Start a Side Hustle from home

Side hustles are simply profitable opportunities that you can take advantage of but aren’t necessarily devoting a lot of time to. So if you’re looking for a way to start a business while juggling family life, and/or focusing on other ventures, this guide will help you formulate a plan.

And while many people start off making money with side hustles as a way of simply adding some extra money to their monthly income, it’s not uncommon for side hustles to start making so much money that they quickly become a primary source of income, and become a MAIN hustle.

So, begin by exploring the different side hustles that we talk about here. Take notes on any ideas you have as you read through and once you’re finished, you’ll be part way to creating a plan of action.

While most of the side hustles featured here can be grown into a larger business, they are designed so that you can work as little or as much as you wish when just starting out.

And remember, the best side hustles are flexible and can continue to be profitable without having to commit to spending a lot of time working them.  So without further delay, let’s begin!

Create Video Tutorials
Offer Online Training
Affiliate Marketing
Become a Freelancer
Dropshipping
Sell T-Shirts & Other Merchandise
Self-Publishing
Monetise Your Skills
Conclusion
Resources

Create Video Tutorials

People are always looking for how-to videos that show them how to achieve a goal, complete a task or simply to learn something new.

This makes video tutorials profitable and with platforms like Vimeo and YouTube, it’s easy to quickly build a channel and generate quality traffic quickly (and at little to no cost).

To begin, consider the type of content you would like to create, particularly what skills or knowledge you possess that could be turned into video-tutorial content.

Then, spend some time reviewing existing video tutorials in that niche on YouTube in order to get familiar with the style, tone and voice that established creators are offering to their audiences.

This is when you’ll also want to decide on your overall video tutorial format, such as whether you’ll create an explainer video, presentation-style video, or perhaps a screencast video.

The more you research your market, the easier it will be to come up with creative ideas that will attract viewers, so dedicate a bit of time to exploring popular channels.

You will also want to create a storyboard or script that guides you through the video. This will minimise errors and help your video flow so that people stay engaged.

Next, you’ll want to purchase a bit of equipment in order to create high-quality videos, but you don’t have to go all out.

You can get started with just a high-quality microphone and a screen-capture software program such as: Snagit or Camtasia, two of the most popular tools used by both beginners and professionals alike.

Offer Online Training

Similar to creating video tutorials based on your knowledge and skills, you can take things a step further by creating online courses and training programs.

Students will pay for access to your training which can be delivered a number of ways including through one of the popular course platforms like https://www.Teachable.com or https://www.Thinkrific.com

When it comes to creating your training material, you can choose to develop video-based lessons, text lessons or a combination of both.

The preferred format should be based on your market and what they are looking for so you’ll want to spend some time researching your niche, including existing courses based on your chosen topic.

Courses are big business! People are earning millions a year just by offering simple courses that help people learn a new skill.

Your course doesn’t have to be all that extensive either. In fact, often times, less is more because students only want to spend their time learning the most necessary steps or components in order to achieve their goals.

And if you think you aren’t qualified to create a course, think again!

People are purchasing courses on most any topic imaginable. So, begin by analysing your personal skills and interests and come up with a handful of ideas that you can later qualify.

For example, perhaps you’re good at bookkeeping, or you know how to design websites or create videos.

All of these things are valuable skills that others would pay good money to learn.

Tip: This is one of the most profitable side hustles we’re featuring here but you can make even more money with it just by adding the opportunity for select students to receive personal help or coaching from you for an additional fee.   

This is a tried and true method of maximising your income and allows you to customise the upgrade a number of ways, including by offering multiple levels.

For example, you could offer coaching for 30 days, 60 days or allow for students to purchase blocks for more time. Or, you could add a membership option to your course that provides students with paid access to additional tools and resources.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most common side hustles as well as one of the most profitable.

It’s no surprise that so many people begin with this opportunity because it’s easy to get started in and can be automated for true passive income, once you’ve set up your system.

There are many different affiliate networks that you can sign up with in order to gain access to in-demand products and services that you can earn a commission from but the best ones for you will depend on the market you’re interested in as well as whether you intend to promote digital or physical products.  In order to make money in affiliate marketing you’ll also need your snappy blog or website as well as a newsletter service through websites like MailChimp, Constant Contact or MailerLite.

Creating a quick blog (even if it only features review-style pages that are rarely updated) will make it easier for you to generate quality traffic that can convert into sales.

