Here are my top 11 side hustle ideas to start from home to make money and scale in 2024:
Sell Digital Products
Digital products have never been easier to create. Ebooks, online courses, graphics, software, music, the list goes on.
They’re also normally fairly cost effective to create and sell, meaning that you can make good margins. The upfront work can be quite light for a lot of digital products too.
The key is to create something high quality that people want, so research and understanding your audience is key. From there you’ll need a platform to promote and sell your product on. Gumroad, Selfy are solid options.
How To Monetize
- Set up an online store with a dedicated digital marketplace like Gumroad or Selfy.
- Promote your product via social media, email, advertising, SEO.
Pros
Cons
Difficulty: 6/10
Print On Demand
Print on demand (POD) lets you sell personalized products without inventory. Items are made only when ordered.
Designs for apparel, drinkware, wall art are a few options you could explore with high selling potential.
Using your own creativity or AI tools like DALL-E, you need to create a design that you believe would appeal to a certain audience. Initial research here is integral to understand where designs are saturated and where there could be potential.
Any current trends could be a useful place to start to latch on to something up and coming.
How To Monetize
To monetize, submit designs to Printful and link them to your Etsy store. Check out this video on selling AI-generated prints on Etsy to understand the process and boost sales!
Pros
Cons
Resources: Printful | Adobe Photoshop | DALL-E | Canva | Etsy
Difficulty: 4/10
Affiliate Marketing (No website)
Running affiliate marketing is done by sharing links to brand’s products and making commision once a sale is completed.
Nowadays you no longer require a website to run campaigns, making entry a lot easier. You can easily promote brands’ products and services by sharing links across various platforms such as social media, email, YouTube and podcasts.
Once you have a modest social media following (e.g., 1000 Instagram followers or YouTube subscribers), you can start monetizing by referring to products in your posts or videos.
How To Monetize
- Join affiliate networks like Awin, Impact, Svorn, or Skimlinks.
- Create tracked links to the brands’ product/service pages.
- Earn commissions when your followers make purchases through your links.
- Negotiate exclusive deals with brands and offer personalized discount codes to increase commissions and boost conversion rates as your following grows.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Awin | Impact | Svorn | Skimlinks | Adam Enfroy
Difficulty: 3/10
Freelance Writing
Not everyone excels at writing engaging content, which has created a high demand for skilled writers. Combined with the surge in need for high-quality digitally written content for marketing, SEO optimization, and website production, if you can write well, there’s a big market to sell to.
Although leveraging AI can aid in idea generation and research acceleration, there’s still a strong preference for well-crafted human writing, which stands out even more in the sea of AI copy.
Focusing on a niche and building a strong portfolio with reviews can enhance your long-term success in the field.
How To Monetize
- Build a portfolio and list your services independently.
- Apply for writing positions at agencies.
- Offer services on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Grammarly | Fiverr | Upwork
Difficulty: 6/10
Create An Ebook
Ebooks are a great option if you want to explore a topic in depth or have a creative idea or story.
The best thing about an ebook compared to a physical book is that it’s entirely digital, no printing costs and most importantly, no shipping costs and logistics handling.
Design tools like Canva and Adobe InDesign can assist you with the visuals. Formatting such as the widely accessible .pdf or MOBI for Kindle are good options to make your ebook as widely available as possible.
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing is a must, whilst platforms like Draft2Digital enable ebook producers to find a marketplace to sell.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Kindle Direct Publishing | Draft2Digital
Difficulty: 7/10
Video Editing
This one is in high demand as video content is so highly consumed nowadays. AI can do a lot of things, but it’s not quite there with video editing yet.
It takes some practice to get good at video editing if you don’t have the skills, but there are tons of videos on YouTube showing you how to edit in certain ways and troubleshoot issues.
Popular tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve have all of the features you need to create amazing videos.
How To Monetize:
You can sell your services on platforms like Fiverr or UpWork and build up a portfolio of work to help you scale your prices.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Adobe Premiere Pro | DaVinci Resolve | Fiverr | UpWork
Difficulty: 6/10
Consulting
If you have a degree of expertise in a certain field, offering your services through consulting can be an efficient way to make money online.
Setting up a website with a few pages, I’d recommend Squarespace for simplicit, to funnel your prospective buyers to comes at a small cost.
Business consultations, digital marketing, skincare, recruitment, there are so many fields where there’s a demand for expertise with buyers willing to pay a premium for input and feedback that can’t be found for free.
Once you’re setup, promoting your offering on social media, through email and teasing your expertise through YouTube/TikTok can work really well to get your name out there.
Pros
Cons
Difficulty: 8/10
Online Tutoring
Online tutoring offers a lucrative opportunity for those with expertise in various fields, ranging from academia to test prep, coding, music, languages, and health and fitness.
To get started, sign up on tutoring platforms like Wyzant or Outschool to showcase your knowledge, expertise, and qualifications.
How To Monetize:
Set your rates based upon your level of experience to make sure you either get work at the right level – as a beginner, or show your value if you’re already a teacher, for example.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Wyzant | Outschool.com
Difficulty: 5/10
Web Development
So many projects that individuals and small businesses work on require outsourced website creation. It can be a daunting task for many. There’s therefore a high willingness to pay freelancers for assistance.
If you’re experienced in this field, platforms like Fiverr and Upwork offer ample opportunities.
For upskilling, try Codecademy or the free option, W3Schools. Remember, advanced coding skills aren’t necessary for website building in 2024. WordPress is user-friendly, though you’ll need to learn domain registration and hosting setup.
How To Monetize:
- Promote your services on online platforms and attain business through word of mouth
- Secure repeat business for ongoing development work and custom landing pages.
- Consider working on retainer agreements for steady income.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Codeacademy | W3Schools | WordPress | Fiverr | Upwork
Difficulty: 7/10
YouTube
Setting up a YouTube channel is straightforward. If you’re passionate, charismatic, and love sharing knowledge, YouTube is perfect for you.
Most are beginners, but it’s best to jump in, learn, and iterate. There’s a steep learning curve, but it’s better to just jump in and learn as you go.
For editing, use Canva for images and Adobe Premiere/DaVinci Resolve for videos. Or outsource editing on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork.
How To Monetize:
You’ll need to reach 1000 subscribers and accumulate 4000 watch hours over 12 months to qualify for monetization. To expedite earnings, consider incorporating affiliate links into videos where you discuss products or services.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Canva | Adobe Premiere | DaVinci Resolve | Upwork | Fiverr
Difficulty: 6/10
Online Fitness Coach
The virtual fitness industry surged during the pandemic and has thrived since. As living expenses rise, gym memberships often get cut, driving people to seek alternative fitness solutions.
With the rise of remote work, demand for online fitness coaches has grown as people prefer exercising at home and saving money at the same time
Qualifications in your chosen discipline are essential. This post on How To Become An Online Fitness Coach talks through how to attain them and get started.
How To Monetize:
- Create YouTube videos and earn from premium memberships and ads.
- Build your website with a subscription model.
- Promote yourself on social media and host classes via Zoom or dedicated fitness platforms
- Combine all three approaches for maximum earnings.
Pros
Cons
Resources: Zoom | FitOn | Trainersize
Difficulty: 7/10
Summary
Good luck with whatever side hustle you decide to pursue.
Most side hustles start out with a fair bit of upfront work required. YouTube channels and certain influencers will have you believe that you can make 10s of thousands of dollars in just a few weeks or even days!
That’s rarely the case. Perseverance is the key to success.
James Waite
Founder of Remoteopia, James has worked in remote roles for 6 years. After a stint in recruitment, he now works as a director of website strategy in tech.
