Side hustles have become a popular solution for many professionals to make their money go further. Indeed, for many, finding an activity alongside their primary career allows them to create a second source of income. While you may not be able to fully replace your full-time job with a side hustle venture, you could use your revenues to finance home improvements, help to buy your next car, or simply book a cosy vacation under the sun. More importantly, with over 8 million people in the UK struggling with debts, it’s easy to understand why, in times of uncertainty, more and more professionals are looking at side hustle opportunities.
However, if you want to remain competitive as a hustler, you need to consider how your potential clients want to get in touch. Whether there’s an unexpected issue or additional questions, most people want to pick up the phone have a clarifying chat. When you run a side hustle business, however, you may not have the luxury of a call centre. In fact, you might not even have an office. Therefore you need to rely on your mobile phone to talk to your customers.
Why do you need it?
First of all, it’s important to understand that your clients are likely to need a variety of contact methods. Some might prefer to ask directly via social media – which means that you need to create a dedicated account for your activities. Others are happy getting in touch via email. But, establishing your credibility as a business requires a minimum of three contact methods, aka you need a phone number. You’ll find that users tend to be suspicious of ventures that don’t provide phone contacts. As a rule of the thumb, buyers are likely to assume that your side hustle is a scam if they can’t call you.
Additionally, it’s a lot easier to sort out problems over the phone than through a long chain of emails.
Consider it a business investment
You may not want to publish your private number online. Therefore, it’s a good idea to purchase a business phone. If you file up your self-assessment tax for your side hustle, you’ll be pleased to know that your mobile phone can be treated as a business investment. However, as side hustlers are unlikely to have unlimited funds, you need to keep your eyes open to avoid costly financing mistakes. Opting for a financing plan can seem like a great solution at first, but you need to be realistic about it. Paying £50 a month for the latest iPhone X will get you to pay more than £1,400 over the actual price of the device, for instance. Similarly, a two-year deal can also rack up your expenses way above what the phone costs!
The best option is about the best purchase value
More often than not, the safest and most cost-effective option for side hustlers is to pick a budget smartphone that has all the functions you need without the price tag. With a price tag of less than £200, the Huawei P Smart gives you plenty of storage, a quality camera and an elegant design. If you’re looking for mammoth battery life, the Moto G7 is the best option at £179. You can then add a sim only deals by using a website like this to find the best choice for your situation. With deals starting at £3.99 a month, you don’t need to break the bank to remain available.
Can you survive with one phone only?
All costs considered, you may wonder if it’s not better for you to work with only one smartphone. If you prefer to keep your mobile number private, you can create a virtual number that directs all calls to your mobile. While this might provide a cheap alternative, it can also lead to issues as you need to juggle between personal and professional calls all the time. To avoid confusion, you need to make sure your virtual number provider can display all relevant information on the screen for each redirected call.
Create an out-of-office voicemail
Ultimately, a side hustle is a business project that you pursue aside from your day-to-day job. In other words, you are not available 24/7 to your hustle customers. But you can make sure that your mobile solution includes informative voicemail greetings to inform the callers about your availability. A short message that lets them know when you will return their call can make a great deal of difference.
Side hustlers have a challenging path to success. They need to manage clients’ expectations even though they are unable to dedicate all their time to the venture. Consequently, a mobile solution that adapts to your needs and facilitates interactions in real time can be a life-saver!