Looking for side hustle ideas? Want to become an entrepreneur?
Even if you have a full-time job, it’s always great to have some extra income, especially if you can find something you love. Plus, female entrepreneurs have more options than you might imagine.
I know not everyone likes sitting at a computer all day. Therefore, you may be able to combine your online-based side hustle with other side hustles that allow you more travel and time away from your computer.
And if you’re looking to start a business on a budget, you’ll be glad to know that many of these home business ideas have low start-up costs.
Are you ready to jump in? We hope one of these ideas sparks some inspiration that you can use to start your own business.
1. Affiliate Marketing
If you use social media or browse blogs and websites, you’ll probably come across a dozen affiliate links a day.
Affiliate links take you to a product, and if you use the link to purchase that product, the link owner receives a commission.
Even if you don’t have a lot of followers, you can start using affiliate links on social media, newsletters, and on your website or blog. Even without a website, you can join the best affiliate networks and make money.
Many people start with Amazon Associates because they have a great affiliate program. Many people use Amazon weekly or daily. It is important for affiliates to make sure to read all the rules and guidelines to see if they meet the qualifications to start or continue with the program.
2. Social media management
Do you spend more time on social media than you think? Do you enjoy writing, creating captions, taking photos and videos, and creating engaging content? Consider becoming a media manager.
I fell into this side hustle several times simply because I was in the right place at the right time and had the skills to be several steps ahead of the business owners I was helping. I helped small businesses on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, and Pinterest.
If you have experience using any of these platforms or others, you can start your small business with social media marketing.
If you want to find clients looking for a social media manager, websites like Upwork, Guru, LinkedIn, and Fiverr are good places to start.
Read more about social media mistakes to avoid.
3. Education or tutoring
If you have a favorite subject, are knowledgeable, and love helping others learn, consider working as a teacher or tutor. Individual instruction is also available online or in person.
I’ve been teaching Business English online through Education First for almost 10 years and I’m enjoying it.
First, decide on the topic you want to teach, then choose whether to find students through a company, a marketplace, or independently. On marketplaces like Preply, iTalki, and TutorFly, you typically create a profile to share your experiences and skills, and students use that profile to find you.
Read more about online teaching and how to start your own tutoring business from home.
4. Coaching
If you have a specific area of expertise, love talking to people, and love helping others make tangible changes, coaching may be right for you.
Although the coaching industry is unregulated, having training in coaching and the subject matter you are helping gives you more credibility.
For example, about 10 years ago, I completed a year of health coach training at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Although I am not currently a coach, I have been able to utilize the coaching skills I have learned over the years in various jobs and volunteer positions.
Some areas of coaching to consider include business coaches, career coaches, personal coaches, health coaches, sleep coaches, and fitness coaches.
If you don’t think coaching can be a lucrative business idea, think again. This woman earns $27,000 a month from her coaching business.
5. Laundry service
If you’re one of the few people (like me) who loves doing laundry, this could be the perfect business idea for you.
You can work for a company or work as an individual.
Some people choose to start with a company so they don’t have to process payments or find customers when starting a business.
After gaining a certain amount of experience, you may consider working independently.
Typically, you charge your customers for every pound of laundry, and each load is probably around 10 to 20 pounds. You can earn around $15 to $30 per load, but this can vary.
Additional charges may apply if we provide additional services such as collection, delivery or ironing.
6. Video/Audio Editing
Many people now have YouTube channels and podcasts. However, if you’ve tried any of these, you’ll know that editing can be quite time-consuming, especially if you’re a beginner.
If you want to learn more about editing, you can watch free videos online or take courses on podcast editing and production or video editing.
A few years ago, I helped start a podcast for a nonprofit I was working with and taught myself the skills needed to edit episodes through Pat Flynn’s podcasting course. It was a little expensive, but they taught me everything I wanted to know.
About a year into podcasting, I was offered a job editing another podcast. I didn’t have the time to take it on, but even with my basic skills an opportunity arose just because a podcast host didn’t have the time to do it himself and realized I had the skills. I did.
7. Photography
Have you ever had people compliment the photos you took of your kids or vacations? You don’t have to be a professional photographer to make money with your photography business. No professional experience is required to get started.
