While many mums and parents have always had to juggle with and find some sort of balance between home life and working life; there’s definitely been a surge in side-hustle culture over the last few years. When people were forced to work from home, socialising and activities became a distant memory for a while (well done on making it through it all by the way); many questioned and assessed what it was that really gave them joy and brought them happiness. And, aside from baking banana bread and embracing TikTok; it was the origin story for many a side hustle, meaning that 2020 did actually have some positive outcomes other than lateral flow tests.
But, less of the aforementioned pandemic (apologies); the focus here is the exciting array of opportunities that arose, when mums were given some time and headspace (after homeschooling and working at home like super women). Creativity, pass time, and hobbies, turned into something more, as they were shared across social media, and friends and family started to appreciate what they were seeing, allowing it to spread further afield. Before people knew it, they were able to charge for their talent, products, or services, to give the household income a well-deserved boost.
If you fell into that category, and have lovingly put time and effort into your side hustle for a couple of years now; you might be one of the many busy mums, looking to give it a bit of a boost, to pursue things further. Perhaps now that life has sort of resumed to normal; you’ve had less time, or inclination to invest in your business. Or, perhaps you really want to boost it so that it can become more than a side hustle, especially now the kids are back at school, and you have some breathing space at home again! The following are some ideas to elevate your side hustle so that you get to enjoy more of what you love, and make a profit!
Getting Organised
The word organisation will either fill you with joy or dread! It all depends on how your brain is wired and where you find satisfaction. However, a little (or a lot) of planning and organisation, will always be beneficial to a business, and generally; you know this already, you have kids! The task of getting all those ducks in a row may seem super overwhelming. Therefore, it’s worth taking some small steps at first that can build up into a system that really works for you and your family. Once you’ve got the “work smart, not hard” thing going, a lot of your work/life balance and time should hopefully fall into place.
Start with any dreaded admin or paperwork (ugh). It’s always worth getting those jobs that you’ve been putting off, out the way ASAP so that you can get back to enjoying the rest of your side hustle. Therefore, invest in a filing system, and make sure that everything is simple to find (no scrabbling around in drawers of doom, hooray!). Get yourself an orders section, one for previous customer details, one for your expenses, and don’t forget your taxes! There’s nothing worse than panic surrounding your finances, so it’s totally worth getting that pesky paperwork in order now.
Working on your time management will also be an endless source of help when it comes to running a small business! If it’s not your forte; it’s time to invest in some time-management training so that schedules align (just like the stars), and you’ll get a successful understanding of how your days, weeks, and months will pan out. Keeping your planner up-to-date and going over your calendar at the beginning of each week are simple ways to ensure that you’re going to have enough time to make, write, and do what you need to. Lists can become your new BFF; here’s an excellent excuse to look at and buy some new stationery. Grab yourself a lovely new notebook that’s solely dedicated to your side-hustle lists. Whether you do them daily, or weekly; you’ll find ticking off each task on your list so satisfying, and it’s those little boosts you need to keep working your way through them.
Creating A Productive Space
So, well done on getting that admin sorted! Now you’ll be able to concentrate on whatever it is that your independent business is based on. Whether you make something, resell items, write things, or provide a service; you need the right environment for your hustle to flourish. Therefore, the only way to boost it is to invest some time and effort into the space in which you work. Actually, this may have helped with all that admin you’ve just done, but let’s just say that it reiterated this point.
Whether the kids are running around at home or not; a little space, set aside from the rest of the family home and life, will give you the mental space to switch into work mode. Therefore, think about the location of the environment within the house; factors such as light, noise, clutter, scent, and the list goes on, all have a part to play in how productive you can be.
If you don’t have a spare room or office to utilise; think about investing in a desk or table, where you can make and create your items. Finding a corner of the home for your dedicated surface will allow you to separate and focus on your side hustle more. You don’t have to spend a fortune either! Maybe you already have an old desk that you can paint, or there are plenty of secondhand, vintage, and charity shops and websites out there that offer extremely affordable furniture; sometimes it’s even free! Add a few shelves for storage and inspiring interior design items (think quotes, photos, your own products), and start enjoying the space from which you create and earn.
The main message here is to invest whatever you’re able to, into the space where you do the work. If that’s a priority, it’ll mean that focusing and productivity should flow.
Being Seen By The Right Audience
Okay, so you’ve got a great set-up; your admin is organised and you have the ideal space in which to work, well done! You’ll have hopefully started to invest more time into creating whatever it is that you love to do; now it’s time for people to see it all so that they can buy items and invest in you and your business. Therefore, it’s worth spending some time each week (add it to the list) to make sure that you’re reaching the right audience.
You’ll know and understand your target customers already; now get sharing your stuff all the time, in the places they hang out online, and in person! Digital marketing can be an incredible tool for your business; ensuring that you have social media platforms set up that are solely dedicated to your business and that what you create, is the best source of free advertising. Being consistent and relevant with what you share, will allow your followers to understand your emerging business; give them a reason to like, comment and share your posts so that they’re doing the advertising for you! It might be worth considering incentives and call-to-actions, like competitions and giveaways; especially for specific events or times of the year. Those regular boosts in engagement will only increase awareness of your business and will result in better engagement and a boost in sales.
Sitting Back To Acknowledge Your Achievements
It’s a pat on the back time! If you’ve made your way through that list, along with all those lists you’ve been making yourself; well done! Never forget to look at how far you’ve come from just an idea; enjoy the journey along the way, you deserve it.
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