You might be surprised to know that some small businesses have a relatively low start up cost.

Also, consider: what are you passionate about? What comes easy to you? What subjects do people ask your advice on?

Before reading through different business ideas for women, consider the steps to walk through:

Here are some business ideas to start you brainstorming!

1. Beauty Products

• 

  Beauty Products

  • Pros: You get to help people with skin problems or insecurities.
  • Cons: Sometimes filling up orders can give you a late night.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    You can develop your own product or you can start your own beauty business with another company’s products.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy beauty and are natural at sales.

Knock, knock! It’s the Avon lady!

If you sell beauty products, you can benefit people who struggle with eczema, dry skin, or acne, and then rejoice with them when your products clear the issue away. You can also help them beautify themselves and gain more confidence.

One of the best parts is that you can set your own work schedule. Read here for more information.

2. Bed and Breakfast Owner

• 

  Bed and Breakfast Owner

  • Pros: You get to meet new people from all over the world and work from home.
  • Cons: It’s hard to get a weekend off and you’re constantly cleaning.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$$ (depending on if you own property already)

  • How to Begin:

    Own property and have your interior designed and photographed.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy people and the art of hospitality.

Perhaps you enjoy practicing hospitality and having people over. To start a Bed & Breakfast, you would first need to have property for people to stay at and then beautify it, so it’s aesthetically pleasing.

In your common areas, you’d want to offer coffee and tea. You’d have to be on top of a delicious breakfast menu, cooking, baking, and cleaning.

Getting customers largely depends upon if your location is central to where they want to go. Someone can get injured on your property, so you will want to get liability coverage.

Running a Bed & Breakfast will require constant cleaning. Most customers also want a private bathroom. If you’re successful, you might be able to shave off that unpleasant duty of cleaning by outsourcing it.

3. Beekeeping

• 

  Beekeeping

  • Pros: You get endless free honey.
  • Cons: You will get stung, and the first year is tough.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Get beekeeping education, order your honey bees and beekeeping tools, and install your bees with their hives.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy honey and beeswax and aren’t afraid of bees.

If you enjoy honey, beeswax, and have crops to pollinate, beekeeping might be a great business for you to start. Bee pollination will make your crop value multiply.

Read books or watch online videos on beekeeping to get educated; and find a location with good airflow. Beware that sometimes you can get unhealthy hives with diseases and parasites.

As for the cons, because this is an outdoor business, you will have to go outdoors in rain or sweltering heat; but on the plus side, you’ll be getting exercise and sunlight on good days.

Unfortunately, stings will happen. Make sure you’re not allergic before starting.

You might make about $600 per beehive per year, so unfortunately the first year, you might put in more money than you get back.

4. Bookkeeping

• 

  Bookkeeping

  • Pros: Your income is generally dependable and predictable.
  • Cons: If you make an error and aren’t insured, you can get hit hard.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Learn to work with accounting software.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy working quietly and remotely.

If you want to give business owners their hours back by taking care of their invoicing, running payroll, and preparing financial statements, then bookkeeping might be an excellent business for you.

Learn to work with accounting software, such as QuickBooks or Xero. You’ll need to be careful to keep client data safe. Insurance is recommended as it could be extremely costly if you make an error in your books.

Your job will be flexible with time and location; your income predictable. And don’t forget – you have to bookkeep your own bookkeeping business too!

One other positive is that you normally get to avoid office drama. Read here for more information.

5. Boutique or Shop Owner

• 

  Boutique or Shop Owner

  • Pros: You get complete control over everything – from your inventory to your window displays.
  • Cons: A giant named Amazon may gobble you up.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$$

  • How to Begin:

    Find a niche that needs to be filled within your own community.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You like to be in charge.

With Amazon eating up all the small businesses, there’s not a lot of people who want to risk opening up a storefront. However, if you can find a need in your community that lacks a specialty store, you might be able to have great success.

There is still a portion of society who like to try on clothes in stores before they purchase them. 

The fun part is that you get complete control over inventory. The con is that you are in charge of everything – from having to fire employees to possibly having to scrub the toilet.

To begin, find your niche and then make a business name and logo. Get a business license and a storefront to rent. It will cost a lot to begin purchasing your inventory, hangers, mannequins, etc.

Enjoy the process and look forward to meeting your customers!

6. Catering or Running a Food Truck

• 

  Catering or Running a Food Truck

  • Pros: You can share your passion for food with others and help others in important events.
  • Cons: There’s a lot of stress to make sure it all happens perfectly in the end.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$$

  • How to Begin:

    Get proper permits, a business license, and equipment. Market yourself.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy providing meals and servicing others.

When I was younger, I thought that running a catering business would be fun, until I threw a five-course meal bridal shower. Trying to serve mass amounts of food in perfect condition to a large party was exhausting.

Luckily, there are many people who are much more skilled than I am. If shopping, meal prep, cooking, and clean up sound like something you can do with ease, the catering business might be for you.

There’s a lot of flexibility on how many jobs you want to take and how large or small you want your business to be.

However, reviews are everything. Everyone is bound to get demanding and grouchy clients. But if food is your passion, it might be worth it.

Make sure you get the proper licenses and insurance. Before taking on a client, make sure you have them sign a clause to pay for the food and labor in the case of last minute cancellations or a massive reduction in the guest count.

Make a menu and market yourself with social media and promotions.

7. College Prep

• 

  College Prep

  • Pros: Help kids to get into the college of their dreams.
  • Cons: Seasonal income
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Build experience and a portfolio showcasing students you’ve helped get into college.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy working with teens and colleges.

I remember the rigorous, stressful process of helping my kids apply to colleges. There was so much data to collect and input in the correct format.

When there were questions that were unclear on the applications, I had to call and ask clarifying questions to the college admissions departments – which were often manned by oblivious college kids.

There are hundreds of thousands of parents who have great anxiety about this process – most with teens who don’t want parents meddling in their applications – and you can start a business guiding these kids with their college applications.

The one speed bump is that you need success with kids’ college acceptances in order to gain more business, but usually the kids who need help are the ones who aren’t on top of things. It helps if your own kids get into higher ranking colleges.

For a college prep business, you don’t need a storefront; you can work from home. It’s extremely lucrative once you earn the trust of parents around you, but keep in mind that it’s a seasonal business.

8. Cottage Food Business Owner

• 

  Cottage Food Business Owner

  • Pros: You can constantly make people happy by gifting them food.
  • Cons: You have to initially jump through hoops – getting a business license and kitchen inspections.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    If you’re a good baker or chef, word will naturally get out.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy baking for others.

If you love blessing people with food, you can start your own food business within the comforts of your own kitchen. All you need to get is a Cottage Food Operation license.

Though you can’t sell items with meat in them, here are some items you can sell in most states:

• Muffins
• Cookies or cookie mixes
• Cakes or cake mixes
• Bread
• Gluten-free baked goods
• Dried Fruits
• Syrups
• Jams
• Roasted coffee
• Dried Teas
• Herbs
• Dry nut mixes
• Granola
• Popcorn
• Pies

In order to get a Cottage Food Operation license, look into your own state laws. Usually you have to get a business license and a kitchen inspection. Public Health will probably want you to take a few hours course in food processing for food safety.

My friend’s daughter Bethany Chan got her Cottage Food Operation license as a teenager:

Begin having fun considering packaging and labeling! Market yourself as much as possible, like in social media; offering promotions helps.

9. Crafter

• 

  Crafter

  • Pros: You can work from home and have flexible hours.
  • Cons: Getting a high listing on websites like Amazon Handmade and Etsy usually requires you paying more for marketing.
  • Start Up Costs:

    Varies depending on your craft

  • How to Begin:

    Begin making your craft and then you can begin selling.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy crafting.

If you enjoy crafting and producing quality handmade goods, then this might be the business for you!

Since a lot of artists don’t care to deal with customer complaints or shipping, Amazon Handmade offers Amazon FBA where they deal with your storage, shipping, and customer care, so you can happily just deal with your craft.

Keep in mind you will be paying for the fulfillment costs per unit, which varies according to the size and weight of your goods.

The con of selling on Etsy or Amazon is that these companies are also businesses that want to suck you dry. One of the best ways you can sell goods is to sell within your own community through word of mouth.

10. Daycare Owner

• 

  Daycare Owner

  • Pros: You get to spend time with adorable babies and toddlers.
  • Cons: You occasionally get a difficult parent or child.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Pick a location to babyproof and make sure you have a business license and proper insurance.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You love being around babies and toddlers.

If you enjoy being around children, opening up a daycare business will be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for you.

You want to begin by picking a facility. If you want to work from your own home, you get to write off electricity, water, and other supplies on your taxes.

Here are some pros and cons to consider before starting off:

Make sure you get liability insurance for a child who possibly has an injury.

You also might be able to get government grants to help fund the beginning of your daycare.

Perhaps you only want to start an afterschool program, read here under “Afterschool Programs.”

11. Dog Walker, Sitter, Groomer, or Trainer

• 

  Dog Walker, Sitter, Groomer, or Trainer

  • Pros: You can spend time with lovable dogs.
  • Cons: Each dog has their own personality and some can be difficult.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    You can begin listing yourself on Rover or Wag or put out advertising on social media.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy dogs.

So many children want to become veterinarians until they find out they will have to put dogs down. There are several other jobs around dogs that don’t require putting dogs down – dog sitting, walking, grooming, and training.

There is always a need for dog care. Dog owners have to go on trips, and some dogs require care during work hours. Dogs need to be groomed and trained. Some dog owners can’t or don’t want to walk their dogs daily.

If you begin a dog care service, you get to be self-employed and love your work while you do it. You might want to take a dog first-aid class to be prepared for emergencies.

Keep in mind that every dog has their own personality, some easy and some difficult. I once met a man whose new dog ate through his wood floor, and my friend had a dog that ate a hole through her couch.

You need to be stronger than the dog. If you’re out walking a dog and the dog decides to fight another dog or chase after a rabbit, you, the dog, and others can get hurt if you’re not stronger than the dog.

Be sure to interview your clients; they’ll want to see you love their dog and take great care to watch them. As for cons — sometimes the salary is not that great, and you can have rude customers.

List yourself on Rover or Wag; work on getting the word out and you’ll have a business in no time. For more information about dog walking or dog sitting, read here.

12. Editing and Proofreading

• 

  Editing and Proofreading

  • Pros: You can work from home with flexible hours.
  • Cons: You have to read bad writing.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Educate yourself on grammar; list yourself on LinkedIn as an editor or proofreader and build a website for yourself, listing your portfolio.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy reading and grammar.

Most writers nowadays use Google Docs or Grammarly to correct their grammar and spelling mistakes. However, they always need someone to double check their writing.

While writing this article, I wrote, “Bee pollination will make your crap value multiply” instead of “crop value.” Google Docs did not highlight any spelling mistakes; that’s why proofreaders still have jobs.

To get started, first educate yourself on grammar rules and the different styles a writer can write in (e.g. AP Style, Chicago Manual of Style, APA Style, or MLA Style); read a lot. Set your own hourly or per-word rates.

Then list yourself on LinkedIn and create your own website listing your portfolio. Publishing houses will often outsource proofreaders and editors. Here are other ways to get paid to read books.

Proofreading for scientific or academic material will require you to understand the jargon. Keep in mind that even though you may enjoy reading, reading a lot of bad writing may ruin the hobby for you.

13. Freelance Illustrator

• 

  Freelance Illustrator

  • Pros: You can work remotely and have flexible hours.
  • Cons: The work is unstable and your creativity is limited to the needs of the assignment.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Build an online portfolio and send it to potential clients and art reps.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy drawing and you aren’t sensitive about your art.

If you’re gifted at drawing, creating, and designing, there are many companies that would hire you as a freelance illustrator. Some of these companies will hire you just for conceptual ideas; others for illustration.

In order to become a successful freelance illustrator, great communication and listening skills are vital. You also need problem-solving creativity to try to achieve what your client’s requests.

The pros are that you can build your own schedule and work remotely or onsite. The cons are that the work is insecure and unstable; your success is subject to your client’s taste.

They may not understand the masterpiece you’ve created, so be prepared to have thick skin as your art will be critiqued. Also, your creativity is limited to the needs of the assignment.

It would be helpful for you to learn some kind of design software, like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, and Corel Painter. It helps turnaround edits and revisions quickly.

14. Freelance Photographer and Videographer

• 

  Freelance Photographer and Videographer

  • Pros: Enjoy a fun, creative outlet that gets you outside!
  • Cons: Some clients can be difficult to deal with.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Take as many pictures as you can and learn from experts.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy taking pictures.

There’s always a demand for photographers at weddings, graduations, school photos, and special events, so the work is plentiful!

Hear it from professional photographer Jenna Kim (Instagram):

The start-up costs can be rather expensive as you need to purchase a camera body, lenses, computer, editing software, website hosting, etc.

15. Ghostwriter or Freelance Writing

• 

  Ghostwriter or Freelance Writing

  • Pros: You can work from anywhere and at any time.
  • Cons: Your income might not be dependable.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Read a lot and educate yourself on how to write well.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy writing.

Everywhere you go, you’ll see work done by freelance writers – the words on your Starbucks tea box, the cursive words on the walls of a restaurant, or the scripted words coming out of your customer service agent’s mouth.

You might enjoy working privately and enjoy the flexibility of being a freelance writer. You can work anywhere – during your trip to France, in your local coffee shop, or in the comforts of your own bed. You also get to set your own rate.

The cons are that it can get repetitive and burnout can happen. Also, you can get lonely if you don’t make it a point to see people. But there is nothing like seeing your name authoring a piece or on the credits of a big screen.

If you want to read more about making money from blogging, read up on it here or here. Look on Fivver for job opportunities.

16. Graphic Design

• 

  Graphic Design

  • Pros: You can work from home during flexible hours and be creative.
  • Cons: The competition is fierce.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Take some design courses or do an internship to learn design software and tools.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy being creative in the privacy of your home.

There are tons of job opportunities for graphic designers to be creative with artistic skill with pictures and graphics.

It’s a nice business to begin at home because you can work remotely and have flexible hours. Though your work is subjective to being liked or not according to a client’s taste, generally, you receive appreciation for the work you do.

You get to work indoors and your job isn’t physically demanding, but you might not enjoy working at a computer all day as it can get lonely.

Begin by learning graphic design principles and tools – like Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, and InDesign – through design courses or do an internship. Develop a portfolio.

A con is that though there is a regular demand for graphic designers, there is limited upward movement for your business as your job can be outsourced to someone from another country who will do it for pennies.

The good news is that it’s easy to use social media to become well known in your field.

17. Hair Stylist

• 

  Hair Stylist

  • Pros: Building dear friendships with clients.
  • Cons: You need to be on your feet for hours a day.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Complete 1,600 hours of training at an approved school.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You love to be around people and enjoy beautifying them.

In order to become a hairstylist, you usually need to take a cosmetology program which runs around $6,000 to $10,000. A full-time program takes about 9 months.

An average salon chair rental price is between $400 to $600 monthly. After that, the job can become lucrative quickly, especially if you’re with clients who tip well.

You can choose your own hours and build great relationships with customers, who are usually happy to be there.

Be aware that running your own business has its own set of difficulties. Communication skills are necessary for being able to understand what your clients want. On the rare occasion when someone doesn’t like their haircut, it’s sad.

You also need to be prepared to be flexible with rescheduling.

18. Influencer

• 

  Influencer

  • Pros: You get to join a supportive community and have flexible job hours.
  • Cons: You have to constantly think of new content and deal with haters.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Start filming yourself and posting.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You have a passion for a subject and you don’t mind attention – both from fans and haters.

One of the best things about influencers is that they have passion about their work; they wouldn’t be able to continually post new material if they didn’t.

In order to become an influencer that brings in money, you’d need to develop a big following and that takes time. You get to work whatever hours you want and you don’t have to be confined to an office!

Since influencers make more money if they have more followers, you get to connect with a supportive, gifted community worldwide.

As for the negatives, you’ll need thick skin to repel all the haters. Also, in a sense, “eyes” will always be on you in public, so you need to be careful to not do anything stupid or rude in public.

Probably the hardest part is that algorithms demand you to create new content every day. There’s also not much job security as the rise or fall of your income can fall on your fickle creativity and the whims of popularity.

As an influencer, you might want to think about being a brand ambassador to make more money.

19. Interior Designer

• 

  Interior Designer

  • Pros: While working with color, patterns, and space, you get an outlet for your creative side.
  • Cons: Dealing with difficult clients or undependable subcontractors
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    Build a portfolio and a website, and then promote yourself.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy transforming space into something beautiful.

Are you able to see a room and envision what it could be if it had the proper paint colors, drapes, textures, and borders? Think of the fun you would have spending other people’s money to transform those rooms!

One of the most amazing moments is you get to reveal the final product of your interior design and see the happiness on your client’s face.

To begin an interior designer business, start a website filled with beautiful pictures from your portfolio. Market your business with social media, ads, or email.

The negatives are that it can be stressful at times, especially with difficult clients or unreliable subcontractors. It also takes a lot of time to build clientele.

Sometimes interior design has much more to do with convincing your client to buy what you know would be worthwhile, so surprisingly it helps to have a gift in sales.

20. Jewelry Brand

• 

  Jewelry Brand

  • Pros: The flexibility to work whenever you want
  • Cons: Running your own business means that everything falls on your shoulders.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Educate yourself and purchase a butane torch, a jeweler’s saw, and some metals.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy being creative and blessing people with beautiful, unique creations.

If you enjoy creating beautiful jewelry and making someone else happy when gifting it, this might be your dream job.

Not only does this type of business take little room in your household, you also get the flexibility of running your own business.

Sometimes having to wear all the hats and do everything yourself can be overwhelming, but if you love that creative outlet and making something unique, nothing beats the pride of seeing someone wear it and knowing, “I made that!”

21. Makeup Artist

• 

  Makeup Artist

  • Pros: It’s flexible in hours and you get to be with people who are usually happy to see you.
  • Cons: Sometimes you have super early mornings, and it can be competitive to find work.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    Educate yourself on makeup and practice on others.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy makeup and the art of beautifying others.

