The opportunities available to make extra money these days are abundant. The internet has made it possible to earn income and find customers from the comfort of your couch.
Side hustles are the perfect solution to supplement your income or pocket some extra cash. You can make anywhere from $100 extra per month, to thousands! In fact, many ideas on our list have the potential to become full-time gigs if you’re willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears.
We’ve come up with a list of the ten best side hustles to make real money. These side gigs have been chosen based on growth potential, referral opportunities, and long-term sustainability.
The 9 Best Side Hustles for Making Real Money
1. Start a Service-Based Business
Nothing is more reliable than making money the old fashioned way! People are always going to need services. While some require specialized knowledge, many can be started immediately with little to no experience.
Here are a few ideas:
- Residential Cleaning
- Yard/Landscape Maintenance
- Handyman
- Pet Sitting/Walking
- Tutoring
- Mobile Car Detailing
- Notary Services
Before you start, just make sure you have the proper licensing required by your city and state.
2. Flip Items and Sell Online
With a little research and elbow grease, you can immediately start making money by flipping items online. The sky is the limit. Try scouring garage sales, Craigslist, and thrift stores for goods in need of some TLC. You’d be surprised how a few dollars and some cleaning can turn a profit quickly. You can even find some hidden gems (antiques or vintage board games for example) for cheap that are going for much more money on sites like eBay.
It does take some time to learn what to look for, but the payouts can be lucrative.
Need some ideas?
- Antiques
- Bicycles
- Old Video Games
- Collectables
- Records
- Home Decor
- Furniture
- Name Brand Baby Clothes
- Vintage Rugs
This is a great side hustle you can start almost immediately.
3. Run Facebook Ads for Local Businesses
This side hustle requires a little bit of training, but the return on investment can be exponential.
Pay attention to your Facebook feed. Every few scrolls you seem to be hit with an ad. What makes you click on it or pass it by?
Many businesses running their own ads have no clue how to create a good Facebook ad. That’s where your services would come in. The good news is the going rate for monthly Facebook ad maintenance is $1,000-$2,000! This can easily become a full-time gig with some persistence and experience.
Like we mentioned, you will need some training. We highly recommend Laptop Empires Facebook Side Hustle Course. It’s one of the most affordable courses in the industry, and you can blaze through it in a weekend. Ongoing coaching and community support are available after you complete the online modules.
Check it out here: https://laptopempires.com/fb-side-hustle-course/
4. Start a Blog
Do you enjoy writing and have something you’re really passionate about? A blog is a great way to make some money but with one caveat.
Don’t expect to make money for a while.
Blogging takes practice, persistence, and did we mention persistence?
Some of today’s top bloggers took a year before they started seeing any income. It’s definitely a long-term investment but well worth it if you’re willing to put in the work. Bloggers can make money with affiliate marketing, advertisements, services, online courses, and more.
The nice thing is there are endless resources to help you learn the ropes.
Here are some of our favorite courses and learning opportunities to get you started:
Brandon Gaille (The Blog Millionaire)
Podcast: The Blogging Millionaire
Course: https://theblogmillionaire.com/
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner (Making Sense of Cents)
Course: https://makingsenseofaffiliatemarketing.com/
Bobby Hoyt (Millennial Money Man & Laptop Empires)
Podcast: Laptop Empires
Course: https://laptopempires.com/fb-ads-for-bloggers/
Pay Flynn (Smart Passive Income)
Podcast: Smart Passive Income
Courses: https://courses.smartpassiveincome.com/
5. Freelance
Do you have a marketable skill or specialized degree? Freelancing is the perfect way to find jobs quickly and start making money. Sites like Upwork and Freelancer can help match you up with the right gig.
From writing and web development to CAD design and engineering, freelance work can easily become a source of side income or a full-fledged business.
You may need to initially take low paying jobs to build a reputation and portfolio. The more feedback you get on freelancer sites, the easier it will be to snag jobs.
6. Airbnb
Airbnb has created quite a reputation in the past five years and changed the way people look for lodging. Rather than getting a tiny overpriced hotel room, travelers are opting for less expensive and more personalized options.
If you have a spare bedroom or live away from your residence for part of the year, using your place as an Airbnb rental is an easy way to make money without much effort. Say you rent out a guest room for $60/night for twenty nights per month; that’s $1200/month in side hustle income (minus expenses)!
7. Build Sales Funnels
A sales funnel is simply (or not so simply) the process a customer goes through from “cold” to “hot” and eventually the conversion or sale. With online business being so prevalent these days, funnel building is a profitable and desirable skill.
Where can you learn to build funnels?
We recommend Clickfunnels as a great starting point to learn the ins and outs of funnels and selling online. The founder, Russell Brunson, has several books out that you can get for very little cost-wise and learn everything about marketing and online business.
This side hustle may require an initial time and money investment, but building funnels is another top-earning skill that will go a long way. Just like running Facebook ads, businesses will pay a lot for a skilled funnel expert.
8. Invest in Real Estate
By real estate investing, we don’t mean the high-risk method of throwing down a chunk of life savings and hoping your investment is a good one.
Have you heard of Fundrise? You can invest in real estate markets with as little as $500 to start. Fundrise invests your money in private real estate, which historically produces better returns and dividends than public income-focused investments.
You can choose between three different investing strategies based on your preferred level of risk, and see exactly where your money is going.
The “Supplemental Income” strategy is a way to earn consistent dividends, meaning more available cash flow. If you’re low on spare time, Fundrise is the perfect side hustle for making extra money.
9. Create an Online Course
Alternative education is a fast-growing niche on the web. Individuals are looking for sources that can thoroughly teach them specialized skills that will have them up and running quickly.
Sites like Udemy, Skillshare, Teachable, and Lynda/Linkedin Learning are all platforms where you can pay a fee and take a class at your convenience.
If you have a skill of any kind and a knack for teaching others, building and selling a course can instantly become another source of income and a reliable side hustle.
Here are some suggestions:
- Musical Instruments
- Software
- Landing Page Building
- Photography Basics
- Email Marketing
- Sewing
- Ink Drawing
- Creative Writing
The possibilities are truly endless. Do a little research on these sites and see what the best selling courses are and check out a preview to view the instructor’s techniques and quality.
Before Getting Started
Make a list of your top 3 side hustle choices
Decide what your greatest strengths and skills are and decide how you could use them for each venture. Are you really interested in your choice? Do you have networks that could help you be more successful with one selection over another?
Make a schedule for your side hustle
More than likely you have a regular day job, which can make starting up a side hustle tricky. Pick specific time slots during the week where you can work on your side gig and make progress. The weekend is a good start!
Create a list of necessities and a budget
What do you need for your hustle to be successful? Tools? Investors? Education? Form a list of your startup needs and an attached cost. Staying organized will help you manage your initial expenditures and track your recurring costs.
Now, Get out and hustle!
