With all this free time on your hands, you might be wondering how to make money on the side of your existing job. A side hustle is a flexible second job that brings in extra income. It could be something that will help you improve your skills for your main career, or an opportunity to explore other careers without quitting your main job. More often than not, though, it's something you're passionate about.
Perhaps you're a marketer who knows all about coding. Ever thought about teaching it on the side? Or maybe you're an accountant with an eye for design. In that case, why not turn some of those ideas into profitable products and start issuing invoices? In this blog post, we'll explore how taking up a side hustle can help you make a passive income, as well as discussing some of the most profitable options.
If you have a financial goal you're hoping to reach each month, freelance writing is a side hustle that can allow you to predict how much you can make. Depending on your experience and what your rate is, freelance writing has the potential to earn you plenty of extra cash in your spare time. Just starting out? Sign up with a site like Fiverr or Upwork and build your portfolio from there, or take an intro course to build your skillset.
Writing for clients is one way to have a side income, but starting a blog puts you in the driver's seat. Blogging is something you can easily do alongside your full-time job with just a few hours of work each week and can be a fun way to practice your writing or build an audience around a particular idea. Having a singular niche that you blog about, such as beauty, fashion, or food can be useful, but there's no reason you can't make quick money simply sharing your general experiences of life. Implementing Google ads on your site, or adding affiliate links to posts are just two ways of monetising your blog.
With an increasing amount of content moving away from traditional platforms and over to social media, there's no shortage of businesses that are looking for a reliable social media virtual assistant. Small businesses, particularly, often won't have the time or the expertise to consistently post and come up with new and engaging content — which is where you come in. If you come across a local business that could use a helping hand, reach out to them and offer your services. In exchange for a contracted monthly fee, you could do anything from replying to comments and creating images to analysing traffic and ensuring brand consistency. Our Social Media Marketing Intro course is a good starting point if you're looking for some experience beforehand.
Affiliate marketing is one of those side hustles that can either make you a lot of money or nothing at all. It's all about who you partner with. Become an affiliate marketer for a tech company, for example, and the commission you make is likely to be a lot higher than for an e-commerce store. It's worth reaching out to brands and asking for assets you can use to help you market their product before doing so. This could be in the form of a lead magnet or another free tool that can help incentivise people to purchase the product.
As the world's largest marketplace for hand-crafted goods, offer something unique on Etsy and the money you can make is limitless. You can sell just about anything on the platform, including clothing, art, jewelry, and even CV templates, but the easiest route to success is by finding your niche and making clear to customers what makes your products different. On such a huge platform, you're bound to have competition, but use that as an opportunity to learn how you can stand out.
Website design is among the most lucrative side jobs — largely because so many businesses rely on their online presence now. Unless you have the experience, it can be a difficult skill to master, but not all freelance web design jobs will require ample coding knowledge. If a business has a WordPress website, for example, they may simply be looking for some assistance adapting an existing template. If, however, you have HTML and CSS skills, there is potential to earn substantially more.
Podcasting may just seem like a fun hobby, but attract a large following, and you can also make good money from sponsorship. Podcasting has become an increasingly popular medium in recent years, and like blogging and social media, has become a staple of the online content world. Even better? It doesn't cost a lot to get started. The main thing you'll need to purchase is a USB microphone, but most good recording platforms, like Audacity, are free-to-use.
The fact that you can find virtually everything on YouTube makes it a great place to showcase your skill sets. As well as being an infinite source of information, it's also the second largest search engine after Google, with ads having the potential to earn you thousands each month. Monetising your YouTube channel, however, takes a lot of hard work and dedication. For starters, you need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watched video in the past 12 months. But if you have something valuable, entertaining, or beneficial to share with the world, there's no reason you can't get there. Maybe you can join the YouTube Partner Programme.
Those people with an eye for photography can make money selling their work to local publications and stock photo sites. Rather keep your stamp on them? Add your photos to products like canvases, t-shirts, or phone cases, and make money selling those instead. If you are particularly skilled at photography, you may also choose to move into areas such as wedding photography, pet photography, or product photography for businesses. Start by building a portfolio and showcasing your photos on Instagram. Once you've built up a client list, asking for reviews and testimonials gives you a good opportunity to reach other potential customers.
Graphic design skills are always in demand, and there are lots of ways you can pursue it as a side hustle. You might choose to create prints and sell them via an online platform such as Etsy. Alternatively, you could design logos for small businesses, or, depending on your skill level, design and sell WordPress themes. Given that graphic designers are basically virtual storytellers, you could also go down the route of designing e-books, or advertising campaigns, too. Learn the core principles and start building your profitable side hustle.
Are side hustles worth it? Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
by Emma Gibbins | 27 Sep 23