Curating Your Career Change: How to Turn Your Side-Hustle into Your Day Job

Immersing yourself in a side-hustle while working a full-time job is a fantastic way of pursuing your hobbies while earning a little extra on the side. For now, your job income is that money buffer to keep your belly full and rent paid. But at some point, your side-hustle might begin earning you enough money and reach a level of success that convinces you to make the big change of pursuing it full-time.

This transition can be both exciting and nerve-wracking – it’s never an easy decision to walk away from what’s probably your main source of income to invest your time and energy into a young business.

It’s important not to go into this change blind. The right preparation, along with managing expectations, can help you hit the ground running while optimising your cash flow at a critical time. You can start your prep by getting informed, so keep reading to learn how to curate your career change and turn your side-hustle into a full-time job.  

Craft a Compelling Brand

Your brand is what sets you apart from the competition, so make sure to build a compelling one. Thankfully, turning your brand into something physical that people can see and interact with has never been easier. For instance, you can make use of reputable branding companies that will help your collateral feel that extra bit special, like Worldwide printing services in Australia and other similar providers. You need to invest in proper printing services to get the professional results that will help win new business at a pivotal time. 

On the digital side of things, software like Canva and Adobe Photoshop can help you design visuals in a matter of minutes. Before you start thinking of creating collateral, you need to create a clearly defined brand. This includes selecting brand colours, coming up with a slogan and choosing attractive yet readable fonts. By making your brand unique and ensuring that it connects with your target audience, you can differentiate yourself from other businesses in your industry. 

Familiarise Yourself With Marketing Basics

Marketing is crucial to the success of any business. Before turning your side-hustle into a permanent job, make sure you know the basics to ensure that you have a steady stream of new customers coming in. 

The field of marketing is extremely broad. While it’s impossible to be an expert in everything, having a basic understanding of social media management, search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, email marketing and out-of-home advertising is a good place to start.

Try out different channels to gain an audience and customer base, which will help you discover what works best for your product or service. For example, if you’re selling knitted and crochet clothing products, you might first turn to a popular platform like Depop or Etsy. But don’t limit your options – you can also set up an Instagram page, post on Facebook Marketplace and even hand out physical flyers.

As your business grows, you may need to utilise more complex marketing strategies. This might involve working with outside marketing experts if you don’t currently have the capacity to hire full-time employees. While working with consultants, freelancers and agencies obviously costs money, the investment is worth it if it means growing your customer base. 

Utilise Government Support

Historically, Australia has always been a fantastic place to start a business, and this is due in large part to the level of support startups receive from the government. When running a small business, you can benefit from a number of tax deductions on business expenses like employee salaries and marketing costs. Contact a tax professional to get a better idea of what expenses you can claim deductions on.

Aside from the support from the federal government, businesses can also benefit from resources provided by local government units. The City of Greater Geelong, for example, helps those building new businesses by streamlining the process of receiving permits, giving advice on compliance and providing insights into the local business scene through its Business Concierge. Many other cities across the country have started similar initiatives, so make sure to take advantage of all the governmental support available to you as you transform your side-hustle into a thriving business. 

Don’t Rush Into Your Career Change

Leaving your current job in favour of focusing on your small business is a big step that shouldn’t be taken lightly. While handing in your resignation gives you plenty of time to focus on your passion, it also removes a blanket of financial security, and it’s essential to make sure your side-hustle can support you before turning it into your day job. 

There are several things you can do to make the transition smoother. For one thing, try to save as much and as hard as you can in the final months before you leave your job to give you some extra financial security during the change. You can also take online courses related to your side-hustle while working your current job. This builds your expertise and increases the likelihood of your small business succeeding. Another step you can take is to perform market research. While you might have an established side-hustle with loyal clients, turning it into a full-time job that pays the bills requires you to sell to a larger audience. Do some market research to determine whether or not there’s demand on the market before diving in. 

Changing careers is incredibly exciting, but it comes with risks. While it’s impossible to completely eliminate these dangers, make sure that you’ve done all you can to address the potential risks before making such a massive change in your professional life. 

Proper Prep = Trouble-Free Transitions

Given that they involve our financial security and livelihood, career changes always come with some level of risk and stress. But if you’ve found something you’re truly passionate about, that is rewarding and earns you money, it’s a decision that can be completely worth it. Your passion behind it can even reduce some of the stress in the transition!

However, don’t go onto the switch uninformed and unplanned. Start by getting your branding ironed out and creating physical and digital collateral that represents your brand to showcase professionalism. Learn some basics of marketing and get yourself set up on all the relevant platforms, whether that’s with a website, Shopify, seller marketplaces or anything else. There are also fantastic government incentives for small businesses, so make sure you utilise them to your advantage. Finally, don’t rush. Go slow, plan and save as much money as you can while still working your day job, and then you might find the big, anticipated leap will feel more like a simple, enjoyable step.

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