You are not alone if you love your side hustle but hate your 9-5 job. In fact, you would want your side hustle to expand to the point where the earnings you make from it eclipse your salary often enough that you can hand in your two weeks’ notice.
However, All of this is not likely to happen on its own accord, and you will need to look at your fledgling business and see where you can boost it to take it to the next level. As you are already busy with a side hustle and a full-time job, you might not think you have time to do this, but there are some key areas where you can start your search. Depending on what your side hustle entails, there may be additional that you need to consider, but these should work for the vast majority of niches and industries.
#1 Streamline and automate what you can
When you started your side hustle, it would have been a one-person affair, but as things have gotten slightly busier, you might find that a different solution will work better in some areas. This could include emailing customers with details of their purchase or reordering materials or consumables that you get through on a regular basis. You can find software that can automate most mundane tasks for you, but you can also take a step back from your business and see if there is anything you spend time doing that isn’t necessary at all.
#2 Invest in the right tools
Software to automate tasks is not the only tool you should look at introducing, and it might be time to upgrade some of your other tech as well. The first area you need to look at here is your internet service as you are going to be making different demands on it than when you purely used it for watching TV or playing games. Regardless of whether you are using the internet near Dallas, New York, or Los Angeles, if your business is to thrive, you will need a fast and reliable service. You may have to switch provider to one that fits your technical requirements and financial ambitions to achieve this.
#3 Look at new products and services
It may sound like common sense, but if you want to boost your side hustle income, you need to sell more of your product or service. However, you also have the option of selling new products or introducing a new service to your existing customers.
As you already have a relationship with them, they are likely to be receptive to what you have to offer, provided it is congruent with what they have purchased before. For instance, if your relationship with them is based on selling them handmade soap, approaching them with car parts will not work. Instead of looking to increase your product range to include other bathtime products, it is more likely to meet with success.
#4 Cultivate your online presence
If you work a full-time job, then it is very doubtful that you gain all or, in fact, any of your customers via face-to-face interaction. Instead, they would have found you online, so if you want to boost this area of your side hustle, you need to increase your activity here. Look at the social media platforms that you are using and see if adding another would help, or you should just post more often on the ones you already have. If your side hustle has its own website, then you need to spend some time here, too, making sure that it works perfectly and that you are not putting anyone off with a glitchy, bug-ridden site.
#5 Increase your connections in the local area
As well as online, you can also start to make connections with people in your area. This does not have to involve a lot of your time, but attending a local business owners networking session could provide a multitude of valuable connections. If you sell a physical product, you could also consider setting up a stall at the local weekend market, which could raise your profile and make your brand better known on your doorstep. This takes place during the weekend, so it is unlikely to overlap with your current 9-5.
