What are the best side hustles for 2021?
Do you need a lucrative side job to help you make some extra cash? Some of these side hustles take time to be fruitful whereas others can start earning you money right off the bat!
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How To Choose The Right Side Hustle
If you’re new to the world of side hustling, then you’ll need to ask yourselves a few questions before you commit to one. I’ve had a few side hustles here and there throughout my life, but it wasn’t until this year when I got my first truly profitable side hustle. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you find the right side hustle for you:
- How much time do you realistically have? Is your schedule flexible?- Be honest here, the side hustle isn’t meant to add stress to your life. The extra income should alleviate stress for you not leave you scurrying about trying to squeeze in time to cook dinner or workout. If you can only spare 5 hours a week then so be it! That’s 20 hours if income potential you have a month! That adds up! Also, if your schedule is flexible you might want to consider a more flexible side gig like Uber Eats or Insta Cart so you’re not glued to a set schedule.
- What type of work environment are you looking for? Remote? Service based? Office? – If you want to work completely alone at home then that will narrow things down for you significantly. Read on for my list of online side hustles you can do from home.
- How much money do you need to make? – If you need to earn $25/hour in order to make the side hustle worth the time, then don’t settle for a $10/hour side hustle. Be honest with yourself about how much money you need to make.
- What kind of industry is an automatic no for you? – Are there any industries you want to avoid? I know when I was looking I didn’t think I’d be great in the restaurant industry so I didn’t even bother reading those job postings.
- Will the side hustle take away from your current job? – Do NOT risk your full-time job for your side hustle! If you have a non-compete or the side hustle will interfere with your work then consider another option. Even if you plan to quit in the future, it’s never good to burn any bridges.
How To Come Up With A Side Hustle That Fits Your Personality
Do you have any skills that could be monetized? Are you a social media whiz? Perhaps you’re really crafty? Pay attention to your talents over the next few weeks. Ask your friends to share what they think you’re good at! You’d be surprised.
Before I started this blog my sister suggested I go into financial coaching. In the past, she’s had me review her budget and found my insight helpful. I hadn’t even considered financial coaching before but it helped reiterate that this blog theme was the right one for me.
5 QUICK SIDE GIGS YOU COULD start THIS MONTH
Are you looking for a side hustle that won’t require a huge time commitment? Gigs might be the way to go for you. They’re a great way to earn money without affecting your lifestyle. Here are a few of my favorite options:
Standardized Patient- Help local medical students learn by playing the role of a patient. There are part-time positions as well as quick one time gigs. Find this by googling “[local hospital/medical school name] standardized patient jobs.”
Focus Groups- Companies are constantly looking for ways to conduct market research. These opportunities can be found by googling “paid focus group opportunities near me” or checking out Craiglist for ads!
Psych Studies- Call up a local university’s psychology department and ask if they’re looking for any help with their research. These opportunities can also be found on Craigslist.
Brand Ambassador/Influencer Marketing- Influencer marketing is a billion dollar industry. You don’t need tens of thousands of Instagram followers in order to earn money, many companies are looking for micro influencers now as well. One thing you can do is pitch yourself to companies you’re passionate about and that your audience would resonate with. Kahlea Nicole releases a lot of helpful content about how to pitch for brand partnerships!
User Experience Tester- Here’s a list of 18 sites that will pay you to test websites and help them understand the quality of their user experience.
PASSIVE SIDE HUSTLES
These side hustles require little to no effort once they’re set up which means you’ll be earning passive income!
Airbnb/VRBO Host- Do you have any extra bedrooms you could rent out on Airbnb or VRBO?
Rent Out Your Car- Use Turo or Getaround to rent out your car when you’re not using it. This is a great option for those who travel often.
11 REAL WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM HOME
This set of side hustles is great for those who want earn money from the comfort of their own home. If you’re looking to get further involved and earn more money, you can also frequent thrift stores, garage sales, and online marketplaces to flip clothes, furniture, and other items! I have heard of a guy flipping ski’s before! He buys broken ski’s and repairs them! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box with these.
Travel Agent- Help plan vacations out for friends and family or you can join a travel agent host. Here is more information on how to become a travel agent.
Stream Video Games/Hobbies- Online sites like Twitch allow you to earn money by streaming video games and other hobbies.
Tutor- Whether you tutor local kids or virtually (via VIPKid or Outschool), this can be quite lucrative. Consider becoming an SAT/ACT prep tutor during the testing season.
Website Design- Learn the ins and outs of WordPress and start designing websites for local businesses.
FB Ad Consulting – take Bobby Hoyt’s online course and learn Facebook ads. You can offer your skills to small businesses and help them increase their profits.
SEO Consulting Agency– Are you an SEO expert? Some bloggers and small businesses don’t have time to properly dive into SEO and thus are losing out on massive traffic.