As an artist, you may enjoy the skill of sculpting and blending while you’re working with colors. Being a makeup artist isn’t physically demanding, and most people feel good after you work with them.

Being a makeup artist is fun, creative, and you get to work in diverse environments – e.g. editorials, theaters, haunted houses, theme parks, kid birthday parties, makeup counters, movies, tv shows, proms, and weddings.

You can get a cosmetologist certification or a license but those are only necessary in certain fields and certain states; you can also learn on your own and also from other makeup artists. You also get flexible hours.

Sometimes you have to work or communicate during early mornings. There’s also a lot of back and forth communicating and scheduling. Sometimes work is seasonal or there could be a lot of competition for work.

As for cons, clients can get upset if they don’t like what you’ve done, like if a bride doesn’t like her makeup. Most of the time, they’re absolutely thrilled and filled with new confidence.

22. Landscape Artist

• 

  Landscape Artist

  • Pros: You can work outdoors and get exercise.
  • Cons: If you live in a state that snows, your workflow might be seasonal.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    You can get a degree in landscape architecture or horticulture.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy working outdoors.

You might be able to envision how an outdoor space needs to be designed both for beauty and usage; you might envision this wherever you go, from a business building to a private yard.

You can get a degree in landscape architecture or horticulture.

Usually the start of this business can be expensive since you need to purchase landscaping equipment, including trucks, tools, herbicides, and fertilizers. You might be able to rent equipment until you can afford your own.

The pros are that you get to work outdoors and get physical exercise. Your mind gets to work creatively. The cons include possible injury and having to work in all weather – hot or inclement weather; and sometimes a deadline is stressful to meet.

Depending on the state you live in, your workflow might be seasonal.

23. Massage Therapist

• 

  Massage Therapist

  • Pros: You can really help a person in pain.
  • Cons: Your fingers, muscles, and feet get worked hard.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Go to massage therapy school.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy helping people out.

Apparently massage therapists have unusually high levels of job satisfaction. You take a customer in pain and slowly ease them back into being relaxed and rejuvenated; their gratitude is great.

Tips are an extra nicety. You get to make your own schedule as well, so this can be a job after your normal work hours.

As for possible negatives, usually your body gets taxed – your fingers, your muscles, and your feet; you are standing for several hours. You can physically only work so many hours before you can’t work anymore.

Going to a certified massage school ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 and takes on average 500 hours. On top of that, you’ll have to purchase massage tables and equipment. There might be a program at your local community college.

As for cons, sometimes you work really hard and end up with a dissatisfied, rude customer. I suppose that’s in any line of work though.

24. Nutritionist

• 

  Nutritionist

  • Pros: You can help people out a lot.
  • Cons: You have to keep up with the changing regulations of The U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Get a BA degree in a relevant health field or get an entry-level certificate.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You have compassion on people struggling with personal health issues and enjoy helping them.

Being a nutritionist is a rewarding and fulfilling job. You can help people with eating disorders and counsel clients on nutritional issues; you give them healthy relationships with food.

They might need to cut down on their weight or develop healthy muscle mass; they might have to learn to adjust to a new health issue, like high blood pressure or diabetes. As a nutritionist, you offer them short-term and long-term realistic goals.

Keeping up with ever changing regulations by The U.S. Department of Agriculture is an additional labor. Another con is that it might take an emotional toll to work with people who might be sick or terminally ill.

Usually, the reward of benefiting people outweighs any of the cons.

25. Online Store

• 

  Online Store

  • Pros: You don’t have to deal with a brick-and-mortar store or all its costs.
  • Cons: You gain a new set of customer disputes.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    Start a website and have great photos.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You dream of starting a business from home.

The younger crowd does much more shopping online. People don’t want to be inconvenienced with wasting time in a real store anymore.

You too can start an eCommerce business; you can also sell on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, or Shopify.

Presentation and packaging is what draws the crowds, so you’ll need to get high quality photos. Pay for online advertising on Google ads or Facebook ads.

The pro is that you will no longer need to rent a brick-and-mortar store or hire a huge staff to maintain cleanliness or man the store. You also don’t have a lot of overhead like electricity, A/C, heat, and water.

The con is that a whole set of disputes will arise because of shipping, such as delivery time or if it arrived damaged or not. Customers will also complain about issues with the accuracy of your photos compared to what they get.

Every business has its pros and cons, so weigh carefully if the reward of your business is better than the cons.

26. Personal Chef

• 

  Personal Chef

  • Pros: You don’t have to do as much heavy lifting as in a restaurant.
  • Cons: If you’re sick or injured, you won’t get paid.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    Get formal chef training and get experience making all types of food.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy cooking for others.

A plus about being a personal chef is that it also brings about the wealth and prestige of your client; you also get to cook for other wealthy people. You’ll have to do less strenuous work than in a restaurant kitchen, with reliable hours and usually better pay.

The cons are that if you’re sick or injured, you won’t get paid. You also might have to take care of a lot of different appetites, from little kids to feeding the other staff members.

You will most likely get a lot of solo time in the kitchen, so you can use that time to catch up on podcasts or music.

27. Personal Trainer

• 

  Personal Trainer

  • Pros: You get to exercise and be around people.
  • Cons: Unsteady income and strange hours
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Though you don’t need to be certified as a trainer, it helps you a lot.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy being around people and helping them with their health.

Personal trainers can have a huge sense of pride in their work because they can improve someone’s health greatly.

The con is that when you succeed, your client no longer needs you. Luckily, word of mouth will usually give you more clients.

It’s hard to keep the job the older and frailer you personally get; you have to work odd hours when other people aren’t working – early mornings and evenings.

Clients can also lose patience losing weight because it takes time. You can inspire them by showing them how to make money by losing weight!

Though you don’t need certification in order to practice as a personal trainer, it definitely helps to gain knowledge and experience; certification will also open more doors. After that, advertise yourself and offer deals.

28. Pilates or Yoga Instructor

• 

  Pilates or Yoga Instructor

  • Pros: Flexible hours and the reward of helping people feel better.
  • Cons: It can take a long time to gain clientele.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Find an accredited certification program.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy solving puzzles for improving someone’s quality of movement and quality of life.

With a rise in celebrities and influencers jumping on the Pilates and yoga bandwagon, you can begin a Pilates or yoga business to benefit from this new trend, helping people with everything from physical pain to anxiety struggles.

You get to set your own schedule and get paid to stay in shape. The best part is getting to help people feel better physically, many times with a physical therapy bent.

To get started in Pilates, research an accredited certification program, classical or contemporary; Balanced Body, Basi, Polestar Pilates, Peak Pilates, and Stott are some of them, Stott being the Cadillac of all the choices.

These certification programs can be rigorous and expensive, as much as $4,000 to $8,000.

It can take up to a year to complete your courses, several mat hours, and apprenticeship hours to finally get certified.

29. Podcast Producer

• 

  Podcast Producer

  • Pros: It’s fun to conversate with friends on important topics.
  • Cons: It’s sometimes hard to find good topics to discuss.
  • Start Up Costs:

    Varies

  • How to Begin:

    Find people you want to work with and purchase a recording app.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy a creative outlet and being in publicized conversations.

Do you enjoy lively conversation and inspiring people around you? One of the businesses you might want to begin is podcasting.

What are the pros and cons of being a podcaster? Hear it from Brynn Bangit of Wine Thursday Podcast:

The start-up costs for a podcast varies, depending on the quality of the podcast; the cost correlates to the quality of the podcast. You will need to purchase a quality microphone, camera, computer, and you will need to spend money on advertisements to get news about your podcast and new episodes publicized.

Find the right people to do your podcast with and plan on what you want to talk about. Learn to use video recording and editing apps.

Wine Thursday uses OBS and StreamLabs to capture video audio, GarageBand to edit audio, and Anchor to automatically upload to streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc.

Be aware that many podcasters do not podcast for lucrative amounts of money. In order to make podcasting lucrative, you would have to secure a large following and gain sponsorships and ads.

30. Professional Organizer

• 

  Professional Organizer

  • Pros: You can help to change someone’s life for the better.
  • Cons: Sometimes you work super hard to get someone’s clutter under control, and then they don’t keep up with your new system.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    You can get a CPO (Certified Professional Organizer certification), but it’s not necessary.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy organizing, problem solving, and being around people.

If you’ve ever seen an episode of “Hoarders”, you understand that there are a lot of people out there that need help to organize their lives.

You understand the damaging effect that clutter has on their mental health and efficiency as well.

Products, such as baskets and containers, can sometimes be expensive so clients can complain; in a sense, you need to function as a salesperson as well to help them understand how these purchases will benefit their lives.

31. Tailor

• 

  Tailor

  • Pros: You can usually enjoy a nice work-life balance.
  • Cons: Tailors usually don’t get paid much.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Learn to sew and gain tailoring skills by working under other tailors.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy working with clothes and servicing others.

One day, I tried on a dress that I loved, but it made me look 20 pounds heavier. My sister-in-law, who used to work in fashion, pinched the back of my dress, pinned it in place, and viola! It was like magic!

Tailors experience a lot of pride in their work because they can usually see the happiness on their client’s faces when outfits fit them so much better. Your clients will keep you up to date with fashion.

The work has a good work-life balance as it’s not that strenuous. You can also exercise your creative side with fashion – how to make that outfit look the best with the figure your client has.

As for cons, the pay is not that great, and it’s hard for most tailors to retire well.

But if you think you’ll enjoy this line of work, buy a sewing machine, measuring tape, and other supplies so that you can start! Learn from another tailor with experience.

32. Teaching Music

• 

  Teaching Music

  • Pros: Getting to share your love for music with students
  • Cons: Occasionally you get a difficult student or parent
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Find a good curriculum to take your students through for their instrument and advertise yourself.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy music and teaching students.

In order to teach music, you will need your own musical instrument, but if you are able to teach the instrument, you probably already own it. You also must have a decent amount of knowledge about how to play your instrument.

A music degree is not necessary but very helpful and validating.

If you are only an intermediate musician, don’t let that stop you. Especially if you are gifted with kids, you can always teach your instrument up to a certain level and then graduate your student to a more knowledgeable, more expensive teacher.

Teaching piano from your home can be inexpensive and easy income.

Keep in mind that you’ll be dealing with a broad spectrum of students – ages and skill levels – so you’ll need to be flexible and understanding, while also challenging your students to practice so your lesson is worthwhile.

33. Tour Guide

• 

  Tour Guide

  • Pros: You can spend time with people and show them a good time.
  • Cons: A lot of times, the schedule will change and you will have to be flexible.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Figure out what type of tour guide business you want; plan an interesting tour.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy being with people and don’t crack under stress.

If you enjoy getting to meet new people and share your knowledge of your town, you might truly enjoy opening a business as a tour guide. You know the food and the history in your town.

You need to be a clear communicator and even an entertainer with your stories. You also need to have energy and be super flexible when all your plans fall apart.

A lot of times things go wrong and it’s out of your control – weather changes, collision traffic, or a reservation that wasn’t written down. You need to provide clear leadership and be pleasant and calming when people are frustrated.

Have a good time meeting new people and helping them to enjoy their visit to your town!

34. Travel Agency

• 

  Travel Agency

  • Pros: You can work remotely with your own flexible schedule. There are endless business opportunities as travel keeps on expanding.
  • Cons: There can be intense competition with other travel agencies and only a seasonal flow of business.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    Know your area of expertise in travel and build a strong network.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy traveling and giving people a wonderful experience in travel.

If you love traveling to distant lands, starting your own travel agency can be lucrative and also give you the opportunity to work remotely from home.

Since certain destinations attract more visitors during certain seasons, your business might not have a steady cash flow at first.

Starting your own travel agency can be rewarding, but be aware of the costs and challenges that come with it.

35. Tutor

• 

  Tutor

  • Pros: Getting to spend time with students and helping them learn
  • Cons: Sometimes you have a difficult student or parent.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Make sure you have curriculum to take them through and publicize your business.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy teaching and explaining things to people.

If you have a passion for a certain subject, you might be able to become the next Bill Nye the Science Guy!

The pros are that the hours are pretty flexible, you get to set your own pay, and there’s not a big start up cost. Overall, it’s rewarding to see kids learn!

The cons are that unless you teach homeschool kids, chances are that you’ll have to work evenings and possibly weekends. Your success also largely depends on word of mouth. Also, you aren’t being paid for any preparatory time for your tutoring time.

Students can also be difficult at times, as sometimes it’s their parents who are forcing them to be there. But if you find these cons easy, consider which subjects you can teach:

To begin, set a reasonable price and begin marketing yourself. Make sure you have a curriculum to take them through so that you aren’t spending extra hours figuring out the most systematic way to teach them the material.

Read this article for more ideas on how to earn income as a tutor.

36. Video Editor

• 

  Video Editor

  • Pros: It’s a great creative outlet that can be done from home.
  • Cons: Your work is mostly done in isolation.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$$

  • How to Begin:

    Educate yourself on how to use video editing software.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy shaping narratives through video.

Video editing is creative work that can be done remotely.

You’ll want to learn how to work video editing software such as Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. You can also take classes (and pursue a degree) or take a class from Apple.

It takes about $1,000 to $4,500 to get the right equipment to get started. There are a lot of companies that want to hire video editors just for YouTube alone. Your job is to edit and cut in order to keep people engaged past the first thumbnail.

To get started, you’ll want to create short videos so you have a portfolio. Look up on social media “video editor” and a number of jobs will pop up.

Keep in mind that it can be isolating, especially if you’re not working directly with a client or team.

37. Virtual Assistance

• 

  Virtual Assistance

  • Pros: You can work from home and have a flexible schedule.
  • Cons: Since you are running your own business, you don’t have the benefits that companies give.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    You’ll need a computer and working internet; begin to market yourself.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You are naturally administrative and good with details.

Working from home as a virtual assistant (VA) is one of the ways to juggle all your responsibilities as a mom and work from home. You can stay in your pjs all day; all you need is a computer and good internet service.

You do NOT need to offer all of the services above. You can offer whatever services you want to do and say “no” to whatever you don’t; likewise, you can say “yes” to whatever clients you want and say “no” to the less desirable ones.

For cons, working from home can be pleasant but there can also be a lot of distractions, which can push your work into the night. You also won’t have insurance or paid vacation days. Some VAs also complain about the lack of social interaction.

If you want to work in the field, you can join an exercise class or grab coffee with a friend for some adult time.

38. Voice Acting

• 

  Voice Acting

  • Pros: The hours are flexible and you can have a lot of fun.
  • Cons: You can have unsteady work as competition can be fierce.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Purchase an at-home recording setup that is soundproof.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy inflecting your voice in creative ways.

Are you someone who enjoys mimicking other people and the art of changing your pitch and volume? You might enjoy voice acting!

Though the work can be isolating at times, as you often create fresh deliveries in your own private recording room, you don’t have to be on camera so there is less pressure.

You’ll find a lot of flexibility both with hours and location, as you can work from anywhere. It’s also tons of fun playing different roles and having credits to your name gives you a boost in confidence.

Competition is fierce, audition rejections are common, but it is quickly lucrative when work and residuals do come in.

In order to start, begin by signing up for acting classes; listen and learn from professionals; become a master at breathing, pronunciation, articulation, and delivery. Record a demo of yourself and begin to send it out to agents.

For more information, read “How to Find Voice Over Jobs From Home and Online.”

39. Web Design

• 

  Web Design

  • Pros: You can work creatively and remotely.
  • Cons: The work can be isolating and extremely dormant for your body.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $

  • How to Begin:

    Learn about web design and start a portfolio.

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You enjoy constantly learning more about technology.

A good graphic designer understands the significance of images, fonts, structure, design, shapes, texture, and color; they understand how and why one website is more attractive than another.

If you want to start your own business where you can practice creativity and work remotely, web design opportunities are growing.

Look into online courses and offer to help a friend with design so you can begin a portfolio. A lot of web developers are also computer programmers – where you learn your coding language like Python or Java.

Keep in mind that you will constantly have to keep up with the new technology in this field – which might be a pro or con, depending on your personality. The work can also be isolating and dormant, where you are sitting for several hours a day.

You can purchase an under-the-desk bicycle and keep fit while you work!

40. Wedding Planner

• 

  Wedding Planner

  • Pros: For the most part, you can set your own hours (just not on the wedding weekend); you get to meet new people and travel to new places.
  • Cons: Sometimes you get an inconsiderate person in the bridal party or family, or a vendor you hired makes a blunder.
  • Start Up Costs:

    $$

  • How to Begin:

    Intern or work with another planner or industry person (e.g. floral designer, venue rep, caterer, or rental company).

  • You Know You’ll Enjoy This If:

    You are administrative, enjoy working with people, and are able to smile under great stress.

Though you may think that planning a friend’s wedding might be the start to a wedding planner business, it might actually get you stuck in that “friend circle” and make it difficult to branch out to professionally paid work.

When starting a business, it’s vital you build a team you can trust. When you start, you can pay for your wedding day team or any administrative assistance you need day-to-day.

Hear it from an expert, Nancy Park, co-owner with Paean Wang, of So Happi Together:

Start up costs for this type of business is relatively low, though your branding and logo are very important and can cost a lot of money. You need an online presence – a well-designed website and an instagram account.

If you don’t have a portfolio yet, you can consider hiring models, florals, and rentals to do a photoshoot to show off your aesthetics.

In conclusion

If you’re tired of working for your boss or dealing with co-worker drama, one of the exit strategies would be to open up your own business. You’ll love having flexibility and only answering to yourself.

If you’re interested in even more ideas and want to start cautiously with a side business, read the following:

• “71 Side Business Ideas That Will Help You Earn a Significant Amount”
• “How to Make Money Without A Degree: The Ultimate Guide”
• “33 Lucrative Side Hustle Ideas You Can Use for Extra Income Every Month”
• “5 Best Side Hustles You Can Turn Into Full Time Businesses.”

