In 2007 a popular, new retail store opened in our area. We often traveled an hour away to shop at this particular store, so we were excited to finally get our own. The store was hiring and I knew that my full-time work schedule would accommodate the extra hours. My other side hustle at the time included some consulting and coaching work. I could adjust that work in order to accommodate the store schedule if I pursued an employment opportunity.
I half joked with my husband that I was going to fill out an employment application to work at the store. The holidays were approaching and I would probably get a substantial number of hours. Then one day I had an interesting conversation. A woman I knew from my full-time job approached me. She said “Marcy, if you want to get on at the store, let me know. I will get you in.” I had seen her working in the store, but had not talked to her about it. I learned that she had a manager’s position. She liked what she did and said that it was not hard work. It was different than her full-time job.
I seriously considered taking her up on her offer. I could earn money by doing something totally different than social work for a few hours a day. The thought was quite tempting. I wouldn’t have to make tough life altering decisions. I told my husband about the offer and he told me to go for it, if I wanted. The neat thing about my husband is that he knows when to let me figure some things out on my own.
I did not take her up on the offer. I decided that I would lose more value than I gained by working a minimum wage side hustle at a retail store. In this instance, I calculated value based on my regular full time work salary. Many side hustle workers calculate earnings by multiplying the hourly rate by the number of hours worked. If I made $8 an hour and worked 20 hours a week, I would make $160 a week. I would bring home much less than that because of the taxes I would need withheld.
Apart from monetary earnings, I considered the value potential of taking on a part-time retail position. Value speaks to worth, importance or desirability of an outcome. I wanted to make additional money, but I would have worked lots of hours trying to make it worth my while.
I also considered the value of my time. Time is an asset that we cannot retrieve once it passes. Side hustles or part-time gigs can add another drain on limited time. Many people think about saving time. Side hustle social workers must focus on using time wisely or capitalizing on the time we have. I had to determine the value of my time. As a result, I decided that my time was more valuable and the position would not support its value equitably.
Side hustles may provide opportunities to learn practice or sharpen skills or abilities. They also may provide opportunities to gain new knowledge. I could not envision learning or gaining skills in the retail environment that would help me reach my goal. The vision I had for my own sustainable, successful, and satisfying side hustle would grow from my social work and administrative skills and experiences. I decided that taking a side hustle in a retail store had a negative impact on my ultimate goal. For this reason, it carried little value potential.
I then considered the value of professional connections. When building a business it is important to interact with like minded individuals. Businesses grow with the help of a collegial atmosphere to share ideas, feedback and encouragement. Again the retail environment would offer little value to promote progress in this area.
I learned early on that my decisions and actions impacted the intrinsic value of the outcomes I desired. Side hustle opportunities have the potential to have a positive or negative impact on important assets in our personal and professional lives. As you continue your side hustle journey, think about the potential value you gain with each decision or action.
Marcyline Bailey, ACSW, LCSW is the author of Five Smart Questions Social Workers Should Ask if They Want to Boost Their Social Work Income e-book Starter Guide and Planner. These free downloads contain five strategic questions to consider before taking on a side hustle. You may also want to view Side Hustle Success as a Full Time Social Worker one of the webinars in the Side Hustle Social Worker Webinar Series.
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