Side hustles are a fantastic way to increase your income while giving you the chance to test out business ideas without spending a lot of money or time. There are plenty of successful side hustle opportunities, both online and in-person, so there’s likely something that fits your needs. If you’re looking to pad your wallet or maybe just have a little extra fun on the side, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive into 30 side hustle ideas that could help you make extra money in 2024. Whether you’re aiming for a few extra bucks or a steady stream of income, there’s something here for everyone. Let’s get started!
How to Choose a Side Hustle
If you stay committed to a side hustle, it can eventually turn into a lucrative full-time gig. To figure out if it’s a good long-term option, think about how much you enjoy it, how it affects your money situation, and if it fits into your daily routine.
Working on a side hustle after a long day at the office will require more mental and physical stamina. Picking a side hustle that truly excites you is the surest path to putting in the time and energy required to succeed.
Is there a good time for you to do the side hustle?
It might be difficult to fit in a side hustle when your week is already packed with work, family, and everyday obligations. If you already have a full plate, choose a business model that allows you to divide up tasks into smaller ones and finish them when you have a few minutes here and there.
Side hustle ideas
1. Technology Setup Services
Are you an expert in configuring wireless networks, smart home gadgets, desktops, laptops, and mobile phones? Advertising your handyman abilities on social media and in handyman apps is a simple way to earn some extra money. To enhance your reputation while offering in-home services, you can pursue tech certifications and present proof of insurance and bonding.
Platforms and costs: There aren’t a tonne of expenses to start or keep continuing, but you might have to buy some tools to get the installation done. Handyman apps like HelloTech and TaskRabbit make it easy to find and manage assignments, while Square lets you handle bookings and payments on your own.
2. YouTube Channel
With an average of one billion hours of video consumption every day, YouTube’s 2.7 billion users are a huge demographic. Join the YouTube Partner Program to take advantage of all those views and make some extra cash from those commercials that play in your videos.
Bear in mind that building a sizable audience to generate substantial ad revenue is a lengthy process. Because of this, a lot of YouTubers try to find other ways to make money off of their videos.
Beyond the Partner Program, there are a number of other options to monetise your YouTube channel. You might, for instance, form partnerships with companies to feature product endorsements in your movies. They’ll compensate you monetarily or offer you a share of their profits. Directing viewers to purchase things from your online store is another possibility.
What comes next: Create entertaining and educative films and shorts that will interest your intended viewers first. You can join the Partner Program, sell merchandise, and promote affiliate partners as a means of monetisation as your subscriber base grows.
3. Ebooks self-published
You don’t have to be a natural wordsmith to make money self-publishing ebooks, which is another great side hustle concept for authors. If you have the ability to generate unique stories or provide detailed instructions, you can outsource these tasks to editors and ghostwriters. You can then wait for the royalties to come in after publishing to ebook outlets like Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Press, Lulu, and Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, among others.
Platforms and costs: If you compose and design your own cover art, self-publishing an ebook might be a cheap and easy option. However, serious writers often pay more than $100 each book to have experts in editing and cover design put the finishing touches on their work. Ghostwriters’ rates might range from $200 to $600 or more for a whole manuscript, depending on the length and subject matter of the book. While publishing to most ebook platforms does not cost anything, these outlets do take a cut of the sale price. Marketing also contributes to the overall expenses.
4. Blogging
Starting a blog on a specific interest of yours, like travel, cuisine, beauty, or fashion, is a great way to put your writing and sharing skills to use. The more people that visit your site, the more money you can make through advertising and affiliate sales. You can earn money by promoting products and services through affiliate sales, while ads pay per view or click. If a customer makes a purchase after clicking on your affiliate link, you will receive a commission.
Platform and cost estimates: a simple blog can be run for $50 to $100 annually. A domain name and a web builder platform like Wix or Squarespace, or a WordPress hosting service, are necessities for starting a blog. You can save money on designer or developer fees by using any of these platforms, which provide intuitive design tools and beautiful blog themes.
5. Sell Digital Products
An object is considered digital if it can only be purchased online. Technical assets, movies, audio files, and portable document formats (PDFs) are all examples of downloadable or streamable resources.
Create digital items as a side hustle using your current abilities. Digital templates of various kinds, bespoke music or graphics, or industry-specific instructional publications are all possibilities.
As a graphic designer, you should consider how websites are continuously seeking out fresh typefaces and captivating layouts to differentiate themselves.
