Side Hustling in Direct Sales
So, you want to work from home, set your own schedule, and make unlimited income? Well, according to many direct sales companies, all of that and more is possible simply from starting a career in direct sales.
Direct sales is the sale of a product or service in a person-to-person atmosphere marketed through independent sales representatives, consults, or distributors. Products range from cosmetics to candles to cookware. There is definitely money and interest in direct sales as it is a $30 billion industry employing 16.8 million people.
There are several hundred direct sales companies which offer thousands of products. Below I’ve listed some of the more popular categories.
5 Ways to Expand Your Freelance Portfolio
Whether you are just considering dipping your toes into the freelance world or are already a successful freelancer, there is always room to expand and grow your freelance business. Perhaps you launched your freelance venture focused primarily on freelance writing, and now you may be looking to broaden the scope of services you offer while trying something new and different.
A diverse set of skills and services can add significant value to your freelance business. In addition, a wide range of services increases the potential for new opportunities to come your way. If you are looking to expand your freelance portfolio, consider these five options for development.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant functions just as any other type of assistant does, however, they operate from afar; often from the comfort of their own home. Virtual assistants can be hired for ongoing work or contracted on a project by project basis. Virtual assistants are responsible for a wide range of tasks including, but certainly not limited to email management, data entry, market research, and personal errands. Many bloggers utilize their virtual assistants to help manage their blog. In addition to monitoring incoming emails and moderating and responding to blog comments, virtual assistants also act as staff writers and content editors.
3 Strange Side Hustle Ideas
The great thing about having your own side hustle is that you can pretty much choose whatever type of work you’d like. There is the creativity that comes with freelance writing, the work-at-home flexibility of being a virtual assistant, and the adventure of meeting and interacting with new people as a rideshare driver just to name a few.
I enjoy learning about the different ways people earn extra money on the side. There are hundreds if not thousands of way to earn a side income. Some side hustles are pretty straightforward, while some are downright strange! Check out these three odd side hustle ideas.
Research and Clinical Trials Participant
Researchers are always on the lookout for individuals to participate in studies, and most will compensate you for your time. Typically researchers look for healthy volunteers, as well as individuals with certain conditions such as diabetes or asthma to help them advance their knowledge and treatment of various conditions.
There are a number of different studies that recruit volunteers. Participation can range from simple activities such as answering computerized questionnaires about health behavior, to weekly visits that study the effects of certain medications, to testing the effectiveness and safety of experimental vaccines.
Keep in mind research and clinical trials require that specific measures are put in place to protect patient identity and safety. If you ever consider participating in a research study make sure you know as much as possible about the study, and feel comfortable addressing your questions and concerns.
How to Balance Your Side Hustle, Full-time Job, and the Holidays
We can all agree that December can be a hectic time of year, especially if you are side hustling in addition to working your full-time job. Running a side business while working full-time can be exhausting on its own. Add to that a month filled with numerous holiday events and obligations, and you have the recipe for a stress-induced meltdown.
Rather than succumbing to stress and burnout this month, use these methods to ensure balance between your work and holiday obligations. You’ve worked hard all year long, and deserve to enjoy yourself while meeting your deadlines at the same time.
Make a schedule
Create a schedule that includes all of your day job, side hustle, and holiday responsibilities. Looking at all of your commitments in one place will help you stay organized and can be useful in planning your work for the month. Seek out free time in your schedule that you can devote to specific projects and tasks. Consider putting in extra work up front, especially during the lulls in your schedule, so that you can free up time for other events and obligations.
For example, if you know you are going to be busy with family and friends the last two weekends of the month, try front loading your time during the first two weekends of the month. By getting ahead on your work, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your events without feeling the pressure of looming due dates and deadlines.
Boost Your Side Hustle During the Holidays
The holiday season is upon us and with it comes the hope of a little downtime. At the very least it might mean a few extra days off from your day job. While it’s nice to take a break to unwind and spend time with friends and family, holiday vacations can be a great opportunity to squeeze in a little extra side hustle work.
I’m always looking for new ways to devote additional time to my side hustles. I have found that time off around the holidays is ideal because I’m not weighed down or worn out from my day job. However, that might not be the case for you, if your job requires you to work through the holidays or if you plan on traveling to celebrate the holidays. But, if you are able to find some free time during the holidays it can be a great way to fit in more time to work on your side hustle or side business.
I, for example, have a four day weekend coming up due to Thanksgiving. I plan on spending Thanksgiving Day with family, however I have only a few other commitments for the remainder of the weekend. I will definitely take advantage of this extra time and plan on dedicating some of my free time to my side hustles.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your free time during the holidays.
