Side Hustles To Start In The New Year
Monday, September 19, 2022This post is a collaborative post, but all opinions are my own
Christmas is a financially draining time, but there are ways you can boost your income! The new year is the perfect time to start something new and get your finances in check. It can be hard to save money or budget, but with a side hustle, you don't need to. Side hustles are great ways to afford luxuries that your wages don't cover, or help you make ends meet. Whether you're paying off bills or just want some extra cash to spend, this list has hustles that anyone can try out!
Dropshipping
If you want to make money without having to do the hard work, dropshipping could be the hustle for you. Dropshipping is where customers order with you, but you don't hold the stock. Instead, you pass the order onto a supplier who will make the item and send it directly to your customer. It's a great way to sell products without having to purchase storage space, but it can be risky. If you want to find out more about dropshipping, I have a whole post about it!
Selling Your Old Items
If you're looking to make some cash without investing lots of money into a hustle, selling your own items is a great way to start. If you've got items lying around your house that don't get used, sell them. You can use old cereal boxes or amazon packages to ship the item, saving you money on packaging your items. Selling your items on eBay, Poshmark, Shpock or Depop are great ways to make money. If you want some more tips on selling your old items, here are some useful blog posts!
Flipping Items On eBay & Amazon FBA
If you want to take the next step from selling your old items, reselling or "flipping" is a great side hustle to try. Flipping is where you purchase an item with the intent to resell it. You could buy items from wholesale sites or even charity shops, whichever is going to make you the most profit for your flip. Flipping is easy to do, but you do need to be registered as a trader for tax purposes. It's a great side hustle and can earn you a lot of money if executed well. If you want to learn more about earning a profit from flipping products, you can read my dedicated blog post!
Consider a Franchise
A bit of an expensive hustle, but you could own your own franchise from Franchise Direct. This means that there is already a customer base and you get to run a business for a brand you like. It has the processes and set up sorted, all you need to do is choose a franchise to run. Of course, this doesn’t mean that running a franchise is easy – but it can give you a leg up, especially if you don’t have any prior business experience.If you are interested in pursuing a franchise opportunity, be sure to do your research. There are many different types of franchises out there, so it’s crucial to find one that aligns with your goals, values, and interests. Take the time to talk to current and former franchisees about their experiences. And have realistic expectations about what it will take to be successful. Running a business is hard work, no matter what route you take.
Make & Sell Products
If you're creative, you can make and sell your own products. Whether you're selling your items on Etsy or at a weekly market stall, handcrafted items sell really well. There are so many different items to sell, so you'll easily be able to find your niche. You could have a talent for baking the perfect brownies or know how to make amazing home remedies for skin conditions. Make sure you research your product beforehand and check out your competition! You can find out more about selling homemade items here.
Start A Pet Service
If you love animals, you may want to start a pet sitting service. You could walk dogs, clean them and make sure they're not chewing through furniture while the owners are away. Pet sitting is easy to do, especially if you know lots of pet owners. You could even make dog treats or toys to sell on the side or give as part of a care package. Making your customer happy will encourage repeat business! Make sure you can take pets onto your property. Some landlords may not allow animals in the building, so this option wouldn't be viable for you. Pet services can be charged at a premium, and you'll have fun while doing this side hustle!
Matched Betting
If you love sports or happen to predict the future accurately, matched betting is a great tax-free side hustle to start. Matched betting should be done sensibly, but it can be really rewarding if you can nail it. Some bloggers make thousands each month from matched betting alone. If you're looking for a profitable side hustle with a hint of risk, you should look into matched betting. Most sites offer free bets for new customers, so you can try it out before you start betting with your own money. It can be a little risky, especially if you make mistakes as you can lose money. Make sure you do your research before you start matched betting.
Affiliate Marketing
Every week, I make around £50 in affiliate sales. Affiliate marketing is where you earn a commission for recommending products to people. Most places will offer you 10% per sale, but some can give you up to 50% per sale you make. Affiliate sales require a lot of promotion. You will make more sales the more you share the links, or if you have a higher/more engaged following. If you have a platform to share your links, you will also find you're making more commission.
If you want to make money from affiliate sales, I highly recommend Kayleigh Zara's guide to affiliate sales (aff). It's a great eBook and has a whole list of affiliate programs for you to join.
