29 Side Business Ideas for 2023 to Earn Additional Income

 29 Side Business Ideas for 2023 to Earn Additional Income

Table of Contents

• 1. Freelancing

• 2. Pet-Sitting And Doggie Day-care

• 3. Dog Walking

• 4. Tech Setup Services

• 5. Blogging

• 6. Senior Sitting and Companion

• 7. Babysitting and Child Care

• 8. Personal Assistant

• 9. Mobile Car Washing and Detailing

• 10. Local Handyman

• 11. Virtual Assistant

• 12. Sell at Local Markets and Festivals

• 13. Tutoring and Instruction

• 14. Self-Publishing EBooks

• 15. Online Courses and Coaching

• 16. Digital Product Sales

• 17. YouTube Channel

• 18. Viral Social Media Creator

• 19. Influencer Marketing

• 20. Create a Podcast

• 21. Become an E-Commerce Reseller

• 22. Take Online Surveys

• 23. Test Apps and Platforms

• 24. Sell Artisan Products

• 25. Sell Goods Via Drop shipping

• 26. Sell Print-on-Demand (POD) Products

• 27. Self-Publish Print-on-Demand (POD) Books

• 28. Sell Products Using Retail Arbitrage

• 29. Sell Proprietary Goods

• 30. Sell Private Label Products

1. Freelancing:

• The top position on any list of simple side business ideas should go to freelancing since it is a tried-and-true method for earning extra income. For one or more clients, freelancers perform work on a project-by-project basis, which you can arrange in your free time. There is a great need for freelance website developers, authors, editors, and graphic designers, but other professions also provide these opportunities. Flexible a project-based work is offered to skilled mechanics, educated bookkeepers, video editors, interior decorators, and even certified real estate agents.

Platforms and costs: With social media and email, you can promote your freelancing work to your own network for no cost. Using freelancing portals like Fiverr, Upwork, and freelancing.com, which handles managing projects and promotion, you may also access new clients.

Having marketing skills on your website gives it a polished, professional look and allows you to accept payments via Square or another payment service provider while offering convenient online invoicing.

2. Pet-Sitting And Doggie Day-care:

• A pet-sitting side business is simple to start & consumers, making it perfect for animal supporters. You can keep pets in your home for centre or long-term care or give in-home care for them while their owners are away at work or on vacation. Research the laws in your area because some states and municipalities want permits. By pitching pet insurance to your customers, you may earn extra revenue.

• Costs & platforms: While initial setup in your home may involve expenses in kennel or gates, costs for in-home care are cheap. Use popular pet-sitting applications like Rover or Care.com to find clients and handle engagements, or use Square's free tools for building your own booking and payment system.

3. Dog Walking:

• Do you admire dogs but lack the free time or room to dedicate to a doggie care setup? A dog-walking business could be the ideal side gig for you. This side job has the added benefit of getting exercise while earning extra money, and it is simple to build into a busy life.

Platforms and costs: Since owners usually provide leashes, costs are small, but you may wish to buy some leashes and waste sacks. In urban locations, you can use Wag!, TimetoPet, and Rover 2 find dog walking positions, or you can use Square's free tools to manage reservations and payments.

4. Tech Setup Services:

• Do you set up home networks, smart home appliances, laptops, and cell phones with ease? By advertising your skills to neighbours via social media and handyman apps, you can quickly earn extra money. You may improve your credibility for in-home services by seeking tech certifications and offering proof of insurance and bond.

Platforms and costs: While initial and recurring expenses are low, you might need to spend money on a few items to assist with installation. Use handyman applications like TaskRabbit and HelloTech to find and handle gigs, or use Pay to create your own bookings and payments.

5. Blogging:

• If you like writing and share information with others, think about beginning a blog that focuses on a topic you are interested in, such travel, food, beauty, or fashion. You can monetize the site with adverts or affiliate sales as you gain readers. While affiliate sales pay you to promote a product or service, ads pay per view or per click. When a user clicks on a promotional link and makes a purchase, you get paid.

Platforms and costs: A basic blog will cost you $50 to $100 a year to run. To create a blog website, you'll need to purchase a domain and use a WordPress hosting service or a website builder like Wix or Squarespace. All offer attractive blogs and easy to use design tools.

6. Senior Sitting and Companion:

• More families keep seniors in their homes thanks to advances in in-home senior care. This provides opportunities for anyone hoping to work as a companion or sitter on the side while the primary carers are gone. You can enrol in CPR and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) courses to improve the credibility of your services.

• Costs and platforms: This side business is really inexpensive. On care-based uses like Care.com, Sittercity, and Papa.com, you can advertise your services and manage customers, or you may set up your own bookings and payments using Money.

