Best side hustle ideas have the potential to earn endless income. The calling card of a side hustle is a disorganized, experimental mentality that views resource constraints as a thrilling challenge, not as a sign to give up. Side hustlers come from diverse backgrounds and sell a wide range of products.
Thousands are joining as people rediscover that saving money and having a full-time job only goes so far, there is a hard floor, while the ceiling for side hustles is almost limitless. But that does not make it easy. So, what goes into the emerging art of starting a good side hustle to make money?
What Is A Side Hustle?
Side hustle means any activity outside of your job that helps you to make more money. Technically, this is a part-time job or work done for side hustle apps like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, Rover, DoorDash, or TaskRabbit.
But not all side hustles are equal. A part-time job may be good seasonally, but in slower months, limited hours can mean limited funds. Gig apps like Uber might work for making a couple of extra bucks in a pinch, but these options tend to have payment structures designed to minimize the payout to people providing the service.
Best Side Hustles To Make Money
- Proofreading
- Sell Handmade Goods
- Dropshipping Business
- Virtual Assistant
- Start a blog
- YouTube Channel
- Online Surveys
- Social Media Accounts
- Affiliate Marketer
- Sell Digital Products
- Sell Photography
- Sell On Etsy
- Sell On Shopify
- Watch Ads
Proofreading
If you are a super attentive person or you like proofreading then starting a proofreading side hustle might be perfect for you. There are a lot of bloggers, websites, and businesses that are looking for proofreaders and will pay you well for your services. Not only can you proofread from your laptop from anywhere in the world, but you can also set your rates and bill by the hour.
As well as, becoming a proofreader yourself, you can build your own business where you can deal with other people time for money. What I mean is after you get a few clients, you can hire others to do the proofreading, freeing you up to focus on getting clients and then more hiring.
You can be the boss, Whether you decide to start proofreading, you can easily do it yourself. It has an extremely high return on investment and is worth taking if you are seriously considering or want to learn more about creating your proofreading. I have explored a bunch of these courses and this is by far the best. Tips on Great Write Affiliate Marketing Content.
Sell Handmade Goods
Something is satisfying about hobbies that make money. It is no surprise that many Shopify merchants begin successful small businesses out of a hobby they started doing in their spare time. If you enjoy doing the work, it does not feel like work. Think of something you enjoy doing, even when no one paying you.
Whether it is carpeting, knitting, painting, or crafting these hobbies can serve as the foundation for many unique side hustles.
Almost everyone has a hobby or creativity that they are passionate about. You are in an especially good position if you are involved in making something with your hands. While creating handmade products requires plenty of time spent learning a craft, it is one of the best ways to stand out in a sea of commodity products. You can also sell handmade items on Etsy alongside your eCommerce store to connect with more potential customers.
On top of this, sourcing raw materials puts you in a unique position to ensure your manufacturing process aligns with your brand values. Many business owners are using their values, such as creating products containing recyclable materials, as part of their sales pitch.
Dropshipping Business
Dropshipping is another online business model where a third party manufactures and ships existing products for you. All you have to do is set up your store, price your products, and market the business. Dropshipping is also a low-risk opportunity because, again, products are only shipped when they are purchased, which leaves plenty of room for profit, so long as your marketing expenses are reasonable.
With a third party in charge of manufacturing and shipping, dropshipping frees up a lot of time. You can also dropship on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay to reach more customers.
The time you save dropshipping can be spent finding a niche to sell to, marketing your products, reaching new buyers, or helping your customers. With product development and design being noticeably absent from this equation, dropshipping is a side hustle for those who want to flex their marketing muscles.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is one of the most in-demand, profitable, and best side hustles in the digital economy. You can also work as a virtual assistant from anywhere in the world on a laptop making them perfect side hustles for digital nomads or full-time travelers. As more people are launching digital businesses there is an incredible demand for people who can help run those businesses.
