About How to Start a Side Hustle

Following a successful pilot program this spring, The University of Texas at Dallas Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with seasoned entrepreneurs from Lane Two Inc., is providing a second cohort of How to Start a Side Hustle to early-stage and aspiring entrepreneurs across the University of Texas at Dallas campus. Sponsored by UT Dallas, this course is FREE for students to attend.

There have never been more opportunities to explore entrepreneurship than there are today. From solopreneurship, makers and content creators, to technology startups, hyper-niche freelancers and product-based businesses, there are an abundance of ways to transform your ideas, skills, and expertise into a meaningful line of revenue.

This 6 week, live online course will equip you with the skills, tools, and knowledge needed to launch and grow your business, while balancing your academic studies and other commitments.

Introducing, How to Start a Side Hustle! You’ll meet once per week with your instructor for a 90 minute zoom webinar and you’ll have access to office hour coaching throughout the course to get 1 on 1 support that is tailored to your business. How to Start a Side Hustle will give you the practical, step-by-step process to follow to transform your ideas, skills, or expertise into a meaningful line of revenue. Lane Two Inc. are North American leaders in training for Side Hustlers, having helped over 1250 people to start and grow side hustles.

How to Start a Side Hustle classes will run September 18th, 25th, and October 2nd. Then, there will be a two week mid-term break, with classes resuming October 23rd, 30th, and November 6th. 

If you are looking for expert guidance to bring your new product or service to market so you can make more money, and create an impact, while balancing your academic studies and other commitments, this course and coaching program will be a gamechanger for you.  

A Word from Our Alumni

Avalene Tan (current UTD student)
Side Hustle: Emunized
Big Ideas Pitch Competition Semi-finalist (2025)

As a first time entrepreneur, there were so many things I wasn't aware of. Jeff and Laura made navigating this landscape so much smoother by compiling years of knowledge and real-world experience into an accessible learning opportunity. Their insights have helped me and avoid costly mistakes in my startup journey and encouraged me to dream bigger about the positive impact these ambitions can have on the world. I'm so grateful for the experience and would highly recommend any early-stage entrepreneur to enroll in the
"How to Start a Side Hustle" course.

Deepika Ravi
Side Hustle: Banyan Node
Current student at UTD

“I was part of Lane Two’s summer cohort for the 6-week “How to Start a Side Hustle” workshop, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. My business is in its early stages, and I need guidance that is both hands-on and strategic. Jeff and Laura—both experienced founders themselves—curated a journey that felt like having your own startup advisory board.

It offers a full-spectrum view of what it really takes to launch and sustain a side hustle today. From ruthless market validation to the habit of bookkeeping, allocating time wisely through retrospectives, and shaping a compelling pitch—each module was packed with practical takeaways. We even explored how to use social media strategically and when to pivot based on market evidence and customer feedback. What made it especially powerful was its grounding in real-world examples, not just textbook theory.

One of the most unexpected gifts of this experience has been Jeff’s ongoing involvement—well beyond the bounds of the workshop itself. He’s consistently checked in, offered thoughtful guidance, and helped me refine my MVP with clarity and care. That kind of long-term commitment speaks volumes.

If you’re looking to turn an idea into a thriving venture, this workshop is your launchpad.

Expression of Interest

Space is limited in this upcoming cohort of How to Start a Side Hustle! If you would like to join this growing community of entrepreneurs, please fill out the form below to express your interest in the course.

After you fill out the form, you’ll receive an email with the Course Application Form. This is your opportunity to tell us about you, your side hustle, and why you are interested in entrepreneurship. Applications are open until Friday, September 5th. Successful applicants will be notified on Wednesday, September 10th. And, classes will begin on Thursday, September 18th.

*If you have any questions about anything to do with the course or your registration please reach out to us at laura@lanetwo.ca.

Course Overview

Click each Module to read more about what you’ll be learning each week of the course.

  • Week 1: The Side Hustle Portfolio System

    Learn the mindsets and systems needed to manage your time, energy, and focus, as you grow your portfolio of work.

