How to Run a Side Hustle
Work is hard. If it was easy you wouldn’t get paid to do it. The same goes for a side hustle. It is hard work and you’ve got to put in the time to get paid.
When I first started my woodworking business people told me about their dreams to open a business but they didn’t because they didn’t want to lose their hobby. Once a hobby turns into a business it can take the joy away. It stops being a hobby and turns into a job. There are orders to make and shipping to be done. Your free time isn’t yours anymore, now it’s your clients time. The days of relaxing on the couch in the evening are gone, filled with work after the work day ends. It was daunting. It made me second guess myself. Was I doing the right thing?
Here I am, 9 months into Keaton Beyer Woodworking and I can definitively say it was worth it. Have I had late nights? Yes. Have I ever felt like I had to go work on a project when I didn’t want to? No. I always have the choice. I choose to prioritize myself.
Set Clear Timeline Expectations
One way I do this is by metering my work. I set clear timeline expectations with my clients. If you know you have 3 projects ahead of theirs and you don’t think you’ll get to the new job for 6 weeks tell them. Right up front, set their expectations and ask if its okay. 95% of the time they won’t mind and will ultimately appreciate the transparency you provide.
What is way worse is if you tell them their job will take 3 weeks and not be able to deliver. You will stress out and rush to meet the deadline you set, delivering a worse product because of it. And when you miss the deadline your clients will be upset, not because you were slow but because you didn’t do what you said you would.
What do you do when you don’t know how long a project will take to complete? Tell them. Let them know this is your side hustle and not your full time job. Some people may walk away, but I guarantee most of your clients will support you. They will want to see you succeed and will be accommodating of your schedule.
Setting incomplete or inaccurate expectations with clients because you think that’s what they want is a sure fire way to burn yourself out and force you to give up the dream. And it’s 100% your own fault if it happens. So don’t let it happen. Have the upfront conversations you need to with your clients. Be transparent.
Constantly do Paperwork
Paperwork sucks. I don’t like keeping track of my expenses, down all my transactions, and completing tax forms. But it’s part of a business. You have to keep records so you don’t forget what you did and what you are going to do. It’s not fun but it’s part of the job. So how do I make it bearable?
I do it often. I write down all of my purchases in a spreadsheet every time I buy something. That way I don’t forget. If I decide to wait until the end of the month then it would be way worse. I’d have to sort through emails and find receipts which may be on my desk, but may also be still in a jacket pocket or in my truck. I’ll find out I ran a receipt through the laundry machine and now it’s destroyed leaving me to sift through my credit card transactions to match up what I do have with what I don’t. That’s a headache I don’t want, so instead I write it down as soon as I can and it’s done. By the end of the month all my paperwork is already complete.
Start Small and Have Fun
No one is forcing you to stay in business. This is my side hustle. I am currently making money with the sole purpose to reinvest in my business, which really means I’m buying more tools.
I’m starting small. Dipping my toe in the water and testing to see if I like what I’m doing. I tried selling on Etsy, I tried using Facebook Marketplace, I went to a craft show, I designed and built furniture, I started a blog. Some of those things I’m continuing to do because I like them, and others I stopped. I tried it, I moved on. Etsy was an area I tried. I didn’t gain much traction and didn’t like the shipping aspect. The margins were small and it felt like a chore to fulfill orders. I didn’t like it, so I stopped.
If you don’t like doing something, don’t do it. This is your business, no one else’s.