Many people around the world have Side gigs to depend on, apart from their day jobs. It’s estimated that over 44 million Americans have a side Hustle according to Bankrate survey. A side hustle can’t necessarily be a business, it can be something else like writing or marketing online, as long as it's putting extra money in your pocket. 36% of Americans who have side hustles earn $500 or more on a monthly basis. Are you still thinking it’s not important to have a side hustle? Here are the reasons you should get into one.
1. You become exposed
According to Forbes, taking on a side hustle is like taking an extracurricular activity in school.
It exposes you to new experiences, and you interact with new people who you wouldn’t have met. You also learn new things and step out of your comfort zone.
2. You acquire new skills that can help you in your job
A side gig can help you develop new skills. According to Forbes, the skills can be applied to your day job. You don’t need to stop working after you set up your side hustle because the skills acquired can still be usable in your workplace, for example, your managerial or writing skills.
3. It allows you build your network
Whenever you start a new venture, there is always an advantage attached to it, and you get to meet new people. You can relate to your customers, manufacturers, and partners on a daily basis.
People help people, and by spreading your network, not only does it expose you to various industries, but you value for running your business increases.
4. You make extra money
First of all, be aware that a side gig is meant to make you money, but some side hustles like blogging don't pay you on the first day, and some businesses take longer to have customers.
That means you might have to work for a while without earning, for your hustle to grow. Nevertheless, the fact that you are doing it for the money should motivate you. Later on, you will be laughing all the way to the bank.
5. Career insurance
Are you not worried about walking to your workplace, and what you get is a letter requesting you to resign?
Well, some people lose their daily jobs, but those who had set up a daily hustle don’t feel that much pain. If you have a side gig, it acts as a policy for your career, and you are guaranteed that your fallback won’t be tragic.
As much you need to have a side hustle, you should be aware of what to do, or else it will waste your time and resources. Make sure your side gig doesn’t disrupt your full-time job and if it’s business, make sure you do all the calculations to understand the costs. Do you feel like you not making enough money or you are planning to leave your daily job? A side gig is the best solution for you. You never know, it might become a million dollar business.