Best Side Business Ideas for Full-Time Workers
You’re working almost 7 hours a day and earning a few bucks to fulfill your daily needs.
Although you meet both ends, it’s out of the question to even imagine flying across the world, exploring your life, and doing whatever you want without thinking about money.
But what if you can go on a vacation with your loved ones or family without dropping your bank balance. Imagine money rolling into your account without overworking as soon as you get out of bed.
Cool. Right?
And this is what exactly you can expect from side businesses while keeping your full-time job.
As of 2021, over 80 million, i.e., 34% of Americans, are side hustling. If you think starting a side hustle is competitive, let me tell you a thing. Still, 24% (61.1 million) of Americans plan to set up a side business in 2021.
Whooping numbers!
So, why do so many people side hustle? What’s that secret sauce that attracts people to start a new business despite having a pretty good 9-5 job?
The foremost reason for side hustling is to increase income. As per the Bankrate Survey, it’s reported that 45% of Americans earn $1,122 each month.
Suppose, assume, you earn $300 per week from your side hustle. Now, this amount sums up to $15,600 within 12 months.
The exciting thing is you’ve got a 100% downpayment for a house with this extra amount– What’s even fascinating is you’re left with some extra bucks.
Now, you can pay off your debts, save colossal money, and, most significantly, you can enjoy financial freedom. Whether you’re in your early twenties or late forties, setting up a side business is worth doing. Moreover, here’re a few more numbers to prove it.
What Are The Best Side Businesses To Start This Year?
You understood the importance of side hustling.
What’s next? Let’s dig out a few best side hustles. The best thing about these side gigs is you can work from anywhere. All you need is good internet.
So, if you’ve no idea about the most demanding side hustles, here’s a detailed list.
1. Freelance Writing
If you want to make a passive income with zero investment, freelance writing is your best choice. Since it neither requires any complex skills nor investment, it’s considered one of the coolest side gigs.
Usually, it’s vital to master persuasion, consumer psychology, storytelling, and a lot more to scale your writing career. But as a newbie, all you need to have is a good internet connection and excellent writing skills.
The most exciting thing about freelance writing is its flexibility. You can work from anywhere, anytime. Most people think freelance writing is limited to merely English.
In fact, businesses are searching for the best writers in their native languages, such as German, French, Portuguese, Hindi, Spanish, and a lot more.
Did you know a newbie writer makes $15 to $80 per hour on the popular freelancing platform Upwork? The most experienced writers charge over $100 per hour.
Best Freelance platforms: Fiverr, Upwork, Craigslist, BloggingPro, and Problogger.
Skills: Adaptability, Keen Researching, Communication Skills, Discipline, and Basics of SEO.
2. Graphic Design
It’s no surprise to say that there’s always a special room for graphic designers in a creative team. From a million-dollar SaaS company to teeny-tiny personal branding, every business craves expert graphic designers.
In general, if your current role is nearer to art directors, creative designers, and fine artists, choosing graphic design is a no-brainer choice.
Did you know 49% of SMBs rate graphic design as the most important element to business growth? Meanwhile, the annual basic pay for freelance graphic designers is around $58,614 as of 2021.
What’s even intriguing is the experienced designers garner over $100k per year. If you’re wondering what exactly graphic designers do, let me explain to you.
They’re involved in developing a brand identity. A few works include designing a logo, producing vivid and clean images for web development, brochures, pamphlets, and many more.
Best Freelance platforms:
Skills: Adobe Expertise in Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Design Aesthetics, Strategy, Storytelling, Problem Solving, Communication, and Idea Development.
3. UX Design
The rapid increase in digitalization opened up a space for various career opportunities. And UX designing is one of the hottest careers in the present era.
The “Tech Crunch” says consumers in 2020 downloaded 218 billion apps and spent almost 3.5 trillion minutes using merely Android apps.
Usually, UX design is the crucial differentiator of various digital products such as apps, websites, and even gaming. The digital product is of no use if it has poor UX design. This is why LinkedIn ranked UX design in the top 5 demand skills in 2020.
The #1 rule to establish your authority is to be as specific as possible. To become a successful UX designer, you should choose a niche like a web, app, game, or product design.
Also, pick out a profitable industry to work such as SaaS, healthcare, technology, gaming, or personal branding. Most people worry about getting less income when they narrow the services.
However, the more you narrow down your services, the more you can earn as people recognize you as an authority in that specific niche. New freelance UX designers charge $25 to $75 per hour.
Best Freelance platforms: Upwork, Toptal, Peopleperhour, Free;ancer.com, Fiverr, and Workingnotworking.
Skills: Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, User Researching/Persona Development, Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing, Information Architecture, Applicable Development.
4. Video Marketing
If you’re interested in videography or editing, it’s time to focus on video marketing. The incredible video consumption gave huge momentum to video marketers.
For instance, Business Insider stated that the total number of digital video viewers in the US is about 244.4M. This means 97.8% of US citizens(between 18 to 24 years old) are video consumers. On the other hand, 54% of consumers love watching videos from their favorite brands.
And seeing all these numbers, it’s no surprise that video marketing is booming and continues its swag even after a decade. So, what exactly is video marketing?
Video marketing is nothing but creating videos on YouTube, social media channels, or other platforms to engage with your audience and market the brand’s products. The annual income of video marketers ranges from $30K to over $90K.
Best Freelance platforms: MarketHire, Upwork, Freelancer.com, Truelancer, and Fiverr.
Skills: Understanding Customers, Marketing, Editing, and Visual Storytelling.
5. Blogging
People thought blogging was dead a couple of years ago. In fact, 68% of marketers believe blogging is more efficient than two years ago. Yeah, it’s still relevant to attract and engage customers.
People are making $30K each month from blogging alone. Of course, there are a few blogs without earning even a single cent.
Blogging is one of the overused words. Earlier, people set up a blog on popular CMS like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or Blogger. And fill the blog post with a distinct keyword without being concerned about the blog quality.
Now, the game has completely changed.
No one cares about a low-quality blog that only cares for search engine rankings. You need to provide high-quality content that empathizes with your readers and solves pain points.
Here’s the best way to earn huge bucks from blogging.
In general, there isn’t any limitation to your side money– The sky is your limit. You need to learn relevant blogging skills that help your clients grow 10X.
Best Freelance platforms: Fiverr, Upwork, Craigslist, BloggingPro, and Problogger.
Skills: Networking, Social Media, SEO, Writing, Communication, and Link Building.
Choose Your Ideal Side Hustle
So far, you have come across the importance of side gigs and various business ideas.
Now, it’s time to choose the most suitable hustle. There are tons of side business ideas. But how do you know whether the chosen business is an appropriate choice or not?
Don’t fret. Make sure you answer these questions before setting up a side business.
List out similar questions and try to answer all of them. This exercise gives you a deeper understanding of your passion, business ideas, and market demand.
Also, make sure you learn the relevant skills from prestigious and reliable online platforms like DAN Institute, Udemy, Skillshare, etc.
Although most people choose self-learning, having a mentor who’s already successful in your chosen career will help you reach your goals faster. So, always have a mentor to enjoy fruitful results within no time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best side business ideas for students?
Tutoring, mentoring, freelance writing, selling revision notes, and affiliate marketing are some of the best side business ideas for students.
What are the most profitable side hustles in 2022?
Selling an ebook, selling items on eBay, Etsy, or Amazon, remote teaching, web designing, web development, graphic designing, copywriting, and marketing are a few of the most profitable side hustles.
What side businesses don’t need an investment?
Several businesses don’t require zero investment. These include freelance writing, dog training, babysitting, blogging, editing, and proofreading.
