Start A Summer Side (Un)Hustle
Create extra income with your available time and resources this Summer! 📂 PLUS Lean Business Planner download.
What could an extra $500—or even $5,000—each month mean for you?
With the rising cost of living and shrinking time for creativity, having some extra cash would be a welcome relief for many of us.
Creating another stream of income over the Summer doesn’t have to be hard, expensive to start, or wildly difficult to sustain.
You may already have everything you need to create new revenue sources to boost your bottom line and have more time and money to do the things you love.
What’s a Side (Un)Hustle?
Traditionally, a side hustle is defined as a part-time job or gig that you do in addition to your full-time job or main source of income.
A side (un)hustle is a different approach to generating extra income by creating relatively passive income streams and leveraging existing skills and resources to make money without adding a ton more work hours to your schedule.
A side (un)hustle is about finding ways to earn money while still having time for yourself, your family, and your creative projects.
Why Start a Side (Un)Hustle?
There are oh-so-many reasons why starting a Summer side (un)hustle might be beneficial for you:
💰 Extra Income: As mentioned earlier, MONEY. Having additional income each month can help you gain more time and resources to pursue your creativity.
📅 Flexibility: With passive income streams, you have the flexibility to choose when and where you work. You can also take breaks or vacations without worrying about losing income.
⌚ More Time for Yourself: By creating passive income streams, you can free up more time in your schedule for self-care, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones.
📈Diversification: Relying solely on one source of income is risky. Having multiple passive income streams diversifies your earnings and provides a safety net in case one stream dries up.
💲Build Generational Wealth: Side business income can also serve as a means of building generational wealth for your family. By continuously generating income without brute hustle effort, you can pass on assets and investments to future generations.
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6 Steps to Launch a Recurring Income Side Business
1. Identify Your Niche
Your first step is to figure out what skills or passions you already have that could solve a problem or fulfill a need for others. Ask yourself questions like:
What skills do I already have that people are willing to pay for?
What hobbies or interests could I turn into a service or product?
What challenges are people facing this year that I can solve?
Examples of easy-to-start Summer side businesses for creators:
Designing and selling digital products like templates, e-books, or printables.
Gratitude journals
Coloring books
Pinterest Pin templates
Personal branding playbooks
Canva templates for small business marketing
Seasonal recipes booklets with shopping lists
Poetry chapbooks
Creating short online courses in your area of expertise.
Writing prompts and journaling exercises
Event planning and budgeting course
Getting started with content creation
Art curation guide
Offering content subscriptions on Substack, Patreon, and other creator platforms for planned reoccurring content.
Creating products and goods with your original artwork, photography, and designs using Printify or Printful.
2. Choose a Recurring Revenue Model 💵🗓️
For consistent income, opt for a business model where customers pay on a recurring basis. Some popular recurring revenue streams include:
Subscriptions: Offer a monthly content subscription. For example, share exclusive recipes, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes with paid subscribers.
Memberships: Build a small online community around a niche interest or topic. Provide feedback and support.
Should you opt for a product-based side (un)hustle, you can get creative with offering a paid membership or subscription program that provides access to exclusive drops, launches, and behind-the-scenes of your creative process in addition to the product.
It’s all about creating reoccurring income that honors your time and energy, while being able to anticipate your expected monthly income.
3. Create a Simple Business Plan 📑
You don’t need a lengthy document, but having a short, to-the-point business plan can help you stay focused and organized. Include:
Your Offer: What product or service will you sell, and at what price?
Your Audience: Who are you targeting, and how can you reach them?
Your Goals: How much revenue would you like to generate each month?
For example, if you want to earn $500/month by selling a $50 course, you’ll need just 10 customers.
If you plan to offer a service at $100/hour, then you’ll need 5 clients each month.
Leveraging an AI tool like Jasper.ai can help you write out a short business plan course of action for planning and launching your Summer side (un)hustle.
4. Set Up Easy-to-Use Tools and Automations ⚙️
Keep your operations efficient by setting up tools that minimize your workload. For example:
Use platforms like Ko-Fi, Sellfy, Shopify (free trial available!), and Etsy to sell digital products.
Automate email campaigns with tools like Kit or Mailchimp.
Manage reoccurring customer payments with Stripe or PayPal.
Schedule social media posts with Metricool or Later to save time promoting your services, giving you more time and freedom to interact with your audience.
5. Build and Launch Quickly 🚀
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. Start small and improve as you go. Here’s how to launch fast:
Create a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). For instance, if you’re selling an online course, start with just one or two lessons.
Promote on Social Media. Showcase your side hustle on platforms like Instagram Threads, Substack Notes, TikTok Live, and LinkedIn to reach potential customers.
Offer Special Launch Deals. Encourage early sign-ups by offering discounts or bonuses for the first 10 customers.
6. Engage and Grow Your Audience
Consistent engagement is key to building trust and ensuring repeat customers (and enthusiastic community members!).
Here’s how to keep your audience coming back:
Share valuable content regularly through blog posts, social media, or newsletters.
Collect and showcase testimonials to add credibility.
Offer incentives like referral discounts to existing customers.
The more you nurture your relationships, the more your side business will thrive.
Bonus Tips for Managing a Side Business with Limited Time
Block out a few hours each week to focus exclusively on your side (un)hustle.
Creative Enabler will be hosting free virtual coworkflow sessions soon where we do the Pomodoro to boost productivity. Join us!
Use time-saving templates or tools to streamline marketing efforts.
Check out Creative Market for social media templates and productivity trackers you can quickly work download and work with.
With the right strategy, you can build a summertime side (un)hustle that works for you instead of the other way around.
Need A Little Push To Start or Pivot Your Side (Un)Hustle?
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Q For You:
What’s your Summer (Un)Hustle? Share in the comments!
Love this 💜
I am a huge believer of having multiple income streams 🌞
Especially those that recharge your heart and leave you with more time!