Reset Your Life Day 27: Start a Side Hustle

This post is Day 27 of the 31 Days to Reset Your Life Challenge. Learn more and sign up for the program here.

One of the biggest complaints that many people have is that they don’t make enough money to live their ideal life. Even if you have a good-paying job these days, it can still be tough to do, especially if you have kids and/or student loans. If you desire to earn more money in addition to the job you have now, today I encourage you to start a side hustle.

Day 27: Start a Side Hustle

If you don’t necessarily want to find a new full-time job, consider starting a side hustle to earn more money in addition to your 9 to 5. A side hustle is a job that you do on the side in addition to your full-time job. Whether you take on a second job, do hair in your basement, provide consulting services or bake cakes to sell at the farmer’s market on the weekend, a side hustle is when you provide products or services in order to make money on the side. Typically, you would take something you’re good at (or passionate about) and offer it to people who want it. That sweet spot of skill and demand is your side hustle, baby! Many people eventually start making enough money with their side hustle to make it their full-time gig.

A few synonyms for a side hustle:

  • Part-time job
  • Second job
  • Small business
  • Side business
  • Slash career

Examples of side hustles:

  • Consulting
  • Catering
  • Tutoring
  • Photography
  • Blogging
  • Public speaking
  • Babysitting
  • Avon/Mary Kay
  • Ebay seller
  • Crafting/jewelry

And the list goes on and on. What are some side hustle ideas you could try that align with your passion and personal mission statement?

As you work on this exercise, you may find it useful to read some of my recent posts on biz and entrepreneurship with a focus on starting a side hustle.

When you’re done, please share your experience with us in the comments! What side hustle ideas did you come up with? What’s the first step you need to take to bring them to life?

Note: If you blogged about today’s assignment, please post the link in the comments so we can read it!
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32 comments

  2. After watching the side hustle videos, I decided that my side hustle should be private tutoring as I already have the qualifications and experience.

    Once I decided, it was oddly easy to get started and before I knew it, I was signing a contract to rent this great little room to use which was perfect.

    So I set everything up, placed some fliers around town, bought some resources and, as coincidence would have it, my “open day/meet the tutor day” fell on the very day I was due to do this task (April 21st).

    I went over all the possible outcomes and scenarios so that I would be prepared for whatever. And wouldn’t you know it, the worst happened.

    No one showed up.

    Well, unless you count one supportive big sister(!) So there I was with my resources laid out just sittin’ and waitin’.

    Of course, old, pre reset me woulda just fallen apart. But I just took it in stride.

    For one, I already knew it was kinda late in the school year. Plus most business would come from Year 6 SAT’s, which at that point was just 1 week away.

    Plus, I thought of a couple of ways I could improve the fliers to appeal to more people.

    So I took that as an opportunity to improve things and do things better for September, the new school year.

    However, between then and now, it has occured to me that the only thing that carried me through was just the enthusiasm of doing something so scary and new for the first time in my life. (I am NOT the type of person who sets up and runs their own business!).

    The thing I was lacking was passion for the actual job. Truth be told, I don’t really like the job I do now (higher level teaching assistant) and to tutor would just be extending a job I don’t like by 2 hours a day.

    It made me think about how long I would have been able to maintain my original enthusiasm if it had taken off.

    And I have already been thinking for a loooong time that I want to get out of education and do something else.

    The problem is I have absolutly no clue what it is I want to do and all my experience and qualifications are in that area.

    So yay for me for getting as far as I even did with the side hustle (the only thing missing was clients lol), but in a way the lack of clients was a blessing because I don’t want to feel tied to something I won’t enjoy long term.

    However, I am trying to be debt free and build savings so I can get out of my currant job and do something I would actually love, so I am still trying to think about ways I can make some decent extra money.

    And now I know I have it in me to do it. So from that standpoint, it was a success.

    And who knows, I may change my mind and decide to do it in September afterall.

    The best job i ever had was when I worked in libraries as a homework helper. The children and parents were appreciative and i felt useful for the first time in a long time.

    I figured the private tutoring would be more of the same but for much more money.

    I guess working in the environment of a school has dulled my enthusiasm for it.

