10 Successful Side Hustles For Busy People
With social media and so many online marketplaces readily available to almost everyone, there’s never been a better time to start earning a little extra cash outside of your regular day job. And if you’re already seriously considering it, you wouldn’t be alone – recent research has shown that 48% of Australians have a side hustle right now or are planning to start one[i]. It might surprise you the number of things you can make a profit on and, though you shouldn’t quit your day job just yet, taking on a side hustle can really uplift your finances if you do it right.
We’ve put together a neat list of some of the best ways to make extra money, often from the comfort of your own home, that any busy person could take on with little fuss. So, if you’re looking to bring in some extra cash with little stress, have a look through some of our recommendations to get you started.
1. Childminding
One of the classic subsidiary jobs, there is almost a constant competitive market for babysitters and childminders. However, if you are good with children of all ages and enjoy spending time with them, this side hustle will be a rewarding breeze, and, of course, you’ll get paid for the experience.
Most childminding sites and clients in Australia require a Working With Children Check (WWCC) and a First Aid Certificate before you can start any jobs. However, a simple application will get you the WWCC, and a training course will give you the First Aid Certificate, so don’t let this put you off. Even if they aren’t required, it’s a good idea to obtain these certificates if you can because parents will be more willing to trust you with their children.
Usually, a childminder will set their own prices, but it’s important not to under or overcharge. The average pay for a childminder is around $18.84 per hour depending on whether you have a WWCC and First Aid Certificate and whereabouts in Australia you are, so set your prices as fairly as possible to gain clients.
2. Delivery Services
Many local delivery services and takeaway apps, such as UberEats, will pay for you to deliver to the local community. Ranging from takeaway food to basic errands around the area, many delivery services will work around your schedule and let you set your own hours – the perfect side hustle for someone who rides a bike or drives.
The average pay for delivery drivers depends on the company and their credibility, but you could get paid up to $29.62 per hour.
3. Go Freelance
If you work in a specialist area, have exceptional skills or qualifications in a specific field or just enjoy nurturing an individual ability regularly, you can easily profit from these outside of work. There are so many services that you can run on a freelance basis – writing, video making, music production, social media management and clothing design are just a few. You may be surprised how many people are willing to buy these services too, and how much they’re willing to pay. Websites such as Fiverr or Upwork help you connect with people looking for freelance workers, plus offer protection and assistance should anything go wrong.
A freelancer’s average salary is dependent upon many variables, including the type of work they do, the quality, the time it will take and their experience. When starting out, estimate the value you’ll bring to the work and the company and how long the piece will take to complete when setting a price.
4. Start A Blog
If writing and web design are some of your specialities, starting a blog on something you are interested in is an excellent way of bringing in more money, especially if you’re lucky enough to have your site gaining attention and traffic. Blog posts mainly generate cash from sponsors and adverts, but some of the best things to do to bring money in from a blog are:
- Banner Ads – You can sell advert space on your blog page for brands to advertise across the top of your site.
- Sponsored Content – Best for a blog with a specific audience, writing sponsored content that advertises a company and their products is one of the best ways to earn from a blog.
- Sell Digital Products – If you are offering specific skills or advice, you can put together eBooks, courses or video tutorials on your subjects and charge a fee for people to access them.
- Affiliate Marketing – Add affiliate links into your blog posts, and every time a reader clicks onto them from your site, you will gain a small commission
- Guest Blog Posts – Occasionally, if you have authoritative knowledge on certain subjects, media members or companies with their own blogs may reach out to you to write a post or two for their site. This chance doesn’t come very often, so don’t be shy about pitching yourself and your ideas to other sites either – you don’t get if you don’t ask!
The average pay varies when working on a blog. Besides your content, it depends on the amount of extras (banner ads, digital products, affiliate marketing) you have. Chances are, though, the more of these you have, the bigger the earnings will be.
5. Sell Your Work
For any budding creatives out there, selling your own work online – whether that’s drawings, photography, sculpture, graphic design, fashion – is so easy, and often one of the best side hustles to go down. You can get paid, often big time, for something you enjoy doing – that’s the dream! Disperse your products online first with sites such as eBay, Instagram, and Shopify, but also approach more local ways to get your name out there. Local art shops, art fairs and galleries may all be willing to try and sell your work for you – though remember that they may require a fee.
When pricing up your pieces, make sure that you are fair. You want to hit that sweet spot between under and overcharging, so consider how much you spent on materials, including frames and canvases, the quality, and how long it took you when considering a figure
6. Massage Therapy
Starting your own freelance massage therapy business provides a relaxing service to both you and your clients. Massage therapy is a very flexible side hustle that can fit to any schedule as long as you are properly trained and understand what you’re doing. We offer a range of online massage courses that would qualify you for this if you would like proper training for massage therapy or want to brush up on your skills.
Although it’s not a legal requirement, we’d recommend getting insurance when starting a massage therapy business or any similar business side-line to protect both yourself and your clients should anything go wrong.
The average recommendation for a massage session is $25 – $35, though this may change if you give any specialist treatment.
7. Pet Sitting
Turn that love of animals into a simple profit by looking after other people’s pets for them. A very versatile side job, pet sitting allow you to choose what type of animal(s) you look after, when and how long for – though remember, the less available you make yourself, the less likely people are to choose you in the first place. Many platforms, such as Mad Paws, will set you up with clients, though be warned that these sites may require a full vetted check before allowing you to sign up.
Pet sitters earn, on average, around $22.70 per hour, but most of them set their own rates.
8. House Keeping
There are plenty of people who just don’t have the time to do, or simply neglect, basic household chores that, more often than not, don’t take all that long to do. Sites such as Maid2Match can pair you up with clients who require a range of household services, but it is completely up to you what you are and are not willing to do around someone’s house.
As a housekeeper, you can expect an average pay of about $26.73 per hour.
9. Run Your Own Nail Salon
If you love doing your own nails, you may be sitting on a goldmine – there are people out there who absolutely hate painting their own nails and will pay quite a bit for someone else to do it for them. Nail kits and varnishes are readily available online and in shops for reasonable prices and, with a little practice, you’ll be acing other peoples nails in no time.
Setting your prices per nail set or session is recommended when running your own nail business. Research the average local salon prices for each service that you offer, then charge just a little less than that – if you make your customers happy and are the cheapest in the area, you won’t be able to get rid of them!
If you’d like to learn the ins-and-outs of nail technology and how to apply all sorts of techniques, take a look at our nail technician courses to help you get started in a successful side hustle.
10. Online Marketplaces
Take advantage of some of the most popular places on the Internet, and set yourself up on one, or more, of the online marketplaces. On sites such as eBay, Depop, Amazon and Made It, you can sell just about anything, from your own work to any furniture or clothes that you want to get rid of – someone will likely buy it from you. To make a serious profit from these sites, research what products are selling well to get an idea of what is more likely to bring in money and try and sell similar items.
You’ll have to set prices per product, and in order for it to sell, it’s best to research the median price of each item you have to sell and try to stick within it when pricing up your own.
Five Star Service
No matter the job you decide to take on, providing good customer service is key. If you take care of your clients and give them an enjoyable experience, whether you are a massage therapist or a pet sitter, there’s little doubt that they’ll be back. Not only will that bring in extra money, but it will also give you a bit of joy whenever you see that familiar face coming back to you. We wish you luck in your side hustle quest, and if you have any tips of your own, do leave us a comment below!
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