Hustling in our home

As more of us find a side hustle – whether it’s to keep our creativity or our bank balances flowing – just what is the impact on our day-to-day living?

- Jennifer Morgan

We’re increasingly becoming a nation of side hustlers, it seems, as many of us turn our hobbies and passions into ways of earning extra cash. But our homes – which have had to deal with a lot since the pandemic – are morphing into studios, offices and distribution depots. How many times have you seen a homeware brand on Instagram showing the Insta reality of boxes piled high in a hallway, waiting for collection?

Of course, we can trace this back to the pandemic – over 800,000 new businesses launched in the financial year to 2021 – although there were signs we were getting itchy feet before this. ‘Many people lost their main source of income overnight during the pandemic, or were given reduced hours or furlough,’ says Laura Jolly Yan, head of consultancy at TrendBible (trendbible.com). ‘This had a two-fold effect: firstly, people had free time on their hands to pursue hobbies and creative pursuits, or learn a new skill; secondly, the employment crisis rocked people’s confidence and financial stability, leading to many seeking side hustles and second – or third – income streams, so as not to “put all their eggs in one basket”.

‘The great “slow down” allowed people to reassess their lifestyles and analyse what was – or wasn’t – working for them,’ continues Laura. ‘Now we’ve returned to a new kind of normality, 68 per cent of people prefer a hybrid working model, according to a Future Forum survey, while 95 per cent of people want flexibility over the times they work. So it’s no surprise that many are looking to be their own boss or create income from their own home, which allows them to structure their day in the way they choose.’