Kaylene Langford - How to Start a Side Hustle

There has never been a more convenient time to start a side hustle. People everywhere are taking their passions, natural abilities and skillsets and turning them into viable businesses and successful companies. A side hustle, according to the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary, is a piece of work or a job that you get paid for doing in addition to doing your main job. Some people are content to always keep their side hustle as something that makes them a bit of extra money, while others aim to build their side hustle into their main hustle, going on to build thriving companies and long careers. Whichever way you lean, this book will help guide you through.

Not that long ago, working for ourselves was the norm for most people. Humans dwelled in small communities in which members used their natural skillsets to contribute to the maintenance and perpetuation of the village. People worked according to the hours of daylight and to the seasons. They were connected to the land and they mostly valued their time off, family connections and the wellbeing of their community.

Around 1750, the Industrial Revolution brought on the invention of machines, leading to the automation of production for almost all goods, including clothes, food and everyday tools. With the invention of steam trains, telephones and the banking system, business owners were given access to a global marketplace, enabling them to source, produce and sell goods and services at a considerably faster rate, increasing profits.

People left their villages, farms and communities to find work in factories, where they performed repetitive tasks for which they were paid very little. As a result, small-scale manufacturing and artisan crafts were replaced by large-scale industrial manufacturing.

A 2018 study conducted by Harvard Business Review concluded that being forced to leave autonomous, self-created lives to work mundane jobs under constant supervision for minimal wages led to a clear decline in the physical and mental wellbeing of the population.

Societies in the 21st century are still being shaped by that significant period in human history.

Today, a new reality is emerging. One where people are moving away from industrial mindsets, and changing their views on the necessity of working for someone else, doing uninteresting, repetitive tasks that affect ones emotional and physical wellbeing.

We are living in a time when we can easily connect to the entire globe. We have an ever-growing bank of innovative technologies, resources, apps and experts at our fingertips.

Never before have we been able to so easily communicate across the world without leaving the comfort of our homes, and at no cost. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok and many others make it possible for us to connect, buy, sell, follow, engage with and relate to like-minded people, brands, experts and celebrities. Crucially, this technology also gives those of us who want to start a business the ability to test, launch and grow an idea with just a few clicks.

Maybe you already have an idea for a business, or youve caught yourself thinking, I could do that while scrolling through Instagram. Maybe people have told you, youre really good at that or you should sell it, or youve seen a product or service that you think could be done better, differently or cheaper.

Not everyone sees these opportunities. Not everyone has a desire to create something from scratch, or a vision to work for themselves. These are sure signs that youve got an entrepreneurial mindset.

So, if youre thinking about it, you should probably do it ... or, at least, give it a good hard crack!

As a business coach, Ive had people knock on my door and start with, Ive had this idea for two years now. Theres nothing worse than endlessly thinking about starting and never doing anything about it!

You will take your side hustle from an idea to a reality. You dont have to be an overnight success, you simply need to start! Well get you a few paying customers (which is the difference between a hobby and a business) and by the end of this book, youll find yourself attracting more new clients. Well then go through the steps needed to take it up a notch and grow your side hustle into a viable business, if thats your end goal.

A lot of businesses fail because people jump straight in, with little or no research about their plan of attack. Even if your business idea is amazing, without testing it out first, you risk losing it all. A side hustle is a safe, easy and effective way to test out if you like running your business, and if theres an audience who wants to buy what you have to sell.

This is an exciting and expansive time to be in business, and a powerful moment in history to strive to do what you love, and to be paid for it. So lets take our passion, creativity and motivation and dive right in.

The best place to start when coming up with your business idea is to look at what youre naturally good at, drawn to and passionate about. Maybe youve started on this and made some money on the side from consulting, selling your art or handmade goods, or solving problems for the people around you using your talents.

A successful business model is when you create a solution to a genuine problem that people are experiencing or come up with an idea that will add value to their lives. When someone is prepared to pay you for this solution or added value, youve got a viable business model.

Research shows that people who build businesses based on a problem they have personally experienced are more likely to produce a solution that will effectively impact other peoples lives. We all have skillsets, ideas and solutions that we can offer to those around us. Your job is to get clear on what you are naturally good at and what you have to offer the world, and to build your business around that.

Once you start to get some clarity on what you want to offer, its important to remember that youre likely to come up against a number of excuses that will hold you back, such as Im not good enough, there are lots of offerings out there, its too hard, etc.

Remember that you are right on the verge of great change. Running your own side hustle offers you the freedom and autonomy to live creatively and make money doing what you truly love. To turn back now would be detrimental to your success, life, happiness and the reason you started reading this book in the first place!

Stay focused on your end goal.