Is your day job stifling your creativity? Thanks to the gig economy, artists can focus more on their calling while still earning a living. Side gigs offer profitable and flexible work, leaving plenty of time to create.
Untraditional, flexible, and efficient. Freedom and flexibility are key motivations for more workers than ever, as the gig economy provides opportunities to balance dreams with basic needs and obligations. As Investopedia explains, by leaving the walls and restrictions of traditional workplaces, workers are embracing temporary and freelance work to enjoy the benefits of flexing their schedules and workloads. While that means dropping paid time off and the convenience of your employer saving money toward retirement on your behalf, for many artists, it’s a worthy tradeoff. It’s a chance to shift your work schedule so you can pursue your craft, cultivate skills and foster ideas. When you engage in a side gig, you can work almost anywhere, any time, so long as you have an internet connection and a computer or tablet. Some gig workers even function via smartphone.
Do you have what it takes? In order to be successful as a gig worker, you need to have self-discipline. This applies not only in your work habits, but also your spending habits. There isn’t a time card to punch every morning and no boss to write you up if you oversleep, nor is there a payroll department withholding funds to pay your taxes or insurance costs. Thankfully, just as there are a number of tech tools for engaging gig work, there are similar tools to support you in your endeavors. For instance, some apps are designed especially for freelancers needing assistance with time management. And as U.S. News & World Report explains, there are retirement accounts for people who are self-employed. You also can enroll in a health savings account to help with your medical costs. You should track both your income and your expenses relating to your work, and find out from a tax professional what is deductible and what isn’t.
What’s your gig? A great side gig offers you an opportunity to stretch your wings and exercise your skills. It should be something you enjoy and have talent for, or at least are proficient at doing. While you may not love bookkeeping as much as you love designing websites, if you’re highly skilled at crunching numbers and still learning about web design, you may find a more lucrative position balancing books while you develop your skills for designing websites. Finding a great side gig is extremely achievable. Depending on your abilities and interests, the possibilities are almost endless, and as Business Insider notes, many of them pay quite well. You can engage through a platform for virtually instant clientele, so you need to decide what your gig should be. If you love working out, you can be a fitness instructor, or if you have a favorite school subject, become a tutor. There are opportunities for drivers, project assistants, business consultants, and software developers. If you’re great with dogs, you can become a dog walker or offer dog-boarding services. And the beauty of it all is that you can try it on for size. If something isn’t working out as expected, simply shift gears into a different gig.
Promote your new venture. Once you jump into your side gig, don’t keep it a secret! Even if you’re engaging through a platform that helps market your abilities, it’s wise to promote your side gig on your own. Set up accounts on social media that are dedicated to your new endeavor, create a website, and purchase business cards to hand out to friends, family members and new clients. Word of mouth will help drum up business, expanding your customer base and getting you noticed.
Opportunities and endeavors. If it’s time to engage your creative efforts more fully, a side gig can be the answer. Decide what skills you can offer and what you will enjoy, find tools to support your new venture, and promote your work. Thanks to the flexibility of the gig economy, you can make ends meet while still pursuing your artistic dreams!
Image courtesy of Pixabay