What comes next: Make an internet shopfront and sell your wares once you’re done making them. Offer tempting incentives, like a free sample or discount code, to promote your items on social media.
6. Freelancing
Any list of simple side hustle ideas should include freelancing at the top because it is a tried-and-true method to make additional money. You can plan your free time around the projects that freelancers take on for one or more clients. There are many options for freelance work in many different industries, including but not limited to: website development, editing, graphic design, and writing. People with a variety of skillsets, such as mechanics, bookkeepers, video editors, interior decorators, and real estate agents, can find project-based work that suits their needs.
Platforms and expenses: advertise your freelancing services to people in your personal network using email and social media at no cost. Also, there are freelancer portals like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com where you may find clients and have them pay you as you work. Mastering online marketing on your own domain gives your business an air of professionalism and opens the door to accepting payments through Square or any number of other simple options.
7. Car Washing on the Go
If you enjoy working outside and are looking for a low-cost side hustle, car washing could be a good fit. People can hire you to come to their homes for this service, or you can negotiate a weekly car wash as an employee incentive with local companies that have a fleet of vehicles or who are interested in contracting with you.
Equipment and resources: A car, a strong hose and nozzle, and cleaning supplies are the main necessities for this side business. Spiffy and MobileWash are two of the best apps for mobile car washes, but you may also use Square to manage your own reservations and payments.
8. Test mobile apps and websites for a fee.
A website full of bugs or an app that doesn’t work will put a stop to business faster than anything. So, before going live, developers have testers test everything by clicking on links and interacting with buttons. Hey, guess what? Doing that can earn you money. The going rate for a 60-minute test is $100 at certain competitive venues, so there is definitely room for profit.
What should I do next? The following matchmaking services can put you in touch with opportunities to test websites and apps: UserTesting, UTest, Userlytics, UserCrowd, and Enrol.
9. Launch a drop-shipping enterprise
Begin a dropshipping business if you enjoy the mechanised parts of print-on-demand but would rather focus on marketing and operations than making unique designs.
A third party makes and ships your products when you use the dropshipping approach of doing business online. Opening a store, setting prices, and advertising your business are all that’s required.
Another low-risk option is dropshipping; as previously said, things are only sent out when they are bought. This means there’s a lot of potential for profit, provided your marketing costs are acceptable. To expand your consumer base, you may also consider dropshipping on popular marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.
Dropshipping is a great way to start a business without having to deal with inventory, shipping, or packing when you use Shopify. The wholesaler takes care of the order fulfilment so that you may focus on what really matters: your products, your marketing, and your consumers.
Pick a dropshipper partner from this curated list of the top providers.
10. Take people on tours of your neighbourhood
According to research from Eventbrite, 78 percent of millennials would rather spend their money on experiences than on material goods. The need for quality neighbourhood tours is on the rise, and platforms like Showaround and Airbnb Experiences may help you provide them.
Things to do next: learn all there is to know about the distinctive features of your neighbourhood. Build your tour around these points of interest and consider what anecdotes or information you can provide that people might not discover very easily elsewhere.
11. Online Fitness Instructor
Providing online fitness lessons has the potential to be a financially rewarding side business, especially with the recent spike in popularity of home workouts. Zoom and Instagram Live are two platform options that facilitate home-based session hosting. You can gain a larger following by becoming a fitness influencer or by sharing your exercises with a more intimate group of people.
Start with free in-person workshops to get people interested, and then move on to a subscription model that charges for access on the internet.
12. Sitting and accompanying seniors
Many families are choosing to keep their elderly relatives at home because of the improvements in in-home senior care. Anyone seeking a method to supplement their income as a pet sitter or companion while main carers are out of the house might take advantage of these chances. Taking a training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) will increase the legitimacy of your services.
Regarding platforms and costs, this side gig is really inexpensive. The care-based applications Care.com, Sittercity, and Papa.com let you to advertise your services and manage clients, while Square allows you to set up your own bookings and payments.
Find out more: The success of this side gig depends on your familiarity with Medicare savings programs and the expenses associated with senior care.
13. Personal Assistance
People in professional roles often prefer to have a single point of contact for all of their task management needs rather than trying to keep track of many apps. This is a great chance for someone who enjoys working on the side and loves to cross items off lists, whether it’s picking up dry cleaning, walking dogs, or transporting kids.
Resources: Starting a side business as a personal assistant does not require a large initial investment. But a car is likely to be required in rural regions. Thumbtack and TaskRabbit are two of the best applications for personal assistant services, but you can also use Square to manage your own appointments and payments.