For a comprehensive blueprint for the types of skills, you sell as a virtual assistant and how much money you can make, check out my post on how to become a virtual assistant.
Start a Blog
Blogging is one of the most popular side hustles because it can be done from just about anywhere. You only need a laptop and a WiFi connection, and any location can be turned into your publishing den. It may not be profitable right away, but for bloggers looking to build up a personal brand, audience, and portfolio, a blog goes a long way in advancing your career.
One of the most interesting things about blogging is the roundabout way it may benefit your current career sharing your work can show employers and hiring managers how you think about problems and what projects you have worked on.
Getting this knowledge down can help you get discovered or stand out from a barrage of résumés if you decide to apply to a new role. Like teaching, blogging can be about anything so long as some kind of audience is keen to learn, which means there is a lot of space to take a deep dive into a subject you are passionate about. One challenge with this side hustle, though, is learning how to start a blog that makes money.
Pageviews do not pay the bills, so you will likely need to do some adjacent work, like referring readers to products, offering sponsored posts or advertisements, or even providing a connecting service, for blogging to be profitable in the long run. You will have already done the hard work of creating an audience.
YouTube Channel
YouTube has more than a billion users who watch hours of videos each day. As the popularity of the site has soared, so have the opportunities for creatives looking to craft their video content. You can always learn how to start a YouTube channel and talk about current events, perform sketches or music, offer tutorials, or do just about anything else but the real money is in creating a channel that works alongside your business.
Building an audience big enough to profit from YouTube ads takes a lot of time, which is why it is better to find a more direct connection to revenue than to wait for ads to become viable. The closer your videos support an existing product, the better, even if that means creating videos before you launch your product.
Online Surveys
Your opinions can finally make you money. Countless companies and market researchers want to know what people think of their products and services. One way they find out is by asking consumers to fill out surveys for them. Filling out surveys probably will not pay your bills, but it can pad your pocket with some spending money for the weekend or for that trip you want to take.
You do not need to be an expert in anything, and it does not require you to have any sort of certifications or degrees. Just sign up to participate on websites like Branded Surveys or Swagbucks, fill out your interests, and they will contact you. Then you get to choose which surveys are worth your time and how many you want to do.
Social Media Accounts
Social media has become an integral part of our lives, whether we like it or not. And with new social media platforms popping up regularly, this number is not likely to subside.
Managing a social media account can mean a variety of things. You could be responsible for something simple like uploading a daily post on Instagram for an individual to managing a company entire social media portfolio. But the things that every social media manager must have are knowledge of how social media algorithms work and a good handle on current trends.
The problem is that to be considered an effective social media manager, your posts need to generate business or followers. After all, that is why you are getting paid. We all troll social media, so why not use that to get paid?
Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing is when you advertise someone else products or services on your platform and get a commission from any sale that comes from your referral. This is a great way to combine side hustles. If you have a podcast or are an influencer have a store of your own, and get into affiliate marketing. It is a great way to gain some passive income while you are either working on a different side hustle or working on your passions.
Finding companies that participate in affiliate marketing is easy. Just go to an affiliate marketplace like ShareASale and find the right products for you. But remember the products and services you promote must be in tune with your audience.
Sell Digital Products
A digital product is a non-physical asset that exists in the digital world. These products are typically downloadable or streamable files like MP3s, PDFs, videos, and templates.
Iron Man Factory created that one template and can now sell it an infinite number of times. No need to spend the making and storing these suits themselves. All the information is transmitted online to the buyers. If you are creative in the digital space, this is a great way to make some money.
If you are a musician, music is always needed for movies and ad campaigns. If you are a graphic designer, websites are always looking for new fonts and graphics to make their site stand out. The possibilities for digital products are endless. And now with NFTs coming into the market, digital art and music have even more potential value in the digital space.
Sell Photography
There are a bunch of sites like Shutterstock and iStock Photo that are always looking to buy images that can be used on websites and ad campaigns. And as long as the web exists, it will always need new photos, because websites will always need to update and refresh their content.