    Anyway, all of the above has been written with the benefit of hindsight. I will now write what i wrote in my journal on the day of the fated open day…(!)
    ———————

    Thursday April 27th

    I have to say, when I started this reset project, this task was the second one I was most likely to skip.

    The idea of me having any kind of business was unlikely and laughable. At best my plan was to sell some of my stuff on ebay and even THAT seemed too complicated.

    Then on Wednesday march 9th, I came home from work and took a nap, thinking about what I would do for this part of the project. When i woke up, the word “tutor” was in my head.

    So I excitedly went about planning the whole thing – even got a premises and printed and distributed fliers.

    So by coinicidence my meet the tutor session was scheduled for today and…

    Nada. Zilch. Rien. Didn’t get a single bean of interest.

    But that is OK. I am simply going to review a few things, redo the flier and try again in September.

    I am going to try again and, in the word of Samuel Becket, “fail better”.

    To be honest, whatever would have happened would have turned out OK for me. If enough people had showed up, great. If I had got people, but not enough to afford rent on the premises, I woulda just tutored at their houses and buil my rep.

    As it stand, I can now spend the money I was saving towards the first months rent on paying off my New York trip and i will have alot more time to do this properly, since i was rushing because of SATs.

    This will be the time I look back at and say “remember how I startd? Look how far God has brought me!” I swear, God sets ish up like tis so He can show off later!

  3. My “side hustle” is the same as my “Reset Project.” Essentially, my primary reason for doing the workbook has been to self-examine in order to find my strengths and weaknesses relative to applying the strengths toward start-up of a part-time home-based business and finding ways (and the courage) to overcome my weaknesses that would “sabotage” my success with the business (including shyness and a reluctance to ask for help or to join networking groups.) These exercises have had a positive affect on me, and I have forced myself, due to wanting to get the most out of the program, to do things I otherwise would have procrastinated about. I realized that I have not been organized enough in my thinking and planning, in order to turn a “good idea” or “I would love to do” something, into actually begin DOing it. Thanks, Rosetta, for this “Reset Your Life” program!!!

  4. Today I made many steps in to starting a hustle let alone a side hustle. I meantioned before that my mobility has been restricted and I found it hard to figure out what my new capabilites were. doing this reset has helped plus I discovered my love for writting :) it is so much easier to type then to write for me so blogging about my passions old career and new ventures it will be :)

  5. the cool thing is that for this one, i was already a step ahead before the assignment came out! the website is still under construction, but check out: http://www.3degreeunion.com/ (my goal is to launch on 2/13)

    it started out of a conversation rosetta & i had about the value of time & knowledge. then a friend (@kelshew) made a suggestion. details here: http://ht.ly/3Sdqi

    i’m also working to develop http://www.visionspeaksinc.org . i guess that’s not technically a *side* hustle, since it’s what i plan to do professionally, but since i’m in school right now, it’s kind of taking a side-hustle position. (i hope some of you check out the opportunity to get involved & sign up to help out!)

  6. I already know that my two side hustles are, just don’t know took me so long to post it here. First is my graphic design business, which I been working on making it better and more successful for the New Year. I have talked about getting my certification in Microsoft Office and learn how to build computer from scratch, so that would be my second side hustle. I love designing and technology. Just thought of a third one, blogging.

  7. My side hustle is selling AVON (which I always thought was corny, but now I enjoy it) and selling on ebay. I’ve found that I really enjoy selling on ebay. My dream is to one day open an upscale resale and consignment shop. Selling on ebay is my practice into retail and trying to find my niche in selling. I am waayy more passionate about it than I am about my corporate job.

  8. My side hustle is writing. Blogs, articles, ghost writing, etc. I also do PR/Social Media for small businesses and non-profits.

    I also do small event planning- retreats, bridal showers, birthday parties, girls night in, bachelorette parties, baby showers, launch parties, etc. – I love doing that alot because it falls in line with one of my favorite things, connecting people

    I used to design/create invitations for the events and I think I’m going to get back into doing that as well.

  9. I don’t have a side hustle yet, mostly because I just switched careers – I start my new job in mid-January and I’m hoping to eventually turn that position into starting my own business. But, I’ve always been interested in sex education, as well as blogging, and perhaps this year I’ll figure out a way to merge the two paths to make some extra income. I have my blog (http://www.pillowtalkisextra.com), but it’s mostly just personal stuff and I can’t for the life of me figure out how I would make cash off of that.

