7 Side Hustles for Beginners
7 Side Hustles for Beginners
We’re giving you 7 Side Hustles for Beginners. Are you interested in side hustles and looking for an easy way to earn extra money? Side hustles that anyone can do?
These seven beginner-friendly side hustles require no special skills and little or no experience and can help you earn between a few hundred and thousands of dollars a month.
Side hustles are a great way to earn extra income because they offer:
- Financial Security – They provide an additional income stream, reducing reliance on a single paycheck.
- Flexibility – Most side hustles allow you to work on your schedule.
- Skill Development – You can learn new skills that may help your career or future business.
- Scalability – Many side hustles have the potential to grow into full-time businesses.
- Low Startup Costs – Many side hustles require minimal investment to get started.
- Diversification – You can test different industries and revenue streams to see what works best.
Here are 7 Side Hustles for Beginners
1. Reselling Returned Furniture using Sharetown
Sharetown hires local reps to pick up returned furniture from online companies (such as mattresses that can’t be repackaged). The rep lists these items on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist and shares profits with Sharetown. According to Sharetown, they are the nation’s leading oversized returns management solution.
Requirements: A pickup truck or SUV, an online application, time to list and sell items, and a place to store items.
Potential Earnings: $800/day to $1,500–$4,000 monthly.
2. Amazon Product Arbitrage
Amazon product arbitrage is one of the easiest ways to make money online. It involves buying products at a lower price from retail stores (like Walmart, Target, or clearance sections) and reselling them on Amazon for a profit.
This side hustle is ideal for people who enjoy bargain hunting and looking for deals.
- If you’re open to shopping for deals, this is a quick way to turn profits by reselling.
- Startup Cost? Medium – Requires initial purchases but no inventory storage if using Amazon FBA.
- Earnings? It can be a full-time business if appropriately scaled.
How to Get Started:
- Use the Amazon Seller app to scan barcodes and check for profitable price differences.
- Start small by sourcing discounted or clearance items from local stores.
- List your products on Amazon and use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to handle shipping and customer service.
This method requires some upfront investment but can be highly profitable once you understand product trends and market demand.
- Buying discounted name-brand products from stores like TJ Maxx, Walmart, and Marshalls.
- Using an Amazon barcode scanner app to compare prices and find profitable items.
- Reselling on Amazon for a profit.
- Earnings potential: Some people make six figures annually.
- Ideal for: People who enjoy bargain hunting.
3. Craigslist Flipping
Flipping items on Craigslist (or Facebook Marketplace) is a simple but effective way to make extra income. Many people give away or sell items at a steep discount because they need to get rid of them quickly. You can take advantage of this by reselling them for a profit.
Steps to Make Money Flipping:
- Look for free or undervalued items in categories like furniture, electronics, or tools on Craigslist.
- Clean, repair, or refurbish items to increase their value.
- List them for a higher price on Craigslist, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or OfferUp.
This strategy works best if you have storage space and a knack for spotting valuable items.
4. Finding Contract Work on Indeed
If you have professional skills, you can find contract or freelance work through job boards like Indeed, Upwork, or Fiverr. Companies frequently hire independent contractors for writing, graphic design, customer support, and virtual assistance tasks.
How to Get Started:
- Create a professional resume and portfolio showcasing your skills.
- Search for contract-based jobs in your field on Indeed or LinkedIn. Use keywords like “contract” or “gig work.”
- Suitable for: People looking for flexible side income without starting a business.
- Apply to multiple opportunities and negotiate competitive pay.
This method is excellent for people who prefer a steady income stream without committing to a full-time job.
5. Print-on-Demand with Etsy and Printful
If you have a creative side, selling custom-designed merchandise through print-on-demand services can be a great way to earn passive income. Platforms like Etsy, Printful, and Redbubble allow you to sell t-shirts, mugs, posters, and more—without handling inventory or shipping.
Steps to Make Money with Print-on-Demand:
- Create original designs, slogans, or artwork that appeal to a niche market.
- Upload your designs to Etsy and connect your store with Printful or Printify.
- When a customer orders, Printful automatically prints and ships the product, and you keep the profit.
This is an excellent passive income stream for graphic designers and artists.
6. Monetizing Your Passion (Content Creation)
Become a Content Creator by creating content (YouTube videos, Instagram posts, Facebook groups, etc.) around a specific niche of interest (e.g., Pokémon cards, dance, or triathlons).
Once a following is built, revenue can come from ads, affiliate marketing, or product sales.
Steps to Make Money with Print-on-Demand:
- Create original designs, slogans, or artwork that appeal to a niche market.
- Upload your designs to Etsy and connect your store with Printful or Printify.
- When a customer orders, Printful automatically prints and ships the product, and you keep the profit.
This is an excellent passive income stream for graphic designers and artists.
- Requirements: Consistent content creation and audience engagement.
- Potential Earnings: Long-term strategy; earnings grow as the audience increases.
7. Home Services Business
Turning your skill or passion into a home-based business can be highly rewarding.
Offer simple home services like junk removal, lawn care, window washing, or carpet cleaning. Growth potential includes hiring contractors to complete jobs while managing operations.
There are countless ways to generate income from home, including home services like junk removal, lawn care, window washing, carpet cleaning, baking, tutoring, handmade crafts, or consulting services.