7. Babysitting and Child Care:

• There is a great need for babysitting and in-home child care, offering this side business a fantastic option for increasing your income in your free time or according to a fixed schedule. The American Red Cross offers online and in-person babysitting certification classes that cover CPR, first aid, and behaviour methods that may improve your reputation, even if certification isn't usually required.

• Prices and sale channels: Babysitting is another low-cost side business. Apply apps like Care.com, Sittercity, and UrbanSitter to market your services and handle bookings and payments, or use Square to manage your own bookings and payments.

8. Personal Assistant:

Busy professionals want assistance with routine tasks, and many would rather have one person handle all rather than switch between different service apps. This is an excellent choice for a side hustler who enjoys checking off tasks from a to-do list, such as grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, walking the dog, and dropping off the kids at school.

Platforms and costs: A personal assistant side business can be started for a low cost. However, you'll certainly require a vehicle if you live in a nonurban location. Thumbtack.com and TaskRabbit.com are two famous gig and payment tools for personal assistant services. You may also set up your own bookings and payments using Money.

9. Mobile Car Washing and Detailing:

Another inexpensive side business is car washing, which is perfect for someone who enjoys working out. You can either partner with nearby companies that operate fleets of vehicles or who want to offer weekly car washes as an employee benefit to provide this service to people at their homes.

Platforms and costs: The main first costs for this side business idea are cleaning supplies, a strong hose and nozzle, and a vehicle. MobileWash and Spiffy are two famous mobile car wash gig and payment apps. You may set up your own bookings and payments using Square.

10. Local Handyman:

Are you the first individual your friends call to install a ceiling fan or substitute a light switch? While assisting your neighbours with their home repair projects, earn a little cash with your handyman skills. You can become insured and bonded to safeguard yourself and your clients and boost your credibility, but it's not usually required.

Platforms and costs: Costs for this side business are low, especially if you already have the necessary tools. You can set up your own bookings and payments using Square, or you can use handyman tasks like Thumbtack.com, TaskRabbit, and Angi to help you market and manage gigs and payments.

11. Virtual Assistant:

In the digital era, virtual assistants provide personal assistant services to handle a variety of tasks, such as messaging with clients, making reservations, entering data, and scheduling appointments. This side business is a great way to earn money from home in your spare time if you're organised and tech-savvy.

Platforms and costs: The only expenses associated with running this side business are the cost of a dependable computer and an internet connection. You may manage gigs and payments with virtual assistant apps like TaskRabbit, ChatterBoss, and Upwork. or using Square to control bookings and payments.

12. Sell at Local Markets and Festivals:

A lot of product-focused side hustlers make income by selling unique things they find or make themselves at neighbourhood markets and fairs. This side business can be time-consuming due to setup and travel to markets, but if you enjoy meeting new people and being social, it may be the perfect way for you to supplement your income. Also, you may promote your online store and social media account with these in-person sales to increase brand recognition and drive sales in between market appearances.

Platforms and costs: Since you need to outfit your booth, initial expenses for in-person product sales can be in the hundreds to thousands of dollars. By sticking with vendors who encourage returns on money, you can reduce your initial investment.

Unsold goods or by offering items for special orders that don't call for deep stock. Faire accepts returns of unsold stock and is a great place to find exclusive goods for private label and resale. To accept card payments in-person, track sales with a sleek mobile POS, and interact with internet sales on your own Square online shopping website, you may also sign up for a free Square account.

13. Tutoring and Instruction:

Do you have talents in the fine arts, music, sports, or academia? The need for tutors and private instructors is steady, providing a variety of flexible side business options. Parents looking for kid-friendly sessions can be reached with advertisements for in-person and online training, but don't forget about adult learners. If it works better for your side hustle schedule, adults typically attend courses during school hours because they enjoy expanding their horizons.

Platforms and costs: Startup fees are typically low, and services like Wyzant, Skooli, and TakeLessons.com may help you market your offerings and manage jobs and payments. Alternatively use Square to handle your own bookings and payments.

14. Self-Publishing EBooks:

Another good side business idea for writers is self-publishing e-books, but you don't have to be a talented writer to take advantage of this chance. You can employ freelancers and editors to finish and polish your work if you can create a creative story or explain how to do something. Then all you have to do is publish the book on sites like Smashwords, Barnes & Noble Press, Lulu, and Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and wait for the revenues to start coming in.

Platforms and costs: If you write your book and create your own cover art, self-publishing ebooks can be very affordable. Yet, a lot of serious authors pay upwards of $100 each book to publish and use experts for cover design and editing.

15. Online Courses and Coaching:

Do you specialise in anything? By designing and marketing online coaching courses and courses in your spare time, you may profit from your knowledge. This is another simple side business concept, made feasible by reasonable, user-friendly online training platforms. Additionally, side hustles like online tutoring and creating courses can develop into a successful business when combined with social media marketing, e-books, YouTube promotion, and blogging.

