How to Work a Side Hustle

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The side hustle or side venture is one of the greatest ways to get ahead in business. You collect a salary and benefits from your day job. Then do what you’re passionate about or something to make extra money in the evenings and on weekends. With this being said, some people may not find it as easy to start a side hustle, especially if they are not sure where to begin. Saying this though, there are a number of online ventures such as blogging, starting a YouTube channel or even freelance writing that people can get into, in the hopes of making a little bit of extra money.

There are many ways to work a side hustle. You can earn extra money seasonally over the summer or holidays; or leverage a resource or skill your already have, like using your car as a taxi or doing freelance design work. You may even want to consider something like etf investing, which you can learn more about online, to generate an additional source of wealth for yourself.

You could also take advantage of a lull in your work day. When I started my coaching career, I volunteered to coach international clients over the phone because when I got up early in the morning, it was mid-day in Europe and South Africa.

A side hustle can be very lucrative because if you’re doing most of the work and can keep your overhead low, so you’ll probably keep most of the profits. If you make a product, you can manufacture it right in your home, and sell it at the local street fair on the weekend. Your side hustle can be a blog or video channel, where you give advice and charge a premium price for the service because you’ve positioned yourself as an expert.

Tips for the side hustle:

  1. Choose a hustle with very little upfront investment.
  2. Choose something you can implement very quickly.
  3. Have your e-commerce set up in advance.
  4. Keep your inventory very low. Inventory is evil.
  5. Utilize social media to build a buzz. Get likes, fans and followers to talk you up.

Here are a few examples to get you going. They require little start-up cost and you can start quickly using skills you already have:

4 Easy Side Hustles

  • Rent out that extra room. Millions of users book short term rentals with Airbnb every year. You could be one of them, and turn your spare room into spare cash.
  • Use your car to deliver food and get paid by restaurants.
  • Virtual assistants are in high demand as more companies offer telecommute work options. Take a look at your skills and find out what companies may be a good fit.
  • Sell products online without paying for inventory. Advertise items for the seller (who handles shipping). then collect your commission and you’re done. Alternatively, sell your own belongings on a site like LeoList and you’ll get to keep all the profits you make.


Carl Gould writes about catalyzing and sustaining business growth. He is an entrepreneur who built three multi-million dollar businesses by age 40, and his consulting firm has mentored the launch of over five thousand businesses in 35 countries. Each week he co-hosts “Quit and Get Rich” on iHeart® radio; and in his keynote speeches, he shares his insights from growing top companies from around the world. You can learn more about Carl and his firm at www.7StageAdvisors.com and www.CarlGould.com.