34 Side Hustles You Can Start from Your Living Room
Making extra money doesn't have to mean picking up shifts at the local coffee shop. The internet has opened up countless opportunities to earn income from home, and many require nothing more than your existing skills and a laptop. Whether you're looking to pay off debt, save for vacation, or build toward financial independence, these side hustles offer flexible ways to boost your income.
Some of these opportunities require minimal startup costs and can be launched quickly, while others need more time and investment to get rolling. Here's a comprehensive look at proven ways people are earning extra cash online.
Content Creation and Digital Services
Blogging
Think blogging died in 2010? Think again. Thousands of people are building profitable blogs across every topic imaginable - from travel and cooking to business strategy and personal finance. The key is understanding that successful blogs become real businesses through multiple revenue streams including sponsored content, affiliate partnerships, email marketing, and product sales.
Getting started means handling the technical setup quickly (platforms like Bluehost make this simple with WordPress), then focusing on what matters most: understanding your readers and consistently creating content they value. Once you build a community around your blog, you can monetize by truly understanding what your audience wants and delivering it.
Graphic Design
You don't need formal design training to start earning from graphic design. Tools like Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and Stencil have made it possible for anyone with creativity and basic computer skills to create sellable designs.
Start by adding motivational quotes to your designs and selling them as posters on Etsy. You can also reach out to local small businesses, startups, or photographers who need help with image creation and editing. Build your skills through online tutorials and courses while you're earning your first dollars.
Web Design
Web designers are essential to tech companies, making freelance web design a hot business opportunity. This field involves creating beautiful, user-friendly experiences for websites and applications.
New websites launch daily, creating steady demand for professional design work. If you're considering this path, platforms like Udemy offer comprehensive courses that can teach you everything needed to earn your first income as a freelance web designer.
Web Development
Web developers possess highly sought-after skills. You can learn the basics relatively quickly through affordable online programs on Udemy, Treehouse, Codecademy, and similar platforms.
Once you know JavaScript, Ruby, HTML, CSS, or Python, you can start this side business while keeping your day job and building your portfolio. As you gain experience and develop relationships, you can eventually transition this into full-time work.
Online Course Creation
Monetizing your existing skills is a popular trend among successful side hustlers. If you're skilled at something, there are likely thousands of people online willing to pay to learn from you.
Transform your expertise into online courses that teach others to achieve similar results in their businesses, careers, or personal lives. Platforms like Udemy provide the marketplace, while Teachable offers the most user-friendly platform for hosting, creating, and selling your courses. They also provide free educational resources to help you get started immediately.
eBook Writing
Package your knowledge into downloadable eBooks that provide value to people looking to advance their careers, learn new skills, or start businesses. This creates a powerful value proposition when targeted to the right audience.
Put significant effort into developing quality content and building your readership. Success here can open doors to traditional publishing deals, allowing you to write authoritative books in your field and build your personal brand.
Social Media and Marketing
Instagram Marketing
Build a substantial following on Instagram, and companies will start approaching you to promote their products and services related to your content niche. This opens up numerous monetization opportunities.
With proper marketing skills and a large follower base, you can charge anywhere from $400 to $7,000 or more per sponsored post, making this an extremely viable income source. Once you gain popularity, streamline your workflow by scheduling posts from your computer rather than constantly uploading from your phone.
Online Coaching
If you have expertise in something you're passionate about, transform this combination into one-on-one online coaching services. Just make sure to implement proper client management systems so you don't get stuck working with people you can't effectively help.
Beyond experience and skills, successful online coaching involves building a community around your services and establishing trust with members. Community members also learn from each other over time. Create this space easily through private Facebook groups or community platforms like Ning.com, which offer additional features like custom designs, branded URLs, and internal forums.
Podcasting
Develop an audience for your podcast on a specific topic, and you'll have an excellent way to attract sponsors and monetize your content. Having an existing online audience helps launch your podcast, but many people have built successful podcasting businesses from scratch.
