If you’re looking to increase your income and you’re ready to take action, the side hustles covered in this article could all be started this weekend.
Some side hustles allow you to start making money immediately and others involve building a business with excellent long-term income potential.
Regardless of your situation, you’re sure to find something that’s a good fit for you.
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1. Blogging
Blogging is one of the most popular side hustles, and you could easily get your new blog launched over the weekend. There are plenty of things to love about blogging as a side hustle, including the opportunity to start a blog that covers topics you enjoy.
Equally important, blogging offers unlimited earning potential. There are plenty of bloggers making six figures per year, and some even make six figures per month. Of course, those high-earning bloggers are in the minority, but the potential to build a legit online business is certainly there.
Blogging can also be a great side hustle if you’re just looking to make some extra money on the side. Many people are simply looking for a way to make an extra $500 per month, and that’s realistic with a blog.
The downside to blogging is that you’ll need some patience. Growing a blog from scratch takes time, and most bloggers make very little money in the first 6-12 months. However, once you’ve gained some momentum, it’s a great way to make money online.
Why You Might Want to Start a Blog:
- Unlimited income potential.
- Flexibility to work around your existing schedule.
- You can start a blog on the topic of your choice.
- Potential to make money on your own without the need for client services.
- Easy and inexpensive to start.
How to Get Started
The first step is to decide what you’re going to blog about. While you don’t need to be passionate about the topic of your blog, it helps if you at least have some interest in the subject. Working on the blog will be a lot more fun if it’s something you enjoy.
Next, you’ll need to sign up for a web hosting account to get your blog set up. I recommend Bluehost for new bloggers because their prices are among the lowest in the industry, and it’s straightforward to get set up. The article How to Make Money Blogging as a Side Hustle is a great guide you can follow.
2. Start a YouTube Channel
Starting a YouTube channel is another enticing option that offers many of the same benefits as blogging. It’s a flexible opportunity that offers significant income potential. The difference is, you’ll be creating content in video format instead of written format. If you enjoy being on camera more than you enjoy writing, YouTube may be a better opportunity than blogging for you.
The highest-earning YouTubers are making tens of millions of dollars per year, and the numbers keep growing each year. As the amount of video content consumed by the average person continues to increase, the earning potential for YouTubers will also increase.
Like starting a blog, growing your YouTube channel will take time, and you aren’t likely to start making money right away. The most common way to monetize a YouTube channel is through the YouTube Partner Program, which allows you to make money from ads on your videos. You’ll need at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours to be eligible for the program. Those numbers may seem high, but many active YouTube channels can reach that level within a few months.
Why You Might Want to Start a YouTube Channel:
- Unlimited income potential.
- Surging demand for video content.
- Less competition than blogging.
- Can be a lot of fun.
How to Get Started
YouTube for Beginners is a course from Skillshare that was created by an experienced and successful YouTuber. It teaches everything you need to know to start and grow your channel.
3. Online Surveys
The first two options I’ve mentioned offer excellent long-term income potential but will take some time before you start making money. Taking online surveys is the exact opposite. You’re not going to get rich by taking surveys, but this is a highly flexible side hustle, and you can start making money immediately.
If you’re looking to make an extra $100 per month, or maybe a few hundred dollars per month, taking surveys could be a good option. There are several survey websites and money making apps you can use to start making money right away. Some of the best choices include:
Surveys are appealing because anyone can do this side hustle. You don’t need any particular skills or experience to make money in your spare time.
Why You Might Want to Take Online Surveys:
- Extreme flexibility: take surveys whenever you have a few minutes to spare.
- Anyone can do it. No specific skills or experience required.
- Start making money right away.
- Sites like Swagbucks offer lots of ways to make money in addition to surveys.
How to Get Started
Getting started is quick and easy. Create a free account at the top sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie, complete your profile, and begin taking surveys. Each site will have different rules regarding the amount of money or points you need to earn before withdrawing the cash or redeeming points. Swagbucks allows you to redeem points as soon as you have enough for a $3 gift card, making it one of the best options.
4. Flea Market Flipping
If you enjoy finding amazing deals at yard sales, flea markets, auctions, estate sales, or thrift stores, becoming a flipper could be the right choice for you. This side hustle involves buying underpriced items and reselling them for a profit.
Finding valuable items at places like yard sales and flea markets is pretty easy with a little effort. Many people are simply looking to get rid of their stuff, and you can find some great deals. Most flippers resell the items online through eBay, the Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or other similar sites and apps.
Flipping is a flexible side hustle you can do whenever you have the time or need to make some extra money. It’s also possible to start earning a profit very quickly.
Why You Might Want to Become a Flipper:
- Can be fun if you enjoy finding great deals.
