Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days

What if you aren’t ready to launch? Well, you’re hardly ever fully ready . . . so here’s a trick. Go ahead and publish your offer, but add the label “beta” to it. You could also call it “early version” or any other phrase that sounds good. Doing so will allow you to continue working on it while also getting real feedback, and hopefully some sales as well.

Don’t let yourself get distracted from the two things that matter the most for your side hustle: the benefit for customers, and the income for you. Spend at least 10 percent more time on each of these

THE PROMISE: how your hustle will change someone’s life THE PITCH: why they should purchase or sign up now THE PRICE: what it costs to purchase or sign up (and how to do it)

FEASIBILITY: The ability to begin turning the idea into action in a short period of time PROFITABILITY: The potential to make money from this idea, also in a short period of time PERSUASION: Not only is this a good idea, it’s a good idea now To narrow our list even further, let’s add two more qualities to the mix: EFFICIENCY: How quickly can this be executed? MOTIVATION: How excited are you about this idea?

You want your idea to be feasible, profitable, and persuasive.

To find out if you're right about something, you have to test it.

Like a comic book superhero, your side hustle needs a history. Don't just give 'em the facts; tell them a story.

The side hustle economy is here to stay. It’s a social revolution that can improve our collective well-being and broaden our cultural approach to work. From security to extra income to confidence to fun, there are many benefits to a hustle. And when you start quickly and keep costs low, there’s very little risk.

benefits are the ways in which a product will improve someone’s life; features are the details that demonstrate how. Both are important, but if a customer doesn’t believe that your offer will make their lives better, a long list of features won’t help. Always lead with benefits!

The second reason to launch before you’re ready is that perfectionists do not make for good hustlers. If you wait for perfection, your twenty-seven-day plan could morph into twenty-seven years

When you receive multiple paychecks from different sources, you are no longer dependent on the whims of a single employer.

Who will your side hustle serve? Who is that one person who must have what you’re offering? Start with that person, take him or her out on an imaginary coffee date, and keep them in mind as your side hustle develops. Your success—and maybe theirs, too—depends on it.

Generally speaking, there are three broad categories of side hustles. You can sell a product, whether one of your own or someone else’s, you can provide a service, or you can be a middleman of some kind.

Sometimes you’ll have ideas that are just not ready yet. That’s okay; you can hold on to them for later. Better to focus your current efforts on ideas that are persuasive now. To be successful, you want the right idea at the right time.

if you have a hard time explaining the primary benefit of your concept in more than a sentence or two, you may need to rethink the idea. If the primary benefit is unclear to potential customers, you won’t convert many of them into paying customers A side hustle is something that makes you money, not costs you money. If you don’t see how you could make money from the idea, preferably in a short amount of time, it’s probably not a good idea.

A feasible idea is one that you can turn into reality using the skills, time, and resources you already have.

A side hustle is like a hobby, with one big difference: most hobbies cost money. A side hustle makes money. It’s like playing entrepreneurially, getting paid to try something new and learn different skills.

CREATE A FACEBOOK PAGE BEFORE MAKING A WEBSITE Here’s a simple thing you can do to kick yourself into gear right now: if you think you will ever use social media for your hustle, take ten minutes and create a Facebook page for it. You don’t have to program, design, or do much of anything besides sign up and add a brief description of what you’re selling. Why do this before making a website? Well, first, it’s incredibly easy—might as well knock it off the list. But that’s not the only reason. As people begin to engage with your page, Facebook will automatically gather data about them. Once enough visitors have arrived (typically around one thousand, though it may vary), you’ll be able to access a section called “Insights,” which

I’ve always been interested in _________, so I decided to try _________. I was frustrated by _________ and knew there was a better way. I made _________ to help other people with the same problem. I started this hustle because I noticed _________. There didn’t seem to be anyone else doing anything about it (or the existing businesses were missing something important), so I made _________.

Do you have an idea you can explain in very simple language? Is your idea feasible, profitable, and persuasive? Is it clear how the idea will make money? When you think about the idea, does it make you feel excited?

Sell your art, crafts, or any handcrafted item on etsy.com Develop a travel concierge service to help people when they miss their flights Offer online tutoring services in your field of expertise Host a networking event (charge a low ticket price and get sponsors to provide food) Create and sell a visitors’ guide to your town or city, or build a web resource for tourists, supported by advertisers Create an online (or offline) course in some quirky subject you happen to know a lot about Publish a blog with a new lesson on a specific topic every day Start a podcast and sell sponsorship Visit yard sales or thrift shops and buy items to resell Offer a simple freelance service—anything from fact-checking to tech support or something else entirely Become a home, office, or life organizer Manage P.R. or social media accounts for small businesses Buy and sell used textbooks to college students Sell your musings on business, art, or culture as a freelance writer Start a membership website, where people pay a monthly or annual fee to access useful information about a specific topic Write and publish a book (if I can do it, you can too!)

Week 1: Build an Arsenal of Ideas Day 1: Predict the Future Day 2: Learn How Money Grows on Trees Day 3: Brainstorm, Borrow, or Steal Ideas Day 4: Weigh the Obstacles and Opportunities of Each Idea Day 5: Forecast Your Profit on the Back of a Napkin Week 2: Select Your Best Idea Day 6: Use the Side Hustle Selector to Compare Ideas Day 7: Become a Detective Day 8: Have Imaginary Coffee with Your Ideal Customer Day 9: Transform Your Idea into an Offer Day 10: Create Your Origins Story Week 3: Prepare for Liftoff Day 11: Assemble the Nuts and Bolts Day 12: Decide How to Price Your Offer Day 13: Create a Side Hustle Shopping List Day 14: Set Up a Way to Get Paid Day 15: Design Your First Workflow Day 16: Spend 10 Percent More Time on the Most Important Tasks Week 4: Launch Your Idea to the Right People Day 17: Publish Your Offer! Day 18: Sell Like a Girl Scout Day 19: Ask Ten People for Help Day 20: Test, Test, and Test Again Day 21: Burn Down the Furniture Store Day 22: Frame Your First Dollar Week 5: Regroup and Refine Day 23: Track Your Progress and Decide on Next Steps Day 24: Grow What Works, Let Go of What Doesn’t Day 25: Look for Money Lying Under a Rock Day 26: Get It Out of Your Head Day 27: Back to the Future