Everyone Needs a Side Gig

Dual incomes. It doesn’t mean what it used to.

When I was growing up, “dual incomes” were the hallmark of the hard-working common family. Working families quickly learned that one paycheck rarely left enough margin. That the only available and reliable way to establish financial security and change the trajectory of a family’s finances was to have two incomes. Not a luxury, but necessary. One income rarely stretched far enough to build a stable future, buy a home, or raise a family with any sense of financial security. In my family, even a teenager’s part-time job was a family factor of survival. Working family realities even without considerations for disabilities, unexpected accidents, or medical needs.

Today, we’re finding dual incomes still important. However, the definition is shifting. “Dual income” doesn’t always mean two adults with two careers. Today it can also mean individuals holding down 2+ jobs or sources of income at a time. A full-time job. A side business. A little freelance work after dinner.

For many, “What do you do?” no longer has a single answer. A younger tech professional recently confessed to me, “Even I have a second job waiting tables.” As belts are increasingly tightened and jobs and career opportunities thin out for some age groups, polywork and side gigs are becoming more the norm than not. Even dual full-time jobs are becoming more common.

Winds of Change

The Pandemic of the 2020s accelerated changes already underway. In the US, mass layoffs and cutbacks swept nearly every sector as businesses shut down, pared back, tried to shift overnight to remote work, and, in some cases, shuttered for good. Entire industries shifted. Some folks survived by working virtually for more modern companies poised for the moment; some were furloughed; some received unemployment benefits, and many others fell through the cracks. But it was an amazing time for digital innovation.

As everyone scrambled to adapt, the side gig economy became more visible, and millions of people discovered they possessed marketable skills they had never considered selling before.

Polywork and Diversified Income

Somewhere along the way, the quiet reality of “dual incomes” gave way to families realizing the need for multiple income streams and diversified work. “Side gigs,” which used to be for extra spending money, turned into something entirely different. More people are discovering that relying on a single paycheck, even with years of career education, specialized training, or professional certifications, doesn’t always provide the stability it once promised. I’ve lost count of the conversations I’ve had with professionals who quietly admitted they’re freelancing after hours, teaching classes on weekends, selling handmade goods, consulting, or picking up entirely unrelated work simply to create a little breathing room. It’s called polyworking, aka professionals intentionally juggling multiple income streams at the same time, and it’s no longer a fringe phenomenon. Polyworking is on the rise and fast becoming today’s version of diversified financial resilience.

The Creative Economy

While creative work has always existed, accessibility to it has changed. Where once something you created required a physical market and storage, today, a person can wake up with an idea, design a printable, upload it before lunch, and make a first sale all in the same day. It’s remarkable how far we’ve come.

It’s also easy to see how one’s interests and creative pursuits can slip into an already busy life and add additional income. A single person can have a career by day, a freelance client by night, and run a kitchen table Etsy shop on the weekends.

The Part Nobody Talks About

This is where most conversations are usually lacking. Because the moment money changes hands, something changes. Congratulations. You’re in business. Even if you don’t think of yourself that way. People don’t often enjoy researching sales tax regulations, or business law, or diving into the maze of government websites. I’ll admit, these topics rarely make my fun list of research projects, either. While my own vigilance keeps me up to date, I also find it best to surround myself with trusted industry experts who can steer me right and lighten the cognitive load.

Like most people, I got started in a creative business simply because I’m a Maker and I like to create! And that’s beautiful. But the law has opinions about commerce. While many of those rules aren’t as intimidating as they may first appear (the good news), confusion arises around the fact that which rules apply to your situation has less to do with what you call yourself (or your creation) and more to do with what you’re actually selling. Not to mention, these rules are different from state to state.

Someone selling their services in writing and advertising copy has different legal obligations than someone selling digital products, even though each may require a computer. And again, different legal obligations continue for someone selling tangible items like delicious tacos or crochet. Back when I did shows and sold crochet (I haven’t since before John was diagnosed), I had to be mindful about sales tax, accounting methods, and even inventory my supplies. (I don’t miss the inventory headaches.)

These business nuances and distinctions matter. And it’s one of the reasons I decided to write some articles on self-employment again, albeit from a different angle than my older writings on solo-preneurship in the cottage industries.

Questions– They Do Be Existing; A Series is Born

A recent writers’ group discussion resurfaced many of the same types of questions asked in our crochet communities decades ago. I was reminded of what it was like when everything about “business” was pretty new. And also what it was like to freelance because jobs were scarce and we simply needed the income.

Over the years I’ve been asked countless questions about business, marketing, freelance writing, blogging, selling at markets, advertising, social media, consulting, and creative work. Most of the recent questions have been about writing. How to get better? How to find gigs? How to navigate contracts? Others have been pretty core about business itself. When does a hobby become a business? How do I price? Do I need to collect sales tax? Do I need an EIN?

The answers aren’t always as obvious as we’d like. They also vary depending on where you live. Business is a very organic journey, but some rules and experiences are relatively consistent. If you’ve been thinking about starting a side gig, I promise that nothing will grow you quite like building something of your own.

Since I live and work in Texas, I’ll be using Texas as the primary example throughout this series. Be sure to research the laws and requirements for business where you live. It’s important to understand the rules of business and responsibilities that come with it. Even if you didn’t plan to be in business and are only “doing this temporarily” between jobs, there are rules and laws with which you’ll have to educate yourself and comply.

NOTE: I’m not a business lawyer, legal professional, or CPA, but I wholeheartedly encourage you to consult with these types of experts if you’re going to be in business. My goal here in my personal writing space is to pay forward what others have done for me over the years: to help creative people sort their questions, think out some plans, and hopefully avoid learning the hard way.

If today’s economy is asking us to wear more than one hat, then perhaps it’s time we talked a little more about the juggle we never learned in school.

Stay tuned… I’ll put some resources together for you.