21 Ideas for Starting a Side Hustle

I’m a firm believer that everyone in today’s World needs to have a “side hustle”, especially anyone looking to get ahead in life. Remember that that average millionaire has 7 sources of income! I want you to go out and find something extra to do when you aren’t working your main job to bring in some extra cash. And thanks to the internet, no matter where you are from or what you do for a living, you have ample opportunities to earn extra money.
Some of the strategies listed below offer quick fixes for earning money while others may take a larger investment of your time. Regardless, find a side hustle that works best for YOU and then take action.
(Disclaimer: The post below may contain affiliate links for which the site owner may receive compensation upon a purchase. Affiliate links help keep the lights on around here. Remember we only recommend products or services we believe in.)
Drive for Uber or Lyft
One of the best ways to make extra money on demand is by becoming a driver for Uber or Lyft. These widely used services have exploded the past year or two and if you live in a populated are, chances are you could earn some decent money by driving part time. And the best part? You can turn on and off your driving availability with ease so you can totally decide your own hours and when you want to earn extra money.
Do Mystery Shopping
Hundreds of companies are always looking to hire mystery shoppers. What is a mystery shopper? They are shopping in secret who document their experiences with the company. Typically, this is done at a physical storefront, however they do offer online mystery shopping experiences as well. Do a quick search for mystery shopping and you’ll find plenty of opportunities around your area. What’s nice is sometimes these companies ask you to purchase a product (within a reasonable price range) and then will reimburse your cost + some extra pay for the completed job.
Sell items on Ebay or Craigslist
If you’re in a bind and need cash fast, one of the best and surest ways to do so is by selling your items on Ebay or Craigslist. Anything from used toys, DVDs & CDs, furniture, household appliances, collectibles or something else simply collecting dust can be sold. Just remember to always take good photos and include a well written description to entice buyers.
If you don’t have anything laying around you don’t use (good for you!), but still want to make some extra money selling on Ebay, go visit your local rummage/garage sales! Often times, you may find some really cheap items that you can purchase and then flip for a profit on Ebay. Just be sure to only buy things you know can make you a profit! The goal is to earn extra money, not spend more!
Related: My First Rummage Sale Hunt & Lessons Learned
Wash and Detail Cars
Wash and detail cars in your area. Mobile car washing (as in, we come to you) can be a lucrative side hustle, especially in upscale neighborhoods. When just starting out, you could hand out flyers, use social media and word of mouth to gain more customers.
Become a Freelance Writer
If you are a skilled writer, you could start writing articles for other people. Often bloggers are looking for writers to help out (We Are! Apply Here). Becoming a freelance writer is a great way to get your name out there if looking to turn your passion of writing into a profit. Can even be turned into a full-time career if you’re motivated enough! Use sites like Freelancer, Upwork and others to advertise your services.
Manage Social Media for Small Businesses
There are many local, small businesses out there that simply don’t have the resources or expertise to managing their social media so they simply skimp out on doing so. An easy way to make great money as a side hustle no matter where you live is by offering management services for a contracted monthly fee. You can take it a step further and offer to run Facebook Ads for them to get more leads and customers – but please make sure you know how to properly do so! I personally do this for a variety of local businesses and it pays very well! Check the link below if you want to learn how.
Related: How to Start Your Own Facebook Advertising Agency
Host a Garage Sale
If you have a lot of extra clutter, you could always host a garage sale. Sometimes this may be easier then selling your items online and can often be better for those looking to part ways with a larger number of items. Just remember to advertise with signs around town and stick to having them on weekends (THR-SAT).
Bonus: Talk to neighbors and create a neighborhood wide garage sale! This will bring in lots more traffic giving you more opportunity to part with all your extra clutter!
Sell Services on Fiverr
Fiverr was one of the first companies to get into the “Gig Economy”. I personally use Fiverr all the time for random things I’m no good at. And although services start out at $5 (hence the name), some sellers on Fiverr earn six-figure-plus revenues each year! You can sell close to anything on the platform but to turn your gig’s side hustle into a full-time career, you need to deliver an insane amount of value, even at the lower price-points.
Become a Tutor
Being a tutor can be a great side hustle. Figure out what you are good at and find people who need help in your area. You could also take it a step further by becoming a tutor over Skype. This opens your market to literally anyone with an internet connection. Easiest way to look for tutoring gigs is by searching for them online. Plenty of opportunities that also pay quite well!
