Lately I’ve been getting emails from readers with the following situation:
“I’ve pinched every penny and slashed every expense. But I still can’t pay my bills. Help!”
If I accept your premise — if you’ve slaughtered your expenses to the brink of extinction — then you don’t have a spending problem. You have an income problem.
The best solution is to start a side business, also called a “hustle.” Here’s why.
Five Ways to Earn More Money
You have five choices when it comes to boosting your income:
- Get another J-O-B
- Flex your hustle muscle
- Score a raise at work
- Switch careers
- Create investment income
I’ve ranked those five choices in order from “immediate” to “eventual” in terms of payoff.
Today’s article is dedicated to people who need extra money immediately, so let’s focus on the two shortest-term options.
The Dreaded J-O-B
When most people need money, they search for a job.
“Maybe I can get a job at the mall. Yes, they’ll need extra help during the holidays. I think Clothes Emporium starts at $12.75 per hour.”
We’re trained (brainwashed) to think this is our only option.
Show of hands: How many of you worked crappy jobs when you were 16? Fast-food? Retail? Did you start at minimum wage and feel overjoyed when your McManager gave you a 50-cent-per-hour raise?
Yep, me too.
A few of my friends were brilliant enough to begin microbusinesses before they graduated. They disassembled old computers and sold the parts on eBay. They bought furniture at yard sales, refurbished it, and flipped it on Craigslist for 10x more.
Meanwhile, I was the chump slinging french fries for $5.15 per hour.
D’oh!
I could have been teaching myself how to build websites during the late 1990’s, but instead I slung greasy fries at my McJob.
The takeaway lesson? The fastest way to earn more money is by creating the opportunity.
Flex Your Hustle Muscle
“Hustling” isn’t snagging a second job.
It refers to launching a micro-business in which you choose your hours and prices. This gives you the leverage to charge what you’re worth.
You’re creating opportunity rather than competing for positions. Your boss can’t keep you down when you are the boss.
Think about any long-term goal: lose weight, build muscle, learn another language. You’ll start seeing small results in a few weeks, but it takes months to achieve major results.
Starting a side business is the same. It doesn’t happen overnight, but the result is worth the effort.
How do you turn this hustle into a reality?
If you Google “how to develop a side hustle,” you’ll find approximately 9,492,193 websites with a list of ideas: “App developer! Airbnb host! Amazon retailer!”
“Baker / Barber / Babysitter / Bartender / Bouncer / Blogger / Bohemian hairstylist!”
Ideas are cheap. And useless.
Most advice you’ll read online regurgitates this tired old advice:
- Create an account on Upwork
- Compete for the same crap: data entry, article writing, SEO.
- Set your rates low enough to compete with 12-year-olds
- Curse your life
I realize sarcasm is hard to convey online, so let me clarify: This is NOT how to hustle.
Here’s a better approach:
Step 1: Find Problems
Everyone has problems: they’re busy, bored, stressed, disorganized, frustrated.
Pay attention to problems that affect people around you. For example:
- Many real estate agents in my neighborhood don’t run their own website. Their only online presence comes from their broker’s website. Could they profit from their own online platform?
- Most of the people I see inside local shops are regulars. How can small businesses in my neighborhood — like the deli, the dry cleaner, the boutique — attract more walk-by customers?
- Many “stroller parents” spend afternoons at the park, where there are no diaper changing stations. The park doesn’t have a public restroom. What happens when nature calls?
This exercise is geared to getting the creative juices flowing. Notice that in this step, you’ve made observations and created hypotheses.
Next let’s put your ideas to the test.
Step 2: Eliminate
Eliminate everything other than your top one or two choices. You can’t validate every idea at the same time. Pick one; focus here first.
Step 3: Ask
Write a description of your target customer.
- Where do they live?
- What are their goals?
- What are their struggles?
- What websites do they visit?
- What books do they read?
Here’s an example:
- Amateur classical musicians
- Live in Cleveland
- Age 40+
- Not tech-savvy
- Want more “gigs” (weddings, etc.) but don’t understand online marketing
Once you’ve developed this “avatar,” find at least 3 people who represent your target customer. Check online forums, meetup.com, or talk to people you know.
Once you find these target customers, ask to interview them for 10 to 20 minutes.
Your request should emphasize:
- You’re not trying to pitch any products. You just want feedback on an undeveloped business idea.
- You’ll accommodate their schedule.