Try Landscaping
If you have a love of nature or creating something beautiful, landscaping could be the side hustle for you. If you have the tools to hand and the muscle to haul around bricks all day, landscaping could be a profitable hustle. Spring or summer would be the best time to offer your services. Your local community may want landscaping services all year round, especially as the pandemic halted work for a while. Before you start, research what landscaping businesses are operating. You want to make sure there's no competition. You also need to have the time to do this side hustle. Landscaping can take a while to do, depending on the job. You may need to hire people to do the work for you, charging enough to cover the costs, labour and make a profit.
Clean Houses
Cleaning houses may not be the most glamourous side hustle, but it can be profitable. With the average self-employed cleaner making around £12 per hour, you can make a squeaky clean profit, especially around the holidays. It can be hard work, especially if the job is tougher, but you can charge more if necessary. Cleaning jobs are quite competitive, but if you offer a good service, you may be able to get repeat business. Similar to the landscaping, make sure you research how many other cleaners there are in your local area. It may be work putting an advert in the local paper to promote your services or creating a free Facebook page.
Make Sure Places Are Checking I.D
The government offer a secret shopper scheme called Serve Legal. It employed 18-19-year-olds who shop for alcohol, cigarettes and other age-restricted items. You're paid to do an audit on shops, checking that they're asking people for identification for their purchases. You're reimbursed for any purchases you make, your fuel and you get paid for doing the task too! You get to visit a range of different businesses and make sure they're complying with regulations. Serve Legal is a great side hustle for young adults to try.
Create Websites or Ads For Businesses
If you're good at coding or using photoshop, you could create digital content for businesses. From building a website to making concept art for an advert, there are lots of services you can offer businesses. Smaller businesses may not have the skills, time or resources to make their own. By using your own know-how, you can charge a premium for your creative services. Website building can cost a business £1000+, a nice profit for you. You can also offer monthly website upkeeping when you check SEO, sort broken links etc.
Blogging & Writing
If you're passionate about writing, you can turn it into a side hustle! Whether you're writing content for websites, or want to create your own blog, you can earn money from it! If you're wondering how you can earn money from blogging, you can read my monetising your blog post! There are so many ways that you can use your writing skills to create a side hustle, and blogging is quite a profitable way to do so. I love blogging and do it as a side hobby. From advertising and sponsored posts, I make over £150 a month from this side hustle. It's not a lot, but it's reasonable compared to the time I spend on my blog since starting my apprenticeship! Here are some helpful blogging guides and resources!
How to make money from blogging
How to pitch collaborations to your favourite brands
Where to find collaborations as a small blogger
Rent Out Properties or Rooms
If you have a keen eye for property or have a spare room available, renting out property is a great side hustle, which can earn you a nice return. One of the best ways to make money from renting a room is charging enough to cover your monthly mortgage payment. You should also do this, if not charge more, for renting a house every month. If you make enough to cover the mortgage and even utilities, any money you make from your job will essentially be "spare money". You can invest it into more side hustles, or treat yourself. Property is profitable, especially if you know how to flip a house!
Related: Other ways to make an income from your home!
Get Paid For Filling In Surveys
I love filling in surveys. Every night, I will do about an hours worth of surveys. I can make up to around £50 a week from doing these surveys, which is a nice addition to my bank account. In my eBook, I detail some of the highest paying survey sites, the ones I use most weeks. Filling in surveys won't make you a millionaire, but it's a start. Having an extra £50 a week is great as it covers the food shopping. Sometimes, survey sites can take a while to reach the withdrawal threshold. I recommend that as soon as you hit the withdrawal amount, you put the money into a bank account in case the site shuts down.
Create Your Own Course
I love doing courses, but some of the free ones don't hit the spot. If you create a paid course, it's like a gift that keeps on giving. You may have to spend weeks developing the concept, but ones it's made, you can sell it on forever. There are so many courses you could create to help and guide people. Pick your favourite, and make something amazing. You want your course to be unique. It should also contain ground-breaking new information or methods, ones that haven't been widely shared before. It'll mean that you can charge more for your course! Here are some of my favourite courses which have helped me to grow my blog!
