Start your $1,700/month side hustle today

Fall has arrived, and the leaves are gorgeous up here in the Hudson Valley. To celebrate, my wife, Jennifer, and I went to a dinner party the other night and the conversation turned to remote work.

A friend at the table said that after years of working remotely, she’s being recalled to her office — five days a week. We’re two hours away from her NYC office up here, so returning to the office just won’t work for her lifestyle.

This woman is a talented graphic designer who’s been tinkering with local businesses here in The Hudson Valley — helping with signage, restaurant menus, and logo projects. And with this new “back to office” policy, she’s more motivated than ever to press the gas on her side hustle.

After dinner, we outlined a simple strategy she can use to get the ball rolling. Because starting a side business doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

So today I want to share the 11-step plan I suggested to my graphic designer friend. This simple plan can help you build a side hustle that could earn $1,700 a month (or more) without breaking the bank.

Let’s dive in.

The 11-Step Side Business Blueprint

The great thing about this blueprint is that it’s more than just theory — it's a practical and actionable roadmap that you can start implementing today.

Each step is designed to build upon the last, so you create momentum that helps turn your expertise into profit.

And the best part? You can do all of this without spending much money until you get some traction. All you need is your knowledge, a LinkedIn account, an online store, and the willingness to consistently show up and provide value for your target audience.

Okay, here we go.

Step 1: Polish Your LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn is still the best social platform to build your business. There are customers and buyers literally everywhere! And your LinkedIn profile should be a showcase of your skills, your knowledge, and your business.

Update your headline to clearly state the specific people you help, and the specific problem you solve for them.

Ensure your “About” section focuses on your target customer's pain points, and tell a story about why you’re the right person to help. Add a beautiful header image and headshot, and you’re off to a good start.

Remember, your LinkedIn profile isn't an online resume anymore. With some attention to detail and your desired outcomes, your LinkedIn profile can be a sales page for your business. A magnet that attracts paying customers.

Step 2: Create Daily Content

Consistency is key in any social media platform, but especially on LinkedIn.

Choose one specific challenge you solve, and create content around it every single day.

Mix up your formats to figure out what works best for you — text posts, carousels, images, short videos, etc. And always end with a call-to-action that asks readers to do something — leave a comment, reshare your post, visit your website, access your lead magnet, etc.

And keep in mind that impressions, likes, and engagement aren’t always the most important stats to focus on.

What’s actually driving leads? That’s what matters.

Figure that out, and focus on that.

Step 3: Engage with Commenters

When people engage with your content, reply back publicly. But also, pick a few people who asked great questions, and send them a personalized DM.

Thank them for their comment, and ask a follow-up question related to their situation or challenge.

I did this a lot back in 2019 and 2020, and I turned several of those DM conversations into some of the first buyers of my products and services.

Step 4: Offer Free Consultations

Occasionally you’ll start a DM conversation and learn that the person you’re talking to has the exact problem you know how to fix.

When you’re early in your business and trying to get some traction, this is a perfect opportunity to offer a free call to discuss your prospect’s challenges.

Make it clear that it’s not a sales call, just a chance to see if you can help. What you’re really trying to do here is learn how you can help your ideal customer.

These kinds of calls are great because no money is being exchanged and the pressure is low. Think of it as creative networking.

Ask open-ended questions about their challenges, goals, and what they’ve done to try and solve the problem:

• What’s the problem?
• What have you tried? How did it work?
• How much is this problem costing you?
• When are you hoping to have it solved? Why?
• Is there anything else that might take priority?

Take detailed notes — this information is gold for developing your offer.

Step 5: Develop Your Process

Based on your discovery calls, create a time-bound process that addresses the most common challenges you hear about.

Break your process down into clear steps, and practice running through this process until you can confidently deliver it in the time frame you’ve promised.

For example, my graphic designer friend could offer a “Brand Guidelines Rework” that she promises to deliver in 7 days.

These types of service offerings are great ways to start a business or side hustle.