However, exceptions to these laws exist.

The U.S. Department of Labor says:

If you are a parent reading this article, you will be surprised at how many jobs your teen can work to gain excellent work ethics. It only benefits them to understand the value of money and labor at an earlier age.

Read below to find out all the different jobs you can do to start earning money today!

1. Act

• 

  Act

  • Pros: It’s fun to act and be on the screen.
  • Cons: When you are younger, your ability to act is dependent upon a parent driving you and helping you navigate Hollywood.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    No age limit

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $29/hour (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    The ability to act on screen or on stage

You can begin acting as young as an infant, as long as your doctor gives a thumbs up to you being healthy enough to work. In California, if you’re a minor working in the entertainment industry, you’ll need to register for a permit.

Your parent(s) need a lot of time, energy, patience, and excellent people skills to work with a WIDE variety of people in the industry.

You might find a lot of fun being filmed, recorded, or on stage. However, the one huge need younger teens have is a parent who is willing to drive them around. Hollywood is filled with a lot of strange people, so an adult should help you navigate this.

If you don’t have parents to drive you around, you can consider getting your own recording studio and voice acting.

Though the national average wage for actors is $29/hour, keep in mind that there are actors that get paid in the millions who are pulling the average up. Begin by finding an agent or consider Kids Casting.

2. Babysit

• 

  Babysit

  • Pros: You can play with kids.
  • Cons: There’s always the possibility you may be placed in an emergency situation and will need to navigate yourself and the young children through it.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Varies per state

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $17.50/hour (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    Common sense

If you have a reputation among your parents’ friends for being responsible and mature, then parents will naturally ask to hire you as a babysitter.

You can expand this business by putting yourself out there on babysitting apps or getting hired by babysitter businesses.

Parents appreciate it if you know first aid and how to administer CPR. Your personality needs to be able to exert authority over children.

Other than that, have a good time playing games with some kids and making money while you do it!

3. Be a Golf Caddy

• 

  Be a Golf Caddy

  • Pros: You can learn a lot about golf naturally and get exercise as you earn money.
  • Cons: You have to be out in the sun and it can be physically taxing.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old, though some golf clubs allow 13 year olds

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $20 - $25/hour plus tip

  • What Do you Need:

    A positive attitude, the ability to carry a golf bag, standard golf attire, scorecard, pencil, towel, extra tees, and knowledge of the course

One of the ways you can make money as a young teen is as a golf caddy. Golfers pay $20 – $25 per hour for beginner kids, but if you have your future in mind, you have potential to make as much as a few thousand dollars per week as a professional caddy.

Generally, a professional caddy makes 5% – 10% of what your golfer makes. If a professional wins $10 million, the caddy will make around $700,000.

You should know the basics of golf. Some golfers might ask you for counsel. You should also know the clubs by name when the golfers ask you for them.

Know the course well and where bodies of water on the course are. Rake a sand trap when your golfer is done and fix divots.

It’s best to be silent while they play. You’ll want to keep a careful watch on where the ball goes as the golfer will sometimes ask you where it fell.

4. Car Washing

• 

  Car Washing

  • Pros: You can exercise and meet people as you work. If you do this with a friend, it’s even more enjoyable.
  • Cons: If you do this regularly, it can be physically exhausting. If you wash cars in the heat without shade, you can get sunburned.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Depends on if you’re getting hired by a company or washing cars for neighbors

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $13.80/hour plus tip (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    Soap, a hose, and towels

Car washing is a job you and a friend can have even as young teens. Walk around your neighborhood and ask people if you can wash their cars for a certain fee. Many neighbors would be happy to pay you.

If you want to work at a car wash, you may need to be of driving age in your state. Most car washes need the washers to move the cars when they are finished.

This is one job where you can enjoy flexible hours and get school work done at the same time. Be ready to exercise as this line of work is physically taxing.

If you work at a car wash, you can gain knowledge on the workings of the business and open one up for yourself in the future.

5. Cottage Home Business

• 

  Cottage Home Business

  • Pros: You can enjoy working within your own home. It’s also fun to sell what will bring others happiness.
  • Cons: You gain all the stress that a normal business has.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    No age limit; you just need identification (a passport or school ID will suffice).

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies, depending on what you sell

  • What Do you Need:

    A kitchen

Perhaps you are a teen who has a gift for baking or making delicious food. One of the ways you can make money is to start your own home business.

You would need to obtain a Cottage Food license. Read here to find out the information on how to get a license within your state.

There is no official minimum age limit to obtain a Cottage Food license. You only need to have identification of some sort; a passport or school ID should suffice.

Some states mandate that you take a food processor course for a few hours.

If you want to start small and market to family and friends, you can get your business started by word-of-mouth.

Read 31 Things to Sell to Make Money under “Food” for more information.

6. Code

• 

  Code

  • Pros: You can choose your own schedule.
  • Cons: If something is wrong with the game, hundreds or millions of players will tell you what they think and quite brutally.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old to legally work at a company

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $33/hour (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    A working computer

Perhaps you enjoy working on your computer at home and prefer solitude over office politics. Coding would be an excellent job for you.

You simply need computer programming software to get you started. It helps to have knowledge of computer programming languages, such as Java, Python, or C++.

Jake Silverman began coding at the age of 15. Soon afterwards, a company began to pay him to code – first $15/hour and then $25/hour. Now at the age of 19, he is a game programmer at a game studio, Simple Games Inc.

Coding can be more stressful than other jobs because if it doesn’t work perfectly, you have a bunch of harsh critics who tell you exactly what they think.

You also have to interact with people of different skill sets who communicate quite different than coders do, like the creative or artistic department.

However, it is a job with excellent pay and flexible hours, so if you can do it, enjoy it!

7. Crafts

• 

  Crafts

  • Pros: You can work from home and do what you enjoy.
  • Cons: You might not enjoy the shipping and packaging aspect; also, customer service can be a bear.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    13 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies

  • What Do you Need:

    Supplies for your craft and packaging materials

If your giftedness lies with your hands and being able to create art or sew amazing items, then you might be happy to know that you can make an income on Etsy or Amazon Homemade.

Where do you sell?

One positive is that Etsy has a low listing fee: $0.20 per item for four months.

The average person makes $44,000 on Etsy, but keep in mind, that’s with a lot of hard work given over to marketing and hours spent building clientele.

Be forewarned that it’s hard to get noticed when surrounded by millions of active sellers. There are just as many failure stories as success stories of Etsy stores.

Unfortunately, some people end up in the negative after buying supplies and packaging materials.

8. Do Tasks

• 

  Do Tasks

  • Pros: You can help out people that you love while making money.
  • Cons: You will probably be doing what they don’t want to do.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Any age

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies

  • What Do you Need:

    A positive attitude

Your parents and your grandparents are probably willing to pay you good money to do projects that they can’t get to – clean the garage or basement or hang pictures.

Sometimes your grandparents need someone to fix their computer or reset up their television. They might need someone to clean their house and would prefer you over a stranger.

Though it can sometimes require you extra patience, spending time with your grandparents is one of the best things you can do.

9. Dog Walking

• 

  Dog Walking

  • Pros: You can spend time with furry loves!
  • Cons: Some dogs can be difficult, aggressive, or whine a lot.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    You need to be old enough to handle the dog and not get lost walking.

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $33.86 (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    A love for animals, poop bags, an extra leash and collar; possibly waterproof clothing

If you begin a business as a dog walker, you can easily make enough money to buy yourself a used car.

At the same time, you would be helping clients who love their dogs but can’t walk them; some people are physically challenged or ill; others are much too busy.

First, market your business on social media, around the neighborhood, and on neighborhood apps. If you can drive, you can market yourself in a wider range – such as at the dog park or the pet store. You could even place yourself on a dog walking app, like Rover.

You need to be at an age and maturity to handle a dog, but if your business expands beyond neighbors, you’ll need to be old enough to travel by car to get to some dogs.

Though it’s nice you don’t have any office drama, the con is that sometimes you need to deal with difficult clients, like ones who don’t pay you on time.

Also, be ready to walk dogs in all types of weather, rain or shine.

10. Draw Caricatures and Face Paint for Parties

• 

  Draw Caricatures and Face Paint for Parties

  • Pros: You can be creative and work with children.
  • Cons: You might get a child who is unhappy about how you face painted them.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Any age

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Average $125 - $200 per party

  • What Do you Need:

    A face paint kit; paper and art supplies for caricatures

Teens who are gifted at art can offer their services to do caricature drawings or face painting at parties.

You get very creative and have a lot of fun with this. Most of the time, your clients will be thrilled with whatever you produce.

You get to work with all sorts of people and kids. The only con might be when a kid doesn’t like how you face painted them and the meltdown that might ensue. But you can look around at all the happy kids and know you did well.

11. Get a Paper Route

• 

  Get a Paper Route

  • Pros: You get great exercise as you work.
  • Cons: There might not be days off and you have to deliver in all weather.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    No age limit; up to the discernment of the newspaper

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $9.84 (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    Rubber bands and plastic bags

Delivering papers is one of the handful of jobs that you can have as someone under the age of 14 to make money.

Though most people think that newspapers are going out of fashion, there are many people, like the elderly, who don’t have the internet or still prefer to read the newspaper with a hard copy in hand.

If you’re interested in a job, call the circulation department of your local newspaper. Mention if you plan to deliver on bike or with a car.

Your job may start as early as 3 a.m. and finish around 6 a.m. Your job may also include folding papers.

Lastly, if you ride a bike, remember your bike safety — flags, headlights, reflexive tape, and you’ll need a basket for newspapers.

It’s dark outside, and you’ll be delivering during hours that criminals are out, so be careful.

12. Help Seniors

• 

  Help Seniors

  • Pros: Things usually move slowly in the home of a senior, so you won’t feel as stressed as in an office.
  • Cons: You might need patience to work with the elderly. Some seniors can be difficult.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    No age limit

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies

  • What Do you Need:

    A positive attitude

The elderly need a lot of assistance to live a regular life. If you enjoy the company of older people and have the patience for the slower pace that they move in, this might be an excellent job for you.

You can list yourself on Care.com or market yourself on social media.

If this is something that you might enjoy, they surely would enjoy having a teen around them to add some youthfulness to their lives!

13. Lifeguard

• 

  Lifeguard

  • Pros: Enjoy a day at the beach instead of at the office. Your job is usually relaxing.
  • Cons: You have to risk your life when people drown. Other times, it can be very boring.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old (However, most certification courses have an age 15 minimum.)

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $14.17 (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    Lifeguard certification

Lifeguarding is easy money. Though there are some cons, like needing to risk your life on rare occasions, most of your time is spent lounging by the pool or beach.

If you want to become a lifeguard, you’ll first need to get your certification through YMCA, local Red Cross, or other organizations.

Usually the classes are 2-3 days long over the weekend. Students must be at least 15 years old by the last day of class.

You’ll learn CPR training, First Aid, and AED training. You’ll learn about strange waves and tides, like riptides. They call drowning the “silent killer,” so you’ll learn to recognize swimmers struggling and how to use floatation devices.

Next, pass the certification test. Here is an example of what you need to pass in order to get certified through the YMCA:

After you pass the certification test, call around local pools, beaches, lakes, community centers, and water parks to see who is hiring.

If you want to be a beach lifeguard, you must be in great shape and also be a strong swimmer. You might want to practice running on sand.

Lifeguarding can sometimes get boring, especially when there are no swimmers, and you do risk getting sunburned.

Every two years, make sure your certification is up to date and doesn’t expire.

14. Make a YouTube channel

• 

  Make a YouTube channel

  • Pros: You can help people and have fun with it.
  • Cons: You’ll have to deal with haters along the way.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    13 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $5 for every 1,000 video views

  • What Do you Need:

    A camera, editing software, a computer

Almost every teen has watched YouTube now and might have considered starting their own channel; you get to be creative and express yourself, and it doesn’t cost you any money to start a channel.

But beware – you will have to deal with haters. On the flip side, you also get to enjoy befriending people around the world. Video making is time consuming and there will be difficult lulls in your creativity.

Most YouTube channels fail, so chances are that you probably won’t be famous, but if you are, you will have to deal with privacy concerns.

You’ll need a good camera, editing software, and a computer. If you’re filming yourself, a mic, and ring light would help.

If being on the screen doesn’t bode well with you, you could also make money as a social media manager.

15. Make Dog Treats

• 

  Make Dog Treats

  • Pros: If you love dogs, this can be a passion for you.
  • Cons: It might be a pain dealing with your state’s regulations.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Any age

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies

  • What Do you Need:

    Dog recipes, ingredients, and packaging materials

Before you get too excited about making dog treats, know that each state and county has different regulations when it comes to selling dog treats.

You also need to check with your own city and county to see if they allow minors to get a business license.

Some states require a commercially licensed kitchen; others don’t. You will need to get a business license and have to deal with things like taxes. If all of the above makes your eyes glaze over, then read on for different ideas.

Other than the initial hoops you have to jump through, you can enjoy creating dog treats, helping dogs stay healthy by avoiding fillers and preservatives.

You can also have fun with the shapes and presentation of your treats, earning momey while keeping flexible hours.

Don’t forget to build a website and have cute packaging. Find a way to let customers pay online.

16. Office Work

• 

  Office Work

  • Pros: You can work sitting down in an air-conditioned or heated room.
  • Cons: You have to deal with office politics and personalities.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old, unless it’s a family office

  • How Much Can You Make:

    They’ll usually offer you minimum wage for your state.

  • What Do you Need:

    Some basic computer skills and people skills

If you are polite and respectful towards your parents’ friends, it could land you a job. A lot of them need someone to work in their office.

You could work as a receptionist, office clerk, administrative assistant, or in the field of customer service.

The great positive is that it’s not physically difficult. You routinely walk into an office for a set number of hours and get your work done.

The difficult part is the possible office drama with difficult personalities. You also may not enjoy being stuck indoors with a computer and phone.

As a teenager, I had a job like this during the summer, and it was pretty easy money.

17. Organize a Bake Sale

• 

  Organize a Bake Sale

  • Pros: If you’re naturally gifted at baking, this will be fun for you.
  • Cons: If you do this regularly, you might need a permit.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Any age

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies

  • What Do you Need:

    Recipes, the ingredients, and the ability to bake

Every city is different when it comes to allowing bake sales without permits. Call your city council to see if you don’t need a permit and mention if it’s for a fundraiser, as different rules apply.

Or risk it for 1-2 hours; the worst that can happen is you get told to pack it up and leave.

If you’re going to do this regularly, it’s better for you to get a permit and insurance in case someone gets food poisoned.

More problems arise when you try to sell near public events and leech off of other businesses or if you cause any traffic by causing cars to pull over in busy intersections.

You can set these up at schools or on street corners with your lemonade stand.

One of my friends had an entrepreneurial son who started selling bags of popcorn and other candy at school to friends. When he popped popcorn, other kids smelled it and wanted some; he made a lot of money off of schoolmates!

Have a tip jar available to make even more money!

18. Painting Interiors

• 

  Painting Interiors

  • Pros: Flexible hours
  • Cons: It’s physically taxing and you can’t make mistakes.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old, unless it’s for a family

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $18/hour (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    Paint, brushes, rollers, pans, painter’s tape, tarp, etc.

Painting is a lot more difficult than it looks. The preparation usually takes more time than the painting. People want exact, straight lines on their ceilings and baseboards.

You need to be able to tape up and cover everything that is not going to be painted. If you get paint on furniture or on baseboards, then you’re going to be ruining someone’s property.

The pro of painting is that you get a lot of job flexibility; you can take jobs you want and say no to others.

The difficulty is that it’s pretty physically tiring and dirty, and you are dependent on referrals if you want more work.

Also, depending on your fear of heights, you might not enjoy painting an area with high ceilings when you need to balance on a ladder.

If you do find the work easy, you might want to think about starting a business. You can also break into wallpaper installation.

19. Teach Music

• 

  Teach Music

  • Pros: You can make money in a short amount of time and share your passion for music.
  • Cons: Dealing with difficult parents or kids. Most hours are in the afternoon and evening.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    No age limit

  • How Much Can You Make:

    Varies

  • What Do you Need:

    Knowledge about a musical instrument and the ability to teach

There is always a shortage of piano teachers, and if you are a teen, you can charge a lesser fee than professionals for teaching beginning levels.

In order to teach your kids a holistic approach to music, be sure to find a systematic curriculum to take them through. For piano players, Faber’s Piano Adventures comes highly recommended by many professionals.

The great benefit of teaching music is sharing your passion for music with students who are eager to learn. You gain a great relationship with kids and don’t have to deal with office drama.

The hard part can be dealing with difficult parents or kids. Most hours are in the afternoon after school and in the evening.

20. Tutor

• 

  Tutor

  • Pros: You can earn good money in a short amount of time.
  • Cons: Dealing with difficult parents or kids
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    No age limit

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $24.84 (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    Knowledge on a certain subject and the ability to teach

If academia is your forte, you can help people of all ages by tutoring them in fields that they struggle with. As a teen, you could charge less than professional tutors and gain more business.

The best part about tutoring is that you can build relationships with students and be their encouragement during hard times.

The difficulty might be in dealing with difficult parents, like those who pay you late or cancel last second. Sometimes a student might not want to learn but are being forced to by their parents.

But if you’re willing to deal with some difficulties, the reward of helping to change students’ lives is a joy you don’t want to miss out on.

21. Umpire or Referee

• 

  Umpire or Referee

  • Pros: It pays well.
  • Cons: When you’re dealing with angry coaches or parents, it’s hard to not let it get to you.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Some baseball leagues let kids as young as age 11 become umpires and referees.

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $26.07/hour (U.S. average wage)

  • What Do you Need:

    You will probably have to take an umpire or ref class.

A lot of baseball leagues let kids begin umpiring as young as 11 and 12 years old. Your baseball league will usually have you sign up for a class to learn how to umpire.

You usually receive a pitch counter, plate brush, and official shirt. You’ll have to be at least a couple years older than the game you are umpiring.

You need a decent knowledge of the game and the ability to stand up to angry coaches and parents. You get yelled at a lot and work solo most of the time.

The pay is usually good for teens, and some places will still pay you if the game is rained out. Another great plus is that you get a lot of variety while you work. No game is the same.

Pam Hayashida, called the BoxingMaven, started to ref amateur boxing and slowly worked her way up to becoming a professional boxing judge. Though she wouldn’t recommend reffing boxing for teens, you too can work your way up to the pros in a different sport.

22. Work in an Afternoon Program

• 

  Work in an Afternoon Program

  • Pros: You can make connections with kids. It’s fun playing games and doing crafts. You also get holidays off.
  • Cons: You have to work every school day.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At minimum, your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    A love for children

More and more parents are working full time and can’t pick their kids up from school at 3 p.m. Parents love having their kids in beneficial afterschool programs like tutoring or art; other times, they just want their kids to have fun.

For the most part, your job will be enjoyable – playing with kids. Every once in a while, you’ll have to break up arguments, confront a bully, or deal with whiny, irritable kids.

The con is that you don’t get to work two or three days a week like most teen jobs. You have to work every school day, but the plus is that you get your holidays off! Who doesn’t want a part-time job with built-in vacations?

23. Work as a Camp Counselor

• 

  Work as a Camp Counselor

  • Pros: You can be outdoors in nature, enjoying peers and kids.
  • Cons: You will sometimes be assigned a difficult child.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Varies

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At minimum, your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    Maturity

Some camp counselors are for day-time summer programs. Others are camps that parents send their kids off to.

My son will always remember his camp counselors taking him and his friends to the middle of Hume Lake at night and telling them scary stories.

The age range for working camp counselors varies, depending upon the age of kids you’re working with and if it’s overnight or not.

My sister-in-law was a camp counselor off of Catalina Island and she loved taking kids snorkeling at night through kelp forests.

Dealing with difficult or complaining kids can be hard and take an emotional toll. You do have to have the maturity to handle those situations with grace and ease.

You get to explore and make great new friends with your peer counselors. You create memories that will last you a lifetime.

24. Work at an Amusement Park

• 

  Work at an Amusement Park

  • Pros: Free entry into the park and discounts on food and prizes
  • Cons: It’s very loud, but some people might like that.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At minimum, your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    A decent sense of good customer service

An easy job for most teens would be to work at a local amusement park like Six Flags. You could also work at a carnival or state fair.

Your jobs might entail taking out the trash, cleaning up, giving directions, instructing people with information like, “Lift up your hands so the lap bar can come down.”

It’s often very loud near a ride so you’ll have to communicate with team members via hand signals. Standing on your feet in bad weather is also difficult.

Probably one of the hardest things is dealing with customers who are angry about something you can’t do anything about – long lines, their long walk, or the bad weather.

The fun part is that you get to go to the park for free and you can also bring a friend for free, with great discounts on food and prizes.

If there isn’t a local amusement park, perhaps check out the bowling alleys and arcades near you.

25. Work at Your Local Market

• 

  Work at Your Local Market

  • Pros: You get to talk to some nice people.
  • Cons: You can get bored during slow hours. Some customers are rude.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At minimum, your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    The ability to be on your feet for several hours

There are plenty of grocery stores who will hire young teens to work for them.

You get to meet some regulars and befriend them. You also get to be physically active as you work.

The difficult part is that late night hours can get monotonous and dull. Some customers are demanding and rude. You might have to keep an eye out for customers that are high or stealing stuff.

When the market is busy, the hours fly by quickly. It’s a great place to start your first job.

26. Work in the Food Industry

• 

  Work in the Food Industry

  • Pros: Discounts on food
  • Cons: Rude customers
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At minimum, your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    Decent customer service skills

A lot of teens start their first jobs in fast food, flipping burgers and making pizzas.

You get flexible hours and whoopee – free fast food! On top of that, you usually work with peers so you can make friends. Most interactions with customers turn out well.

A manager from In-N-Out once told me that he hires interviewees who come in smiling, so usually your co-workers are pleasant.

The cons might be having rude customers, having bad ownership/management, low pay, no tips; it can also be very boring at times and very busy at other times.

Here’s a list of restaurants in the food industry that hire as young as 14 years old:

• Chick Fil A
• Dairy Queen
• Boba place
• Coffee place
• Some McDonald’s
• Ben & Jerry’s
• Baskin-Robbins
• Dunkin’ Donuts
• Bruster’s
• Culver’s
• Rita’s Italian Ice

Usually for fast food places where you have to use more dangerous equipment like a deep fryer or a meat slicer, you will have to be at least 16 years old.

27. Work in a Movie Theater

• 

  Work in a Movie Theater

  • Pros: You get to see movies for free and receive a lot of other freebies.
  • Cons: You have to clean up after people, and sometimes, it's vomit.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At least your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    Decent customer service skills

Do you want to enjoy free movies?

If you work at a movie theater, not only will you get to see free movies, most theaters will also give you free popcorn and soda. You might also get free movie goodies like posters, pins, cups, etc.

AMC hires teens as young as 14 years old.

What’s the negative? With all customer service jobs, there’s the headache of dealing with ridiculous, angry customers. You may rarely have to clean up vomit and tell parents they can’t take their kids to rated R movies.

If the pros outweigh the cons, then send in a job application to your local theater.

28. Work in Retail

• 

  Work in Retail

  • Pros: Employee discount
  • Cons: Due to the tiring nature of the work, the burnout rate for retail is usually quick.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Usually 16 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At least your state’s minimum wage

  • What Do you Need:

    Basic customer service skills

There’s nothing that will teach you how to fold clothes in box format like working for your local Gap. Most of your time is spent folding, cleaning, reorganizing, and facing products in the correct way; you’ll never be able to look at a shelf of products the same again.

Working in retail helps you learn a lot about business and sales. During work hours, you have to be outgoing and shed social anxiety. It’s usually not hard to get hired at a store, and your hours are flexible.

On top of that, you gain an employee discount on anything in the store.

Because you’re on your feet all day, the turnover rate for retail is high.  On top of that, CNBC Lauren Thomas reports that 40,000 – 50,000 stores are predicted to close by 2026.

The following companies are said to set their hiring age at 16:

• Abercrombie & Fitch
• Aeropostale
• Albertsons
• American Eagle Outfitters
• Banana Republic
• Barnes & Noble
• BJ’s Wholesale Club
• Charlotte Russian
• CVS
• Food Lion
• Forever 21
• Gap
• GUESS
• H&M
• Harris Teeter
• Hollister
• HomeGoods
• Hot Topic
• JCPenney
• Justice
• Kmart
• Kohl’s
• Levi’s
• Marshalls
• Meijer
• Old Navy
• PacSun
• Ralph Lauren
• Target
• T.J.Maxx
• Trader Joe’s
• Walmart
• Walgreens

You definitely want to work in a retail store before they become obsolete.

29. Work in a Restaurant

• 

  Work in a Restaurant

  • Pros: Discounted food and tips (if waitressing)
  • Cons: Some customers are extremely rude.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    14 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    At least your state’s minimum wage plus tip

  • What Do you Need:

    Nothing but you may want good walking shoes

My 17-year-old son was looking for a job and asked a restaurant owner if he had any job openings. The owner hired him on the spot without an interview to wash dishes.

Restaurants are always looking for people who are willing to do dishes or bus tables. After you are hired, you can work your way up to being a greeter and a waiter.

It’s hard being on your feet for several hours and dealing with cranky customers, but the tips might be worth it. You can also get discounted or free food!

The customer service skills are transferable, as you can learn to deal with rude people with grace. You can also stay physically fit since your job is very active.

30. Work as a Freelance Writer

• 

  Work as a Freelance Writer

  • Pros: Work from the quiet of your home
  • Cons: It might be difficult to write professionally on top of all the homework you have to do.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    13 years old

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $33

  • What Do you Need:

    A laptop or computer and writing skills

On Fiverr, you can start writing professionally after you are 13 years old. You can start freelancing and ghostwriting for people.

The benefit of working as a writer is that you can do it within the quiet of your own home and without office drama. You also get flexible hours and can even work at night.

The negative might be that you have to write more after completing all of your writing homework for school. However, if creative writing is your niche, you might not get enough of that at school.

It also might be a headache trying to figure out your taxes as a contractor on your own. But if your parents can help you figure that out, then go for it!

31. Yard Work

• 

  Yard Work

  • Pros: You get to enjoy the outdoors in a relaxing environment.
  • Cons: You have to work in all weather.
  • How Old You Have to Be:

    Mature enough to be responsible

  • How Much Can You Make:

    $15.82/hour (U.S. average)

  • What Do you Need:

    A lawnmower and possibly other gardening tools

If you are willing to be a neighborhood kid who will mow multiple lawns, your neighbors will surely be happy to pay you rather than an expensive gardener. You would not be allowed to work any dangerous equipment until you are older.

The pro of doing yard work for neighbors is that you get to spend your work day outdoors and that is always good for your mental health. You also can keep a flexible schedule and work around your school schedule.

If you are working for an elderly neighbor, they might be willing to fund your curious green thumb experimenting with gardening in their yard.

Depending on what you agree to do, it can get labor intensive. Though the sun is great for vitamin D and your general health, you do have to be careful about UV rays and skin cancer. Make sure to sunscreen yourself and cover up.

Closing Tips:

Working as a teen – managing your free time and school – can be difficult. Most teen friends want to play and live up their teen life, so it’s hard to be responsible.

If you are punctual, mature, and do an excellent job, then not only will you gain valuable life lessons, but you will gain adult advocates for life. People who hire you will give you raving recommendations for future jobs.

For more ideas, read How To Earn an Income in High School: 15 Best Jobs for Teens. If you can drive, you can also look into 23 Easy Ways to Make Money With Your Car. If you don’t want to drive to work, consider Bored? 25 Money Making Hobbies That Will Make You Richer.

I’ve been there, and though you might not want to commit to a second full-time job, there are a lot of other ways you can make money on the side. 

Read below to help brainstorm for ideas, and look at the pros and cons before you try out something you might not enjoy. It’s such a joy when your side hustle is something you love doing with a passion!  

1. Advertising on Your Car

• 

  Advertising on Your Car

  • Pros: You get paid to drive and do what you normally do - drive.
  • Cons: Socially, you may not enjoy having an advertisement on your car.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $100 - $400 per month

  • How to Begin:

    Sign up with a car wrap advertising company.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can make money without putting in much effort.

You can get paid while going about your regular tasks if you sign up with a car wrap advertising company.

In order to make money, you need to be someone who drives around and gains a good amount of miles on your car regularly.

Your earnings depend on how much you drive, the type of car you drive, and the size of your ad.

2. Afterschool Programs

• 

  Afterschool Programs

  • Pros: You get to spend hours with children.
  • Cons: You have to spend time with children.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17/hour (for tutors)

  • How to Begin:

    Look into getting a proper license for your area.

  • The Fun Part:

    Relive your childhood by playing games with kids and doing art projects like finger painting.

There is always a need for afterschool programs. With the rising costs of living, more and more parents need to work, which means that their kids need a place to go after school.

Depending on your love for children, you may or may not thoroughly enjoy this.

If you can offer tutoring services or art lessons, the parents enjoy putting their kids in afterschool programs that are more beneficial than not.

Usually the programs are geared towards pre-K to lower elementary school kids, as older kids can usually stay home without supervision.

Since proper licensing can vary from location to location, look at your local area and their regulations for afterschool programs. You might be granted funding from your government for your program for snacks and art supplies.

3. Airbnb Host

• 

  Airbnb Host

  • Pros: Your property gains value as renters pay off your mortgage.
  • Cons: People can trash your place or steal items. Especially if your location is far from your home, it can be a pain to deal with.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $200 - $10,000 per month

  • How to Begin:

    Sign up with Airbnb to host your home.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can meet new guests and/or have extra income with little effort.

If you have an extra room in your house or you own extra property, one source of extra income could be to rent out your home.

Airbnb protects you with $1M liability insurance, $1M damage protection, deep cleaning protection, and so forth. People might damage your property by throwing parties, breaking items, or stealing things.

However, there is nothing like having guests pay for your mortgage as your property appreciates. Read here to find out more information on how to become an Airbnb host.

4. Babysitting

• 

  Babysitting

  • Pros: Whether you are young and energetic or an old empty nester, you might find joy spending time with kids.
  • Cons: Sometimes you see troubling patterns in how the parents raise their kids.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $21/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Let your friends know that you are free to babysit or market yourself on social media.

  • The Fun Part:

    You get to cuddle with babies and play with kids.

There is always a need for babysitters. Parents have to work in order to support their families, and before kids are mature, it isn’t safe to leave them at home. Parents also need date nights. If you love children, this will be a fun gig for you.

Sometimes the gig is just staying in the house while the children sleep.

Sometimes you see parents doing things that can cause you concern; for example, some kids have a diet that entirely consists of chips; other times, parents let their kids get away with everything.

When children have no discipline, the gig becomes tiring quickly.

On the whole, when you have adorable children, the gig is absolutely enjoyable.

5. Be an Extra in Movies

• 

  Be an Extra in Movies

  • Pros: You can network and be a part of the film industry without a lot of extra stress.
  • Cons: A lot of times you are on the set for several hours and have to deal with parking difficulties.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $13/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Begin by making a profile on websites like ExtrasAccess, and they start sending you job listings via email.

  • The Fun Part:

    You get to be on television and in movies!

All movies and television shows need extras in the background. Whether a scene is being filmed on the street or in a high school, they need more people walking around than the main actors.

You’re probably going to be responsible for your own hair and makeup; you need to be ready to spend the whole day on the set. Most of the time, no phones are allowed on set, so bring something to do.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get a speaking part or a casting director will notice you for future gigs.

6. Blogging

• 

  Blogging

  • Pros: You get to be your own boss and have a flexible schedule.
  • Cons: In order to make a lot of money from it, you need to gain a large following.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $0 - $1 million+

  • How to Begin:

    Read up on how to create a successful blog or take a course.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can make money quietly at home while sharing information you feel passionate about.

If you want to make money from blogging, have expertise on a particular subject, are ready to write content, and commit to a long-term game, blogging will be a great side gig for you.

There is a lot of competition in blogging, so in order to earn money from blogging, you do need to be patient and willing to create a lot of content without earning any money at first.  

You can tune into a blogging online course to learn about how to earn money, how to gain affiliate links, how to join ad networks, learn about SEOs, and how to advertise products such as mugs and clothing.

Even this blog you’re reading, MoneyDoneRight, brings in some income!

7. Bookkeeper

• 

  Bookkeeper

  • Pros: You can work remotely with flexible hours.
  • Cons: You don’t get to interact much with others, but this might be a pro for you.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $20/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Though it would help, you don’t need to have a degree in accounting. You just need a strong attention to detail.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can make money at home without office drama.

Bookkeepers keep track of the financial flow of a company’s finances. If you have a strong eye for detail and the ability to multitask, this is a good side gig for you. You can also work for multiple businesses at the same time.

Your hours are flexible and you can work from home. If you enjoy numbers and detective work, it’s a great opportunity to use those skills.

You do have to spend a lot of time at your computer, and you don’t get to interact with people much, but some people enjoy the solitude and lack of office drama.

8. Brand Ambassador

• 

  Brand Ambassador

  • Pros: You can make easy money and earn free products by agreeing to be a brand ambassador.
  • Cons: Your followers notice that you’re trying to sell them stuff and dislike it.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $0 - $4,000 per contract (depending on the number of followers you have)

  • How to Begin:

    Post regularly and have a public account. Gain followers.

  • The Fun Part:

    You get free boxes of fun stuff, like makeup, food, or new shoes!

You might be pretty nifty at social media and have thousands of followers. Companies will pay you to advertise for them – whether it be a food company or a makeup company.

Some brand ambassadors get paid thousands of dollars, but others are simply offered free products.

You post on social media or customer review sites and wear promotional clothing items or stickers.

The company is paying you for advertising. The more influence you have, the more a company will pay you to say good things about them.

9. Caregiver

• 

  Caregiver

  • Pros: If you enjoy caring for the elderly, this job can be fulfilling.
  • Cons: You need to have a lot of patience when working with the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17/hour

  • How to Begin:

    You can try volunteering at charity organizations to give free caregiving services and see how you like it. To pursue it for a side hustle, get a CNA license.

  • The Fun Part:

    You might enjoy the slow pace and wisdom of the elderly, while being a nurturing figure.

Some caregivers are needed during the day, but if you want this for a side gig, night shifts are also high in demand.

My friend needed a caregiver for her grandmother in the middle of the night, who only woke 1-2 times. If you did a gig like this, you would get paid for every hour they sleep.

Other times, your job would consist of driving the elderly to appointments or keeping them company during the day. Sometimes they need assistance with hygiene and getting dressed.

If you would like to be a skilled caregiver and get paid, then you would need CNA training, which is relatively cheap and takes about one month long. You can usually find a CNA training course at your local college or American Red Cross.

10. Carpet Cleaning

• 

  Carpet Cleaning

  • Pros: You can make your own hours and can work alone.
  • Cons: Buying your equipment at the beginning can get expensive.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $19.16/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Buy carpet cleaning equipment. Begin to market yourself.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can exercise while you work.

Carpet cleaning can be a good side gig for people who don’t mind physical movement. It can be exhausting, but you can charge quite a bit per square foot.

Start up can be expensive, depending on how expensive your machinery is; you may want to invest in equipment insurance. You will also need a way to transport your machinery.

You will need to market yourself, as you need new clients every day to keep a steady income.

11. Computer Services

• 

  Computer Services

  • Pros: You can usually make a good amount of money, even as a side gig.
  • Cons: You have to deal with people who are angry and stressed out because their computers aren’t working.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $22.94 per hour for IT support

  • How to Begin:

    Get education in computers or engineering.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can feel like a superhero to someone's distress.

