Side Hustle How to Make Money on the Side

Side Hustle How to Make Money on the Side The side hustle. Moonlighting. Freelancing. Whatever you call it, it means extra money†¦and extra work. It can be a great way to pad your bank account and build experience (or even your own business). But it’s not for the faint of heart†¦or the faint of organizational skills. Let’s look at what’s involved in developing and maintaining a side gig, and what you can do to make money on the side. Traditionally, a side hustle (whatever you call it) has been a way to earn extra money on the side, in addition to your regular job. It’s different from regular freelancing or working from home for your main source of income. For example, teachers might work summer jobs, or wait tables on weekends for extra cash. Or even going back decades, for stay-at-home parents, companies like Avon and Tupperware helped homemakers become home entrepreneurs and savvy salespeople while bringing in extra money for the household.These days, with so many options for extra inc ome opened up by the internet (and I’m not talking about those scammy â€Å"I make $7500a week werking from home!!1!† ads online), just about anyone can find a way to make extra cash on the side- if they have the time, energy, and skills.And I’m hoping I don’t need to say this, but just in case: a proper side hustle is always something legal, aboveboard, and non-sketchy. Basically, if you wouldn’t feel comfortable telling your mom about it, think twice. (Or at least be prepared to explain when your cousin’s roommate finds out about it and tells everyone.)Is a Side Hustle Right for Me?Maybe! Before you accept a new job, or go gung ho down your new side path, there are some key questions you need to ask yourself.Am I prepared for double everything?Think double the schedules, double the work hours (possibly), double the obligations.What are you willing to sacrifice to make your side job work?This could be social plans, family time, or sleep. It ’s important to see realistically how this will cut into your existing routine.What do I want to achieve here?Is it just an extra paycheck? Or is it a tentative toe dipped into new career waters?Should I Tell my Full-Time Employer?Some companies have a specific policy requiring employees to disclose other employment. Others don’t- and if yours doesn’t, it’s entirely up to you. If you know there might be conflicts between Job A and Job B, it could be better to be up front with your boss. If you take this route, make sure he or she knows that your priority is Job A, and you’ll use vacation or personal time to address such conflicts. If you don’t see any conflicts coming up, you can keep it off the radar.What Will I Need to Do to Keep My Life in Balance?When you take on more work, some things are going to slip- it’s inevitable. Before you get started, be honest with yourself about what it will take to make sure that you’re not put ting all of your time and energy into work while letting everything else slide. At some point, your long-suffering family or significant other will want to see your face, and takeout pizza for dinner gets tiresome. Set your non-work priorities, and make sure that you’ll have time to meet those obligations even with your increased workload.Speaking of Avon, one of the early home entrepreneur companies can help you figure out if a side gig is right for you.Another major factor in the decision is financial. Are there any startup or maintenance costs associated with your new side gig? If so, make sure to come up with a budget. According to Kimberly Palmer, author of The Economy of You: Discover Your Inner Entrepreneur and Recession-Proof Your Life, you probably don’t need an ironclad business plan in the early stages- but if there are costs for materials, website building, etc., it’s important to be realistic about those.If you have space in your life and a tentativ e plan for how you can rejigger your everyday life to make room, then it’s time to figure out what you want to do, and how to do it.What Can I Do?Side Hustle Nation is a guru in your journey to a second income. It’s also a good jumping-off point if you think you’ll want to make this your primary career at some point. But even if you don’t, there are resources to help you get started.There’s a good chance you already have an idea of what you’d like to do. But if not, don’t worry- there’s an easy starting point! Start with your skills and interests.What are you passionate about doing, even if it’s not your main career path?What talents do you have that aren’t being utilized by your day job- or are underutilized?MoneyPeach offers a pretty comprehensive list of options for side jobs, ranging from â€Å"I need cash fast† to â€Å"I want to build a new career.†If you’re crafty or artsy†¦Conside r selling your goods and designs, either through your own website or an established vendor like Etsy, Handmade at Amazon, eBay, or Zazzle.If you’re a designer†¦Sites like 99Designs link up willing designers with potential clients.If you’re internet-savvy†¦Blogging is a great way to start building a brand using your writing skills.Upwork connects freelance professionals with clients for jobs like web design, IT consulting, customer service, and digital photography.If you’re a teacher or academically inclined†¦Tutoring, either online or in person, is a very flexible way to earn extra money and keep those brain cells in good working order.Online teaching is another flexible option, allowing you to teach classes around your schedule.If you have elbow grease to burn†¦Odd job sites like Handy and TaskRabbit help customers find professional chore-doers willing to run errands and handle household tasks.Professional organizing is a highly in-demand se rvice these days, so if your living space is ordered and feng shui’d to the limit, you could offer that skillset to others who need it.If you’re a wordsmith†¦You can be a freelance writer or editor. Sites like Mediabistro and The Write Life are hubs for the literary lifestyle, whether it’s full time or part time.If you’re an artist with butter or sugar†¦Baking or cooking can be the way to go. You can start small, usually out of your own home (though you should check local food handling regulations before you start selling those cupcakes). Plus, your friends and family will probably be very willing test subjects for new recipes.Basically, you know yourself, your interests, and your capabilities better than anyone else.How Do I Juggle My Jobs?Once you’ve started down the path of setting up a side job (or business), the most important part will be making sure it doesn’t overtake your main job and life responsibilities.Maximize your d aily routine.If getting up a half-hour or hour earlier than usual lets you get more done in the morning, do it. If setting boundaries and leaving work at the same time every day gives you more flexibility in the evening, do it. If bringing a bag lunch and turning a sad desk lunch into a productive desk lunch gets you out the door quicker at the end of the day, do it.Identify your priorities.Here’s where the side hustle may be less fun†¦when you have to start turning down social invitations and spur-of-the-moment plans because you need to put in your time. As you’re getting started with your new mini-career, make sure you know what’s high-priority, quality non-work time, and what can be skipped with minimal fuss or hurt feelings.Make sure Job A gets the priority.This is, after all, your bread and butter still. Your side job may someday turn into a full-time opportunity, but even in the honeymoon period of your new side deal where everything is fun and produc tive, make sure you’re not bailing on core work responsibilities to take on†¦other work responsibilities. If things start to slip too far at Job A, you may find yourself making a career out of Job B sooner than you thought (and not necessarily because you’re ready to make the leap yet).The best thing about a side job is that if it doesn’t work out, you still have your main career. If life as a part-time artisanal goat cheese maker turns out to be too much trouble after a few months, you can let your business fade as a goat-scented lesson learned. Alternatively, if you do follow your interests and your skills and find yourself flourishing, you might just find that you’re creating a new professional world for yourself. A totally different career path could open up for you- or maybe this will just be an enjoyable, (hopefully) profitable entrepreneurial hobby for the long term. Whatever the case may be, go forth and entrepreneur, because you don’t know until you give it a shot.

