The ultimate list of proven side hustle ideas that will generate an additional income source so you can start creating the life you want.
Step 1 of your side hustle journey is coming up with the best side hustle ideas possible. This list highlights only side hustle ideas that have been proven to make money.
Do you have a side hustle idea that is not featured here? Leave a comment at the bottom and tell us about it. I’ll review the comments and update the list.
Teach Afterschool Enrichment Classes
What is it?
Teaching a class or activity to elementary school kids after their normal school day is completed. These classes could be anything from crafts, sports, programming to painting.
How does it make money?
Each student that is interested in taking your course will take a form home to their parents and sign up if they allow it. You charge a certain price for each kid; usually between $75 – $150 per kid. The length of the classes will depend on the structure of the school year in your district but it they typically last for 8 weeks.
How do I get started?
The first step will be getting approval from the school district. You will need to have a business formally established with your state government.
How much money can I make?
Between $3,000 and $40,000 per month depending on the number of schools you teach your course at.
Listen below to hear how May did it.
Create Niche Affiliate Sites
What is it?
Creating websites that provide content in the form of blogs or videos, that have affiliate products or services embedded in the content.
How does it make money?
On this website you created, you are offering products or services that solve a particular problem that the visitor has. The products or services will have a unique tracking link so that it can be traced if the person purchased after being directed from your site. When the visitor purchases the product/service after clicking your link, then you get credited for the sales and get a percentage of the total sale. The simplest example is using an Amazon affiliate link to a product on amazon.com. If someone clicks your link then you will get a percentage of their total checkout, which averages about 5%. So, if they click to Amazon from your link then proceed to buy $100 worth of items, you will be paid $5. You can also do this for other people’s products, which is what Greg Jeffries focuses on. You can learn more about how he has created a mid-6-figure income from building these niche sites below.
How do I get started?
You will need a website and a niche topic to get started. Once you have a niche determined, you will need to start promoting those products/services on your site and to your email list. Don’t be sleazy or pushy here, no one likes that. You should try to illustrate how this product or service can solve the problem that they have. To find out more, I would recommend checking out Greg Jeffries course called SEO Affiliate Domination here. If you wanted to start promoting Amazon products, you will also need to sign up for an Amazon Seller Account (this is different than your normal Amazon account).
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, between $200 and $10,000 per month. The possibilities are really endless if you move full-time.
Listen below to hear how Greg, Kevin and Henry did it.
Dropshipping
What is it?
Dropshipping is a term for the order fulfillment model where you don’t actually have any of the inventory yourself. A supplier that you partner with owns and warehouses the inventory. You promote their products on a website or advertisement and once you get an order, you pass the information to the supplier and they handle the shipping.
How does it make money?
When you partner with a supplier, you will typically receive a reduced price from what is shown to the general public. So, let’s give an example. You partner with ABC Company and you will be selling their Widget D. They will offer you widget D for $20 as a partner and your goal is to sell it for more. If you listed it for $30 on your website, then you would make $10 on the sale. The math is $30 sale price – $20 widget price from supplier = $10 profit. Be sure to factor in advertising, website hosting, and any other cost associated with your sale.
How do I get started?
You need to find a niche that you want to work in – it could be anything from surfboards to crickets. (it’s always about the niches) Then you’ll need to get a website up and running and find suppliers to partner with. Once you have the relationships established, you can get to selling. When you get your first order, you’ll send that information over to the supplier and they will handle everything else (this can be automated). If you are looking for a quick crash-course on getting started, you should check out Anton Kraly’s mini-course.
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, between $500 and $15,000 per month. If you decide to go full-time, the earning potential is unlimited.
Listen below to hear how Anton, Jeff, and Nina did it.
Blogging
What is it?
Blogging is simply creating content around a specific topic, in written form, on a website.
How does it make money?
You can make money from blogging in a lot of different ways. Some include: ad revenue from placing sidebar, banner, and email ads – also, bloggers make money from promoting affiliate products and services (see above post) – and you can also sell your own products (physical or digital) on your site. The content you create on your site (blogging) is what brings people to your site – the more people you bring the more money you can make from the above.
How do I get started?