Consistency and valuable content are key to growing your listener base and attracting sponsorship opportunities.
Social Media Management
Most of us spend significant time scrolling through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram anyway - why not get paid for it? Many businesses, especially those in travel and retail, plus influencers, maintain large social media presences and constantly need skilled managers.
Find these opportunities on CareerBuilder and FlexJobs, where most employers prefer working with people offering this as a side service. As you grow, you can expand into additional services like running profitable contests and managing high-converting Facebook ad campaigns.
Building your own social following and personal brand opens up numerous opportunities and can help transition this side hustle into full-time work.
E-commerce and Sales
Amazon Reselling
Anyone can sell products on Amazon if they can source items to resell or buy products at low prices. If you're someone who hits garage sales every weekend, you'll find plenty of valuable items to resell online.
For advanced Amazon selling strategies, check out comprehensive guides on retail arbitrage that feature interviews with successful sellers who've built this into profitable income streams.
Drop-Shipping
This method lets you earn extra money without handling shipping and packaging, though you'll need to create a website to manage transactions efficiently.
Here's how it works: You list products on platforms like eBay at marked-up prices. For example, list a computer keyboard for $20 that your drop-shipping supplier sells for $15. When someone buys it, you send the buyer's information to your supplier along with the $15, keeping the $5 difference.
The supplier ships directly to your customer. You could have 20-30 similar items listed and make $200 or more with minimal effort. Listing items on eBay is straightforward - you can list 10 different items in under an hour.
Watchmen Advisors provides free lists of verified drop-shipping suppliers across categories like electronics, health and fitness, sporting goods, collectibles, and automotive. Simply complete their form to access complete supplier lists for your chosen categories.
Affiliate Marketing
If you already have a website generating targeted traffic, affiliate marketing offers an excellent way to create passive income from your existing content.
Multiple affiliate networks and tools can help you monetize your content, increasing your side hustle income:
Popular Affiliate Networks:
- Amazon: Offers 4% commissions (higher for high-volume sellers) on everything from audiobooks and clothing to car parts and kitchen tools
- Rakuten: Formerly Linkshare, this aggregator lets you promote products from companies like Starbucks, iTunes, and Walmart (thousands of Walmart products available)
- ClickBank: Offers high commissions on information products like fitness systems and recipe guides. Also provides advice on which products have high online demand
- JVZoo: Focuses on make-money-online information products. Past popular products include Onesoci Platinum and WP Fan Machine
- ShareASale: Provides opportunities to promote products from over 3,000 different companies, including specialty businesses like Eco Lunchbox and One Kings Lane
The beauty of affiliate marketing is you can work with multiple networks simultaneously, selecting products from each that you want to promote and creating an ideal product mix.
Etsy Sales
Are you talented at creating handmade items like jewelry, phone cases, or furniture? Etsy is one of the world's largest independent marketplaces, perfect for creative individuals who enjoy selling their handcrafted products.
With adequate workspace, this could become one of your best side hustles with minimal initial investment. Focus first on developing your brand and audience. Once established, you can launch an e-commerce website and keep larger portions of your sales profits.
eBay Sales
Like Amazon, eBay lets you sell almost anything you can think of. The added excitement of auction-style selling can help you earn more than expected for items found at local fairs and sales.
Transform eBay selling into a profitable side hustle by finding opportunities to buy in-demand items cheaply and sell them at higher prices. Use lessons learned from eBay selling to eventually develop a full e-commerce business or blog.
Service-Based Opportunities
Virtual Assistant Work
If you love staying organized and can handle multiple tasks efficiently, try virtual assistant work. Find excellent opportunities on Upwork and Fiverr.
This provides great networking opportunities with important people while helping you develop in-demand skills like creating VR videos and GIFs. Since you can start this during spare time, it's perfect for earning extra income after your regular job hours.
