25 Ideas to Make Money in Your Spare Time (2023)

By: Ivan Ferguson

Discover an Idea

Almost everyone can benefit from a little extra income, but sometimes saving extra money and having a full-time job is not enough. Successful side businesses create recurring income streams that significantly help in earning additional income.

Side business owners come from diverse backgrounds and sell a wide range of products. They work hard, experiment, and view resource constraints as an exciting challenge rather than a signal to give up. With just a few hours in your spare week, you can also take advantage of side work.

If you’re looking to earn passive income or some extra cash by turning a hobby into your own business, check out our list of side business ideas – from pet care to digital marketing to gig economy work. Here are 25 side hustle ideas to try in 2023:

Turning a YouTube Channel into an Income Source

YouTube has over two billion users watching 250 million hours of video every day. Building a large enough audience to profit from YouTube ads takes a long time, which is why it’s better to find a more direct way to generate revenue than waiting for ads to become worthwhile. Fortunately, there are many ways to make money on YouTube that go beyond paid advertisements.

Selling Digital Products

Digital products include any intangible assets existing in the digital world. These products are usually downloadable or streamable files like audio files, PDFs, videos, and templates. If you’re a musician, music is always in demand for movies and advertising campaigns.

Become an In-Person or Online Tutor

Teaching is one of the most rewarding opportunities, and with online platforms like Cambly, TutorOcean, Preply, and Learnly, it’s easy for anyone to become an online tutor. Some young entrepreneurs even start freelancing while studying. Services like tutoring and test preparation are very popular among working students at universities, and the test prep market is expected to grow at a rate of 6% annually through 2027.

Package Delivery

Anyone with time and access to a vehicle can sign up for package delivery through Amazon Flex. Amazon Flex is a great way to earn extra income in your spare time. The work schedule is flexible: drivers simply sign up for a time slot and receive multiple delivery tasks based on their available time.

Starting a Podcast

Podcasts, like social media and blogs, have become an integral part of the online content world. In fact, the popularity of podcasts has been increasing every year since their inception. Podcasts are relatively inexpensive to produce as well. A good USB microphone specifically for podcasting can be purchased for under $100, and recording platforms like Audacity are free and easy to use.

Design and Sell Your Own T-Shirts

Print-on-demand businesses are fun and low-risk adventures if you have a passion for design and are looking to dip your toes into entrepreneurship. Apps like Shopify’s Printful, Printify, and Gelato allow you to upload custom designs to t-shirts that are printed and shipped at the point of purchase, meaning there is no need to buy large stock upfront.

Providing Pet Care Services and Dog Walking

These days, people treat their pets like family members – so there is an increasing demand for reliable individuals to care for their furry loved ones. In the past, finding clients was the hardest part of becoming a dog walker or pet sitter, but with apps like Rover, Wag!, PetSitter.com, and PetBacker, it has become easier than ever to find good clients in need of help.

Become

Rideshare Driver

These days, there are many options for those who want to drive for a rideshare company. You can always drive for established companies like Uber or Lyft, but there are also independent options that cater to specific or local needs, such as ZIRO, which is heavily based in San Francisco, or Wingz, which specializes in transporting people to and from the airport.

Grocery and Other Deliveries

If you enjoy driving but don’t always like having strangers in your car, you can sign up to drive for grocery delivery apps. Check out Instacart or Spark Driver (Walmart’s delivery app) for side job opportunities delivering groceries.

Food delivery has also become increasingly popular over the past few years. Food delivery is an easy way to start a side gig, with many apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and SkipTheDishes (only in Canada) and Menulog (only in Australia and New Zealand) where you can sign up to become a driver.

Renting Out Your Home or Extra Room

You are likely already spending time taking care of and maintaining your home, so why not earn some extra cash from it? There is great potential to make a lot of money by renting out your home or an extra room. Airbnb is the most popular way to rent out your home, but you might also try listing it on other apps like Vrbo, Agoda, or Plum Guide (only in the UK).

Offering Digital Marketing Services

With a large number of businesses going online, there is always a need for freelancers with specific skills to help founders create content, run social channels, optimize websites, and more. Advertise your services online through freelancing websites and create a basic site that features a portfolio of your work. You can earn additional income by creating an online course and selling it as a digital product to those looking to learn your skills.

Become an Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone else’s products or services on your platform and earn a commission for any sale that comes from your referral (usually through a unique link or code). This is a great way to incorporate side hustles.

Start a Blog or Newsletter

Blogging has long been a popular aspect of side businesses, but converting it into a revenue source can be challenging. That’s why more and more bloggers are turning to Substack, a platform that allows freelance writers to publish their work directly to their audience and get paid through recurring subscriptions.

Sell Your Photography

Sites like Burst, Shutterstock, and Getty Images are always looking to buy images that can be used on websites and advertising campaigns. As long as the web exists, there will always be a need for fresh images, as websites always need to update and refresh their content.

Participate in Paid Online Surveys

Many companies and market researchers want to know people’s opinions on their products and services. Sites like Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, and Survey Junkie have many surveys that you can get paid for completing. Filling out surveys may not pay your bills, but it can add some extra cash to your pocket for the weekend.

Get Paid to Test Apps and Websites

Nothing disrupts a business faster than a bug-ridden website or a non-working app. That’s why developers hire testers to go and click all the links and press all the buttons to make sure everything works before it is ready for use. Did you know? You can get paid for that.

Become

Transcriber or Translator

Transcribers receive audio files from their clients and write down what they hear. These files may include videos, voice notes, phone calls, or even legal proceedings, so the ability to listen well and type quickly is crucial. Check out freelance job sites like Rev, TranscribeMe, and GoTranscript for paid transcription opportunities.

Create and Sell Your Handmade Goods

If you want to earn money from your hobbies, there are plenty of crafts you can make and sell online. Although making handmade products requires a lot of time spent learning a craft, it’s one of the best ways to stand out in a sea of ordinary products.

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