14. Childcare and Babysitting
You can make some extra cash in your leisure time or on a regular basis by babysitting or providing in-home child care; these services are in high demand. Certification isn’t usually necessary, but taking a babysitting class from the American Red Cross—which includes topics like CPR, first aid, and behaviour techniques—may help you stand out. You can enrol in these classes either online or at an accredited school.
Platforms and expenses: babysitting is an additional side gig that doesn’t cost much. Apps like Care.com, Sittercity, and UrbanSitter make it easy to advertise your services, manage gigs, and collect payments, or you may use Square to do all of that on your own.
15. Make a profit by reselling pre-owned or antique items
Selling your used products is another option to get some additional money. You can list your unused belongings on a Facebook Marketplace or local buy-and-sell club. One way to level up is to shop thrift stores for awesome stuff and then sell it on a vintage marketplace. Anyone with an excellent sense of style or interior design could benefit from this entertaining side hustle concept.
Following this, why not launch an internet shop specialising in the sale of antique garments if you possess the necessary skills?
16. Handyman in Your Area
If a buddy needs a light switch installed or a ceiling fan hung, are you the one they immediately contact? In your leisure time, you can put your handyman abilities to use by assisting your neighbours with various home renovation jobs. Though not mandated in the majority of jurisdictions, getting insured and bonded can help safeguard your clients and your reputation.
The startup and ongoing expenses of this side hustle are low, particularly if you already own the necessary equipment. You may advertise and handle gigs and payments with handyman applications like Thumbtack.com, TaskRabbit, and Angi. You can even use Square to set up your own bookings and payments.
Get the lowdown on how handyman insurance may safeguard your side gig while elevating your professionalism.
17. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are online personal assistants that manage a wide variety of duties, such as organising appointments, responding to client emails, making travel arrangements, entering data, and much more. This is a great side hustle to do from home if you’re organised and have good digital skills.
You will only need a dependable computer and an internet connection for this side hustle, as far as fees and platforms are concerned. You may advertise your skills, keep track of gigs and payments via virtual assistant programs like Upwork, ChatterBoss, and TaskRabbit. Utilise Square to handle bookings and payments.
Find out more: To discover clients and gigs, check out additional leading platforms for virtual assistants.
18. Set Up Shop at Community Fairs and Markets
Many people who work as side hustlers make money by selling one-of-a-kind things at flea markets and craft fairs. This side business can be time-consuming due to setup and travel to markets, but it could be ideal if you enjoy meeting new people and making small talk. On top of that, you may boost sales between in-person appearances by promoting your online store and social media platforms and increasing brand awareness through these sales.
The initial investment required to set up shop for in-person product sales might be anything from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, taking into account the expense of stocking your booth. Sticking with providers that allow returns of unsold goods or selling custom-order items that don’t require deep stock will help you decrease your initial cost. When you shop at Faire, you can find unique secondhand and private label items, as well as return unwanted inventory. Also, if you want to take payments in person, use a stylish mobile point-of-sale system to keep tabs on sales, and connect your own Square e-commerce website to internet sales, all with a free Square account.
Find out more: You can sell anywhere with most top-rated point-of-sale systems since they seamlessly combine in-person mobile, retail, and online transactions.
15. Online Coaching & and Courses
Is there anything you’re particularly good at? As a hobby, you can turn your expertise into a source of income by developing and marketing online courses and coaching packages. This is yet another simple side business concept made possible by affordable and user-friendly online course platforms. Online courses and coaching, when augmented with social media marketing, ebooks, YouTube advertising, blogging, and so on, have the potential to blossom into a very profitable side venture.
Platforms and costs: Udemy, Thinkific, and Podia are just a few examples of online course platforms that guide you through the process of creating your own courses and also allow you to combine them with personalised coaching. The majority of them include a monthly fee or take a cut of your course sales revenue. Website builders like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, and others can allow you to build your own branded platform by adding online courses and exclusive material for members.
Find out more: Find the best online learning platform by exploring top-rated options.
16. Start a Podcast
Another common and easy-to-start side hustle option is podcasting, which requires little to no investment. To make your audio recordings available to listeners whenever they want, you can record them, edit them, and then publish them to podcasting sites. Various methods exist for podcasts to generate revenue, such as advertisements, sponsored material, affiliate links inside the podcast descriptions, and paid subscriptions.