Platforms and costs: Online learning platforms like Demy, Thinkific, and Podia enable you create course and pair them with specialised coaching. The majority charge monthly fees or keep some of the money you earn when you sell a course. Also, you may include members-only goods and online courses into website platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, to design your own branded platform, use, Wix, and other services.

16. Digital Product Sales:

Do you have an artistic side? Another low-cost or free side business option is making and selling digital things in your free time. A booming industry exists for digital artwork, logos, music, photography, videos, and website design templates. By developing these digitally and selling them as downloads on your own website, social media networks, and a variety of online digital goods markets, you can make money.

Platforms and costs: You can use your own graphic, photo, video, or sounds editing software to produce digital goods, or you can use free online production tools like Canva, PhotoPea, and the Garageband app. Publish your works in creative markets like Canva, Envato Market, Creative Fabrica, Shutterstock, iTunes, SoundCloud, and more to make money from them. You can also sell your projects through an Etsy shop or on your own website.

17. YouTube Channel:

You can make money on the side by sharing your skills, talking about current events, or giving pleasure on YouTube. As long as you have 1,000 or more subscribers and watch over 4,000 hours of videos each on average, you can profit from your YouTube videos. It may take some time to do this, but with effort, it is possible to make thousands of dollars per month. A lot of devoted side hustlers are currently earning a full-time living from their YouTube channel.

Costs and platforms: Joining YouTube is free, and there is no limit on the number of videos you may upload. Also, free video editing software like iMovie, Loom, and Canva are available for smartphones with good cameras.

18. Viral Social Media Creator:

There are a lot of kinds of viral social media material, and if you know how to make it, you may earn money. With the support of creator programmes, popular platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, you may monetize edgy entertainment clips, practical how-to films, commentary pieces, and more. While you need a lot of views to make money, it's a rewarding and inexpensive side business with a lot of earning potential.

Platforms and costs: This is a free side business option. You can upload an infinite number of posts and videos to social networking platforms, which are free to use. The majority of networks also include free post and video creation tools, so all you really need to get started is a cell phone with a camera.

19. Influencer Marketing:

Influencer marketers who are successful offer interesting content on a range of websites and blogs, podcast channels, social media pages, and YouTube channels to grow their brand. Influencers can make money by posting any kind of material, such reviews and recommendations, humorous videos, how-to guides, cutting-edge social commentary, and more.

You can start an influencer brand as a side business and make money from sponsored content, affiliate links, and ad revenue. You can also monetize your videos once you hit a certain number of views and followers. For instance, 1,000 channel subscribers and 4,000 hours of views per year are required for YouTube to pay out, while Facebook Reels profiles need 100,000 reel plays within 30 days.

Costs and platforms: Since social media and YouTube accounts are free, starting an influencer side business on these platforms doesn't cost anything. Using WordPress, SquareSpace, Wix, and other website platforms, you can also start a blog and establish a website for free or at a low cost. As your business grows, you can improve your features and storage space.

20. Create a Podcast:

Another popular, low- to no-cost, and simple to start side business concept is podcasting. As a way for listeners to access prerecorded audio files at their convenience, podcasts are created, edited, and uploaded to podcasting services. Ads, sponsored stuff, affiliate links in the podcast descriptions, and paid subscriptions are all ways that podcasts can make cash.

Platforms and costs: With the help of audio recording software included with your smartphone, tablet, or computer, you can make podcasts that you can then record, edit, and upload to channels you create on websites like iTunes, Anchor, Buzzsprout, and many others. Most premium priced plans provide income generation through paid listener subscriptions, downloads, and ad revenue splits, while some include free options.

21. Become an E-Commerce Reseller:

Many profitable side businesses revolve around classic e-commerce, where you acquire, stock, and sell a variety of goods from various sellers yourself. Compared to the other side business ideas on this list, this one does require a bigger initial investment and more time. However, many business owners use this side hustle to launch full-time enterprises. Combining traditional e-commerce sales with POD goods, export products, and affiliate blogging income can help increase your income.

Platforms and costs: Depending on the initial stock purchases, the startup costs for this side business could be $500 to $5000 or even more. A reputable e-commerce platform won't cost you a lot, though. Starting prices for Weebly by Square, WordPress with WooCommerce, which and Shopify range from nothing at all to just $29 per month.

22. Take Online Surveys:

Many marketing research enterprises will gladly pay for your opinion on a range of goods, programmes, and subjects. Even while this side business idea won't help you launch your own company, it's a simple method to supplement your income during quiet. A lot of survey companies require you to register online and link a PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp account to receive payment. Then, using an app or online dashboard, you may look for and sign up for surveys that interest you. If chosen, you do the assignment or questionnaire, and you usually get paid within a few days. Many surveys pay between $2 and $10 for a little time commitment, while others pay up to $100 for lengthy product reviews or quizzes.