And with a newsletter service you’ll be able to start building a mailing list of active subscribers that are interested in the products and services you promote.

This will not only cut down (or eliminate) any marketing costs but it’ll help you quickly launch your affiliate-based campaigns to a targeted audience.

Note: Affiliate marketing can be profitable but it’s very competitive, for this reason we would recommend going niche. Focus on one main area of a popular market and then build content pages on a blog that provide information such as detailed reviews that will help consumers in their decision to purchase.

Here are a few affiliate networks to help you get started but you should manually search for affiliate programs based on your niche in order to find the best ones that may not be featured on a larger network.

Amazon Associates: – https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/
 Ebay Partner Network:– https://partnernetwork.ebay.com/
ClickBank:  – https://www.clickbank.com
 Commission Junction (CJ):  - https://www.cj.com/

Become a Freelancer

Freelancing is a great way to make money on the side without having to commit a lot of time to the process. You can simply decide on a service menu, set your pricing and then take on only as many jobs as you have time for each week.

And freelancing comes in many forms, so depending on your skills you’ll be able to build a client base quickly just by creating a profile on sites like https://www.Upwork.com.

From writing, programming, design to virtual assistants and specialised areas such as legal, translation or mobile development.

Tips:  Make sure you only accept jobs that you know you can complete. User feedback is important on freelance sites like Upwork because it helps future clients determine whether you’re reliable.

This means that you always want to meet deadlines and if you foresee any issues, you contact your client as quickly as possible. Regular communication is vital in encouraging positive feedback once the project is complete.

Further, make sure you research your market so you are able to set reasonable price points for the various work you offer.

You never want to devalue your work or undercut yourself, so spend some time reviewing what other freelancers in your market are charging for similar services.

Here are a few other freelance marketplaces worth considering:

Toptal: https://www.toptal.com/
We Work Remotely: https://weworkremotely.com/
Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/jobs
Freelancer: https://www.freelancer.com/
Guru: https://www.guru.com/

Dropshipping

Dropshipping allows you to sell a product without having to purchase or store inventory.

Further, you can have the manufacturer ship it directly to your customer, eliminating your workload and freeing up your time.  in other words, dropshipping offers true automation!

It’s also a low-risk opportunity because products are only shipped out once they are purchased which eliminates the costly (and high-risk) requirement for purchasing inventory upfront as is often necessary in other businesses.

You can get started by simply deciding on a niche to sell too, choose a supplier, and then reach new buyers through sales channels like Amazon or eBay.   Finding your niche is extremely important because it will help you narrow down your focus so you can begin evaluating different available products.

And while many people earn money through dropshipping by paying attention to current trends and then jumping on them, we recommend focusing most of your attention on evergreen products that will sell year-round which will provide you with a steady income.

Tip: Hot trends are great for quick, short-term wins, but it’s usually best not to base your entire business on these temporary markets.

Instead, you should choose evergreen markets that come with consistent demand and repeat customer customers.

Resource: If you’re interested in keeping a pulse on current trends, this website is useful: https://www.trendhunter.com/

And if you’re looking to get started in popular, evergreen niches, you may find the Oberlo app helpful: https://www.oberlo.com/   And finally, you can find suppliers online like Oberlo and then quickly build a shop that integrates their inventory.

We recommend looking at: https://www.shopify.com or https://www.bigcommerce.com

Sell T-Shirts & Other Merchandise

Did you know that you can make money selling t-shirts without ever having to ship inventory or even process a payment yourself?

With websites like https://www.RedBubble.com and https://printify.com, you can create and upload designs and they’ll take care of the rest.

You’ll earn a percentage for each item sold and can also choose from a variety of product types to feature your graphic on.

This means that you can sell far more than just t-shirts, but also coffee mugs, mousepads and even handbags.  This is a great side hustle because it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to launch and you can simply work on new designs in your spare time.

You’ll want to spend some time researching a variety of markets in order to come up with different ideas that are bound to sell.

This is often the most time-consuming step but it’s definitely worth it. You can browse websites like Amazon and Etsy to find popular products.

Be sure to take notes on commonly used phrases, lingo and even colour schemes that are selling as this information will help you when planning your own designs.

And of course, if you’re not a designer you can still get in on the action by simply hiring graphic designers on sites like https://www.Fiverr.com but thankfully with sites like https://www.canva.com/ it’s very easy to create graphics for t-shirts, even with zero experience!

