This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
How can I start my hustle while working full-time? Hey there, Side Hustlers, Chris Guillebeau here, your host. In this episode, we're gonna help a Chicago-based graphic designer kick off her hustle while she is, in fact, working a full-time job, like so many of our listeners. We have had, over the years, seven plus years, we have had so many listeners start side hustles, small businesses, sometimes going on to be full-time businesses while also working full-time, making a lot of money and not just making money, but doing something that is rewarding and fulfilling, productive, creative, all those good things. So let's see what we can do to help a caller today.
She's working at an agency, but wants to start offering her services to local businesses to earn extra income, of course, and expand her portfolio. Now, of course, this comes with challenges like pricing your work and finding clients, doing all those things while you have other responsibilities. So let's see if we can come up with some practical tips for doing this, including how to set those rates, attract clients, and manage time effectively, or at least manage the time that you are responsible for. Time exists on its own, but within the limited construct of the time available to you, what can our listener and perhaps some others do to best maximize? Her name is Bailey.
Her question's coming up after this quick shout-out to our sponsor. [Music]
Hi, my name is Bailey. I'm a graphic designer from Chicago, Illinois. I discovered your podcast during my daily commute and have been hooked ever since. I've been working full-time at an agency for the past three years, but I want to start offering my services as a side hustle to earn extra income and build my portfolio.
I specialize in creating logos and social media graphics and am considering reaching out to local small businesses to offer my services. However, I'm unsure about how to price my work and find clients without compromising my full-time job. I'm hoping to gain insights on how to launch my side hustle effectively while balancing my day job responsibilities. [Music]
All right, Bailey, sounds like you're in a great place. We've had a lot of listeners over the years to be in exactly that spot of having a skill and wanting to go from employment to self-employment, or at least some form of self-employment, even if they continue in the job.
So what do you do without burning yourself out and given the constraints and limitations that you have? I think the most important thing is to break up the steps a bit, so you're not trying to do everything at once. Do some legwork, break up the steps, and then launch with one clear package or offering. So let's break down those steps, to be precise. First of all, create a strong online presence.
Spend your time before you start the hustle developing your website or your online portfolio that showcases your best work. Not everybody needs a website, but I think the designer usually does, or at least you need some kind of online portfolio. That's extremely important if you're trying to sell design services. Choose a couple of social media platforms, post your best work there, and just kind of have that set. It's good to share over time, but if you can't do that, at least have something set.
So create that online presence. Create a special introductory package. Create one package, to be clear, not a whole suite of services. Create one discounted, perhaps, starter pack for new clients. I don't know, it depends on what you do, but it could include logo design, social media graphics, some revisions.
That could help you land your first gigs and demonstrate the value that you provide. As part of that, you wanna make sure you know what your rates are going to be. Like, think about pricing before you get started. Again, you're gonna break up these steps. You're not doing everything all at once, but make it clear what that offering is, what the rate is, and then, once you have done that legwork, however long that takes, it could be a couple weeks, could be a little bit longer.
Reach out to your network. I mean, this is the first big active step where you're like, "Okay, I'm ready to go." Let your friends, your family, your colleagues know about your side hustle. They might have connections to small businesses in need of design services or be able to refer you to clients. So from there, there's a lot to talk about in terms of marketing and such, but very likely in this industry, especially if you're starting with a discounted rate and that kind of starter pack approach, you will be able to get some experience pretty quickly. That is your path.
It is manageable. Don't try to do it all at once, but as long as you're doing it over time and in those stages, you can absolutely make it happen. Bailey, I'm cheering you on. Listener's always rooting for you as well. If you have a question, www.sidehustleschool.com/questions.
I'm also on social media, not always consistently, but more often than not, so come say hi. I'd love to connect wherever you are. And of course, a new episode comes out tomorrow and every day after that, seven days a week. Thank you for being out there. My name's Chris Guillebeau.
This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
from the Onward Project.