Remote English Tutoring
Teaching English as a second language opens doors to explore other parts of the world if desired. While ESL certification helps, being a native English speaker is often sufficient - people in countries like the UAE and China will pay $20+ per hour for English tutoring via Skype.
Learn4Good, Indeed, and Remote.co regularly post remote English tutoring opportunities. Once you land remote work, you'll need a professional teaching environment rather than your dining room. The flexibility to choose jobs that fit your schedule makes this an attractive side hustle.
Google Ads Specialist
If you understand paid online marketing and can navigate Google effectively, freelance Google Ads management offers excellent earning potential. Sign contracts to manage company Google Ad campaigns and gradually build your consulting business by adding more clients.
Make sure you're up-to-date on industry terminology and business language in online marketing before launching this side hustle.
Landing Page Expert
If you're skilled with words and can create beautifully structured, SEO-optimized landing pages, turn this into a side business by charging other organizations for your services.
Even short landing pages command decent money in the right situations, and knowing how to pitch effectively can significantly increase your earnings.
Freelance Services
Writing and Editing
As long as written content exists, editors will too. Freelance proofreading and editing not only provide reasonable hourly income but also offer opportunities to read about interesting topics. Building a business in freelance editing and writing can provide a lifestyle that allows global travel as a digital professional.
Find numerous opportunities from individuals and organizations needing editing, proofreading, and writing services on Upwork, making this a highly demanded side hustle.
Data Analysis
Do you have a talent for numbers? Many organizations need contractors skilled in data analysis, making this a viable side hustle if you have appropriate experience and credentials.
Platforms like Digiserved and Upwork are among many sites perfect for freelancers skilled in analytics looking for additional spare-time work.
Copywriting
Most website owners hire copywriters for content like FAQ pages, about pages, and blog posts. Beginning copywriters don't command high hourly rates, but with experience and a growing portfolio, you can become a successful freelance writer charging more than your full-time job pays by finding the right clients and positioning yourself professionally.
Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting can be highly lucrative. If you're skilled at research and creating excellent content in specific niches, you can quickly build a high-paying client base. Many ghostwriters have established profitable businesses writing for CEOs and business executives.
It takes considerable work to reach full-time income levels from ghostwriting, but persistence and learning from setbacks will lead to success.
Creative and Technical Services
Fiverr Gigs
Fiverr is excellent for beginning freelancers who lack extensive experience but want to build work portfolios. You can complete simple tasks like creating animations or logo designs.
How to Earn on Fiverr:
The platform eliminates price negotiation - you can sell any service for five dollars. To make money at this price point, focus on speed. If you need five hours to create a logo, Fiverr isn't right for you.
Aim to complete 4+ gigs per hour. Instead of earning just $5, you'll make $20+ hourly.
Increase earnings by offering service add-ons. Your basic service might be logo creation, but offer additional services for extra charges. You might include one free revision but charge $5+ for additional revisions.
Successful Fiverr sellers recommend choosing and mastering one service, building skills essential for delivery, understanding your target market, and promoting your gigs through all available means.
While this won't make you wealthy initially, it can provide funding for your next business idea if you become a top-rated seller with recurring sales.
Voice-Over Work
If you have a great, unique voice, various digital publishers including training video creators, animated film producers, and game developers will pay well for voice talent. The time commitment is reasonable, making this an excellent side hustle.
Find publishers seeking voice-over artists on Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork, as well as through direct website inquiries or voiceover agents. Be prepared for significant competition in this industry.
Chrome Extension Development
With over 50,000 paid and free extensions in Google Chrome's marketplace, there's substantial opportunity to develop useful extensions for internet users as a low-effort business idea.
Chrome has extensions for countless purposes, so you're sure to find unfilled needs. This side hustle is particularly valuable because it showcases your development skills. Beyond launching Chrome extensions, you can also offer extension development on a freelance basis.
Custom Software Development
Software is crucial in today's business world. Companies and individuals constantly seek ways to establish themselves, earn profits, or simply get things accomplished. This creates more opportunities for software developers than most other professions, with huge future potential for this side hustle.
