In 2009, like many people during the Great Recession, I was laid off. I worked as an audio engineer from he 9 to he 5, and also worked as a freelance music producer for his indie band on the side.
Even though I knew nothing about being an entrepreneur, I took the setback of losing my job and decided to spend my time growing it as a side hustle.
What I built today is My two online businesses, a music education company and a business coaching brand, bring in about $160,000 a month. Have passive income and work less than 5 hours a week.
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I learned a lot about what it takes to create a profitable business. I have shared my knowledge with his over 3,000 clients and even wrote a book about my experiences.
So if you want to start a side hustle, this is the best advice I can give you.
In the early days, I was obsessed with what was called the “hustle method.” I used my skillset to find a problem that I could help people solve: record better-sounding music.
I focused all my efforts on acquiring customers and selling services to them. I spent all my time calling, emailing, and DMing musicians, artists, and bands to see if they needed help producing their next album. I worked 32 hours a week and made only $2,000 a month.
He asked past clients for introductions and attended events where musicians gathered to hand out business cards. I did everything I could to let the world know that I was still in business.
As a freelancer, I regularly created online content around audio engineering topics. And as my audience grew, I started finding strategic ways to monetize the content I created. Within a few months, it became clear that I could make more money and have more time if I focused on automation rather than busy work.
The automation method has four components. The breakdown is as follows:
- Discoverable Content. This includes YouTube videos, blog posts/articles, and podcasts. I don’t count social media because it’s not evergreen, meaning it won’t stay visible forever. You want to create content that shows up in searches on Google and YouTube. Consider simple “how-to” content that answers your target customers’ biggest questions.
Some of my music business examples include How to Build a Home Recording Studio for Just $300. It might take him two hours to shoot, edit, create a thumbnail, and post.
- free gift. Once someone discovers your work, you want to move that content from his platform to your email list. This is especially important given the threat of a ban on platforms like TikTok. This gift includes a PDF guide, free video masterclass, or audio training.
For example, its home studio videos come with a free “Studio Gear Guide.” This is a simple PDF of all the equipment I recommend at various price points so people can skip the guesswork and buy what I know and trust.
- email autoresponder. When someone downloads my free gift and signs up for my email list, I send them multiple days of pre-written emails that add even more value. Usually his first three days teach some key concepts, which he builds from YouTube videos.
I like to use tools like Mailchimp and Kajabi to handle all these automated emails. Kajabi isn’t free, but it includes a website builder, a private community, and hosts your digital products. Mailchimp has a free plan, which is a great place to start. Towards the end of your first email series, you’ll be pitching your product. This is the fourth and final component.
- digital products. Being able to sell your knowledge through digital products such as online video courses or paid communities is a great way to free up your time and help increase your income. If you want, you can sell items like e-books or affiliate products, or encourage people to sign up for coaching. In any case, it is important that everything is done automatically.
My favorite digital products are online courses. Shooting doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. Some of my business coaching clients film their courses on their iPhones in their space on weekends.
When it comes to pricing, I’ve seen hobby and professional courses range from $50 to $300, and business and money-related classes range from $500 to $3,000. Do some comparative research in your field to figure out what works for you.
No matter what side hustle you start, ask yourself these questions: Are you building something that is easily and cheaply scalable and sustainable over the long term? If the answer is yes, you’re on the right track.
Graham Cochrane I am the author of “How to get paid for what you know” and serves as a business coach for over 2,800 clients worldwide. Instagram and twitter.
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