    • Define your Vision Statement - make sure you are building a business that aligns to things that matter most to you. Define your WHY. 

    • Learn to install the Four Lanes Portfolio system so you can effectively manage your time, energy and focus as you start and grow your new business. 

    • Understand the Side Hustle Spectrum: the wide range of business models that are available to side hustlers today.

    Week 2: Customer Discovery

    Learn how to conduct customer discovery research to identify the ideal target customer(s) for your creative business.

    • Go deeper than a demographic understanding of your customer by learning to identify your ideal target customer segment. 

    • Use the Customer Story template to define your assumptions about your ideal target customer.

    • Build market awareness by conducting market research: interview/survey prospective customers to uncover unmet needs, and explore competitors in the market so you can find opportunities to differentiate your offer.

    • Learn to conduct an Ecosystem Scan and Competitive Analysis, so you can pinpoint opportunities to differentiate within the existing market landscape.

  • Week 3: Your Business Model

    Learn to define your first business model hypothesis and quickly test it using rapid prototyping techniques.

    • Learn to define your offer (the features, value proposition and pricing) and then quickly test your offer by building a prototype.

    • Learn different Channel Strategies - uncover innovative ways to reach your customer (you don’t need to be famous on social media to reach customers - an overview of the wide range of opportunities that exist to market and sell to customers - e.g. platform-based sales, content-based, partnership-based, etc. ).

    • Learn to conduct a Monthly Retrospective Planning Ritual - the second ritual you’ll use to manage and grow your portfolio of work.

    Week 4: Sales Strategies and Tactics

    Learn about a wide range of sales and marketing strategies and identify which fits best with you and your business.

    • A deep dive into various pricing strategies (value-based pricing and anchor pricing).

    • Learn to establish pricing so that you have enough of a margin to be cash flow positive from day 1. 

    • Learn to define your customer acquisition strategy as you work toward your launch. And, define the resources you need to bring your side hustle to life.

    • Understand how to systematically construct a buyer’s journey that attracts, educates, and converts new customers.

  • Week 5 + 6: The Launch + Backend Business Systems

    In week 5 and 6 of the course, you’ll learn how to leverage the insights you have collected from touch points with prospective customers thus far to define your Minimum Viable Offer - the first version of your side hustle that you will launch. You will also learn about the back end systems you should implement as you launch your business (business registration, accounting/financial tracking, etc) so you are set up to grow a thriving side hustle. 

    • Understand the wide range of funding opportunities that exist for Side Hustlers today.

    • Use the Roadmap planning tool to plan your side hustle launch. 

    • Understand the Minimum Viable Offer approach to launching, so you can get to market quickly, while exposing yourself to the smallest amount of risk. 

    • Learn to set targets for your launch and how to track your performance. 

    • Understand how to track your expenses and revenue, and learn about the range of accounting software that is available to support your business. 

Meet your Instructor

  • Jeff is a serial entrepreneur who has been starting and growing businesses for almost 15 years. His wide ranging entrepreneurial experience includes founding an eduction technology company and raising 1.4 million dollars to design, develop, and deploy an innovative training program in partnership with Hubspot and Shopify, which helped main street businesses to build online stores and execute digital marketing campaigns.

    Since 2020, Jeff has carved out a niche as a course creator + instructor, and as a public speaker. He is a lead education partner with the Start-Up Canada Tour and he travels across the country delivering training to hundreds of entrepreneurs each year.

    Today, Jeff is the founder of Lane Two Learning Inc., where he designs and delivers online courses to support side hustlers, solopreneurs, small business owners, and start-ups, to start and grow new businesses. Jeff has helped over 1200 people to start and grow businesses through his flagship course, How to Start a Side Hustle.

    With Lane Two, Jeff also supports large organizations to develop new, highly differentiated lines of revenue. Most recently, Jeff has worked with Canon Canada Inc. to launch a wide range of online classes. 

    Based out of Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Jeff runs Lane Two Learning Inc. with his wife, Laura. They are digital nomads who spend 75-90 days per year living and working across Canada and internationally.