As much as I talk about the importance of branding, I’ll be the first to say that branding on its own isn’t a magical solution to grow your side hustle. Even though it’s an important investment that can have incredible ROI, there are other things you need to have in place before you can start building your brand. In this blog post, I’ll share why passion, discipline, tough skin and humility are must-haves to grow your side hustle.

Now, these must-haves may not be tangible, but they’re nevertheless important. And I say this from personal experience: Without these four must-haves, I wouldn’t have been able to grow Mighty Bean Co. into the profitable part-time business that it is today. Even though everyone’s journey and experience are unique, I strongly believe that these four must-haves can be game-changers for you as you grow your side hustle.

So, let’s jump right into it.

 

Passion

As someone who’s been running my own part-time business for more than four years, I’ll be the first to say that passion quite literally needs to be the foundation of your side hustle, especially in the early stages.

It can take some time to ramp up your side hustle and get it going as a part-time business. In the beginning, there will likely be more money going out than is coming in (it takes time to turn a profit!). Speaking from experience, the early stages of building a side hustle can be discouraging. But when you’re passionate about your side hustle, it’s a lot easier to push through those feelings and keep going. 

Another reason passion is so important is because it will keep you dedicated to your craft. Your side hustle — especially at the start — will consume most of your free time, and if you’re not passionate about it, it will feel like a chore. But if you love what you do and feel genuine excitement for the part-time business you’re building, the hours spent on your side hustle will fly by. You’ll enjoy every minute of it!

Discipline

Next to passion, discipline is the second must-have to grow your side hustle.

If you want your side hustle to be a part-time business — attracting clients, making profit and scaling — you have to treat it accordingly. That means breaking out of the hobby mindset and adopting a business mentality. It means setting goals, building a supporting strategy, and putting aside the time, consistently, for your side hustle in order to reach your goals.

Speaking from personal experience, growing a side hustle not only takes discipline, but it also requires sacrifice. There will be late nights, early mornings, setbacks and disappointments. And if I’m being totally honest, there will also be times when you want to throw in the towel.

That’s where discipline comes in. As much as it’s about being structured and consistent in your side hustle, it’s also the ability to push through seasons of discomfort and disappointment. The journey to grow your side hustle isn’t a linear one, and discipline is crucial to keeping you on the course.

Tough Skin

As I mentioned above, there will be ups and downs as you grow your side hustle. Unfortunately, the lows are simply a reality of building a business.

In my own business, one of the things I’ve had to learn is to not take rejection personally. I remember early on when I would crumble because of a rejected proposal or a potential client who would ghost me. I would internalize the experience, and it would take me weeks to recover emotionally, rebuild my confidence and get back on the horse.

Not only was that emotional rollercoaster unhealthy for me as an individual, but it also stunted the growth of my business. I had to learn pretty quickly not to take things so personally.

I had to grow tough skin.

What I’ve learned since then is that, as necessary as it is to have emotion in your side hustle — after all, we’ve just talked about the  importance of passion — you have to be able to manage and compartmentalize those feelings. As much as things might feel personal in the moment, the honest truth is that rejection is actually rarely about you.

Humility

“Fake it ’til you make it.”

It’s a saying you’ve probably heard many times. As much as there’s truth to it — you have to believe in yourself and your goals even though you might not have all the skills (yet) — it’s important to know when not to fake it and ask for help.

You have to know when to be humble.

There’s so much that goes into building a part-time business that it’s quite literally impossible to know everything. While Google is always a great place to start, there will be times when you need more support. Fortunately, there are lots of virtual communities and Facebook groups where you can ask questions and access much-needed resources. These groups are often also great for networking and building relationships with other side hustlers, entrepreneurs, mentors and even potential collaborators.

Paid communities are also a great place to get the help you need to grow your side hustle. Because of the cost, these communities tend to be smaller and more focused, and the quality of the content shared can also be better. If your budget allows, consider investing in one paid community and then join other free groups as needed.

Ready to grow your side hustle?

There you have it: four must-haves to grow your side hustle! Did I miss anything? Leave a comment below and share any other must-haves you can think of.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, branding is a crucial investment that can have incredible ROI for your side hustle. If you already have the must-haves I’ve shared in this post and are ready to tackle your brand next, I’d love to be your creative partner. Just fill out my contact form, and let’s talk about how we can grow your side hustle.