- Talia Cohen
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Turning your idea into a business? Start with a domain name→
Ever dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur without leaving your day job? With the power of the internet, anyone can harness their passions and supplement their income with a side hustle. While you may intend your side hustle to be a flexible companion to your nine-to-five, don’t be surprised if it turns into a full-time job in a few successful years.
The first step after deciding what side hustle you’ll take on is establishing yourself online. Make sure to create an eCommerce website and open social media accounts for your new business. Other than that, we’ll detail what else it takes to start a flourishing side hustle below.
Read Also: How to start a business and online business ideas
Thinking about starting a business? Lock down your brand’s domain before someone else does. Wix makes it easy to get your domain, email, hosting and SSL all in one place. Plus you'll get 24/7 support every step of the way.
15 side hustle ideas you can start immediately
Side hustles to start from home
These side hustle ideas are not only easy to start from home, they're also scalable too.
01. Virtual assistant
Many small business owners are overwhelmed with admin tasks and are looking for help with email management, scheduling and customer service. Average pay is $20-35 an hour. Consider creating a virtual assistant website to sell your services.
02. Website testing
Its common for companies to pay for honest feedback on their website's user experience. You record your screen and voice while navigating a new website or app to find bugs or confusion and then report them to the company. Average pay is $10 for a 20-minute test ($30/hour equivalent).
03. Selling digital products
You can create specialized spreadsheets, wedding planners or resume templates once, and then sell them repeatedly as digital downloads. Selling digital products is easy to do from home, you just need a computer and internet connection and it requires no physical inventory. Average pay varies but margins are nearly 100% making it potentially very profitable.
04. Freelance writing
If you can write clear, concise articles or newsletters, businesses need your content. AI might be creating most content nowadays but humans are needed to edit and add personality. Average pay can vary from a few hundred dollars for an article, to over a thousand. You might be paid by word or piece.
Side hustles that pay weekly
05. Transcription
This side hustle that pays weekly involves listening to audio files and typing what you hear. Often earnings are pay out every Monday for the previous week's work. Average pay is $0.30–$1.10 per audio minute..
06. Upwork
On Upwork there are plenty of opportunities for freelance work, paid hourly or weekly. Examples include data entry, writing, virtual assistant. Hourly contracts tend to follow a weekly billing cycle; funds usually become available on the following Wednesday. Average pay is often $15–$50+/hr.
07. Instacart
On Instacart you can help shop for groceries and deliver them to customers. Pay is via a weekly direct deposit and with an Instant Cashout feature for immediate access, after a small fee. Average pay is $15–$25 per hour depending on tips.
Easy side hustles
Generally easy side hustles are those with low barriers to entry. Either they don't require specialist experience to start, or they don't need resources to get them off the ground.
08. Mystery shopping
Usually with this side hustle you'll need to download a mystery shopping app, like FieldAgent, and find local missions. You usually just walk into a store (like Walmart), take a photo of a specific shelf or display, and answer 2-3 questions. Average pay is $5–$15 per 10-minute task.
09. Online branded surveys
This is one of the easiest side hustles to start. Basically you have to answer market research questions on your phone. It not going to make you rich but it can be consistent extra cash for downtime. Average pay is $0.50–$3.00 per survey.
10. Selling used clothes
To sell your second hand clothes online, take a photo of clothes you don't wear, list them in 60 seconds on somewhere like Poshmark and ship them using the pre-paid label Poshmark sends you when they sell. Pay is your sale price minus 20% fee.
11. Dog walking
Create a website to advertise your services to walk neighborhood dogs. It's far easier than pet sitting because you don't need to host animals in your home. Average pay is $20 per 30-minute walk.
Side hustles that pay well
If you've got some specialist skills to put to good use, you can find a few side hustles that pay as well as a full time job.
12. Freelance consulting
You can try using your 9-5 expertise (Marketing, Finance, HR) to advise other companies. This allows you to work alongside your 9-5 doing the same kind of work. Average pay varies per industry and role but can be $75–$200+ per hour.
13. Notary loan signing agent
You can get certified to oversee mortgage loan closings. You'll verify identities and signatures for real estate transactions. It requires a certification but pays per appointment. Average pay is $75–$150 per signing (takes ~1 hour).
14. Specialized tutoring
General math tutors might earn average rates but offering SAT Prep or Python Coding classes can help you earn more. Average pay is $50–$90 per hour.
15. AI automation freelancing
Help small businesses connect ChatGPT to their email or spreadsheets using tools like Zapier. Tasks like this are in high demand from a lot of businesses. Average pay of $60–$150 per hour.
Considerations before starting a side hustle
So, you’ve broken down more of the concrete tasks of starting a side hustle (e.g. supplies and expenses), but, you must still clear a few logistical matters before you start your new side hustle.
Make sure your employer allows it
Having a side hustle implies you’ll keep your day job. While some employers allow their employees to work other jobs or start a new business on their own time, others won’t allow it.
Always check with human resources or your direct manager before starting your own side hustle—you don’t want to jeopardize your primary income source, after all.
Consider your schedule
Running a successful side hustle requires time. You’ll need to understand exactly how many hours you can invest. While some side hustles are incompatible with a 9-to-5 job, you can complete others in the evenings or on weekends.
Plan your taxes
Just like accounting, you don’t want tax planning to fall to the wayside. Make sure you track your expenses and properly document all transactions. Keep all receipts throughout the year as some expenses may also be tax-deductible.
If you earn more than $400 from your side hustle, you must pay self-employment taxes—and it’s likely you’ll need to file quarterly taxes in addition to yearly taxes. Income from self-employed individuals is not subject to withholding, so you must make payments throughout the year. For this reason, set aside a portion of your profits for tax purposes.
Independent contractors are considered self-employed individuals, however, the specific form you’ll need to file will vary depending on your business type. But if you run your side hustle on your own in addition to your regular job, you’ll most likely file as a sole proprietor.
Side hustle FAQ
How do I start a side hustle?
First, you'll need to choose your idea, like what things to make and sell or what service will you offer. Chances are you'll need a website to market and promote your idea. As with starting any business, it's worth writing a business plan to outline your idea, how you plan to get it off the ground, and when you expect it to be profitable.
What are the most profitable side hustle ideas?
How profitable a side hustle is depends on a lot of factors, some of which you can control, others you may not be able to influence as much. However popular ideas with the potential of generating income include freelance writing, graphic design, online tutoring, dropshipping and eCommerce business ideas.
Comments