  10. Each week I sit at my computer at work and look for a new job. Or work on my personal blog. I have NO desire to be in corporate america anymore and would never have come back had it not been for the recession.
    I pray to the Lord that in 2011, I find my calling and will be able to quit this dead end job.
    I so desparately need a side hustle and have been saying this for years but I’m afraid I won’t make money. Last year, my friend and I half assed baking cupcakes to sell. Totally flopped. I think like ten people max brought ONE cupcake.
    There’s so many things to do but everything I am interesting in (photography, theater, dance), other people are more qualified. And I don’t have the money. I just don’t know where to start.
    Completely lost but 2011 HAS to be a financial break through for me. No longer can I live paycheck to paycheck.

    • I’m positive 2011 will be your year :) In today’s world, qualifications vary…what often matters more is if people know and like you. I can tell you that I have ZERO formal training in most of the things I do for clients (and for many services, formal training isn’t really needed). Maybe you can start posting about photography or theater/dance on your blog and see where your interests flow from there?

  11. I have some ideas, but my problem is that the things I would want to do as a side hustle are outside the area that I have formal experience in. Example – blogging. I’ve done it for years & I’d like to start getting paid for it, but how? I’d also love to be a social media consultant & start getting paid for it, but how do I make the leap? Any ideas?

  12. One of my coworkers is a promotional model for a few spirit brands with a marketing firm in Chicago and she has been trying to get me to do it for the past month. She says it brings in pretty decent money in addition to her salary so I think I might give this a shot.

  13. So, I have two side hustles! I work from home for American Express doing customer service, unfortunately/fortunately it’s full-time 35 hours a week…and I already have a full-time corporate job and I’m a single mom. So needless to say, I’m pretty freaking worn out most of the time. The upside is that’s quite a bit of extra money that comes in every month, I can earn bonuses every month, and they offer benefits (some better than my day job). It’s difficult but I’m so thankful for the opportunity to do something I can do from home and that I can from anywhere.

    My other side hustle is the business I’ve been developing since April. The Curl Station is an online community and store that promotes and educates on the health, beauty, and versatility of natural hair. I’m so passionate about this its not even funny! I’m looking forward to this time next year, leaving the corporate arena and doing this full time…for me!

    I FIRMLY believe in having multiple income streams…great post!

    • I love that you have basically TWO full-time jobs, but the one you’re most excited about is the one you have the most passion for. Which really resonates with me because all the money in the world can’t compare to actually getting paid to do what I love.

  14. Now this is something I have quite a bit of experience in. I tend to take my talents and turn them into opportunities for greater training or in one particular case, for extra income. In 2006, I began a side hustle as a Passion Party consultant. Shortly thereafter, I decided that I could cut out the middleman and deal with distributers directly. As with any independent business, it has its’ ups and downs, but there is a freedom in knowing that this business is mine.

    • My ex-gf did exactly that! Started out doing passion parties or something and then went straight through distributors. She made some good money and somehow it end up growing into something more. Some of the clients she sold to started asking her for advice on what items to use and how best to use them, then it grew into her being a sex therapist/consultant for a few people as well.

      • That sounds really amazing! I’ve always been interested in being a sex educator, but I’d never thought about starting out doing something like a passion party. I will definitely need to look into it! Thanks for the idea =)

    • Is the money really good? I considered during it but was skeptical. I use to sell Mary kay a few years ago and made some good money but quit.

  15. My side hustle will be photography. I’m taking a photography class in a couple of weeks and I joined a photography meetup group that has already set up a challenge for the entire year of 2011. Starting January 1, I have to use my camera everyday to take pictures of anything. I then have to upload them to a photo album for everyone in the meetup to see. As a beginner, this is a wonderful way for me to get feedback from veteran photographers and improve on my technique. I can’t wait!

    • you’d be surprised what you can get paid for…virtual assistant, guest blogger/writer…check out http://www.guru.com and see what kinds of things people are getting paid for/contractor jobs people are posting there and see if there’s something you can post or submit a bid for.

      Also, there are SO MANY customer service jobs that are virtual. Start with http://www.westathome.com

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