5 Best Side Hustles To Make Money – Side hustles often get a bad rep for being a waste of time. However, many people have dedicated time and effort to lucrative side hustles and reached their financial goals. A recent survey by Bankrate shows that nearly two in five (39%) U.S. adults have side hustles as a way to make extra money and make ends meet. The digital age has opened doors to a diverse range of side hustle ideas, allowing you to use your skills and interests to bring in extra cash. Whether you’re a tech whiz, a creative soul, or simply someone who has some spare time, there are many high-paying side hustles waiting to be discovered. In this blog post, we’ve put together a list of 5 lucrative side hustles to help you make extra money in 2024.

What is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is a great way to earn extra income. It is typically a part-time activity that allows you to follow your passion and supplement your income. A side hustle can take many forms, including selling products or services, offering freelance work, or participating in the gig economy. But with so many options out there, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Luckily, we have listed the best side hustle ideas for you to explore in 2024. These best side hustle ideas can provide financial security, flexibility, and the opportunity to explore new interests. Whether you’re looking to save for a big purchase or diversify your income streams, a side hustle can help you achieve your financial goals.

1. Open an Online Store
If you have a skill (or two), you can monetize it by opening an online store. In fact, opening an online store is one of the most lucrative side hustle ideas, given that three-fourths of the American population shops online. By 2025, according to Statista, 80.4% of US consumers will shop online. Digital commerce is also the preferred way of making purchases for 83% of B2B companies.
There are a variety of products that you can sell through an online store:

• Handmade Crafts and Goods

If you’re crafty and creative, you can sell handmade items, such as jewelry, candles, baked products, woodwork, soap, knitwear, and other unique creations. Coralie Reiter, for instance, loved making jewelry using cords, natural stones, cotton thread, and beads. She turned her passion into a thriving e-commerce business and runs a successful online store that sells unique handmade jewelry.

• Vintage and Secondhand Items

With the rise of sustainability, selling vintage and secondhand items, such as books, electronic items, and furniture can be one of the good side hustles to make money. You can scour thrift stores, estate sales, and flea markets to find unique and interesting pieces to sell online. College friends Xavier Helgesen, Christopher Fuchs, and Jeff Kurtzman now run a thriving online business (Better World Books) that sells old books. It all started when they finished college and had a lot of old textbooks that they no longer needed. They put it up for sale on the internet and have turned this side hustle idea into a profitable business.

• Niche Products

You can cater to a specific niche market by selling niche products, such as vegan skincare, eco-friendly products, or pet supplies. For example, Denise Woodard started her online business, Partake Foods, after her daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies with an aim to offer allergy-friendly foods. That’s a niche online business born out of necessity.

• Art and Prints

If you’re an artist or photographer, you can sell your artwork and prints online. While these are some of the easy side hustles, you will need a well-crafted marketing strategy and the right tools to drive traffic to your online store and boost sales and revenue. The good news is that you don’t need to invest in multiple tools to achieve your business goals, such as email list management and sending compelling abandoned cart emails. The e-commerce marketing and email marketing automation platform offers features tailored to help you elevate your online store business to the next level. These include customizable signup forms and popups that help with building your email list, email templates, and the ability to set up automated workflows based on customer actions, such as browse abandonment emails.

If you’re ready to turn your skills into a profitable side hustle, subscribe to our newsletter for more tips and insights on how to succeed in your side hustle journey!

2. Start Dropshipping
This is a business model where you partner with a supplier who ships the products directly to your customers, eliminating the need for inventory. You can sell anything from clothing and accessories to electronics and home goods, making it one of the best side hustle ideas. Now, let’s see if it is one of the profitable side hustle ideas. According to Shopify, drop-shippers can make anywhere from $1000 to $3000 per month if they put in 10 to 15 hours each week on growing their dropshipping business. Dropshippers can make $100,000 per year when they take the time to establish their business and pick reputed suppliers.

Before you get started with this side hustle job, ensure you register your business and obtain the necessary licenses and permits. Look for a reliable supplier who offers dropshipping services in your niche and the locations where you want to ship your products. Consider factors like product quality, shipping times, and pricing. Also, implement the latest dropshipping marketing strategies, such as customized product descriptions, to help you stand out from competitors offering similar products. For instance, Spocket is a dropshipping company that has suppliers in the US and Europe. They also offer a free trial and a free plan for dropshippers.

3. Start Freelancing
Are you a skilled writer, graphic designer, software developer, or artist? If you are looking for the best side hustle ideas that let you monetize your skills, freelancing is an excellent option. You can earn extra income, gain valuable experience, and have more flexibility in your work schedule when you freelance. Here are some platforms to find freelance projects:

• Upwork: Upwork is one of the largest freelancing platforms and offers a wide range of job categories. It charges a 10% service fee on your earnings.
• Fiverr: Freelancers can sign up for free and get to keep 80% of their earnings. The price range as given on the website is between $5 to $10,000.
• Toptal: Toptal is an ideal platform for experienced freelancers. The platform does not charge any commission on your earnings but does have a rigorous screening process.
• Guru: Guru is a platform that connects clients with freelancers in a range of industries, including design, programming, writing, and administrative support.

Explore the latest offers on tools and resources for freelancers on Google and Amazon!

4. Start Blogging and Affiliate Marketing
Marketers are increasingly looking for affiliate partners to promote their products. By becoming a blogger and expanding your follower count, you can become an affiliate marketer and start earning money. To do this, you need to include an affiliate link of a brand in your blog or other online content. Whenever your readers click on the link to buy the brand’s product, you earn a commission. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 16.21% of affiliates earn between $10K and $50K while over 15% earn between $50K and $150K+.

To become an affiliate marketer, first decide on a niche for your blog. Your niche should have products or services that you can promote as an affiliate. Post valuable content regularly to grow your audience. Once you have a strong reader base, join affiliate programs that align with your niche. For instance, if your niche is SaaS, you can find specific SaaS affiliate programs. Some of the popular affiliate networks include Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and ShareASale. If you own an e-commerce store, you can create an affiliate program to promote your site.

5. Manage Social Media Profiles
Social media managers and virtual assistants who help social media influencers grow their online presence and monetize their content are in demand. These professionals create social media profiles, post content, engage with their clients’ followers, and analyse performance metrics. Virtual assistants may help influencers identify and partner with affiliate and influencer marketing programs to monetize their content. For instance, Kayla Sloan not only earned $10,000 per month as a virtual assistant but has started online courses to help others become VAs and earn the same amount per month.

• Practical Tips
• Research and choose a profitable side hustle that matches your skills and interests.
• Invest in the necessary tools and resources to succeed in your side hustle.
• Stay organized and manage your time effectively to balance your side hustle with other responsibilities.
• Continuously learn and improve your skills to stay competitive in the market.
• Network with others in your industry to gain insights and opportunities.
  
  
• Additional Resources
• Spocket
• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Toptal
• Guru

Side hustles can provide financial security, flexibility, and the opportunity to explore new interests. Whether you’re looking to save for a big purchase or diversify your income streams, a side hustle can help you achieve your financial goals. Ready to start your side hustle journey? Subscribe to our newsletter for more tips and insights on how to succeed in your side hustle!

We’d love to hear from you! Share your side hustle experiences and tips in the comments below.