{"id":4829,"date":"2021-06-10T00:20:29","date_gmt":"2021-06-10T00:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/?p=4829"},"modified":"2021-06-15T00:18:43","modified_gmt":"2021-06-15T00:18:43","slug":"how-to-turn-your-side-hustle-into-a-full-time-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/how-to-turn-your-side-hustle-into-a-full-time-job","title":{"rendered":"How to turn your side hustle into a full-time job"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Working on a passion project, earning extra money, becoming your own boss \u2013 there are many reasons to start up a side hustle. And although many side hustles are born out of hobbies or creative interests and a desire to make money on the side, they don\u2019t have to stay small. If you\u2019ve fallen hard for your part-time gig, here\u2019s what you need to do to turn it into a full-time business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan your big move<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giving up the benefits and security that come with being employed by someone else full-time can be scary, so it\u2019s important to have a plan (and ideally, some savings in place). Consider your start-up costs like more supplies, a retail space, employees, costs for marketing and insurance and whether you\u2019re in a position to ramp up your operations. The good news is your side hustle is likely already contributing to your business nest egg, but it\u2019s important to get a handle of your expenses for the first year, at least, so you can prioritise costs and decisions once your business is in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might also want to consider some non-financial factors in transitioning to a full-time business. Do you have a vision for where you want to take your business? Yes \u2013 that\u2019s great. Your next step might be to get started with a business plan. If your answer is no, then you likely need a little extra time to consider your business proposition before jumping ship to full-time work. Additionally, are there any other major changes happening in your life, like moving to a new house? Perhaps it\u2019s best to wait until the dust settles. The adage goes that there\u2019s no \u201cperfect time\u201d for anything but having your ducks in a row before taking the leap can help ease the stress of starting anew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find your point of difference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taking the plunge and transitioning your side hustle to a full-time gig means you\u2019ll be operating in a bigger pond (or market) \u2013 so it might be time to check out the competition. Find out what other small businesses are doing in your space and make sure your offering has a point of difference \u2013 what makes your company special. For example, you might specialise in organic cosmetics (which isn\u2019t necessarily unique to the beauty industry anymore), but if you source your ingredients from Aussie farmers \u2013 there\u2019s your point of difference. The same goes for your service offering \u2013 if you provide a gift with purchase or two for one special, be sure to speak up about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also talk to your own customers for insights on where to take your brand \u2013 you\u2019ll already be piloting a scaled-back version of your business. Ask for feedback to find out how well your current offer solves their problem, and how you might build upon it. Use this feedback to prototype new products, services and business models that take your side hustle to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take care of the fine print<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your side hustle was limited to selling goods on Facebook marketplace or you provided services as a hobby<\/a> (like swapping services with another business or selling used-items), transitioning to a small business means you\u2019ll need to fill out some forms. Here are some common questions side-hustlers have about how to start a small business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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  1. How to apply for an ABN<\/a>?<\/li>
  2. How to register a business name<\/a>?<\/li>
  3. How do I write a business and marketing plan<\/a>?<\/li>
  4. What will my startup cost be<\/a>?<\/li><\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    It\u2019s best to consult your local government bodies or small business chambers for information that\u2019s relevant to setting up your company before you start trading as a small business. Taking care of the legalities and financial set-up from the outset will save you at tax time and put your new business in a stronger financial position moving forward.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Step up your marketing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Becoming a full-time business means you\u2019ll need to stand out and attract a bigger customer-base and the key to getting noticed is in your marketing \u2013 print and online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Amp up your social presence with posts on Facebook and Instagram announcing your expansion. Use your stories to provide a behind the scene look into how you make your products or shout-out the other businesses your partner with. Similarly, having a professional looking website shows customers that your business is a serious player. It doesn\u2019t need to be overly sophisticated, but relevant and helpful content is necessary to help customers make an educated decision to engage with your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Don\u2019t neglect print marketing either. If you create and sell handmade jewellery on Etsy<\/a> or run an online catering company on the side, you may want to take your business to the next level by selling your products at events like craft fairs or farmers\u2019 markets. At these events, eye-catching marketing materials can be great conversation starters that lead to business opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A large banner<\/a> can get your booth noticed, a poster<\/a> can entice visitors, flyers<\/a> can create awareness about your products and services, while business cards<\/a> can help customers keep you in mind. The key is for your materials to create a consistent, cohesive and professional look for your business whenever opportunities come knocking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    VISTAPRINT TIP<\/h5>\nIf you need help creating a logo or brand identity for your business and print marketing, the experts at 99designs by Vistaprint<\/a> can help. \n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Build a community<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    While your side-hustle probably started as a solitary venture, it can take a village to get a small business off the ground. Whether it\u2019s drumming up the support in your local community or getting friends and family to help out on the weekends \u2013 it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll need a few helping hands along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s also important to make connections with other businesses and small business owners \u2013 for a variety of reasons. Networking with companies that complement your business is great for building strong, fruitful partnerships. For example, if you create handmade ceramics, you could connect with local interior designers who can recommend you to their clientele or use your products in home styling and staging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Forming relationships outside your industry is a good idea, too. So many opportunities are born from not what you know but who you know and having a group of likeminded individuals to share stories, commiserations and inspiration with can really help bolster you when times are tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Working on a passion project, earning extra money, becoming your own boss \u2013 there are many reasons to start up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":4876,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Turn your Side Hustle into a Business | Vistaprint AU","_seopress_titles_desc":"Although many side hustles are born out of hobbies, they don\u2019t have to stay small. If you\u2019ve fallen for your part-time gig, here\u2019s how to start a business and take it full-time.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-tips"],"acf":{"vp_publishing_settings_post_modified":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4829"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4917,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4829\/revisions\/4917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vistaprint.com.au\/hub\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}