You can also sell your photography as prints or put them on a mug or sweatshirt. Get your images on something physical and sell them as hangable and wearable art. Getting quality prints of your photos is easy and cheap these days, so there is a real market if you have the right image.
You also can sell your photography as a service. Photographing weddings alone can be a full-time gig, and that is not even mentioning concerts, graduations, baby announcements, annual family photos, and the list goes on. If you know how to take a good photograph and how to edit one, you have a very marketable skill.
Sell On Etsy
Etsy is the go-to marketplace for everything handmade including jewelry, clothing, and home decor among other things. If you are good at making things that people might want to buy, setting up your shop on Etsy can be one of the most lucrative side hustles available today.
There is a $0.20 listing fee and a 5% transaction fee whenever you sell something. If the sale comes through an advert hosted by Etsy, there will be an extra 15% charge but this is optional in most cases.
Sell On Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce platform that allows you to sell products and services online. It offers an end-to-end solution that includes an online store as well as a Point Of Sale system. You can also integrate your website and social media channels to increase the number of channels through which you can sell. Just like other online selling solutions, the earning potential is only limited by your target market and the time you put into it.
Shopify presents an easy way to start selling online especially if you have your website. This allows you to keep control over the experience you provide to buyers which can increase customer satisfaction and ultimately, sales.
Watch Ads
Getting paid to watch ads is not going to make you rich, but it can make you a considerable amount of coin if you do it consistently. There are many reputable companies out there willing to pay you to watch their advertisements. These include InboxDollars, Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and even Nielsen TV Ratings.
By watching these video advertisements, you can earn points which you can then redeem for cash withdrawals or gift cards. Many offer sign-up bonuses as well to provide you with an introductory incentive.
Best Side Hustles To Make Money
Benefits Of A Side Hustle
So, why should you consider starting a side hustle? There are many reasons for doing so, which I will briefly explain next.
By working a side hustle, you can bring in more money and start socking it away toward retirement. The more money you bring in now, the less you will have to work later in life. There is never a better time than right now when it comes to making money.
- Pay Down Debt
- Expand Your Skills
- Build Your Career
Pay Down Debt
Plenty of people do it for various reasons. By working a side hustle, you can pay down student loans or credit card debt and get yourself in a situation where you can start saving more. Starting a side hustle is an excellent way to pay down debt and create a better financial situation for yourself.
Expand Your Skills
We are living in an unstable world, where many workers are at risk of displacement. The best way to protect yourself is to keep learning, growing, and expanding your skills. If you get complacent, you will get lazy. And being lazy is a terrible trap to fall into. Working a side hustle can teach you valuable skills that you can use to improve your trade and knowledge and become a more well-rounded person.
Investing in yourself is one of the most important things you can do in life. Try to learn something new every day, how to become a blogger or how to open up a shop on Etsy even if it is something small and insignificant.
Build Your Career
In the past, people went to school, got a degree, went into a certain field, and then worked until retirement. But, the world has changed significantly. It is up to you to build your career and determine where you want to go in life. And by starting a side hustle, you can open doors that you never thought were possible.
Keep in mind that if you start a side hustle, there is a non-zero chance that you can become extremely successful beyond your wildest imagination. Plenty of people have done it before. And you can do it, too, if you set your mind to it.
Is Your Side Hustle Scalable?
Before you begin investing your time into a particular side hustle, you should consider the potential for scalability. This will help narrow your ideas to only the most profitable ones. ones Shift your thinking from ideas that are strictly limited by your own time, to side hustles that have the potential to be scaled.
How Much Money Can You Make Side Hustling?
It is pretty easy to make at least an extra $1,000 to $2,000 per month side hustling in your first few months, if you keep at it and look for opportunities to grow you can realistically get to $10,000 in a month on side hustle income if you keep at it.