Best Online Side Hustles

Are you looking for a way to earn some extra cash without leaving the comfort of your own home?

Maybe you want to pay off some debt, save up for a vacation, or just have some extra spending money.

Whatever your reason, online side hustles can be a great way to supplement your income.

From taking surveys to selling your e-commerce products, there are plenty of opportunities out there.

In this article, I’ll be sharing the best online side hustles to help you reach your financial goals. So, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s dive in!

17 Best Online Side Hustles to Start as a Beginner

What Are Online Side Hustles?

An online side hustle is a way to make extra money in your free time by working on projects or tasks that can be done remotely.

With the rise of technology, there are now countless opportunities to earn money online, such as freelance writing, virtual assisting, and online tutoring.

The great thing about side hustles is that they offer flexibility and independence, allowing you to pursue your passions while supplementing your income.

Benefits of Online Side Hustles

There are a ton of benefits to having an online side hustle.

For starters, it’s a great way to make some extra cash without having to leave your house or put on pants (We won’t judge you for wearing pajamas all day).

Plus, you have the freedom to work whenever and wherever you want – no more dealing with rush hour traffic or annoying co-workers.

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And let’s be real, who couldn’t use a little more money in their bank account?

Online side hustles give you the opportunity to earn some serious dough while still maintaining your full-time job.

17 Online Side Hustles You Can Start Right Now

"Make More Money" text in black with a yellow background. The right side has a snapshot

Let’s dig into some amazing side hustles you can start right now.

Online Tutoring

Sure thing! Online teaching is a fantastic side hustle that can not only help you earn extra income but also share your knowledge and skills with others.

With technology at our fingertips, it’s easier than ever to start teaching online from the comfort of your home (or anywhere with an internet connection).

Whether you’re a certified teacher or just have a passion for a particular subject, there are plenty of platforms and websites out there that allow you to create and sell online courses. So why not turn your expertise into some extra dough?

Plus, you’ll be able to work on your own schedule and never have to deal with school drop-off lines or cafeteria food again. How’s that convenient?

Skillshare is a great place to get started if you’re a beginner.

If you want more control, create an online course with Teachable!

A testimonial from Pat Flynn about Teachable.

Freelance Writing

When it comes to starting a side hustle, writing can be a lucrative and fulfilling option.

Whether you’re passionate about creative writing, journalism, or copywriting, there are plenty of opportunities out there to turn your wordsmith skills into cash.

Here are a few tips for starting a successful writing side hustle:,

Find Your Niche: It’s important to identify the type of writing that you enjoy and excel at. This could be anything from blog writing to technical writing to content marketing. Once you have found your niche, focus on developing your expertise in that area.,

Build Your Portfolio: To attract clients or get published in publications, it’s essential to have examples of your work. Start by creating sample pieces relevant to your niche and showcasing them in an online portfolio.,

Network With Other Writers: Joining writing communities or attending networking events can help you meet other writers who can offer advice and guidance. You may even find opportunities for collaboration or referral business.,

Market Yourself: Finally, don’t be afraid to market yourself as a writer. Create a website or social media account dedicated to your side hustle, and reach out to potential clients with samples of your work and pitches for new projects.,

Virtual Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is one of those jobs that might not sound all that thrilling but can actually be quite lucrative in the long run.

Plus, with more and more businesses shifting online, there’s never been a better time to hop on the virtual bookkeeping bandwagon.

If you’ve got an eye for detail, a knack for numbers, and an entrepreneurial spirit, starting your own virtual bookkeeping business could be the perfect side gig for you!

Learn how to start and grow a bookkeeping service business

Social Media Management

Social media management can be an excellent side hustle for those with a love and talent for all things social media.

Businesses of all sizes are in need of social media experts, and as a result, the demand for social media management services has skyrocketed in recent years.

So, how can you start and grow your own social media management service?

Firstly, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the various social media platforms available today.

Each platform is unique and requires a different approach; therefore, it’s essential to recognized how each platform operates.

Once you’re confident in your knowledge of different platforms, it’s time to begin building your business by creating a portfolio that showcases your skills.

Assemble examples of effective posts or campaigns that demonstrate how you can help businesses improve their online presence.

Next up, focus on identifying target markets and marketing strategies. You’ll want to find businesses that could benefit from your services. Look for local small-to-medium-sized enterprises that aren’t utilizing social media effectively yet.

You may also consider offering free or discounted services initially. Once you build up clientele and gain some traction, you’ll be able to increase prices accordingly.

Blogging

Blogging is a fantastic side hustle mainly because it can be a passive income source.

Here are the steps you need to take to start and grow your own blog:

Select a hosting: The first step is to choose a hosting company for your blog. There are many options available in the market but you need to select one that caters best to your needs, budget, and goals.

