Whether you’re looking to earn a little extra cash each month or trying to find a way to escape the 9 to 5, an online side hustle is a great idea.
There are so many different side hustle ideas out there, and depending on your skills, available time, and dedication, there is potential to earn quite a bit of extra money.
Many side hustles have a low barrier to entry, so you can give them a try without having to invest a lot of money to get started.
This is great if you don’t have a solid idea of what you want to do – just go ahead and get started and you’re bound to find a side hustle that you enjoy and that works well for you.
If you’re ready to get started, here are 6 easy online side hustle ideas that you can get started with today:
1. Become An Online Travel Consultant
Do you have a flair for booking great holidays and saving money on flights and accommodation? Put this skill to use and start a side hustle as an online travel consultant.
This is a great side hustle that you can start by offering your services to your friends and family and grow by word of mouth.
Another option is to join an existing travel agency or even start your own.
If you’re not ready to dive in with planning entire trips, you can even start by focusing on affiliate marketing for travel booking programs (such as Booking.com or Expedia). If you have a blog you can write travel related articles and earn a commission for every sale you refer through these affiliate programs.
2. Become A Social Media Manager
As more businesses move online, the demand for Social Media Managers that can develop solid social media strategies to drive traffic and draw attention to a brand continues to increase.
If you’re passionate about social media and have a good understanding of how to achieve results on your chosen platform(s), you should consider becoming a freelance Social Media Manager.
Some of the top skills you need to be successful as a Social Media Manager include:
- Research and trend analysis
- Copywriting
- Customer service
- Basic graphic design
- Performance analysis and reporting
This is a side hustle that you can successfully operate entirely online with the right clients. It’s also a great option if you want to start small and scale up as you build your skills and confidence.
Working as a Social Media Manager is a great path to being a digital nomad, if that is your goal. Having the option to work from anywhere in the world sounds like a great goal to me.
3. Teach English As A Second Language
Do you want to earn up to $20 per hour from the comfort of your own home?
If this sounds good to you, why not consider teaching English online to young Chinese learners through Qkids or VIPKid?
Teaching English online is one of the best online side hustle ideas if you’re looking for flexibility. It’s particularly good if you also want to maintain your 9 to 5 job as the hours tend to be early morning and later in the evening (to cater to students in China).
You don’t need to already be a teacher to apply for Qkids. To be eligible, all you need is to meet the following requirements:
- Eligible to legally work in the U.S. or Canada (and a current resident).
- Have a Bachelors degree, or be in the process of earning one.
- Able to teach a minimum of 6 hours per week.
- Prior teaching experience or equivalent (eg. tutoring, homeschooling, mentoring).
- Digital literacy and the ability to teach in an engaging manner.
- Have a computer with a stable internet connection and good quality audio and video capability.
4. Create And Sell Digital Templates
In this busy world, people are always looking for things to make their lives easier. One tool that has been on the rise lately to help with this is digital templates.
Digital templates are available for a ton of different applications and are helpful when people don’t have either the time or the skills (or both) to create something themselves.
If you have a skill or knowledge that can be turned into a digital template, this could be a great side hustle idea for you.
Perhaps you’re great at creating eye-catching resumes and cover letters. Or maybe you’re a whiz with creating amazing PowerPoint presentations or beautiful clickable pins for Pinterest.
Whatever your area of expertise, if you can create a useful, professional looking, and customizable template that will help solve a problem for someone, it could be a lucrative side hustle.
Check out all of the great templates over at Creative Market for inspiration. If you’re ready to dive in and get started with selling digital templates, it’s easy to go ahead and open your own Creative Market store.
5. Sell Stuff Online
Selling stuff online is a really easy side hustle to get started with, but it’s super flexible and scalable too.
You might start by selling your own pre-loved or unwanted items on eBay or Craigslist. I’ve personally made thousands of dollars over the last few years selling old electronics, clothes, and furniture that no longer fits my needs. It’s a great way to de-clutter and make some extra cash at the same time.
But don’t stop there. Why not consider how you can make some extra money with retail arbitrage?
If you’re not familiar with the term, retail arbitrage basically means buying something and selling it for a higher price, thus making a profit.
You will likely need to do a bit of research to figure out what kind of products you can make a decent profit on, but that’s the hardest part. Once you know which products are likely to do well, all you need to do is find them at a good price and then list and sell them online.
Getting a good price can be a bit tricky for some items. One proven method to find stuff to sell is to shop heavily discounted brand name items at stores like TJ Maxx. If you can find items that are uncommon or rarely discounted, you’re almost guaranteed to be able to make a profit.
6. Start A Blog
Ok… so starting a blog as a side hustle today won’t help you earn a ton of extra money fast, but think of it as an investment in your future.
Blogging has so much earning potential and it’s something that you can start in your spare time and gradually build into a full-time income. Plus, if you enjoy writing and blog on a topic that you’re interested in and passionate about, it will feel more like a hobby than work.
If you need more reason to start a blog, just head on over to Google and search for “blog income reports”. You’ll see loads of articles about the many bloggers already earning five or even six figures per month. I can tell you that there aren’t many 9 to 5 jobs out there that have that kind of earning potential.