Side Hustles Are All the Rage
By Briana D’Andrea
Ok, it’s time for some real talk! Everyone could use some extra cash during the holiday season. Especially now! Thanks to COVID-19 unemployment is through the roof! A side hustle that brings in a few hundred could mean your child enjoys tennis lessons. If it brings in something more along the lines of a thousand or two, that could mean you’ve got your rent covered. Or maybe you end up raking in a few thousand and you can work your full-time gig only part-time or maybe not even at all.
It happens to you every year, you have your lists, you make them and then somehow you unexpectedly forget someone. Not because you meant to, but because you are human! You’ve maxed your budget, you literally feel awful and you don’t know what to do! Side gigs are more than just a little bit of extra cash during the holiday season (although that’s a major bonus). It’s knowing if things hit the fan, you have a parachute. It’s knowing that if you then also work for a product company you might have a thing or two to give to someone who unexpectedly shows up on your doorstep with some love come Hanukkah and Christmas time!
In a recent Forbes article many celebrities have turned to side gigs, like private wine labels and lifestyle beauty brands to make ends meet since Hollywood was shut down.
Here’s the thing, people are going to spend money. It’s just a matter of where they are going to spend it! I don’t know about you, but there’s something to be said about supporting a small business. A single mom who has to raise her kids solo, a person who has a disability and their only means of making it, is via technology or even the dad that has 5 mouths to feed and just wants to make a difference while providing for his family. No matter the why, I would much rather support someone attempting to make a name for themselves if given the choice.
If you’re saying to yourself well, my plate is full how on earth would I be able to have something on the side? I’m here to tell you my friend, you get choose what is priority. You get to decide what brings you joy? Is it baking? Maybe you decide to sell some of your famous holiday cookies for people in your neighborhood who just can’t bake! Perhaps you have a green thumb and enjoy floral arrangements? Sell them! I would love to know someone who could take that off my plate. Or maybe you want to work for a company that is directly shipping goods to someone else’s doorstep out of sheer convenience? My point is, do some research, find your niche and get in the trenches. I haven’t had a boss in well over 8 years and it’s great to decide what I get to do.
I would call your bluff to say that you’re simply just afraid to explore something new, that you’re a creature of habit used to the same monotony that pays the bills, but you have to ask yourself are you truly happy? Think about the people in your life…would you love to spend more time with them? Would you want to the time freedom to do more of the things you love? Do you have debts that need paying off? I would venture to say you and I have that in common! Take the plunge and dive right in, even if it is just on the side and trust me you’ll be glad you did!