These days, it’s very common for most people to have a side hustle. Usually, this hustle is a way to earn some extra money to pay for vacations, dinners out, or other luxuries. But what if your side hustle starts raking in big money? What if you could potentially quit your day job and make your side hustle your full-time business?
Although not everyone can go this route, here are some surefire signs that it’s time to upgrade your hustle:
- You Have the Capital – Starting and growing a business requires investment, which can be tricky for new startups. However, if your hustle has generated enough income to seed your next stage, there’s no reason not to pull the trigger.
- Your Side Hustle is Taking Too Much Time – Most people have a day job and then do their side hustle during their free time. However, if you find the opposite to be true, you should start investing more time and energy into growing your business.
- Your Sales are Increasing – Sometimes, a side hustle can take on a life of its own and grow without you doing much. So, if your earnings are becoming enough to quit your day job, why not?
Once you’re ready to take the leap and do your side hustle full-time, you’ll need help to get it off the ground. Fortunately, there are seven online tools that make it easy to launch your new enterprise. Let’s check them out.
Tools to Boost Your Online Presence
Even if you’re opening a brick-and-mortar storefront, it’s crucial to have a robust online presence. Since most individuals find new businesses online, not having a website or social media profile can hurt you in the long run. Here are the top tools to help you create this presence.
Branding is an essential component of starting any business as it can help you stand out from the competition. The foundation of any brand is a clean and polished logo, which is where Tailor Brands comes in. Tailor Brands has an AI logo maker that can produce high-quality graphics in minutes. From there, you can use your logo to create all your branding assets, including business cards, social media posts, presentation decks, branded apparel, and web pages.
Features
- Logo maker
- Business cards
- Branded merchandise
- Brand book
- Social posts maker
Pricing
- $9.99/month Basic
- $19.99/month Standard
- $49.99/month Premium
When it comes to building a website, GoDaddy is one of the most well-known names in the industry. Since all businesses need a website, you should start your online journey here. However, while you can buy and register a domain name and build a site, GoDaddy has a few other features to elevate your business model.
First, you can customize your site to fit your needs. For example, if you’re an online retailer, you can build a digital storefront that can easily process payments and handle transactions. GoDaddy also has a full suite of cybersecurity tools that can help you protect yourself and your customers. GoDaddy also offers a range of marketing tools, including content creators, email marketing programs, and more. Overall, once you’re ready to put your side hustle online, GoDaddy can help you reach new heights quickly.
Features
- Domain Name Lookup, Registration, and Purchase
- Website Builder
- E-Commerce Store Builder
- SSL Certificate Builder
- Email Marketing Tools
- Content and Photo Creator
- Business Phone Number
Pricing
- $2.99/month Domain Registration
- $1.99/month Email Account
- $1.00/month Web Hosting
It’s no secret that social media marketing is one of the most powerful tools you can use to grow your business. However, creating and managing multiple accounts can be a full-time position. It’s virtually impossible to interact with your followers and post regularly without a platform like Buffer.
Buffer helps you stay on top of your social profiles without getting bogged down. You can sync all your profiles in one spot, read through and engage with user comments, and even create posts to publish later on. This one tool can make your social media marketing go so much further without spending countless hours switching between sites.
Features
- Content Calendar and Publishing
- Social Media Analytics
- User Engagement Tools
- Custom Landing Page Builder
Pricing
- Free Plan
- $6/month Essentials
- $12/month Team
- $120/month Agency
Financial Tools
One essential part of running any business or side hustle is managing your finances. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to stay on top of your cash flow with online tools. Whether you’re opening an e-commerce store or a physical storefront, these tools can help you stay financially solvent.
Stripe is one of the largest payment processors worldwide, so you know you’re in good hands. This site has tons of tools to make your business run as smoothly as possible. You can handle online payments, in-person transactions, and even monthly subscriptions from one customer portal. Stripe also has tools to build customized shopping carts so you can make it easier for customers to follow through with their payments.
On the back end, Stripe also offers tools to protect your business and customers. You can install fraud and cybersecurity tools and identification monitoring to prevent theft. Stripe even offers tax automation tools, so you don’t have to worry as much about incorporating taxes into your payments or collecting enough for the IRS.
Overall, Stripe can help you lock down the financial side of your business without having to bounce around between different platforms.
Features
- Online and Terminal Payment Processing
- Payment Links
- Billing and Subscription Management
- Fraud and Risk Management
- Tax Automation
- Identity Verification Services
- Reporting Tools
Pricing
2.9% plus $.30 per transaction
Stripe also charges percentage fees for other products such as instant payouts, subscription management, and invoicing.
Depending on your business model, you’ll likely have to send invoices to clients and/or vendors. Since invoicing is necessary for getting paid, you need a service that makes it easy to generate, track, and follow up with your invoices. Invoicely makes it super easy to handle various clients and keep track of outstanding balances. You can view your cash flow on one platform, so there are fewer chances for errors, and you can stay on top of your finances.
Features
- Invoice Customization
- Online Payment Integration
- Mileage and Expense Tracking
- Multiple Business Management
- Reporting and Analytics
Pricing
- Free Plan
- $9.99/month Basic
- $19.99/month Professional
- $29.99/month Enterprise
Project and Time Management Tools
Once you turn your side hustle into a full-blown business, every minute counts. With so many items on your to-do list, it’s easy to fall behind and lose track of various tasks. Fortunately, you can utilize time-management tools to build a stable foundation to grow and expand your enterprise. Let’s break down the top two.
Asana is built for teams, but you can customize it to work for one or two people as well. This tool allows you to create various workflows based on the best methods for you. For example, you can utilize the Kanban method, which tracks tasks across users and allows you to move jobs to different people as needed. Or, you can take the Gantt approach, which sets deadlines and timelines for tasks, so it’s easy to tell when someone is falling behind.
In addition to workflows, Asana also allows you to automate various tasks and generate analysis reports. These back-end tools ensure you’re always on target and can address any potential problems before they get out of control.
Features
- Workflow Builder
- Timeline Builder
- Calendar Integration
- Reporting and Analytics
- App Integration
- Automation Tools
Pricing
- Free Basic Plan
- $10.99/month Premium
- $24.99/month Business
As you grow your business, you’ll likely need to hire employees. Toggl makes it easy to keep track of their timesheets so that you never have to worry about missed hours or punches. Toggl also has a project management tool, and it can help you find qualified candidates to fill empty positions.
Time tracking isn’t just for employees, either. If you bill clients for your time, you can manage your billable hours more efficiently. Toggl makes it easy to audit your reports so that you don’t miss anything. You can include all three products with your account, or you can pick and choose the ones that work best for your needs.
Features
- Toggl Track – Timekeeping and Time Management
- Toggl Plan – Project Management
- Toggl Hire – Recruiting Software
Pricing
Toggl Track – $0, $10, and $20/month
Toggl Plan – $9 or $15/month
Toggl Hire – $0, $17, $199, or $399/month
As you can see, with so many high-quality tools at your disposal, it’s never been easier to transform your side hustle into a business. Now that you can get started, see how far your hustle can take you!
