Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days

"Everyone should have a side hustle. Even if you love your job., having more than one source of income will give you more freedom and more options."

• Is it feasible? Can you execute it in an hour or less a day and expect to see results within a week? Or are you trying to climb Mt Everest on your first attempt?
• Will it be profitable? How much can you expect to make from one sale? What expenses do you have to cover? What’s the optimistic and pessimistic version of this?
• Is your idea persuasive? Can you explain what you’re selling to your grandma in two sentences? What’s your “wow factor?” What’s your unique advantage?

If an idea fails to pass the scrutiny of these questions, don’t bother with it.

The first week of side hustle month is about your ideas. The second week of the program encourages you to get clear about your ideal or target customer. Think of them as ‘your people'. 

Find out more about “your people”:

• If you know one of them, have a coffee.
• But If you don’t: have an imaginary coffee with them’, or write a letter to them.

Go from idea to offer with price, pitch, and promise.

• Your promise should be a bold, provocative statement that highlights the persuasive aspect of your idea. When people hear it, they should see how they can immediately benefit from your idea.
• Your pitch tells people how you deliver on that promise in as few words as possible.
• Your price lets people know how much they have to pay and comes with a clear call to action.

"Like a comic book superhero, your side hustle needs a history [or herstory]. Don’t just give ‘em the facts; tell them a story."

Look for your own origin story – what is your superpower in relation to “your people” and importantly, what is the drama, or the ‘turning point’ that gave youour superpower.

"The best hack of all is to do something that makes a difference in [your] people’s lives."

This includes learning to:

• Clearly explain what your product or service is, why “your people” will benefit and how it works. 
• Deliver what you promise, so start simple with your promise, but go above and beyond whenever possible.
• Uncover and respond to unspoken needs.
• Find a way to report back to “your people” in some way. People often forget how bad the problem was, once it is solved.
• Make it fun, interesting, or a source of status to write or record a testimonial for you

• A website. Today, if you’re not online, you don’t exist. All you need is a domain and hosting.
• A social media profile. Pick a platform that you like, where you’ll enjoy creating content and that suits your audience and focus on that.
• A scheduling tool. Eliminates all the back and forth.
• A payment system, to let people purchase right on your simple site

If you end up with an idea for a side hustle that requires you to take out a $10,000 loan, you’ve done it wrong. It shouldn’t be expensive.

To sell a product or service, you must emphasize its merits. Focus on its benefits. The key is to connect with people emotionally.

You should seek out four types of people who can help you along the way once you’ve identified the benefits of your side hustle. 

1. Find supporters first. Families and friends are most likely to be involved – they can lend a hand in a variety of ways and support your effort. 
2. Find a mentor, someone who offers guidance and advice. 
3. Identify influencers. Trendsetters are those who spread the word about your product.
4. Finding ideal customers is the fourth step.