- You’ll respect their time (e.g. “15 minute call.”)
If this step induces panic, remember: “Interview” is just a fancy word for “conversation.”
During the interview, avoid flat-out asking “what problem would you like someone to solve?” Most people can’t articulate their obstacles or challenges.
Instead, ask probing questions, such as:
- Describe a typical “day in the life.”
- What goals would you like to achieve in the next 6 months? Year?
- What projects are you focusing on?
- What skills have you acquired to get where you are today?
- What new skills are you trying to develop?
At the end of the interview, say: “I’d like to run a few business ideas by you. Please let me know if you think this would be helpful or not.”
Then listen . Don’t try to respond; just listen.
Step 4: Develop, Test, Repeat
You now have a better idea about (1) what problem you can solve; (2) who needs this help.
Here are some examples:
Problem: When people want to buy or sell their home, they’ll Google “real estate agents in Cincinnati.” This leads them to huge brokers like Keller Williams or Re/Max. This means that John and Jane Smith of Mom-and-Pop Brokers, LLC., aren’t getting search traffic leads.
Target Customer: Independent real estate brokers and agents living in Cincinnati, Ohio, who struggle with finding online leads.
Solution: Create WordPress website. Write search-engine-optimized articles. Manage social media calendar and email list.
Pricing Model: One-time fee for website installation and design. Ongoing monthly fees for blog content, social media management, email list management and website maintenance.
Marketing Model: Make free, value-packed presentations about online marketing at local industry events. Offer a 10 percent discount to any client who refers your business to a friend or associate.
Startup cost: Free.
No Skills? No Problem
Worried you don’t have the skills needed?
“I don’t know how to write / build a website / design / program / sew / build things / etc.!”
No skills? No problem. Here are a few choices:
- Teach yourself that skill by reading blogs, books, and taking online courses.
- Team up with a partner through a “joint venture” model. (You share the work, though each of you holds a unique skill.)
- Find leads for other entrepreneurs through a referral model. (You find the business and pass it along for a commission.)
You don’t need a fancy diploma to create a side hustle. You need creativity, optimism, and the willingness to learn.
Mind the Gap
Let’s look at the big picture:
Tthe ONLY way to improve your finances is by minding the gap between your income and expenses.
What does that mean? There’s a gap between your income and spending. Make that gap as big as possible. Invest this money. Repeat.
There are only two ways to widen that gap: Earn more and spend less.
Most people who are new to personal finance focus on cost-cutting, because it provides an instant payoff. Cut your cable package, limit restaurants to special-occasions-only, and voila: you’ve saved $150 per month.
But cost-cutting is limited. You can’t frugal your way to wealth.
If you earn $30,000 per year, take home $26,000 after taxes, live on half and save the other half, you’re extra-extra-frugal. You don’t have a spending problem.
But you’ll spend years amassing the down payment on a rental property.
Here’s the harsh reality: You might save 20 percent, 30 percent, or even 50 percent of your income. That’s fantastic. But 50 percent of “not much” is not much.
That’s why boosting your income is life-changing.
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I’ve done the 2nd and 3rd jobs while I was in college, you are right it’s mostly a waste of time spent, earning very little. I switched to buying and selling on eBay, while it’s not for everyone specifically, side hustling should be.
Nice article. I just recently started side hustling and it is good to hear that it takes a bit to start getting some good results. I could have gotten a J.O.B. but with limited extra hours, I knew that scheduling would have been a nightmare.
Plus I know I can provide a service that is worth more than minimum wage and some leftover fries (although those fries are good:)
People are afraid to put themselves out there and try something new. These are some really great ideas. Love the sarcasm…Lol.
I wish I had thought like that when I was younger. So many missed opportunities!
I’m all about the two-pronged approach too: earn more and save more. Most of our earnings have been through our regular jobs, but, we’ve steadily increased our salaries year after year. This has been absolutely key to our savings rate. We plan to take on a side hustle portfolio after retiring early, which I think will be the perfect complement to our lifestyle at that point. Your approach to side hustling–filling an existing need–is great advice.
This is awesome advice. A lot of side hustle articles just re-hash the old ‘do what you love, find a way to make money doing it.’ I think that’s true, but it was refreshing to see some practical examples of the ‘find a way to make money’ part of it. You also had some top-notch rhyming in this one 🙂
Interesting ideas and definitely a different perspective on the idea of increasing your revenue. What I like to do is make my life as efficient as possible by cutting out many of the distractions – mostly caused by technology, so I can focus in a little stronger on the things that will help me to accomplish my goals.