Step 1 is to determine a niche topic that you want to blog about. Step 2 is to create a website. Step 3 is to create quality content that will help or entertain your audience. Please understand, it takes time for your website to start showing up in Google search results. Depending on who you talk to, it could be 6-weeks or 6-months.
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, between $100 and $2,000 per month. The more traffic, the more money.
Listen below to hear how Dean, Michael and Melissa did it.
Photography
What is it?
Using your favorite camera to take high-quality photos of people or things.
How does it make money?
People want to remember moments or people that are meaningful to them. One of the best ways to capture that moment is with a great, high-quality picture. That’s where you come in. You take the great pictures and they pay you the dollars, rupees, pesos, or whatever the currency is where you live. This could be at a public event, such as a concert, or at a private event such as a wedding or family outing.
How do I get started?
First, you’ll need a good quality beginners DSLR camera. Once you have your camera, you’ll need to practice and understand how to use it. A great way to practice is to offer free sessions to your friends and family. After you are certain you can produce great photos, you can start expanding your reach to other friends and family and also create a website to showcase your portfolio. Remember, all photographers edit their photo’s and I recommend using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, and depending on your skill level, you can expect between $100 and $5,000 per session. Events like weddings will be in the higher end of that range.
Listen below to hear how Monica did it.
Teaching How To Use Tech
What is it?
The technology we use every day (phones, apps, software) is constantly changing and people can’t keep up with it. That’s where you come in to teach them.
How does it make money?
This is a service that you are offering them and the complexity of the topic will determine the price you can charge. For example, Cielo de la Paz teaches people how to record and edit video with their iPhone. She has in-person training classes and also an online course that people can sign up for. (see below) In another conversation I had with side hustler, Mark Campbell, he used to teach people how to create great looking Powerpoint presentations – for a flat fee.
How do I get started?
Find a topic that you are an expert on, or at least more knowledgeable than the average person, and begin to promote your offer. There are marketplaces such as Skillshare that you can become a teacher on, or you can create a course like Cielo on a platform like Teachable. You could also post on a website like Craigslist, but be weary of the potential clients you may get.
How much money can I make?
The more complex/niche the topic you are teaching, the more money you can charge. If it is in-person training, you could expect $50 – $150 per hour. If it is an online course, hosted on a site like Teachable, you could charge between $47 – $497.
Listen below to hear how Cielo did it.
Create a Podcast
What is it?
Creating a podcast to share information in audio form. Typically in an interview or a long-form information read.
How does it make money?
Similar to blogging, a podcast makes money from your audience (listeners in this case). When your audience grows you can obtain sponsorships for your episodes. This is typically done on a CPM basis – cost per 1,000 listeners and the rate changes based on the length of the ad. Currently, the average rates are:
| 10-Second Ad CPM | 30-Second Ad CPM | 60-Second Ad CPM |
| $15 | $18 | $25 |
How do I get started?
Like several of the ideas above, the first step is finding your niche topic and determine how your podcast will be hosted – interviews or storytelling. Once you have your idea, you’ll need some podcast gear. To help with that, I’ve compiled a list of everything I use to operate my podcast here. If you are interviewing, you’ll need to source the guest at least a week ahead of time. I use Calendly to schedule all my guest. If you have a storytelling format, you’ll need to write and record those. One tip: pick a release schedule and stick to it. People like routine and want to know when they can expect content from you.
How much money can I make?
This side hustle is less variable than some of the others since there is an industry standard. If your podcast gets 2,000 listeners per episode and you release 2 episodes per week then you could make around $400 per month. If you were getting 10,000 listeners per episode and releasing 3 episodes per week then you could make around $3,000 per month.
Listen below to hear how Andrew did it.
Voice Over Artist
What is it?
Do you have a Morgan Freeman-like voice? This may be the side hustle for you. You are the voice behind a product or service advertisement.
How does it make money?
Companies pay you to describe, often from pre-written descriptions, their product and you record it for them. They then use that as audio in a product video or advertisement.
How do I get started?
After you’ve tuned up your vocal cords, you’ll need to create a portfolio (reel) of your work. In the beginning, this can just be voice-overs for miscellaneous products around your house. Be sure that you have a high-quality microphone when recording – this is extremely important. Once you develop your online portfolio and land some clients, you’ll want to find an agent to help you land bigger, more lucrative gigs.