Step 6: Set Up Your Business Systems

A few years ago, setting up a store for your business was annoying. You could use a simple website builder, but that meant you had to spend time and money to get everything up and running. Then go through the hosting, DNS propagation, blah blah blah.

Or you could open a Gumroad account, but they take 10% of your earnings!

Fast forward to 2024, and I found a great new software for starting a business called Stan Store.

IMO, a Stan Store is now the easiest and fastest way to start a business online. You can host your services, courses, digital products, and bookings on a beautiful link-in-bio with one-tap offer checkout. And it’s significantly more affordable than any other options I’ve seen out there.

I played around and set up my free-trial store in a few minutes.

You can customize your profile, add a professional photo, and easily add your services and products. This looks like an excellent new tool for your business “home base.”

Step 7: Create Your Offer

Once you have your Stan Store created, add a service titled “From X to Y in [Time Frame]”. Using my graphic designer friend as an example:

From Boring to Bold: Beautiful New Brand Guidelines in just 7 days

You want your title to be specific and results-oriented.

Inside of your service description, clearly outline what customers will achieve, why it's valuable, and why you’re the right person to help them.

Step 8: Set Your Availability

You can get your side hustle started by simply opening 2-3 consultation slots per week outside of your job and other obligations.

Be realistic about what you can handle consistently.

You’re better off starting small and expanding over time, than overcommitting and fumbling those first precious clients.

Step 9: Update Your LinkedIn Profile (Again)

Now that you have a Stan Store set up, go back to LinkedIn and add the link to your LinkedIn profile using the “Custom Button” feature. And do this again in the featured section of your profile.

Also, as a bonus, you can write a post about your new service and pin it to your profile’s featured section. Just make sure you have a CTA that leads to your Stan Store.

You want to make sure your offer is available anywhere people can find you online!

Step 10: Keep Creating Content

Once you’ve linked your social profiles to your Stan Store, you need to maintain a daily posting habit.

And now you can create content that’s directly related to your offer.

Here’s a list of content ideas you can share to drive traffic:

• How-to guides
• Trend analysis
• Behind-the-scenes of your business
• Customer success stories and testimonials
• Infographics
• Interviews or Q&A sessions
• Time-sensitive offers or promotions

These content styles will get people to visit your profile and (hopefully) your Stan Store.

Step 11: Direct Inquiries to Your Stan Store

Lastly, when people show interest or ask questions on your content, you can send them directly to your Stan to book some time.

Rather than winging your responses every time, create a short, persuasive script to use in your DMs, explaining the value of your offer and encouraging people to book.

Congrats — you’re starting a business!

The Potential Results

Let's break down the potential earnings:

• 1 sale/month at $850 = $850/month
• 2 sales/month at $850 = $1,700/month
• 2 sales/month at $1,250 = $2,500/month

Experiment with pricing, expected deliverables, process, etc. until you find something workable and scalable.

As you build your reputation and collect testimonials, don't be afraid to increase your rates.

Your time becomes more valuable as your expertise deepens and as customers confirm the value they get from working with you.

Why This Approach Works

This plan works. I know because it’s exactly how I started my consulting business back in 2019. It works because you stay focused on your specific expertise, show proof through your LinkedIn content, and have a low barrier to entry with a Stan Store.

By solving one specific problem and consistently demonstrating that you’re excellent at doing that, you can become the go-to expert in your niche.

Getting Started

The beauty of this plan is in its simplicity. You don't need an expensive website, complex funnels, or a huge budget.

Start by simply identifying the specific problem you want to solve, clean up your LinkedIn profile, set up your Stan Store, and post your first piece of content today.

And remember — consistency is the differentiator. Stick with this plan for 180 days, and I think you'll be very surprised by your results. It won't always be easy, but it will be well worth it.

That's all for this week.

Now go build that side business.

P.S. Want to dive deeper into strategies for building profitable side businesses on LinkedIn? Check out my LinkedIn Operating System course. Over 25,000 students and 60 LinkedIn Top Voices have rated it 4.98 out of 5 stars.