After hours of thinking up ideas and dreaming about your side gig, you may be feeling pretty convinced that your plan is going to work and that you’ll be able to generate some much-needed money and ease some of those Covid-19 cashflow woes. But maybe you’re now wondering how on earth you’re going to turn it all into a reality?

We’ve outlined some easy-to-follow steps to help get you off the starting blocks:

STEP 1: Come up with a name

Your side-hustle can’t remain nameless. Think of a few catchy, bold, clever name options and create a list for yourself. If you’re struggling to come up with some potential names, then why not surf the net for some inspiration or chat to some creative people you know.

STEP 2: Register it

Before you finalise the name for your business, visit www.domains.co.za to see if a website URL, which will include your company name or a variation of it, is available to purchase. If it is, then secure your website address as soon as possible. It will only cost you around R79 to keep your URL up and running each year. Domains.co.za also offers other services which you might be interested in using (like your website hosting).

STEP 3: Create a logo and some cool branding

This is the fun part! A logo isn’t vital, but it will help your business stand out. Did you know you can create one without needing to be a qualified graphic designer? Hop onto www.picmonkey.com or www.canva.com and follow their step-by-step guide to creating your logo today. It’ll cost you around R200 a month, to sign up with either of these companies. You’ll also be able to use these platforms to design creative adverts, posts and cover photos for your social media platforms and website, so it will be worth every cent!

STEP 4: Need a website? 

Some business ideas will need one and some won’t. You’ll have to decide if a website is going to be the right option for you. As a way to save on set-up costs for your business, you’ll be able to design a website yourself (and pat yourself on the back when it’s done because you’ll feel incredibly clever). Design a website for free, mahala, zip, zero on www.wix.com or www.weebly.com. Who doesn’t adore a freebie when you’re trying to set up your side hustle as affordably as possible?

STEP 5: Social media rocks!

More and more businesses (big and small) are using social media to market themselves effectively. Set up your side-hustle page on Facebook and Instagram and create a schedule to design clear and concise posts as often as possible. Invite friends to like and share your posts to expand awareness, which will hopefully turn into sales.

STEP 6: Sign up with Google

Did you know that Google offers a host of free business applications that will assist you in creating, amongst other things, professional quotes and invoices, when you set up a Gmail email address? How cool is that?

Now that we’ve armed you with some helpful tools, you don’t need to delay in getting your side-hustle going.

Remember – an idea without a plan remains just a dream. So, make yours a reality today!