Is it risky? Of course it’s a little risky. But isn’t this true of anything worth building?

Who hasn’t thought about quitting their day job to become your own boss? Or think about that thing that you’re excited about and are really good at.

Sometimes you think, I could do this thing on the side and make some extra cash. Maybe I should venture out and make a go of it.

You might also ask, what about the benefits my current employer provides — such things as health insurance and steady income? If you’ve questioned any of these points, maybe it’s time to consider launching a side hustle.

If you’re currently writing regularly and pitching your work, you’re essentially working in that direction and have what it takes to succeed.

With a little time, creativity and nurturing, no telling what you might achieve. This is true of any passion or hobby.

In the book, Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days, Chris Guillibeau is no stranger to any of this. He offers a step-by-step road map to launch, refine, and make money from your side hustle in less than a month.

Guillibeau knows a thing or two about this. He’s launched more than a dozen side hustles himself over the span of his career. He distills this knowledge and serves it up in a 250 page how-to book that walks us from idea to income in only 27-days.

When you build something for yourself you will feel more empowered. You’ll gain a new sense of confidence and purpose.

You create more security, not only in the form of extra income, but in the future opportunities and relationships that you’re unlocking.

Maybe your goal is to have extra cash to pay off a loan. Maybe you want to start a vacation fund, save for early retirement, replace or exceed the income your current job is providing. A side hustle might be your answer.

According to Guillebeau, you don’t need to spend more than an hour a day to get there, any more time than that is probably a waste.

Let’s look now at the anatomy of a good side-hustle.

A worthy side hustle should be feasible, profitable and persuasive

Feasibility — If your idea motivates you, will earn money and can be accomplished in a short period of time than it’s feasible.

Profitability — If you can explain the merits of your proposal to potential customers in two or three sentences, then you are on the right track, especially if you can turn a profit in a short period of time.

Persuasion — If your customer has difficulty saying no, then your idea is persuasive. This is particularly true if your idea is more of a novelty that will give you some edge over the competition.

Now it’s time to do some math

You’ll want to calculate the projected profit of your hustle. Basically, you should spend less money than you bring in. Anticipate income minus expenses.

This calculation should be figured twice. One should be a more conservative projection. And the other should be more optimistic in scope. This all rests on the predicted integrity of the outcomes.

Once you feel pretty confident about these projections, you can turn it into an offer. Every offer includes three elements: a promise, a pitch and a price.

Promise — is your bold declaration to customers demonstrating how they will immediately profit. “I’m the best dog walker you can find!”

Pitch — tells the customer everything they need to know in a nutshell. “I’ll treat your dogs like they are my own, they will be anxious to see me and it will free up extra time for you”

Price — should include the cost and a “call to action” It should be seamless and bold. “Call me at…” or “Click here to get started”

Creating a sense of urgency is important

This is accomplished by using the color red and highlighting key words or phrases like, “today”, “act now” And if you’re selling your service online, the ever-faithful countdown on the checkout screen is always a good means to instill that sense of urgency.

Respond quickly to potential leads

It’s really important to respond as quickly as possible to any potential leads. There is strong data from a study by the Harvard Business Review that shows companies who respond to customer queries within an hour are seven times more likely to get their business.

The basic resources required for your side hustle

You don’t need much in the way of resources to start up. The following shopping list of essentials will keep you covered in the beginning:

1. You’ll want to have a website. Every business needs an online home and a content-management system. WordPress is easy and quick to get setup.
2. A social media profile. This does not mean that you need to take advantage of every platform available, but you should have a couple, at least in the beginning stages. Be sure to register your company’s name with Facebook, Twitter or whichever platforms you decide to go with.
3. A scheduling tool. Time management is critical with any company, and this goes for your side hustle. A scheduling tool will afford you more time to devote to the work itself and less time on organizing meetings with suppliers and customers. The scheduling applications will serve to display mutually available time slots.
4. Invoicing system. Setting up a payment/invoicing system is a must. Be sure to include a shopping cart or PayPal account on your website before you launch. You’ll want to make it as easy as possible for your customers to pay. You also want to generate some tangible record of that payment for both you and your customer’s reference.

Your 27-day plan

Week 1 — Build an arsenal of ideas

Week 2 — Select your best ideas

Week 3 — Prepare for liftoff

Week 4 — Launch your idea to the right people

Week 5 — Regroup and refine

Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days is a valuable tool for getting ideas, setting your price and finding your customers. The book goes more in-depth on these topics, such as recruiting help by seeking out mentors, influencers and trendsetters.

Author, Chris Guillebeau takes it to the next level. He discusses raising your game by improving, expanding and making more from your side hustle once it has gained momentum and begins to scale.

A side hustle is a great idea for anybody who’s looking for an extra paycheck. You don’t need entrepreneurial expertise or an MBA. You don’t need a marketing background or know how to code. You don’t even need investors or lenders.

Anyone can set themselves up with a side hustle that meshes well with their passion.

And most importantly, it doesn’t mean you need to quit your day job… at least not right away, but down the road, if things go really well for you, who knows?