No one has ever said no to more money in their pockets, and one of the best ways to have some extra money is to take on a side hustle. Whether you work full-time, or you’re dedicated to raising your children, there are clever ways you can create an income stream for yourself.
There are so many opportunities in the world right now, and if you know where to look and strategies to employ, you can make a tidy sum of money. Side hustles are a fun way to earn money while allowing you to grow your skills, build credibility, start a small business or professionalize your hobby.
Here are 3 great ideas for side hustles you can explore!
Vacation Rentals
Now that the tide of the pandemic is slowly starting to wash over us, and many countries are starting to emerge from strict lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, travel is going to come back, but not in the way it was before. Travel in the early post-pandemic months isn’t going to be international, people are going to fall back in love with seeing the towns and cities around them. Many people are still working remotely so they have the freedom to work from anywhere, as long as they have a reliable internet connection.
There was a worry about how the pandemic would affect tourism in the long-run, but what we’re going to see is a major bounce back in local travel. There is a huge pent up demand for a little bit of an escape, and as a result, this is going to be a great time for people who position themselves to serve these local travelers. If you live in a city or state that has attractive tourist attractions, you can earn some extra money by catering to them.
According to Keyah Grande, an attraction offering vacation rentals in Pagosa Springs CO, “many families want to enjoy a bit of luxury away from their home. They want to get to recharge and rejuvenate, and they are seeking the attractions that can be accessible without hopping on a plane or crossing international borders.” If your community is getting a lot of visitors, you can invest in vacation rentals, food service or arrange fun activity-filled tours so you can show people what your town has to offer.
Furniture Flipping
You don’t have to flip a house to make money. A lot of people are earning money by upcycling old furniture! If you’ve got a knack for crafting and building, or you’re really good with your hands, you could easily turn old and dated finds into attractive modern pieces people would love to purchase from you.
First, you would need to find the old pieces of furniture to flip. There are many ways to do this. You can go to thrift stores in your town and find things that are a bit old and beat up but don’t need tons of hours to improve. There’s also websites like Facebook Marketplace where you can track down and buy old pieces. You might even be lucky enough to find free items. Once you’ve found your pieces, come up with a plan for making it a better piece of furniture someone would love to have in their home.
Some improvements you can make include;
- Stripping old paint and putting on a new and modern color.
- Adding new legs and drawer hardware to cabinets.
- Putting cane webbing on an old headboard to elevate it and make it look like something made today.
- Putting new fabric on an old chair. You can add more padding and then use a staple gun to secure the new look.
Once you’ve done your improvements, all you need to do is relist the items on Facebook Marketplace. Always make sure the amount of money and time you spend on the item is below the price so that there’s actually a profit margin.
Freelancing
Getting a job on the internet is no longer considered outlandish. It is, in fact, becoming very much the norm for many people. You don’t have to get a full-time job to enjoy the benefits of the gig economy, you can work part-time. Perhaps you’re good at editing videos, you can lend your skills to an agency without working 8-hour days and 40-hour weeks.
Maybe you’re a writer, you could contribute to a website you’re interested in a few times a month. There are millions of podcasts online and many people who host them need a little help. There’s even the opportunity to be a virtual assistant to a busy entrepreneur. You can do social media management part-time and so many other things that allow you to do something you enjoy, buff up your resume and earn extra money!