How To Start A Side Hustle 2021 - 3 Crazy Simple Ideas
What Is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is a way to make money outside of your 9 to 5 job. It allows you to make more money that'll give you the freedom to pursue your passions, buy things you need or want, and lower any financial worries.
Truth is, most 9 to 5 jobs don't pay the bills. Especially if you're just starting out in your career.
When you calculate the cost of rent, food, bills, and transportation, you might realize that you barely have anything leftover. What a bummer.
The worst part is that your financial growth is always capped. Maybe you get a bonus of a couple of hundred dollars a year with a 1 percent salary increase on your $30,000. But is that really enough to live the life you dreamed about? Maybe, but probably not.
So, you start a side hustle to make a couple extra hundred or thousand dollars a month. Something that can either help you make more money today, tomorrow or five years from now. Something that will change that $0 bank statement into something greater.
Let's dive into the best side hustle ideas that'll help you make more money while working from home
What are the most popular side hustles?
By raw numbers, the most popular side hustles are freelancing, network marketing, real estate investing, and participating in the “gig economy” through apps like Uber and Lyft. Be sure to check out the full list of ideas to see which one could be a fit for you.
How to Develop a Successful Side Hustle
So, you have decided that a side hustle from home is the best way for you to make money online , but you don't know where to start. Look no further, we have a list of steps to follow for you to develop a successful side hustle today!
- Make a list of what you're interested in.
- You need to love what you are doing as a side hustle for it to be successful for you. This job will be done on your own time and outside office hours if you have a day job, so it will take a lot of energy and motivation to make it stick. Only something that you are passionate about will drive you this much. Brainstorm side hustle ideas around your interests and skills to discover the best ventures to start or see if you can turn a hobby into a business Decide early if you will invest money.
- Side hustles shouldn't cost too much money, but they may require some investment upfront for things like hosting, branding, and tools. You may decide that you want to do advertising to find your first customers. Whatever your growth and expansion plan is for your side hustle, you need to be aware of your spend before it happens. Plan your spending accordingly, and measure your success to know whether you should continue.
- Make sure there are no conflicts of interest.
- If you have a day job or have connections that could lead to a conflict of interest with your side hustle, then it is not a good idea to continue with it. Sometimes, the best advice is to try something else or to shelf your idea for another time so that you don't end up doing something you regret. Starting a side hustle with a conflict of interest could lead to costly lessons learned.
- Schedule time for your side hustle.
- A side hustle takes time out of your schedule daily, so ensure everything is going right. It is not possible to set up your website, schedule your content, and forget about everything until next month.
Set aside time in your calendar regularly for your side hustle, and outline actionable goals for this time to ensure what you are doing is valuable. If you have a day job, aim to give three to four evenings a week and perhaps some hours on the weekend to your side hustle, depending on what it is.
- Don't forget about your day job.
- If you are setting up a side hustle while also having a day job, remember to put 100 percent of your energy into your day job when you are there. A side hustle will give you some money, but you rely on a check from your day job that you need to pay the bills. Don't try to juggle your day job and side hustle within your 9 to 5 hours, as this is a recipe for disaster.
#1. Start a Dropshipping Business
Dropshipping is one of the best side hustle job ideas . It allows you to sell a product directly to the customer without having to buy any inventory. Why's that great? You don't need to have a big startup costs budget , keeping your risk low. The manufacturer not only carries the inventory but also ships it directly to the customer for you. Your main focus should be marketing and customer service – the lifeline of the business. If you have a strong marketing background and want a side hustle that plays to your strength, this is it. It's one of the rare side jobs that allows you to scratch a true entrepreneurial itch. You get to be the owner of your very own business.
With dropshipping, you can start a business within any of your favorite passions. Do you love stocking your kitchen? You can sell kitchen equipment on the internet. Maybe you've found this unique solar-powered, smartphone-cooling accessory. You can start your own one product store and implement these store ideas . If you love doing your makeup? You can sell beauty products and build an audience who follows along to your makeup tutorials. Almost any niche can be pursued with dropshipping. Plus, if you're a creative type, you can run wild with unusual business ideas . After all, as the owner of your own business, you'll always have final say, which makes this a great side hustle to start out.