A beginners guide to affiliate sales (aff)
The ultimate guide to blog monetisation (aff)
Perfect Pinterest guide to Pinterest (aff)
Offer Your Own Services
If you're good with photoshop or know how to manage a social media channel, you could offer your services! There are so many things that people would pay for. Website designs, media kits/resumes, consultations and concept art is always a popular service to offer people. There are lots of things you could offer, but make sure it's unique. You want people to be attracted to your packages, so they should offer something different to other hustlers who are offering similar gigs. Creating your own service means you can create the packages, set your own price and make your own rules!
Deliver Food On The Side
There are lots of take-away places who will hire drivers. Similarly, you could sign up to Just Eat or Deliveroo and cycle food around your local area. This side hustle is great for people who like to be active and live near a city. The busier your area is, the more likely you'll be called out for a job. You get around £7 per hour with £1 per job you do. You can also be given tips from your customers, so make sure you offer them a good service! I've never tried Deliveroo, so I'm not sure about the perks to this side hustle. Maybe you'll get some free food along the way!
Teach Students Online
If you're fluent in a language or have some helpful revision skills, you can teach a student online! Depending on your subject, you can charge upwards of £15 per hour to teach students and help them to revise. I've seen hustlers asking for £50+ per hour, but they are extremely niche. See what your local area is in demand for, and offer a great service. Giving revision packs with pens or highlighters in could be a great selling point, especially if you're willing to travel. With COVID halting school for a while, students are in desperate need to catch up, so parents turn to private tutors for lessons!
Become A Virtual Assistant
If you're good with customers or know your stuff, you could become a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is self-employed meaning you can work from the comfort of your own home. Freelance virtual assistants can charge a minimum of £15 or more an hour to answer questions, updating social media, translating and booking travel for their clients. To be a virtual assistant, you need to be willing to learn new things and be a jack of all trades as you'll be doing lots of different roles. The pay for VA jobs is really good, especially if you run your own service!
Start Freelancing
I love freelancing, and it has become a way of life for many stay-at-home parents. Freelancers can do a range of jobs, similar to being a virtual assistant. You can pitch to clients, or find listings online. You could be designing a logo, creating a website or even writing content for a magazine. Freelancers can pick what jobs they do, typically picking up one-off jobs for clients. If you provide a good service, you'll be able to have repeat business with clients. You could offer a discount for repeat clients. It's better to do work for the same client 100 times than only have 5 clients in the same time frame!
Create An eBook
I wrote an eBook! If you're able to give people knowledge or help them, creating an eBook is a great way to profit from that. Creating an eBook for Gumroad is a fast and free way to make money. I used Canva to make my eBook for free, meaning anything I make from the book is profit. The only thing it did cost was my time. eBooks, like digital products, can be made once and sold on forever. Once you've done the hard work of making the book, you don't have to do anything else. It's advised that you update the information to keep up with changes, but that's easy to do.
Participate In Market Research Groups
For testing out a few video games, I made £175. Focus groups and market research is a great way to make a lump sum in just a few hours of your time. Most studies will pay you around £50 to do, but they usually only take an hour or two to complete. It's a great way to make quick cash and help a business out. In my eBook, I go through how to make money from market research campaigns, and which are the highest paying sites to try out!
There are so many profitable side hustles that you should try, especially when money is a bit tighter. Most of these don't even need money to start up with! You can do these side hustles for free! With a bit of commitment, you could even turn these hustles into full-time jobs! Say goodbye to the typical 9-5, and hello to financial freedom! I love hustling, and it gives me extra money to spend on the things I want, rather than need. What side hustles have I missed off? I'd love to know what profitable hustles you're investing in this year!
7 comments
Thanks for sharing, these ideas, I'm planning to sell some stuff in the new year as I have to much stuff :)
ReplyDeleteNic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes
I started matched betting early last year and I've honestly made some really good money from it! It's definitely worth it if you can afford to invest in it x
ReplyDeleteI'd love to start candle making and selling in 2021! You've inspired me to look into it!
ReplyDeleteRosie
These are some great tips. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteSo many brilliant ideas here! I forget how many other opportunities there are available to make money on the side xx
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a comprehensive list full of ideas. I’m saving this post. Thank you so much for sharing
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list. I am just now starting to think of ways to broaden my income as a stay-at-home mom. It's great how many ways there are to make money. I keep forgetting about the surveys! I definitely need to look into that. Thanks!!
ReplyDelete