How much money can I make?
You can expect to make between $50 – $300 per gig. The bigger the company, the more they will pay.
Listen below to hear how Jason did it.
Create Handmade Jewelry
What is it?
Custom, handmade jewelry made from various materials.
How does it make money?
You create the jewelry from metals, leather, or fabrics and sell them on a marketplace like Etsy or create your own eCommerce store on Shopify.
How do I get started?
If you want to make jewelry from metal, then you’ll need some tools. You can make basic things, like this state quarter ring, with just a few items and they sell for $30. If you want to make complex jewelry, you’ll need additional tools and Alex Moore talks about this below.
How much money can I make?
You can expect to make between $20 – $1,000 per item. This depends on the complexity, your brand, and the materials.
Listen below to hear how Alex did it.
Self-Publish A Book
What is it?
Write Books on a niche topic and self-publish it on Amazon.
How does it make money?
You write the books (it could be a short, 50-page book or a full-length 300-page book) on a niche topic of your choice and place them for sale on a platform like Amazon. Amazon is great for this because you can easily publish the digital version on Amazon Kindle or you can use their print-on-demand service, called CreateSpace.
How do I get started?
Like most of the above posts, it all starts with determining a niche. Once you get to writing and have the content ready, you’ll need to have either a PDF or Word file formatted. When I created The Side Hustle Journal, I used Adobe InDesign to layout the inner content and make it look good. Then it’s as simple as uploading the file, creating your cover, publishing to Kindle for the eBook and creating the Amazon listing for your print-on-demand hard copy – which CreateSpace will print and ship to the customer.
How much money can I make?
If there is an audience for your topic (or if you already have an audience) then you could do quite well with this. For someone starting out, I would expect between $200 – $500 per month. If you have an audience already, this number will be much higher.
Listen below to hear how Johnny, Jim and May did it.
Create Instructional Content
What is it?
Script and record videos that teach an audience how to do something.
How does it make money?
You’ll record videos on a niche topic and either host them on a platform like Teachable or sell the videos individually like Charlie does on his site, Digitsu. (listen to how he makes over $500,000 per year below)
How do I get started?
Once you know the topic that you’ll cover, you’ll need to determine the method by which you will deliver the content. The three primary channels are hosting them on your own site, creating an online course on a platform like Teachable, or simply upload them to YouTube to drive traffic back to your website. Obviously, another big part of this is how you record the videos. You don’t necessarily buy cinema-grade cameras like Charlie did but you do need something that records in HD. You could use a mid-level HD camcorder or it could even be your phone. Make sure you have great lighting – this more important than the camcorder you choose. A decent camera with great lighting will produce far superior video quality than a great camera with decent lighting.
How much money can I make?
This is tough to say. If you listen below, Charlie’s side hustle had gross revenue over $500,000 last year. Other’s creating instructional videos that are used in online courses can expect between $100 – $1,000 per person that signs up for their course.
Listen below to hear how Charlie and Katie did it.
Start an Offline Service-Based Business
What is it?
A business model where you typically perform a specific task. This could be window washing, lawn care, home cleaning (like below), moving, photography, or dog walking.
How does it make money?
You complete a task and the customer pays you a pre-established rate.
How do I get started?
Once you decide which service you will be offering, you need to locate customers. To find customers, you can register for TaskRabbit, create a listing on Craigslist, or use one of the many specific apps, like Rover (dog walking). Make sure you research any licenses or insurance that may be needed for the service business you are starting.
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, it should be very possible to make an extra $500 per month from your offline service-based side hustle.
Listen below to hear how Owen, Monica, Mike and Nicole did it.
Start a Graphic Design Agency
What is it?
A business model where you work with other business to help with everything from logo design to website UI/UX, and it is all completed on the computer. From finding the customer to performing the service, you never have to leave your computer.
How does it make money?
For an individual, you may complete a task and the customer pays you a pre-established rate. For an agency, you may work with a company on a monthly recurring fee. For example, you do all of their graphic design services for a monthly fee.
How do I get started?