How to Sign Up for the ACT Tricks and Tips

How to Sign Up for the ACT Tricks and Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Registering for the ACT seems like a pretty straightforward part of the testing process. But the signup process is much more convoluted than you think, and some things matter a lot more than others. You also want to make sure to avoid important mistakes that can be costly. In this article, we’ll discuss step-by-step how to sign up for the ACT. In the half-hour long process, we’ll discuss which sections matter a lot, and which ones not at all. Finally, we’ll share helpful tips to choose the best location and save money. How to Register for the ACT Step 1: The first step is to log into your ACT account here.If you don't have an ACT account, you'll be asked to create one.Next, click on Register on the left. Step 2: The first section, â€Å"Your Personal Profile,† has only one important page. The rest is just information the ACT is collecting for research purposes and has zero impact on your score or college admissions. The important page is the first one: â€Å"Your Information.† Make sure all of this information is accurate because this is what they’re using to track your tests. Step 3: Every other page in this section is irrelevant to your ACT score. The ACT is collecting this information from you for two purposes: 1) to conduct research about how different types of students perform on the ACT, 2) to give your information to colleges who can then send you spam mail based on your interests.Colleges will NOT be using this information as part of their admissions decisions – they’ll instead be reading your application. If you’re not sure yet which colleges you might want to apply to and want schools to contact you, then take the time to fill this out accurately. Otherwise, feel free to breeze through it and submit blank answers. This page and the following pages in this section aren't important. Step 4:The next major section is â€Å"Your Interest Inventory.† Much like the previous section, this is purely optional. The ACT uses this to try to recommend career choices for you, but few students really see this as helpful. Step 5: Next, we move to â€Å"Your Test Selection.† This is where your choices really start to matter.First, you have to agree to Terms and Conditions. These basically forbid you from cheating and sharing the questions and answers with others.Next, choose your test date and any other options you want. Step 6: The next page goes over the requirements of the photo of yourself you must upload in order to complete your registration.This photo will be used on test day for identification purposes. On this page are all the requirements the photo must meet, such as being a picture of only you, showing your full face, and having a plain background. You won't be uploading the photo just yet; instead you'll do that after you finish the registration process. You have to upload your photo by the photo deadline (eight days before your test date) or your registration will be canceled. Step 7:Next, the ACT asks for the high school courses you’ve taken, and then it asks you to enter grades for each course. The ACT says they’ll send your colleges the GPA with your score report. Note that most colleges don’t actually take this as your record – they’d much rather use your transcript directly. But you might as well take the time to take this seriously, lest the college wonders why your ACT reported GPA differs so much from your transcript. Step 8: Next, you’ll have a chance to add Score Report choices. At this point, you get the ability to send four free score reports to colleges of your choice. This is a $48 value for free! If you know which schools you’re applying to, I recommend that you fill this out as it can be a major cost savings (read here for more about why). If you’re worried that your college will see an unfavorable score, realize that they actually don’t really care how many times you took the test – they just care about your highest score. Step 9: Next, you’ll have the ability to fill out Future Plans (this isn’t important and is just given to colleges to try to match your interests). Step 10:Finally, you get to choose your Test Center. At this point, I heavily recommend that you search by ZIP code. This will show you the test centers closest to you, and the best location to take your test might not be your high school. If you search by ZIP code, you get to see all the available test centers near you. If you're registering right now, I recommend you read our guide to the best ACT test locations. This will help you make sure you're maximizing your chance at a great score. Don't forget to upload your registration photo when you're done, and that’s the whole process! Now you know which parts really matter and which don’t. Tips for Signing Up for the ACT Now that you know how to sign up for ACT tests, here are some important tips: Choose the best location. This isn’t an automatic decision – many students take it at their high school, but this might not be the best location! Read this guide for more. Register early, well before the deadline. Put a note on your calendar to register at least six weeks before your test date. If you don’t do this in time, you’ll be subject to fees, or worse, you won’t be able to take your exam at all. Apply for a fee waiver if you qualify. Read here for more details. What's Next? Now that you know how to register, you should know WHEN to register. Read our guide to the best ACT test dates. How high of an ACT score do you need? What's a good ACT score? Click here to find out. Want to improve by 4 points or more on the ACT? Get our free must-read guide to the top tips you need to use to improve your ACT score: