Want An Idea For A Side Hustle?

By Sarah Wilson

If you're feeling stuck, either financially or in your career, then this book will provide you with ideas, inspiration and practical advice on how to start a side hustle. If you want to increase your income, find your purpose or are looking for something new so you can eventually quit your day job, then read the stories of the 30 women who are d

• Language: English
• Publisher: Money Mindset
• Release date: May 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9781912713523

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson is the author of the New York Times bestsellers First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety, which redefined the mental health genre, and I Quit Sugar, along with eleven cookbooks that have been published in fifty-two countries. Previously, she was editor of Cosmopolitan Australia, host of MasterChef Australia and founder of iquitsugar.com, an 8-week program that has seen millions worldwide break their sugar addiction. In May 2018, Sarah committed to giving all proceeds from the business to charity. She now builds and enables charity projects that engage humans with one another, and campaigns on mental health, consumerism, and climate issues. Sarah lives in Sydney, Australia, is an obsessive hiker and spent eight years travelling the world with one bag.

Book preview

Want an idea for a side hustle?

Ideas, inspiration and practical advice for women who want to earn more, follow their dream and (maybe) quit their day job. From 30 women who’ve done it.

Want an idea for a

side hustle?

Sarah Wilson

Side hustle ideas and how to get started

Ideas, inspiration and practical advice for women who want to earn more, follow their dream and (maybe) quit their day job. From 30 women who’ve done it.

Sarah Wilson

Table of Contents

Want an idea for a side hustle?

Side hustle ideas and how to get started

Why write this book?

Introduction

Who is this book for?

What is a side hustle?

What if it’s too late?

Here’s why you should start a side hustle

How to use this book

My side hustles

Creating side hustle ideas which suit you and your life

Smashing through common barriers to starting a side hustle

I lack control over my life

But I don’t have enough time

But I don’t know where to start

But I don’t have any money

I’ve got an idea but there’s too much competition

There’s too much going on and it’s not the right time at the moment

But what if it fails? What if I lose money? What if I let people down?

Why opportunities are like yellow cars

The Side Hustles

The Mug Cupboard: Maxine

Clare Kennelly CK Travel

Alex Personal Stylist Luxe Leopard Lifestyle

Charlotte Shyllon Black in White

Suswati Podcast Host – How to be….

Clarice Bobbie Watches

Eirwen Airbnb Host

Elaine Grant Partner at Utility Warehouse

Emma & Sarah Smelliz

Fabienne DJ and Marketing Entrepreneur

Franca Lawrence 5X Published Author BloggerGhostwriter/Book-writing Coach

Franchesca Counsellor / Facilitator of the Healing Table

Xilesia Art by XRDH

George Halse Family Celebrant –Hestia & Iris Ceremonies

Georgina Olley Website designer and digital ecosystems creator Studio Folk Lore

Hannah Pearl Mermaid / Author

Jeba Nessa Scentsless by Jeba

Liz Wright Confidence Coach

Monica Worsley Owner of Cooking It Cookery school

Paige Founder of Lovee Punch

Rena R Consultancy

Rhianne Blake The Raw Store

Jessica Pidsley Full Time Human Courage Coach

Shanna Jewellery Creator on Etsy

Rachael Manning Simply Sweet by Rach

Kate Lindeman Portrait and Branding Photographer

Aleks Modzelewska Diet and lifestyle coach

Annabel Parfitt Belle Creations

Catherine Correia Cook for All About the Cooks

Jasmin Krischer GP & Founder of HappyMaps

Getting started – A Super Simple 2-Week Plan

The two-week plan

Conclusion

What next?

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Why write this book?

I had been thinking about the idea for this book for nearly a year when I was catapulted into action after attending a wonderful women’s networking event in late 2021. During the event, each woman took it in turn to stand up, introduce herself and talk about what she did. I was fascinated by having such a small glimpse into these women’s lives, wanting to know more about what they did, how they got into it, and for many, how they were balancing it alongside their day jobs. I left that event buzzing with energy and motivation topped with bucket-loads of inspiration to write the book I had been thinking about. I now had laser focus. I needed to capture and share these women’s stories to guide and inspire the women I work with in my own side hustle as a Money Coach.

I chose to work with women, as they often deal with and approach money differently than men do. This is often not to their advantage, so I help them become financially confident to feel in control of their money, earn more and save more. However, when it comes to the ‘earning more’ part, I’ve found many women feel stuck and limited by their current career choices and don’t feel it’s possible to earn more, not seeing the opportunities all around them.