Install WordPress: WordPress is an excellent platform for bloggers because it is user-friendly, customizable, and has many handy plugins that help optimize website performance. You can install WordPress on your site right within your Hostinger dashboard.

Set up your blog: After selecting a hosting provider and installing WordPress, now it’s time to set up your blog. This involves choosing a theme that clearly depicts what your blog is about while also being aesthetically pleasing.

Create content: Now that all of the technical aspects are taken care of, you can focus on creating quality content that aligns with your interests.

Don’t just write for search engines or keywords but also write for readers by sharing unique perspectives or valuable insights.

Build backlinks: Finally, after having some content on-hand make sure you reach out to other sites in order to link back to your content as this can help boost SEO visibility bringing much-needed traffic flow.

Here’s an in-depth guide on how to start blogging.

Website Flipping

Website flipping is a business model where you create or buy websites, improve them, and then sell them for a profit.

It’s similar to flipping houses but instead of fixing up a physical property, you’re improving an online property.

You can buy and sell websites on Flippa.

Flippa homepage screenshot: Flipping blogs on Flippa

Online Surveys

Many companies are willing to pay people for their opinions on products or services, and taking surveys is an easy way to provide that feedback.

Here are some tips on how to get started with online surveys as a side hustle:

Look for reputable survey websites: There are many survey websites out there, but not all of them are legitimate. Do your research and find websites that have good reviews from users and have been around for a while.

Create a separate email address: To avoid cluttering up your main email inbox, create a separate email address just for survey invitations.

Be honest and consistent: The key to getting paid for surveys is, to be honest with your answers and be consistent with the surveys you take. This will help you build credibility with the survey websites and increase your chances of being invited to more surveys in the future.

Transcription

Transcription services are another popular option for those looking to earn extra income on the side. Transcription involves transcribing audio or video recordings into written form. This can be anything from dictation to interviews, lectures, and more.

To get started with transcription, you’ll need a computer, high-speed internet connection, and good headphones. You may also want to invest in transcription software that can help automate the process.

There are a number of platforms where you can find work as a transcriptionist, including Rev, TranscribeMe!, and GoTranscript. These sites will typically require you to take a test to demonstrate your transcription skills before they will hire you.

It’s important to note that while transcription can be a good way to earn some extra cash on the side, it’s not always easy work. It can require a lot of focus and attention to detail, so it may not be the best choice for everyone.

Overall, if you enjoy listening carefully and have good typing skills, transcription could be a profitable side hustle for you. Just make sure to research different platforms thoroughly before applying and make sure that it’s something you’re truly interested in doing. Good luck!

Translation Services

Offering translation services is another great way to earn extra income on the side. With globalization, there is a growing need for translation services, especially in the business sector.

To get started with offering translation services as a side hustle, you will need to identify your niche. Are you fluent in multiple languages or do you specialize in a specific language? What industries do you feel most comfortable translating for?

Once you have identified your niche, it’s time to market yourself. Create a portfolio of your work and start reaching out to potential clients. You can use freelance platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr to find clients or reach out directly to companies that might need translation services.

It’s important to set realistic expectations with clients regarding timelines and pricing. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the scope of the project before agreeing on anything.

As with any side hustle, time management is key. Make sure to give yourself enough time for each project while also balancing your other responsibilities. And don’t forget about marketing yourself even after landing clients – keep networking and building your portfolio.

In summary, offering translation services as a side hustle can be fulfilling both financially and personally. By identifying your niche and marketing yourself effectively, you can turn your language skills into an extra source of income.

Online Editing and Proofreading

Starting an online editing and proofreading business can be a great way to turn your passion for grammar and language into a profitable side hustle. Here are some steps that you can follow to get started:

  1. Assess your skills: Before you start offering your services as an editor or proofreader, it’s important to have exceptional writing and grammar skills. Make sure you have a solid understanding of the English language. Read up on any stylistic guides (AP, Chicago, etc.) as well.
  2. Choose your niche: You might consider becoming an expert in specific industries or types of writing. For example, focusing on technical writing or the healthcare industry could set you apart from other editors in the space.
  3. Set pricing: Look at what other editors are charging in the industry and decide how much to charge for your services. Be realistic considering your experience level but also do not undervalue yourself.
  4. Build a website: Creating an online presence is key to attracting potential clients. You may either use freelancing websites such as Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr.com or create a website using platforms like WordPress. Just sign up for a hosting package here and install WordPress.
  5. Advertise Your Service: Use social media platforms such as Linkedin Facebook groups, Twitter, Quora, etc. to advertise your services.

