A side hustle allows you the freedom of not having to worry when the next paycheck from your 9 to 5 will hit your account.
Side-hustles – the one term that you don’t need to explain to Kenyans or just anyone about. Most Kenyans are finding it hard to comfortably take care of their basic needs and have turned to side-hustles as a way of making an extra coin. The high cost of living and inflation in most countries have made it hard to rely on one job. Most people now have two or more jobs that allow them earn an extra cash. Many people who have a full-time job have found ways of running their own side-hustles during their free time allowing them the freedom to try out different business ideas.
For some people, their side hustles gradually became their main hustle allowing them earn more than what their 8-5 job pays them. Running a side hustle could be very beneficial to anyone looking to go into self-employment or one who wants to follow their true passion. I have seen friends who due to their side hustle, went into self-employment and became fully established and ended up hiring people to work for them. Additionally, some people’s ideas for side-hustles are born out of a need to fill a certain gap in the market or to pursue passion that they never had time for.
Most people often ask whether it is okay to run your own side hustle while still employed and what the benefits are. My answer; yes it is as long as it does not eat into your employers time and is not against the company policy. Some companies have very clear rules when it comes to their employees having their own side hustles. Make sure that you read your contract keenly before deciding to start your own side business. Having a side-hustle however, has plenty of advantages. What are some of the advantages of having a side hustle?
1. Time-management
Most people that I know of who run their one side hustles always have deadlines to meet. Whether it’s an article they need to submit to a client or an online store that requires deliveries to be made on time, there is always an issue of time involved. This allows them plan their schedules beforehand therefore learn better time-management skills. They may be the first to clock in and first to clock out but will have ensured their completed tasks are well done and are handed in before the due date. You can agree with me that a good time-manager is a valuable asset to any employer. They know how to manage their own time and will rarely have issues with their colleagues or superiors.
2. Increased self-confidence
Whatever side-hustle one is involved in, they are able to learn new skills, stretch their boundaries to ensure delivery of set goals or timelines thus becoming better individuals. This helps increase one’s self-confidence and they become fully aware of their capability and what they can achieve. As much as self-confidence is a soft skill, being able to express yourself or share ideas confidently can be very advantageous. Knowing the value that you provide in any situation will help you set the bar high when it comes to how you work and build relationships.
3. Fall back plan
We live in the days when the job market is quite unstable. Today you might have a job and tomorrow you are no longer commuting to work. What does this mean? A side hustle can be your fall back plan in case you lose your job or are declared redundant. What you earn from this could help take care of the bills before you get back up on your feet and get something else going. Or, it could become your main hustle.
4. Reliance on one source of income
The thing about being employed is that we tend to rely on our salaries. And for some of us, we live from pay check to pay check; always wondering when that ‘salo’ will hit our accounts. A side-hustle allows you the freedom of not having one source of income. So with or without your salary, you are able to live comfortable and even forget that you have a monthly income - of course this is in situations where your side hustle pays well. Additionally, a different source of income gives you peace of mind and security in terms of being able to save more.
5. Self-employment
Most of us, even myself, desire to own and run our businesses. Be your own boss, you know. Considering that more than 30% of the time side hustles are born out of a need to follow one’s passion, it lets you become self-employed. If you have ever desired to have your own business, a side-hustle is a good way to start. It enables you see if you are willing to go the extra mile and have the patience to run your own business.
There are more reasons as to why having a side hustle is beneficial to anyone, not just the employed. As such, employers who have employees running their own side hustles shouldn’t feel threatened as long as their employees don’t run their side business during the official communicated working hours. Have any thoughts on this article? Feel free to leave us your comment on the comment section below.