- Good income potential.
- You can learn the skills quickly.
- Great fit for people who don’t want to spend all of their time online.
How to Get Started
To get started, all you need to do is head out to some yard sales or flea markets this weekend and look for underpriced items to buy. It’s best to start with products that you know well. With a little bit of experience, you’ll get more familiar and more comfortable with a broader range of products. See this list of the easiest things to flip for profit as a guide for getting started.
5. Furniture Flipping
Most of the items you buy at yard sales or flea markets to flip will involve minimal work to get them ready to sell. You might clean up an item or make minor repairs, but in most cases, you’ll be making money primarily by finding things that are worth more than they’re selling for.
Flipping furniture is different because it requires putting in several hours of work to restore the item before selling it. The idea is to find a low-priced (or free) piece of furniture that has the potential to be much more valuable if it is restored or refinished. Solid wood furniture is ideal because you can increase the value simply by painting or staining it. Upholstered furniture can be reupholstered for a completely new look, increasing the value relatively quickly.
If you enjoy working with your hands and turning something old and unwanted into something valuable, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. Learning how to repair or restore furniture is not that difficult, and there are plenty of YouTube videos that will teach you for free.
You can find items to flip at yard sales or drive around and look at pieces out for the trash. Once your item is ready to sell, the Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are ideal for reaching people in your local area.
Why You Might Want to Flip Furniture:
- Work whenever you have time or whenever you need money.
- High demand for restored furniture.
- Anyone can learn the skills.
- Start making money quickly.
How to Get Started
To get started, you’ll need to find your first piece to flip. Take a look around your home or apartment, and you may already have an ideal item. Working on a piece of furniture you already own is a perfect way to start. It means that you won’t have to spend any money buying an item, and it gives you a chance to make a profit quickly. If you don’t have anything, head to some yard sales this weekend and see what you can find.
6. Investing
Over the past year, investing as a side hustle has become increasingly popular. Stories of part-time investors making huge sums of money have been in the news a lot. Of course, the stock market’s trajectory over the past year made that more manageable, but this is a side hustle you might want to consider if you enjoy personal finance and investing.
It’s critical to remember that investing comes with risk, and you shouldn’t invest money that you can’t afford to lose. However, there’s also a substantial upside if you have success with it.
Platforms and apps that are ideal for new traders include:
Of course, investing in the stock market isn’t the only option. You could also invest more passively in real estate or other types of alternative investments. Some platforms you might want to consider include:
You can also find plenty of alternative investment options here.
Why You Might Want to Start Investing:
- Excellent long-term potential.
- Opportunity for exponential growth.
- Valuable skills to learn.
How to Get Started
To get started, decide which type of investing you want to do. This beginner’s guide is a good resource for anyone who wants to get started with the stock market.
7. Photography
Are you a hobbyist photographer? Would you like to start making money from that hobby?
There are several different ways to make money with photography, but we’ll look at two great options for getting started as a side hustle: client photo sessions and stock photography.
No matter where you live, there are people in your local area looking for a photographer. You could take photos of families, engaged couples, high school seniors, sports teams, and much more.
Making some part-time money by offering photography services is relatively easy. Scaling it to a full-time income is much more challenging. If you’re looking for a way to make a few hundred dollars per month on the side and you have some photography skills, consider offering your services to others.
Another option is to upload your photos to stock photo websites like Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and many others. You’ll be able to earn money every time a customer downloads one of your photos.
The stock photography market is highly competitive, so it’s not easy to make a considerable amount of money. But if you’re looking for a way to make a few hundred dollars per month, it’s very realistic. To have success, you’ll need to upload many photos and keep taking and uploading new pictures all the time.
Why You Might Want to Become a Photographer:
- Monetize your existing hobby.
- Variety of ways to make money.
- Potential to grow into a full-time business.
How to Get Started
Choose whether you want to offer services to clients or upload your photos to stock marketplaces (or both).
For client work, the best way to get started is with friends and family. Talk to everyone you know and offer a low price to begin to get some business. With a little bit of experience, you’ll get to build up your portfolio and benefit from word-of-mouth advertising.
To get started with stock photography, choose a platform you want to use. Ultimately, you’ll want to upload your photos to several different sites to maximize your income potential, but it can be helpful to start with just one, so it’s not overwhelming. Each stock photo site will have an application process to become a contributor. You’ll probably need to upload some samples, so get ten of your best photos ready to go.
8. Freelancing
You can offer many different services as a freelancer, including writing, editing, proofreading, web or graphic design, coding and development, marketing, and more.
Freelancing is a great way to make money because you can use the skills you already have to start making money quickly. You’ve probably developed some skills at a previous job (or maybe your current job), or even through a hobby.
