âHow to start a side hustle that works?âÂ
This question came in on Instagram last week during my Ask Me Anything. It really made me reflect on how we think about side hustles. Often itâs easy to fixate on something of your own creation like selling the scarves you crochet (donât monetize your hobby!), or freelance writing in your spare time, or trying to become a YouTuber, podcaster, Instagram or TikTok influencer and making money through affiliate marketing and brand partnerships. Funnily enough, plugging âside hustleâ into Getty Images yields a full page of just influencers in front of camerasâŚ
But really, a side hustle can just be another job that you pick up in addition to your main job. A clock in, clock out sort of job (like retail or being a barista) or gig work that builds to consistent, steady money like babysitting, dog walking, tutoring, photography, freelance editing, etc.Â
The hope is that you can quit the side hustle if it becomes untenable or after youâve reached the goal towards which you were striving (e.g. debt payoff, increased saving, helping a family member).Â
Unfortunately, thatâs often mere optimism because there are also plenty of folks, myself formerly included, who cobble a bunch of side hustles together in order to create a livable income or to subsidize a primary job that doesnât provide a livable income.Â
While weâre chatting about side hustles, letâs talk about how much to invest into your extra stream of income. Obviously the answer is subjective, but it should be a modest amount. Nothing that could risk putting you into financial trouble if it doesnât work. You want to focus on a side hustle with little to no start-up costs. Back in my peak side hustling times, I mostly went after jobs to which I could apply for free (e.g. usher at the movies, barista, babysitter). However, I did sometimes strategize to boost my profile. For example, I would pay to run a background check on myself in order to have a badge on my profile for Sittercity and Care.com that confirmed I was legit. It cost something like $20 and paid for itself quickly because it made me a more competitive candidate for jobs.Â
In an effort to help brainstorm side hustle opportunities, I asked my Instagram community about their experiences. Here are some of their responses:Â
Selling gently used items
Focus groupsÂ
Social media freelancerÂ
Babysitting
Pet sitting
House sittingÂ
Task rabbit / running errands for people
Mobile notary (mainly doing general notary work)
Baker (Our state allows home bakers to sell out of their homes with no commercial kitchen required.)
Detailing/cleaning cars
InterpreterÂ
Gameday staff for local sports teamsÂ
Uber eats (but disclosed they arenât confident itâs financially beneficial)Â
Personal trainerÂ
Shipt (a delivery service)Â
Front desk at a gym (membership is an extra perk)Â
Friendly warning: If youâre going to sell a product, even a digital one, itâs important to understand sales tax and itâs on you to know whether or not you need to make a payment to your state and the state in which a buyer resides. You also need to understand the state and city regulations around your side hustle and if youâd need a license or special equipment to legally be able to sell your goods or services.Â
Serious warning: Please donât mess with multi-level marketing schemes (MLMs) as a means of earning extra income. Theyâre often marketed as lucrative side hustles, but statistically youâre more likely to end up in debt than with a steady flow of cash. Itâs a few years old, but season one of The Dream podcast is an excellent overview on MLMs. Thereâs also the LuLaRich docuseries on Amazon or this article or this Atlantic story about the Breakaway Movement.Â
đ¤ Side hustles that work
My wife and I started making high-end dog collars and selling them at local markets. We've got some traction now and are selling about $1000/mth. Only a little, but it's cool to build something that could grow. At https://fawnandmoose.com (if you're interested)
I work a 30 hr/week day job at a marketing agency. I supplement my income working as a cocktail waitress at a dive bar on Friday nights (great $$, but impacts my social schedule for sure) and as a trivia host on Tuesday nights!