Unless you’re a high-income earner or independently wealthy, you may have considered launching a side business to earn more money. Starting a side hustle may seem daunting, especially when you’re already working full-time, but it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Having a side hustle is easier than you might imagine. It doesn’t take a lot of money, but it does take some time and effort. If you’re willing to make those investments, you can have a successful side business. All it takes is making the right moves like the ones listed here.

1. Maximize (And Monetize) Your Skills 

You probably have something that you’re good at. It could be playing an instrument, teaching one or more subjects, craft making, or finding valuables while thrifting. All of these activities and more can be leveraged to make extra cash. 

Start by identifying something that you’re good at. Then ask yourself if you’d like to earn money from that activity. That right there is half the battle. Once you’ve figured out what your side hustle will be, you’re ready for the next step. 

2. Develop a Business Plan

Once you have an idea of what your side hustle is going to be, develop a small business plan. This is less complicated than you may think. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers comprehensive assistance in creating one. 

A business plan for your side hustle is a valuable framework for how your business is run. It can also serve as a guide for your growing business. The SBA even provides templates for different types of business plans. 

3. Select a Business Type

There are numerous business types available, but for a side hustle, you’ll want to look at operating as a limited liability company (LLC) or a sole proprietorship. There are significant differences between them, so you’ll want to choose carefully. 

An LLC keeps the personal and business finances separate from each other; a creditor cannot come after the personal assets of a business owner. Sole proprietorships do not offer that protection, since personal and business finances aren’t separated. 

4. Get Licensed, If Necessary

Depending on the type of side hustle you have, you may be required to obtain certain licenses or permits to operate your business. Most side jobs like freelance writing or graphic design don’t require anything extra. 

Others, like anything related to healthcare or real estate, may require a special license. Depending on what state you live in, if your side hustle is selling food products, you may need to obtain a permit before you start producing your goods.

5. Manage Your Time Effectively

Working a full-time job while planning and building your side hustle is a challenge, to say the least. How efficiently you manage your time can be the make or break factor to whether your business gets off the ground. 

Create a schedule for each day you plan on working on your side business, and schedule the specific hours you intend to dedicate to your business. Try to adhere to that schedule as much as possible to avoid interfering with your full-time job and time off. 

6. Have an Easy Launch 

A side hustle will require an investment of your free time, and it may require a monetary investment to get it off the ground. As a rule, it shouldn’t require a lot of money to start your side business. If you calculate that you must spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to launch, you may want to rethink your plan. 

A more cost-effective way to start your side job is to work with the materials you already have. For example, if you’re a graphic designer, use the software and other tools you already have. If you’re a craftsperson, use your current inventory or supplies you already have to make new crafts, spending little on new supplies. 

7. Prioritize Tasks 

Having a side hustle involves completing a lot of different tasks. This can feel overwhelming, but prioritizing your tasks can help make them more manageable. The first step is identifying the tasks you have that are related to your business. 

Next, place them in order by priority level – high, medium, and low. Those with the highest level of priority or urgency should be addressed first. Then work on the medium priority items on your list, rounding out with the lowest ones.  

8. Stay Organized 

Working a full-time job and operating a side hustle means you’re juggling a lot of responsibilities on many fronts. To keep yourself on track, it’s important to stay as organized as possible. There are several ways to accomplish this.  

Create manual or digital to-do lists to keep track of things to be done. Use a physical calendar or calendar app to mark important dates. Develop a color-coded filing system for paper files, and use time-tracking apps to help you stay on schedule.

9. Network, Network, Network

You may have the most amazing idea for a side hustle and have everything in place to get it started, but if no one knows about it, you won’t get very far. This is where your social, personal, and professional contacts come in.  

Let the people in your circle know about your new side business, and ask them to spread the word about it. You can have business cards printed for a reasonable price and distribute them to people in your network and potential clients. 

10. Use Social Media 

One of the easiest and most effective ways of promoting your side business is leveraging the power of social media. There are numerous social media platforms at your disposal that you can use to generate interest in your business.

Social media allows you to reach a wide audience. You can open accounts related to your side hustle on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky, or even TikTok and create postings describing your business and the services you provide. 

11. Potential for Growth

The goal of a side hustle is to make as much money as you can, and the way to do that is to have a business with the potential to grow. Optimally, the growth of your side hustle will be gradual, to give you the chance to invest the appropriate amount of time in it.

The key to this is to make sure you’re not investing all of your free time into your side job. It’s important to find a balance between the number of hours you’re investing in your business and the time you need for yourself. 

12. Take Care of Yourself 

Starting a side hustle can be a fun and exciting enterprise, and seeing it become successful is even better. Between working your full-time job and tending to your side business, it’s easy to get fatigued or burned out. 

Your full-time working schedule is what it is, but you have complete control over how much time you invest in your side business. Make sure you’re taking the time you need to rest, relax, and recharge. Your side hustle will only be as good as you are.