Many South Africans started their own side hustles during Covid-19 but now these side hustles are supplementing the income that people are receiving from their daily jobs to manage the increases in the cost of living.
Taking the step from side hustle to full-time entrepreneur can be daunting because people will have to quit their jobs as well as their primary income, which can be tough in these tough economic times.
However, the switch can be made.
Entrepreneur Inga Sebata took the bold step of quitting her 9-to-5 job to start her clothing business, Stitched By Inga.
Sebata, who formally started her company in 2019, says she initially started making clothes as a hobby.
"Stitched By Inga started as a hobby, something I wanted to do outside of being a mom and wife.
Now Sebata has a fully-fledged business with employees, does home consultations for clients who are not able to come to her, and runs an online store.
Sebata said that she quit her job because her side hustle was now demanding a lot of her time due to its growth, and it got to a point where she could not balance being a full-time employee as well as managing her side hustle.
Sebata shares five tips to help people who are thinking of quitting their 9-to-5 job to become full-time entrepreneurs.
1. First, make sure that your business concept works and is sustainable before making the jump.
2. Make sure you have a healthy portion of savings to see you through some hardships.
3. Don’t leave your job based just on an idea. Instead, start your side hustle and see how it goes before leaving your job.
4. Have the same work ethic you have for your 9-to-5 job for your business venture. It will require the same, if not more, when running your own business.
5. Don’t have the illusion that running your own business means you are not accountable to anyone. You’re accountable to your employees, customers, and suppliers, so maintain the same professionalism that you had in your job.
IOL Business