There isn’t a shortage of baby boomers and Gen Xers who don’t know how to run a computer. Elderly people need help setting up their televisions and Wi-Fi. Others don’t know how to upgrade their computers.

In order to do this as a side gig, get some additional education in computer science or engineering. Also, gain professional experience. IT certification helps to open up more doors.

You do have to work alone and often with stressed out clients who are panicking about their computers.

If you are young, even without education, you might be surprised to see how much you naturally know about computers compared to elderly generations who need your help.

12. Cottage Home Food Business

• 

  Cottage Home Food Business

  • Pros: If you’re baking for yourself, it’s easy to mass produce and make money on the side. It’s also wonderful to bless other people with yummy food.
  • Cons: As with any business, you have to jump through legal hoops and deal with customers.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $10 - $100 per item sold

  • How to Begin:

    Begin by spreading the word among family and friends and through social media.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can share your love for food with others. It feels like giving out gifts for your job!

If you are particularly skilled at making food items, check with your state laws to see what you can sell legally from your own kitchen with a cottage food license. Here are some items you might want to sell:

With a Cottage Food license, your breads cannot have cream, custard, or meat fillings, nor can you sell anything that needs refrigeration.

Look into your state laws to get a valid business license, zoning clearance, and a Cottage Food license.

13. Crafter

• 

  Crafter

  • Pros: If you have a handcrafting hobby that you enjoy during your leisure time, you can bring in extra income while relaxing.
  • Cons: Sometimes dealing with cranky customers, mailing, and returns can be a headache, so you can hire Amazon FBA to take care of this stress for you.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $5 - $200 depending on the item you sell

  • How to Begin:

    Begin by making your craft.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can unwind from a stressful day while making money.

If you find it leisurely to craft when you have free time, you can easily turn it into a side business.

Here are some crafts that people enjoy selling:

• Printables
• Bath bombs
• Knitted scarfs or berets
• Candles
• Skincare
• Soap
• Apparel
• Jewelry
• Journals
• Mugs
• Pretty stationary
• Woodwork
• Pottery
• Food
• Art

On Etsy or Amazon Handmade, you can sell your crafts with small service fees. Amazon Handmade also has Amazon FBA if you want someone else to take care of shipping or customer care issues. You can focus on your craft and let Amazon FBA deal with the rest.

14. Dance Instructor

• 

  Dance Instructor

  • Pros: You get paid to exercise!
  • Cons: You have to pay a monthly subscription to keep your teaching license active.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Attain the skills and certification to be a dance instructor and then apply for jobs.

  • The Fun Part:

    If you love to dance, you don't have to pay money at a club. Instead, let people pay you to dance and meet people!

If you enjoy dancing and would love to teach it as a side job, you can get paid to do something you love so much. Modern, jazz, tap, and ballet are a few various forms of dancing you might love.

The negative is that you don’t get paid for your practice hours, but if you consider that more work out time for yourself, then you might not mind.

You also have to pay a monthly subscription to keep your certified dance teaching license active.

15. DJ

• 

  DJ

  • Pros: You get to have fun and work with music and people.
  • Cons: You’re usually working evenings and weekends, but that’s what a side gig is. Start up can be expensive.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $50 - $100 per hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Buy your DJ equipment and learn to work it.

  • The Fun Part:

    People light up when they hear a song they love, and the joy of getting a crowd up on their feet and dancing with happiness is high.

Being a DJ can be an excellent side gig; you can bring in a lot of extra money. If you love music and working with people, you’ll have a lot of fun with this.

Buying DJ hardware and sound equipment can be expensive. You’ll have to invest in music; learn DJ skills like mixing, EQing, phrasing, and beatmatching.

If you want to gig at weddings, you should feel comfortable speaking into a microphone and hyping up a crowd.

You’ll usually be in charge of shipping all your equipment and setting up; while you’re hard at work, if you throw in a photo booth, you’ll make even more easy money.

16. Dog Walker or Dog Sitter

• 

  Dog Walker or Dog Sitter

  • Pros: If you love animals, you can earn money taking them along on a walk. If dog sitting, you can enjoy their company while you get other work done.
  • Cons: Dogs have their own personalities and some will destroy your property or fight with other dogs. Some dogs shed quite a large amount of fur.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17/hour

  • How to Begin:

    You can either start your own business or get hired by another company.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can keep winning with this job because it takes little effort and you get to love on some adorable furry ones while making money.

If you love spending time with dogs, you can make extra money while you exercise or work from home.

Dog owners pay to make sure their dogs are in good hands when they go on vacation or go to work. Many dog owners don’t have the energy or the capability to walk their dogs every day.

You can spread your business through word of mouth. You can also list your service on neighborhood apps, Facebook neighborhood groups, Rover, or Wag.

Be sure to meet your client and the dog before committing. You don’t want a dog who will destroy your property or who is stronger than you.

You need to be able to control the dog on walks or you (and other people) can get injured. Also, some dogs will shed quite a bit, so you need to be a little relaxed with fur.

17. Donate Plasma

• 

  Donate Plasma

  • Pros: You can help people with serious health issues.
  • Cons: You will have general fatigue and pain as you do when you donate blood.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $50 - $100 per donation

  • How to Begin:

    Find a collection center near you. Bring your ID.

  • The Fun Part:

    You feel like a super hero saving lives and make money at the same time.

If you enjoy helping people as a side gig, one of the most beneficial things you can do for your community is to donate plasma. You can help people with chronic health issues.

The process usually takes a little bit longer than normal blood donation.

Eat a healthy meal so you don’t get lightheaded.

Be aware that you will probably get an initial blood test to check you for drug use or STDs. The positive side is you’ll get your health checked out at the same time.

In most states, you must be at least 18 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. To gain more information, read here.

18. DoorDash, Uber Eats, or GrubHub

• 

  DoorDash, Uber Eats, or GrubHub

  • Pros: You can control your own hours.
  • Cons: You use a lot of gas and gain a lot of wear and tear on your car.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $16.50/hour plus tip

  • How to Begin:

    Sign up with DoorDash, Uber Eats, or GrubHub

  • The Fun Part:

    You get movement, no office drama, and money at the same time.

Perhaps you enjoy working alone and don’t want to deal with office drama. You also want to work during off hours. Delivering food is a good way to benefit from all of that.

To learn more about food delivery, grocery delivery, and package delivery jobs available, read here.

19. Doula

• 

  Doula

  • Pros: You can pace yourself with the number of clients you want to take on. You can make extra money without being locked into a full-time job.
  • Cons: Being a doula is not a 9 to 5 p.m. predictable job. You can be called in the middle of the night or in the middle of your child’s birthday party.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $1,700 - $2,000 per birth (includes prenatal appointments to see if you’re a good fit with your patient)

  • How to Begin:

    Contact a school like Dona International and begin your training process.

  • The Fun Part:

    You get to witness the birth of a human!

If you treasure the birthing process, you can get certified at places like Dona International, where they train doulas to work with the birthing mothers.

You get business training, classes on lactation, and do a lot of reading and writing on subjects like postpartum depression. A doctor and midwife need to sign off on your certification.

You would have prenatal appointments with your clients where you listen to their vision for birth and encourage their birth plan dreams.

Sometimes women are in and out of labor in five hours, but other times, it takes women several hours to give birth.

You can partner with another doula, so if two mothers give birth at the same time, you have a back up ready.

20. Farmhand

• 

  Farmhand

  • Pros: There are always crops to be picked and seeds to plant.
  • Cons: It is hard labor being in the fields and in the sun.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $16.62 per hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Contact your local farm or look on local job boards.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can enjoy nature.

Every farm needs hands to help – whether it be picking fruit or milking cows. You might surprise them and know how to handle farm equipment and tractor trailers.

Every farm needs to move their animals and fix fences. Being outdoors might be a joy for you; and how wonderful would it be to see the birth of a baby animal!

21. Fill out Surveys

• 

  Fill out Surveys

  • Pros: You can do this during your spare time – in line at stores or while going to the bathroom.
  • Cons: It doesn’t pay much.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    50 cents to $2 for each survey

  • How to Begin:

    Register with an online survey company.

  • The Fun Part:

    You gain the satisfaction of monetizing the smaller moments of your day.

If you want to maximize every minute of your free time in a monetary way, you can fill out surveys whenever you have some down time, like during a break from work.

Companies pay you for your consumer opinion because they’re doing market research. This could range from giving your opinion on a product to stating your thoughts on a commercial.

Begin by registering with an online survey provider. They’ll want to know your demographics and information.

The more you fit the demographics they need, the more surveys you’ll receive. For instance, they’ll only send geriatric product surveys out to older people.

22. Freelance Writer

• 

  Freelance Writer

  • Pros: You can work remotely and at whatever hours you’d like to.
  • Cons: If you need human interaction, you might not get much when you’re writing.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $25/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Look on job websites for writing jobs.

  • The Fun Part:

    The art of communicating in effective, creative ways is always enjoyable.

Perhaps you find English and grammar easy. You can become a content writer or a copywriter!

Look on Fivver on possible gigs, or write your own self-published books.

Buy a Writer’s Market to learn how to write query letters, find agents, and submit your work to competitions; look for newspapers, magazines, and publishing companies that want submissions. Write greetings for cards or jokes for magazines.

Look into copywriting workshops and learn to advertise with your writing.

23. Hair Stylist

• 

  Hair Stylist

  • Pros: You can be with people all day and become friends with your clients.
  • Cons: You are on your feet all day and if you’re feeling introverted for a day, you don’t have a choice to hide away from people.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $18/hour plus tip (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Look into cosmetology programs near you so you can learn to cut, color, and style hair. Get a license to practice in your state.

  • The Fun Part:

    The enjoyment of having friends and clients come to you and beautifying them so they feel attractive is always a plus.

If you enjoy being able to beautify other people by doing their hair, being a hairstylist is an excellent job for you. You get to choose your own hours and run your own business.

Listening skills are vital for being a hairstylist because you have to know exactly what your client wants done.

You also have to be flexible with last minute changes in your clients’ schedules. Also, with the joys of running your own business comes the stress of running your own business.

Get a license to practice in your state and renew it every few years.

24. Handyman Services

• 

  Handyman Services

  • Pros: You will be helping people with things they can’t do on their own. You set your own flexible hours.
  • Cons: All the cons of running a private business come with being a handyman.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $24.47/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Learn the skills you need to be a qualified handyman.

  • The Fun Part:

    Your job changes from day to day so you never get bored, and so do the clientele.

If you naturally know how to fix broken drawers, install garbage disposal systems, and put chandeliers in ceilings, there’s a plethora of people who will pay you for your help.

Your natural contractor skills can also grow in vocational schools where you learn more about plumbing, electrical, and/or HVAC.

The cons of being a handyman are the same cons as anyone running a private business – e.g. you need to bill on your own and be your own secretary.

25. Housesitter

• 

  Housesitter

  • Pros: You can travel and see other homes while getting paid.
  • Cons: If you house-sit a lot, you might have the same cons as businessmen who travel a lot – travel fatigue. Also, it is during the holidays and summer months that most housesitters are in demand, so you'll miss your own holidays and summer.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $12 - $16 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    Sign up with a house sitting agency.

  • The Fun Part:

    Travel around the world rent-free. You also meet some wonderful furry pets!

If you enjoy traveling, visiting homes, and have a remote job, house sitting might be a fun side gig for you!

Most people want a house sitter for their pet, so you do have to be pet friendly. You’ll need to make a good first impression and references help a lot.

Welcome the owners back with a clean house; make their bed with freshly cleaned sheets.

For more information, read here.

26. Influencer

• 

  Influencer

  • Pros: You can be part of a supportive community and connect with a lot of people you normally wouldn’t have connected with.
  • Cons: There’s a demand to create content every day.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $40K - $100K for 10,000 to 50,000 followers

  • How to Begin:

    Start developing a following and make entertaining or informative content. Post regularly.

  • The Fun Part:

    It's fun being in the spotlight and trying new things.

Perhaps you don’t mind being in the spotlight. Perhaps it’s fun for you to share your thoughts on recipes or fashion with other people all over the world.

After you gain a good amount of followers by posting informative and entertaining content regularly; learn how algorithms work for social media and YouTube.

For instance, the best times to post are between 2 and 3 p.m. Other good times are Wednesdays 11 a.m. and Fridays 10 a.m. Short entertaining reels are great for creating engagement.

Controversy over your post can be one of the greatest blessings as it skyrockets your algorithm. 

27. Interior Decorator

• 

  Interior Decorator

  • Pros: You can help people find their vision of what they’d love their home to look like.
  • Cons: Sometimes you have to sell products to your own clients when they have doubts about how it’s going to help them achieve their goal.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $19.06/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Begin helping to decorate your friends’ homes and see if you have a gift in interior decorating.

  • The Fun Part:

    Tap into your creative and artistic side and have fun beautifying someone's home!

Some people have a natural eye for beauty and know how to decorate a home in the most eye-catching way. If this is you, this will be an easy and fun side gig for you.

The negative part is you often have to act as a therapist or salesperson as you guide clients toward the end goal. Weeding out people who don’t trust you is key before getting yourself too involved.

Sometimes you also have to deal with flakey or egotistical sub-contractors, so building a strong team is essential.

It’s fun to decorate using other people’s money — you help to give birth to a dream that someone has and see the happiness they gain.  

28. Local Tour Guide

• 

  Local Tour Guide

  • Pros: You can be around people and show them around your area. You don’t have to stay in the office.
  • Cons: Sometimes plans can fail due to no fault of your own, and you have to deal with unhappy guests.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $16 per hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Plan a tour route for your own city; apply for jobs with travel agents.

  • The Fun Part:

    Leading people and getting looked upon as the expert in your area is a highlight; and giving your guests a fun time is rewarding!

If you communicate clearly, have a warm personality, and have a natural bent towards providing hospitality, being a local tour guide will be an easy side gig for you.

You do need to be flexible and be able to solve problems; e.g. if the restaurant failed to make your reservations, you should always have a Plan B and be able to redirect your group with a cheerful attitude.

It helps if you’re an enthusiastic story teller. You need to be on your feet for most of the time; some tour guides have mastered the art of walking backwards.

Plan tour routes that will give your guests the proper amount of rest and meals; arrange your stops so that traffic will be the least cumbersome. Pre-buy tickets to events or museums.

If you extend your skills to going abroad, you might be able to visit different locations and earn your keep for free.

29. Maid Service

• 

  Maid Service

  • Pros: Hours are flexible.
  • Cons: Sometimes it can be lonely if you don’t work with a team.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $13.50/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    You can search job boards, put out an ad on social media or neighborhood apps, or get hired by a house cleaning company.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can get exercise while you work and spend your time without office drama.

If you don’t mind vacuuming or mopping or cleaning showers, maid service might be a great side gig for you. Some people find it relaxing to work in a solo, quiet environment while getting exercise and movement in at the same time.

If you become a full-time housekeeper for a private home or a hotel, you can even get a room for free. You can also get to exercise as you do your job.

A negative is if you have inconsiderate guests or bosses who don’t care about how much you have to clean up after them.

30. Makeup Artist

• 

  Makeup Artist

  • Pros: If you enjoy doing makeup, it’s so much fun to beautify your friends on their special days.
  • Cons: Jobs for creative makeup artists, who want to do cinema, are rare. The rest of the makeup artist jobs are usually on weekends.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $31/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    You don’t necessarily have to go to cosmetology school; practice a lot on friends and learn a lot from YouTube.

  • The Fun Part:

    The thrill of transforming someone from their blank canvas face to a stunning beauty on their special day is priceless.

If you are skilled at doing makeup, there are many people who would love to hire you for special events like prom, family portraits, weddings.

However, if you’re doing a wedding, sometimes you have to reply to texts and calls early in the morning. There’s a lot of back and forth communication and having to adjust your schedule with clients.

College students studying cinematography might also want to hire you to do special effects makeup. Doing makeup for television, theater, or funeral homes can even turn into full-time jobs.

Begin by doing your own makeup and friends’ makeup and posting photos on social media. Once you get a portfolio started, you can promote your skill more easily.

31. Marketing Services

• 

  Marketing Services

  • Pros: Your hours are flexible, and you can work remotely.
  • Cons: Sometimes your hard work is ignored or deleted without a look.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $21.57 (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Figure out your niche and learn the skills to become an effective marketer.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can spread the good news about a business and get paid for it.

Business owners usually want to spend their time running their business; so they’ll outsource their marketing to someone else.

A lot of people are skilled at making social media posts and reels, print advertising, or composing emails, while business owners aren’t.

Marketing is a wide field, so you can work in all the realms of TV, billboards, bus advertising, influencers, emails, social media, websites, colors/fonts, graphics, photo styles, and more.

You’ll want to pick a specific niche and stick with it.

32. Masseuse

• 

  Masseuse

  • Pros: You can help people to feel rejuvenated. You have a flexible work schedule.
  • Cons: You have to be on your feet, and your hands can get tired.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $20.97 per hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Start to research how to give a good massage and get one yourself!

  • The Fun Part:

    When people come in with pain in their bodies, and you are able to help them relax, it's very rewarding.

If you enjoy helping out people, as a masseuse, you help people relax and benefit their emotional and physical health.

The job is rather intimate and your muscles will get taxed, as well as your fingers. You’re on your feet the whole time. Sometimes you can work really hard and only get a dissatisfied customer at the end.

For pros, you can make your own schedule. Tips are also an extra nicety.

Learn about giving massages from research and practicing on others. If you get certified, even more doors will open for you.

33. Model

• 

  Model

  • Pros: You can make a lot of money and travel.
  • Cons: Finding good representation is difficult. (If an agent wants you pay them for photos or classes, it's a scam.) The workflow is “feast or famine”.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $20 to $20K per hour

  • How to Begin:

    Reach out to reputable agents in your area; see if they do an open call or allow picture submissions via email.

  • The Fun Part:

    You get paid to look beautiful, and sometimes you have fun gigs like getting paid to play in the ocean waves!