Unless you already have an audience and an established personal brand, you may want to join an online marketplace that will have your potential customers. You could do this for a short time just to create a portfolio of work then venture out on your own. If you have a more general service offering, you may have the best luck with Fiverr. If you are looking to specifically use your graphic design skills for things like logo design or book cover design, try out 99designs.
How much money can I make?
It depends on how specialized your skills are and how talented you are. On the platforms listed above, you either bid on each job and the client reviews your portfolio or you submit work (think of a rough draft) based on the job description and the client chooses based on their favorite submission. A more well-established artist will likely have their own website that displays their portfolio and pricing will be much higher.
Listen below to hear how Jaychrist did it.
Fitness & Nutritional Coaching
What is it?
Coaching clients that are seeking to get in better physical shape and/or need help with their diet. Fun fact: this was actually my first side hustle.
How does it make money?
You will provide clients with a plan, typically measured in weeks, that guide them with their diet and workouts. Depending on the arrangement, this could also include video chats to review progress and answer any questions.
How do I get started?
Unless you already have an established network of people that know and trust your ability to provide proper guidance on workouts and diet, you should get certified. One of the top and most respected certifications available is the NASM CPT. Once you are certified, you should create a website to highlight you offering and any client testimonials and before/after photos. You could also consider becoming a trainer at a local gym but you should without a doubt set up your website to begin showcasing your expertise.
How much money can I make?
It depends on how established you are and how many clients you can show had positive results with your guidance. I would charge $500 per client for a 6-week workout and diet plan but some coaches charge $1,000+ for the same thing.
Listen below to hear how Genevieve, Marvin, and Rachel did it.
Website/Software/App Development
What is it?
Creating websites, software or mobile apps for clients or personal use.
How does it make money?
If you are creating the software/app for a client then they will pay you an agreed upon amount when the final version is delivered. Usually, there will be milestones along the way where the client will pay out a percentage of the total owed amount.
How do I get started?
This side hustle requires some technical skills that can’t be learned overnight. Some of the common skills needed could be HTML, CSS, Javascript, Java, Python, AngularJS, and the list goes on. It may not be a quick skill to learn but with everything in life going digital, it will not be wasted time. You may check out Codecademy to learn how to start coding.
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, you could expect to make between $1,000 – $15,000.
Listen below to hear how Mark did it.
Flipping Houses
What is it?
Buying a house for an amount that is lower than it can be sold for after some renovations.
How does it make money?
Here’s an example – you find a house that needs a lot of work done to it for $120,000 then, either you or contractors, complete the needed renovations and put the property back up for sale. When you put it back up for sale, it’s at a higher price, like $200,000. If the renovations cost $25,000 then your profit would be $55,000.
How do I get started?
This side hustle requires you to either have a large savings account or take out a loan from your bank to fund the purchase and renovation. Once you have secured the capital, you can begin hunting your potential investment. If this sounds interesting, I would recommend reading more on the Bigger Pockets website.
How much money can I make?
As a side hustle, you will be limited with the number of flips you can do but if you could do 4 flips per year, then you could potentially see $200,000 in profit.
Listen below to hear how Ryan did it.
Create a Physical Product
What is it?
You get a great idea in your head then you turn it into a tangible product you can hold in your hand – and sell.
How does it make money?
You create a product that other people want, so they buy it – and hopefully lots of it.
How do I get started?
Once you have validated your idea and found a manufacturer then you will need to set up an eCommerce store on Shopify or Clickfunnels. If you are unsure if the idea will be successful, you could launch a Kickstarter to further validate the idea. That’s what I did. With Kickstarter people essentially pre-order your product then, if you reach your goal, you can use those funds to complete the manufacturing. Or, if your idea is really good, then you can go on Shark Tank to seek funding from Billionaire investors. That’s what Chris Healy did. You can listen to how he did it below on episode 34.
How much money can I make?
It depends on the price of your product and the demand for it – there is really no cap.
Listen below to hear how Chris, Matt, Maury and Marc did it.
Use Your Day Job Skills
What is it?
You have a skill at work that the company pays you for – you could use this same skillset to create a side hustle in the evening.
How does it make money?
