60 Side Hustle Ideas You Can Start This Year
What exactly is a side hustle anyway?
A side hustle (or side gig) is an extra job that someone does in addition to their primary/full time job.
Almost everyone I know--myself included--has some type of side hustle because they are awesome ways to make extra money and help achieve your financial goals. They can also be super fun (and lucrative) creative outlets, AND are a great way to help you explore and transition into new career paths (if you are looking into some type of career change).
My boyfriend's side hustle eventually became his primary job, and allowed him to (finally) leave the corporate job that he hated!
If you are looking for a side hustle to pick up but don't know where to start, here are 60 side hustle ideas that you could start this year. While I have not tried all of the ideas on this list, I do know at least one person that has created a successful side hustle with each of the ideas below!
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60 Side Hustles to Start This Year!
Online Side Hustles
Teach English (Or Other Languages) Online
There is no degree or certification required to teach English online! One website I have heard a lot of positive reviews for is VIPKid, where most teachers earn $15-$22 per hour!
If you are teaching a language other than English, check out Verbal Planet to get started.
If you don't want to work for another company, you could start your own business using Zoom!
Online Tutoring
Similar to online English teaching, you can tutor someone online in just about any subject! Check out this blog post for some popular online tutoring companies.
Virtual Assistant
If you spend enough time in the business world of social media, you will likely find tons of different virtual assistants offering their services to small businesses. If you have a knack for social media and growing accounts, this could be a great opportunity for you!
Get paid to take online surveys
This is not the mostlucrative of online side hustles, but it can definitely help you earn a couple of extra dollars when you have some free time! Keep in mind that some online surveys are a scam and never actually pay you for your time--check out this post about tested and legitimate paid survey sites!
Start a blog
Monetizing a blog takes a lot of work and effort, but can turn into an incredibly lucrative side hustle. Keep in mind that starting a blog is not a get-rich-quick scheme! It takes a lot of effort, but using smart marketing and monetization ideas can help get you there!
Affiliate Marketing
If you have a large online following, you are leaving money on the table by not using affiliate marketing! Affiliate marketing is when you receive a commission for promoting another company's products, and is one of the primary ways that bloggers, influencers, and YouTubers make money online!
Customer support
Lots of companies have moved their customer support systems online. Keep an eye out on Glassdoor or Indeed to find open positions!
Transcription
Transcription is when you convert speech into written text, and is used by a lot of freelance writers to supplement their income when they are first starting out! Here are 19 Online Transcription Jobs for Beginners that require no experience to get started.
Data Entry
A job in data entry is when you handle, process, and enter different forms of electronic data. There are a lot of different data entry jobs available from a coder or typist, and some of them require no previous experience. Keep an eye out on Glassdoor or Indeed to find open positions!
Proofreading
Do you love editing books, papers, and other documents? Then a side gig in proofreading might be for you! There are a lot of people that will pay for an extra set of eyes before publishing something. Here is a great post to help you get started!
Stream Video Games on Twitch
Gaming is a huge industry, and there are tons of people that enjoy watching their favorite gamers play! Twitch offers subscriptions for users to watch their favorite gamers, and gamers can also make money by selling affiliate products. This post is filled with tips on how to make money on Twitch.
Side Hustles Making and Selling Goods
Sell Items on Etsy or Amazon Handmade
Do you like to craft and create your products? Then this could be an incredible option for you! Common items sold include jewelry, party decor, art prints, handmade clothing, toys, vinyl accessories, and more.
Refurbish and sell used furniture
I have a friend that makes over $1,000 a month doing this! She scours Craiglist, Facebook Marketplace, and thrift stores for inexpensive furniture pieces, refurbishes and then re-sells them for sometimes a $500 profit!
Sell baked goods
If you like to bake, you could reserve a booth at your local farmer's market and sell homemade goods from your favorite personal recipes.
Sell used clothes
This isn't the biggest money maker, but will allow you to make a couple of extra bucks when decluttering your closet! Whenever I do a declutter, I send my items to ThredUp for some extra money and the assurance that any unsold items will be properly recycled for free!
Host a garage sale
If you have a lot of decluttered items to get rid of, then staging a garage sale is probably a good way to go. A lot of small towns and neighborhoods organize and publicize garage sale weekends that you can register for, or you could host one on your own.
Home and Garden Side Hustle
Mow Lawns
Almost everyone I know (except my cousin) hates mowing the lawn. When my cousin was 12 years old (yes, 12), he started mowing his neighbor's lawns for a small fee. By the time he was 16, he had hired 8 employees, and now (at 23) owns a full-fledged lawn and yard work company. You can do the same!
Landscaping/Yard Maintenance
Do you have a green thumb and an eye for landscape design? You could charge to upkeep someone's yard.
Pressure Washing
This is another one of those chores that everyone hates doing. If you have a pressure washer, or some extra money to invest in one, this is another great side hustle you could start.
Window Washing
Gutter Cleaning
Pool Cleaning
Paint Homes and Garages
I know a woman who runs a full time business as a professional painter of garage floors! People hate painting, and are more than willing to charge for it.
