If this is you then chances are, what you're really doing is making excuses not to start. I can't start anything new until I cross a few more things off my to do list. Sound familiar?
I'm too busy to start my side hustle and don't have the time to work on it just now.
One reason you may be stalling is a perceived notion that your side hustle is actually too complicated, and is going to require a lot of research and education before you're even ready to make your first dollar.
Here are some side hustles you can start in the next hour or two for low or even no cost. You don't need to know the ins and outs of everything you just need to start, everything else is 'on the job' training. It doesn't matter if you suck at any of them, keep going and you'll get better.
Some of these suggestions may allow you to earn money right away while others are more of a long game but can be extremely lucrative if you show up and devote time to them - as much as you can.
Note: Some of the links below contain my own affiliate links.
Print on Demand Products
Some of the best selling T-Shirt designs are simply phrases and slogans. Though if you do have any ability to create art then selling your designs on POD products may be a great fit. Get started at Zazzle, CafePress, Redbubble.
Stock Photo Photography
Taking photos that aren't specific to their subject matter and can be used for more than one purpose is what stock photography is about. You don't need a great camera (an iPhone or similar camera will do) you just need a good eye for photos that tell a story or could be juxtaposed alongside many articles of similar content. Start at ShutterStock, Pond5, iStockPhoto.
Selling Unwanted Items
Got a lot of stuff around your home that's still good but you don't need it. Start selling it on eBay, or maybe use more local sites like GumTree or even Facebook's Marketplace.
Reselling Items at a Profit
Thousands of items get listed on ebay in the wrong categories or their listings are badly done. Consequently few people see these items and, if they sell at all, it's usually at a very low price. You can take advantage of this by buying items that clearly would sell at a higher price with a little more effort and care going into the listing.
Selling Books
Writing a book isn't something you can start making money from right away but you can certainly set yourself up right away to self publish. Sell your own books, magazines, journals etc. LuLu and Blurb have plenty of options for different types of books you can make yourself using their templates.
Selling 3D Models
If you have a 3D printer don't leave those prints lying around, start selling them. You could even create a service printing 3D objects for people who don't have access to a 3D printer. Don't have a 3D printer but like creating 3D objects? Shapeways is the POD version of CafePress for 3D objects. Sell your objects through their marketplace.
Writing a Blog
The easiest thing to get started in. If you can write a sentence you can start a blog. You may already be writing a lot through social media posts. Turn some of those ideas into longer blog posts and start catching search traffic. There are many ways to earn money through a blog from Google ads to paid posts and more. Entire careers have been built around blogs that started out with very little direction and evolved over time. Blogger and WordPress are two popular free platforms.
Podcasting
Maybe writing isn't your thing. Why not start a podcast? You don't need expensive equipment to get started, buy an external mic for your smartphone and you're good to go. Anchor is a great place to get started with hosting. It's totally free. Just like blogging there are many ways to monetise a blog with Anchor giving you a few options to get started.
Start a Youtube Channel
Youtube is a proven career path in almost any niche. Pick any subject and there's probably someone making a living posting videos about it. It's a long game side hustle that can turn into a full time career/business. You're probably even watching a channel right now that started out as someone just speaking to a camera in their bedroom about something that mattered to them. Again, all you need is a smart phone camera to start. You can even edit using an app on your phone if your videos aren't too complex.
Sell Your Own Art
It's obvious right? If you make art, then don't keep it to yourself, release it into the world. If you like to keep your originals then consider Print On Demand sites like RedBubble or ImageKind to sell prints. The key thing is to just make it be known you sell your art.
Creating Tutorials
If you're good at something then turn it into a tutorial that shares what you do with others who haven't reached your level of expertise. You don't have to be the best at what you do, you just have to have reached a level that a tutorial would benefit others wanting to do what you do. Udemy or Skillshare are two places you can post your tutorials and take advantage of their marketplaces.
Selling Digital Products
If you create any kind of digital product and just want to set up a store where you can sell them, Gumroad may be for you. It's a service where you can sell anything from fonts and graphic packs to your 12 step ecourse on that thing you do. You'll keep more of the profits but you'll have to do more of the marketing yourself (which you should be doing regardless of where you're selling products and services from).
Whatever you do, setting up a PayPal Business account (which doesn't cost anything to sign up) will give you the ability to receive money in any currency, transfer money to your bank account, and has built in tools for invoicing, website 'pay' buttons, and more. There are alternatives if
Side Hustles aren't like other businesses. They're something you set up in your spare time and are usually focussed on some personal project that you feel has the potential to make money. They don't have to be complicated or even fully thought through. You just need to make a start.
Don't overthink things. What makes a side hustle fun is the challenge of working it out as you go.
This was a great article and has opened my eyes to a number of interesting options to pursue. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and for taking the time to let me know you found the information useful. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for topics I could focus on in a future article. Would be much appreciated.
Delete