Side hustles and gigs have replaced the boring part-time job. Marketing changes everything. Part-time jobs were once the worst thing ever. Boom! With a new name working on nights and weekends has become exciting.
“Hey John, want to hang out tomorrow night?”
“Sorry, I can’t. I have a part-time job and work Tuesday through Thursday.”
LAME-O!
“Hey John, want to hang out tomorrow night?”
“I would love to, however, I have this awesome new side hustle! I am thinking about starting my own whatchamacallit business. Right now I am test driving this side hustle for a few months to see if it’s a fit for me. It also pays me about $100 for a few hours of work. I love it!”
Can you feel the difference in energy and enthusiasm?
There are some slight differences between a side hustle and a part-time job.
What Is A Part-Time Job
A part-time job is an additional job beyond your primary source of income. Part-time jobs typically require set schedules. Additionally, part-time jobs pay by the hour and not for the value brought to the situation.
Imagine you’re interested in earning $1,000 to fund your Christmas fund. It’s summer and you live in a tourist zone. The local watering hole, McBride’s, is in need of a bouncer on Two For Tuesday and Thirsty Thursday. It pays $20 per hour (cash) and you must work from 7 pm to 11:59 pm. Each night the owner drops a crisp C-Note in your hand.
Each night you work, you get a hundred smackers. If you don’t work you get nothing. If you need to leave early by an hour you get docked $20.
That’s a part-time job.
What Is A Side Hustle?
Side hustles are a bit different. A side hustle still requires active work (it’s not passive income). Payment is made on the value provided and not necessarily the hours worked.
The same watering hole, McBrides, needs security for a specific evening. An area rock station, in conjunction with a newly opened record store, is hosting Alice Cooper for a marketing stunt. In order to keep Mr. Cooper safe, you’re hired to provide security.
The contract pays $500 — flat. It might last an hour and it might last for two hours.
At the end of the night, you get $500.
Side Hustle or Gig?
Side hustles are also different than gigs. In the gig economy, a person chooses when they work. The pay structure of a gig is a hybrid of the part-time job and side hustle. In gigs the work schedule is flexible. There might be some minimum expectations to remain active but there typically isn’t a set schedule.
Best Side Hustles — Blogging
It’s not too late to start a blog. Yes, the internet is crowded with blogs but great ideas and quality blogs are rare. Great ones eventually will rise to the top.
Getting a blog off the ground requires time and effort. A shortcut to riches is a myth. A proper niche is needed. The low-hanging fruit blogs are all gone.
How is money earned through a blog?
Advertisers pay for access to blogs with sufficient traffic. Goode Adsense has the lowest bar to entry. The more traffic the more money earned.
Earn Money Through Affiliate Marketing
Another way bloggers can earn money is through affiliate links. The “ad” below is actually an affiliate link for the hosting service that I use for this blog and my other site.
When a reader clicks on the banner and purchases hosting services I earn a small commission.
There are thousands of different affiliate programs available. Every niche will have dozens of available affiliate programs.
Amazon Associates is probably the most common. It doesn’t pay the best, though. The Amazon Associates program is great because of the millions of products offered.
Earn Money By Selling Digital Products
Bloggers love to write. Converting blog posts into an eBook is fairly easy. I converted an email series into an eBook and sold it on Amazon.
Other bloggers are selling video courses, workbooks, memberships, and more.
If you’re serious about earning money blogging I highly recommend that you investigate Income School. This is not an affiliate for me — I just really believe in the product. I’ve been a member for two years and it’s saved me a ton of time and aggravation.
My subscription renews next month and it’s worth every penny.
Best Side Hustles — YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine, second only to Google. There is massive traffic available on YouTube waiting for something awesome to see, learn, or laugh at.
That’s where you come on the scene.
A YouTube channel can be started with a very minimal investment. You could have a channel up and running today without spending a dime.
Do people actually make money simply posting videos online? Yes!
The highest-paid person on YouTube earned $54 million in 2021.
If you have a cellphone you can start a channel.
Best Side Hustles — Fiverr
I’ve used Fiverr services as a customer. Someone from Fiverr has created a logo for me and an eBook cover as well.
If you have a specific skill that you want to monetize then you need to investigate Fiverr. Finding customers who are willing to pay can be challenging. Customers don’t just browse Fiverr because they are bored. They are there because they need a specific service.
Fiverr will take a cut from your payment for its services. You will retain the lion’s share of the money though. Think of the cut as paying a salesperson to sell your services.
Bid on the jobs you want and reject anything that is unprofitable.
You’re in control.
Best Side Hustles — Cleaning Houses
I have a niece who recently turned this side hustle into a viable full-time business.
Startup costs for a cleaning business are minimal. If you have some sponges, glass cleaner, a vacuum, and an extra portion of elbow grease you can get started.
Finding clients, like any business, will be your most difficult task in the beginning.
Do you know a realtor? Often realtors need cleaning help for various reasons. Plus, realtors are well-connected. If you do well the word will get out quickly.
Only accept jobs that fit your schedule and pay well.
Hire clients cautiously.
Resist buying things that you don’t need to do a job.
Best Side Hustles — Freelance Writing
I’ve had the privilege of writing guest articles for blogs much larger than mine. Sometimes remuneration is offered and other times we simply write the article pro bono.
Large bloggers rarely write all of their own articles. It simply is not wise financially. Large blogs can often reach a vast audience even with average articles. Articles that get 1,000 views a month can generate decent revenue.
Owners of large blogs often outsource their writing and pay anywhere from $25 to $200 per article. A proper article can be investigated and written in about two hours.
My son has done editing and screenplay writing through Upwork. Some of those jobs pay quite well — much better than blog articles.
If you have writing skills, freelance writing is definitely something to consider as a side hustle.
Best Side Hustles — Home Repairs & Remodeling
If you’re handy with a hammer, saw, pipe wrench, paintbrush, or power washer there is money to be had!
Starting a full-blown construction company can be expensive and quite scary. Doing similar work as a side hustle can be lucrative without all of the stress.
One of my brothers has leveraged his skills in this area on several occasions. He has roofed houses & garages, finished drywall (the hardest part), and many other odd & end jobs.
Being selective on these jobs is important. It’s also vital that you truly know how to bid on jobs to ensure the jobs are profitable.
This is definitely a side hustle that can transition into a viable business.
Best Side Hustles — One Person’s Trash
Sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, and Amazon have made selling almost anything stress-free.
If you have items around your house collecting dust consider selling them on eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
If your items fall under the bougie category you might consider Poshmark.
I’ve known people who practice retail arbitrage on Amazon. What in Sam Hill is retail arbitrage? Retail arbitrage is when a person buys something at a steep discount and then resells it online for full price.
There are definitely some pitfalls and things to avoid in this process. However, it remains a viable way to increase your revenue.
The Sky Is The Limit On Side Hustles
Spend some time imagining different ways to earn money in unconventional (yet legal) ways. Can you do it? Is it worth the effort?
If it is, then do it.
I dare you to profit!