I found this great checklist for starting a new venture and although the article is based in South Africa, it definitely resonates for me. What do you think? 

This is the check list, attributed to Alvira Fisher, an MBA graduate at Stellenbosch Business School.

• Scan your world daily – Look for pain points and unmet needs in your community.
• Activate your network – Share ideas with trusted people and gather feedback.
• Prototype together – Offer samples or trial services early.
• Iterate openly – Adapt based on feedback, not assumptions.
• Reinvest trust – Turn early supporters into ambassadors.

“The bottom line is that women who have side-hustles already know how to do this,” Fisher said. “You already have what it takes.”

Hit the link to read the article on Bizcommunity.

NEW YORK (AP) — As workers face frozen salaries, inflation and fear of layoffs, some have decided to branch out from their traditional careers. They’re taking on side jobs to bring in additional income and provide a backup plan should they find themselves out of work, or adding second, third and sometimes fourth jobs — what some call “polyworking” — to the mix.

So begins a recent article by Cathy Bussewitz, a national business reporter for the Associated Press. Her article goes on to interview folks who are holding down a full-time gig and also relying on a side hustle or two. 
Read Full Article

She also mentions that future employers may perceive the side hustle or “gig” as a stigma. And that led me to wonder… Why would you ever think less of a person for following their dream or taking on extra work to get out of debt, or just feed their kids? What a weird concept.

What do you think? Is there a stigma around side hustling? Let’s talk about it!

I recently caught up with a friend via social media. We had worked together in video game marketing oh, twenty years ago, and “stayed in touch” via seeing each other’s adventures on Facebook.

Lately I’d seen Lisa pull off a super-interesting pivot–starting a business focused on gardening. I gave my opinions on favorite business names and logos and feel invested in its success. I wanted to know more.

We both worked in video games, first at Sierra and then Xbox. You got married and moved to LA and had a family. Did you continue to work in tech?

Oh yes! That was back in the early 2000s. I remember daily lunches with you and Orlena and evening game sessions in the Microsoft hallways—it was a great time. After moving back to LA, I worked at Activision, a few startups focused on innovative marketing, and then at Alienware, Herman Miller Gaming, and Intel Gaming. It was a long and wildly fun ride.

Have you always been into gardening, or is this a newfound pursuit?

I’ve always loved nature and the outdoors. As my corporate career went on, stress and anxiety became constant companions, so I made sure my space always included a living sanctuary, outdoors if possible or inside if not. A place to breathe, feel the wind, smell herbs, and hear birdsong. It’s my living meditation. I’ve even grown basil in bathroom windows or orchids over a kitchen sink. Wherever the sun could reach, I put something green.

It all started with a rant.

“Ugh! Christa! They changed the symbols between part 1 and part 2.” “OMG! They changed the floss list and added new colors!” “Doesn’t anyone look at this stuff before they release it?”, I ranted to my friend about a stitch along pattern because she had bought it as well.

Stitch alongs are typically rather large cross stitch patterns released in bits, every few weeks. Designers do this so stitchers keep momentum with big designs, to build community as others are excited about stitching the same things and are posting about it on Facebook or Instagram, or sometimes because they just haven’t finished designing something but they want to start getting it out there. Stitch alongs are my JAM. I love having a theme and seeing it unfold as time goes by. But sometimes they are the bane of my existence because some designers aren’t great at proofing their work.

I’m still a little embarrassed by how I got my first test stitching gig. Someone had posted in the Facebook group for the design I was complaining about and it seemed like she had KNOWLEDGE about the pattern. It didn’t even occur to me that she could be the designer because the group was named for her business. I started asking her questions, “Do you know, does she have any more color changes planned?” “Can you tell her about the following mistakes in the pattern?” “Is she going to change any more symbols?” Finally, this nice lady told me she is the designer of the pattern and she asked how I’d found the issues so quickly.

“Well, I worked in video games for 20+ years and I started in Quality Assurance. I got used to looking for patterns and results in games. I did a lot of work on branded games and I got used to looking at the creative work to assess where brand holders might have issues with art. I guess I just have an eye for it. Cross stitch patterns are essentially just pixel art”, I explained to her.

She asked if I’d be willing to look at the rest of the pattern and maybe test stitch it ahead of the release schedule to help her find issues before it was released. “Test…… Stitch?”, I asked. A light bulb went off. Not only could I help her design be better, I could see the whole thing early. Sign me up.

Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?

A: I’ve gotten plenty of advice, but I’d say the best advice that I actually followed through with is sunscreen. My mom started nagging/advising me about it when I was very little.