Episode 2: Practical First Steps To Taking Your Side Hustle Legit

So, guys have you ever had an idea for a business, worked your ass off to make it your side hustle and then wonder…now what? I know I have and Laura was the perfect person to talk with about that next step to taking your side hustle legit.

She is a successful wedding photographer here in Georgia and has some awesome tips on how to move forward and make that side hustle a real life, money making, sustainable job. This episode was super fun to record and Laura even took the time to talk with me literally days before her wedding in Hawaii!! Believe me, you are going to love all of these practical steps Laura shares and I promise it will help to make that leap feel a whole lot more doable. Let’s dive in!

The Importance Of Education:

We all know that education and learning our craft is important. However, many of us are starting our business in something we didn’t get our degree in. Some of us have decided the traditional education route wasn’t the right fit. Laura points out that the education you receive from just practicing your craft can sometimes be even better than what you get in a classroom. She suggests checking out courses offered by people you look up to in your industry and most importantly… practice! practice! practice!

Another suggestion Laura makes is to reach out to someone more experienced than you and ask if you can shadow them. You will get some no’s but don’t be discouraged. Keep reaching out and eventually you will find someone willing to let you tag along and learn!.

I Want To Be A Legit Business…But How?

As creatives, we are great at the ideas and the creation, however the more practical and boring side of the business can sometimes be a struggle. However, it’s just as important if you want to be taken seriously (and avoid getting into hot water with the government). Here are some of the first steps Laura suggests you do when you want to go legit:

1. Register as a business in your state

Check out this guide on how to register your business here : https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/register-your-business

2. Register for an EIN number

Step by Step guide on how to register: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online

3. Open a separate bank account

4. And a customer management system or an organizational tool to use from the beginning.

I use dubsado and you can get a discount here: https://www.dubsado.com/?c=hustle with code: hustle

Your Website Is Key:

Your website is usually the first impression people get of you as a business and a business owner. You want to make sure it checks all the boxes and directs your clients to exactly that place you want them to be to hire you. Laura shared the top priorities you need to focus on when crafting a good website:

1. Understand what the point of your website will be

Are you selling services?
Are you selling products?
Collecting inquiries?

This will help you understand what you need to do to funnel your visitors to an “action”. For example, if you are selling services, you want to have multiple ways to get your visitors to your “contact” or “services” page. Funnel them from your home page to those pages with calls to action, clickable buttons, copy, etc…

2. What info is your ideal client looking for on your website?

Tip: Use the “Grunt Test”. This is a test where if a customer comes to your website, can they figure out these things ins less than 10 seconds:

What do you do?
Why they should buy your product or services?
How to get in touch with you

So, for those of you feeling paralyzed and stuck, just implement a few of these tactics and you will be on your way to becoming a legitimate business owner!