If you are not in the top 1%  to meet the physical criteria of being a model (5’9″ or 5’10” and less than 120 lbs.), consider being a different type of model: a hand or foot model, a hair model, or a fit model. Also if you’re proportionate, consider — plus size models are becoming in demand.

Finding good representation can be tricky because most people get tricked into paying for classes or fake representation, while being fed false hopes that they can make it as a model. A real agent won’t make any money unless you’ve booked an actual job. 

Ask reputable agents in your area if they do an open call or allow picture submissions. These pictures don’t need to be professionally done. If an agent wants you to pay them for photos or classes, then run; it’s a scam.

The con is that modeling jobs are not steady. Also, depending on your personality, you might hate that you have to travel; or if you love to travel, that might be one of the best parts of the gig for you.

“You can make a lot of money – $10K per day!” says former model Pam Hayashida.

If you are doing runway modeling, you will need to change your clothes several times in front of people. The pace is so fast that you need to feel comfortable being in front of people in a strapless bra and thong.

34. Music Teacher

• 

  Music Teacher

  • Pros: If you have a passion for music and enjoy teaching, you can have a great time sharing your passion.
  • Cons: Sometimes you need to market yourself and deal with young children.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $50 - $300 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    You can start by teaching a friend for free and see if you are a good teacher. After that, start to market yourself to friends, on social media, or get hired by music stores.

  • The Fun Part:

    You end up connecting with your students and seeing them thrive is an absolute joy.

I started teaching piano this year, and I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was. There is always a shortage of piano teachers, so if you are skilled at teaching, then this might be a great side gig for you.

First, research the best curriculum. All the professional piano teachers I knew loved teaching out of Piano Adventure books. Faber has worked to teach kids music systematically; it’s already mapped out well for you.

Some music teachers don’t enjoy the aspect of marketing themselves to the public to get more students. They also don’t like dealing with young children. Sometimes parents come over and I have to tell them that their child is not ready to learn piano.

Overall, it is a very satisfying job when you hear students expressing themselves beautifully through music.

35. Notary Public

• 

  Notary Public

  • Pros: You get to make your own schedule, get paid instantly, and help people.
  • Cons: You might be asked to enter a home alone, but you can always ask to meet somewhere public if this makes you anxious.You could also get called into court if someone criminally impersonates someone else.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17.50 (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Check with your state to find out their requirements.

  • The Fun Part:

    Everyone needs a notary public once in their life and if you are one, you can help out friends.

Becoming a notary public is generally an easy side-gig to make money part time. You’ll have to check with your state to find out their specific guidelines.

General State Guidelines

• Complete an application form
• Pay your state filing fee
• Buy notary supplies
• Possibly get educational training

The heart of a notary public is to be an impartial witness, and if you do this wrong, unfortunately, this can land you in court. Some states require a background check.

You gain much more clientele if you’re willing to travel; however, meeting strangers in their homes might make you anxious, so if this is the case, arrange a way to meet them publicly.

You can gain business by publicizing on social media. One con about being a notary public is that the salary is not regular, so keep it a side gig. 

To find out more information, read here.

36. Online Real Estate Investor

• 

  Online Real Estate Investor

  • Pros: It’s a solid investment that will almost always pay out in the end.
  • Cons: You need to have a lot of patience.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    8% -12% of your investment

  • How to Begin:

    Look into real estate investing apps.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can make money without much effort.

You only need $500 to become an investor.

Perhaps you want to do something with your savings besides having it sit in the bank. You can invest into real estate and have other people do your work for you. Check out these real estate investing apps.

You can begin investing in real estate with as little $500 – $1,000. Read here for more information.

37. Personal Assistant or Virtual Assistant

• 

  Personal Assistant or Virtual Assistant

  • Pros: If communicating clearly and being helpful runs in your natural personality, this might be an easy job for you.
  • Cons: You have to be patient with any personality defects that your client has, whether it be a cantankerous old woman or an impatient old man.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $15 (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Look on job boards for possible openings.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can help people by being naturally administrative.

It isn’t only the rich and famous who need personal assistants. For example, the elderly, busy executives, and real estate personnel all need personal assistants.

As a personal assistant, you need to screen phone calls, remind your client of people’s names, buy groceries, sometimes cook, write emails, or schedule appointments. You might have to travel with your client at times.

Look on job boards for listings. If you want to be a virtual assistant, you would do all of this remotely – screening calls, setting appointments, working on social media content, proofreading, etc. You can work in several different industries at the same time!

38. Personal Chef

• 

  Personal Chef

  • Pros: You can enjoy being creative in a field you enjoy and earn money. Sometimes you can get free room and board.
  • Cons: At times, it can be a demanding job without a break.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $15/hour

  • How to Begin:

    You can get certification, but it’s not necessary if by word of mouth, people are vouching for your cooking.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can share your love for food and create delectable meals that bring happiness to your clients.

Do people often visit your home and rave at your cooking or baking? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to become a professional chef, but you didn’t like dealing with kitchen staff and the headache that it takes to run a restaurant.

A personal chef takes care of their clients’ customary diet, shopping for them, organizing the kitchen, cooking for them, and cleaning up. Though it’s not necessary, you can join the United States Personal Chef Association and gain certification there.

If you become a personal chef of someone with an extra room, you might be able to earn free room and board as well.

39. Personal Shopper

• 

  Personal Shopper

  • Pros: You get to work flexible hours and care for others. You also get exercise, moving around to run errands.
  • Cons: If you work with the elderly, you will have to be patient.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    You can begin offering your services to friends and family and develop a resume.

  • The Fun Part:

    When you help the elderly or disabled who can't shop for themselves, it's rewarding.

A personal shopper buys groceries and shops for their clients. If you’re great at predicting the needs of someone and you enjoy caring for other people, this might be a great side hustle for you.

You can choose to shop for the elderly. Shopping for the elderly will usually send you going to the grocery store, the pharmacy, and managing their requests and budget. This requires patience.

You can also become a personal shopper in the niche of fashion. There are a lot of people who want to keep their wardrobe up-to-date but don’t have the fashion knowledge or time to shop for clothes.

Once you begin offering your services to friends and family and do a great job, word of mouth will begin to spread, and you can charge more per client.

For more information and online sites to work for, read here.

40. Personal Trainer

• 

  Personal Trainer

  • Pros: Help people to achieve their fitness goals by helping them plan and motivating them.
  • Cons: If you’re successful with your client, you are out of a job.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $10 - $30 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    Obtaining certification may increase your earning potential; try setting up an online presence and offer group training sessions.

  • The Fun Part:

    Your work pays off as your see your clients become healthier.

Some people struggle to lose weight unless they are motivated by a real live person. If you’re a person who naturally enjoys staying fit and inspiring other people, this is a great side gig for you.

It’s naturally rewarding because you get to see your clients meet their fitness goals.

The negative: if you help your client to achieve their goal and do your job right, they no longer need you. However, word of mouth should spread and you should gain more clients.

Another con is that this side job might get harder the older you get.

If you’re interested, start working with friends or inquire about jobs at your local gym.

41. Pet Waste Removal

• 

  Pet Waste Removal

  • Pros: You can run your own business with flexible hours. If you enjoy working alone, this could be a great gig for you.
  • Cons: You have to pick up dog poop.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $15 - $20 per yard

  • How to Begin:

    Get the word out and the business will come to you.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can help people who physically find it difficult to pick up poo and exercise while you make money.

Many people love their furry pets, but a lot of people don’t like going into the yard regularly to pick up their dog poo.

If they don’t pick up the dog poo, then their dog can step in their old poo and bring it into the house. Also, gardeners might end up running their mowers into their poop and spreading it in their backyard.

If you have a rake and a bucket to pick up in a yard, then people will pay you to come regularly and pick up after their dog.

Advertise on social media, especially with pet lovers; ask your local pet stores and vets if you could give flyers or cards out; put a flier up at your local dog park.

42. Photographer

• 

  Photographer

  • Pros: If you have a love for photography, then it’s so much fun to memorialize the special moments of your friends’ lives – their senior portraits, weddings, and Christmas family portraits.
  • Cons: Christmas time can be especially busy, trying to get everyone’s Christmas pictures edited and finished.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $15 to $40 per hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Buy a camera and learn how to work it well.

  • The Fun Part:

    It's fun to capture silly and endearing moments of your friends and their families.

One of the best side gigs for a stay-at-home mom is photography. You can shoot weddings, senior portraits, or family portraits and set your own hours. Your only limitation might be wanting natural light from the sun.

It will get busy especially during Christmas card season, when you need to edit the photos of your family and friends while also preparing for your own Christmas season.

You don’t have to limit yourself to taking pictures of friends and events. You can explore whatever field you enjoy: stars, nature, animals, city life, etc. You can sell your photography online.

First, buy a decent camera and learn how to work it; e.g. learn how to work aperture, shutter speed, and photo editing apps.

Offer your photography for free with friends – senior portraits or weddings – and then start to charge once you establish an online presence and gain inquiries.

43. Professional Organizer

• 

  Professional Organizer

  • Pros: You get to help people transform their lives and homes in one session.
  • Cons: Sometimes people don’t maintain the system that you worked hard to implement.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $22 - $150 per hour, depending on your state

  • How to Begin:

    You can earn a CPO certification (Certified Professional Organizer certification), but it won’t be necessary if you’re skilled and adept at creating your own clientele.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can help hoarders and disorganized individuals gain some sanity.

You keep an organized home; you might have even helped friends to get their clutter under control.

As a professional organizer, you can help people organize a system with short and long term organization goals, maximizing the space in their homes to its greatest efficiency.

Great people skills are necessary so you understand the priorities of how your clients want to organize their home; you also need to be able to communicate how to effectively achieve their goals in the coming years.

It can cost quite a bit to get supplies, pretty containers, and baskets to organize a home. Though the hourly fee isn’t outrageous, usually clients get surprised by how much the supplies cost.

Your work can also be undervalued; sometimes people don’t maintain the organization that you’ve worked so hard to set up for them. But if these cons don’t dampen your joy of organizing, then don’t let them deter you!

44. Proofread and Edit

• 

  Proofread and Edit

  • Pros: You don’t have to deal with much office drama because you work remotely. You can have flexible hours.
  • Cons: You have to sometimes read horrible writing.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $22.12 (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Make sure you have a good command of the English language, MLA format, and AP style.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can earn extra money reclining in your home, doing what you might normally do - read.

Proofreading and editing is a great side gig for people who love to read, have a strong attention to detail – grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

If this becomes a full time gig for you, you can avoid office drama by working remotely. Your schedule can be as flexible as you want.

Find a niche you have a skill at editing. You can try editing resumes or college essays and see where it takes you.

45. Read Books Online

• 

  Read Books Online

  • Pros: You can set your own flexible hours.
  • Cons: It can be tiring to talk for hours. The initial cost for a quality microphone can be expensive.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $85 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    Buy a mic and set aside a soundproof place for you to read.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can enjoy reading books aloud and entertaining others.

You might have a naturally animated personality. As a homeschooler, I was surprised to find out that the thing I enjoyed doing the most was reading aloud to my children.

To begin, you’ll need to invest in a quality microphone for your demos and sound quality. You’ll also have to find a corner in your house that is soundproof. You don’t want the noise of your dog or the air conditioning vent in the background.

Find a niche in the realm of books that you can become well-known in. Begin by looking up jobs on websites like Fiverr.

If you love reading books, read here to find out more side gigs you may enjoy.

46. Real Estate Agent

• 

  Real Estate Agent

  • Pros: You get to help friends and others find their dream home while getting to have fun visiting other homes.
  • Cons: You always have to be “on” to sell your image and get new clients.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    1% - 6% of the home sale price

  • How to Begin:

    Get a real estate license.

  • The Fun Part:

    When escrow closes, you will have helped friends find their future home, and in turn, you'll get a nice paycheck.

Perhaps you enjoy looking at properties and the different ways that people decorate. Being a real estate agent is a great side gig: you only have to take classes for 1 to 2 months and then pass an exam to get your real estate license.

The negative is that you always have to answer the phone, even when you’re on vacation. The positive is that you get to help people that you grow to care for.

Clients can also get very emotional when transactions fall apart, such as when an inspector finds things wrong with the house like termites, mold, or roof issues or when appraisals are below asking price.

On top of that, you have to maintain your image all the time without breaks to get new clients. But if you love doing real estate, it’s still an enjoyable gig for you. It is quite lucrative when everything goes right!

47. Resell Items in Your House

• 

  Resell Items in Your House

  • Pros: You can bring down the level of clutter in your home while making money.
  • Cons: You have to deal with strangers if you use Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, or eBay. Try to meet in public places.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    It depends on what you are selling and the value of it.

  • How to Begin:

    Before you begin to deal with shipping, you might want to start with local listings on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

  • The Fun Part:

    When all is said and done, you'll have a clean home and more money in your pocket.

You might be surprised at how much items are worth within your own household.

Here are some items you can sell for money:

• Extra clothing
• Books
• Shoes
• Musical instruments
• Camping equipment
• Gently used kitchen items
• Electronics
• Video games
• Jewelry
• Household decor

You might have hundreds or thousands of dollars that you can reap.

Read here to find out more information on the best ways to sell individual items in your home.

48. Sell an Online Course

• 

  Sell an Online Course

  • Pros: You can film once and then resell a product that you’ve made.
  • Cons: You don’t have much social interaction with your students to see where they need help.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $50 - $250 per course sold

  • How to Begin:

    Begin to think about what subjects you are knowledgeable in.

  • The Fun Part:

    It's fun to create a lesson plan and include visuals within your video. Being in front of a camera can be exciting.

Perhaps you find yourself talking passionately about a subject often. The ideas for classes are endless.

Here are some topics you might be interested in teaching:

• Real estate
• Taxes
• How to become an influencer
• Jazz piano
• A foreign language
• How to become a creative writer
• How to do your makeup
• Investing in stocks

With the help of technology today, you can create a video of yourself teaching your subject and earn money.

Here are some steps to pursue if this is within your interests:

1. Begin to think about what subjects you are knowledgeable in.
2. Organize your thoughts into lesson plans and curriculum.
3. Video tape yourself.
4. Learn video editing skills so that your videos and audio will be eye-catching and attractive to viewers.
5. Either post them on YouTube with social media advertisements OR consider selling your course to educational companies.

49. Sell Beauty Products

• 

  Sell Beauty Products

  • Pros: You can help people gain more confidence as they beautify themselves.
  • Cons: The work fluctuates, so don’t have it as your main source of income.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    You earn commission on what you sell, which grows in percentage the more you sell.

  • How to Begin:

    Buy a starter kit for the company you want to begin selling for.

  • The Fun Part:

    When you watch your friends transform as they use your beauty products, it's satisfying to know you helped them.

Some people are natural at selling beauty products because they themselves receive a lot of natural compliments on how attractive they are.

Sometimes, due to promotions, you will have to place a large chunk of orders on certain days and work a long evening here and there.

For more information on different companies you can sell beauty products from, read here.

50. Sell Plants

• 

  Sell Plants

  • Pros: You can help people enjoy horticulture while earning some money.
  • Cons: Packaging and shipping plants is always extra labor.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $3 - $500 (depending on how rare your plants are)

  • How to Begin:

    Begin by growing plants and learning to ship them safely.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can share your love for your plants with others; and your stock naturally replenishes.

If you love plants and love sharing them with friends, this can turn into an enjoyable side job for you.

You can start your side hustle locally through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and with friends.

You also don’t have to limit yourself to local sales; you can start shipping plants on eBay, OfferUp, and Etsy. You simply have to make sure your plants can breathe while shipped, so don’t bubble wrap them too tightly.

If you have a garden and an expertise in orchids, succulents, carnivorous plants, or other types of plants, you have all you need to start your business.

51. Sell Your Hair

• 

  Sell Your Hair

  • Pros: You can earn a shocking amount of money from selling your own hair.
  • Cons: In order for you to earn more for your hair, you should keep it “virgin hair”, so keep it away from chemicals, blow dryers, or curlers.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $25 - $4,000

  • How to Begin:

    Hairsellon

  • The Fun Part:

    Enjoy chopping off your hair and rocking a new hairstyle!

On Hairsellon, you can also see how much your hair is worth on their calculator.

You can put your hair on sale on their website.

Virgin hair is sold for higher amounts – hair that has not been chemically treated, dyed, straighted, curled, blow-dried, ironed, or permed. You’ll even have to stay out of chlorinated pools.

Read here for more information.

52. Server

• 

  Server

  • Pros: You earn much more than minimum wage with tips.
  • Cons: You have to be on your feet and deal with rude customers.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $9 plus tip (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Apply for restaurant jobs.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can exercise and be with people while you earn money.

Waitresses might begin with minimum pay, but once you add tip, servers can make quite a large amount per hour. Waitressing is an excellent night shift to add on after a day of sitting at a desk.

If you like to be around people and help them out, serving others might be something you enjoy. If you’re a stay at home mom, you’ll enjoy being around other adults.

However, it can be tiring because you are on your feet the whole time. Sometimes you are working until late at night. Carrying heavy plates and trays can be hard on your back as well. Be sure to buy supportive shoes.

After you get hired at a restaurant, you get trained to memorize the menu and their ingredients and learn to work the computers.

53. Sewing Service

• 

  Sewing Service

  • Pros: You can work indoors and comfortably.
  • Cons: If you make a mistake on a garment that someone values highly, you’ll be facing a very distressed, angry customer.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $19.90/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Learn to sew and get further educated through your local community college or tech school.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can help people look the best possible in their clothes.

I once sewed a loose button for a friend, and he soon came back asking if I could fix more clothing items. People enjoy the convenience of working with tailors who are friends.

You can learn a great amount from working under a tailor or taking classes at your local community college or technical school. Practice truly does make you a better tailor.

The con is that if you mess up, you’ll have to face a very distressed, upset client.

54. Sports Coach

• 

  Sports Coach

  • Pros: You can mentor kids in a sport that you enjoy.
  • Cons: You have to give up your free time, and usually the pay isn’t very much.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $17 (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Obtain experience by first volunteering in local park leagues.

