Zarah ChoudharyAdobe Express conducted a survey which revealed that 66% of people start a side hustle to generate extra income, while 31% are motivated by the desire to pursue a passion.
The survey examined the motivations, challenges, and successes of both aspiring and current side hustle owners, providing insights into this growing trend.
The findings showed that 21% of respondents looking to start a side hustle are interested in entering the creative arts industry, while 19% are drawn to retail and e-commerce.
Hospitality and events attracted only 6% of aspiring side hustlers, and finance and consulting appealed to just 5%.
For 22% of respondents, the flexibility that a side hustle offers was an important motivator.
The survey revealed that 36% of aspiring entrepreneurs are worried about time management, and 32% are concerned about balancing a side hustle alongside a full-time job.
Financial risks were another worry, with 20% of participants expressing fear of financial failure.
While many participants said they would consider turning their side hustle into a full-time business, most noted that this would depend on its success.
The survey highlighted the challenges faced by current side hustle owners also with 39% find balancing their side hustle with their primary job to be the biggest difficulty, followed by 27% who struggle with administrative tasks and paperwork.
The majority of side hustle owners—72%—dedicate up to 10 hours a week to their ventures, while 18% spend 20 hours or more.
Financially, 73% earn up to £500 per month from their side hustles, and 20% report earning over £1,000.
The success factors for side hustles were also explored with social media marketing cited by 35% of respondents as a key factor in helping their side hustles grow.
Networking with other entrepreneurs was also highlighted by 23% of participants, while 13% noted the usefulness of business tools such as software and apps.
The survey also showed that challenges vary by industry.
In the creative arts and design sector, 30% of respondents pointed to time management and administrative tasks as major hurdles, while 36% in the finance sector identified marketing and promotion as their biggest challenge.
The survey also revealed variations in profitability across industries.
Information technology emerged as the most profitable side hustle sector, with 24% of respondents earning over £1,000 per month.
This was followed by engineering and manufacturing, where 20% of participants reported similar earnings, and science and pharmaceuticals at 14%.
In contrast, education was the least lucrative industry, with 54% of respondents earning less than £100 per month.
