There are plenty of side hustles that can ramp up your income by several hundred dollars. And then there are those gigs that can enable you to rake in one thousand dollars or more per month.
That said, we’ve rounded up six opportunities you can explore if you’re looking for a side gig that can generate a pretty penny while allowing you to capitalize on your skill or learn something new.
Sounds like a plan?
Good.
Let’s get started.
Affiliate Marketing
This is a big one.
According to Statista, the affiliate marketing spend rose from $5.4 billion in 2017 to a staggering $8.2 billion in 2022.
Further, 81 percent of brands have an affiliate program — which means there’s plenty of room if you’re looking to get a piece of the pie.
For starters, affiliate marketing is a business model that allows you to promote other people’s products or services for a commission.
As an affiliate, your job is to search for products you like, promote them, and get paid a piece of the profit for each sale.
The beauty of it is that you don’t need a hefty upfront investment to get started.
While affiliate marketing has a steep learning curve, you can sign up for an online marketing training program to help you acquire the skills you need to hone your craft.
The idea is to help you avoid common pitfalls that most budding affiliate marketers make, like:
- Choosing the wrong niche
- Picking the less lucrative offers
- Failure to invest in the right tools
- Copying what others do blindly hoping to succeed
- Neglecting search engine optimization (SEO)
- Failure to promote products with recurring payments and so on.
If you can get the basics right early on, affiliate marketing can be a lucrative venture bringing in $1,000 or more per month. In fact, top affiliate marketers earn over $500,000 annually. Not bad
Online Cleaning Jobs
An online cleaning job might be a great side business for you if you enjoy organizing and cleaning. Companies like Homeaglow.com provide an online platform that connects clients looking for home cleaning services with independent cleaning professionals. You can choose the clients you want to work with and set your own schedule and rates as a cleaner with Homeaglow.com. You’ll have the choice of working remotely or physically, and you’ll have access to online tools that will make it easier for you to manage your reservations and interact with customers.
Wedding Officiant
Will you say “I do” to this side gig? You should!
Officiating weddings and baptisms and helping people celebrate life ceremonies like birthdays can earn you anywhere between $500 and $5,000 every month.
That’s some good money, mainly because you only need to dedicate a couple of hours a day to communicating with clients and preparing for the big event.
Of course, the amount of time you dedicate to hustle every month depends on the number of clients you accept.
Besides officiating the wedding ceremony, you may need to mentor your clients. You’ll also need to have a car.
One more thing — you’ll need to be licensed to run this side hustle which goes for $30 to $100 depending on your location.
Consultant
If you’re looking for a side hustle business model that won’t eat into most of your time, you can consider a service-based business like a consulting, freelancing, or coaching business.
You can start this type of business right away since you’re selling your expertise and time. Plus, you can set your rates depending on how much you feel your services are worth.
You charge $50 to $100 per hour working as a freelancing coach. If you work for 10 to 20 hours per month, you can take home $1,000 per month. Consulting and coaching can be even less time-consuming.
Some of the things you need to get started include:
- A laptop
- Good contract limits
- A website — if you don’t have one, you can use your LinkedIn profile
Mowing Lawns
While mowing lawns is seasonal, it can be an excellent side hustle to enable you to generate some extra bucks per month. In fact, most lawn care vendors are part-timers.
You can make about $55 per hour mowing lawns. And like most service-based side-hustles, you can set your own hours and choose the clients you want to work for.
Anyone can mow lawns, whether you’re a teacher looking to make some extra cash during summer or a student who wants to work on afternoons and weekends based on your availability.
Online Tutor
A popular side hustle that’s also growing in demand is online tutoring.
According to the British Council, the number of people looking to learn English around the world is about 1.5 billion, signaling an opportunity to make money as an English tutor.
Still, you must have language fluency to succeed as an online English tutor. You must also understand the essential operation of techs like computers and smartphones.
Online tutors can set their own schedules and choose the companies or students they want to teach.
Sleep Coach
An estimated 70 million people in the United States alone suffer from chronic sleep problems.
You can become a sleep coach or start a coaching agency as a side gig to help people get a good shut-eye.
As a sleep coach, you will involve offering one-on-one coaching to people who can’t sleep well. You’ll need to create a personalized sleep platform depending on the person’s sleep pattern/
The idea is to help your clients fall asleep easily at night, sleep soundly through the entire night, and take helpful naps at the end of a long and tiring day.
While you don’t need to have prior experience as a sleep coach, you require a certificate to be allowed to operate. The certification process can cost $500 to a couple of thousand dollars.
You’ll learn the techniques and skills to become a sleep expert.
Upfront expenses include:
- A laptop
- Marketing material like brochures and business cards
- Smartphone bill
You’ll also need a car especially if you intend to do in-home consultations.
Rideshare Driver
Becoming a driver for a Rideshare app is a rewarding side gig that can earn you a few hundred more dollars every month. If you show up consistently, you can earn $1,000 or more.
Most people who drive on a part-time basis with Rideshare Guy, for instance, earn $1,000 to $5,000 per month.
Of course, like any other driver, you must have a driving license and a safe car. You can set your own hours, such as evenings after work or weekends.
Tips to Choose the Best Side Gig
Indeed, there are many side hustles you can pursue. However, some aren’t worth your attention. Below are a few tips to help you pick the right side hustle.
Find a Gig You Enjoy: It’s not all about the money. When choosing a side hustle, ensure it’s something you enjoy. Remember, this is a side job, and you don’t want something that’ll leave you mentally drained.
Choose Something Flexible — Pick a side gig that allows you to set your own hours and days. There’s a reason it’s called a side hustle. It doesn’t have to tie you down.
Pick a Hustle That Actually Pays — You don’t want to spend an extra two hours of your typical work day pursuing peanuts. Some make sure the gig can enable you to earn a decent income working a few hours.
Find Something Flexible: You’re better off with a side gig that you can easily turn into a full-time job. If you’re starting later in life, choosing a side hustle you carry into your retirement can be a good idea.
The Bottom Line
Of course, there aren’t the only side hustles out there. However, these gigs are some of the easiest to start. They pay well, and you can turn them into a full-time career.
Hop aboard the side hustle bandwagon. It’s a good way to boost earnings and develop your skill set.
As Anais Nin put it, “Good things happen to those who hustle.”
Learn more from Skills and read 11 Legit Ways for Teens to Earn Money.
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