Evan Carmichael walks through a 19-day plan to launch a profitable side hustle working one hour daily. Pick an idea that combines your skills and solves a real problem, set your price, build a simple sales page, launch to friends and social media, then iterate based on early customer feedback.
Chapters
Make more money in 19 days. Think you're too busy for another project? Whether busy or not, ask yourself, "Do I have the right balance of joy, money, and flow in my life?" If you want an outcome different from the one your current path is leading to, somehow you'll have to find the time. Being too busy may be the new social currency, but the real winners find time to do what matters to them. When you're launching your first side hustle, it can be tricky to figure out how to start. Here's a suggested timeline to get you going. By spending 1 hour a day for 19 days, you'll be off the ground before a month has gone by. Day 1: First things first, decide what your side hustle will be. What skills will you utilize? What passion will you tap into? What problem will you solve? Day 2: What's the deliverable? Make a decision. Will this be a product, a service, or some kind of hybrid? How will you make money off your side hustle? Day 3: Think about the ideal customers or clients for this idea. Who are they and what are their struggles? If you have 5 customers or clients, what would they all have in common? Day 4: Set a budget. Determine all costs necessary and keep them as low as possible. Day 5: Write down 3 key benefits for your new side hustle. This is particularly important because the benefits you offer matter much more than any other details or features. Day 6: Decide how much you'll charge for your offer. Day 7: Set up a simple one-page website. No need to make it complicated or fancy. For a quick guide on how to get a website in less than an hour, visit bornforthisbook.com. Day 8: Write a simple sales page for your website. Again, it doesn't need to be complicated. Just think about what you're offering and how it will help people. Oh, and tell them what they need to do to purchase or sign up. Write the frequently asked questions section for your website. Think about what questions you'd have upon encountering your offer for the first time. What would you want to know? Day 10: Add a PayPal button or other checkout process to your one-page website. Remember, if you don't have a way to get paid, it's called a hobby, not a business. Day 11: Alternatively, offer to invoice clients for your service. If you choose this option, make sure there's a clear way for them to commit to payment before you do a bunch of work for them. Day 12: Show your draft project to 3 people and ask for feedback. For best results, don't just ask friends. Ask people who fit the background or profile you identified on Day 3. Ask for their unfiltered opinion and make sure they tell you anything that isn't immediately clear to them. Day 13: Launch! Publish your offer or simple website. Congratulations! But don't celebrate too much because there's more to be done. Day 14: Tell your friends. Let them know what you're working on and how they can help spread the word. Day 15: Tell other people you know. Friends of friends, colleagues, former classmates. Don't try to sell them directly. Just ask them to refer your project on if they know anyone who might be a good fit for it. Day 16: Mention your offering on social media. Again, don't try too hard to sell, but do show people what you've made. Day 17: Ask your first customer or client to share his or her honest opinion. What did that person like, and how could you improve? Day 18: Launch again! Take what you've learned thus far and identify a few specific tweaks. Does the price need to change? Do you need more information on the sales page? Relaunch with your new offer. Day 19. Just as retail stores frame the first dollar they receive, find a way to celebrate the beginning of your side hustle by commemorating the first check you cashed, the email notification of your first customer, or something else. The point is to take joy in your success and, better yet, in knowing that the best is yet to come.
