How to turn a side hustle into your new career
Not happy in your career? Or just ready for a change or new challenge? Find out how to turn a side hustle into a new career.
Unhappiness in your career can be both unsettling and worrying – however many people often choose to stick it out in their current job because they are more afraid of the unknown that awaits them after they decide to move on.
In today’s business world, a career change doesn’t need to be a sudden, dramatic move from one industry to the other. The rise of the gig economy and flexible working, to name a couple of examples, allow anyone to learn more about a new industry before taking the leap.
Gaining experience will not only cement the passion that people have found for a new career but will also stand them in much greater stead for securing a great new role in that field, or for securing new clients if opting to start their own business.
Here are some ways you can ease your transition into a new role and why a side hustle is a great way to get started in a new industry.
Start freelancing or working part-time
The prospect of moving away from a career that you may have been working in for most of your life is something that can be incredibly daunting, especially if you have been what is traditionally deemed as ‘successful’ for your work to date.
Similarly, many of us have a number of responsibilities, both family or financial, that need to be maintained throughout any transition. However, if this career is no longer giving your happiness and fulfillment, or is preventing you from having time for yourself or your family, then a career change may well be worthwhile.
To make the transition easier, utilise the power of freelancing or part-time work – this will help you to make the transition much more smooth and stretch over a longer period. During this period you can build up you experience so you can ace any interview for a permanent role in the new industry.
This gradual change will make sure none of your current responsibilities will suffer and your happiness will only grow whilst you learn more about something you are passionate about.
Start a side hustle while working
Moving from one career to another can be unnerving, but these feelings are amplified when you are transitioning from the corporate world into business ownership. However, starting a side hustle while you’re still in your current role helps you to get ready to make the leap into permanent entrepreneurship.
Creating a new business can be a very expensive process so starting a side hustle can help you to raise the necessary funds to kickstart your venture. Creating a cycle where you invest any money that the side hustle makes will help you to grow enough for it to become a full time job.
Working on small projects that you can manage alongside your current role will also help you to build both experience and clients. This will help you to then be ready to take on bigger clients when the business is your only focus and clients will also have more faith in you if you can clearly demonstrate your expertise.
Similarly, initially working as a side hustle and seeing the success and happiness that could be yours will serve a great motivator take that final leap. Success is gradual and will not happen overnight, so putting in the ground work as a side hustle will help you to hit the ground running when you feel confident enough to work on the business full time.
How can you turn your side hustle into a business?
Now that you have spent time investing in yourself, your experience, your portfolio and your business, you are primed to turn your side hustle into a fully functioning business – but it can be difficult to know what avenue to take to build upon the foundations you have laid.
The freedom of the whole process is that you can decide what will work best for you. You could choose to leave your current job, work on your side hustle full time from home or you may have built up an extensive client base that means you need people to work with you. You could establish a local office or work with other freelancers. It is entirely up to you as long as the role leaves you fulfilled.
Side hustles can take you onto the next stage of your life
Side hustles aren’t just for those unhappy in their current career. A side hustle can be a great way to build up a retirement fund for later in life or a fund for your children for their future. It’s a great avenue to work on multiple things you may be passionate about and earn money from it.
However, side hustles can be very tiring to set up, so maintaining focus on your end goal will help you to remain motivated through challenges.
Career change can make many people apprehensive, however following these steps will allow this change to be both gradual and smooth so you can truly maximise the benefits. A side hustle can provide you with a taste of how happy and fulfilled you could, and should, be in your career and serves as a great motivator for you to take the leap to the next stage of your life.
Sarah Jones is a published author, leading speaker, and accredited leadership, talent development and team productivity coach at Sarah-J Coaching.
