The term ‘side hustle’ might be a bit misleading to some. The best definition I have found is by Chris Gilleabeau who wrote the book Side Hustle and hosts a daily podcast that is 8 of my favorite minutes of the day. His definition from an article in Entrepreneur magazine:
A side hustle is not a part-time job. A side hustle is not the gig economy. It is an asset that works for you.
So lest you think I am advocating that you (or your staff) should start working on creating a job so you (they) can leave, think again. By having a side hustle, you become more talented, more focused and a better employee. How do I know? I have had several side hustles throughout my tourism career that have benefitted me on the job. I think every Tourism professional should have a side hustle.
Airbnb host
I became one of the first Airbnb hosts when I joined in May 2009. We had been renting the one bedroom apartment over my garage for a few years and thought Airbnb was a unique way to earn money that didn’t involve tenants and leases. I learned a lot about how guests visit a destination, what they are looking to do and have seen firsthand the shortened booking window. We’ve made a profit every year and have learned more about the tourists that come to the Finger Lakes. Do you have a spare room that could host guests? If so, use this link to sign up as a host. If you have never used Airbnb, use this link to sign up and you will get a discount on your first trip.
Step on Tour Guide
I have spent several days over the years as a step-on tour guide for my area of the Finger Lakes. I had a tour company call me years ago desperate for a guide for the day. None of the people I had recommended were free that summer day so I offered to do it. It was one of the more fun and exhausting days I have ever spent! I had spent some time studying up on facts, history, and stories of the area we would be traveling through. It was a pleasant surprise when I received cash tips from the guests at the end of the day! I learned a lot about the dynamics of being on a bus, and how to keep everyone happy and entertained. I am looking to do this a day or two in 2018.
Email newsletters
When I worked at a regional DMO, I was in charge of writing content for monthly newsletters. I taught myself how to use Constant Contact and enjoyed the creativity that came with designing templates and customizing the information to the different audiences we connected with.
How I got started writing Enewsletters
I lost that job abruptly in 2008 and was looking for any and all money making opportunities since my two sons were in college and my daughter was in high school. One day when I was at our farmer’s market I saw that the local beef farmer was collecting emails for her ‘newsletter’. I signed up and received a basic email with everyone else’s email address showing. I went back the following week and told her that format was technically illegal and that I had a business of writing newsletters for small business owners (not quite true, but still…). We struck up a deal where I would create newsletters for her with images and information, and she would pay me in beef!
I am proud to say we are still working together, her mailing list is now over 450 people and her newsletter continues to drive business. We use a free version of Mailchimp. That is the same email provider we use at my current job, so it is easy for me to understand how to best use email marketing for my customers when I am working with our digital marketing team.
For my Attractions coach newsletter, I use Convertkit which has helped me learn about segmentation and all the opportunities that email marketing can provide.
The Attractions Coach blog
Which brings me to my current side hustle as The Attractions Coach. The idea for this blog began because I was being asked for advice on group tours, the Chinese visitor market and how to connect people. I love to read, research and talk to my peers about tourism topics so the blog was a natural solution. Being upfront with my supervisor was important to me, and to her credit, she supported it. I have become a better writer and much more informed about tourism topics, trends and policies.
Affiliate marketing
One of my goals for 2018 is to become more familiar with affiliate marketing. This is where a writer embeds a link in the text that will take readers to more information about a product or service. If the reader makes a purchase, I will get a small commission. I like affiliate marketing because I can provide help to readers at no cost to you, but I will make a bit of money. I am taking an affiliate marketing class and am excited to be able to create some income. Don’t worry, this won’t ever be a site with hundreds of pop up ads. I will just share links that professionals in the tourism industry can use to become more successful.
Final words
Are you thinking of any side hustle ideas? Even if you love your current job, it’s always a good idea to have some additional income streams. Let me know what you are thinking of, and I will share some additional resources with you!