This post will go over the trending side hustle ideas that are centered around your talents, knowledge and experience. You are the secret sauce to your next side hustle business.
Starting a business online has never been easier, making it possible for people to have a full-time job while running a side hustle. The best kind of online side hustle is with a low startup cost, zero investment of inventory and fully automated so the business can run without you constantly overseeing it.
The side hustle ideas that incorporate all these components are side businesses centered around your talent, knowledge, or background. Side hustles with you being the secret sauce to the whole operation.
A side hustle could build credibility to your personal brand or be the first step of a career pivot if done successfully.
But how do you know which online side hustle idea is the right one for you?
This post will cover picking the right side hustle idea that aligns best with your talents, background, and experience. Plus, a list of ideas of how to put yourself out there.
How to Pick the Best Side Hustle Idea for You
Before we go over the most popular online side hustle ideas, let's take a moment to figure out what's your value proposition and your commitment to a side business.
Start by asking these key questions to yourself:
- What talent, knowledge, or background do I possess that people would want to pay for?
- How many hours can I dedicate to this side hustle every week?
- Do I need to make some quick money? Or am I OK with the side business taking time to ramp up to build an audience?
What Makes a Side Hustle a Success?
Two main factors make an online side hustle a success.
- You like and enjoy what you plan to do as a side hustle.
- You are (or can learn to be) comfortable with technology.
You are sacrificing your spare time for this online side business, so make sure you like doing what you do. There will be times when the business will challenge you, from learning how to market yourself to learning new technology.
So, which side hustle ideas are popular are in demand these days? Read further for the complete list.
1. Online Course Creator
This online side hustle idea has grown in popularity for the last few years because it offers easy access to knowledge and flexibility to learn at your own pace and schedule.
With the popular rise of watching videos online, people have been accustomed to learning from Youtube videos. But an online course dives deeper into a subject or breaks down a process into finer details.
If you are an expert by knowledge or trade and have proof to validate your expertise or results, this could be the side hustle for you.
Creating a course has a low barrier to entry because little to no upfront cost to set up, all of the content comes from you, and, in most cases, no need to build a website.
But before you sign-up, for an online platform to host your course.
Take a moment to go through these steps on becoming an online course creator:
- Do you have proof to show and share that you are a reliable source and instructor for this course? Social media posts, recommendations, pictures…
- Grab some post-its and break down each step of what you plan to teach from start to finish.
- Research courses with the same topic. Find out what the other courses are offering and ask yourself if your course can provide a better learning experience or outcome.
- Go back to your post-it notes to re-adjust or tweak if needed.
2. Selling Digital Products Online
What is a digital product? A product sold online that can be emailed via a downloadable file or digital attachment. The digital file can take form by printing the content, for example, guides or e-books.
Selling a digital product also has a lower barrier to entry. The time spent on creating the digital product will be your most significant investment to consider.
Here's a list of the most popular digital products sold online:
- Templates
- Fonts
- Planners
- Guides
- E-books
- Photography
- Music
- Illustrated graphics
Here are a few website platforms made for selling digital products:
3. Paid Newsletter
When you think of a newsletter, you may think of emails from your favorite store or brand, keeping you up to date with the latest news or products.
A paid newsletter is not the same. It's a daily or weekly email that delivers premium content that is valuable to the reader. The content takes a deeper dive into a subject that offers a unique perspective or insight that is not widely known, like behind-the-scenes knowledge.
If you enjoy writing about a specific industry, pop culture, the economy or politics, and have a decent size social media following, then offering a paid newsletter could be the right type of side hustle for you. Just make sure you have an interested and engaging audience willing to pay a subscription to your writing.
Learn more about paid newsletter platforms along with some interesting case studies here.
4. Sell Merchandise Online: Print-on-Demand
Do you have a witty sense of humor or the natural talent to create artwork? Have you ever thought of transforming your talent and placing it onto a t-shirt or mug? It's entirely possible with Print-on-Demand.
Printers have made leaps and bounds and have become highly advanced. You can print on almost anything, from cell phone cases to wall decals. Print-on-demand makes it possible to sell merchandise online without investing in inventory or renting warehouse space.
Print-on-demand companies take care of the production, orders, and shipping, making this side business a perfect setup for someone who still has a full-time job.
3 Key elements to set up a print on demand business:
- Digital files of artwork, graphics, or text
- An e-commerce website, like Shopify
- Print-on-demand companies like Printfy or Printful
Just make sure to research the POD companies by ordering a sample of each item to check the quality of the product and printing before you offer it on your website.
5. Online Coaching
If helping someone transform their personal or professional parts of their life is your jam, then online coaching is the right side hustle idea for you. Online coaching doesn't just apply to life coaching; there is coaching for almost anything you can think of.
- Career
- Business
- Social Media
- Health and Nutrition
- Fitness
- Education
These are very broad suggestions that you can narrow down even further in your expertise.
Google search the keywords used to describe your niche and add "coaching." you will find a list of websites to defer. You can use the same exercise and apply it to a LinkedIn or Pinterest search. You will find profiles and content from other coaches, giving you a better idea of who is in the same space and how you differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Things to consider for an online coaching side hustle:
- Get extremely clear and specific on the end result you will offer.
- Do not design the coaching to be open-ended; people want results within a specific time.
- Set up the programs with a set number of sessions or weeks
- Consider 1:1 sessions versus small group sessions
The same tip as course creation, be prepared to have social proof or validated results to back up your coaching.
6. Virtual Freelancing
Outsourcing, it's a business owner's secret weapon to getting things done. Small businesses don't always have the financial resources to hire a full-time position, and most business needs are project-based.
Platforms like Upwork, Design Hill, and LinkedIn Pro help connect freelance providers with clients who need help. You can either bid on a project or rely on your profile and portfolio to speak for themselves by having clients come to you.
In-take forms on these platforms are designed to gather all of the key information of the project: scope, timeline expectation, cost, or spend. It limits the possibility of any misinformation or miscommunication that can happen without using a third-party platform.
As a beginner, it's best to use a freelancing platform to help get discovered and vet out clients and projects. You can choose projects that align with your technical abilities and schedule. A side hustle idea that works for you instead of you working for it.
7. Private Online Community leader
What is a private online community? Put together an online course, newsletters, and coaching rolled up into one, and you have an online private community through membership pricing.
This side hustle idea is not for the beginner side hustler. This side hustle idea is for the advanced side hustler who has experienced the success of creating a course, online coaching, and has a community of followers.
Starting a private online community has become easier to launch with membership-based platforms like Mighty Networks, Kajabi, and Podia. These platforms can also host online courses, making it possible for participants of the course to transition into becoming a member.
Memberships include exclusive content, access to virtual events, and the opportunity to network with other members.
A thriving private online community would embody highly engaged and supportive members interacting with one another.
Keep the membership low enough to create exclusivity and manageability. When membership count starts to rise, you may not be in the side hustle category anymore.
So, there you have it! 7 side hustle ideas that are all centered around your talents, strengths and abilities. You could be the answer to your side business endeavors.
This is one of many articles of the Create Your Opportunities series. Make sure to subscribe to the email list so you won’t miss out on the next article for the series.
