If you look online, I’m sure you’ll come across articles listing of “101 amazing side hustles”.
These lists are nice in theory, but they aren’t helpful because they don’t tell you anything about how to actually do them.
Or how to be successful.
And with so many options out there, it can be tough to know where to start.
In psychology, this is the paradox of choice. Too many options can cause anxiety and decision paralysis.
Then, we don’t know what to choose because there are too many options. And once we choose, we regret our choice because we know there are other options out there.
This decision paralysis is especially detrimental when it comes to picking a side-hustle because the most important part is actually starting.
With the internet connecting everyone, there are many opportunities for side hustles. Here are five opportunities that can help you earn your pocket change easily.
1. Tutor over Skype
Are you great at teaching others a skill you’ve mastered? If you are, consider using your skills to tutor people over Skype. What Can You Teach Over Skype? The short answer is “nearly anything,” so here are a few ideas to get you started.
Music Lessons
Whether you teach from the Faber beginning piano books or the Suzuki violin method, teaching music over Skype is a great way to help students learn the fundamentals of music.
How can you teach the physicality of music — posture, fingering, etc. — through a tiny laptop screen? The LA Times describes one Skype music teacher who uses multiple cameras to get the job done:
[The student’s] computer camera is aimed over her shoulder and Tolchin watches her left hand as it bops from sevenths to thirds. Tolchin has two cameras — one mounted on the ceiling so students can watch his hands, the other trained on his face.
You could also conduct the majority of your music lessons over Skype and meet once every other month for an in-person lesson. That way, your students get the best of both worlds.
Tutoring
You can teach everything from pre-calculus to SAT prep over Skype, and unlike music lessons, you don’t ever need to worry about meeting in person.
Just open up your laptop and get ready to explain polynomial functions!
If you plan to tutor over Skype, it’s a good idea to set homework for your student to email you in between tutoring sessions. That way, you ensure your student is mastering the material even when you’re not around to help.
Mock Interviews
A lot of people get really nervous about job interviews. That’s where you come in. By setting up mock interview coaching sessions over Skype, you can help job seekers prepare everything from interview outfits to their ability to describe a situation where they successfully managed a conflict between co-workers.
This type of coaching program will require strong marketing skills; after all, parents often seek out music teachers or tutors for their kids, but you’re going to need to convince people to hire an interview coach for themselves. Take a look at other Skype interview coach websites to see how these coaches market themselves.
Public Speaking
Public speaking is still one of our top fears. If you can help people overcome their discomfort with speaking in public, you’ve got a job opportunity. Use Skype to coach people on their delivery, their posture and the correct way to confidently address a crowd.
Check out Jezra Kaye’s public speaking coaching site to see how you can set up your own Skype coaching business. Notice how Kaye includes a monthly email newsletter and other goodies for potential clients — in this type of work, building rapport will help you stand out while establishing your expertise as a coach.
Dating Skills
Yes, you can teach dating skills over Skype! Help people learn how to make small talk, how to ask someone out and even how to behave during the date.
You’ll find a lot of dating coach Skype businesses online, so take a look at the competition and then figure out how to make your site attractive to potential dating clients. Pick a strategy that you think works for you; some sites are all about pickup techniques, while others, like Dr. Samantha Rodman’s dating sessions, are about communication skills and personal goals.
2. Freelance Online
Freelancing or remote working is becoming a growing online industry. With varied jobs available, anyone who can read, write, program, make videos, or willing to learn certain skills, can enter the freelancing job market.
Some great freelancing options include Proofreading, Transcribing, or Content Writing. Some also opt to ghostwrite, photo edit or graphic designs on sites like Fiverr.
3. Delivering Groceries
Constance Tuner, a young mother living in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, was frustrated with “being in the red each month” because her expenses exceeded her take-home pay. Apart from finding ways to reduce her spending, she realized that it was also necessary to supplement her income if she wanted to stop living paycheck to paycheck.
Delivering groceries with Instacart has been one of Turner’s most successful side hustles. She says Instacart makes it easy to start earning more money as quickly as possible.
“You can sign up through the website or use a referral code from someone (who’s already registered with Instacart),” says Turner.
Once you pass a background check, the company will send you a card to use for purchases.
“Then, you’ll take a few tutorials, select your hours and get started the following week. Hours are selected a week in advance,” Turner says.
With a better handle on her finances now, Turner says she’s very close to using her income from Instacart to begin tackling debt.
Turner’s average earnings: In January, Turner made $976.25 based on 57 hours of shopping. She does this side hustle for two hours after work during the week and about eight hours over the weekend.
4. Virtual Assistant
One of the most lucrative side hustles is becoming a virtual assistant. Your job is to work remotely to fulfil tasks like administration, social media, bookkeeping, and more. With more companies opting to hire remote workers, there is a growing demand for virtual assistants. Using sites like Upwork can help you build a client network and later you could become an independent contractor.
5. Sell Your Photography
This one is perfect for anyone who has some photography background and a camera. Turn your hobby into your side hustle by selling your photography.Sites like Shutterstock are great to sell your pictures. You could also experiment with product photography or event photography.
This one is perfect for anyone who has some photography background & a camera. Turn your hobby into your side hustle by selling your photography. Sites like Shutterstock are great to sell your pictures. You could also experiment with product photography or event photography.
Whatever your reason for exploring a side hustle, make sure you’re ready to commit to it. The greatest benefits come to those who master the hustle. And after all, we all need some extra spending money for those pampering sessions, Amazon splurges, and friends’ nights out!
Whatever your reason for exploring a side hustle, make sure you’re ready to commit to it. The greatest benefits come to those who master the hustle. And after all, we all need some extra spending money for those pampering sessions, Amazon splurges, and friends’ nights out!
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