A photography business allows you to combine your creative hobby with a way to earn extra income.
You may also consider creating a specific niche for yourself. Try your hand at wedding photography, graduations, family portraits, baby and maternity, stock photography, influencer photography, or even become a food photographer.
Or, try offering more unconventional photography services.
You may try all of these at first, but as you gain experience, you can narrow your focus to what you enjoy the most or what is most profitable in your field.
You can also learn more about what it takes to run this type of business from home.
8. Sewing/handicrafts
If you like working with your hands and have experience sewing or crafting, consider adding it to your list of side hustle ideas. This might be similar to doing remodeling outside of your home for people in your community or selling your work online on marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, Shopify, and MakerPlace by Michaels. No.
You can start by browsing Etsy to see what others are selling, how much different items cost, and how much you need to spend on materials to get started.
Also, explore and learn how to start an Etsy shop from home and find success on Etsy.
9. Freelance writing
I got my first paid job as a freelance writer while browsing Reddit. A woman was looking for an entrepreneurial writer, and I thought, “Oh, maybe I can do that too.” Personally, I think being a freelance writer is one of the best businesses out there.
When I got my first writing job on Upwork, I got to work with that client for over a year. It was a dream come true for me, writing about something I love.
Finding a client willing to take on ongoing work can be a win-win. In some cases, your personality and work ethic can help you land a job even if you have little experience.
If you’re just starting your freelance writing business, I recommend choosing a specialty like business writing or copywriting and finding your niche from there.
To find freelance writing clients, try these sites:
Read here to learn how to land a writing job as a beginner.
10. Pet sitter
Dog walking and pet sitting can be a win-win situation for animal lovers and people who don’t have a pet but would like to get one.
If you don’t have any word-of-mouth connections, you can also start with a website like Rover and then branch out on your own. This sounds interesting, but if you’re completely new to it, you’ll probably enjoy this Rover review.
Intrigued? Learn more about how to become a professional pet sitter and make money with house sitting jobs in this article.
For more pet-inspired business ideas, read 15 Home Business Ideas and Jobs for Pet Lovers.
11. Blog
Becoming a blogger isn’t necessarily the quickest way to earn extra income, but over time it can become a profitable business idea and is a popular choice for female entrepreneurs.
If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, blogging is worth it and you can even make money from it. As your blog’s following grows, you can earn money from ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored blog posts, and more.
Depending on the topic of your blog, people may contact you for consulting or coaching services. This has happened to me several times!
If you want to get started quickly but don’t want to take the time to start your own blog, Medium is a great platform to consider.
Create a profile in minutes and start writing and posting right away. Additionally, Medium posts tend to rank higher in search engines, making it easier for newbies to get your articles noticed.
A note about blogging in 2024. With AI and the ever-changing algorithms of search engines and social media sites, the key to success is diversifying both in terms of monetization methods and traffic.
12. Become a yoga or fitness instructor
Do you like trying new fitness or yoga classes?
Maybe you’re the one in your friend group who’s been doing yoga for 10 years and loves showing friends and family new poses to relieve back pain or improve your sleep quality.
And if you prefer the WFH lifestyle, you can always teach classes via Zoom from the comfort of your home.
You can also become a yoga instructor YouTuber by posting videos online like “Yoga With Adriene” and “Yoga With Kassandra.” Both have over 1 million subscribers.
13. Event planning
Becoming an event planner is a good option for people with planning skills and design savvy.
You also need excellent interpersonal skills to work well with all types of clients and vendors.
Plan events for your clients or host your own in-person or virtually.
A good way to start is by reading interviews or talking to people who have experience in event planning. That way, you’ll have a better idea of whether this is a good side hustle for you.
You can also read more about how to start working from home as a payroll and event planner.
Summary of side job ideas
The hardest part for small business owners is coming up with a good business idea. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you. Ultimately, the best business idea for you will be one that aligns with your skills and interests, and one that allows you to set your own schedule and work around your current lifestyle.
Keep in mind that no matter which online-based option you use, you need to make sure you have a very strong internet connection.
So use these ideas as a starting point and see which ones interest you the most. If you want more small business ideas, you might enjoy these side hustle ideas.
Ready to start a side hustle? Get your free business plan template here.