Sell Clothes- Check out Poshmark, Mercari, and Facebook Marketplace to sell gently worn clothing! Facebook Marketplace requires the least amount of effort because the buyers will meet you and you don’t have to worry about shipping anything.
Start An Etsy Shop- If you’re a crafty person you can earn extra income doing what you love! Some of the most popular crafts that are sold on Etsy are: tie dye sets, handmade jewelry, pottery, candles, etc.
Sell Digital Products– Digital products require very little overhead and are easily scalable. Create a fitness guide, recipe cookbook, budget printables, ebook, or an online course (via platforms like Teachable, Udemy or Skillshare)!
Sell Your Skills- I urge you to take an hour to browse through websites like Fiverr, Upwork and TaskRabbit and you will realize how much you have to offer others! Fiverr is a freelance marketplace and is a great way to start freelancing.
Content Writer– Create content for others with websites like Textbroker.
9 DRIVING GIGS WORTH TRYING
If you have a car and are able to work during “peak hours” then these driving gigs can be really profitable for you! I would try out a few to see which ones pay better in your town and which you enjoy more. If you’re an extrovert then I would suggest Uber or Lyft, but if you’d like to work on your own then food delivery would be better for you!
Amazon Flex
I’ve driven for Uber Eats both in a small college town, and in a large city. Personally, I found the small college town a lot more profitable because students tipped better and I didn’t have to drive great distances between requests.
13 SIDE HUSTLES THAT YOU COULD START TODAY
Social Media Management- I manage four different Instagram accounts and let me tell you- batching is the secret. Sit down for a few hours every month and plan out the content for the accounts and schedule it. Bam, you’re done! Many companies are outsourcing their social media management to tech savvy people so be on the lookout for this! You can also pitch your services to your favorite local businesses.
Pinterest Virtual Assistant- Are you a whiz at Canva and pin designs? Check out some blogger Facebook groups and ask if anyone is looking for a virtual assistant to help them with their pins.
Babysitting- You can never go wrong with a good old babysitting gig. Post on Nextdoor and neighborhood Facebook groups about your availability.
Dog Walking- Check out apps like Rover to land dog walking gigs.
Yardwork/Snow shoveling– Depending on where you live, yard work or snow shoveling can be quite lucrative. These seasonal gigs can be found on Facebook neighborhood groups and Nextdoor too.
Trash Valet- Most trash valet services will require a truck, but some do not. My boyfriend did this a few years ago and earned ~$30/hour.
Exterior/Interior Painting– Home renovations are huge right now and reliable painters are hard to come by.
Pressure Washing- Make some extra money by helping your neighbors pressure wash their driveways, exteriors, and decks.
Charcuterie Board Designer- Grazing table artists are all the rage now. Give events a certain flair by designing charcuterie boards for the guests.
Home Edit- Have you seen the Netflix show about The Home Edit? Organizing closets and miscellaneous items can seem like quite a chore for most, so if you’re into rearranging and getting rid of clutter then offer your skills to your neighbors!
School Carpool Driver- When I was in high school I drove my neighbors to and from school and made a decent wage. You can offer carpool services to your neighborhood and start earning money quickly!
Mover– The real estate market is on FIRE right now and people need movers! You can also help local college students move in and out of dorms. This is a great seasonal gig and you can offer your help on local college Facebook groups.
Help Out Your Neighbors– Join Facebook “Mom” groups and see what local families need help with.
7 SIDE JOBS THAT REQUIRE SOME SKILL
The remaining list of side hustles require a bit more skill and planning in order to begin but can prove to be quite lucrative in the end. Read through them, perhaps you might even possess the necessary skills to start today!
Wedding coordination– Helping wedding planners during peak season is a great way to earn some extra income.
Photography- one of the most common lucrative side hustles I come across is photography. In fact, Jenna Kutcher started out as a wedding photographer and look where she is now! Consider portrait, wedding, or real estate photography!
Sports Referee- Athletes, this one is for you. Look for seasonal sports job postings for schools, colleges, and universities in your area.
Consulting Service- What do you currently do for your career? Perhaps you can offer consulting services using the skills you already harbor. Just be sure you don’t have a non-compete with your office.
Real Estate – If you do a few deals a year or refer them out to other agents you can make a decent amount of money! If you’re in Florida and are needing help getting your license, check out my ebook to prepare for the exam.
Notary- Mobile notaries are crucial these days. As a Realtor, many of my closings have been mobile this year. Become a notary and help with real estate closings or a variety of other situations.
Dessert Decorating- Themed sugar cookies are a huge hit at parties. One of my colleagues started a sugar cookie business last year and her success has skyrocketed.
One of my goals for the next 4 years is to reach 7 streams of income. Right now I am at 3 so I have 4 more to go. I am working on hustle number 4 in 2021 (house flipping!)
Please share this extensive list of side hustles with your friends and family so they can benefit from earning extra money in 2021 as well.
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