Platforms and costs: Your computer, tablet, or smartphone likely has an audio recording app that you can use to record and edit podcast episodes. From there, you can publish them to channels you set up on sites like iTunes, Anchor, Buzzsprout, and countless more. Paid listener memberships, downloads, and ad income splits sustain most of the schemes, but some offer free ones.
Find out more: Using this podcast launch guide, you can get your podcast up and running in no time.
17. Viral Social Media Creator
You can make money if you know how to make material that goes viral on social media. You can make money off of all sorts of videos—from edgy entertainment films to instructional how-tos to commentary—through the creator programs on popular platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. In order to make money, you need a lot of views, but it’s a great way to make some extra cash on the side while having fun and spending very little.
Platforms and costs: You can get into this side hustle opportunity for free. Most social media sites allow users to submit an unlimited number of photos and videos after they sign up for an account. All you need is a camera-equipped mobile phone to begin, as the majority of platforms also offer free post- and video-creation tools.
Find out more: To make this side gig easier, there are a lot of social media management tools out there.
18. Provide online consultations for interior design
Offering virtual interior design consultations is a cost-effective approach to help clients with home organisation and decor. You can provide them suggestions, layouts, shopping lists, or restoration plans. Think about making a polished website that includes an onboarding process for clients. This will allow them to submit details about their design problems and ask for your help.
Create interior design ideas for loved ones to add to your portfolio, and then begin working on an approachable website.
19. Influencers Marketing
An affiliate website, blog, podcast channel, social media accounts, and YouTube channel are just a few of the many venues that successful influencer marketers use to establish a brand. Reviewing and recommending products, making funny videos, sharing how-to tips and tricks, providing edgy social commentary, and a wide variety of other sorts of content are all ways that influencers make money.
One side business is to start an influencer brand. Once your videos reach a particular number of views and followers, you may start making money through affiliate links, ads, and sponsored content. Make money on YouTube with 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of views each year, or get paid out on Facebook Reels with 100,000 reel plays in 30 days.
Platforms and costs: Starting a side hustle as an influencer on social media and YouTube doesn’t cost anything because those platforms offer free accounts. Website builders like WordPress, SquareSpace, Wix, and others make it easy to start a blog or website on a budget and subsequently increase their storage and feature sets as their business expands.
Find out more: To increase the exposure of your business, it is important to use the appropriate SEO tools on all platforms.
20. Create applications for mobile devices
Creating applications for mobile devices can be a lucrative business for those with strong coding skills. The correct software, whether it’s a useful tool or an entertaining game, can bring in a lot of money. Being a lone developer also means you may devote your evenings and weekends to working on your project nonstop.
What comes next? Put your abilities to the test and see how far you can go by making an app with just one feature and releasing it to the app store.
21. Make money on voiceovers by selling your voice.
Various forms of voiceover work exist, including narration of audiobooks and the voice acting of animated characters. All you need is a good microphone and some audio editing software to launch your home business.
The next thing to do is to make some examples and sign up for freelancing websites like Fiverr or Voices.com.
22. Digital Product Sales
Can you be imaginative at times? Another option for a low-or no-cost side income is to make and sell digital things while you’re free. Website design templates, digital artwork, logos, music, photos, and videos are all selling like hotcakes. One way to make money is to make them digitally and sell them for download on your website, social media, and other online markets.
Platforms and costs: Canva, PhotoPea, and the Garageband app are just a few examples of the many free online platforms available for digital product development. You can also use your own graphic, photo, video, or music software. Take use of online creative marketplaces like Canva, Envato Market, Creative Fabrica, Shutterstock, iTunes, SoundCloud, and many more to make money off of your creations. You can even set up an Etsy store or use your own website.
Find out more: You may sell any kind of digital product on several of the best e-commerce platforms.
23. Become a transcriber or translator
Transcriptionists take audio files from customers and transcribe them verbatim. Videos, audio notes, phone conversations, and even court proceedings can all be found in these files, so having a keen ear and deft touch is essential.
What comes next: For those looking for a side gig transcribing, try Rev, TranscribeMe, or GoTranscript.
24. Create and sell your handmade goods
Crafts abound on the internet, so if you’ve ever considered turning your pastime into a side hustle, you’re in luck. One of the greatest ways to differentiate yourself from the crowd of mass-produced goods is to make your own, even though it takes a lot of time and effort to master a craft.
