Photo by The pandemic put a greater strain than ever on household finance, which led many people to supplement their income elsewhere. Side hustles are perfect because they’re flexible, often fully freelance, and can easily be tailored around your lifestyle. There are lots of potential paths to take, but here’s a list of the most popular side hustles right now.
#1 eCommerce
eCommerce tops the list as a perennially popular side hustle that never seems to lose its appeal. That’s partly because it’s so malleable and can take so many forms. Sellers might start small, listing handmade collectables on Etsy or eBay. That’s usually enough to generate some income, especially if you leverage social media to advertise your products. You might even go direct, selling on Facebook or Instagram using the inbuilt shopping tools.
Depending on how much free time you have, it’s possible to take eCommerce to the next level using dropshipping. This simply means that you don’t hold any physical stock, which is shipped from a warehouse on your behalf. You’ll need to find a niche, design a store (sites like Shopify make this easy) and then advertise hard to get eyes on your products.
#2 Driving jobs
The popularity of driving jobs has boomed, and it’s easy to see why. Apps like Uber and Ola make it easier than ever to start picking up fares as a cab driver – using nothing but your own vehicle and a smartphone! Takeaway food apps like Just Eat and Deliveroo have had a similar effect. They’ve increased demand for drivers nearly to breaking point, which means that there’s always a job waiting for anybody who owns their own vehicle and is confident at navigating the road. These jobs are straightforward, and you can usually set your own hours.
Some drivers want to go further, though. In a quest to be truly freelance, they source their own delivery driver jobs using a platform like https://www.shiply.com/us/delivery-driver-jobs. These job boards list deliveries from private clients and individuals, giving drivers an enormous amount of freedom and choice. The benefits of being completely freelance are obvious. You control your schedule, when you work, and where. That, in essence, is why driving is such a popular side hustle.
#3 Blogging
Blogging isn’t, by definition, a side hustle. Many people blog purely for their own entertainment and don’t even think about monetization. If, however, you want to make a little extra cash from your blogs, there are quite a few ways to do it. Affiliate advertising is the most popular. This means joining an affiliate platform like Amazon and searching for products that you would like to recommend on your blog. You’ll receive a unique code, and whenever anybody makes a purchase based on your recommendation, you receive a cut.
Affiliate advertising is popular, but there are other ways to profit from a blog. Offering guest blogging spots on your site and even connecting a monetized YouTube channel can both generate some additional income. Just remember to be authentic and blog about something you love.