You won't need much time to find well-paying software development projects on platforms like Freelancer, Guru.com, and Upwork. Even LinkedIn launched ProFinder, their freelancing platform with a dedicated section for hiring skilled software developers.
Specialized Opportunities
Brand Ambassador Work
You can actually earn money representing favorite brands at events worldwide. If you have an outgoing, friendly personality and perhaps decent social media following, you can build brand ambassador relationships with organizations needing to reach people in your area.
As a brand ambassador, activities range from showcasing new technology to traveling the world on tours to distributing free items at music festivals.
Depending on the opportunity, you can earn $20-$100+ per hour. Start this side hustle by joining Brand Ambassador Facebook groups for your nearest major city.
Once approved for group membership, you'll access daily job postings from major agencies and brands with local openings. Simply submit your headshot and resume to apply.
Transcription Services
Journalists and nonfiction writers often record hours of interviews but lack time for transcription. With internet connectivity, they can email digital audio files to transcribers who listen, type, and return completed transcriptions via email.
Required Skills:
- Stable internet connection
- Fast, accurate typing ability
- Quality headset for clear audio understanding
- Patience (some interviews are difficult to understand, requiring multiple listens)
Expected Earnings:
Depending on typing speed and assignment types, earn $5-$50 per hour. VerbalInk offers new transcribers $1.50 per minute - a 20-minute interview pays $30. They pay more for multiple speakers, background noise, or heavy accents.
Finding Work:
Beyond VerbalInk, check out Scribe (medical focus) and Upwork. One advantage of interview transcription is working as little or as much as desired. Some do this part-time to supplement regular income while others make it full-time work.
You can also contact local TV stations, newspapers, and magazines directly. For expanded opportunities, visit author and publisher websites to find contact information and offer your services.
Online Dating Consultant
Some people struggle with dating so much they avoid the app-based aspects entirely. If you're skilled with words, leverage this into becoming a paid matchmaker. Many people will gladly pay for this service.
WordPress Consultant
Many small businesses start their web presence with WordPress before moving to more comprehensive solutions. Many will pay substantial amounts for help setting up their online business presence.
If you're patient enough to learn these skills yourself, it becomes valuable expertise you can monetize as a side hustle. This is especially true if you join affiliate programs with companies like Kinsta, who offer managed WordPress hosting plans and pay commissions for customers you refer.
Skills gained from this side hustle also enable you to create other valuable website projects that generate decent income.
Survey and Opinion Platforms
Online Surveys
While not mentally stimulating, online surveys can generate decent side income. Companies like Survey Junkie pay cash for completed surveys. Other sites like Swagbucks pay well through Amazon gift cards.
Complete surveys during spare time to earn extra money alongside other activities.
Popular Platforms:
Swagbucks: Pays rewards and gift cards for taking surveys, watching videos, and shopping at favorite stores. Has paid members over $100 million and costs nothing to join. Earn points for activities you already do online - answering polls, shopping, web surfing, and playing games - then redeem points for gift cards.
Opinion Outpost: More focused than Swagbucks, offering rewards and cash for completing online surveys. Accumulate points after completing surveys, redeemable for cash or gift vouchers to popular brands. Free signup provides access to paid surveys on topics like sports, appliances, or medicine. Offers quarterly prize draws up to $10,000.
Product Creation and Sales
T-Shirt Sales via Teespring
T-shirts can create profitable side hustles earning money while you sleep. TeeSpring provides an excellent platform for this.
Marketing Your Designs:
Your t-shirts won't sell themselves - notify friends and family about designs through social media and email. For niche markets, consider purchasing ads. Customers aren't charged until campaigns reach sales objectives.
Making Money on Teespring:
Use Teeview to see current campaigns and successful shirt designs. Sort campaigns by sales numbers or search for viable options. Keep designs simple and leverage trending topics like popular celebrities, TV shows, or sporting events.
