“Raise your hand if you have a side hustle which you want to make some ‘serious’ money out of…..”that was a question recently posed to a room full of Kenyans thirsty for knowledge on how they can turn their side hustles into money making machines. And the response to this question you ask? All hands went up.
And who better to give that kind of advice than Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja, Farzana Khubchandani, Head of Marketing for Google Kenya and Patricia Mbatia, CEO of Game Changer a Marketing and Events Company.
Back to you, do you have a side hustle? Here are all the tips you need to make that venture worth your while.
1.Go for what excites you
I am sure you’ve heard of this little but quite powerful piece of advice before. “You need to venture into something that you would do with your eyes closed,” advices Patricia Mbatia the CEO for Game Changer who once worked as the PR and Corporate Communications Manager for Multichoice/ DSTV.
She adds that “You should be so passionate about your side hustle that if someone asked you to do it for free, you would gladly do it.
She further advices that if it’s not your thing and you do not have that crucial fire in the belly for it, then you are already starting that side hustle at a disadvantage. “Keep it passionate and energetic.”
2. Give Your Current Job Your All
And while a lot of people may be tempted to concentrate on their side hustles at the expense of their ‘real’ jobs, Ms Mbatia advices against this.
“It’s at your real job where you learn most skills, meet a lot of people who could one day open the doors for you and it teaches you a lot of discipline which you can later transfer into your own side hustle.”
She confesses that, “I gave my PR job my best such that when I fully ventured into doing my own thing, Multichoice was my first client.”
3. You Don’t Have To Go Big At First.
“Don’t let the ‘I don’t have enough money…’ derail your journey,”says Ms Mbatia who adds that you do not have to go big at first.
“As long as you know the ins and outs of the industry you are venturing in, you are excited about what you are doing, you have the channel of how your good or services are going to reach your target audience, then you are good to goTabitha Karanja adds on this by sharing that, “We had practically nothing when we started Keroche Breweries. I started with just Kshs100, 000 but with time, Keroche is today a company which is beyond us.”
Ms Mbatia also hints that when going into business, you cannot afford to be blonde about your numbers. “Get a good accountant if you are not good with balance sheets, cash in, cash flow, invoicing and all the involved nitty-gritty’s.”
4. Think into The Future When Creating Your Side Hustle
“Hundred years from now I will be long gone but Keroche will still be there. Even if I will be around, I will no longer be the CEO,” says Tabitha who adds that if you want a long lasting venture you need to think about where it will be 10-20 years into the future.
“Build companies which are beyond yourself and most of all be determined to fight off challenges if at all you want to stand the test of time,” advices Tabitha.
5.Turn Your Side Hustle Digital
“At this time and age, you cannot afford to underestimate the power of social media,” quips Farzana Khubchandani, Head of Marketing for Google Kenya.
She adds that having an online platform is all about starting a conversation.
“The rules of online presence are pretty simple. For starters you need to be authentic, be you and shape your online persona. Secondly, it’s all about consistency where you start a conversation with your taget and audience and keep it going. Thirdly, ask yourself, how you are going to stand out. Fourth, what’s your niche all about and lastly have a long term commitment to this online presence.”
She cites Google+, Hangouts, You Tube, Facebook & Twitter as some of the tools you can use for your advantage when starting a side hustle in order to reach the masses with your good and services and eventually make some money.
And who better to give that kind of advice than Keroche CEO Tabitha Karanja, Farzana Khubchandani, Head of Marketing for Google Kenya and Patricia Mbatia, CEO of Game Changer a Marketing and Events Company.
Back to you, do you have a side hustle? Here are all the tips you need to make that venture worth your while.
1.Go for what excites you
I am sure you’ve heard of this little but quite powerful piece of advice before. “You need to venture into something that you would do with your eyes closed,” advices Patricia Mbatia the CEO for Game Changer who once worked as the PR and Corporate Communications Manager for Multichoice/ DSTV.
She adds that “You should be so passionate about your side hustle that if someone asked you to do it for free, you would gladly do it.
She further advices that if it’s not your thing and you do not have that crucial fire in the belly for it, then you are already starting that side hustle at a disadvantage. “Keep it passionate and energetic.”
2. Give Your Current Job Your All
And while a lot of people may be tempted to concentrate on their side hustles at the expense of their ‘real’ jobs, Ms Mbatia advices against this.
“It’s at your real job where you learn most skills, meet a lot of people who could one day open the doors for you and it teaches you a lot of discipline which you can later transfer into your own side hustle.”
She confesses that, “I gave my PR job my best such that when I fully ventured into doing my own thing, Multichoice was my first client.”
3. You Don’t Have To Go Big At First.
“Don’t let the ‘I don’t have enough money…’ derail your journey,”says Ms Mbatia who adds that you do not have to go big at first.
“As long as you know the ins and outs of the industry you are venturing in, you are excited about what you are doing, you have the channel of how your good or services are going to reach your target audience, then you are good to goTabitha Karanja adds on this by sharing that, “We had practically nothing when we started Keroche Breweries. I started with just Kshs100, 000 but with time, Keroche is today a company which is beyond us.”
Ms Mbatia also hints that when going into business, you cannot afford to be blonde about your numbers. “Get a good accountant if you are not good with balance sheets, cash in, cash flow, invoicing and all the involved nitty-gritty’s.”
4. Think into The Future When Creating Your Side Hustle
“Hundred years from now I will be long gone but Keroche will still be there. Even if I will be around, I will no longer be the CEO,” says Tabitha who adds that if you want a long lasting venture you need to think about where it will be 10-20 years into the future.
“Build companies which are beyond yourself and most of all be determined to fight off challenges if at all you want to stand the test of time,” advices Tabitha.
5.Turn Your Side Hustle Digital
“At this time and age, you cannot afford to underestimate the power of social media,” quips Farzana Khubchandani, Head of Marketing for Google Kenya.
She adds that having an online platform is all about starting a conversation.
“The rules of online presence are pretty simple. For starters you need to be authentic, be you and shape your online persona. Secondly, it’s all about consistency where you start a conversation with your taget and audience and keep it going. Thirdly, ask yourself, how you are going to stand out. Fourth, what’s your niche all about and lastly have a long term commitment to this online presence.”
She cites Google+, Hangouts, You Tube, Facebook & Twitter as some of the tools you can use for your advantage when starting a side hustle in order to reach the masses with your good and services and eventually make some money.
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