When no one is paying you to perform anything, think about something you still enjoy doing. Hobby skills, whether in woodworking, knitting, painting, jewellery making, or crafting, can pave the way to a wide variety of interesting side businesses.
25. Join E-commerce Reseller Program
Classic e-commerce—where you personally purchase, stock, and sell a selection of things from different vendors—is the foundation of many lucrative side hustles. There is a higher time and money commitment involved with this side hustle compared to the others. Having said that, many business owners turn their side hustles into full-time enterprises. Supplement your regular online store sales with POD items, dropship products, and affiliate blogging to increase your earnings.
Platforms and costs: Depending on the initial stock purchases, the startup expenditures for this side hustle can be anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or even more. A highly regarded e-commerce platform, on the other hand, will not break the bank. From $29/month to free, you can get a starter plan on Shopify, WordPress with WooCommerce, or Weebly by Square.
Find out more: If you want to find lucrative niches for online sales as a side hustle, you need to keep up with the newest developments in e-commerce.
26. Participate in Online Surveys
To get your thoughts on a wide range of systems, products, and subjects, many marketing research firms are willing to pay. This isn’t a plan to start your own company, but it is a simple approach to earn some more money when you have some free time. Making an online account and linking it to a payment method like PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp is standard practice for most survey companies. Then, using a dashboard or app, you may choose surveys that interest you and enrol in them. After completing the survey or project, you will usually get payment within a few days if you are chosen. Take a few minutes out of your day to fill out a survey; some pay $2–$10, while others pay $100 or more for in-depth product reviews or quizzes.
Regarding platforms and costs, this side hustle idea is completely free. Dscout, User Interviews, and Survey Junkie are all legitimate survey groups that do not charge any kind of membership fee. It could take a lot of time to look over all the chances and apply for each one. To save time, read the project or survey details to make sure you are the right fit.
27. Use Retail Arbitrage to Sell Products
Do you consider yourself a bargain hunter who isn’t hesitant to compare prices? Then retail arbitrage could be a good way to supplement your income. Retail arbitrage entails purchasing markdown and clearance items from retailers and reselling them online for a profit. This is a great side hustle that may bring in a lot of money if you’re ready to shop around, compare costs on sites like Amazon and Walmart, and put in a little effort to buy things.
Platforms and costs: Buying and shipping things is an upfront expense of retail arbitrage, while going to stores and comparing pricing is a time investment. On the other hand, you may make informed purchases with the help of free or cheap price checking applications like Scoutly, Amazon Seller App, or Profit Bandit.
Find out more: Finding sale things to sell on Amazon is where most people who dabble in retail arbitrage start.
28. Create a clothing line
Creating your own apparel line, particularly with a dropshipping business plan, is easier than you think. However, beginning a clothing line may appear more like a full-time job than a side hustle.
As a creative side hustle, designing and manufacturing your own clothing brand from the ground up is a great way to level up. Try your hand at sewing one-of-a-kind items or have your ideas made by a factory.
29. Make a living from photography
Companies like Getty Images and Shutterstock are continuously on the hunt for new stock images to utilise in their advertising and website content. There will perpetually be a demand for fresh images on the web due to the inherent necessity of websites to regularly update and revise their information.
Prints, mugs, and sweatshirts featuring your photography are other potential sales items. Sell your photographs as wearable or wall art by getting them printed on tangible items. If you have the perfect photograph, there is a real market because high-quality photo prints are easy and inexpensive to get these days.
One possibility is to offer photography services for sale. Just photographing weddings can be a full-time job in and of itself. And that’s without even taking into consideration other events like concerts, graduations, pregnancy announcements, yearly family portraits, etc.
Create a portfolio to display your finest work next. A specialised website or an Instagram account might work here.
30. Become an affiliate marketer
By promoting another company’s goods and services on your site and collecting a cut of sales made via your referral link (sometimes a special code or link), you are engaging in affiliate marketing. This is a fantastic strategy for juggling multiple side gigs.
Affiliate marketing is a great fit for podcasters, influencers, and online store owners. You can earn some extra cash without actively doing anything as you pursue your interests or a side hustle.
Locate suitable items to promote by visiting an affiliate marketplace such as Leadpages, ConvertKit, ClickBank, or ShareASale. And the Shopify Affiliate Program might be a fantastic side gig for anyone involved in e-commerce, whether they’re content creators, course educators, or influencers.
The next thing to do is look over this compilation of the top affiliate programs that content creators and marketers can join.