My goal of retiring by 40 won’t get accomplished with me sitting on the couch and watching television all weekend.
The mental aspect of putting yourself out there is so much a part of this equation that it probably deserves mentioning. It’s the whole “comfort zone” thing, and getting people out of their respective comfort zones is often times the toughest thing about this process.
But once you’re out, you become a new person almost instantly. Opportunities seem to crop up out of nowhere.
It’s pretty darn amazing.
At this point, I am not interested in creating more jobs for myself, whether they are working for myself or not. I’m only interested in pursuits that are completely controlled by me and have the potential to create passive, or semi-passive income. As you’ve mentioned, a lot of people are interested in the up-front revenue, and that is definitely not what you get when you’re building up your own income streams.
Great post!
I especially like the statement — “The most important skill you can develop is the ability to learn.” I’ve felt very strongly about this for a long time. Definitely an idea for the subject of a blog post!
I’m doing the second job thing right now. It’s working. I also have some other hustles that I am working on as well.
Working four practices and writing on the side, JOB is out of the question. Especially since I’m already past retirement age. HOWEVER, something hit me between the eyes with the interviewing process. Perhaps I could step it up a notch by changing my paradigm to asking patients and readers questions instead of trying to speculate about their needs and wants. Thanks! That has tangible possibilities!
This is a great post, with advice that one can actually put into practice quickly. Thank you.
“You can’t frugal your way to wealth.” = Simply. Awesome.
Thank you for sharing your shizzle! I hope others look forward to reading it as much as I do.
As an old 40ish fart, I totally agree with the premise that keeping your expenses (i.e. material wants) minimized is the best basis for a “freedom lifestyle” that this blog focuses on.
Having done that, I have been able to take on a position that pays a hellava lot less than what I was making in tech sales, but which I am being “paid to learn”. So for me over the next 12 months, staying frugal & learning more advanced skills is key to long term growth.
But during that same 12 months, I will also be flexing the hustle muscle’. So within 1 year with a frugal baseline + more skillz + side business experience, that combined will mean a WAY higher income & being ever closer to that “I am livin’ reeyach!” freedom lifestyle.
I plan to cram this wisdom into my kids heads as they get older because the old ways of looking at making a living just don’t make $$ sense.
Really loved this article! You shared some good, truthful advice. Although, you were being sarcastic, what you were saying is so true. Side-hustling is key and I think you touch on some points that you mentioned in your previous post where you say “frugality is necessary but not sufficient.” I included the link here. Thanks again for another thought provoking post! http://affordanything.com/2014/06/02/the-most-crucial-money-lesson-in-three-words-mind-the-gap/
Fiverr isn’t bad for generating leads. I don’t consider what I “earn” there to be “income” per se. It’s more like social currency to get me positive reviews and help me network.
The only thing I don’t like about Fiverr is that their location information isn’t very specific, nor is it accurate. I just subbed out some work to a guy whose profile said he was in the U.S., only to find out he was in Bangladesh. Upon calling him out on it, he said he didn’t know how that happened, but then, mysteriously, his profile reverted to Bangladesh as the location. Not cool when I’m trying to get a tight turnaround without having to factor in a 12 hour difference in schedules.
Great post. Love the detail.
Tons of ‘side hustles’ out there. A whole industry has built up around helping bloggers (believe me, we need the help). My advice, pick a topic like SMM, SEO, writing, etc and spend a month learning everything you can. Then reach out to bloggers. You can easily pick up 5-10 hours a week.
I love the fresh perspective on hustling and the detail in your posts. I ended up getting the dreaded J-O-B working at my local library in the evenings but it turns out I love it! Also looking for a hustle too…would love to do both.
@Jenny — Libraries and bookstores are fun places to work. I have a soft spot in my heart for books. 🙂
Great article! It is sometimes so frustrating to live in a city with high unemployment yet I can’t find somebody to sew a button back on in I’m in a pinch. Sure, I can do that myself–but probably not as well (or quickly) as a seamstress. Then I have to go out and find the right colour thread. I also need something to be arc-welded. It’d just take two seconds from somebody who knows what they’re doing and has the equipment. And leatherwork! I need a leather coat and a pouch fixed. Somebody to iron a few shirts would be nice as well. I’m not talking dry-cleaning, just plain old ironing. (I do this myself too, but I’d rather have somebody do it better if I was going to a wedding or something fancy.)