Yes, I do believe there are opportunities everywhere. It might not feel like it, and I’m sure that simply telling you there are isn’t enough to convince you. So, instead, I hope the stories in this book demonstrate all the different random opportunities these women seized upon which changed their lives.

The day after the event, I thought about all the reasons not to write this book, but then I literally made my statement of intent to the universe. I announced on social media and on the AllBright network that I was writing a book on side hustles, and I was looking for women to contribute their stories. When I pressed ‘publish’ I felt a bit sick, like I’d made a mistake, and instantly wanted to delete it.

In the next 24 hours, I was overwhelmed by the responses of women who wanted to take part, and I was excited.

Excited because the women I spoke with had such amazing and inspirational stories to share, and thrilled they wanted to be a part of this book, which only multiplied my motivation. I am genuinely in awe of the achievements, success and journey of each of the women and delighted because I get to share their stories with you – not just as a feel-good exercise (though I’m sure it will make you feel good) but as a marker of change in your life.

Whether it is to simply generate more money in your life, to test a new career direction or to pursue a passion, my hope is that this book inspires, motivates and propels you to take action by starting your own side hustle.

Introduction

Who is this book for?

If you’re feeling stuck, either financially or in your career, then this book will provide you with ideas, inspiration and practical advice on how to start a side hustle.

If you want to increase your income, turn your passion into a business, find your purpose or are looking for something new so you can eventually quit your day job, then read the stories of 30 women who are doing this right now to find out how.

Or maybe you have no clue about what you could do to make extra income. If that’s the case, then check out the case studies, get some ideas and follow the simple two-week plan to get started on your new side hustle.

What is a side hustle?

A side hustle is typically something that is done alongside another job. It can be paid employment where you’re essentially exchanging your time for a wage, or it could be starting and growing a business where there’s no set income, but heaps of potential.

The motivations for starting side hustles include:

You want to earn more money

You feel unfulfilled in your current role, believing you can do more and achieve more by doing something else

You have an overwhelming desire to help others

You want to experiment with something else / try something new

You have skills and experience to share with the world

You want to pursue meaningful and purposeful work

You have a passion which you want to share with others

You want to develop new skills

Your main job is demanding/serious/difficult, so you want to do something you enjoy

You’re seeking contrast to your day job, which is corporate when you’d rather be creative

You want to create the potential to eventually quit your day job

Each woman who has contributed to this book has a different mix of motivations and a unique story to share. All are at various stages of their side hustle; some just started, and some have made the leap and quit their day job. However, all the stories discuss how they got started and how they overcome challenges, and give practical, valuable advice about how to get started in their specific industry.

Each story demonstrates exactly what can be achieved when you get started by taking the first step and putting yourself out there. Some of these stories have taken many unexpected yet often wonderful twists and turns along the way, but it’s part of the excitement of knowing you’re building something, without knowing the finished design.

What if it’s too late?

My 15-year-old niece is constantly being asked about what she wants to be when she grows up, and until a few years ago I also asked her. As a society we’re obsessed with planning out our careers from an early age, as if our 15-year-old selves could make rational decisions about how we are going to spend the next 60 working years. Yes, I know some people do know from an early age; however, for the rest of us it can be a bit of a pick & mix of career paths. Even when I turned 30, I was undertaking a teaching degree, yet midway through I knew I didn’t want to do it as a career. When I completed it, I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I ‘grew up’.

I felt stuck. I didn’t have a dream job to work towards or an obvious talent or passion to share. At the time, I couldn’t see all the opportunities out there and I had no idea what I wanted to do.

What I didn’t realise at the time is it genuinely doesn’t matter if you still don’t know what you want to do. It doesn’t matter if you did know but now you’ve changed your mind. This isn’t a failure; this is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride of an opportunity to find out.

Our working lives are long! Gone are the days of choosing a career and sticking with it until we retire. We’re lucky to live in an incredible time when we can and will have multiple careers. With life expectancy rising, our working lives can last anywhere from age 18 to 90! That’s a lot of working years to fill up, and there will be jobs or careers during that time which may not be the right fit for you, but that’s OK so long as you remember that you’re never stuck. There are always more options and opportunities out there; sometimes you may just need a little help seeing them.

We’re fortunate to live in the internet age, where opportunities are boundless and your networking capability is no longer connected to the country or city you live in, which is why side hustles are so popular. You can buy, research and find almost anything online. On YouTube, you can teach yourself anything from building websites to building cars. I’m not saying it’ll teach you everything in the best and quickest way, but it’s an easy to access and, importantly FREE way to start learning something new.

