If you are scratching your head wondering what a side hustle is, it is merely work you are doing in addition to your full-time work that pays your bills.
Usually, this is the job you do in addition to your official 9 to 5 working hours. Notably, this is becoming a common trend as the business of having a side hustle is growing within the corporate world, with many people making all the sacrifices to make their side hustle successful.
Pearl Nkrumah-Gatsey currently works with a leading Ghanaian policy and development bank and in an essential role.
She has had a side hustle for over a decade, which focuses on everything to create the ideal look brides desire for their big day, from unique and striking wedding gowns, gorgeous veils, exquisite hair accessories, bridal jewellery, cover-ups and more.
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Her entrepreneurial drive began somewhere in 2011, when she was handed the enormous task of bringing her sister’s dream wedding to life.
From conceptualising the event through the logistics to the very basic elements to create the magic on the wedding day, it was her call.
Soon, the roller coaster experience dealing with suppliers became a nightmare, as she had to travel to the United States to get the gown for the wedding.
This experience was the genesis of the entrepreneurial drive of the meticulous Ms. Nkrumah-Gatsey, who perceives her full-time job as an important service to the nation.
“I am very passionate about my full-time job and dedicate a lot of time to it. Fundamentally, I take my job very seriously, knowing it is very essential to the success of my company and its contribution to national development as a whole. My job serves as a training platform for me, offering me the opportunity to build my capacity, enhance my skills, develop new ones and grow in my role. Therefore, I give my full-time role all the time and attention needed to be successful at it,” she added.
As it has been the case, many people start their side hustle because their full time jobs are sucking the life out of them and need something to move onto, or craving for their time and freedom to be able to effectively manage the demands of their personal lives.
For others, they turn to start side jobs due to their career objectives, as well as their personal long-term goals and aspirations.
According to Pearl, shifting your side hustle to a full-time job hinges on several factors, including financial stability, passion, market demand and impact on work-life balance.
“It is important to be convinced that there is a real market for the products and services you are providing. In addition, people should be ready and willing to pay the right amount of money to ensure the business is profitable and sustainable. At this point, it is safe to consider your side hustle replacing your full-time job,” she emphasised.
In the case of Ms. Nkrumah-Gatsey, she is not involved in the daily operation of the business, but checks up on them occasionally.
She has successfully built a team of young women and men with the requisite skills to manage the business without her supervision. “If you decide to manage your full-time role with your side hustle, you ought to be very organised, else you are going to walk through your days feeling frazzled and scatterbrained. To avoid this, it becomes necessary to make a schedule and equally important to follow it; else, you will put both your day job and your side hustle at risk if you are not careful”, she added.
In her concluding remarks, Pearl stated: “In managing a business, time can either be your friend or foe and every second counts for the entrepreneur, making it important to prioritise your top tasks for each day. If you know you have an hour in the evening to do your work, what one or two tasks are “musts” to complete if you want to move your side hustle closer to your end goal? List these out and focus on achieving only your top 2 to 3 priorities for the day. I promise this will leave you feeling accomplished and making great progress toward your goals”.
>>>the writer is a thought leader in Marketing Communications, Stakeholder Relationship Management Professional and International Cooperation Specialist. Over the last 15 years, he has made tremendous impact within Africa’s corporate communications and creative arts sectors. He can be reached at [email protected] / +233 20 854 1480.
