How side-hustlers are making the most of online businesses ideas during COVID-19 lockdown

Side-hustles have increased in popularity during Australia’s COVID-19 lockdown but there are a few boxes to tick for new entrepreneurs before they start turning a profit.

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When friends Georgie Cavanagh and Carlotta Casals went on a trip to Byron Bay 15 months ago, little did they know they would come back with a side-hustle business idea that would lead to them quitting their full-time jobs to run it.

Ms Cavanagh, 33, and Ms Casals, 29, loved the linen sheets they slept on at their hotel and decided to work together to give that feeling to others all year round.

“We were talking about that feeling you get when you’re on holidays, have had a good night’s sleep and are feeling good,” Ms Cavanagh said.

The two researched linen options and discovered a French flax linen they sell online through their site carlotta+gee.

Georgie Cavanagh and Carlotta Casals started up a French linen bedding company, Carlotta + Gee, as a side hustle.

The duo is among a rising number of Australians using side hustles to take advantage of consumers’ growing willingness to buy using apps and websites.

While COVID-19 and social distancing have contracted some side hustle income streams such as rideshare and makeup artistry, Australians increasingly are getting food delivered instead of eating out and buying goods online rather than going into stores.

It is estimated about two-thirds of Australians have a side project in mind, and workplace expert Michelle Gibbings said most side hustles had an online element.

She said entrepreneurs should ensure what they offered was in demand as “there may not be a market there”.

The online fitness space was an example, Ms Gibbings said.

“A lot of people took fitness in classes and at bootcamp, and all that went online – if that was going to be your side hustle, you’re competing with people who are potentially doing that for free,” she said.

“There might be another market out there that is growing.”

Michelle Gibbings says many side hustles have an online element.

Ms Gibbings said many people working from home were buying earrings from side-hustling designers as it was a fashion accessory that remained on display during video conferencing.

Researching your idea is just the start. There needs to be operational planning such as how much time should be spent on it as it grows – particularly as workers return to workplaces – and how to present it.

“Work out if you are registering yourself as a sole trader, so you’ll have an ABN now, and make sure you’re doing all the correct things in terms of tax and legal conditions,” Ms Gibbings said.

“If you’re selling a good, what’s your returns policy? Is there a data policy? A privacy policy in terms of capturing customers data?”

Ms Cavanagh said side hustlers should have a passion for it and not expect big rewards quickly.

“A lot of people talk about doing things but the actual doing is the hardest part or the scariest part,” she said.

“You can’t expect not to work weekends. You’ve got to use your hours before work and after work and weekends to be able to get to a stage where you can go full time.”

Originally published as How side-hustlers are making the most of online businesses ideas during COVID-19 lockdown