  • The Fun Part:

    It's fun to participate in the community and help kids to improve in their athletic skills.

There are many adults who have a lot of knowledge in sports: some people are excellent at pitching and others excel in golf. If you enjoy mentoring other athletes, this will be a fun and rewarding side gig for you.

You can begin coaching for free and once you see your players improving, you have leverage for your prices going up.

Coaching a league requires a lot of time; organizing and leading team meetings, practices, games, and events. Most coaching is free and volunteer, but if you specialize in an area, you can become a coach that charges for private lessons.

55. Stock Market Investor

• 

  Stock Market Investor

  • Pros: You can earn a lot of money.
  • Cons: You can lose a lot of money.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $1,000 on a good day

  • How to Begin:

    Open an investment account and deposit money.

  • The Fun Part:

    Though it's risky to invest, it's such a celebration when you invest in the right company and earn a lot of money.

Previous to 2022 the stock market was everyone’s favorite game to jump into. Lately, the economy has taken a nose-dive, but there are still people who like to dabble in trading.

Stocks are time consuming. If you are looking for short term gains, you have to watch constantly. You can’t take time off; if you day trade, you need to watch patterns and research all the while, even if you don’t trade anything on that specific day.

You aren’t always right and can lose money. However, it can also be lucrative.

People usually become profitable after 3 to 5 years of training. Before you get better, you usually have to get burned and learn to understand the trading system.

Open an investment account and deposit money. You can also learn how to get free stocks here. Read up on how to invest in the stock market so you can be rich.

56. Substitute Teacher

• 

  Substitute Teacher

  • Pros: You can create your own schedule and work on days you are free while not having the extra responsibilities of lesson planning and attending staff meetings.
  • Cons: Kids love to test their new substitute teachers by being extra disruptive.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $131 per day (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Contact your local school district and/or private schools near you.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can be around kids and enjoy them without the full stress of being a teacher.

After coronavirus, schools began to offer much more payment per day for substitute teachers.

This is an excellent side gig for people who have remote jobs or jobs with undependable schedules. You can list your days of availability on the school website, and teachers will request you when they need you.

If you do a good job, teachers will continue to request you more often. If you continue to come back, you can develop relationships with the students and inspire them to finish school with excellence.

Contact your local school district or private school and they will begin you on your path. Some require certification or a bachelor’s degree while others do not.

57. Teach Students to Drive

• 

  Teach Students to Drive

  • Pros: It’s a quick side hustle that makes a lot of money per hour.
  • Cons: Sometimes you are endangered because of their bad driving.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $40 - $100 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    Reread your state’s drivers’ handbook so you can teach students basics.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can take the stress away from a parent and teach a teen a life skill.

How many parents get way too stressed out teaching their kids to drive? When I taught my third teenager to drive, my eye hemorrhaged twice because my blood pressure rocketed!

It sure would be nice to have one of those cars with two sets of brakes!

If you stay relatively calm in stressful situations, this might be a fantastic side hustle for you! Read your state’s drivers’ handbook to review all the basics.

Get the word out on social media. When you get a new student, teach them in slow progress from a parking lot to empty streets to busy intersections to the highway.

58. Thrift Store or Flea Market Flipping

• 

  Thrift Store or Flea Market Flipping

  • Pros: It’s so much fun to find something for relatively cheap and then flip it for a large amount of money.
  • Cons: You need to have storage for all the items you want to flip (and an understanding spouse).
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $2 - $100+ per item sold

  • How to Begin:

    Begin learning how to identify quality objects when you shop in thrift stores; do your research to see their market price.

  • The Fun Part:

    There's so much happiness and pride when you find a cheap buy and sell it for exponential amounts.

If you have a good eye for what is valuable, thrift store flipping might be the side hustle for you.

People have given donated designer brands or valuable antiques to thrift stores, and if you have the time and storage space, you can flip these items and earn money.

After thrift stores, be sure to check out garage sales. Sometimes things are listed on Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace for cheap amounts: surfboards, guitars, cars, etc.

Research their market price and be sure to include shipping costs into your estimate on whether or not the object is worth flipping. Clean up your item as much as possible before posting a picture and selling online.

59. Transcriptionist

• 

  Transcriptionist

  • Pros: You can work remotely with flexible hours.
  • Cons: Sometimes you can’t understand what people are saying.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $18.84/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Be able to type fast – like 70 words per minute.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can make money in the quiet of your home and help people out.

Sometimes it’s hard to read doctors’ writing, but if someone can type out what they’re saying, doctors can spend their time with patients, while you transcribe for them. Surprisingly, many intelligent people struggle with grammar and writing.

You need to have good listening skills as you type out what you hear in live audio files.

Not only can you do this in the medical field, but you can also do it in many other fields, such as the legal field.

There is software to help you along.

60. Translator

• 

  Translator

  • Pros: You are helping people by helping them communicate with others.
  • Cons: Sometimes higher vocabulary, such as medical terms, are needed.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $15 - $40 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    Study your second language extensively, so you don’t make a serious blunder that could affect someone’s life.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can help people in the hospital or in other dire situations to communicate.

Becoming a translator is an easy side gig for people with first generation families.

Hospitals, government officials, business places, and police stations all need translators to help them out. The tricky part is that you will have to learn some difficult terms to translate effectively, especially in a hospital.

Market yourself as a contractor and let your local spots know you’re available.

Getting a certification in translation opens even more doors.

61. Tutor

• 

  Tutor

  • Pros: You can enjoy teaching a student about a subject you’re passionate about.
  • Cons: Usually your hourly wage is cut in half when you consider the time preparation takes.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $25 - $125 per hour

  • How to Begin:

    You can browse job boards, apply to local tutoring academies, post your availability on neighborhood tutoring apps, or publicize through social media and your friends.

  • The Fun Part:

    Connecting with a younger person and helping them with a subject they struggle with is so rewarding.

If you’re a clear communicator, you’re probably also gifted at teaching.

Here are some subjects that kids need tutors for:

• A foreign language
• Math
• SAT
• English as a language
• Writing
• Science
• History
• Art
• College essays

If you’re willing to work on off hours, there are a lot of international companies that would love to hire you to teach English to foreigners.

Be careful to take into account if the curriculum will be given to you or if you need to develop your own curriculum, which will take a great deal longer.

Also, will you be correcting assignments? Do the parents want the child to receive homework? Be aware that every extra hour that you spend on these items will cut into your hourly wage.

However, there is great joy when you are able to teach someone something successfully and see them improve.

62. Uber or Lyft Driver

• 

  Uber or Lyft Driver

  • Pros: You can work any hours and give rides to people in the direction you are traveling. Payment is instantly given.
  • Cons: You have to deal with Stranger Danger.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $90 - $140 per day

  • How to Begin:

    Sign up with Uber or Lyft.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can earn money during the moments you have some downtime and meet new people.

If you have some dead time while your child is in karate, you might want to cash in on driving for Uber or Lyft.

Should you work for Uber or Lyft? You can compare the pros and cons here.

For more information on how you can make money with your car, read here.

63. Video Editor

• 

  Video Editor

  • Pros: You can do video editing remotely and at any time of the day. It’s fun to be a part of the collaborative process of something amazing.
  • Cons: Jobs aren’t steady so you have to work on shows you don’t enjoy.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $40/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Learn to edit videos.

  • The Fun Part:

    It's fun to edit videos and transform a dull video to a riveting one!

Are you interested in video editing and making videos more riveting to watch?

You can start working with something as simple as iMovie – learn how to insert text and music, how to cut clips, and how to zoom in for certain shots.

This hobby can turn into a part time job if you can get a high-performance computer and excellent video editing software.

You can start with part-time gigs, like the wedding of your friend, a corporate party, or a church retreat.

The jobs aren’t always stable. Sometimes you have to work on shows you don’t enjoy. But other times, there’s great satisfaction.

64. Voice-Over Artist

• 

  Voice-Over Artist

  • Pros: It’s fun and you make a lot of money.
  • Cons: You have to audition and often work on short notice.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $30/hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Buy a studio microphone for your home. Either get an agent or check out websites with gigs.

  • The Fun Part:

    It's entertaining to create voices and act!

If you enjoy acting and making up silly voices, voice acting might be a great side gig for you. You can find jobs on websites like Fiverr.

However, you do have to audition to book the job. For many actors, it takes several tries before they book anything. You also have to work on short notice and sometimes have to drop everything and be at the studio immediately.

Though a USB microphone is good enough, an XLR microphone is even better for the gig. Find a place to record your material that is soundproof; you don’t want to hear a noisy fan or the family chattering in the background.

65. Yard Work Service

• 

  Yard Work Service

  • Pros: If you love horticulture and being one with nature, you’ll love this.
  • Cons: Gardening demands a lot of physical labor and strength. You are often in the sun.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    $15.69 per hour (national average)

  • How to Begin:

    Learn about horticulture and get the word out that you’re for hire.

  • The Fun Part:

    You can enjoy the sunshine and being outdoors.

Yard work can take the form of gardening or mowing lawns. If you are mowing your lawn and you don’t mind mowing your neighbors’, you can make some side money.

If you’re more of an expert at gardening and tending to fruit trees, someone would love to hire you to keep their garden beautiful and productive.

Being outdoors might be a plus for you, depending on your personality. You don’t have to sit in an office all day. And you can relax while doing work.

The negatives are that there’s not much job security, and you might not make much.

66. Make a Rocket Ship (Humor)

• 

  Make a Rocket Ship

  • Pros: You can finally go to the bathroom without children bothering you.
  • Cons: You will probably have to sacrifice your leisure time on social media and NetFlix to build it.
  • How Much You Can Make:

    You will initially lose investment money, but you can gain beachfront property on Mars worth billions of dollars.

  • How to Begin:

    YouTube

  • The Fun Part:

    The ability to blast yourself (or your neighbor's barking dog) into space.

Tired of the interior decorating within your four walls? Building a rocket ship might be the side hustle for you!

You too can finally experience the bliss and silence from hankering, whining children and a demanding spouse. On top of that, you’ll finally find a secret place to stash your dark chocolate.

You may think that blasting into space is beyond your skills, but have you ever really put your best efforts into building a rocket ship? Sky’s the limit! (pun intended)

It might be difficult to secure a means of oxygen; a visit to granny’s nursing home might be in order.

Do you enjoy baking cake pops, scented candles, or knitting berets? Believe it or not, people are willing to spend money to buy what you enjoy creating during your leisure time!

Read below to find out the best ways to sell your items for the most amount of profit!

1. Appliances

• 

  Appliances

  • Subcategories: Refrigerators, washers, dryers, microwaves, vacuums, A/C units, juicers, stoves, air purifiers, dishwashers, etc.
  • Pros: You can earn some money and help out a poorer family or college student in the process.
  • Cons: Appliances tend to be bulky, so waiting for a purchase can be tedious because of the room it takes up in your house. Especially if it is a large appliance, timing the sale with the arrival of a new appliance can be tricky.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $50 - $3,000

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, garage sales, and local appliance stores

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Broken or damaged appliances

As odd as it is, you don’t have to throw away your old washer and dryer when you get a new one. People are willing to pay decent money for used washers, dryers, old refrigerators, microwaves, vacuums, A/C units, juicers, stoves, air purifiers, dishwashers, and much more.

One of the best times to sell would be during semester breaks for college students. Since this is a time of transition, many collegians are looking for better deals on appliances and only need them to last 1 – 2 years.

A/C units are best sold in the summer.

Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, garage sales, and local appliance stores are great places to sell appliances. Because of its high volume of visitors, Craigslist may be the quickest place to list your appliance if speediness is a main factor in your sale.

Another place to sell your appliance would be your local appliance stores. Most of these stores have a used or scratched/dented section of the store.

You can also consider selling your appliance to a scrap metal recycler. The metal on your appliance might be worth money due to the metal it contains. Find a scrap metal recycler near you.

If you don’t want to sell, Best Buy will remove and recycle your old appliance for $199.99. They’ll remove and recycle your old appliance for $39.99 if you buy a replacement from their store.

Lastly, if you don’t want to do any of the above, please consider donating to Salvation Army, Goodwill, or Habitat ReStore. Your local store may be willing to pick up your donation for you.

2. Bikes, Scooters, Bike Parts, Skateboards

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  Bikes, Scooters, Bike Parts, Skateboards

  • Subcategories: Road bikes, mountain bikes, electric bikes, kid bikes, hybrid bikes, commuter bikes, BMX bikes, scooters, bike parts, skateboards, roller blades, tricycles, little Tike cars
  • Pros: Sell your old bikes for money; either upgrade to a better bike that fits your needs or enjoy the extra garage space.
  • Cons: Skateboards and scooters tend to be used so heartily that they aren’t usually resalable.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $15 - $500+ for professional bikes

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Skateboards and helmets

Our kids grow out of everything – tricycles, bikes with training wheels, helmets, roller blades, skateboards, and little Tikes cars that your toddler waddled around in. 

If you are selling a bike (e.g. road bikes, mountain bikes, electric bikes, kid bikes, hybrid bikes, commuter bikes, or BMX bikes), first determine the value of your bicycle here.

There are also dedicated Facebook groups to selling and buying bicycles that you might have good luck with.

Professionals will sometimes buy bikes and sell them off piece by piece.

Skateboards and scooters tend to be expendable items, so don’t bother selling them. Most people will buy a new skateboard if their child wants to start skateboarding.

3. Books

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  Books

  • Subcategories: Textbooks, fictions, theology books, comic books, self-help books, biographies, etc.
  • Pros: You probably already have a lot of books laying around looking like clutter. Also, you might discover some rare and antique books in your or your family’s collection that sell for greater amounts.
  • Cons: Some genres, such as fiction, don’t naturally retain their value. (We’ve all seen romance paperbacks for sale at the library for ten cents apiece.) Also, some of the largest book reselling websites don’t necessarily have the best reputations.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $0.01 - $1,000,000

  • Places to sell:

    Amazon or eBay if it’s a rare book

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Fiction books, old textbooks, books in bad condition

Do you have a ton of books that you’ve bought on your bookshelves that are beginning to look like a mass of clutter?

If you sell them in used bookstores, usually you can receive store credit for 50% of what books can sell for or 25% of their value in cash.

The sad news is that everyday, mass-market fiction doesn’t usually retain their value.

However, rare books auction off for high prices on eBay, especially if the books are in high demand. In general, be ready to give eBay about 12.9% of your selling price.

Here are the types of books you can get a lot of money for:

• Antique books
• Theology books
• First edition hardcover copies of popular books
• Collectible books
• In-demand comic books in mint condition

Amazon is another way to make money; you sell directly to buyers. However, it is difficult to make money on Amazon because of the huge number of sellers. A lot of them may be willing to sell their books for less than you are. 

However, Amazon FBA is an excellent way to have people sell your books for you.  

In terms of how much you could make for your used books, it all depends on the book. Fiction books sell for pennies, while a rare antique book like the Book of Mormon can be valued at $35 million.

These rare medical surgery textbooks were sold for $600 recently in Los Angeles.

4. Camping Equipment

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  Camping Equipment

  • Subcategories: Cots, stove and fuel canisters, sleeping bags, tents, hammocks, trekking poles, coolers, air mattresses.
  • Pros: If you bought camping equipment that doesn’t fit your family (e.g. too large, too small), then you can gain some money back and to help purchase the right equipment for your family.
  • Cons: You have to list your items on most selling sites and deal with the buyers yourself.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $5 - $350 for bigger tents

  • Places to sell:

    Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Worn out or damaged gear

How many families love camping and trying out new gear and equipment? My friend bought a huge 10 – 12 person tent for her family for several hundreds of dollars and then found out it was much too cold at night.

If for some reason, you bought camping equipment that you’re not using, you can sell it and use the money to buy the right equipment. 

Make sure your equipment is clean and in working order; and take pictures in great lighting.

You can list your items individually on Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace is a nice place to list general gear that you don’t want to ship.

Below are other companies who are in the camping resale business:

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of listing your items, consider donating to your local charity shop for the homeless population. They can always use sleeping bags, tents, and backpacks.

5. CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, VHS Tapes

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  CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, VHS Tapes

  • Subcategories: CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, VHS tapes
  • Pros: Sometimes you might be unaware of how rare your DVD or VHS tape might be and pleasantly surprised at what you can get back.
  • Cons: Due to streaming services, the common lot of these items aren’t worth much, which means that the buyers are usually remote (without Wi-Fi), and you’ll have to pay for shipping to get it to them.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $1 - $3,000 (usually less than $1 for a CD or DVD)

  • Places to sell:

    EBay, Decluttr, Sell Back Your Book, Eagle Saver, Ziffit

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    VHS tapes

Now that streaming services have become a household regular, does anyone want to buy your old VHS copy of “Home Alone” or your old Beastie Boys cd?

Surprisingly, yes.

There is still a considerable fraction of the United States that does not have broadband or Wi-Fi. Some towns actually have a ban on electromagnetic waves.

Most used common DVDs will sell for $1 to $10, but you may be surprised at the rarity of some of your dusty VHS tapes.

Some valuable VHS tapes might be:

• Diamond Editions of old Disney movies
• Old Wrestlemania videos of popular fights
• Rare live performances of popular musicians
• Old horror movies
• Children’s collections (e.g. Dragon Ball DVD set)
• Unopened collectible DVDs
• Complete TV or movie series (e.g. Simpsons season DVD sets)
• If your movie is banned, then your movie will actually be worth more.

If you live in the city, selling movies on eBay might be the easiest transaction for you.

If you’re willing to ship to remote areas of the country, then you might make more money than selling locally on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp. Sometimes remote hotels, churches, or clubhouses would be happy to buy them off your hands to have some entertainment around.

The payback of common items is usually miniscule, but it is better to receive a little cash back for your trash than nothing at all. This seller sells assorted random CDs for $17.99.

Don’t completely write off selling locally; you never know who might want a DVD copy of Nacho Libre so they can watch it several times in a row without paying for streaming services.

