Having just one job is a thing of the past. Living expenses and inflation cause prices to increase on just about everything from year to year, and more people have a difficult time living off of just one income. So, many have taken to adding a side hustle (or two or three) to their full-time job to expand and increase their income.
There are many reasons behind this, the main one being money-driven. But there are many other benefits that stem from taking on a side hustle.
HOW TO FIND YOUR SIDE HUSTLE
Side hustles are meant to be more fun than work and another way to make money without investing in stocks, so it is important to identify the things you love the most and the lifestyle you desire for yourself. Find your strengths and put them next to things you genuinely love. You can easily find a side hustle from almost anything. If you know that you are a strong writer and love to travel, being a freelance travel writer is an easy choice for a side job.
You may be surprised at the opportunities out there you can make a side career from. Write lists, talk to your friends and your family to see what they see your strengths being, and dig deep to find your true passion. If you’re stuck on what to do, here is a list of side jobs you can explore.
THE BENEFITS:
DRAW OUT YOUR PASSIONS
What is your true passion in life? One of the biggest benefits of taking on a side hustle is that it is a creative outlet. For some, it might be writing, so blogging or writing articles is a great side hustle to take on to benefit their creativity in their writing. Others may enjoy cooking, so a side hustle can include starting your own cooking channel vlogs on social media.
If you are involved in a talent-focused industry like music or performing arts, you can build upon that and use your talents to teach future musicians or actors and use your expertise to help them master their craft. For example, many up-and-coming Broadway performers require a second income to keep up with the city’s insanely high cost of living. They use their talents to teach singing lessons in NYC as a side job. Drawing from your passions with your side hustle allows you to act as an authority in that space and offers more fulfilment in your life that you might not find in your regular day job.
ALWAYS LEARNING AND GROWING
Another great advantage of taking on a side hustle is that you can build upon a current skill or start on a completely new one. If you are a writer, chances are there is something about writing or some new grammar rule you’re not aware of yet. If you love cooking but don’t know about basic cooking “rules,” you can grow and develop your abilities by starting that as a side job.
Most people learn better by doing. If you’re starting your own side business, the chances are that eventually, you may get into some graphic design to create a logo or learn how to build your website. Sometimes you might want to get some type of certification or take an online course. All of this can help to beef up your resume, too, in case you ever decide to look elsewhere for another position in the future that aligns more with your desires or possibly to get that promotion you deserve.
NETWORKING
You are bound to meet and get to know new people with side hustles. Whether in a blog forum or at a possible networking event, you will expand your business network of people. You’ll be able to connect with a wide variety of connections, creating more clients or other helpful entrepreneurs that can aid you in your new business.
FINANCIAL FREEDOM
Having extra income is great for working your way to debt-free. You can use the extra money for many things you may desire out of life, and the best part is that because you’re making money, you avoid having to take out a loan or use a credit card. Maybe you only want the side gig so that you can pay off some debts.
If you wanted to take that European vacation or cruise but didn’t have the money before, you can now actively save to make it happen. Maybe you want to put it away in case of emergencies, or perhaps you just want to be able to buy that new gadget you know is really expensive. You can set yourself up with some long-term financial goals and utilize the money you make to help you get there faster.
PEACE OF MIND
With technology becoming more prevalent in the job force today, you just never know when a position can become obsolete. You never know what could happen to your current job. If you have ever been in a position where you’ve been let go or laid off, then maybe having a side hustle or multiple side gigs helps to provide you with some peace of mind.
A backup plan is a great idea to help in case you are hit with hard times like this. An added benefit of having a side hustle or two is that you’ll still have money coming in if your current corporate job goes under.
POSITION YOU LOVE
If you have a side job that is more rewarding and makes you happier than your regular full-time job, maybe it can permanently become a new position for you. You don’t know where taking on the hustle(s) can lead you, and you may find a new passion and fulfilling position for yourself.
You can find unexpected success in exploring the opportunities of side hustling. Maybe you have come to a point in your life where you realize that money isn’t everything and that your side hustle makes you happier. You have the ability when starting a side job to literally try and fail at anything and everything there is. You can create a real, tangible and beneficial career life for yourself that you may not have thought possible otherwise.