Online gigs are a great way to earn a little extra cash. Even better when it’s something you’re passionate about, like a favorite hobby. If you’re enjoying the work, maybe you’re planning on making it a full-time job.
But the prospect sounds scary when you’re unsure how stable it is as an income source. It feels more daunting if you’ve always been office-based for your 9-to-5s too.
While there’s much contention about transitioning a side hustle into a remote career, it has been done before. Many have successfully turned crafting, video gaming, storytelling, and other sidelines into paychecks.
You can do the same!
Before diving in, however, find out if there’s a market for what you have to offer. And see to it that you love the work enough that you see yourself doing it day in, day out.
You’ll need more than willingness to launch yourself into self-employment; you must be committed to continue even as you struggle. You’ll essentially be an entrepreneur with yourself as the product so don’t enter the ring halfheartedly.
Read on if you believe that you meet the requirements.
Steps for Turning a Side Gig into a Remote Job
Step 1 – Have a plan in place
As with other major decisions in life, have a strategy in shifting to a new career.
Create a vision statement
Ask yourself the following:
- How many hours would I like to work per week?
- What are my long-term and short-term goals?
- How much will my expenses be?
- What do I hope to get from making the switch?
- How am I different from others in the field?
- What are client problems do I want to solve?
Write down your answers on a piece of paper, then draft a summary about all of these points. You’ll want to circle back to this when you have internal conflicts later on.
Compute your income
Realize that this isn’t only about pursuing your passion but about making money too. Your side gig is going to be your main source of income so think about this carefully.
Calculate your annual salary now then determine how much you must make per month to maintain the figure. Add around 25% to this for unforeseen expenses, such as medical check-ups or breaks between clients.
Next, look at your budget, your level of industry expertise and experience, and your exact billable time. Consider these to create a rate that will get you the same amount per year.
Choose your clients
Maybe you were indiscriminate when it was a side hustle because all that mattered was that you had additional earnings. Now that you have to do it full-time, you must figure out what kind of employers suit your needs.
What you consider ideal depends on several factors. For instance:
- Do their values align with yours?
- Do they set you up for success?
- Do they have a good reputation among virtual workers and other companies?
Establish what are non-negotiable for you. Maybe you don’t want to work on weekends or mornings. Maybe you want to receive more than 5 USD per hour. Or, maybe you’d rather not use time tracking software.
Step 2 – Take care of the paperwork
Now that you’re self-employed, you have to take care of your taxes, insurances, and government contributions on your own.
Insurance
Most nations offer universal healthcare to its citizens. The service is, however, only available to those who have paid contributions for a certain period. You can pay for this and get a private plan for additional coverage.
Social Security
How you contribute towards your pension varies according to your country of citizenship. The Philippines, for instance, allows you to become a voluntary SSS member. This may not be the case in other places though.
Taxes
Research what the national regulations are regarding personal income tax as a remote professional. In Nicaragua, for example, self-employed individuals are required to pay installments of advance income tax.
Step 3 – Get yourself out there
Having one client was enough when the job was part-time yet perhaps not anymore. You might need a few if you want to meet your target salary.
Some online professionals are fortunate enough to find an employer who’s offering a full-time role which pays enough, if not more. Others have to juggle one project for their first 4 hours and another project for the rest.
To be on the safe side, attract as much business as you can, and this starts with getting yourself out there.
Portfolios or websites
Make a web page or portfolio where you showcase your best work. Some niche sites have templates you can easily type or drop your information into. If you’d rather make your own, WordPress is a good platform for that.
If you can, include case studies where you outline the problem and your solution. Explain your skills in detail as well. This helps convince prospects as to why they should choose you over other workers.
Social media profiles
Regardless of your field, having a complete and polished LinkedIn page is a must. Make sure that it has a link to your portfolio or website, and a professional headshot. Also, fill in your work history there to match what is on your resume.
Want to work in digital marketing? It’s a good idea to have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You’ll have to maintain a professional image on those social networks in that case.
Step 4 – Establish yourself as an expert
Working remotely may be a relatively new concept but it’s fiercely competitive. Lots of specialists have been, for years, doing what you’re trying to do.
Don’t worry; you still stand a chance in gaining an employer even with so many vying for roles. The key is making yourself stand out from the crowd.
Becoming an expert is one way to gain an edge over others. Maybe you can go back to school and get a masters degree, or maybe you can sign up for webinars and receive certifications.
Step 5 – Expand your professional network
There’s no guarantee that you’ll have repeat clients. If you want to have a steady stream of income, you need to maintain a streak and let more prospects see your profiles, portfolios, or web pages.
Connect on social media
Put your LinkedIn profile to work by reaching out to recruiters and companies. Send a simple message introducing yourself and asking to be added to their connections.
For Facebook, join industry-specific groups where you meet with professionals in the same field. It’s possible to get referred internally by individuals like that.
Register on job sites
Upwork and Fiverr are two of the most well-known sites for virtual workers to find prospects. They are free to join and tend to filter employers. All you have to do is create a profile then browse for open jobs.
The websites themselves take a small fee for acting as middlemen, but they provide a safe place to launch your career online.
Tell everyone you know
You’d be surprised who might connect you to your next client. If you used to only do commissions, for example, inform your past clients that you’re going full-time and they might sign you up for a permanent position.
Furthermore, let your friends and family know of your plans. They might know someone in the same industry who they can introduce you to, or they may be working for someone looking for an expert like you.
A Simpler Way to Start Your Remote Career
Becoming an expert, getting yourself out there, and broadening your network all take much time and effort to do. Take heart because there’s an easier way to turn your side hustle into a career: getting our help.
We at Remote Workmate specialise in connecting remote workers to the right clients from all over the globe. There’s no need to sign up to so many job websites anymore since we have a list of prospects ourselves.
You’ll need to pass our standards before we are able to connect you with a client, however. If you think that you’re up for the challenge, get in touch.
Browse our job listings; you might find the perfect online job there.
