Do you have what it takes to start a company or employ yourself? You can “try before you buy” by taking on a self-contained side hustle.

Making fancy cakes just for graduation season or dog-sitting as a backup to an overbooked dog caretaker forces you to think like an entrepreneur. If your Career Lattice skills inventory turned up worrisome weaknesses, a small, short-term side hustle will make you backfill those weaknesses. Hate bookkeeping? You’ll get over it quick when you realize you won’t get paid for your side hustle unless you invoice and manage the related paperwork.

Side Husl is a terrific source for pickup work that can enlighten you about your entrepreneurial abilities and potential gaps you need to fill. It’s run by a longtime business journalist whose no-nonsense approach to work, career and income is a real-life as it gets. Use the Side Husl tools to zero in on a gig you’d like to date before you commit to entrepreneurship as your sole occupation.