Snow Removal
There is nothing worse than needing to shovel your driveway before work on a cold, snowy morning. This is a really lucrative business during the winter months, and will maintain your relationship with clients that have hired you for summer work.
The cool thing about the Home and Garden side hustles above is that they are all in the same niche! You could totally offer some (or all!) of these options if you know how to do them well enough to charge someone for your services.
Professional Organizer
Do you have an eye for saving space, decluttering, and organizing? Then you could help someone organize there space and simplify the clutter in their life!
Cleaning Business
Take the professional organizing idea a step further and offer your services as a professional cleaner! Lots of people hate deep cleaning and are willing to pay others to do it for them.
Moving Company
Running a moving company doesn't mean you have to travel across the country (unless you want to). I have a friend that began charging people to help them move in and out of their apartments in his neighborhood, and now makes enough to cover his car payment each month!
House Sit
Pet Sit
Babysit
Families are always looking for babysitters! I have had a lot of success using websites like Care.com to book weekend babysitting gigs!
Airbnb Host
If you live in a well-traveled area and have a spare room or guest house, becoming an Airbnb host might be a good idea to explore. I have a family friend that pays for their rent by hosting for Airbnb!
Teaching and Coaching Side Hustles
Teach Music Lessons
Do you have (extensive) music education/performance experience? Consider starting a private lesson studio! The most important parts of running a music studio is having a place to teach, a structure to your teaching plan, and a deep understanding of music and the technical aspects of your instrument.
Create and Sell Online Courses
Do you know a lot about a topic that others would like to learn about? Sell an online course on the subject! I heard of a piano teacher that created a course on how to teach pop music to piano students and made $40,000 (!) in the first two months after it's launch.
Sell Coaching Services
Lots of people hire coaches to help them improve their lives. Popular types of coaches include life coaches, personal finance coaches, accountability coaches, career coaches, fitness coaches, etc.
Start a Class
If you don't want to create an online course but still have a skill or service that others would like to learn, then you could consider launching a class at your local community center.
School Coach
Did you play a sport, dance, or cheer in college? You might be a great candidate as a coach for high school and middle school sports.
Teach Fitness Classes
Are you super passionate about personal fitness? Consider getting certified in different exercise methods (like yoga or cycling) and start teaching classes at local gyms and fitness studios.
Personal Training
Or, if the idea of teaching a full class intimidates you but you still want to help people achieve their fitness goals, become a personal trainer instead!
Custom Nutrition and Meal Plans
Do you love nutrition, cooking, and meal planning? Help others simplify their lives by helping them create healthy meal plans.
Children's Entertainment
If are a musician, magician, artist, actor, etc. and love kids, then children's entertainment might be a lot of fun to look into! There are always town festivals and events looking to book children's entertainment during the summer months.
Driving and Delivery
If you have a couple of extra hours during the day, these opportunities have very few entry requirements and are completely flexible around your schedule.
Package delivery
Food delivery and takeout
Food delivery and takeout
Driving and ride sharing
Driving and ride sharing
Grocery shopping and delivery
Professional Service Side Hustle
Real Estate Agent
It takes a bit of study and work to get your license, but assisting in the sale and rental of homes and business space is something that you could absolutely do as a side hustle!
Do People's Taxes
As my taxes get more complicated the older I get, the more I consider hiring someone to do my taxes for me... and I know I'm not alone! If you are a CPA, you could make some extra money during tax season.
Become a Freelance or Ghost Writer
If you are a skilled writer, you can find writing jobs on websites like Upwork to connect you with people that are in need of professional writers for small projects.
Web Design
Are you skilled at designing websites on Wordpress, Wix, or Squarespace? There are so many people willing to pay web designers to create a beautiful website for them!
Online Marketing/SEO Servicing for Small Businesses
For those of you that don't know, I am the Director of Operations for a non-profit music organization that I started with my dad and aunt. As I write this blog post, I am waiting to hear back from the Freelance Online Marketing Consultant that we just contracted to market our business online! My strengths are music and personal finance--not online marketing! I promise that there is a market for you if you are great with online marketing and website SEO!
Freelance As Your Current Job
Regardless of what your day job is, there is a really great chance that you can create a side hustle doing the same thing.
Wedding/Event Vendor
DJ
I know a woman that used to make $2,000 a month as a DJ for weddings and absolutely loved it! If you like to DJ, definitely try the wedding scene.
Wedding Officiant
Becoming a wedding officiant is a relatively simple process. Each state has different legal requirements for wedding officiants, but essentially you have to be ordained (which you can do online) and then book your first wedding.
Photographer
Do you have a nice camera and an artistic eye? Wedding photography is a huge industry. If you are new to photography, I would recommend practicing with some portraits for friends first to build your portfolio and then start booking additional clients.
Caterer
If you like to cook or bake, consider catering! Depending on the size of the event, you could have a friend or two join you to help set up and serve dishes.
Freelance Musician
As a professional opera singer, I freelance all the time. I don't sing for too many weddings, but lots of various services and community performances. Regardless of your music genre, you can absolutely start booking gigs--begin by scoping out different performance venues near you and see if they have an application process for interested musicians.
What do you do for your side hustle? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!
<3 Charlotte
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