Low-skill softwares that could grow your next hustle internationally

The state of the global economy has taken a turn for the worse over the last few years, catalysed by the Covid-19 pandemic, geo-political, and a host of macro and micro factors.

Its evidence surfaces every other day from higher inflation, lower growth, increased taxation, and job losses among others.

Job security is starting to look like a foreign construct as everyone from multinational corporations, and enterprises to medium and small-sized businesses are cutting weight to improve their runway and optimise costs for survival.

Owners of capital have tightened their purse strings. They are more diligent in their review of opportunities and more upfront about the need to see a faster return on investments.

In truth, you may need to look actively at starting a side hustle.

Where you may have one already, augment it with another to increase sources of income to meet monthly obligations, bolster savings or working capital to keep afloat until the tide turns, or perchance even thrive in the odd chance that you uncover an unexploited or growing niche.

Starting a business may be daunting but pause for a moment and think of the looming alternative. The first mindset change required is to entertain the possibility of servicing clients globally and not limit yourself to your domiciled state.

The second is to shed traditional notions of business setup. Lastly, we have become accustomed to the narrative of co-founders, but for this time envision handling everything end-to-end as the ultimate solopreneur.

Easier said than done, but three things would work in your favour. First, a global outlook increases your chances of getting a decent gig going.

Second, we live in a knowledge economy where creators and curators can leverage the continued need for convenience to attract a paying audience.

Third, and most important, is the availability of tools that empower anyone to build a myriad of experiences without the need to be technical.

Popularly referred to as no-code, these tools allow one to quickly build websites and mobile applications and automate internal business functions from lead generation, customer relationship management, sales, marketing, reporting to project management, and practically any permutation of most business functions.

All this using intuitive graphical interfaces with drag-and-drop functionality. No need to write hard code.

It is possible to go from idea to ready product or service in weeks. If you have a skill or domain knowledge, package it into a product or service, and start exploring the no-code tooling universe and power your next hustle.

Njihia is the head of business at Safiri Express | www.mbuguanjihia.com | Twitter: @mbuguanjihia