Start a Blog
Starting a blog is definitely not a “quick fix” for earning money but is a side hustle than can certainly help you earn a tremendous amount of passive income. It may take a while to start seeing any income from your blog, but if you find a niche you are passionate about and post great content regularly, eventually it will turn into a reliable source of income.
Related: Tips for Starting a Blog
Write an Ebook
Writing an Ebook is another great side hustle to bring in passive income. By spending a couple hours a night writing about a topic you’re knowledgeable and passionate about, you can create a best-seller. There’s no printing of paperback books and is easy to get published with tools like KDP and CreateSpace, both by Amazon. There’s typically no costs to produce one and you get paid every time someone purchases the book – forever! Again, the more value you provide within the book, the more money you’ll end up making from it.
Related: If you’re looking to learn more about how to share your knowledge with others, check out “Expert Secrets” by Russell Brunson. It’s a must-read book and if you CLICK HERE you can get it FREE – just cover the shipping costs.
Participate in Marketing Focus Groups
If you live in a larger city or populated area, find some focus groups to participate in! These marketing companies often pay well and you don’t need any special training. Spend a couple hours a weekend participating in these groups and you can earn some decent money.
Become a Dog Walker
Almost anyone can walk dogs. If you live in a neighborhood filled with dogs, create some flyers and place them in mailboxes. Identify yourself as a dog walker and pitch why they should hire you to walk their dog(s). Make yourself appealing. Assuming you are reliable, you will soon build up a steady stream of clients and with word of mouth, you could find yourself with 10+ clients making it a great side hustle for earning extra money!
Create an Online Course
If you consider yourself knowledgeable on a topic people are interested in learning, why not create an online course? You could leverage your knowledge and skills to create the course and sell it on Udemy or Teachable. Depending on how much time you invest in creating your course, you may end up making a substantial amount of money from your newly found side hustle. Again, focus on providing a ton of value and the money will follow!
Related: Sell your online course or membership site with ClickFunnels! It’s an easy to build sales funnel platform to help make your life easier by automating the sales process. Learn more about ClickFunnels and how I can get you a free account by clicking here.
Babysit or Nanny
A great way to earn some quick cash is by babysitting or becoming a part-time nanny. Assuming you are good at it and provide a good experience, you can post your services on Care.com, SitterCity and social media sites. Ask family and friends if they know anyone in need of a babysitter too! A couple babysitting nights a week can certainly help bring in some extra money fast!
Design Logos on 99Designs
If you’re graphically inclined and you have design programs like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, you could compete for design work on 99designs. You don’t get paid unless yours is chosen as the winning design, so in order for this side hustle to really pay off you’ll have to be a pretty good designer.
Sell Products on Etsy
If you’re the creative type, you can sell crafts or other home-made items on Etsy. It’s one of the largest resources for selling handmade goods online with millions of customers. You can also sell digital items that can be printed out. The catch to making good money on Etsy is by producing unique products that stand out to customers.
Give Music Lessons
Are you musically talented? If so, think about teaching music to others in your area! Advertise online, in local newspapers or through word of mouth/social media. This is a great way to earn fast money as a side hustle!
Reduce Expenses
Okay, so this technically isn’t a side hustle… However, sometimes earning extra cash is done by cutting out unnecessary expenses. When was the last time you audited all your monthly expenses? Chances are you could cut some of those expenses to free up some extra cash each month and the auditing only take a few minutes.
Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants (aka: VA’s) are in high demand these days. However, becoming a VA only makes sense if you have a lot of extra time. You’ll have to post your services online and be a very organized person, but can be worth it for certain people. Also, if you live in an area with a lower cost of living, that helps.
Start Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an extremely alluring industry. The reality is many affiliate marketers struggle to make decent money. However, if you have the skills, knowledge, patience and motivation to succeed in this industry, you can quite literally make a small fortune off passive income alone. Just don’t get caught up in all the different affiliate programs out there and hope to make money without any effort. Find some of the best programs you’d like to promote and stick with them.
Related: One of the best programs I know to promote is ClickFunnels. They have an amazing affiliate program and it’s 100% free to join. On top of that, they have an outstanding “Affiliate Bootcamp” which is great training for anyone, experienced or new to the industry. Oh yeah, they also pay for your dream car if you bring in enough customers! What are you waiting for? Become an affiliate here.