How to Start a Side Hustle in 15 Minutes

Admit it – you’ve wondered how to start a side hustle.

It’s the most talked about job in the blogosphere. You see people doing it, making good “quick” money, and you desperately want in on the action. But you don’t know exactly where or how to start.

Good news!

Every single side hustler was once where you are right now. And surprisingly starting one isn’t the hardest part – it’s finding the right one for you and staying committed while it grows. To make successful side income you need the willpower to stay motivated after putting in 8+ hours at your day job for the long haul. None of the popular side hustling bloggers reached their level of success by fluke overnight.

So what does it take to stay motivated and make money from a side hustle?

Passion.

Find side hustle that you’re passionate about. When you view your side hustle as a passion project you’ll actually enjoy working on it after your 9-5.

If you’re still with me after finding out side hustling isn’t a get rich quick scheme. Sweet! Let’s discuss how to start your side income stream in 15 minutes.

Make a Quick Business Plan

Once you picked an idea you’re ready to start a business plan. The plan can be as basic or detailed as you want as long as it helps you understand the direction and purpose of your business.

For a basic business plan answer these questions: What’s your product? What’s its purpose? Who is the customer? Where do they hang out? If you want to put a little more detail into your business plan Sonia Simone from Problogger shares a super simple business plan.

You will need to know the business type you want to operate with and the different types available like the famous Limited Liability Corporation (LLC). Reviewing documents like a free LLC operating agreement quickly covers the important details that helps you setup your business correctly.

Get Introspective

The word passion is intimidating. Can anyone really answer what they’re passionate about on cue? Me either. Try brainstorming what you really enjoy doing instead with this exercise.

Write down 2 things you do most often online and 2 things you do most often offline. For example, my online pastimes are blogging and surfing Facebook. And my offline pastimes are binge watching series on Hulu or Netflix and chilling with my cat.

Put the word ‘services’ next to each idea – Blogging Service, Facebook Services, Hulu & Netflix Services, and Cat Services. Now I have 4 slightly abstract ideas that I enjoy for my side hustle. In the next step we’ll redefine them.

Brainstorm what services could be offered with each phrase – Blogging Services (Writing or blog management), Facebook Services (Social media management), Hulu & Netflix Services (Writnig show reviews/recaps for sites), Cat Services (Pet sitting). Think outside of the box! Not all of your pastimes will work, but you should be able to come up with two or three ideas that you can fully develop into a side hustle opportunity. In my case, blogging and loving pets has turned into freelance blogging and dog walking hustles.

Need help turning your pastimes into viable side hustle opportunity? Share below and I’ll help you come up with some ideas!

Own It & Start Marketing

You’ve brainstormed, chosen an idea, and made a business plan.

You’re a side hustler now – own it.

Don’t fall victim to analyzing and over-analyzing just go ahead and get your feet wet. Start promoting the service or product to your close network and expand from there. See what works and what doesn’t and make changes as you go.

Don’t miss any opportunity to make a client. Post fliers on your community bulletin board, send out a blast e-mail to all of your contacts, and post on social media. Try searching your “idea + jobs, hiring, or help wanted” in Google to locate people looking for your services. Visit online forums, websites, and blogs that your clientele enjoy and promote there.

The only bad action here is inaction. So get started!

In the past 15 minutes you’ve completed all the steps to start hustling like a champ. And remember if you need help coming up with ideas feel free to comment below!