successful business first, you have to start with the basics.

So, in this guest post by MBA student Dhruvi Shah, she provides five strategies you need to know to get your side hustle off to a great start.

First and most importantly…

Have a long term vision and plan

This might sound absurd, but have you thought of starting a side hustle because you saw it on YouTube or because your friends are doing it?

Then, after a few days, your enthusiasm ends because it was just a decision taken in haste. 

So, if you want your side hustle to be a success, you should be sure it’s something you want to continue for a long time.

Don’t begin a side hustle just because you were suddenly inspired to create a YouTube video or start a blog. 

What often happens is that you get so excited by all the hype, that it’s easy to lose your path.

Then, you realize that you’re too busy to keep up with it, and you end up quitting just as quickly as you started.

If you want your venture to be successful:

You should understand that your side hustle is not just a temporary thing.

And it shouldn’t be based on your temporary mood.

You should consider it your work. And treat it as valuable as your social life.  

It should be a commitment that you make to yourself for the long haul. 

So, before even thinking of starting any side hustle ask yourself these questions:

• Do I enjoy doing this?
• Do I have time to do this?
• Can I see myself doing this for a long time?

If the answer is ‘no’ to any of these questions –stop and reconsider if this is the right side hustle. 

But, if the answer is “yes” to all these questions, then it’s safe to move ahead and start planning your side hustle. 

However, if you need help narrowing down your idea, don’t miss this post on Finding Your Perfect Side Hustle.

Once that’s done, the next thing you’ll need to do is…

Schedule your work 

We all have so many things to do every single day. And, often we try to make mental checklists of the tasks we need to complete. 

But, when you’re trying to squeeze a side hustle into your daily life, you must schedule your tasks to have a productive day. 

The best way to do that is by creating time blocks for every item on your to-do list. 

A good starting point is to schedule your side hustle twice a week, thrice a week, or on the weekends according to your time availability.

However, you can’t treat your side hustle as an unimportant thing that you can ignore, and think that it will still turn out okay. That attitude will never work!

So it’s crucial to schedule in as much side hustle time as possible around your family schedule or other obligations. 

For instance, when your children are at school, studying, or sleeping, you can use that time to work on your side hustle.

Making a schedule will help you to navigate your time throughout your week. Plus, it will help you reflect on your goals and achievements.

Also, it’s important to schedule all the additional steps you need to complete and not just the chief goal. 

For example, if you have a product that you want to sell, don’t just add “work on my business” to your to-do list. Instead, block out specific time slots to complete individual tasks like:

• Do research
• Create a product
• Locate potential customers
• Ask for feedback
• Market the product

There are many different things that you have to do apart from the principal thing before you can begin to earn money.

Using a planner is a great way to keep track of all the extra steps attached to your side hustle.

Here’s a Pro-Tip:

Pre-plan your day for half an hour every night before bed.

Then, the next day you can begin tackling your list without wasting any time.

Start the actual work

Now that you’ve done all the planning, it’s time to take action.

There are many instances where people worry that their first attempt at something won’t be good enough.

For instance, creating your first YouTube video or writing the first chapter of a book.

However, if you don’t take action to film that video or write that chapter, you’ll never be able to turn it into a successful side hustle.

Whenever I look back at my old chapters, I also feel embarrassed about how I used to write when I was 15 and 16 years old. 

Just imagine what will happen if you don’t take that first leap. 

You will always find excuses to not do the work, or to keep rescheduling. Eventually, you’ll end up neglecting it altogether. 

So, to start your successful side hustle, you need to start doing your work. 

Don’t fall into the trap of making excuses.

Try to accomplish at least one thing each day. 

For instance:

• If you’ve had a busy day and don’t have time to shoot a ten-minute video, aim for shooting a 2-minute video instead, or create your next thumbnail.
• If you’re too tired from doing housework, then write at least one paragraph instead of writing a full chapter. 

Keep in mind:

If you never get started, you will always be at stage 0 or have zero percent complete.

And many times, once you do start, you’ll find yourself in flow mode, and you’ll have a hard time trying to stop.

Getting small wins are a great way to curb laziness and knock out those excuses.  

You just have to tell yourself that I will at least do a small task even if it’s only for 5 minutes before I go to sleep.

And let me tell you, that has helped me many times to activate and ‘go into workflow mode.’

I’ll start doing a task for 5-minutes, and those five minutes then turn into an hour.

Another thing to remember is…

Take advantage of small timeslots

There are many instances throughout the day when you may find yourself commuting or waiting for fifteen minutes or half an hour. 

For instance, when you go to the grocery store for a curbside pick-up or pick your child up from school.

These small batches of time are the perfect opportunity to maximize your productivity.

Imagine if you can find 30-minutes a day. That adds up to 900 minutes or 15 hours a month. Wow, think of how much you can accomplish monthly!

I mean, you can use these half an hour batches to edit your videos or start writing your chapter or blog. Then all you’ll need to do is transfer it to your main computer later.

You can also use this waiting time to write down ideas for the next video, search for thumbnails, reply to feedback, or call a customer.

There are so many things you can do in half an hour that will gradually help you check off tasks from your “to-do” list.

Even while you’re commuting, you can listen to a podcast and jot down ideas. 

What I usually do while commuting is to write a chapter in my notes and then transfer it to my word document. Or I write a blog or even read a book.

So, be sure to use this commuting and waiting time effectively and take advantage of its reciprocal effect.

Have a designated workspace 

Having a designated workspace where you can feel you are doing your work well is a must! 

It’s a space where you don’t feel sleepy or hungry, and your conscious and subconscious mind are working together to accomplish the same goal.

When you have a designated workspace, your mind automatically adjusts.

So, whenever you go to that place, it knows you’re here to work. And it’s less likely to get distracted.

On the other hand, when you don’t have a proper positive workspace, it’s easy to get off track from your side hustle tasks. 

For instance, if you’re sitting on the bed while editing a video, that could make you fall asleep. 

If you’re sitting at the kitchen table while trying to write a chapter, you may feel like you want to eat.

Having a designated workspace will help you not only organize your tasks but also keep your mind focused on the work you’re trying to accomplish.

It’s also essential to have an environment that helps to cleanse your mind and puts you in a positive mindset to do your work. 

Great lighting is also essential because it helps your eyesight and your brain think of bright ideas.

FYI, going outside for a walk can also help you discover new ideas.

But, when it comes down to doing your work, having the right workspace is the most helpful.

Final Thoughts

There you have it!

These are my five tips that will help you learn how to start and grow a successful side hustle.

I have personally used each of these strategies to grow my business. So give them a try. 

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know any other tips that might also be helpful.

Dhruvi Shah is currently in her last year of an MBA program. She always wanted to start something of her own and that sprouted the idea that many people are like her who always just keep thinking and never start doing. She feels that blaming fear or time never pays. So, she has started her own blog and Instagram page where she posts study tips, productivity tips, and side hustle ideas. She is a content creator and documenting life and helping others to start their own venture. She is happy to connect with you all and share some tips on starting your side hustle. For now, she can be found on Instagram @study_dhruvi.

Photo credit: Emma Matthews on Unsplash