You create a service using the skills and talent you have acquired in your day job.
How do I get started?
First, you would need to make sure there is not a non-compete in place. Once that is done, you will need to create a website to showcase your talent and expertise. After that, you can look for potential clients on LinkedIn or another marketplace that fits your skills.
How much money can I make?
It will be dependant on your skills and the amount of time you put into it.
Listen below to hear how Dan and Mike did it.
Become a Connector
What is it?
Use your networking skills to create a service business connecting people together.
How does it make money?
Often times, people want to be connected to other people, such as influencers in social media, politics or business – and you charge for making these connections.
How do I get started?
It would really help if you already had a network, but if not, get out there and start meeting people. This side hustle is a two-sided marketplace. This means your customers are on both sides.
How much money can I make?
$25-$200 per connection is what you could expect doing this as a side hustle.
Listen below to hear how Karen did it.
Help People With Their Finances
What is it?
Helping people with their finances – this could be doing their taxes to helping them save or invest money.
How does it make money?
This is a service-based side hustle business in which you perform an activity, such as, preparing someone’s taxes and charge them a fee. Other versions could be helping someone with their investments, in which you could get a percentage of their earnings. Another method could be to help someone improve their mindset about money and offer this as a service.
How do I get started?
Depending on the country that you live in, this could require that you have certain certifications. For example, in the USA, you are required to have a Certified Public Account (CPA) license to do most of this. Or, if you are like Kiné, you approach it from a therapy perspective and you will need the proper licenses and certifications for that.
How much money can I make?
It depends on the type of service and how you structure your arrangements.
Listen below to hear how Mike and Kiné did it.
Help Businesses With Their Digital Marketing
What is it?
Helping businesses grow their reach, awareness, and ultimately their revenue through digital marketing
How does it make money?
This is a service-based business in which you charge a fee for creating digital marketing campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and YouTube. It can vary based on the agreement, but typically there will be half paid up front and half paid upon completion of the marketing campaign. If the objective of the marketing campaign is to generate revenue you may also be able to structure the agreement to get a percentage of sales generated.
How do I get started?
A great way to get started is by doing some free work in the beginning in exchange for testimonials. You can use these testimonials to build trust and gain clients. Another great way to find your initial clients is to go to “brick and mortar” stores that you frequently visit and ask them if you can help with their digital marketing. If you do this, be prepared and do your research on this business before visiting. List out all the ways you could improve their business on a printout and walk in to have the discussion. If you have any client testimonials (see the point on free work above), be sure to include the references on your print out.
How much money can I make?
It depends on the type of service and how you structure your arrangements. Your goal is to get a recurring monthly agreement, not a one time job. You could expect between $1,000 to $10,000 per client depending on what you are doing for them. (also check out building digital sales funnels below, as an idea)
Listen below to hear how Nick, Sarah, Chenell and Brandon did it.
Start a Print-On-Demand Store
What is it?
Print-on-demand means that you can create something such as a t-shirt or book and have them made only when demand (sales) are generated. This saves you from having to invest money in inventory since the item is only made when there is an order.
How does it make money?
You dream up an idea for a t-shirt design, phone case artwork, book, poster, or a number of other items and you promote that to an audience either through social media, paid ads, or through an email list. When people like your item they order it and a notification is sent to a print-on-demand supplier who handles producing that item(s) and shipping it to the customer. All you have to do is find the customer and get them to purchase. The print-on-demand supplier takes a percentage of the sale and you get the rest.
How do I get started?
The easiest way to get started is with Printful. I have been using them as my print-on-demand supplier for over a year now and the quality of the items is amazing. They easily integrate to both Shopify and other platforms such as Woocommerce. When integrated into one of these platforms everything happens automatically. Meaning, if someone orders on your Shopify store then it will send a message to Printful and they fulfill your order – you never have to touch a thing!
How much money can I make?
It depends on how popular your items are. There are many examples of people making 6-figures with selling print-on-demand items.
Listen below to hear how Benny did it.
Investing In Real Estate Rental Properties
What is it?
Investing, using either your own money or money of others, to acquire real estate properties. This could be everything from single family homes, to multi-tenant buildings such as apartment buildings.
