I got a minor writer's block lately when I realized that it'd been a while since the last time I wrote a post related to remote work or blogging. So this time, I decided to share some tips about finding an ideal side hustle that works for you.
These days, especially after the pandemic hits the world, I figure that having a side hustle that could earn you extra money definitely helps. Like, life is hard enough to live in this weird year. But I suppose it's easier if you have multiple income streams, with a side hustle that actually generates money for you.
In the past couple of months, I found many posts in the blogging community with them basically giving up as they realized that they earn nothing after a few months of blogging. Meanwhile, I also have an acquaintance who quit his job to start a Youtube channel.
While I adore his courage, I think if money is your primary orientation when you start your platform, I think it's not a wise move to take unless you have a back-up plan.
So, how could you find a side hustle that ideally works for you?!
Regardless of which platform you choose for your side hustle, rest assured it will help you cover basic expenses when you earn extra income out of it. Some companies decided to cut the payment for their employees. At the same time, they still have to pay for the rent and other necessities.
Even without the pandemic, I think a lot of people still don't earn a living wage. Let alone when the coronavirus hits.
If before corona I constantly saw the post about people looking for remote jobs as they want to travel so that they can live a digital nomad life, this isn't the case recently. These days I often see posts about people looking for remote jobs as they lost their primary income and try to find a way out to get their shit together.
And even those who can secure their primary job, some get their salary deducted that they are forced to find some other alternatives to get their extra income.
I see a lot of them thrive and rise during this period through their side hustles. Some of them start their Youtube channel, the other start selling things from hot sauce to handmade face masks. If there's anything that I've learned from this pandemic, it is that you can do all things when you are forced to find a way out.
And this gives me an idea to share my two cents about finding the side hustle that ideally works for you. Because no matter how much they say a Youtube channel can earn, if it's not a suitable platform for you, you'd be lucky enough to find a few views for your blog.
5 Tips to Find an Ideal Side Hustle That Works for You
Back when I still had my full-time job, I had my side hustle as a ghostwriter for some Australian client at the time. But then it didn't give me work-and-life balance that made my life ended up falling apart.
It was only now that the side hustle wasn't ideal for me, as I already had a stressful full-time job to deal with during the day. The pressure I got from my client during the night wasn't only challenging; it destroyed me.
If there's anything I've learned about having a side hustle that could generate extra income for you, I think anything is possible as long as you have the skills to achieve it. However, is it suitable for you?!
1. Pick your battle. Choose one platform that you want to focus on.
The way I see it, especially when it comes to digital side hustles… Almost everyone encourages you to be a jack of all trades. It's like, if you want to start a Youtube channel, everyone will pressure you to also be active on Instagram, Tiktok, and other platforms.
While social media platforms' existence can be beneficial for you, it's almost impossible to do when you just started. If you follow the high-end influencers who suggest it to you, then plant this fun fact in your head: it's easier for them to say it as most likely they hire several VAs to help them on the back-end.
But if you just started and you're not sure which platform you want to focus on, then maybe first thing first, you should find out which one works best for you. It could vary, and perhaps you would also need to experience some trials and errors along the way.
Source: Unsplash.
When I started working from home, after I managed to monetize this blog, I know I want to create a side hustle that could benefit me and my blog. That's when I familiarized myself with the term “virtual assistant.”
Instagram is not exactly my favorite platform for social media, but I know that if I could gain more knowledge about it, it will be beneficial for me in the long run. With my blog being my main gig these days, my Instagram is almost dead. It doesn't generate any traffic to my blog either, even though I consistently promote my blog post there.
However, as I've been working on Instagram for clients, I know how to get around it when I need it. I'm trying to prioritize Instagram to promote my other business, even though I don't put much effort into this blog.
The key is that you don't have to excel at every platform there is on the internet. You just need to pick one that works for you, where your target audience or target market mostly hang out.
2. Enjoy it like a hobby, but treat it like a business.
If you think about having a side hustle in content creation, especially in the digital space through blogging, vlogging, or even Tiktok, I think this is a bitter truth that you need to understand before jumping into the industry… While it can generate income in the long run, it won't guarantee you to earn instant money for a while.
It's essential to enjoy the process, because you can only achieve ‘success' in blogging or vlogging by doing it consistently. And when I said consistently, the majority of things you need to do, you have to do it voluntarily.
You need to enjoy it like a hobby, because you'll never know how long you need to put some effort to grow your platform for free. However, don't stop yourself from treating your side hustle as a business when the opportunity comes, because it's also essential to start earning from it.
Source: Pexels.
Enjoy your little steps, and stop comparing yourself to the others. It's so easy to feel down in an industry where everyone shares their ‘win' publicly for the content.
You could easily see someone who earns $1000 on their first-month blogging, or those relatively new bloggers who say they're worth around 5-figure. Yeah well, that's what they do. Maybe you'll take a bit longer to get there, but you can always find a way to improve your platform, so it also brings value to your audience.
When I started monetizing my blog, so many clients pinpointed that I didn't have enough traffic or any other excuse to pay me less for a sponsored post. It made me wonder whether my blog is valuable enough to offer services like the market's average price.
But I've learned with time because I know that I want to treat my blog as a business. And I have total control out of it, so whenever there's a client that tells me that my blog is worth less than what I offer, I'll move on because I know I have some clients who pay me fairly simply because they see the values that I offer.
3. Decide whether you want to niche down or make your platform general.
I don't know about you, but if I had a dollar every time any coach glorifies niching down, I think I'd be a millionaire by now. LOL.
There are plus and minus to consider when deciding to niche down or be a jack of all trades in your side hustles. But of course, it will also depend on your visions for it. After all, you can also split each one of them if it's necessary.
4. Don't think much about starting. Just start.
This is a common mistake that I can easily find in those who think about starting their side hustle. They think too much about how to start it, that instead of starting it, they end up spending too much time thinking about it.
I agree, it's better to be well-prepared when you start something. But then again, it's not worth it to think too much about it that you lose your passion for even starting.
Believe me, everything else can follow. Sometimes, when you start something from scratch, the only thing that keeps you going is that you started it. That kind of motivation is something you can't get just by thinking about it.
I started The BeauTraveler by choosing the wrong name for my blog. Sure there was some regret as I already paid for the domain, as well as I already got some content in this blog by the time I started rebranding it. But guess what? It forced me to do something about it. I'm pretty sure The BeauTraveler wouldn't be like this if I only thought about it instead of starting it.
Source: Unsplash.
5. Start networking with the people in the same industry.
Sometimes by networking with like-minded people, you can tell whether the side hustle is ideal for you or not. And I could speak it for myself.
I started two blogs in 2017. Apart from The BeauTraveler, I used to have an Indonesian blog as well. But then I decided that maybe running an Indonesian blog isn't ideal for me since I couldn't feel the connection with most Indonesian bloggers like I do with the English-speaking bloggers' community.
Beauty used to be one of my primary content for this blog as well, but then I figure that I personally find it tough to network with other beauty bloggers than when I do with other fellow travel bloggers. This led me to the decision that maybe travel blogging is more like my calling than beauty blogging, and that's how I got the current The BeauTraveler.
Again, there's a process to pass to make your side hustle work for you; give it some time and trust your guts. Because sometimes all you need to do is just start so you'll know whether it will work for you.
Whether you want to start blogging, vlogging, or even starting a business… You can do it. Follow your instinct, and start thriving.
Do you have any tips for finding a side hustle that works ideally for you? Share your experience below, and cheerio! 🙂