If you're not an experienced designer, hire professionals on Upwork or Fiverr. Offer color and style options so customers can choose preferences. When starting, don't set sales goals too high - aim for 5-10 sales if you have minimal traffic and advertising budget.
App Development
While it might seem there's an app for everything, new ones appear daily and sell for substantial amounts. If you find an unoccupied niche and can learn coding skills (or know someone who has them), this could be an excellent business opportunity.
You can now build apps without coding skills at all - just ensure your app idea is validated before investing too much time and money.
Even if your app doesn't become a top seller, you'll gain valuable skills in the process.
Patent Development
This isn't suitable for everyone, but you don't need to invent flying chairs to make good money from patented ideas. Just ensure you can affordably produce your idea to avoid legal issues later.
Domain Name Trading
Domain name trading has existed for years. While many popular names are taken, plenty of others can be purchased cheaply and brokered as a side hustle.
Note that some professionals question this business model's longevity, so don't quit your full-time job to focus entirely on domain trading.
Media and Content
YouTube Channel Creation
If you enjoy spending time on YouTube, you can create a viable side hustle by taking content creation seriously. Develop entertaining, valuable content and grow your viewer and subscriber base to reasonable numbers, and your videos can generate decent income from advertising.
Many YouTube creators earn substantial yearly income, so there's significant potential to transform this side hustle into a high-paying business with the right combination of skills, timing, content, audience, and relationships.
If you're considering starting a YouTube channel, use best practices when creating videos. Consider investing in quality microphones and cameras since production quality directly impacts viewership.
Online News Correspondent
Today's journalism doesn't require a journalism degree. Many news sites need coverage help in various locations. Sites like HuffPost and The Examiner pay contributors based on ad revenue generated per article, creating excellent incentives to provide engaging content as a side hustle.
Advanced Strategies
Online Subcontracting
Once you become established in various freelance verticals online, spend time making inside sales like booking high-paying freelance contracts with clients, then subcontract work to other freelancers. This allows you to build clientele while generating revenue through this side hustle.
Content Marketing Services
Startups, major influencers, and established brands constantly need to build credibility and develop their brands. Professionals who consistently provide engaging content benefit from massive demand for their services. Since brands always need high-quality content to attract new customers, your skills become essential assets as content marketing strategies continuously evolve.
Start by leveraging your existing network and locate small business owners who would find your marketing strategies valuable. Do excellent work, request referrals, and grow from there to reach broader markets.
Freelance eBook Writing
If you've always wanted to publish your own book, now is the perfect time to start. Self-publishing marketplaces and tools have never been more affordable and accessible.
Currently, some eBook writers earn substantial money from eBooks while maintaining their full-time jobs.
Niche Website Development
If you can find an audience for your hobby or passion, you're ready to monetize something you enjoy through niche sites. This is easier said than done and isn't suitable for everyone.
You must be prepared to invest significant time, but if you can handle potential setbacks and answer crucial questions about website profitability before you start building, this can be rewarding.
Website Investment
Websites are similar to stocks - some are worthless, but others can generate value on your behalf, making this a great side hustle if you can spot valuable opportunities. Like stocks, websites are bought and sold regularly.
Buy and sell websites hoping to generate future earnings based on current revenue, domain names, and other factors that may represent hidden income sources others haven't recognized.
If this interests you, explore marketplaces like Flipping Enterprises and Flippa.
Getting Started
The key to success with any side hustle is starting with something that matches your existing skills and interests. Don't try to do everything at once - pick one or two opportunities that excite you most and focus on building them consistently.
Remember that most successful side hustles start small and grow over time. The income might be modest initially, but persistence and continuous improvement can turn many of these opportunities into substantial revenue sources or even full-time businesses.
Whether you choose content creation, service-based work, e-commerce, or specialized skills, the most important step is simply getting started. Pick an opportunity that resonates with you and take action today.