Data Entry

Data entry can be a great side hustle for anyone who is looking to make some extra cash. Many businesses require data entry services, including online retailers and companies that collect customer information. Here are a few things you should know about starting a data entry side hustle:

Build your skillset: Data entry may seem like a simple task, but it requires accuracy and attention to detail. There are many resources available online to help you improve your typing speed and accuracy.

Find clients: There are numerous online platforms that allow freelancers to find work, such as Upwork or Fiverr. You can also reach out to local businesses that may need data entry services and offer your expertise.

Set your rates: Look at what other freelancers are charging for similar services on various platforms before setting your rates.

E-Commerce

Sure, let’s talk about starting an e-commerce business from scratch and using Shopify as a platform.

Starting an E-commerce Business:
The world of e-commerce has exploded in recent years and it’s easier than ever to start your own online store. Here are some steps to get you started:

Choose your product: Before you start anything, you need to decide what you’re going to sell. Look for products that have high demand but low competition and try to specialize in one niche area.

Find reliable suppliers: Once you’ve decided on your product, the next step is to find reliable suppliers who can provide you with the products at a reasonable price.

Choose an e-commerce platform: There are a lot of options out there, but Shopify is one of the most popular and user-friendly platforms available. It’s easy to set up, has great customer support, and offers many customization options.

Build your online store: With Shopify, building your website is quick and easy. You can choose from a variety of templates or create your own design using their drag-and-drop builder.

Optimize for search engines: To make sure people can find your website, it’s important to optimize it for search engines like Google. This involves adding meta descriptions, optimizing images, and using relevant keywords throughout your content.

Set up payment processing: To take payments from customers, you’ll need to set up payment processing through platforms like PayPal or Stripe.

Market your store: Once everything is set up, it’s time to start marketing your store through social media advertising campaigns and other strategies like email marketing or influencer collaborations.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a popular business model for e-commerce entrepreneurs. It’s an excellent way to start an online store without carrying inventory or buying anything upfront.

Instead, you partner with a dropship supplier that stocks and ships products on your behalf.

Here are the steps to follow:

Choose a Niche: The first step in building a successful dropshipping business is choosing the right niche. Selecting a niche that you have experience in or have done research on will give you an advantage over others. Narrowing down your options will also make it easier to create content and target potential customers effectively.

Find Reliable Suppliers: Finding reliable suppliers can be one of the most challenging aspects of starting a dropshipping business. To ensure you’re working with trustworthy suppliers, use directories like Oberlo or AliExpress, which offer reviews from other retailers using these sites.

Create Your Online Store: Shopify is an excellent platform to build your e-commerce store because it’s user-friendly, affordable, and has plenty of features to help manage your business successfully. Find themes that match your brand aesthetic and customize them to give your store its own unique look.

Add Products to Your Store: After finding suppliers, adding their products to your store is easy with Shopify apps like Oberlo and Importify. These apps allow you to quickly import product information directly from supplier websites onto your store.

Market Your Store: Now that you’ve developed your online store and added products, it’s time to grow traffic by marketing effectively. This can include paid advertising through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram ads or creating valuable content through blog articles or influencer collaborations.

Read our in-depth guide on Dropshipping Here.

Print On Demand

A print-on-demand business involves creating custom-designed products (such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, etc.) that customers can purchase online.

Unlike traditional manufacturing methods where products are created in bulk and stored in inventory, print-on-demand businesses only produce the product after an order has been placed.

This allows for greater flexibility and lower upfront costs for entrepreneurs looking to start their own side hustle.

Research and Find Your Niche: The first step in starting any business is to identify your target audience and niche market. In the print-on-demand industry, there are many niches to choose from such as custom t-shirts, phone cases, mugs, tote bags, and more. Pick a niche that you are passionate about and do some research to see if it has potential for growth.

Create Your Designs: Once you have identified your niche, it’s time to create your designs. You can hire a graphic designer or use design software like Canva or Adobe Illustrator to create your designs. Make sure your designs are unique and match the interests of your target audience.

Choose a Print-on-Demand Platform: There are many print-on-demand platforms available such as Printful, TeeSpring, and Amazon Merch.

Launch Your Store: After building your website, it’s time to launch your store! Share the link on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook where you can reach out to potential customers easily. You might also want to consider paid ads for better reach.

Virtual Assistance

Offering virtual assistant services can be a great side hustle for those looking to make extra money.

First, it’s important to determine what type of VA services you want to offer. This could range from social media management, administrative tasks, customer service support, or even graphic design. Once you have an idea of what services you want to offer, it’s time to start putting yourself out there.

One way to find clients is through freelance job platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. You can create a profile and list your skills and services offered. Another approach is networking within your own community or using social media platforms like LinkedIn.

When first starting out, it’s important to set realistic rates for your services based on your experience level and the market demand for those specific skills. As you gain more experience and build up a strong portfolio of client work, you can gradually increase your rates.

