The global economy is witnessing persistently high inflation in developed and developing nations alike, resulting in rising living costs. You can avoid financial hardship by getting one or more multiple side hustles to boost your income. Extra money can help you pay off debt fast, increase your savings, and achieve financial freedom sooner.
Keep reading to discover interesting side hustles, both in-person or online, you can consider.
Become a Virtual Assistant
As global internet access and adoption rapidly increases, so is e-commerce rapidly growing. As a result, there’s a rise in demand for virtual assistants.
A virtual assistant is an independent contractor that provides administrative services for another person or business under a contract. The “virtual” bit means you can perform all your assigned tasks online from home. These tasks may include scheduling appointments, making and answering phone calls, managing emails, and data entry.
To start, you’ll need a reliable computer and high-speed internet. You may also have to pay for some of the software tools VAs use to complete tasks effectively and efficiently. For example, time-tracking software will help you track billable hours, while accounting software will help you manage payments and stay on top of your finances. Some examples of time-tracking software include TimeDoctor vs Clockify, and for accounting software you can compare Xero vs Sage.
You can find clients and part-time virtual assistant gigs on platforms like Time etc, Boldly, Upwork, Flexjobs, and Indeed. On Upwork, VAs can charge up to $35 or more an hour, depending on their expertise and the job role.
Walk Dogs and Pet-Sit
Do you love dogs? If yes, you can get paid to hang out with people’s furry loved ones by offering pet care services like dog walking, dog sitting, and dog grooming. The average hourly salary for a dog walker in the US as of May 28, 2023, is $17.79, while that of a pet sitter is $14.61.
Finding clients in urban and heavily populated suburban neighborhoods should prove easier than in rural or spread-out suburban areas, where dog owners may be sparse. Dog walking in the latter neighborhoods would likely mean traveling long distances between clients and only being able to walk one dog at a time. These factors will reduce your earnings.
Upfront costs for in-home pet sitting and dog walking are minimal. Some items you may want to invest in include:
- Waste bags
- Spare leashes for different dog sizes
- Portable water bowls
- Dog treats
- Dog walking bag
Apps like Rover, Wag!, Time To Pet, and Care.com are great places to start looking for clients.
Start a Blog for Affiliate Marketing
As of May 24, 2023, bloggers in the US earn an average of $18.04 an hour. If you enjoy writing and love to share knowledge, blogging can help you generate passive income through affiliate marketing. The more popular your site and content become, the more you can earn.
Affiliate marketing involves recommending another person or company’s products or services to your blog audience using unique affiliate links. You earn a commission every time your promotion or referral delivers a specific result (sales, leads, website traffic, app installs) to the merchant.
Suppose you run a finance blog and know of an app that allows you to share your internet connection in exchange for cash or cryptocurrency. You can promote the app in a blog post about passive income, and if a reader clicks on the affiliate link and signs up for the app, you make money from your referral.
Start a Print-on-Demand Online Store
Do you have an eye for photography? Are you a skilled wordsmith? You can monetize your creativity by making everyday physical products your canvas. From t-shirts to yoga pants, mugs to tote bags, posters to wall art, you can partner with print-on-demand services to sell customized made-to-order products that feature your designs.
Print-on-demand (POD) makes for a great side hustle for several reasons. For starters, you only pay for a product after you’ve sold it, so you don’t have to hold any inventory. Second, a third-party printing service handles the printing, order fulfillment, and shipping. Third, you can test a business idea without the carrying costs and risks of holding inventory.
To start selling POD products, you need a reliable, reputable print-on-demand supplier, such as Printify, Printful, Lulu xPress, CustomCat, and Teelaunch. You also need to sign up for an e-commerce platform, where you’ll set up an online store. Some of the best in the market include Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, and WooCommerce.
You can earn between 15% and 20% profit margins based on how you price your print-on-demand products.
Bottom Line
If you’re hesitant about pursuing a side hustle because you believe it requires high startup costs, don’t be. There are plenty of side gigs you can start with little or no money. And taken seriously, they could even turn into a full-time gig.
