You may have wished to make just little more money to add on what you already have. With 24 hours in your hand, there is a lot that you can do to make money. Extra income is not bad. In fact, extra cash you get beside your pay may boost you a lot on your journey to financial freedom. You may be wondering what to do during that hour you are not busy at work. This article discusses several side hustles you can undertake to make real money.
The best side hustle you can undertake is one which you can use the skills you already have. Start by deciding how much money you want to earn from the side hustle. You also decide how much time and money you can afford to invest. You can also consider a side hustle that is based on your passion or something that you are good at. There are many ways to start a side hustle. You only need to have an entrepreneurial spirit to start and keep going.
Best Side Hustles to Start and Make Money
1. Be a freelancer
Freelancing is one of the best side hustles you can start since it offers some flexibility and a high potential for full-time income. Freelance writers are in very high demand right now, which makes this a great side hustle idea. There are many different types of freelance writers, but I’d recommend focusing on content writing or copy writing – this is where the greatest demand is at the moment.
Content writers create informative, useful content for marketing purposes. This includes things like blog posts, articles, ebooks, and whitepapers.
Copywriters focus more on the ‘selling’ side of things. They craft compelling, persuasive web copy to help businesses sell more products. This includes promotional materials, landing page copy, email copy, and more.
To get started you can choose to get your own clients or join freelancing sites such as Fiverr, Freelancer.com or upwork.
2. Start a blog
Blogging is easily one of the best side hustles to make some extra money online. Don’t get me wrong, starting a blog isn’t super easy, it requires some hard work. However, once you get it up and running, it can potentially earn you upwards of $1000 a month. Meaning, blogging can be a profitable way to earn you money.
You can monetize your blog by selling products, running ads, promoting your affiliates, and more. All you need to do is choose a niche that you’d like to write about and get started.
The great thing about starting a blog is that you can write about literally anything that interests you, so it can be a really fun hobby as well as a side hustle.
3. Be a proof-reader
Proofreading is the task of reading a written publication and editing it to make it correct and more smooth flowing. In a way, it’s almost like you’re getting paid for judging the work of other writers. Of course, you’d also have to correct or edit texts depending on a client’s specifications.
With so much digital content being produced every day, the demand for proofreading services is high. Proofreading can pay anywhere from around $20 and upwards, with more prestigious jobs paying as much as hundreds of dollars.
If you want to be a proof-reader, all you need are writing skills and an excellent grasp of the rules of grammar and vocabulary. You may also want to improve your reading speed. A good reading speed will come in handy if you’ve managed to score multiple clients.
4. Become a transcriptionist
A transcriptionist is a person who listens to recorded or life audio files and converts what they hear into written content. If you have good grammar skills and pay attention to details, consider transcription services.
If you’re not up for making your own YouTube videos, you could try becoming a transcriptionist and writing subtitles for videos instead. As a transcriptionist, you can work from home, watch clips and episodes of video content, and get paid for it. All you have to do is transcribe the audio in each clip. It’s a pretty easy side hustle and you have the potential to earn around $10+/hour.
5. Start a YouTube Channel
Youtube is one of the most visited site in the world. It’s no surprise then that there is a lot of money made on the platform. Starting your own YouTube channel can be a great way to earn some extra cash.
In order to make money on YouTube, you need to be able to create decent, high-quality content, so a creative mind and a little knowledge of video editing are required.
Create a YouTube account and add some channel art to your channel. Then, plan and film some content and upload it. You won’t be able to start earning right away, but once your channel has reached over 4,000 viewed hours and 1,000 subscribers you can begin monetizing your content.
6. Start a virtual assistant service
Basically, as a virtual assistant, you provide services to individuals and businesses with all kinds of online tasks. You can offer services depending on skills you already have or are willing to learn. Virtual assistants generally help clients respond to emails, schedule meetings, customer support, and bookkeeping.
What you offer will depend on tasks you enjoy doing and the kind of clients you’d like to work with, making this one of the best side hustle ideas for women. Being a virtual assistant is a great way to make extra money if you’re detail-oriented and awesome at time management.
