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

By: Ivan Ferguson

Finding an Idea

Almost everyone can benefit from a little extra income, but sometimes saving extra money and having a full-time job isn’t enough. Successful side businesses build recurring income streams that significantly contribute to earning additional income.

Side businesses come from diverse backgrounds and sell a wide variety of products. They are characterized by flexibility and experimentation and see resource constraints as an exciting challenge rather than a signal to give up. With just a few hours in your free 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, browse 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:

Monetizing a YouTube Channel

YouTube has over two billion users watching 250 million hours of video every day. Building a large enough audience to monetize YouTube ads takes a lot of time, which is why it’s better to find a more direct connection to revenue rather than waiting for ads to be worthwhile. Fortunately, there are many ways to make money on YouTube beyond paid advertisements.

? Tip: Start by producing great content that resonates with your target audience. As your follower count grows, you might consider earning more money through selling paid memberships, producing products for sale online, or doing paid sponsorships.

Selling Digital Products

Digital products include any intangible assets that exist in the digital world. These products are typically downloadable or streamable files such as MP3s, PDFs, videos, and templates. If you’re a musician, there is always a demand for music for movies and advertising campaigns.

If you’re a graphic designer, websites are always looking for new fonts and graphics to make their site stand out. Digital products can include educational materials, audio files (such as sound effects or stock music), digital templates, and more.

Becoming a Tutor, In-Person or Online

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

? Tip: Take your tutoring side to the next level and earn more money by creating your own online store and selling online courses. Creating an online course requires a significant upfront effort to set up, but it can provide passive income in the long run.

Parcel Delivery

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

Starting a Podcast

Podcasts have become an integral part of the content landscape online, similar to social media and blogs. In fact, the popularity of podcasts has been increasing every year since their inception.

Podcasting is relatively inexpensive too. A good USB microphone designed specifically for podcasting can be purchased for under $100, and recording platforms like Audacity are free and user-friendly.

Designing and Selling Your Own T-Shirts

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

Providing Pet Care Services and Dog Walking

Nowadays, people treat their pets like family members – so there is an increasing demand for trustworthy individuals to care for their furry loved ones. In the past, finding clients was extremely challenging for dog walking or pet sitting, but with apps like Rover, Wag!, PetSitter.com, and PetBacker, it has become easier than ever to find good clients in need of help.

Becoming a Ride-Sharing Driver

These days, there are numerous options for those who wish to drive for a ride-sharing company. You can always drive for established companies like Uber or Lyft, but there are also independent options that cater to specific needs or services, such as ZIRO which heavily operates in San Francisco, or Wingz which specializes in transporting people to and from the airport.

Delivering Groceries and Other Items

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 jobs delivering groceries.

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

Renting Out Your Home or Spare Room

Chances are you’re already spending time taking care of your home and maintaining it, so why not make some extra money from it? There is a significant opportunity to earn good money by renting out your home or a spare 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).

? Tip: Develop your business side by selling products to your guests. Use Shopify Collabs to find brands willing to let you promote their products for a commission. Do guests love the soap in your bathroom? Place a QR code in your bathroom so they can purchase it.

Offering Digital Marketing Services

With so many online businesses, there’s always a need for skilled individuals to help founders create content, manage social channels, optimize websites, and more. Advertise your services online through freelancing platforms and create a simple website that showcases your portfolio. You can earn more by creating an online course and selling it as a digital product to those who want to learn your skills.

Becoming an Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing is when you promote someone else’s products or services on your platform and earn a commission from any sales that come from your referral (usually via a unique link or code). It’s a great way to blend side hustles.

If you have a podcast, significant influence, or your own store, try affiliate marketing. It’s a great way to earn some passive income while working on another side project or pursuing your passion.

To get started, head to an affiliate marketplace like Leadpages, ConvertKit, ClickBank, or ShareASale and look for products that suit you. And if you’re a content creator, course instructor, or influencer working in the e-commerce world, the Shopify Partners program might be a good side to work on.

Starting

Blog or Newsletter

Blogging was once a popular side hustle, but monetization can be challenging. That’s why more and more bloggers are turning to Substack, a platform that allows independent writers to publish their work directly to their audience and earn money through recurring subscriptions.

This enables bloggers to build an audience over time and maintain a steady stream of monthly income without relying on annoying ads, sponsorships, or finding freelance writing gigs.

Sell Your Photography

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

You can also sell your photography as prints or put it on a mug or hoodie. Put your images on something physical and sell them as artwork that can be hung or worn. High-quality prints of your photos can be easily and affordably obtained these days, so there is a real market if you have the right image.

Participate in Paid Online Surveys

There are many companies and market researchers who want to know people’s opinions about their products and services. Sites like Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, and Survey Junkie have numerous surveys you can take for monetary compensation. Filling out surveys may not pay your bills, but they can give you some extra cash for the weekend.

Get Paid to Test Apps and Websites

Nothing kills a business faster than a website full of bugs or a malfunctioning app. That’s why developers hire testers to go and click all the links and play with all the buttons to ensure everything is working properly before being launched. Did you know? You can get paid for that.

Testing sites like UserTesting, UTest, Userlytics, UserCrowd, and Enroll can provide you with many job opportunities in testing websites and applications. Some competitive gigs even offer $100 for a 60-minute test, so there is money to be made here.

Become a Transcriber or Translator

Transcribers receive audio files from their clients and write down what they hear. These files can be videos, voice notes, phone calls, or even legal proceedings, so having good listening skills and the ability to type quickly is essential. Check out freelance sites like Rev, TranscribeMe, and GoTranscript for paid transcription opportunities.

Create and Sell Your Handmade Goods

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

Think of something you enjoy doing, even when no one is paying you. Whether it’s woodworking, knitting, painting, or crafting – these hobbies can serve as the foundation for many unique side businesses.

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