Tip:  Pay attention to the recommended sizes of your images – design your graphics in 300 dpi and save in .PNG files with dimensions of 4500×5400.

Self-Publishing

Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) Platform makes it easy for anyone to get published without the need to send query letters to publishers in the hope of being picked up.

In fact, with a free Amazon KDP (https://kdp.amazon.com)   account you can instantly publish a book in countless markets, including fiction & nonfiction.

To start, consider the different topics that you are personally interested in and have experience with.   Are you a fan of nonfiction such as historical, romance or fantasy?

Consider writing a short story and then once you’ve cut your teeth on publishing, you could extend it into a full-length novel or series.

Are you experienced with popular nonfiction topics such as self-help, business, finance or personal development? These are some of the bestselling genres on Amazon.

And if you aren’t skilled at writing, don’t let this stop you from taking advantage of this profitable side hustle.

You can easily create a quick outline of your story and outsource the writing to ghostwriters on marketplaces like https://www.UpWork.com or https://www.Reedsy.com

When creating an outline for a ghostwriter you’ll want to make sure you define your project goals. Be as specific and clear as possible so that your ghostwriter fully understands what your vision is.  Then, assess the ghostwriter’s skills prior to creating contracts or sending payments or milestones.

It’s important to hire a ghostwriter that matches the voice and style that you feel is best for your story. You can gain better insight as to whether a ghostwriter is a good match by reviewing their profile, particularly previous works in your genre.

Self-publishing is exceptionally profitable and if you set up a ghostwriting and editing team, you can automate a large part of the process which means you can create a passive income stream quickly.

Tip:  Don’t just stop with Amazon. You can also make money publishing short articles on sites like https://www.Medium.com as well as short “episodes” on popular platforms like http://radishfiction.com/ where some new authors are earning up 6-figures a year for short stories!  

And keep in mind that self-publishing doesn’t just involve fiction and nonfiction books!  You can make money publishing what is called “low content” books on Amazon. These are products such as planners, calendars, notebooks and more.   Not only do these sell all year, but they take very little time to create once you get the hang of it.

Monetise Your Skills

One of the best ways to uncover additional side hustles is to audit your own experiences and skills.

Many successful businesses are launched based on someone’s personal hobby or knowledge – and these aren’t always so obvious. This is why we suggest writing down all the things you are passionate about, interested in or have skill or experience with.

Whether it’s gaming – that could be turned into a profitable livestream on gaming platforms like Twitch, or you are an avid reader and could offer proofreading or editing services to new writers, the possibilities are endless.

Once you have a list of possible opportunities, you’ll want to qualify those by spending some time researching each idea in order to create a game plan.

Consider things like:

Market demand: is there an active demand for products and services in that niche?
Availability & Pricing: consider the different formats that are currently available online as well as price points. Think about how you could position your offer so that it’s competitive.
Time Required: you’ll also want to assess how much time is required to create a product or service in this niche and ensure that you can commit that time to seeing it through.
Difficulty Level: evaluate whether the product or service you’re considering creating is something you can do yourself or whether you should outsource it to qualified freelancers on websites like Upwork.com

Once you’ve analysed your market and have a solid outline that will give you a sense of direction, set a start and end date and get started!

Tip: Search and join Facebook groups or Reddit threads geared towards the niche you are interested in.

It’s a great way to not only research your market but will put you in line for possible networking opportunities.

Conclusion

We’ve covered many different side hustles in this guide, all of which are based entirely online. This means that all you need to get started is a computer and an Internet connection!

There are many other types of side hustles, including those that take place offline, so continue exploring the different options in order to find the ones that work best for you and your lifestyle.

Start off by choosing one main side hustle and then focus on building your income until you’re ready to move onto the next or turn it into your main income stream.

Every side hustle, whether online or off, will require time, patience and determination in order to gain traction, but if you invest yourself into learning as much as possible and applying those strategies to your business, you will be successful.

To your ongoing success!

Resources

Here are links to a few resources that may help too:

Additional Side Hustle Ideas:
>> https://sidehustleschool.com/ideas/
Passive Side Hustles:
>> https://www.sidehustlenation.com/passive-income/
Low-Cost Side Hustle Startups:
>> https://bethebudget.com/side-hustles-with-low-startup-costs/
50 Side Hustle Ideas:
>> https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/293954