Platforms and prices: This service is free.

23. Test Apps and Platforms:

Users of all technical skill levels are sought by market research companies, game and app developers, and website designers to evaluate their platforms and offer user feedback. Testing apps and platforms doesn't assist you in creating a business, much like side jobs conducting internet surveys. However, it may be highly profitable with rewards of $10 to $150 or more for a few minutes or hours of your effort.

Costs and platforms: Since it is free to apply for authentic testing jobs, this is yet another no-cost side business option. Some of the best app and software platforms to check out are Enrol, UserTesting, and Swagbucks.

24. Sell Artisan Products:

You can make money from your hobbies by selling artisan products in your spare time if you like painting, woodworking, baking, sewing, knitting, or creating other handmade things. Sell your ready-made or made-to-order handcrafted items online and at nearby fairs and markets to make money with this side business idea.

Platforms and costs: Although this side business requires some initial outlay for tools and supplies, you can market and sell online utilising Etsy, your own e-commerce website, and social media profiles for little to no initial outlay. Think about Square or Shopify if you intend to sell both online and offline. Both provide sophisticated systems that have mobile card readers, retail POS apps, and fully integrated internet businesses.

25. Sell Goods Via Dropshipping:

By using drop shipping, you can create a strong online store without having to worry about buying, stocking, and shipping the products you offer. You only pay for the goods you sell through dropship when a consumer makes a purchase. The dropship providers handle all aspects of storage, packing, and shipping; they then charge you per order for the item's wholesale price and shipping expenses. Dropshipping is the cheapest and simplest method to start making money in e-commerce, but it may be a time-consuming side business because you have to handle your own website and customer care.

Platforms and costs: You need a solid e-commerce platform for this side business, such as Shopify, WordPress with WooCommerce, or Big Commerce, which integrates with dropship suppliers. The best place to start is with tested dropshipping suppliers like Doba, AliExpress, and Sprocket.

26. Sell Print-on-Demand (POD) Products:

Do you enjoy making humorous visuals and sayings or do you have an aptitude for photography or illustration? By applying your artwork to a variety of POD goods, like t-shirts, mugs, pillows, wall decor, and much more, you can turn your creativity into extra income. Drop shipping and this side business idea are related because the POD vendor handles all the details on your behalf. To create a product collection, you only upload your artwork and include it with numerous objects that are printed. Your POD vendor prints, packages, and sends the item after receiving your order, charging you the retail price plus the shipping cost. The same e-commerce platform that integrates with POD vendors is required for drop shipping, such as Shopify or WordPress with Woo.

Costs and platforms: Just like drop shipping, you'll need an e-commerce platform like Shopify, WordPress with Woo Commerce, or Big Commerce that integrates with POD vendors. Start with reputable vendors for POD items, such as Painful, Custom Cat, and Prettify.

27. Self-Publish Print-on-Demand (POD) Books:

Are you a writer, an artist, or interested in using the most recent advancement in self-publishing? POD books could be the ideal side business for you. POD books contain all types of created book, include fiction and nonfiction as well as notebooks, calendars, recipe books, colouring books, and more. Using free or inexpensive the web tools, you can write books, then upload the digital files to POD book sales platforms. The sales platform prints and ships tangible books after a consumer orders your book, and it also pays you a royalty.

Platforms and Costs: Canva, Reedsy, and the BookBolt Studio are just a few of the free and cheap platforms that make it simple to create POD book files. List your books for online on the top POD bookseller sites.

28. Sell Products Using Retail Arbitrage:

Are you an astute consumer who can spot a bargain and isn't scared to check prices? Then retail arbitrage could be your best option for a side business. In retail arbitrage, you purchase things from retail stores that are on sale or marked down, then you resell them online for more money. This side business can be a big money maker if you're prepared to look for deals locally, compare costs on Amazon, WalMart.com, and other internet marketplaces, and spend a little money on buying items.

Costs and platforms: Running to stores and comparing prices requires some time investment as well as upfront costs for goods sales and shipping.

29. Sell Proprietary Goods:

You can hire makers to produce your own products if you have an idea for a product and don't mind making an upfront investment. Many people who work as side hustlers just take an existing product, tweak it a little, and sell it for a profit. You can sell these products directly to consumers on your own website, on Amazon, Walmart, and through social media marketplaces in addition to wholesale these products to shops under your own brand. It takes time and effort to get this side business concept perfect, but it has spawned many successful firms.

Costs and platforms: The biggest cost for this side business is the startup costs, which can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars based on your product design requirements and factory order. Alibaba.com's factory and unique supplier search is free, and e-commerce platforms.