BUILD A BRAND THAT STANDS OUT
5 ways to turn your side hustle into a full-time online business in 2021
by Mel Fee
THE BLOG
Our online business tips
Hey, I’m Mel Fee
Brand and Marketing Strategist
for female entrepreneurs
Last year has been a WILD ride for all of us, business owners, side-hustlers and employees alike.
Health crisis, economic crisis, lockdowns… and most of all trying to resist the urge of trading all your clothes for leggings.
Good news is: it has also created loads of opportunities for female solopreneurs who like you, are running a service-based business in the online space.
Wether you are a coach, a creative, a social media manager, or a consultant, this year could be YOUR year.
The year you quit your life-sucking desk job and get up every day with a vision that sets your soul on fire.
The year you turn your expertise into a full-time gig, land clients you love working with and get paid more than at your current gig.
The year you get to set your own schedule, take time to enjoy life and wonder why you didn’t take the leap before.
Don’t believe me? Say this out loud a few times: ‘2021 is my year’. Now grab your fave notebook, your smoothest pen and check out these tips to take your side hustle to the next level.
1- Get out your comfort zone
If you’ve never heard me use this quote from John Assaraf, here it is for you again: “A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there”. All is said.
Diving into entrepreneurship full-time is not for the faint hearted. It will challenge the hell out of you but it is SO MUCH more rewarding to be working on your own dreams than playing safe in an unfulfilling 9-5.
If you follow the steps, you’ll be getting results (and money) you never thought were possible.
But truth is, to sustain a constant level of change and growth, girl you got to get used to being uncomfortable. You have to be able to change yourself so things can change around you. By changing yourself I don’t mean changing your core, keep that precious stuff locked in. But be flexible on all the rest. Break the habits, drop the remote, hang out with new people, go somewhere you’ve never been, even just for a day.
The idea is to get uncomfortable as often as possible to build up your resilience and adaptability skills.
I’ve lived in 6 countries and put myself in some preeeetty wild situations throughout my life (don’t ask). Now you obviously don’t have to move cross-country but I guarantee you dealing with uncertainty and akwardness on a daily forges your temper and helps you handle whatever curve balls business life throws at you.
2 - Have a brand strategy in place
With technologies and information more accessible and affordable than ever, a lot of people have jumped onto the side-hustle band-wagon.
People across the world are starting new online businesses EVERY FREAKIN’ SECOND. This is massively strengthening competition and the need for differentiation, hence the need for solid branding.
The thing is branding is easier said than done when it’s not part of your skillset. Many female entrepreneurs take on way too much, DYI their branding and that often results in branding mistakes that hurt your online business.
To build a brand that helps you stand out in a saturated market, you first need to be crystal clear on your brand strategy. There really is no point working on your website layout or Instagram visuals if you haven’t established your strategy first, as it will only leave you with a broken brand. I highly suggest investing into a professional service like our very own Standout Brand Strategy session so you can build up your brand and business on the right foundations. It will help you capture your unique value vs. your competitors and understand what audience to target so you can profitably grow your online business.
3- Stay aligned with your purpose
At the Mighty Bunch, we believe female solopreneurs should embrace everything that makes them unique (and awesome) and reject everything they don’t align with.
When you transition your side-hustle to a full-time business, having no safety net may seem daunting. You might be tempted to open up your services to more people or companies you don’t align with by fear of missing out on a hefty pay check.
Stay true to yourself – the values and purpose you establish in your brand strategy are there for a reason. You should aim to align them with your audience’s needs to ensure you attract likeminded clients and repel those who are not a good fit.
I personally wouldn’t take on people that are homophobic, racist or against equal rights for any number on a check. If they stand against everything I believe in, why would I want to help them grow their influence and spread their message? Your business, your rules.
Referral is still a huge part of the service-based industry and believe me, you don’t want a nightmare client bringing in more similar clients. Stay aligned with your purpose, stick to your values and focus on serving ‘your’ people. You could be working with a flow of dream clients’ referees instead.
4 - Invest in your growth
Money blocks are a real kryptonite to business growth. You might think you can do 25 hours 8 days every week and you’ll figure it all out. (Who needs food when you can have 12 coffees right?)
Newsflash: you can’t do it all by yourself and you WILL burn out if you try. Girl, that is the cold truth. Not investing in your growth, and trying to wear every hat in your business is just not sustainable. It is the quickest way to being stuck in overwhelm mode, losing confidence and eventually giving up on your dreams.
Hire a specialist, outsource some work, get a coach. No-one, I repeat NO-ONE has ever built and ran a successful business completely on their own. The most successful business entrepreneurs on the planet have mentors, they attend mastermind, they surround themselves with expert staff and a network of likeminded people that keeps them accountable. All athletes have a coach, not because they don’t know hot to compete but because they know they will achieve better and faster results if someone pushes them further forward. If Serena does it, we should all do it.
Invest in your growth, your future self will thank you for it.
5- Get into learning mode
One of my mentors used to say ‘the more you learn, the more you earn’. And that stuck with me, not just because I’m semi-addicted to learning (insert geek emoji face) but because I do believe that in life what you put in is what you get out.
You obviously won’t see instant results from an expert book you’ve just read but if you do it consistently, the time you’ve invested will have compiling effects. You’ll be able to better serve your clients, speak about your topic with more fluency and eventually attract more clients to your business.
Switch your morning show for a podcast, listen to audio books, subscribe to industry newsletters. This all will help establish yourself as an authority in your field.
Taking the leap from side hustle to full-time business is a scary yet liberating move.
I hope these tips gave you some guidance on how to approach the next phase and give you the courage to build a business and live you love. Spend some time identifying the changes you need to make to level up your side hustle.
If you need further guidance and support to turn your passion into a profitable business, check out my 1:1 Mighty Brand coaching program here.
