Side hustles for busy people that you’ll actually enjoy
Happy side-hustlers align their side gigs to their interests and skills, and they generate enough money to make it worth their precious time. Burnout happens when too much time and effort is going into the venture and not enough money is being generated.
Before you start moonlighting as an Uber or Lyft driver, assess your current skills and any activities you’re already doing that could easily be transformed into an additional source of income and that you’ll actually enjoy.
Say that you’re already a writer, you could ghostwrite a book, or freelance your skills to publications that pay. Obsessed with minimalist spaces? Market yourself as the local decluttering expert and help others in your neighborhood purge their junk. Handy with home repairs? List an ad for your handy home services. Already a leadership coach at your day job? Offer your services for one-on-one coaching in your spare time.
Here are some of the easiest, fastest and most popular side hustles happening in my community, being done by those I’d consider to be extremely busy people.
Helping entrepreneurs use AI
Every business owner I know right now is looking to trim costs and grow revenues, and see how AI can help, whether it’s for translations and transcription or writing website content, making social media posts, creating unique images or helping to solve tricky digital code. Many business owners know AI is powerful, but they’re pulled in a million directions and don’t know where to start. If you’re great at using AI, put yourself out there through social media and in your professional network to see if you can acquire a client or two to support on an ongoing basis.
People, pet, house and stuff-minding
Your duties could be spending time with people or pets, walking or exercising, feeding, entertaining, cleaning and keeping things or people safe and secure. Whether it’s caring for a child, a dog, a home, a senior or so on, this side hustle can consume as much or as little time as you have. In an ideal situation you’ll be able to acquire a group of clients who live nearby which will allow you to optimize your time, while charging each of them the same rate. One of my students home-schools her kids in the day and provides before-and-after-school drop-off, pick-up and child care for other kids in the neighbourhood.
A riff off this idea is selling the use of your space such as letting neighbours store their things in your garage or park in your driveway — minimal work for you.
Yard sale, anyone?
If you’re already in spring cleaning mode, why not sell anything that is valuable — bikes, gardening equipment, fashion, baby or kid gear and so on. A student of mine took this concept one step further and has made a name for herself in her community helping people declutter, post items for sale and better organize their homes. Another member of my community organized a yard sale for multiple houses on her street and received a portion of all proceeds.
Freelancing and consulting services
From virtual assistant support to speech writing, professional consulting, photography, filming, writing and so much more. Oftentimes freelancing and consulting can be a bit more flexible in terms of hours, but has nice time-bound delivery dates for the work so it doesn’t drag on. Sites like Upwork and Fiverr make advertising freelance and consulting services extra easy in the event you don’t have clients yet.
Hobbies turned into money
Gardening, extreme sports, wood work, guided tours, driving, music or pastry-making lessons and more. If you’re a hobbyist, consider how you might be able to generate income. My retired neighbour used to work as a horticulturist and keeps an incredibly beautiful yet small city garden; she now assists people in our community with their garden planning. Could you teach local kids to play the ukulele or host outdoor military-style boot camps? The goal here is to have fun with your hobby and get paid in the process.
If more money is your main motivation for starting a side hustle, I’d also recommend seeing if you can get a raise and promotion at work, and start putting your name in the hat for higher-paying jobs.
Creating a basement suite for rental income or a business plan for your essential oils or body-care line takes time and more money. Put these big ideas on your road map for the future while you try to amp up your income today with some of these other methods.
This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.
