Side hustles can come in very different shapes and sizes – from sitting at a computer after the kids go to bed to getting up with the kookaburras for a market stall. Recent studies show that over one quarter of Australians are earning a second income through a side hustle or micro business.

By day, Amanda Golding works in medical administration, but by night and over weekends she designs and makes polymer clay jewellery for her brand, Strawberry Jayne. Fine line artist Darcy Rees plays professional basketball in Europe and Australia and recently turned her other love into a small business, Art by DarcyR.

Learn about Amanda and Darcy’s journey as they share their sage advice on starting a side hustle, mastering the juggle and how to keep it going.

Phase One: Getting Your Side Hustle Started

Amanda Golding’s Strawberry Jayne market stall displaying colourful earrings and hair accessories, alongside a QR code ‘follow us’ sign.

Pursue a Side Hustle That You’re Passionate About

Amanda’s side hustle feels like her ‘me time’. “[When you’re starting out] don’t do it for the money to start with – that’s something you can build towards. For me, it's got to be about passion. I know that sounds a bit cheesy but you have to love it.”

For Darcy, her fine line art side hustle has always been the perfect balance to her physical day job of playing basketball. “I can turn my mind off a little bit and really get into the creative side. You need to have that balance and I enjoy it so much.”

Darcy Rees at her Art by DarcyR market stall, displaying detailed architectural prints, colourful artwork, commission signage and bunting against a rustic brick wall backdrop.‍

Identify a Gap in the Market

Amanda first started her side hustle well before the polymer clay trend hit the mainstream, but once the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, it created a surge in arts and crafts – even leading to a global shortage of white polymer clay. This taught Amanda to ride the waves of changing trends by making different accessories and trying new techniques, while other makers she knows have diversified into monetising their skills and wholesaling. 

Darcy started out by selling at markets, but she soon identified her hottest product was custom drawings. “Having something personalised to gift to someone just makes it a bit unique. I've done a few first-date spots and wedding venues – it’s a good anniversary gift.”

Phase Two: Master the Juggle

Find The Right Balance

With the economy and changing trends, having her day job is helping Amanda keep her side business going. “I’m lucky because I do have a full-time job. I don’t feel the pressure to keep my side hustle going, and that’s why I think I’ve done it consistently for so long because I’m still in the enjoyment stage.” Her customers keep her going too. “If I skip a market one time, I’ll get a couple of DMs like, ‘I missed you’ and ‘you weren’t there today’. That’s really sweet.”

Make Time to Get Started

Life can have a funny way of opening up new doors. For Amanda and Darcy, a little bit of extra time on their hands is what led them towards their side hustle path.

Amanda took the plunge and launched Strawberry Jayne when she was expecting her son in 2016. “It gave me the time to dive in and start creating more consistently and then I did my first market in 2018,” says Amanda.

When Darcy came home from her 2025 season in Europe with a few injuries, she decided to spend her spare time getting her business off the ground. Initially, Darcy wanted to take time to research and plan before making a leap into business but then someone told her that “you have to start before you're ready”. “You have to really believe in yourself that it’s going to work out and you’re going to stay in the game long-term,” says Darcy. 

Phase Three: How to Keep the Side Hustle Going

Sell Across Different Spaces

Both Amanda and Darcy sell across different platforms and find success in different spaces, so trialling anything and everything is the best way to find where your audience is.

Amanda’s sales largely come from word-of-mouth referrals and market stalls. She does a mix of large and smaller markets around Adelaide and showcases her wares in ‘maker’ pop-up stores when the opportunity arises.  

Darcy plans to do both markets and commissions, which she can do during the basketball season. “At the moment, I'm relying on people who have seen me at markets or friends and family passing on my information to other people.”

Embrace and Expand Your Network

“[Having a] community is huge,” Amanda says. “If it wasn’t for the community, I don’t know that I would still be doing the business as much. When I go to a market, it’s more about catching up with the fellow vendors as much as it is selling something.”

For Darcy, it’s all about the knowledge the community has shared with her. “Everyone’s been really helpful – they’ll tell me what they think I should do, about their wholesale experience and share the information they have.” 

Lean Into Learning

From market stall stock levels to testing different print styles, Darcy has learned through a lot of trial and error in setting up her business. “It was a learning process,” says Darcy. “I did a lot of markets where I made a bit of a loss but at the time, I thought it was great when I'd sell one piece. Back when I started, I didn't know how to build a website and do an Excel spreadsheet with all the numbers [but] I have more to learn.”

Side Hustle Starter Kit

The right tools can make every part of your side hustle smoother – from late-night admin sessions to market day. Here’s what Amanda and Darcy swear by.

Running the Business‍

A reliable laptop is the command centre for both Amanda and Darcy, handling everything from spreadsheets and invoices to website updates and client emails. For Darcy, it pairs with her scanner – her most-loved purchase since starting her business. “Originally I was just taking photos of my art and trying to print [from that], but could never get the lighting quite right.” Now she scans all her work and prints commissions on 300GSM paper for a gallery-worthy finish. A flash drive for backing up files and a desk planner for mapping out market dates and commission deadlines are also simple additions that keep everything organised and on track.

Market Stall Must-Haves ‍

Setting up a winning market stall is all in the details. Darcy uses tiered brochure stands to let customers browse freely: “I found when people actually picked stuff up and were able to look through [for] themselves, they were more willing to buy something.” A storage box keeps backup stock tidy underfoot, while kraft bags give every sale a professional finish – Amanda slips in a thank you card with a website link to keep customers connected long after they’ve left.

No market kit is complete without a Square credit card reader. “It’s really user friendly for the customer as well as the vendor,” says Amanda. Business cards are just as essential. Darcy prints hers at Officeworks with a QR code linking to her website: “I feel like that’s really made it a bit more personalised for people and they feel a bit more connected to what I’m trying to do.”

What to Try