7. Grow a social media following
Growing a social media following can be tough, but once you’ve built up a good community, making money is a breeze. If you’re already a whizz with social media sites like Instagram then growing an account to a monetizable level shouldn’t be too difficult.
Simply pick a niche, upload high-quality content consistently and your follower count should steadily grow. Once your followers exceed around 10,000, you can start reaching out to brands and companies for sponsorships and collaborations.
Remember, this isn’t an overnight side hustle, it will take time to grow your account, but it can be a serious moneymaker once you’ve got enough followers.
8. Resell on Amazon
Reselling on marketplaces like Amazon is also one of the best side hustles for people looking to make extra cash. You can sell products ranging from electronics and used books to any product customers may need.
If you have a savvy eye in selecting what to resell, becoming a seller on Amazon is for you. With Amazon’s system already in place, you don’t have to build your audience.
So, you can focus on picking the right products, taking good photos, and making sure you have clear descriptions and keywords in your listing.
9. Become an online consultant
If you have a particular area of expertise, and you want to monetize your knowledge then you might want to consider offering online consultancy services. You can become a consultant in any industry as long as there is a need for it.
For example, if you have a lot of experience as an HR manager, then you may be able to offer consultancy services to new businesses that are building up an HR department.
The great thing about consultancy work is that you’re free to work completely on your own schedule and take meetings whenever you have the time. And, because you’re an expert in your consultancy field, consultancy fees are usually very high. Great pay and flexibility make it the perfect combination for a side hustle.
To get started as a consultant it’s a good idea to create a website and list your services and experience. You should also spruce up your LinkedIn profile so that you can use it to network and find clients to work with.
10. Online Tutoring
Sure, school is an excellent place to get an education. But, whoever said that it was the only place? The internet has made it possible for after-school tutors to become online tutors. Online tutoring allows you to work from the comfort of your own home. And, clients aren’t hard to come by.
All you need to do is offer your services to any parent who feels their kids need a little extra help. You can even cater to older students who need lessons in non-academic pursuits like music, calligraphy, or even public speaking.
11. Launch an online course
Online courses are in high demand right now, so if you think you have some valuable knowledge to share that people would be willing to pay for, this might be a great option.
The great thing about selling online courses is you only have to invest your time and money in the initial stage while you’re getting set up. Once your online course is created and listed online, you can sell it again and again and again without spending another dime. It can also start to bring in money passively and become a passive income source.
12. Become a translator
If you speak another language, it’s pretty easy to find jobs online that can help you to boost your income. No matter what language you speak, there is always a demand for translation services. Most online work for translators is translating web content for businesses that are looking to branch out and reach new demographics.
If you’re fluent in both English and another language, it’s a pretty easy way to make some extra cash online. What languages you speak will determine how much you are paid but most translators earn around $20/hour.
13. Teach English online
For native speakers of English, teaching English online is one of the easiest side hustles to get started with. Jobs are abundant, and most pay in excess of $15/hour.
Since most jobs are available for teaching children in Asia, hours can be a little unsociable depending on your location. You may have to work early in the morning or late at night. However, if you’re trying to fit it in around your regular working schedule, this could be just what you need.
In most cases, you don’t need any previous teaching experience, if you speak English natively, and can chat to children and help them learn, then this will be just fine.
If you’re looking for ways to work from home by teaching English online, consider VipKid. They connect you to children who want to learn how to speak English. The format is a one-on-one format and the sessions are quick.
14. Sell a digital product
Digital products are non-physical assets you can sell online repeatedly without having to restock your inventory. We’re talking about things like subscription/membership sites, software, ebooks, stock photos, videos, blueprints, PDFs, etc.
The great thing about selling digital products as a side hustle is there are very few overheads. You only have to write an ebook once, but you can sell it a thousand times without having to pay any further production costs.
Plus, unlike selling physical products, you don’t have to stock digital products, which means there’s no need for physical premises or warehouses to store them. As such, it’s a lot more flexible.
15. Start a dropshipping business
Another way to earn extra money online is to start a dropshipping business. Like running an eCommerce store, dropshipping involves selling products to consumers.