Make a plan
Rather than winging it when you find yourself with a spare hour, make a specific plan of action. Make a to-do list of the tasks you would like to accomplish and refer to your list when you find yourself with extra downtime. Look at your schedule of events for the holiday weekend and see where you can fit in extra portions of work. Share your plan with your family and let them know you plan on devoting certain periods of time to work.
Set a schedule
The holidays have a tendency to keep us busy with friends, family, and multiple events. Set aside specific time to work on your side hustle. Even if you only have 30 extra minutes a day, you can still be incredibly productive. Setting a schedule may mean you need to get up early to work one day. While it’s tempting to stay up late and sleep in during your time off, you’ll feel incredibly accomplished if you are able to devote some extra time to your side hustle.
How to Maintain Your Motivation
It’s pretty easy to find the motivation to go to your day job. After all, it’s your main source of income, and for most of us, that alone is motivating enough. When it comes to your side hustle, however, it’s not always as simple to maintain motivation. Yet, in order to reach your side hustle goals motivation is a must.
The Key to Maintaining Motivation
In order to understand how we can maintain motivation it’s helpful to examine the reasons we lose it in the first place.
Setbacks: A setback, regardless of the size, can lead to a decrease in motivation, especially when the setback causes a loss in confidence. When your confidence takes a hit it’s easy to feel like success isn’t possible and not worth trying for. This can lead to decreased motivation and productivity. Even worse it can lead to you even giving up completely.
Lack of Concrete Goals: Motivation can be the fuel that gets you to the finish line, but you can’t get moving until you set a concrete and well defined goal. If you are plugging away at a vague goal or a broad idea of what you think you want, you’ll have a hard time focusing and run the risk of losing motivation.
How to Find the Perfect Side Hustle
These days having a side hustle is about as ubiquitous as Starbucks. A side hustle is a great way to help you achieve your financial goals. You can earn extra money to build a travel fund, pay down debt, or even save up to remodel your kitchen. Have you thought about starting your own side hustle, but aren’t sure where to begin? Perhaps you’re not sure what type of side hustle is right for you. Check out these tips to get you started.
Combine Your Skills and Hobbies
Ideally a side hustle combines a skill you possess with an activity you enjoy. For example, one of my side hustles is driving for Uber, Lyft, and SideCar. It’s a great way to combine my skills and interests. I have a great time interacting with fun and interesting people and I’m a skilled and courteous driver who knows the area well. That is why I consider rideshare driving a perfect side hustle.
A good first step to finding your perfect side hustle is brainstorming a list of your skills and interests. Be specific and creative. Think about areas in which you have extensive knowledge. Ask yourself if there has ever been a resource or service you needed that wasn’t available. If you can fill that need, you’ve discovered your side hustle. Add to your list when you think of new skills and interests, and eventually an idea will emerge from your list, such as tutoring online
4 Ways To Overcome Procrastination
We’ve all been there before. We have a certain amount of time to accomplish a specific task, and we find ourselves doing anything but the task at hand. Instead we check our email, scan social media, and chat with our coworkers. As our allotted time ticks down we panic and stress because we’ve given in to procrastination yet again.
It’s normal to procrastinate, some even argue it’s good to delay action until the last minute citing that it actually improves decision making and efficiency. While I agree with those points to a certain extent, I think in most cases procrastination can be dangerous, especially when it comes to your side hustle.
Since a side hustle is work you do in your spare time, it’s incredibly important to stay focused. Your spare time is too valuable to be wasted by procrastinating. In addition, since your side hustle is your own business, you are ultimately responsible for the work. If your work isn’t as high quality because you are in a rush in the final hour, it’s going to reflect poorly on you. It could even cost you future business.
Procrastination and goals don’t often go hand in hand. If you want to accomplish your goals, you will need to be focused and productive. It’s dangerous to procrastinate with new ideas as well. If you don’t take action on your ideas, you run the risk of forgetting about them completely. Worse yet, someone else will have the same idea and beat you to it. Consider these four tips to keep yourself on track and focused.
Eliminate Distractions
The best thing you can to do fend off procrastination is eliminate any potential distractions. Start by taking a few minutes to get prepared. Use the bathroom, refill your drink, and pull out any materials you need to accomplish your work. If you’re in an office shut the door or put ear buds in to send the message you’re not available for interruptions. Close your email and any other applications that aren’t necessary. Put your phone on silent and place it out of view. By eliminating distractions you will find it easier to stay focused while you move from task to task.