Starting a side hustle

People love to boast about their side hustles. Especially as a young Namibian, even if you aren't worried about job loss, a side hustle can be a great source of extra income to pay down debt, save money and invest. If you are a young Namibian who is trying to be financially independent and have full financial freedom, a side hustle brings more financial freedom and flexibility into your life.
No longer having to entirely rely on the income from a day job can be a huge relief and may allow one to start enjoying that power of knowing that you would still have an income without it. Even if there are no plans to leave your main hustle or day job, it is always nice to know that there are other options. The rapid rise of the use of the term “side hustle” and the prevalence of side hustles coincide with the development of platforms and increased utilisation of flexible working arrangements. These days, social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are free to use and make it much easier for people to provide and showcase their services and goods to their customers in a timely manner. After and amid Covid-19 a lot of the youth started using these platforms so showcase their products and services.
But so many people aren’t sure where to begin, maybe because they’re not even certain what a side hustle really is. A side hustle is any type of employment undertaken in addition to one’s full-time job. A side hustle is generally freelance or piecework in nature, providing a supplemental income. Side hustles are often things a person is passionate about, rather than a typical day job worked in order to make ends meet. A side hustle is not the same as a part-time job. While a part-time job still entails someone else (your employer) calling most of the shots (including hours worked and what you’ll be paid), a side hustle gives you the freedom to decide how much you want to work and earn.
Rhona Haifene, a freelance make-up artist, only used to do make-up as a hobby but people around her soon realised that she was talented and kept pushing her to monetise her hobby. “I started to realise that my side hustle gives me an advantage to be financially responsible for certain things and not necessarily depend on my parents. I was genuinely curious about how I could earn money for myself by myself before working for anyone else,” says Haifene.
Earning a few hundred extra dollars a month can really have a positive effect on one’s budget. Consider how that would impact your budget for the better. It could allow you to pay down debt ahead of schedule or build your investment portfolio more quickly. If you channel the money you are earning into your financial goals, then you could potentially reach your goal much sooner. Side hustles have helped a lot of people pay for their education or, like Mwaalwa Justine Shikongo, her side hustle started as a means to pay for transport to university.
“The reason I started my side hustle was to have enough money so I could pay for my transportation fees to Nust. That time I was second year and I really wanted to be on time at school and every little profit I made sure used it for school necessities. Time went by and my side hustle is now by biggest priority,” says Shikongo.
Aside from the additional income, a side hustle could be an avenue to explore your passion. For example, you could start the business that has always been stuck in the back of your mind. Constancia Kamburona has always been passionate about fashion and starting her own fashion line, Kamburona says, “I think it’s important as a young adult to always have a Plan B as nothing is certain anymore.”
There are plenty of pros like financial freedom, independence and pursuing a passion to having a side hustle, but there are challenges too. Starting a small business can take a lot of time and energy. “Putting yourself out there and trying to get the recognition, You can feel frustrated by the pace, getting the support you need can be really difficult to deal with,” says Rhona Haifene.
The many advantages are attractive but that’s not to say there aren’t some things to consider before diving in with both feet first. One consideration to weigh before taking on a side hustle is potential conflict with your day job or school. It’s important to also be careful not to over-commit yourself. Taking on more work than you can realistically handle will result in disappointed clients, which can hinder your ability to secure additional work.
The bottom line is to keep in mind that a side hustle means giving up some of your free time, but with the benefits that can be gained, many side hustlers find the sacrifice to be well worth it. With so many pros of having a side hustle, there’s no reason not to start one today.