Let’s face it. It can be downright difficult making a good living with just your day job. If you find you need an additional part-time income to make ends meet, you’re not alone; according to the US census, as many as 13 million US workers have a second job.
However, if you’re already busy with your full-time position or have the additional responsibility of caring for a family, getting a side job can be challenging. You’ll need to fit it around your other commitments and still find time in the day for all of the other tasks in life.
In this article, we’ll present seven side jobs that are perfect for busy people. If you’ve been looking for a way to earn some extra cash that will fit into an already-packed schedule, read on for some genius ideas.
Amazon FBA
If you’ve heard about people earning money by selling on Amazon, they are probably doing it through the Amazon FBA program. FBA is an acronym for Fulfillment by Amazon, which is a program designed to help you sell (and ship) your own products on the platform.
You source the items yourself, which could be anything from bird feeders to sports equipment to scarves, and beyond. Then, you mail the items to Amazon, where they store them. After listing them for sale, you simply wait for a buyer.
Once the item is sold, Amazon packages and ships it directly to the customer, so there is nothing else for you on that end. There is a learning curve to FBA, so it’s worth taking a free course on the program to learn all the ins and outs. However, thousands of people use FBA as a lucrative side hustle, and there’s no reason why you can’t do it too.
Create Your Own Paid Course
Speaking of courses, another excellent way of creating a side income is by setting up your own paid course. No matter what skills you possess, chances are that someone out there would like to acquire those same skills.
Are you good at creating podcasts, painting portraits, or conversational French? Consider whether the knowledge you have would be something others might be willing to pay to learn. Once you start brainstorming some ideas, you might be surprised to find you are more talented and knowledgeable than you thought.
Setting up a course—even an inexpensively-priced one— is a great passive income gig because you create it once and can sell it over and over again. It’s also a relatively cheap way to start a side hustle. If you’re successful, you might consider creating even more courses.
Participate in Paid Online Surveys
Another fast and simple way to make money online is through paid online surveys. While they won’t generate huge amounts of cash, paid surveys can add a little cushion to your budget, giving you some extra for little luxuries and treats.
The great thing about working with a legit survey site is that it does not take any particular skills or training. You can sign up and get started right away with no interviews, fees, or major investment of time.
Plus, this type of work is highly flexible. You can complete the questionnaires (which typically take just a few minutes) at your own pace and in your own schedule. If you’re looking for a way to maximize small blocks of time in your day, online surveys for cash are worth looking into.
Drive for Uber or Lyft
If you’ve already read many articles about how to make money with a side hustle, you’ve likely seen this tip before. There’s a good reason for that. Both platforms are terrific gigs for those who want to make using their vehicles.
You don’t need any special qualifications other than a well-maintained car and a driver’s license. If you know your area well and you’re a people-person, you may find it enjoyable driving others around. It’s easy money and a hustle that doesn’t involve too much stress.
Perhaps the most important benefit of being a paid driver is that you can make your own schedule. Drivers are needed 24 hours a day so that you can fit this side hustle around any existing job, and when you need some downtime, you can simply stop for a few days or weeks.
Affiliate Marketing
For those who are looking to start a sustainable online business, affiliate marketing could be the answer. It’s a great option when you want to set up something for the long haul, and because it’s not location-dependent, you can work anywhere you choose.
At its core, affiliate marketing is selling other people’s products or services and earning a commission. The sales are tracked with a special link that is “affiliated” with your specific account. You place these links within your blog or website, and when buyers purchase through your link, you earn money.
Affiliate marketing is more involved than most of the other methods we’ve mentioned, and it takes longer to start earning. However, once you develop your own system and get going, it has huge potential. Thousands of affiliate marketers have earned enough to quit their day jobs and focus on their online businesses full time.
Sell Your Creations
Are you a talented crafter or an artist who would like to sell your creations online? You can! You are no longer limited to church bazaars or word-of-mouth sales. There are platforms available to list your products online, reaching a far bigger audience than you would with local festivals and art shows.
The idea behind these sites is simple; upload photos of your handiwork, take orders, ship them out to your buyers, and collect the cash. Of course, it’s a little more involved than this, and you can keep it small or grow your business as large as you want to.
Getting started is pretty easy. You need to choose a platform to list your wares. You could always set up your own e-commerce site, but you’ll probably get more exposure with an existing marketplace like Etsy, Artfire, or Amazon Handmade.
Start a Dog Walking Business
Maybe the idea of dealing with people or technology is not appealing to you, and you’re just looking for a low-stress way to make some extra cash. If you love animals and enjoy the outdoors, walking dogs is a side-hustle to consider.
You can offer your services in small blocks of time, from 15 minutes to an hour or more, and charge accordingly. You may even choose to add services like pet-sitting or obedience training to your repertoire.
Advertising for a dog-walking gig is pretty easy too. Make up some flyers and hand them out in your neighborhood or take an ad out on Craigslist for just five dollars. You can even brand yourself and wear specially designed t-shirts that help advertise your business.
Closing Thoughts
In these tough economic times, taking on a side job is a great way to help you meet your financial obligations. But there’s no reason a side hustle can’t be rewarding in other ways, too. If you select a gig that interests you, you may find it growing into a full-time enterprise that can sustain you far into the future.
