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5 Easy-to-Start Side Hustles for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Side hustles have become a go-to strategy for supplementing income and exploring passions. Starting up a venture can take time. Looking at low-cost startups without having to commit to a full-time endeavor is key for many.
Therefore, let’s cover five fairly-easy-to-start (let’s be real, nothing is “easy”) side hustles that require minimal upfront investment, provide flexibility, and have the potential for excellent returns. This is a simple overview of these 5 categories to get you started. Some research is helpful in being successful.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services for a commission. When someone purchases through your unique affiliate link, you earn a percentage of the sale.
How to Start:
- Choose a Niche: Focus on something you’re passionate about, like fitness, technology, or home decor. To really utilize this source of side hustle, niching down to something more specific is key. This will help in the SEO step later.
- Sign Up for Affiliate Programs: Platforms like Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or ClickBank offer beginner-friendly programs. However, be cautious of lower-end product issues by reading reviews and doing some research. Negative client experiences with low quality products can be rough on commissions through refunds.
- Create a Platform: Start a blog, website, or social media page to share your affiliate links and write compelling product reviews or how-to guides.
- Optimize for SEO: Use keywords that your target audience searches for to improve visibility. Utilize Google or a company, such as Semrush, to help identify search terms that stand out.
Why It’s Great:
Affiliate marketing can generate passive income once your content gains traction. With consistency and good content, it can become a significant revenue stream.
Learn more about Amazon’s Affiliate marketing program with this book [Amazon].
2. Party Equipment Rentals
What It Is:
This side hustle involves renting out party supplies, such as tables, chairs, decor, or specialty items like a dance floor or photo booth, for events. The great part of this service is that you an start small and build inventory with each rental.
How to Start:
- Invest in Key Items: Focus on in-demand items for your area. Tables and chairs are great starter rentals. These are needed year-round! Then, as you grow, add tents, decor, glassware, and more.
- Advertise Locally: Use social media platforms (market places are helpful), your local Chamber of Commerce, or event-planning websites and groups to get the word out.
- Offer Packages: Create bundled deals, like a photo booth with props and a backdrop, to appeal to clients.
- Provide Exceptional Service: Timely setup, cleanup, and excellent communication can lead to repeat business and referrals.
This is an area that I love, as a business owner. Depending on your location, this could be a great option for areas that are missing party rentals services. We launched our party rental business a couple of years ago and it has been an amazing experience. We are growing over approximately 20% annually over the year before!
Why It’s Great:
This hustle has a relatively low entry cost, and once you own the equipment, you can generate recurring income by reusing the same items.
Here are some starter ideas for products. This is where we started:
3. Etsy Shop Owner
What It Is:
Etsy is a marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique items. If you’re creative or crafty, selling your products here can be lucrative. It can take some time to build your store visits, dialing in keywords help drive customers to your shop. Unlike other shop-styled sites, Etsy has SEO and marketing to assist in driving customers to your store(s). This is where keyword research plays a vital role.
How to Start:
- Identify a Product: Find a niche in crafts, like handmade jewelry, custom home decor, print-on-demand, or digital products like printable planners. Try to narrow down your niche to help grow your store.
- Set Up Your Shop: Create an Etsy account and upload high-quality photos of your products with detailed descriptions. You can get 40 free listings when you set up your shop [HERE]
- Market Your Products: Use social media to promote your shop and encourage customer reviews. Pinterest and Instagram are great outlets for marketing. You can also create a blog site to direct to your Etsy shop!
- Refine Your Offerings: Track your best-selling items and consider expanding on those to maximize sales. *I have used my shop’s top sellers to create another product (think seasonal, personalized, or other creative mix) to create a new top seller from the original base of the original item. Doing this can help add traffic and more top sellers to your store.
Why It’s Great:
Etsy provides a ready-made audience of shoppers looking for unique items. With time and effort, you can turn this into a full-fledged business. If you find a good digital product or POD niche, the shop can be on autopilot, for the most part. Here’s a starting point if you decide to go with digital products:
Sell On Etsy With These Product Ideas and Commercial Templates
4. YouTube Vlogger
What It Is:
YouTube vlogging involves creating video content about a specific topic or your daily life and earning revenue through ad views, sponsorships, and affiliate links.
How to Start:
- Pick a Niche: Focus on something you’re knowledgeable about, such as parenting, tech reviews, or travel.
- Invest in Equipment: A good-quality camera, microphone, and basic editing software will suffice initially.
- Be Consistent: Upload videos regularly and interact with your audience through comments.
- Monetize: Once your channel meets YouTube’s requirements (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours), you can enable ads and explore sponsorship opportunities.
Why It’s Great:
This is a highly scalable hustle. Viral videos can significantly boost your income and open doors to collaborations or merchandise sales.
5. Content Creator
What It Is:
Content creators produce engaging material, such as blog posts, videos, or social media posts, for brands or their audiences. This can be done on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or your own blog.
How to Start:
- Define Your Focus: Pick a platform and niche that aligns with your interests and strengths.
Before creating content, decide what you want to focus on. Your niche should align with your passions and expertise while appealing to a specific audience. Some popular niches include:
- Lifestyle: Daily routines, home organization, or parenting hacks.
- Health and Wellness: Fitness tips, healthy recipes, or mental health advice.
- Technology: Gadget reviews, software tutorials, or coding tips.
- Travel: Destination guides, budgeting for trips, or local experiences.
- Fashion and Beauty: Makeup tutorials, style tips, or product reviews.
Having a defined niche will help you stand out and attract a loyal audience.
- Build a Portfolio: Share high-quality content showcasing your style and personality.
Your brand is what makes your content unique and memorable. Consider:
- Your Aesthetic: Use consistent colors, fonts, and visuals that reflect your niche.
- Your Voice: Whether you’re casual, professional, or humorous, your tone should resonate with your audience.
- Your Mission: Be clear about the value you’re offering, such as entertainment, education, or inspiration.
Create a logo, bio, and tagline that communicate your brand’s identity and purpose.
- Collaborate with Brands: Reach out to small businesses for partnerships or sign up for influencer marketing platforms like Aspire or Upfluence.
There are many ways to earn money as a content creator:
- Sponsored Posts: Partner with brands to promote their products or services.
- Affiliate Marketing: Share affiliate links in your posts, earning a commission for every sale made through your link.
- Ad Revenue: Platforms like YouTube and blogs allow you to earn money through ads.
- Sell Your Products: Create merchandise, e-books, or digital products that align with your niche.
- Memberships and Subscriptions: Platforms like Patreon or YouTube Memberships let your fans support you with monthly payments in exchange for exclusive content.
- Track Metrics: Brands love data, so monitor engagement rates and audience demographics.
Why It’s Great:
This side hustle can align with affiliate marketing and YouTube, allowing you to diversify your income streams and grow your personal brand.
Food For Thought:
Starting a side hustle can be a game-changer for financial freedom and personal fulfillment. Whether you prefer working behind the scenes or being in the spotlight, these five side hustles offer opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Dive in, stay consistent, and watch your side hustle flourish!
Note: one of the biggest suggestions I can offer to anyone starting out, is this: Be patient, know that it takes time to build. Once it takes off, it’s amazing. Build a strong foundation and research – research – research! It pays off!!!
~Cheers!