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Have you ever dreamed of quitting your 9-5 job to do just that? start your own business? You are not alone. In 2022, 5.07 million business applications were filed in the US
The biggest obstacle for most people is not knowing where to start. Start by thinking about what you are passionate about. If you like animals, you can become a pet sitter. If you are passionate about coding, you can start a web design business. The possibilities are endless.
Check out: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than A Full-Time Job
Learn: How to earn cash back on your everyday purchases
Most people don’t just run a full-time business. Instead, it starts as a side hustle and eventually turns into a profitable business that allows them to quit their other jobs.
Here are four side hustles that others have turned into a full-time business.
Home services
Being helpful around the house can be a very valuable skill. When something breaks, you can easily fix it without having to hire someone else.
If you are good at doing many different projects around the house, you can market yourself as a handyman. You could also specialize more in doing something, such as landscaping or painting.
“I started by offering my services to friends and family who were looking for help with various household services,” said Tommy Mellow, founder of A1 Garage Door Service. “I quickly realized that there was a huge demand for these services in my community and decided to turn my side hustle into a full-time business.”
The best part about starting something as a side hustle is that it allows you to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t without the added stress of having to make money from your services.
“To scale my business, I focused on three key areas: marketing, customer service and efficiency,” said Mellow. “I invested in online advertising and social media marketing to reach a wider audience and attract new customers. I also made sure to provide excellent customer service, responding quickly to inquiries and addressing any questions or problem that arose”.
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Digital marketing
Another great side hustle that can turn into a full-time business is digital marketing. This can be through social media, content creation or search engine optimization.
According to the Small Business Administration, there were over 31.7 million small businesses in the US as of March 2021. That means there are millions of potential customers looking to gain visibility online so they can grow their own businesses.
“I started building links as a side gig,” said Milosz Krasinski, CEO of Chilli Fruit web consultancy. “It was just an activity I did in my spare time to make a little extra money, usually about $200 a month. At the time, I had a nine-to-five job, and this was just a way to support my revenue and get my hands on the rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
Krasinski went on to say, “As time went on, I started to realize that my side gig had potential beyond just making a few extra bucks. It was more than just making connections—it was about understanding the companies, their target audience and how to connect them in the most effective way.”
Digital products
Creating physical products is not for everyone. Not only do you need to have the resources to make products, but also a way to store them until they are sold.
Creating and selling digital products is a much easier way to offer something of value to your audience, especially when you finish the frame.
“I had the entrepreneurial itch like many people and created a site on Shopify selling a variety of music-related resources,” said Cole Dash, founder of Rudemuzik.com. Dash went on to say that without the headache of storage costs, shipping costs and maintenance, it’s much easier to focus on scaling the business.
“I became a profitable business [in] in two ways,” he added. “First, I constantly reached out to my customers to understand their pain points. Second, I narrowed down my product offerings to those that are laser-focused on solving these pain points. Yes, I escalated by offering less.”
tour guide
If you are a person and live in a tourist place, a good way to earn extra money would be to work as a tour guide. Find creative ways to show people all the great things your city has to offer.
“In 2017, my partner Monique Hamilton and I started what is now one of the largest travel companies in New Orleans,” said Christopher Falvey, co-founder of Unique tours of NOLA.
Falvey went on to talk about how he started his business as a complete side hustle. Hamilton was the sole tour guide and was in charge of marketing and accounting for the business. As they began to grow, they focused on hiring the best guides for their business and treating them with respect. This allowed them to love their work more, which ultimately provided customers with a more positive experience.
The bottom line
Many people start a side hustle because they want to supplement their income from their nine-to-five jobs. However, many side hustles tend to focus on things people are passionate about, so why not make the necessary moves to turn it into a successful full-time business?
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Double your income by turning these 4 side gigs into full-time businesses