The income potential with most freelance services is also outstanding, making it ideal for growing to a full-time income if that’s something you want to pursue.
Why You Might Want to Start Freelancing:
- Lots of possibilities and many services you could offer.
- Monetize the skills and experience you already have.
- Excellent income potential.
- Flexible working hours.
How to Get Started
My article How to Make Money Online for Beginners covers the steps to follow if you want to start as a freelancer.
9. Virtual Assistant
Working as a virtual assistant or VA is one of the best opportunities available in 2021. Many businesses are looking to outsource more work, and as a VA, there are numerous different services you could offer.
Many VAs do things like general administrative tasks, blog editing, moderate forums or Facebook groups, management of social media profiles, and much more.
Working as a VA is a very flexible side hustle that fits around your existing schedule. It’s something you could do part-time or work on growing your client base and turn it into a full-time business.
Why You Might Want to Become a VA:
- High demand for talented and reliable VAs.
- Work as much or as little as you want.
- Monetize your existing skills.
- Good income potential.
How to Get Started
Gina Horkey’s Fully-Booked VA is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to make money as a virtual assistant. There’s training for all aspects of running your business, and you’ll be able to learn from an experienced and successful VA.
10. Self-Published Author
If you like to write, you might want to consider becoming a self-published author as a way to make some extra money. With print-on-demand platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), becoming an author has never been easier. There’s no need to send your writing to a bunch of publishers hoping to hear back.
Through KDP, you can sell e-books and paperbacks without the need to spend any money on inventory. The paperbacks are printed as they’re purchased, and Amazon handles all of those details.
You can write whatever type of book interests you, covering any topic or genre you choose. You probably already have some experience you could use to write a book that others would buy.
Why You Might Want to Become a Self-Published Author:
- Make money doing something you enjoy.
- Making money as an author has never been more realistic.
- Completely flexible. Work whenever you want.
- Potential for passive income.
How to Get Started
From First Draft to Bestseller is a detailed and thorough course that teaches how to make money as a self-published author.
11. Sell on Etsy
If you’re crafty, you might enjoy selling on Etsy. You could sell handmade or vintage items, or even design and sell digital products like printables.
Selling on Etsy is a side hustle that may take some time to become profitable because you’ll need to work on getting exposure and growing your shop. The long-term potential is solid, but you’ll probably need to put in a lot of work early on.
Why You Might Want to Start an Etsy Shop:
- Monetize your crafty hobby.
- Work around your existing schedule.
- Excellent income potential.
How to Get Started
The course Building an Etsy Shop That Sells is an excellent starting point. Beginners will learn all of the necessary details related to getting started on Etsy.
12. Microtasks
The opportunity to make money with microtasks is very similar to taking online surveys. You’re not going to make a lot of money per hour, but what it lacks in income potential, it makes up in terms of flexibility.
Several websites like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and Clickworker pay people to do small, simple tasks that take no more than a few minutes. Some survey websites like Swagbucks also offer a variety of tasks you can do for money or rewards.
You can work on microtasks whenever you have some spare time, as much or as little as you want. And like surveys, anyone can do the work. You don’t need skills or experience, aside from fundamental computer skills.
Why You Might Want to Do Microtasks:
- Extreme flexibility. Work whenever you want, as much or as little as you want.
- Anyone can do it. No skills or experience needed.
- Start making money right away.
How to Get Started
To get started, create a profile at a microtasking site like MTurk or Clickworker. The signup process is easy, and you’ll be able to start completing tasks very quickly.
13. Rental Business
One of the more overlooked side hustles involves renting out your stuff. There are many different things you could rent, including:
- Tools
- Baby gear
- Car, truck, or bike
- RV
- Storage space
- Room or unit in your home
- Parking space
With a rental business, you’ll be making money because of your assets, not because of the amount of time you’re working. If you have things that people are willing to pay to use, you might be able to make a decent amount of money on the side without working many hours.
Why You Might Want to Start a Rental Business:
- Turn things you’re not using into income-generating assets.
- Make money from your assets, not trading your time for money.
- Lots of different things you could rent out.
How to Get Started
Take a look at the things you already have. Try to find anything that might have value that you’d be willing to rent out. You can use a website like Fat Llama to list just about anything for rent or use a specialized platform like RVshare to rent out a specific type of item. Use Airbnb to rent a room or vacation home.
Final Thoughts
If you’re interested in making some extra money outside of a job, why not take action right away? This article covers 13 good side hustles you could start this weekend, and most of them involve minimal startup costs or no cost at all.
Pick one that seems like a good fit for you and commit to taking action this weekend!
