LIFESTYLE & TRAVELBUDGETING

The Side-Hustle Shuffle: Finding Your Groove and Building a Business

It’s 6:00 p.m. You sit down in your room, and your day is done. Work: check. School: check. Homework: check. What next?

What do you do with your free time? Do you relax, get in comfy clothes and turn on Netflix? Do you go to the gym? Like it or not, the answer to this question can likely dictate the course of your college career, if not your life.

As a broke college student, I know how stressful life can be and I think we can all agree that having an extra bit of pocket change never hurt anybody. So why not spend that time building a lucrative side-hustle? It can be a great way to have some spending money for the weekends or even pay off some of that college tuition debt!

Getting started

The biggest hurdle for most people interested in finding a side-hustle is beginning. In physics, there is a factor called the ‘Friction Coefficient’ which determines how much force will have to be applied in order to start an object in motion. The higher the coefficient, the more force required to get it moving. Want to know the interesting part about friction? The force required to start an object’s motion is greater than the force required to keep it moving. The same thing applies to side-hustles.

“Where do I start?”

“What should I sell?”

“How do I sell?”

“How much money should I invest?”

All of these questions plague those who are attempting to start a side-hustle, but my advice is to take a moment to get away from the noise, find a quiet place, and engage in some introspection. Ask yourself, what do I like? What kind of hobbies, interests, or fascinations do you have? What do you know really, really well? What do you find yourself buying? This is your product. Sell something that you believe in or have a deep knowledge of.

Consider your environment

You have access to a college campus with tens of thousands of other students who are mostly in a similar or overlapping demographic as you. This is a massive advantage because it means that for all the things you enjoy and spend money on, there can be hundreds, if not thousands, of people who also enjoy similar things. That’s your market. Remember that the idea is both to make money and create value for someone else. By doing this, you can almost guarantee that others will see the value in your side-hustle and slowly but surely spread the word for you.

Now, think about how much you spend on these products that you enjoy and ask yourself, how much could I save by not spending as much as I am. Instead, focus on saving and figuring out how to buy these products in bulk or at a cheaper price? In the time that you’re saving money, make sure you’re spending your time wisely by learning the ins and outs of sales, both online and offline. Check out virtual platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, or tangible marketplaces like flea markets, thrift shops, or garage sales.

Putting it into action

If you were to dedicate only two hours a day, even the least business-savvy person could develop and build skills that will last a lifetime and pay infinite dividends.

The final step in the process is to start. Many people get caught in the idea phase and never move to the action phase. After all the planning is done, don’t think, do. It’s time to move forward and get grooving to the newest dance: the Side-Hustle Shuffle.