A consulting side hustle is one in which you take what you know and sell services based on that. This type of side hustle can be a boost on your resume the next time you’re on a job hunt and provide a secondary income stream.

If you’re looking for an outlet to use your knowledge base to make more money, have more freedom, or try a new career path, the tips below can help.

Tip #1: Decide on your specialty

There are probably several topics you’re extremely knowledgeable about. One of these is your ticket to your side hustle. Think about your experience, skills, and interests and how what you know may be monetized and desirable to others. Choose your area of expertise and then decide what types of services you can provide in that niche such as coaching, training, or strategic planning.

Tip #2: Work on a test case

If you’re new to consulting, working on a small project for a small fee or at no charge could be beneficial to test time commitment per project, scheduling, project management, and customer communications.

Tip #3: Establish a professional presence

Set up something people can reference such as a website or a business page on a social platform. You should also consider setting up social media accounts for your business that are separate from your own. We won’t cover all the nuances of establishing the backend of a business here, but you’ll want to make sure you’re in compliance with all government business and tax requirements. A good resource to start with is the Small Business Administration, and you can also find a wealth of useful information in the book, “Starting a Business All-in-One For Dummies“.

Tip #4: Tap your network

Chances are you already know people that could use your services, but they don’t know that you can provide them. Reach out to your friends and post to your personal social media accounts to introduce your services. If you’ve already set up a website and social media for your business, include links to those in your outreach.

Tip #5: Set your pricing

Research the going rates for similar services to what you want to provide, and price your services accordingly. Consider factors such as whether you want to charge by the hour or by the project and the unique value proposition you provide to your clients.

Tip #6: Create a marketing plan

Develop a marketing plan that outlines how you will promote your consulting services and includes a schedule for all marketing activities.

Tip #7: Start delivering services

Things won’t be perfect, but it’s best to simply start. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t along the way, and can pivot your strategies as you gain experience.

Thanks for reading! Advice provided on this site is for information purposes only and is not intended to replace or substitute for professional financial, medical, or legal advice.