If everything in your phone and social media feeds are talking about all things side hustles, you’ll know the dilemma. There are so many to choose from and many seem kind of lackluster and not worth the time and effort. The best side hustles are all about balancing your time with income and enjoying the process along the way. Pick and choose your favorite and set a financial goal to create the best side hustles for your lifestyle. Here are a few ideas to get started.
Assist a Shopify E-commerce Owner
The ecommerce industry exploded during the pandemic and shows no signs of slowing down. Shopify owners are no longer hobbyists and need help with a variety of tasks to grow their empire, including:
- Copywriting
- Product research
- Vendor management
- Bookkeeping
- Inbox management
- Social media
- Photo editing
- SEO
You don’t need to know how to do every task on the above list, but picking and choosing a few to specialize in can skyrocket your income and client base. Assisting an e-commerce store owner is also a fun, lucrative way to learn the ins and outs yourself so you can launch your own store.
Tutor Homeschool Kids
The pandemic shuttered schools and parents got a taste of what it’s like to homeschool kids. As more parents adapt to the sporadic work-at-home lifestyle with schools opening and closing, they need help managing their kids’ schoolwork. Tutors are in high demand whether helping students learn online through their school district or offering homeschooling on their own curriculum. You can specialize in just one subject, or guide learning throughout the day. Here’s a pro tip:Â Tutoring prices go up depending on your specialty. An Orton-Gilligham certified tutor can command up to $100/hour depending on your location.
Become a Professional Friend
If you love meeting people and want to lend an ear, Rent-a-Friend is hiring! Offer your services to those who are new to the area, want a friend to hang out with, or who just need some variety in their network. You set your prices and can pick and choose the services you offer, like going to the movies or attending an event together. If you’re not keen on signing-up for a service like Rent-a-Friend, you can offer to be a professional bridesmaid, platonic wedding date, or Christmas party companion by spreading your services word-of-mouth.
Freelance for Small, Digital Marketing Agencies
I love working for small, digital marketing agencies as a freelance copywriter and virtual assistant. They’ve already built up their business, usually manage the client relationship, and have a steady stream of tasks for freelancers and side hustlers. I would also say yes to helping larger agencies, but the demands are often greater and it can be harder to break into this side hustle. Digital marketing agencies will pay higher rates if you specialize in a few niche areas, but even working as a general Jack or Jill of All Trades can command a decent side income. Here are some of the skills in demand at digital marketing agencies:
- Copywriting
- Blogging
- SEO help
- WordPress maintenance
- Graphic design
- Help with brand and style guides
- Setting-up websites or e-commerce stores
- Social media scheduling and management
- Market research
As one of the best side hustles around, you’ll earn more and have less headaches if you work on a retainer basis. You’ll start each month with set tasks or hours and consistent, predictable income.
Work as an Airbnb Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are in demand in just about every industry, including travel and hospitality. Instead of investing the time, money, and resources to rent out your own Airbnb, you can work with rental property owners as a virtual assistant and start your own Airbnb side hustle. It’s easy to get set-up as a virtual assistant. Airbnb hosts need help with:
- Checking-in and out guests
- Managing cleaners and other vendors
- Bookkeeping
- Social media
- Optimizing listings
- Guest book creation
Virtual assistants don’t need to do everything, and the more you specialize in a high-end service like bookkeeping or accounting, the more you can earn. Get started as an Airbnb virtual assistant by looking for superhosts in your area, or MeetUp Groups catering to Airbnb owners who want to grow their business.
Start a Freelance Writer Side Hustle
Blog posts. Website copy. Social media posts. Magazine articles. There’s always a need for content, no matter how much the world changes. I’ve worked as a freelance writer and copywriter for nearly 15-years in various capacities. I earn a full-time income in part-time hours and love being able to learn about new topics, interview sources, and gain new skills. The more experience I gain, the more I can raise my rates. Part of becoming a freelance writer is understanding how to repurpose your experiences to land your first assignment. It’s also crucial to understand what you’re worth to steadily raise your prices.
Find Gigs on Upwork
Upwork is often looked down upon by freelancers who say it’s a race to the bottom. I personally love Upwork and that clients are ready to go and get to work right away. It does take time to get started, gather reviews, and can be frustrating when you’re trying to land those first few gigs. I read all the content I could find online about standing out on Upwork and finding jobs. What I discovered the best side hustles on Upwork start with:
- Creating a profile that speaks to client’s needs
- Specializing in a niche
- Writing a killer proposal with samples and asking good questions
- Slowly and steadily raising your rates
There are plenty of gigs on Upwork that pay $5 an hour. Don’t pay attention to those. Some of my clients include major brands, clients I’ve worked with for 5-years straight, and major publications.
Run Social Media Campaigns
Social media is still a cornerstone of most business’ marketing strategy and need someone to manage it. Whether you create graphics in Canva, come up with a strategy, or just manage the process, social media managers are in high demand. You can specialize in specific platforms or take a more comprehensive approach to managing someone’s social media presence. Here are just some of the gigs to consider:
- Creating graphics, pins, and social media copy for bloggers
- Running Facebook ads and posts for an e-commerce store
- Helping small businesses in your area find new leads through social media
- Managing a private Facebook Group for an online entrepreneur
- Posting homes for sale and generating leads for real estate agents
Remember social media is a broad job. Specializing and niching down can help stand-out from the crowd and hone your skills.
Start a Pressure Washing Business
During the pandemic, I started seeing a parent in our neighborhood Facebook group talking about her son’s pressure washing business. He’s in high school and was looking for something to do over the summer while everything was locked down. He also wanted a business where he could social distance from others and offer a valuable service. He bought a pressure washer and charged 25% less than it would cost to rent one and do it yourself. Then he posted before and after shots of his work, plus testimonials. He netted $85/hour and was fully booked for weeks at a time. Beyond price cutting, study your competition and see what they offer and try to bring added value to your service.
Run a Pinterest Account
Pinterest is more than just a social media channel, it’s one of the most heavily trafficked search engines. As more companies look to broaden their online presence, they need help managing the Pinterest process. Creating pins in Canva, optimizing boards, monitoring analytics, and scheduling everything takes hours of work. The good news is you can command $400 on up a month per client as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant. You can learn most of the skills you need with free YouTube videos and start practicing on your own account.
Deliver Everything
One of the best side hustles is about using your car, bike, or feet to deliver everything you can. You get all the head space you need while picking up food, drinks, groceries, and more and delivering it. It’s not the most glamorous, high-income generating job, but you can set your own hours and work for multiple companies, like:
- Door Dash
- Uber Eats
- Uber
- Task Rabbit
- Amazon Flex
- Instacart
Delivering and driving side hustles typically aren’t money makers, but it can be done. This Uber and Lyft driver made six-figures in one year. Looking for even more ideas for the best side hustles? Read more about a vending machine side hustle with upfront work and investment and a passive income return.