How To Find A Side Hustle ASAP

Money is a feminist issue — and yet, women are still reluctant to talk about it. According to a recent Bustle survey of more than 1,000 Millennial women, more than 50 percent of people said they never discuss personal finances with friends, even though 28 percent reported feeling stressed out about money every single day. Bustle's Get Money series gets real about what Millennial women are doing with their money, and why — because managing your finances should feel empowering, not intimidating.

If you're reading this, chances are, you're curious about how to find a side hustle. After all, who couldn't use some extra cash, right?! Whether you advertise your skills on a site like Fiverr, where people charge $5 and up per job, or start Ubering during your free time, before or after work, there are a lot of side hustles out there for the taking. But if you're not sure how to find a side hustle, you'll learn how to in a moment. Plus, sometimes people love their side hustles so much that they become entrepreneurs, turning them into their main hustles.

"How to find a side hustle is the million-dollar question," Nick Loper, Founder of Side Hustle Nation, tells Bustle. "Of course, you can do any of the 'off-the-shelf' side hustles through the dozens of sharing economy apps like Uber, TaskRabbit, or Rover, but there's always going to be a ceiling there on how much you can earn. If it's something anyone can do reasonably well, there's a lot of downward pressure on the price — hence, why Uber's been able to cut rates pretty regularly over the last few years."

So What's A Wannabe Side-Hustler To Do?!

Loper has you covered. "Instead, what you might consider is what I'll call 'intersections' between your current skills, interests, and your network," he says. "For instance, I combined a skill of proofreading and editing (hey, I was an A-student in English), an interest in business, and a network that included involvement in some Facebook groups for authors, to create a freelance editing service for self-published business books."

OK, is anyone else feeling inspired right now, or is it just me?! All that said, here are some tips to help guide you along the way. You should be making some extra bank in no time!

1. Brainstorm — What Are You Passionate About?

Just like your main hustle, think about your passions, hobbies, and what you really like to do, then look for side hustles related to those. Or maybe you're not even that into your main hustle. Well, your side hustle is your chance to explore more options. Who knows? Maybe you'll even make your side hustle your main hustle and vice-versa?

"When it comes to finding a great side hustle, start by identifying a unique skill or resource that you can bring to the market," Jenna Goudreau, Managing Editor of Make It, CNBC's new site focusing on all things money, tells Bustle. "Also, consider how you want to spend your time and what you enjoy doing. For those who are looking for a creative outlet and some extra money, there are plenty of options. You might try selling your handmade goods on Etsy, self-publishing eBooks on Amazon or Gumroad, offering an educational course on sites like Udemy, or setting up a website to market a skill like photography. For skilled part-time work that you can do from your couch, you check out the website Flexjobs.com, which has listings for everything from event planning to language translation gigs."

2. Tell Everyone You're Looking

One key way to find a side gig, and one I've done plenty of times myself, is to tell everyone you know that you're looking for a side hustle. Yes, this includes anyone from your friends IRL to your friends online — via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, you name it. Try putting it in your Facebook status, for instance (i.e., "I'm looking for part-time editing work in case you know anyone!" or what have you); I have found jobs that way so many times. With all these methods, you never know who knows someone who can help you out — and perhaps it's even them.

3. Network

Even if you're not the networking type, trust me, it'll pay off. Just find and go to events specifically aimed around the side hustle you want. Whether it's attending Meetup group events or using resources (like Facebook and LinkedIn) to find relevant ones, the events are out there if you seek them out. For instance, one of my on/off side hustles is writing people's dating profiles. Where do I find clients? They either find my website or articles about it and email me or I meet them at events in person. What kind of events? Book signings for dating books or Meetup events. Seems too easy, right? But it works. (Plus, who doesn't love a book reading about a dating memoir or novel? I'd attend anyway, regardless of my side hustle!)

4. Make Sure You Have A Website

You probably hear it all the time — that it only takes a few minutes to buy a personalized domain name and set up a website. And it's true. Whether you use WordPress, Squarespace, or one of the many other renowned website providers, you can have a website up and running in no time. And if you need help, you can look on a site like Fiverr and find someone to help you (which I just did!). That may be their side hustle — hah!

And even though you'll shell out a few dollars for your domain and perhaps a few more for some professional help setting it up, you'll make the money back once people find your site and side hustle. So, it's definitely worth the few minutes to set it up.

5. Personalize Your Email Signature

Just like passive income, having a personalized email signature that states your side hustle is like passive marketing. You can even create different ones for different side hustles! There are all kinds out there — free ones, paid ones, ones that include your photo, ones that don't, and the list goes on and on. Just like with your website, creating a personalized email signature doesn't take long at all, and it'll help direct people to your website to learn more about your side hustle, and, in essence, hire you. Couldn't be simpler!

6. Have Fun With It

All in all, finding a side hustle does not have to be as tough as it seems. Plus, it has many benefits. "Finding a side hustle to supplement your regular paycheck is not only smart; it can also be fun," Goudreau says. "Side gigs help to bring in more cash — helping you save and pay down your debt — and diversify your earnings. Having multiple income streams is a great way to protect against job loss or unexpected emergencies. They can also help you explore an interest outside of your day job and meet new people. That makes them a win-win-win, especially for young people who tend to have more time and fewer family commitments (not to mention more student loan debt to deal with)."

A win-win-win? I couldn't agree more. Finding a side hustle isn't as complicated as you may think. It just takes a bit of focusing, determination, and marketing to get there. Plus, plenty of female Millennials have proven that earning money through a side hustle is definitely doable. So, what are you waiting for?

Check out the “Get Money” stream in the Bustle App for more tips and tricks on how to save and spend your money.