I love side hustles, as they give you the opportunity to experiment, the chance to dip your toe into something else. If it’s too hot, too cold or just not right, that’s OK because you still have the security of your day job. But the wonderful thing is, if it’s something you do enjoy, if it’s just the right fit for you, then you have the option to take the leap, quit the 9-to-5 and see where the new fabulous journey takes you.

My niece now has an amazing answer when pestered about what she wants to be; she replies, ‘I want to be happy and enjoy my life. I’m still thinking about which job I’m going to start with’. I love this because all she needs to think about is which job to start with. Yet for those of us already many years into our career paths, I think it’s almost identical: I want to be fulfilled, and I’m still thinking (and excited) about what’s next.

Here’s why you should start a side hustle

I actively encourage the women I work with to start a side hustle if they feel unfulfilled in their career or are looking to earn more. It’s a brilliant way to create a Plan B so you always have a range of options available to you, can test an idea without going all-in and can increase your income to achieve your financial goals sooner.

I have collated a variety of side hustles for you to work your way through. You may instantly like the sound of some, others may not be your thing, and some may go in your ‘maybe’ list.

Some side hustles have high barriers to entry and could take months of planning, and others you could set up next week. Some you need specific skills for, and others you can develop ‘on the job’. Some you need qualifications for; others you could get qualified but you may not need to. Some need minimal investment; others need far more. Some you can earn money from straight away; others take considerable time to build up. However, what they all have in common is the potential to grow.

This book is a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into the real world of 30 side hustlers, demonstrating what’s possible and how you can change your life. I don’t say this lightly: Starting a side hustle can change your life, but not because it instantly brings you untold riches and power. It’s better than that. It gives you control and a sense that anything is possible. It illuminates opportunities you couldn’t see before. A side hustle can take you into the exciting unknown, and of course, the additional income creates more options so you can choose how you live your life.

It’s not easy, as the stories will tell you, but it’s so definitely worth it.

How to use this book

This book has been designed as a guide which you can dip in and out of depending on which side hustles you want to know more about, so it’s not intended to be read from cover to cover.

Thirty women with side hustles have shared their own unique story about how their side hustle got started, what they love about it and their challenges. These stories will hopefully inspire you and give you practical ideas about what you could do.

Each contributor was asked the same set of 16 questions set out below to provide consistency and make the book easy to navigate. Each story is written by the women themselves, so it’s direct from their voice.

Describe your side hustle in less than 50 words.

What’s your career background?

How did your side hustle get started?

Amount of investment required to set up?

Do you need certificates, qualifications or a certain level or type of experience to do what you do?

How much time on average do you spend each week on it?

What three things do you love most about what you do?

What challenges have you faced with your side hustle?

On an average month, how much money do you make from your side hustle?

How did you get your first 10 or 100 paying clients/customers?

Do you promote your side hustle? If so, how? How effective is it and how much do you spend every month on average?

Role models/mentors or key people who have helped?

Future plans for your side hustle/business?

What is the one piece of advice you would give someone who wanted to start out in this business?

How do you (did you) achieve balance with your side hustle and career/family life commitments?

Where can someone find out more about your business?

Please remember that I’ve included 30 different side hustles to give you ideas; however, this list is not exhaustive and there are endless other side hustle opportunities. You don’t have to pursue the exact ones in this book. For example, Kate the photographer mainly works with women in business, but you could choose to be a photographer of families, landscapes or hamsters! Whatever takes your fancy.

There are five short activities in this book to look out for; please take the time to stop and complete these activities, as they will help you develop your ideas.

The activities focus on:

Activity 1: Where are you now?

Activity 2: Top three priorities for a side hustle

Activity 3: When self-doubt takes over

Activity 4: What’s stopping you taking the next step?

Activity 5: Let the ideas flow!

Once you have a side hustle idea, read the section after the case studies on the Super Simple 2-Week Plan to get started developing your idea. No commitment, no money spent, just two weeks testing the idea to see if it’s something you can take to the next stage, and to make sure it’s something you want to do.

First, I’m going to go over some basics of how side hustles work and my own experience before going into the other case studies.

My side hustles

When I was 16, I attended college and had two part-time jobs, a daytime shop job and evening restaurant work. I enjoyed the options and freedom the additional money gave me, and it gave me other opportunities which I couldn’t see at the time. Fast