How Easy Is It To Start Up A Second Gig?
Men's Health UK|September 2018

In a turbulent jobs market, relying on a single income source is, for many, risky and impractical – so an increasing number of us are trying to earn a little extra on the fly. The phenomenon even has a name: the side hustle. But how easy is it to start up a second gig? MH clocked in to find out.

Richard Godwin
How Easy Is It To Start Up A Second Gig?

Ross Taylor’s side hustle began by accident. Five years ago, he treated himself to a butterfly taxidermy course in Hackney, east London, just because it looked fun. “I found it very relaxing,” he says. “I’m an impatient person, and it forced me to slow right down. It’s intricate, delicate and demands a lot of concentration. Then I thought: you know what? No one does butterfly taxidermy in a creative way. It’s all quite standard. So I decided to mount them on limited-edition gold prints.”

The 33-year-old Taylor is now one of the pre-eminent mounters of lepidoptera in Britain. At first, he made pieces of butterfly art for friends. Then he raised a few thousand pounds on Kickstarter to make some for strangers, after which he went into business with his partner, Chris McShane. They branched into home ware, and their company, the Curious Department, now sells plates and pillows online and in 20 shops across Europe.

Taylor manages this in about 15-20 hours a week. For his “day job”, he is the creative director at Iris Worldwide, an ad agency that counts Adidas as a client. “It’s an amazing job,” he says. “But with advertising, you’re only creative within the constraints of a brand that already exists. The reason I started my side hustle was for creativity that is led only by what I want to do.” It supplements his already healthy income by about 20%.

Esta historia es de la edición September 2018 de Men's Health UK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición September 2018 de Men's Health UK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MEN'S HEALTH UKVer todo
Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well
Men's Health UK

Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well

Nutrition is a maddening business. Foods are in one day, compost the next; vitamins that cured ills last week are promptly debunked. We all want to eat better, but who has the time to sift fact from fad? Rest easy because this is your easily digestible, bite-sized guide to doing precisely that

time-read
10+ minutos  |
June 2019
The False Prophets Of Wellness
Men's Health UK

The False Prophets Of Wellness

Muscle, fat loss, wisdom… Whatever you seek, there is now an entrepreneurial guru armed with hashtags who claims to have the answer. But is it gospel?

time-read
2 minutos  |
June 2019
The Brexit Diet
Men's Health UK

The Brexit Diet

Whether you voted Leave or Remain, the EU has transformed the way we eat – and crashing out threatens to deal a mighty blow to both our palates and our nutritional health. MH spoke to the experts worried that the true impact of Brexit will leave a very bad taste in our mouths.

time-read
8 minutos  |
April 2019
Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie
Men's Health UK

Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie

Don’t flake on post-workout pastry. Pie and mash is your new performance enhancer

time-read
1 min  |
July 2018
The Trip Treatment
Men's Health UK

The Trip Treatment

Once the poison of the counterculture, psychedelic drugs are gaining credibility as a powerful, viable mental health tool that could transform the way we understand ourselves. Are you ready to turn on, tune in and dose up?

time-read
10+ minutos  |
July 2018
Men's Health UK

The Gastropub​ Nutrition Plan

New research suggests you don’t need to cut back on flavour either to satisfy your cravings or to cook off kilos. Better pass that piccalilli

time-read
2 minutos  |
April 2018
Your Detox Doner Card
Men's Health UK

Your Detox Doner Card

 The vilified sat fat in your kebab is actually the antidote to offset booze’s impact on your liver. How convenient

time-read
1 min  |
April 2018
Reach For The Stars
Men's Health UK

Reach For The Stars

He has crossed the Atlantic, from Peckham to Hollywood, carrying multiple blockbusters on his newly broad shoulders. But while John Boyega’s star is in the ascendant, his feet remain firmly on the ground – thanks to a few fundamental life lessons learned along the way. Take note and look up.

time-read
10 minutos  |
April 2018
One Word Answer #43
Men's Health UK

One Word Answer #43

As tedious as they might have seemed at the time, most of the lessons our parents taught us as kids were worthy of adherence. Sit up straight at the table; look people in the eye when you thank them; try not to spit at strangers – even as an adult, these are values to live by.

time-read
1 min  |
April 2018
Men's Health UK

Son Of A Gun

For most men, joining the family business is the easier option. Not so for Scott Eastwood, a man whose father might just be the most iconic Hollywood hard man ever. But while he is, in many ways, a chip off the old block, the firebrand’s son has his own life well figured out

time-read
10+ minutos  |
May 2017