How does it make money?
The cost to support the real estate property, meaning the mortgage plus any fixed & variable cost under the owner’s responsibility, will be lower than the cost paid by a renter. The difference between what the renter pays you and your cost as the owner will be what you profit. So, if the rent is $1,500 and your cost is $1,200, then you would profit $300 each month. This is a simplified version but it highlights the business model.
How do I get started?
If you have no experience with real estate investing, the first thing you should do is read a book called The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller. You may also want to start browsing the Bigger Pockets forum and start learning the lingo.
How much money can I make?
It depends on how big your property portfolio is. You could seriously be making anything from a few hundred dollars a month to a few hundred thousand dollars per month.
Listen below to hear how Billy did it.
Building Digital Sales Funnels
What is it?
Helping businesses create online sales funnels, which are processes to convert people browsing your website content into paying customers.
How does it make money?
Many businesses have a sales process in place. The problem is that many of those businesses have either poor digital sales process or no digital sales process. With this side hustle, you create digital sales funnels to help businesses increase their revenue. You can either setup one-time jobs (you build it, they pay, you walk away) or on-going maintenance.
How do I get started?
First, you will need to develop an understanding of online sales funnels and for this, I recommend reading Dot Com Secrets, which you can get for free by using this link. After you have knowledge on the topic you will need to get clients. The best way to do this is, in the beginning, is by working with local businesses in your town or city. You could cold call them but I would recommend showing up in person and leading with value. By leading with the value and coming to the meeting with some quick wins that the business could implement in their online sales process with or without you. This will show your expertise and highly increase the likelihood that they will want to work with you. A great software to use for creating online sales funnels is ClickFunnels.
How much money can I make?
A single client could net you $500 a month in the beginning. As you skills get better and the number of clients you have increase, this can easily turn into a $10,000+ per month business. Many people are able to scale these into marketing agencies with several employees.
Listen below to hear how Rob did it.
Start a Membership Site
What is it?
Create online content that people will pay for access to.
How does it make money?
You create the content that people want, whether that be to learn a new skill or to get access to content not available to the general public, and then people pay for access to it – either for a limited time or on-going.
How do I get started?
First, you will need a membership site. I have built a membership site for my podcasting course using ClickFunnels. They make it quick and easy to create a membership course exactly how you want it and you aren’t constrained like some of the membership sites. (Use the above link for a free trial) Once you know you platform you must determine which content you want to place on your membership site, how long will people have access to it, will it be available all at once or will you be adding to it continually, and how much will it cost – one time or monthly?
How much money can I make?
There are people making millions with membership sites so the sky really is the limit here. Create great content that people want and you’ll find yourself with a little thicker wallet.
Listen below to hear how Scott did it.
Help Technologically Challenged Business Owners
What is it?
Help business owners implement software that enables efficiency and growth.
How does it make money?
You propose and implement tools that can help your client’s businesses grow. You could be connecting a simple piece of software or implementing a complex automated sales funnel.
How do I get started?
Your best bet, if you don’t have referral leads, is to start with an outreach to local businesses to pitch your services. I would recommend coming to the business owner with a proposal on something that you see that could be improved in their business. This will obviously require you to do some homework prior to making the pitch – even invest in their product or service to truly understand their business.
How much money can I make?
This can range from one-time jobs to recurring monthly service agreements. For a one-time job, you could expect from $200-$2,000 depending on the complexity of the project. For recurring services, it will really depend on the projects but often times there is a larger fee, in the beginning, to set everything up then a smaller monthly maintenance fee.
Listen below to hear how Danielle did it.
Start A Niche YouTube Channel
What is it?
Start a YouTube channel on a niche topic
How does it make money?
There are several ways to monetize a YouTube channel but one of the most straightforward when you don’t have a huge following is through affiliate products.
How do I get started?
You will need a niche topic, a decent camera, good lighting, and a great microphone.
How much money can I make?
As I mentioned, there are several ways to make money from a YouTube channel but if we just look at affiliate products, then it will depend on the products you offer. For example, if you are promoting Clickfunnels then you can expect 40% monthly recurring commissions for referring people to that product. Some products are one-time payouts, like with BlueHost.
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