This is a contributed post.
When you’re trying to improve the state of your bank account, you have two main options:
Either you can make some cutbacks, or try to earn some more money – or both, of course!
If you feel like you have made all the savings you can, it’s time to look into how to make more money. And one of the best ways of doing this is by starting a small business or side hustle on top of your main income source.
Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever to set up a limited company or register as self-employed, and you can start offering out your services today.
9 Side Business Ideas To Start Today
Not sure what side hustle is for you? I’m here to provide you with a few simple self employed business ideas.
Here are 9 side business ideas that you can start online straight away, and start raking in that extra cash!
1. Teaching or Tutoring
If you have a particular area of expertise or skill that you can offer out, why not make some extra cash by teaching or tutoring others?
You can teach a course or private lessons on just about anything, from language skills to knitting techniques.
Private tutoring is one of the simplest businesses you can run from home with no money. You can even ask your students to travel to you, if you have a suitable space! Otherwise, check out public libraries, church halls or adult education centres as possible venues.
You can even run everything online. How about teaching English to foreign students over Skype with a company like Education First? Yes, lots of companies will pay you to teach English online from home. All you need is an internet connection and a headset.
Once you begin establishing a reputation and gaining some testimonials, you should find it easier to grow and develop your side business.
2. Creative Businesses
If you have a flair for creative skills, whether this is drawing or designing clothing, you could set yourself up an online store. This is really easy on a platform like Etsy and Shopify.
A lot of people are looking for items which are handmade and one-of-a-kind, and as long as you have the skills, you are likely to have a market.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as creative in the traditional sense, have you thought about selling digital products?
Simple printable resources such as calendars, worksheets and cleaning rotas are currently having a big moment on Etsy! I think that a printables store would be a great side business idea for someone who wants a simple but creative way to make some extra money from home.
The hard part will be promoting yourself, so you’ll need to learn about the basics of digital marketing such as social media and search engine optimization to establish a following.
3. Freelance Writing
If you have always had a passion for written words, you may be able to set yourself up as a freelance writer. There are certainly more opportunities than ever before to make some money on the side.
The commercial copywriting route is probably the best one when it comes to making money straight away. You can start looking for work on freelance sites such as People Per Hour.
Once you establish a decent portfolio of work, you should be able to start increasing your rates over time.
Blogging is another option that makes use of your talent for writing.
Bloggers can make money from sponsored posts, advertising, affiliate marketing and several other possible income streams. Your blog can also lead to more freelance work.
In my opinion, blogging is one of the best business ideas to make money from home, because it can be a truly flexible job that fits around your lifestyle.
However, bear in mind that it does take longer to start generating an income. If you need to start making money straight away, consider combining blogging with freelance writing until you’re able to blog full time.
In a similar field, you could also get into editing or proofreading. There are plenty of websites out there that you can sign up to or you could alternatively try to strike out on your own.
4. Rent Out Your Spare Room (or Storage Space, Your Car etc)
Websites like Airbnb have popularised renting out spare rooms to those who need it as an alternative to getting regular hotel rooms.
If you have the space to offer, enjoy hosting different people, and are willing to put in the work, this could be a great way of making some extra money from the resources you have already.
If you don’t have a spare room, perhaps you have some storage room, a parking space or even a car to rent out. The sharing economy is becoming increasingly popular these days, and there is no reason why you shouldn’t jump on the bandwagon as well.
5. Dog Walking
Perhaps you have a bit of time available during the day and you love dogs. Dog walking could be the ideal money making idea for you: there are plenty of people who are willing to pay for their furry friends to get the exercise that they need.
Once you start getting a few clients and some regular hours as a dog walker, you can make money from something which you enjoy anyway.
Not only this, all these regular walks will ensure that you always stay in good shape too! Alternatively, you could establish your own pet-sitting business where you look after people’s animals for a longer period of time.
Rover is one site in the UK where you can advertise your new business and find dog walking or pet sitting clients.
6. Handyman Services
In the digital age, people tend not to have so many practical and DIY-based skills. If you have them, there is a clear gap in the market which you could look to exploit.
There are all sorts of simple jobs that people need help with, and you can attract business by charging less than regular tradespeople.
Again, this is the kind of company in which you need to establish a good reputation and soon the clients will start lining up.
Find work by advertising locally or through an app like Taskrabbit or Handy.
7. Buying and Reselling
The most common way of starting a buying and reselling business is on one of the pre-established websites like eBay. Perhaps you can look to buy things locally before selling them on for a profit.
Ideally, you will have a particular area of expertise, so you know that what you are buying can generate money. For example, vintage clothing or a particular brand of toys or collectibles.
If not, you can start by reselling general goods, but look to establish a niche for yourself over time.
8. Cooking or Baking
Perhaps your talents lie in the kitchen, and you want to start your own cooking or baking business. Catering is the kind of business that you can fit nicely into the evenings or weekend.
Otherwise, you can establish a bakery company, but you will need to have the decorative skills as well so that you can create cakes that people are willing to pay for.
Try to start by catering for a particular market like weddings or birthdays.
9. Technology Consultant
If you have some technical skills, you could search for local businesses who are looking to enter the modern age but don’t really know how.
You could offer to set up their websites, run their social media accounts or simply teach them the basics of the online world.
There are likely to be many mainly older self-employed or business people out there that need these skills but can’t afford to pay for tech agencies to do it for them – which is where you will come in.
Which side hustle speaks to you?
As you can see, there are plenty of diverse small side business ideas that you can establish depending on your individual skillset. Starting out can be challenging, but once you establish a following and reputation, things should start to get easier.
Most of these side businesses can be kicked off in a weekend. Extra money in your bank account is closer than you think!
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