How to Launch Your Home-Based Business:
- Identify a profitable niche based on your skills and experience.
- Set up a simple website or social media page to attract clients.
- Market your services through word-of-mouth, local advertising, or social media ads.
Some other popular home-based business ideas include virtual assistant work, bookkeeping, pet sitting, and online coaching.
- Requirements: Create a simple flyer with a personal touch, promote services locally, and possibly contract others for work.
- Potential Earnings: Can start at $100–$500 per day, with growth potential into a full
Narrowing Down Your Side Hustle Options
Let’s narrow down the best side hustle for you by considering a few key factors: your interests, schedule, resources, and goals. Please answer these questions:
- Do you have access to a vehicle? (This is useful for tasks like Craigslist flipping.)
- How many hours can you commit per week? Are you looking for flexibility or structure?
- Do you prefer face-to-face work or online tasks?
- Are you into creative or hands-on work?
- Are you seeking quick cash or long-term projects?
- Vehicle & Transportation
- Have a vehicle (pickup truck/SUV)?
- Options:
- Sharetown (Furniture Return Resale): A vehicle is required to pick up items.
- Craigslist Flipping: Often involves collecting bulky or heavy items.
- Home Services: Certain services like junk removal or lawn care may benefit from having transportation.
- Options:
- Have a vehicle (pickup truck/SUV)?
1. What Resources Do You Have?
- Access to a Computer/Smartphone & Internet
- Options:
- Amazon Product Arbitrage: You’ll need a smartphone for barcode scanning and a computer for managing sales.
- Printful + Etsy (Print-on-Demand): Requires design work (using tools like Canva) and managing an online shop.
- Monetizing Your Passion: Creating content on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook requires consistent internet access.
- Options:
2. How Much Time Can You Commit?
- Flexible, On-Demand Tasks
- Options:
- Contract Work via Indeed: You can search for part-time or freelance gigs that fit your schedule.
- Craigslist Flipping: This can be done on weekends or whenever you have spare time.
- Options:
- Long-Term, Consistent Effort
- Options:
- Monetizing Your Passion: Building an audience takes time and consistent effort but can pay off in the long run.
- Printful + Etsy: Setting up your designs and shop is an initial investment of time with potentially ongoing, passive income.
- Options:
3. What Type of Work Do You Prefer?
- Hands-On, In-Person Work
- Options:
- Sharetown & Craigslist Flipping: Involve physical pick-ups, repairs, and in-person transactions.
- Home Services: Directly helping your neighbors with tasks like lawn care, window cleaning, or junk removal.
- Options:
- Online, Digital, or Creative Work
- Options:
- Amazon Product Arbitrage: Involves online research and sales.
- Printful + Etsy: Focuses on design and online marketing.
- Monetizing Your Passion: Involves creating content, building a social media presence, or blogging/vlogging.
- Options:
- Variety & Flexibility
- Options:
- Contract Work via Indeed: Offers a range of tasks across different industries (from delivery driving to office assistance), so you can pick something that fits your mood or skillset for the day.
- Options:
4. What Are Your Financial Goals?
- Quick Cash & Immediate Returns
- Options:
- Sharetown & Craigslist Flipping: Often offer immediate income once you make a sale.
- Contract Work via Indeed: Can provide a steady daily or weekly income.
- Options:
- Building a Scalable Business
- Options:
- Amazon Product Arbitrage: Has the potential for significant earnings as you scale up.
- Monetizing Your Passion: While it’s a long-term play, the earning potential can be huge once you have an audience.
- Home Services: Outsourcing work offers an opportunity to start small and eventually scale.
- Options:
A Quick Decision Guide
- If you have a reliable vehicle and enjoy hands-on work:
- Consider:
- Sharetown
- Craigslist Flipping
- Home Services
- Consider:
- If you prefer digital/online work and are creative:
- Consider:
- Amazon Product Arbitrage
- Printful + Etsy
- Monetizing Your Passion
- Consider:
- If you’re looking for flexibility and a variety of gigs:
- Consider:
- Contract Work via Indeed
- Consider:
Next Steps:
- Reflect on Your Situation:
- Which resources do you currently have?
- How many hours per week can you realistically dedicate?
- Do you enjoy face-to-face interactions or prefer working from behind a screen?
- Are you aiming for quick, steady cash flow, or are you interested in building something that might grow over time?
- Research a Bit More:
- Look into some standout options and see what initial steps are required (e.g., signing up for an Amazon seller account, researching local demand for home services, or testing out a simple design on Canva for Etsy).
- Test the Waters:
- Start small with one side hustle and see how it fits your lifestyle and goals. As you learn what works best, pivot or expand into another area.
- Time Commitment – Do you want something flexible or structured?
- Upfront Investment – Are you okay with some startup costs or prefer little to no investment?
- Skills & Interests – Do you have specific skills (e.g., design, sales, marketing), or are you open to learning?
- Earning Potential – Are you looking for quick cash or something that can grow into an entire business?
Final Thoughts
Making extra income doesn’t have to be complicated. Many opportunities are available if you prefer online selling, freelancing, or launching a home-based business. The key is to start small, stay consistent, and scale up over time.
Download a copy of my free ebook ‘40 Side Hustle Income Ideas‘.
