How To Run A Successful Tech Side Hustle

In these opportune times we live in, technology has enabled us to utilise our skills to our financial advantage. With an increase in domains dedicated to crowdsourcing, there’s lots of ways to bring in a side income, also known as a ‘side hustle’.

Specifically, a tech side hustle is a type of employment that supplements a full-time job. It usually draws on a person’s skills or passion. In the case of tech, this could involve; building websites, domain transfers, graphic design, social media support, WordPress hosting, blog writing and much more.

Make no mistake, crowdsourcing is big business. It’s estimated that almost 40% of workers have a side hustle – a figure set to grow to 50% by 2030.

If you’re considering joining the gig economy, here’s some tips for success:

Match your skills

First of all, find the right platform to meet new clients. From Upwork to Innocentive and Creative Pool, there’s a number of crowdsourcing sites that offer work in the tech industry. Think about how you can add value to clients; like helping to check domain names and setting up a website, or perhaps writing code?

Once you have found your niche, bring your portfolio to life with plenty of examples of your work. Make it easy for prospective clients to reach you and always respond promptly.

Client management

You might be working for yourself, but you still have clients to manage. This means setting realistic goals about how much time you can dedicate around your job and ensuring deadlines are always met. In the gig economy, your reputation is all you have, so it’s important to treat clients with respect and care.

As an additional thought, never be afraid to hustle. Think of ways to upscale and bring in more business from loyal clients. Also, be sure to ask them for feedback on your profile – this will lead to more work from other sources.

Keep a work-life balance

We are all working longer hours than ever before. Whether you’re setting up domains for clients or building their database, even if it feels like a hobby it still contributes to your working hours.

In Ireland, according to the Working Time Act, employees should not be working more than 48 hours a week. Even when that’s spread across seven days of working, it’s nearly seven hours a day.

Burnout is real. If your side job is taking too much from you, it may start to affect your permanent job, and that is best avoided.

Try and strike a balance that works for both. Perhaps setting a dedicated few hours aside every week for your second job.

Self-development

Finally, one of the most overlooked benefits of the gig economy is the opportunity to extend your skills. If you have a website domain think about how you can promote your services on there, including certain areas you want to develop or grow.

While you shouldn’t offer services you’re unable to provide, you can however apply your learned skills to new ways of working.

If you’re looking to grow your business, visit LetsHost.ie for a selection of affordable solutions from WordPress hosting to registering an Irish domain.