October 2, 2020

More than Half of All Americans Dream of Starting a Side Hustle to Quit Their Day Jobs

The disillusioned office worker daydreaming about pursuing their passion instead is a cliche for a reason: It’s true. Americans long to do something they love for a living, as found in a recent national poll conducted by YouGov, and commissioned by Volusion, the ecommerce platform for small- and medium-sized businesses. The survey found that eight in 10 Millennials (79%) and 67% of Americans overall would continue to work even after winning the lotto, as long as their job was tied to their passion.

It also seems American workers have their head in the clouds, especially while on the clock; 60% of full-timers say that have spent time at work daydreaming about a job or career they’d rather pursue.

Kevin Sproles, CEO and founder of Volusion, thinks this is a trend not going away anytime soon. “Today’s workforce is focused and determined, but that drive may not be tied to their current job—the majority of Americans spend time at work thinking about something else they’d rather pursue.”

“We’ve all heard if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life and these findings show that many people agree. Most workers long to start a career or side business they’re passionate about, to the point that they’d do so even if they won the lottery,” Sproles continued.

The study also found that passion trumps pay in many cases, with almost half (47%) of Americans say being their own boss would be worth taking a pay cut. Men agree with this more than women (52% vs. 43%). The entire study’s findings are below:

Labor of Love

Americans say they want to work… As long as they’re doing something they’re passionate about.

  • While two-thirds of Americans (67%) say they would still work on something they were passionate about after winning the lotto, men were more likely to agree (70%) than women (64%).
  • Millennials are most motivated to work on their passion project post-winnings (79%), followed by 34-54-year-olds (70%), and 55+ (54%).
  • If it were financially feasible, 75% of Americans and 84% of full-time workers would rather focus on a job or career tied to one of their passions.
    • The study also found a gender gap in pursuing passion: More men (80%) would rather focus on a job or career tied to one of their passions, as opposed to women (71%)
    • Four-year college graduates agree with this the most (85%) followed by post-graduates (82%), some college/2-years of college (81%), and those with a high school degree or less (65%).

(Day)dreaming of More

More than half (52%) of Americans have spent time at work thinking or daydreaming about a job or career they would rather pursue.

  • Millennials top this list, (62%) but don’t discount their older counterparts (57% for ages 35-54, 40% for ages 55+).
  • Over half of full-time workers (51%) have visualized ways in which they would like to quit their job, such as leaving for lunch and never coming back or telling off their boss (44%). Half (51%) of Gen Xers (35-54-year-olds) have daydreamed ways, compared with 44% of Millennials, and 38% of those aged 55+.

Swooning over the Side Hustle

Three-quarters (75%) of Americans would rather focus on a job or career they are passionate about if it were financially feasible, but only 37% have actually started a side business.

  • More than half (55%) of Americans and over six in ten (63%) full-time workers want to start a side hustle (i.e. a passion project in addition to their regular job, a secondary way to make extra money or supplement income).
    • Men are more interested in starting a side hustle than women (57% vs. 52%) and Millennials (65%) more than older generations (61% for 34-54-year-olds and 40% for 55+).
  • But starting a side gig or side business has barriers to entry; 37% of Americans say not having enough money and startup capital or resources prevents them from starting a side hustle, followed by 33% saying they do not have enough time and one in five (20%) who say they are overwhelmed by the steps needed or simply don’t know where to start.

There are numerous ways for people to create side hustles that they’re passionate about and enrich their lives. Here are 6 ways to help turn your passion into a money-making idea. To learn more or to start creating your business on Volusion, visit www.volusion.com.

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