To all my side hustlers, sometimes freelancers and passion project enthusiasts, I’m looking at you! Many of us who keep extra cash flow potential on the side have the benefit of not having to spend a ton of time focused on marketing and promoting the service. Work comes, work goes and overall we’re pretty happy about that.
But if you’re feeling ready take on some side work to bring in a bit of extra cash, but know you aren’t quite ready to hire at the moment, keep reading.
What does it mean to be ready to hire?
Simply that: you’re ready, at a moment’s notice, to be hired for work. And that doesn’t just mean ready to take on the project, it means all of those little things that come before, during and after the work.
- Ready to pass along a business card if you’re out at an event.
- Ready to send along what services you offer.
- You’ve looked at your rates recently and made adjustments when ready.
- You can recite your work process forwards, backwards and upside down.
- You’ve updated your bios and signatures to reflect the work your interested in taking on.
- You’ve updated you website or portfolio with your latest work.
If you can’t check these off of your list at the moment, you might not be ready to hire just yet. So let’s get you there.
Replenish your stash
Of business cards, thank you notes, stationary or anything else you buy to help put your professional foot forward. There’s nothing worse than reaching for a business card only to find you’ve given out your last and that you’re stuck empty handed.
And while you’re replenishing, make sure everything on your materials is up to date. All of your email addresses, social handles and logo/branding that you use offline should match what you’re currently using online.
Update your web presence
Now’s the time to upload those last three projects to your portfolio, rework your social media bio and spruce up your email signature a bit. If you don’t rely on these things to bring in your income full time, it’s easy for them to slip off of your radar. Check in on the pages on your site or blog that you haven’t reviewed in a while and spruce up the copy and photos there, as well.
Review your rates and workflow
Does the price still feel right? Does the system you have in place work for the types of projects you’re interested in taking on? If it’s been a while since you’ve taken on a project, now is a great time to rethink your side hustle goals, whether they be focused on the amount you’d like to make or the type of client you’d like to serve.
Take some time today to create a ready to hire checklist for yourself using some of the tips above. Let me know what items fall onto your list, and good luck taking on new projects!