This pandemic has many of us bored out of our minds at home. Peoples’ mental health is at a near-all-time low (and remember, it’s ok not to be ok right now). For some folks though, now is the perfect time to get to work on that side hustle you’ve always been dreaming of but “never had time to start.” I’ve been super-inspired by all of the stories I’ve heard lately of friends and coworkers launching a new side hustle, and so today’s post will give you a few ideas on how to start a side hustle of your own.

Before we get into examples…

I’m going to give you a really basic framework that you might want to consider before hanging your shingle and announcing to the world that you’re in business. First, you need to consider your skills and interests.

Ideally, your side hustle hits the intersection of stuff you enjoy, stuff you’re good at, and stuff people are willing to pay for. For me, that’s copywriting. For you, it might be sewing and selling custom COVID masks. But if you check those three boxes, then congrats – you’ve got a viable side hustle idea!

Once you have that, the next thing you’ll need to think about is your business model. In other words, how are you going to offer your product or service and make money doing it? If you want to bake cupcakes, how will you get them into peoples’ hands? How will you take payment? Ho abuot if you offer a service?

I’ll cover off examples of online platforms that can help you monetize your side hustle in a later post. For now, here are a few examples of side hustle I’ve seen others starting that you can borrow for your own idea!

1) Sell your crafts online.

If you enjoy making crafts and are good at what you do, chances are there’s someone out there willing to pay you for it. Whether you knit, practice pottery, or use a 3D printer to create custom objects, you can use a website like Etsy to set up a virtual storefront and offer your crafts to the world.

I know friends and coworkers who offer everything from photographic prints, to coffee mugs, to COVID masks and more on the site, and all of them are earning an income doing something they enjoy.

2) Start a blog.

A blog is by no means a get-rich-quick scheme. While it can be a great passive income generator, it takes dedication, consistency, and writing skill to monetize a blog. Many blogs that look like overnight successes actually took years to get to that point!

That said, if you’re willing to put the work in, blogs can make you a ton of money. You can monetize through gated content, joining an ad network like Google AdSense, or becoming an affiliate and promoting products from another site, such as Amazon.

3) Launch a podcast.

If writing isn’t your thing but speaking is, you can always start a podcast. If you have something interesting to say and can make a series out of it, podcasting can be a great side hustle. You’ll need to invest in the right equipment in order to make sure your sound quality is up to par, but luckily that doesn’t have to break the bank.

If you’re looking to monetize your podcast, Patreon can be your best friend. The site allows listeners to subscribe to a monthly contribution to your work, in exchange for exclusive content, behind the scenes content, or just about anything else you want to reward them with!

4) Take up copywriting.

If you’d prefer to write for someone else without the hassle of managing your own website, there are plenty of sites out there that will pay you for your freelance writing skills. Upwork and GetaCopywriter.com are two that I’ve personally had success with, but there are definitely others out there!

5) Launch a YouTube channel.

I know a few friends who have started their own YouTube channels posting fitness and yoga videos. You can place ads on your videos to begin earning revenue from them; just be careful not to get too carried away, or you’ll lose followers.

This strategy pairs really well with Patreon; you can offer publicly-available content for free on YouTube with ads, and then offer ad-free content, additional videos ad so-on through Patreon for those willing to pay you directly.

Wrapping it Up

When it comes to starting a side hustle, there’s no time like the present. This lockdown has taken a great deal from us, but one thing many of us have been given is the gift of time. Use it to get started on that side hustle you’ve been dreaming about. You never know when another chance like this is going to come around!