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Whether you want extra money to supplement your income or simply to pay for some fun extras in life, you may be interested in ideas for a side hustle. The Internet in particular has made it easier than ever to earn some supplemental income, but there are still traditional options available as well. Consider any of these seven ways to earn extra money as a side hustle.
1. Freelance Work
Freelance work can be in almost anything, from graphic design to interior decorating. If you have ever dreamed of owning your own business, freelancing can give you a taste of it. Freelancing doesn’t carry the same risks as starting a traditional business. You work on a project-by-project basis and can stop whenever you want to, so long as you have no outstanding projects or agreements with clients. Finding clients, of course, is the tricky part. You should tell everyone you know that you are starting work as a freelancer and let them know what you do. Have an attractive website, a marketing plan and use job boards to build your freelance resume.
2. Sell Online
Selling items online is a great source of extra income. This option takes many forms. You can simply sell old items you have around the house on sites like Amazon, eBay or Craigslist. You can hunt for good deals on items of value to buy on these sites and then resell them for a higher price. Another option is dropshipping, a relatively new ecommerce model where the retailer does not actually maintain stock but instead contracts with a distributor or manufacturer who ships the items directly to their customers. You can even open your own ecommerce store through platforms such as Shopify. There are pros and cons to each model, so weigh each option before making a decision on how you will approach your burgeoning ecommerce business.
3. Seasonal Farm Work
AgriLabour is necessary for many farmers and ranchers to maintain smooth operations. Many farms are constantly looking for workers, especially during certain times of the year when harvest is taking place, animals are being born and other important, labor-heavy periods of time. Jobs that need to be done include picking crops, herding livestock, planting and more. If you enjoy working outdoors and don’t mind what can be repetitive, manual labor, this might be a very good job opportunity for you. There are temporary and staffing firms that can help you find a job in this field, or you can find local farms in your area that might be hiring.
4. Driving
Companies like Uber and Lyft have exploded in popularity, opening opportunities for anyone with a car and a good driving record to make some money on the side. You may choose to drive for these companies for a number of different reasons, including as something to do in retirement, because you enjoy driving or because you want to meet and interact with the interesting people who climb into your backseat. There are also other driving jobs that can be done part-time, such as a tour guide, truck driver, taxi driver and others. Be sure your car insurance policy covers using your car to drive for commercial purposes if you opt to become a driver for Uber or Lyft. You may need to purchase policy extensions to cover your activities.
5. Write Books
Independent authorship has flourished with the rise of ebooks. Although Amazon is the most popular publisher for independent ebooks, there are other services such as Smashwords or Draft2Digital through which you can publish to other major ebook stores. There are also print-on-demand companies that produce physical copies of your book either when a customer places an order or when you request copies to sell yourself. You can write books in just about any genre you like, whether you enjoy writing mystery novels, non-fiction self-help books or romantic short stories. For your books to have a chance of selling well, you may need to put significant effort into marketing as well as pay for professional editing and cover design. Once that is done and your book is launched, however, you can sit back and enjoy the passive income from sales.
6. Sell Handmade Crafts
In many ways, selling handmade crafts is similar to selling any other item online, as outlined above. However, there are key differences. Handmade crafts are unique items you make yourself, rather than the goods of someone else you are reselling for a profit. Handmade crafts can be sold in-person at craft fairs in addition to online. Handmade crafts are usually sold through certain specialty services, such as Etsy or Amazon Handmade. You can also sell them through your own ecommerce site. Like any other business, you will need to calculate how much labor and materials cost in relation to the amount you opt to price the product for. You will also have to consider how much product you will have to make to keep up with demand and adjust accordingly.
7. Work As A Tutor
There are children, teens and young adults across the world who want some extra help to pass their classes and make sure they understand the material. As such, opportunities to work as a tutor abound, whether through online companies, local educational institutions or private tutoring companies near where you live. Best of all, tutoring lends itself perfectly to part-time work, making it an excellent choice as a side hustle to earn some extra money. You can work as a tutor in just about any subject in which you are knowledgeable. A specialized and in-demand option that is relatively easy to get into would be to work as an ESL teacher, which stands for teaching English as a second language. Requirements for becoming a tutor will vary by company. Some will want to see a background in education while others will accept certificates in a particular subject and/or a bachelor’s degree.
The ways you can earn money on the side are practically endless. These are some of the most common options, but there are plenty more. Consider what you are good at, what you might be interested in doing and what niches may prove the most profitable.
I am Bhagwati Suthar, Founder of Jobiba & TezLife.com. I am a Blogger, Affiliate Marketer and a Digital Marketer from Udaipur, India. At JobibaBlog, We share articles about Blogging, Marketing & Advertising, Business and Tech Tips.