How much money can a dropshipper make? That depends on how much effort you put into your business and marketing. You can make an extra couple thousand dollars or more.
Dropshipping Tip: Want to start your own dropshipping business?
Sign up for Oberlo on Shopify . The Oberlo app allows you to choose from millions of products that you can start selling on your store today. Plus, it automates several parts of the business process. You can add products in a simple click and process orders with the same swift action. T o learn more about how to build your first online store, check out our dropshipping 101 course
#2. Begin Freelance Writing
Good side hustles, like freelance writing, allow you to make money working remotely by trading your time. Since you're trading time for money, you're capped at how much you can make. Still, if you're looking to hit, say an extra $1,000 a month, freelance writing is a side hustle that can allow you to predict how much you can make. The secret to succeeding as a freelance writer is to charge clients based on the value you'll bring. Most freelance writers undercharge, which results in fast burnout with little payoff.
How much can a freelance writer make? As a side hustle, a freelance writer can make an extra $500 to $3,000 a month, depending on what their article rate is and how many articles they can produce in their spare time.
Freelance Writing Tip: The best freelance writing opportunities are on ProBlogger . It's the platform I used to find freelance work here at Oberlo. I also landed a few other top clients from the website. On average, the best paying freelance jobs are on there. However, if you're just starting out, you might want to focus on building your portfolio and skillset on Fiverr Craigslist , or Upwork first, as it's easier to land your first few clients on those websites.
#3. Become an Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing is one of those side hustle ideas that can either make you a lot of money or nothing. It's not just about finding the right product to sell, but also finding the right brand to partner with. If you chose to be an affiliate marketer for ecommerce stores, your commission will likely be a lot lower than if you were to just dropship them yourself. However, there are tech companies that will pay a hefty price tag to affiliates who bring them new customers.
How much money can this side hustle make? It depends on what product you're selling and what affiliate network you use. For example, if you were an affiliate marketer for a tech company like
Why do people pursue a side hustle?
While making extra money is important especially in an economically precarious time where you feel forever fucked money isn't always the main driver. While 62% of side hustlers use their cash to pay their bills, 41% want to pursue passions that fuel them.
And, interestingly enough, people in the UK who make less money (<£15,000) are 4x more likely to identify passion as a reason than high-earners (>£55,000) perhaps to escape the life of low-pay, stressful work.
Our desire to pursue side projects is only growing 39% of Americans predict pursuing multiple income streams will become the norm.
How to Start a Successful Side Hustle
What if I told you that the best thing that you can do for yourself right now is to start a side hustle?
Think of that side hustle you've always wanted to have, a dream job to work alongside your 9-to-5 , something that you do well that also makes you some extra pocket money.
Is it pet-sitting or dog-walking, gardening, web-designing, or even being a wedding singer?
READ MORE:
The 3 Best Low-Cost Businesses to Start with $1,000 or Less (Even $0!)
Whatever it is you want to do with your free time and available skills, a side hustle is not only a great way to make some extra cash, it's also the best way you can help yourself become a successful entrepreneur.
The key to successful side hustling is valuing it for what it is: business.
Every month, I see a new trend or a new gimmick sprouting up online and I get a little annoyed by it all. There's always something new trending.
Sometimes it's social media marketing, other times it is graphic t-shirts, or drop-shipping, or real estate, or something other. It seems like everyone has a side hustle, and studies show that most of us do READ MORE:
But those are all trends. Those are all tactics. The key to successful side hustling is valuing it for what it is: business.
When it comes to deciding what kind of side hustle you should start, you need to take it back to the fundamentals and ask yourself:
What Type of Side Hustle Should I Start?
This is the number one question I get in my email inbox and in my DMs. I understand why I get it. It's a really, really popular and important question to which everyone wants answers.
My recommedation is to get started with Legendary Marketer! Check it out today