Let’s talk about side hustles…. I’ve had a few!

Believe it or not, Port Macquarie Performing Arts—that now has almost 300 students—used to be mine. 

When I started PMPA, my full-time job was in breakfast radio. I would go to work at 5am and be on air until 10am, and then do all of the meetings and admin that come along with that, before heading home at 11am for a power nap! Post power nap, I’d get up and put my face on and go to the studio and teach dance for 6 or 7 hours, and then head home to do the invoices, banking, time tables, ordering of costumes etc until I fell asleep… and then got up and did it all over again! 

I did that for 1.5 years before I realised it was time to really focus on my side hustle and put an end to that wild schedule! In retrospect, that time in my life was crazy town! But I’ve also never  looked back! It was so worth it. 

So if you’re in “crazy town” right now and you’re ready to move on out, I’m here cheering for you because it’s incredibly liberating! 

But if you’re reading this wondering “But how do I know if I’m ready to take this full time?” I hear you, because that can feel like such a gamble, so let’s put some goal posts up to aim towards, shall we? 

Here’s 2 indicators your side hustle is ready to become your full-time focus:

1. The demand for your product or service is too much for you to control. That’s what happened to me. There just weren’t enough hours in the day for me to physically get everything done that needed to be actioned if my business was going to run smoothly without things slipping through the cracks. It needed more of my focus, and a team behind it too. (More on that in this week’s podcast episode.)

2. You’re bringing in enough side-hustle income to replace your wage. If you’re making more from your side hustle than you are in your full time job, then the time has come to make a plan to go all-in. And yes, we’re going to make a plan! This isn’t something you decide today and resign from your current job tomorrow! It might be the case that it makes more sense for you to hire some team members for your side hustle while you keep your full time job for a while longer. You need to do your homework and generate a business plan for the side hustle first. (I can help you with that, don’t worry!) 

Finally, if you are taking the plunge and taking your business to the next level, whether that is bringing on a team or whether that is turning your side hustle into a full time gig, then I encourage you to surround yourself with the right people.

• A good accountant + financial manager. 

• A HR consultant. 

• Marketing strategist.

• Business coach. 

All those hats you’ve been wearing? It’s time to take some of those off and give those responsibilities to people who have expertise in those areas, because that investment is going to help you grow your business even faster. (And ultimately, help give you the sigh of relief that you’re looking for with this whole process of thinking, “Am I doing the right thing?”.) 

You’ve got this! 

If you’d like a coach to guide you along in this journey—while also being supported by a community of like-minded women—I’d love you to come and join me inside THRIVE, my 6-month coaching and accountability program for women in business.