If you’re planning to make a change in 2026, adding a side gig may be one of the best moves you can make. I’ve been writing about the benefits of a side hustle for years: more income, more autonomy over when, where, and how much you work, and the opportunity to turn doing what you love into a revenue stream.
You may not be ready to give up your 9-5 completely, but here are the baby steps you can take now to pave the way.
Get your finances in order and set goals for earning and saving. If you’ve been flying by the seat of your pants (financially) every month, you’ll need to get a grip on your expenses and current income. The best way to increase your income is by eliminating unnecessary expenses. Are there subscriptions or services you no longer use or need? Could you save money by making lunches or coffee at home instead of purchasing on the road? Once you understand what the necessities of your life really cost every month, you’ll be able to plan for working and earning more.
Setting a revenue goal is a good idea. Once you determine how many hours you have available for a side gig, you can start to predict how much you can earn. Whether you’re providing a product or a service, you’ll start by creating a budget for materials, equipment, transportation or shipping, or any other associated costs.
Start out as you intend to go on: treat your gig like a business. Most side gigs start out as free favors for friends: helping a neighbor organize his garage, baking pies for the school fundraiser, watching your cousin’s dog while she’s out of town. It can be daunting to figure out what to charge when you get serious about your work. Once you have a cost estimate for creating or delivering your product (see above), you’ll want to charge a comfortable amount over it to make sure you’re making a profit. You’ll probably learn by trial and error along the way what’s profitable and what’s not; just be sure to put the new information to good use.
If you’re providing a service or investing time in a product, make sure you’re charging more per hour than you make at your traditional job. If you your gig to the next level, you’ll be funding your own expenses, healthcare coverage, and time off. And it can be hard to raise prices for recurring customers once you’ve set them too low. Start out higher than you think you can charge. You’ll probably be surprised at how much people are willing to pay for something that saves them time or frustration, and you can always offer “new customer” or “first purchase” discounts to get prospects to give you a try.
Create a schedule that uses your time well and keeps you from getting distracted. There’s a significant shift that must happen when you’re self-employed; it’s recognizing that the terms “working” and “time off” are not as relevant as they were. If you consider every hour you’re not at your job as time off, it may be easier for you to lose focus and spend time on activities that aren’t productive (like idle screen time.)
Create a schedule that holds you accountable for a certain number of hours spent on the activities that are essential to growing your business: marketing to new customers, closing sales, research, honing your skills, producing your product, billing and administrative tasks, and following up with customers to get testimonials or repeat business.
It’s a great idea to schedule leisure, workouts, and household tasks, too. Let your schedule drive your activities rather than your mood at the moment. Set a timer for 30 minutes or an hour and see how much you can get done. Then take a short walk or play with your dog to relax and change gears.
Every journey begins with small steps that become consistent habits. Start now, and you could be more prosperous in 2026.
Your Work, Your Way 