It’s also important to provide excellent communication with clients, meeting deadlines and exceeding expectations whenever possible. By providing high-quality service and building strong relationships with clients, you’ll be able to grow your business and achieve success as a virtual assistant side hustler.

Read more about the virtual Assistant Side Hustle!

Service Arbitrage

Starting a service arbitrage business from scratch can be a lucrative venture for those looking to make money online. The concept is simple – you offer a range of services to clients, but instead of providing them yourself, you outsource the work to other professionals at a lower price and pocket the difference as profit.

Here are some steps to get started:

Choose Your Niche: Determine what services you want to offer and which industry/field you want to cater to. It’s important to choose something you’re familiar with or have an interest in, so your knowledge will give you an edge over competitors.

Create Your Website: Setting up your website is crucial as it will serve as your platform for advertising and promoting your services. You can use platforms such as WordPress which have user-friendly interfaces and offer ready-made templates for creating your website.

Find Reliable Service Providers: As your business model involves outsourcing work, it’s important to find reliable service providers who can deliver quality work on time without any hiccups. You can use various freelancing platforms like Fiverr to find service providers who have good past performance records.

Set Competitive Pricing: As you’re offering services through outsourcing, it’s essential that pricing is set carefully; too high means no clients, and too low equals not enough profit margin. Research competitors’ pricing and compare these against the cost of hiring reliable service providers before setting your fees.

Market Your Services: Marketing plays an integral role in attracting customers to hire your services. Use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn along with paid advertising campaigns on search engines like Google Ads or Bing Ads.

Build Client Relationships: Building trusting client relationships is vital for success in this industry; therefore providing excellent customer support, fast responses, and transparent communication while also delivering quality work within the agreed timelines.

YouTube Channel

YouTube is one of the best side hustles in this digital world, but you need the right strategies to be a successful YouTuber.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to start and grow a YouTube channel from scratch.

Create a Google account: Before you can create a YouTube channel, you’ll need to create your own Google account. This will give you access to services like Gmail, Drive, and YouTube.

Set up your YouTube channel: Once you have created your Google account, go to the YouTube website and click the “Create a Channel” button. This will allow you to set up your official YouTube channel where you’ll be able to upload your videos.

Define your niche or topic area: You’ll need to decide on what type of content you want to create for your audience and what topics interest them. Consider focusing on something that is unique and specific, as this will help you attract the right people.

Create engaging content consistently: Make sure that your videos are high-quality and visually appealing, with clear audio and good lighting. Plan out a consistent schedule for uploading videos so that your viewers keep coming back for more.

Pro Tip: Use an AI tool like InVideo to automate video creation.

InVideo homepage screenshot

Optimize your videos for search engines using relevant keywords in video titles, descriptions, tags and annotations.

Create eye-catching thumbnails: Use graphic design software such as Photoshop or Canva to make eye-catching graphics that enhance the viewer experience–and generate more clicks.

Now let’s talk about automation through AI:

You can use AI tools such as TubeBuddy, VidIQ or Social Blade which analyze data related to search terms, video engagement rates, demographics among others things in order determine how successful certain types of content might be with viewers based on past performance metrics helping get better exposure and retention optimization algorithms that show similar content recommendations etc;

These tools also offer some productivity tips e.g analyzing competitor’s metadata; keyword suggestion features etc helping automate manual SEO tasks while still taking advantage of human skills involved increasing business efficiency.

Tips for Success in Online Side Hustles

Here are some tips to help you succeed in your side hustle venture:

  1. Choose a side hustle that aligns with your interests. It’s essential to find something that you enjoy doing and that doesn’t feel like work.
  2. Research your market. Look into what services or products are in demand and figure out how you can provide something unique or better than what’s currently available.
  3. Develop a business plan. This includes determining the costs of starting up, coming up with pricing models, and figuring out how you will market your services/products.
  4. Set achievable goals for yourself. Whether it’s reaching a certain number of clients or earning a specific amount each month, having goals helps keep you motivated and on track.
  5. Utilize social media platforms to promote your side hustle. This means creating professional profiles, engaging with potential customers, and sharing content related to what you offer.
  6. Establish good customer relationships by providing high-quality service, promptly responding to inquiries, and following through on promises made.
  7. Stay organized by using tools such as calendars, task lists, and financial tracking spreadsheets to keep track of deadlines, appointments, clients, and finances.

Remember – starting a successful side hustle takes time and effort but can ultimately lead to great rewards if done right!

Author

  • SEO Copywriter - Zain Ul Islam

    Zain is an SEO Copywriter / Freelancer and Digital Marketing with around 4 years of experience in writing and digital marketing. He's currently managing this blog and offering freelance writing services on Fiverr and Legiit.

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