So, why all the unemployment and nobody has soft skills anymore? We almost need to go back to the Victorian era where every neighbourhood had a seamstress, a cobbler, a cordwainer, a smithy. Sure, it might not make a great full time job, but as a side hustle or alternative to the welfare line? Why not? We just don’t teach people important things anymore?
Aah I agree so much with this. I’m an electrical engineer (wrong career for me though), but I’m considering, you know, for idealistic reasons, taking the practical Electricians route instead so that I can actually DO something instead of just sitting in the office on the computer. What happens when the power goes out? You’re redundant.
Of course if you were working in remote Africa or even Europe somewhere being an engineer is still helpful, but I don’t know anything practical about electric stuff. Probably says more about me than about the electrical career itself, though.
My point was that I agree so much in instead of sitting on welfare, why not teach yourself how to sow, or make shoes, and create a useful thing for yourself and others while you’re at it? I think more and more people kind of miss those times when people were more ‘independent’, so to speak, as well as small physical businesses were more independent.
In my town there used to be a lot of independent shops and stores, now there’s three big malls and the small shops have mostly closed down. Let’s bring it back by not DEPENDING on the income from it, but having it as a side hustle! 😀 I guess most of us have more income bringing stuff to do though, but like you said, for example instead of sitting on welfare.
Kids nowadays are so creative and so many of them are beginning to make something out of those crafts or talent (graphic design, selling clothes for those fashionistas, photography, etc). I wish I thought of that when I was younger as well but I did start up a nice side hustle back when I was in college. I had a really good eye at fashion and knew what’s going to sell and to whom so that’s what I did and it was successful at first but then I got busy with my main job and in life so I had to put that in hindsight. I would love to get back to it as I really enjoyed doing that. But my next step is to actually produce clothes which will be a business risk for me.
Kids nowadays are so talented and much clever, and with social media being easily accessible to them, it’s so easy to make money out of those talents (graphic design, selling clothes for the fashionistas, photography, making food, etc.) I wish I thought of that when I was younger. I did however, had a nice side hustle going when I was in college. I had an eye for what’s going to be hot in fashion and I knew who to sell that style to. So that’s what I did. I had to put in into hindsight when I got busy with my work but I’d love to get back into it. This time, I want to produce my own merchandise.
Great ideas for someone to hustle. ITs all about changing your mindset to strive for something greater. We have all been stuck in a situation, and its important to realize you don’t have to stay in that dreaded place. I think cutting back first is important, to build a big EF, then finding a side hustle 2nd, so the third step can be a drastic kick the job to the curb. Good luck to anyone looking for a bigger hustle muscle.
I love this article!!! Example of the power of side hustling: my friend paid off $3000 of student debt in a winter by crocheting these cute little puppies and cats (amigurumi). Perfect mix of dedication, crating love, and skills to pay the bills.
@Kat — I love that example! When people remark that they don’t want to work around the clock, I like to remind them that income doesn’t have to feel like work (i.e. work doesn’t have to feel like drudgery). Your example illustrates that concept perfectly. You can make money from a hobby — do what you love, get paid for it, and use that payment to become debt-free. 🙂
This is awesome! I have the frugality part down, so I need to start working on the “earning more” part if I want to grow more.
I have the skills, but I have to learn to sell myself more and better even if I’m an introvert. You’re right that eLance or ODesk is not worth it to pick up only a few hours at cutthroat rates.
I agree with Mrs. Frugalwoods – I’m all about trying to maximize my side gigs while spending as little as possible.
Nice post. I agree that libraries and bookstores are fun play to work, because you can learn so much thing while working.
Increasing skills is very important and I encourage people to take advantage of the training or workshops offered with their employer. Always look at a new responsibility or training session as an opportunity to enhance your sellable skills.
Great advice here, and it’s not the same old stuff you always hear. Keep it up!
This is golden! Thank you for this post. Very encouraging and realistic.
I’m glad you liked it, Ryan! 🙂
When I was a teacher in the ’90’s, I wanted to earn my Pilot’s License and build an airplane. I did both, without using any of the family funds. I had side hustles with two companies and it all worked out. Done it off an on for years. Now that I’m retired, I’m really looking at Side Hustling again, but without the labor. 🙂
I can’t agree with you more when i read five choices in order from “immediate” to “eventual”