- Life
Kate Streit Kate Streit
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These days, one job is often not enough. A side hustle can be a great way to get some extra money in your pocket and help you reach a variety of financial goals such as saving for a down payment on a home, getting out of debt, or just making some much needed extra cash.
More and more gigs are going virtual these days, and being able to work from the comfort of your own home is a major perk. If you’re looking for a side hustle that can be done virtually, you’re in luck, because there are plenty of ways to make a little extra dough without ever leaving your couch.
Whether you’re looking for a remote job to comply with stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic or you’ve just always dreamed of working in your pajamas, here are 10 great work-from-home side hustles you can try to make extra money this year.
1. English language teacher
Native English speakers who can teach foreign students the language are in high demand, and it can definitely be done online. According to David Bakke, employment and side gig expert at Dollar Sanity, many of these tutoring gigs do not require professional teaching expertise, though certified teachers will get access to a wider variety of positions. He suggests checking out a site like VIPKid, where you can sign up to teach English online for a rate of between $15 and $22 per hour.
2. Tutor
In addition to teaching English, tutors in a variety of subjects can also work remotely by utilizing technology like Zoom, Google Hangouts, or online webinar software such as webinarjam or Livestorm.
Again, educational professionals will likely have a better chance at snagging the tutoring jobs for students in specific academic subjects like math or science, but if you’re not one, you can also use your specialized skills and talents to tutor people in more diverse areas.
If you’re a tech whiz, you may be able to get a gig tutoring novices on the basics of coding. Love to play guitar? Share your talents with aspiring rockers by becoming a music tutor. You can sign up to offer tutoring services on Tutors.com, which notes that tutoring jobs are available to anyone with a high school diploma or GED.
3. Domain broker
Domain names cost money, and when you buy up generic domains and re-sell them, it makes for a sustainable passive income channel. The best part? You can dive in right away without any know-how or training.
“You can get started on it with minimal investment of time, effort, and money, and it does not require any special skills or experience,” says Christopher Liew, founder of Wealth Awesome.
He suggests buying up domain names and then listing them to sell for a profit on marketplace sites such as Afternic, Sedo, or GoDaddy.
4. Customer service agent
Customer service work naturally lends itself to be performed remotely, as it often takes place over the phone or online. You can find work-at-home customer service opportunities on sites like Remote.co and flexjobs.
5. Poshmark
While everyone’s stuck at home, many of us have found time to finally clean out our closets. If you’ve suddenly found yourself with a wardrobe’s worth of clothes you don’t wear anymore, consider selling your old threads on an app like Poshmark, which allows you to upload photos, write a brief description, and set the price.
From there, you drop off your sale items to a USPS mailbox or arrange for home pickup with a prepaid, pre-addressed label on the package.
6. Virtual assistant
Fetching coffee, picking up the dry cleaning, and light housework are some of the typical tasks you’d associate with a personal assistant. But there’s plenty that can be done from a distance as a virtual assistant as well—from managing email and calendars to paying bills online and organizing files in the cloud.
“Just because you work closely with someone, it doesn’t mean you have to be in their physical space,” says Sean Nguyen, director of Internet Advisor. “There is a lot of demand for part-time virtual assistants, and it’s perfect for someone who wants to work 10-20 hours a week at their side hustle.”
7. Content creator
“Everyone needs content—from blogs to websites to social media influencers,” says Nguyen, whose own business started as a side hustle. “If you can write, then there is a never-ending stream of content waiting for you.”
Through sites like Upwork and Fiverr, you can bid on freelance writing jobs on a per-assignment basis. Web content also frequently needs accompanying graphics, so these sites are also great places to find graphic design, illustration, and other art gigs.
8. Social media influencer
Speaking of social media influencers, why not take it one step further and become one yourself? If you’ve already got a decent Instagram following and a passion, you’re halfway there.
“Start by sharing your daily routine on YouTube and Instagram,” suggests Shayan Fatani, digital marketing specialist at PureVPN. “In these hard times, you may be surprised as to how many people actually connect with you. Gradually, you can work on the quality of your content by learning different camera tricks and content curation techniques.”
From pets to wine to luxury homes, there’s no shortage of niche interests that you can capitalize on as an influencer.
9. Amazon Mechanical Turk
Although a lot of tasks can be automated these days, sometimes a real live human is still needed. Amazon Mechanical Turk allows businesses to outsource tasks to a network of remote workers who do the jobs virtually. These jobs include everything from data validation to research to surveys, plus content moderation and more.
10. Etsy crafter
If you’re the crafty type, share your talents with the world and make some cash at the same time by launching your own Etsy shop. You’d be surprised by the super-specific niches you may be able to reach. This Etsy seller makes custom Guess Who? Games based on your favorite TV show, and this artist makes adorable ornaments that look exactly like your house.
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