The difference is that with dropshipping, you don’t have to actually stock the products yourself. Instead, your supplier fulfills the order for you and ships the product directly to your customers.
The basic premise is that you market and sell products to customers at a marked-up price. Whenever you get a sale, you place an order with your vendor and have them ship it directly to the customer. The price you pay to your vendor is less than the price you sell for, so you pocket the difference as profit.
The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to pay for a warehouse to stock your products or purchase stock in advance, which makes it a low-risk venture.
16. Become a voiceover artist
Voiceovers are used regularly in advertising and video content, and most companies outsource their voiceover creation to freelancers. It’s quite easy to find voiceover projects online, so if you’re a smooth talker, then it could be worth a shot.
You’ll need a decent microphone and an extremely quiet recording space. This will help to ensure that all of your recordings are high-quality and professional. As a voiceover artist, you can expect to earn upwards of $20 per recording.
17. Sell stock photos online
If you’re a keen photographer, then you may be able to turn your hobby into a side hustle. Users across the internet need high-quality photos for their web content and products, and there’s always a demand for new stock images.
By selling stock images, you won’t be able to make a ton of money, but you may be able to make enough to boost your regular income and reach your savings goals faster.
There are many sites where you can list your images for sale such as Alamy, iStock photo and shutter stock, but most of them take a percentage of the sale as a commission which reduces the amount of profit the creator makes.
It’s also possible to sell stock images through your own site and cut out the middleman, but this is a little more difficult to do and would require more time and commitment before you start to see financial returns.
18. Start a cleaning service
If cleaning is something you consider a relaxing activity, a cleaning service could be the right side hustle for you. Cleaning houses is a nice quiet job that you can do on your own time. And depending on the level of cleaning you offer, it can be done in an hour or two. Set your own prices and try to take on some long-term clients, making this a lucrative side hustle.
Start with one client or two, do a great job and you’ll see your clients double through word of mouth.
19. Start a podcast
Podcasts are extremely popular right now, and a successful podcast can be a great side earner. In order to create a podcast, you’ll need something interesting to talk about, as well as a computer and a podcasting microphone.
Podcasts earn money from advertising, so you will start to make money once your listenership increases and you can run ads and sponsorships in your show. The hardest part of podcasting is finding a niche that people want to listen to. The m19ost popular genre of podcasts is ‘comedy’, so if you’re naturally funny, this could be the side hustle for you.
20. Become a babysitter
Babysitting is another great job that you can do on the side of a regular 9-5 schedule. Demand for good babysitters is high as parents are becoming more conscientious about who they leave their kids with. Depending on where you live, and who you sit for, you could earn upwards of $50/hour for babysitting.
Beware though, in some places, there is a lot of red tape involved with working with children, so make sure you read up on any childcare requirements for your area. You may need to get a background check or complete a qualification.
21. Open an Etsy shop
Etsy is an online marketplace for vintage, handmade and bespoke goods. It’s the perfect place to sell your wares and make some extra money if you are the crafty, artistic type. You can sell everything on Etsy from unique clothing to handmade toys and gifts.
How much you can earn depends on what you sell, and how popular your items are, so the sky really is the limit. Many people make a full-time income selling unique goods on Esty.
22. Rent your parking space
If you’re not quite ready to rent out your home, but you have some space on your driveway that you’re willing to part with then you may want to consider renting it out.
Parking in major cities can be expensive, which is why people often want to rent parking spaces in residential areas that are close to where they work. Using sites like Parkwhiz or JustPark, you can easily rent out your parking space whenever it is free and earn some extra cash for your empty space.
23. Sell goods on the Facebook marketplace
On Facebook Marketplace you can find anything from old pallets to high-quality perfumes. If you are looking to earn a bit of extra cash, why not list some items for sale there? You can sell items from your home that you no longer use or source new items that you can sell for a marked-up price online.
24. Become an Airbnb host
This is a great side hustle opportunity for people with spare bedrooms or holiday homes. Using Airbnb, you can rent out your free space to travelers, and charge them a pretty high premium for the privilege. If you live in a popular tourist area, or you have a unique holiday home to rent out, you can make a pretty solid income from Airbnb hosting.
