You might be a nine-to-fiver interested in owning a business, but you never got around to starting one. You either didn’t have the time to get to it, or your job pays the bill. In other cases – you love your job as a career, and you find it fulfilling. The bottom line is, you still have the Entrepreneurial bug in you. And now more than ever is the right time to open a side business.
Due to current concerns, you understand that things could change at any moment. It’s okay to have a job that pays the bill, but the truth is – things could change at any moment. Owning a side business enables you to contribute to your income and leverage your skills and time as an entrepreneur.
5 SIDE BUSINESS IDEAS
Building a business as a side hustle comes in various forms. The idea could come from a passion you enjoy doing. It could grow from a professional skill you can leverage on in your spare time. Or, it could be a business idea you intend to grow to a full-time business. Below are a few ideas you can start today as a side business.
1. FREELANCE BUSINESS
Freelancers are people who offer their services on a part-time basis. Freelancers offer their technical, creative or labour skills as professionals. You could build a freelance business as a writer, an Editor, a Graphic Designer, a Web Designer or a Web Developer.
Online, you will find some freelance job platforms that connect you with a client. Examples of such platforms are Fiverr, WritersWork and Upwork. As a freelancer, you can increase your income as a side hustle and grow as a full-time business owner in due time.
2. ECOMMERCE
Thanks to technology, the retail industry has evolved big time. Retail owners now use eCommerce platforms such as Shopify and Esty to make sales daily. As an eCommerce retailer, you can reach and serve your customers from your home to theirs.
Shopify is an eCommerce platform that enables retailers to set up an online store and sell their products. Fun fact: a fellow immigrant entrepreneur owns this Ottawa company!
Esty connects customers who love handmade, vintage items and art to craft makers. Esty is the platform to use if you love to expand your art and craft business as a business owner. These eCommerce platforms help you grow your side hustle as a business.
3. AFFILIATE MARKETING
Affiliate marketing is one of the easiest side businesses to launch. Internet Marketers love this as a side hustle. It enables you to earn income as a business owner without selling your product or service. And no, it is not a Ponzi scheme, neither is it a recruit-a-friend deal.
You can sell online retailers’ products or services on your website and earn a commission for purchases done through your exclusive links. Online retailers such as; Shopify, Amazon, Click Funnels, Hostgator, BlueHost, Esty and Ownr make it possible to grow a steady business as an Affiliate Marketer. And these are just a tiny amount of affiliate marketing opportunity examples.
Visit the websites of known brands to learn more about their Affiliate Marketing Programs or simply Google the term and you will get a plethora of options.
4. DRIVE YOUR SIDE HUSTLE
You own a car. Nice! Yet, you hardly use it, and it depreciates every second you own it. Why not put it to good use as a side hustle vehicle. You could drive for Uber or Lyft. At a click of a button, you control your work schedule and get paid for each drive. It’s a flexible mode of earning an income as a business owner. You control your speed.
5. PASSION LED SIDE-HUSTLE
As mentioned earlier, you could start a business based on your passion or interest. It could be your passion for beauty as a MakeUp Artist, food as a Food Carter or designs as an Event Planner. In most cases, such businesses grow into a full-time business as your customers grow.
It is okay to open a side hustle as a business but avoid making the mistakes people make when starting a business. If your passion is in food, you could learn the truth about the food business in Canada.
In having your business in order, you will be able to scale your business with ease as your side-hustle grows. Connect with a Business Coach to help you grow your side business to a full-time business. Remember, an Entrepreneur’s journey could be lonely, but you do not have to do it alone. To help you get started, download the checklist below to learn what you need to build a business as an Immigrant.