There are a lot of websites you can sell your DVDs at. Here are some other noteworthy smaller companies to sell your used items to:

If you have a bunch of items to sell, one last option is to sell your CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, and VHS tapes at your yard sale. If you’re going to set up for a yard sale anyway, why not bring them out?

6. Clothes

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  Clothes

  • Subcategories: Baby and children’s clothes, regular clothes, designer clothes, Halloween costumes, ethnic outfits, job-related uniforms
  • Pros: It always feels great to declutter your closet. Online companies are making it easier for you to send them bundles of used clothes, and they sell them for you.
  • Cons: Regular clothes do not sell for much. You might make $50 - $200 for a bundle of them. Designer clothes sell for much more but you need to individually list them or send them off to a company who will take commission from you. Baby clothes aren’t worth much.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $1 - $1000+

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Tradesy, and Swap

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Regular clothes

“The average woman has $1000 worth of resale value in her closet,” says Tradesy.

Those designer jeans that went out of style, your daughter’s old formal dress, your son’s pirate Halloween costume – all of these are resalable. Nurses sell scrubs they no longer wear. Women sell purses and kimonos.

Think of all the clothes you’re not wearing that you can declutter from your closet and sell.

Regular clothes bundles with 10 – 15 items sell for an average of $100 – $200 on Facebook Marketplace.

Vintage and trendy items do better in the resale market. Sometimes designer items can bring in as much as $1000+.

With resale becoming a buzz word with the younger generation who are more conscious about their environment, even Walmart is starting to get a foot into the resale scene.

With designer items, you have better luck charging a higher price by selling them individually on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

Make sure your clothes don’t have stains or holes in them and post excellent photos of them. Sometimes buyers are looking for those designer jeans, so the search for them is easier if it’s listed individually.

If you don’t want to bother with individually listing and selling clothing items, you can ship your bag of used clothes to different companies and they’ll sell for you!

Smaller Companies to Use:

Smaller Companies to NOT Use:

Before you donate to Goodwill, be sure to sift through your clothes to see if you’re giving away anything valuable; once your clothes get to donation centers, there are sharks that will pounce on your valuable items and resell them for their own profit. Might as well be you.

In all the fun of cleaning out your closet, just throw away anything with a stain or hole in it; not even in the donation centers will accept them.

7. Computers or Computer Parts

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  Computers or Computer Parts

  • Subcategories: Computers, iPads, tablets, MacBooks, iMacs, laptops, etc.
  • Pros: When you upgrade, you can help to mitigate the costs by selling your old electronics.
  • Cons: If you fail to clean your hard drive, you may experience a personal security risk that can turn into a large nightmare.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $40 - $3000

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Amazon, Best Buy, Decluttr, BuyBackWorld

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Portable and solid-state hard drives

We all have old printers, old iPads & tablets, Macbooks, iMacs, and laptops gathering dust in the corners of our homes.

If we throw them out, we all know that the e-waste is not beneficial for the environment. If you trade in your electronics, you can put that money you receive towards your upgrade.

However, when considering selling electronics, you should also factor in how valuable your time is and how far you are willing to drive. You can sell them on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or drive to a local Best Buy store and trade in your laptop for convenience, but will they give you a competitive amount of money?

One way to double check is to look at online sites that buy electronics. You can sell used electronics on Amazon, and here is a comparison chart for Decluttr and BuyBackWorld so you can see how they compare:

Since all three sites give instant estimations, take the 5 minutes to find out what each site would offer you before dropping off your electronics at Best Buy.

As for your own personal security, first wipe the hard drive clean of any personal data and also safeguard yourself by getting new credit cards. Overwrite your hard drive so that nothing is able to be obtained.

If you decide after all not to sell, please remember that all those electronics have metals that you can recycle. Most counties offer e-waste collection events that you can send your electronics to.

8. Electronics and Cell Phones

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  Electronics and Cell Phones

  • Subcategories: TVs, speakers, Fire TV sticks, XBox systems, tripod stands, Kindles, fans, keyboards, cell phone cases, iPods, cell phones, Apple watches, cameras, etc.
  • Pros: When you upgrade your electronics, you can help mitigate the cost by selling your old electronics.
  • Cons: If you fail to clean your data off these personal items, you may experience a security risk that can turn into a horrendous nightmare.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $20 - $1000

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, GameStop, BestBuy, Amazon, Decluttr, BuyBackWorld

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Earbuds, baby monitors, smart home devices, video doorbells, fitness, bands, smartwatches

We bought our TV for relatively cheap because someone won one from a Christmas workplace lottery.

If you’re looking to resell electronics or cell phones, Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist might be your easy go-to place to sell. Cameras resell so often that they have their own section on Craigslist.

Let’s remember the negative, toxic environmental impact people make when they throw out old electronics. 

If you like the option of having a local store, GameStop and Best Buy also have a Buyback and Trade-in Program.

You can also sell on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist to go straight to the buyer.

While Amazon is well-known for its selling and buying of electronics, there are also reliable, smaller companies. Here is a chart comparing them to Amazon:

I have an old iPhone 7 Plus that I was interested in selling. I saw that on Decluttr, it says that I would have to have 80% battery health and according to my phone, I have 81%.

Here are the price estimates I received for my iPhone 7 Plus on 5 different websites.

BuyBackWorld did give me the best offer. Input your items into those 3 websites to see if you get the same results for your specific electronic device.

Remember to swipe your cell phones of any personal data as you don’t want to create a security risk, especially with payment information. Some people might warn you to never sell a cell phone because criminals might know how to retrieve old data.

I do believe the chances of your electronics hitting someone with that expertise might be small, but you might want to change your credit card number just in case.

9. Exercise Equipment

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  Exercise Equipment

  • Subcategories: Ellipticals, treadmills, weights and weight lifting benches, punching bags, step machines, ping pong tables, exercise machines, dumbbells, stationary bikes, etc.
  • Pros: Because these items take up a lot of space, you’ll finally be able to free up some real estate.
  • Cons: You probably don’t want to pay shipping and deal with the hassle of boxing large items, so you are regulated to the demands of your local community and will possibly have to deal with strangers in your home.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $15 for dumbbells to $100 for an elliptical/treadmill

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, local retailers, eBay (Local Pickup Only option)

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Larger pieces of equipment like treadmills and ellipticals

Some people buy a lot of workout equipment and then find out they need the gym membership to keep them accountable. Other people realize that this is not a phase of life that they’re going to be using their equipment in.

You can sell your ellipticals, treadmills, weights and weight lifting benches, punching bags, step machines, ping pong tables, exercise machines, dumbbells, stationary bikes, etc.

I bought my elliptical from a lady in Beverly Hills who thought she would use her elliptical and then finally realized that it was just taking up space.

Unfortunately, with exercise equipment, there is not a big return on your investment. According to the law of supply and demand, there’s more people who want to get rid of their equipment than people who want to buy them.

However, free weights do usually hold their value.

A couple other options are:

1. Private retailers, who offer less than private buyers
2. A garage sale. (However, most people show up at garage sales wanting to buy cheap items, so you might not have much luck.)

If you can’t seem to find a buyer, consider donating exercise equipment to the Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity if it’s 5 years or newer. Goodwill does not accept large exercise equipment such as treadmills, Bowflexes, and elliptical machines. However, they accept smaller items such as weights and resistance bands.

10. Food

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  Food

  • Subcategories: Muffins, cookies, cakes, bread, gluten-free items, dried fruits, syrups, jams, roasted coffees, dried teas, herbs
  • Pros: You can start your food business without having to pay extra rent for a commercial kitchen. You can bless other people with the delectable food from your home kitchen and reap the monetary benefits.
  • Cons: Initially, there are some hoops to jump through to make your business legal.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $100

  • Places to sell:

    Publicize on social media so your friends buy from you. Depending on what license you get, you can also sell at farmers’ markets, retail stores, and restaurants.

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    With Cottage Food Laws varying per state, you might not be able to legally sell anything that is refrigerated or pickled.

Don’t we all love it when someone else bakes or cooks for us? And isn’t it easier to cook in bulk?

If you’re the type of person who is always getting compliments on your baking and cooking, Cottage Food licenses let you get a jump start on your business on a microscale level.

Cottage Food Laws don’t require a licensed kitchen. But they also do not allow you to sell acidified food like pickles, pressurized food like canned items, or anything needing refrigeration.

Some states require that the budding chef take a food processor course (4 hours or so) approved by the public health within three months of becoming registered; you will learn to handle food safely both for yourself and your food.

Some states have limits to how much you can make with your Cottage Food license. For example, California Cottage Food Laws limit annual sales to $50K annually, while Florida limits your income to $250K. 

Next you want to brainstorm for packaging, branding, labeling, pricing, and marketing. The FDA has regulations on how food needs to be packaged so that people are warned of allergens and have the best-before dates.

Marketing for Cottage Food items is best done on social media.

My friend’s teenager Bethany Chan (Instagram page, Facebook page) began her own cookie decorating company. She said, “I went to Legal Zoom and picked a DBA for my business name “cookiesbybethanychan”. Then I filled out paperwork for the food handlers and Cottage Food permit. It was easy because of Legal Zoom.”

11. Furniture and Outdoor Furniture

• 

  Furniture and Outdoor Furniture

  • Subcategories: Couches, coffee tables, dining tables, patio furniture, side tables, bed frames, dressers, bookshelves, futons, nightstands, mirrors
  • Pros: It’s always fun to get rid of furniture and redecorate!
  • Cons: When selling used furniture, you normally have to let strangers into the house.
  • Sales Price Range:

    Free to $1000+ depending on the value of your furniture piece

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay, Bonanza, Ist Dibs, Rubylane

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Used Mattresses

You’re redecorating!

You can sell counter chairs, couches, storage, dressers, desks, beds, futons, bookshelves, nightstands, mirrors, etc. And your resalable furniture is not just limited to the items within your home. Patio chairs, tables, and grills are all resalable.

Generally mattresses do not go for much because they are often stained or have lumps within them after years of use.

Be sure to clean your furniture before selling it, offer a complete description citing any scratches or dents, take good photos, and kindly offer measurements of your furniture.

When listing your furniture, you want to give a fair price, this is a good equation:

However, antiques go for more, so take a good look around when your grandparents pass. You can sell obscure statues, mirrors with ornate frames, and antique chairs made of real wood.

For speed and efficiency, you may want to sell locally. It is the cheapest and easiest way to go.

Being the most visited online classified site, Craigslist is a great go-to. Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp are also great online listing sites for large items that you would have difficulty shipping. EBay, where you can either sell in auction or with a fixed non-negotiable price, is also a hotspot for selling furniture, but they will take a 12.9% commission from your final selling price.

While Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and eBay usually hog up all the sellers, some other excellent websites get passed over.

Etsy, even though it’s mostly for crafts, also sells furniture. You will have to pay a small listing, commission, and processing fee. There you have a market for artistic and vintage furniture (which means at least 20 years old).

If you need to get rid of your furniture quickly and can’t seem to sell it, consider donating to Habitat for Humanity. They refurbish furniture, resell it, and use the money to build houses for the needy.

12. Jewelry (Gold)

• 

  Jewelry (Gold)

  • Subcategories: 10k, 14k, or 24k gold jewelry
  • Pros: You may have gold jewelry sitting around that you don’t wear, and you can exchange it for cash in the bank.
  • Cons: It may feel like quite the headache to figure out how to sell gold while making sure you’re not conned, so read below to become more savvy!
  • Sales Price Range:

    Depends on current market price

  • Places to sell:

    Cash For Gold USA or Express Gold Cash

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Imitation Gold

With gold at record-high prices per gram, it’s a great time to sift through your jewelry box and see what has run gaudy and old.

The value of gold fluctuates but today, you can make around $57.93 per gram of gold, which means you could be sitting on a treasure trove of spare cash!

Gold has been recycled for thousands of years. You could even be wearing some of the same gold that Cleopatra herself wore. Unless you have a lot of sentimental attachment to it, there’s no reason to let it clutter your closet when you could have money in your pocket.

In figuring out how much your gold is worth, the first thing you want to consider is the purity of the gold label. You’ll find this etched on your gold piece: 10k, 14k, 18k, or 24k.

If you are unsure about the purity of your gold, try this fun test: Anything that sticks to a strong magnet is not solid gold.

Below are the percentages of how much gold content is within your gold jewelry:

Want to try to appraise your gold before you hit the stores? Below is a handy calculator to get yourself an estimate beforehand.

For example, if you have a 18k gold chain, that means it is 75% gold content. Since the price per gram is $57.93 today, then you would get $43.44 per gram for that chain. If your chain is 6 grams, then it will be worth $260.69. After that, you need to factor in the melt value. A potential buyer will offer you between 50% – 80%, so your offer will be between $130.34 to $208.55. (Sometimes the appraiser will speak in “troy ounces”, so it’s good to keep in mind that 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams.)

If your gold is a designer piece (like Cartier), you may want to shop around for other buyers who will value the name brand and not just melt the gold piece. (See Jewelry (Non-Gold))

With gold items, you can go to certain local jewelry stores to sell it there, but you may get more from an actual gold buyer.

Reputable gold buying companies are:

Read here for more information. 

13. Jewelry (Non-Gold)

• 

  Jewelry (Non-Gold)

  • Subcategories: Rings, wedding bands, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, loose diamonds, and gems
  • Pros: When selling jewelry, you can receive a lot of money in the bank instead of letting something gather dust in your home.
  • Cons: Sometimes it takes a lot of time to look around for the highest bidder for your jewelry and your time might not be worth that.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $14,000

  • Places to sell:

    Local jewelry stores, Craigslist, pawn shops, Diamonds USA, and Worthy

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Common jewelry

Unfortunately, most jewelry items are like cars; the second they’re used and driven off the lot, they lose a lot of their value. Common used jewelry doesn’t sell for much: $10 – $30 for a big lot.

Sometimes costume designers will buy large sweeping bundles of out-of-fashion jewelry.

But how do you know if you’re sitting on something more expensive? When your grandma or grandpa has an estate sale, you might discover all sorts of old jewelry that can be resold for a price. Though an estate sale will be easy and quick money, if you spend more time visiting stores where you can sell your expensive rings and necklaces, you’ll find you can make more money.

In order to get your money’s worth, there are three things to consider:

If you are certain of how much your jewelry is worth, you can easily sell on eBay, Craigslist, FB Marketplace, or OfferUp. With eBay, be aware of fraud. It’s always a little tricky trying to navigate how to receive cash before mailing your jewelry, so you may want to consider posting your jewelry as Pick Up Only and meet in a safe public environment.

Local jewelry stores are one of the best places to sell used jewelry but beware – they may only give store credit. American Gem Society can help you find a local jewelry store that buys jewelry. Shop around and you’ll quickly notice the difference in the offers you get. Check out their business with the Better Business Bureau or with Trustpilot.

My friend sold her jewelry at a local store like this one and this one, and they offered 20% more than the store with glowing reviews on the radio.

Pawn shops will sometimes low ball you, and some will pay you high. It depends on if they can recognize what your jewelry is worth. Yet one thing is for certain: They will give you quick cash. They will usually offer around 20% – 50% of the final sale price to you.

When receiving an appraisal from a store, not only should you receive the appraiser’s credentials to verify their reliability, you should also get back details about your jewelry weight, grade, measurement, metal type, etc.

Sometimes you might want to get a neutral appraiser for your high end jewelry to make sure you’re not swindled by a buyer, but you will lose money paying for that appraiser.

Here are a some well-rated online shops to sell your jewelry at:

Jewelry looks best when sparkling clean, so make sure you clean your jewelry properly before you try to sell it. And if you don’t know how to clean it, let a professional do it so you don’t damage it.

14. Handmade Goods

• 

  Handmade Goods

  • Subcategories: Apparel, jewelry, art, foods, candles, handmade cutting boards, pottery, soaps, stationery, skincare
  • Pros: By selling crafts and other homemade goods, you can make money while you enjoy your leisure time. Signing up with programs like Amazon FBA can allow you to let others take on the stress of customer service, shipping, and returns so you can devote yourself to your craft alone.
  • Cons: Even if your product is amazing and original, unless you get a high listing on websites such as Amazon Handmade or Etsy, your product will never reach the eyes of shoppers.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $5 - $200

  • Places to sell:

    Etsy and Amazon Handmade

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Items that don’t follow Etsy guidelines

Do you enjoy knitting scarves while you watch TV? Are you gifted at etching pretty lettering on wood? The public would love to purchase what you make during your leisure time.

Some homemade goods to sell would be:

When selling handmade goods, one of the best things you can do is market yourself on social media such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and be sure to link your website on your profile.

15. Health Items

• 

  Health Items

  • Subcategories: Toilet chairs, walkers, lumbar support pillows, wheelchairs, foot baths, massage rollers, scales, unopened boxes of face masks, blood pressure monitors, massage chairs, exercise balls, bottle sanitizers, shower stools, saunas, Pilates chairs, massage tables, heat mats, etc.
  • Pros: Sometimes you buy these items because you’ve read how they can benefit your health, but after you try them, you realize it’s not as beneficial for you.
  • Cons: People don’t naturally think about buying health items online, so you might have to be patient until you find a buyer.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $2000

  • Places to sell:

    Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Items that cannot be sterilized or cleaned

My husband once brought a portable sauna home, thinking he would greatly benefit from it, and then after several months of it collecting dust in the corner, he finally resold it.

You might also have a grandparent who passed away who has left behind a toilet chair, a wheelchair, lumbar support pillows.

You can list all of these online at Craigslist, OfferUp, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace and gain a profit back.

Be sure to clean your item as thoroughly as possible. Take clear pictures and give a thorough description. Here is an example of a Craigslist seller who listed a good amount of details:

16. Household Decor and Items

• 

  Household Decor and Items

  • Subcategories: Drapes, bathtub spouts, lamps, rugs, candle holders, decor, duvet covers, folding screens
  • Pros: You are able to redecorate your home while also pocketing some money.
  • Cons: Before you sell, give your items a thorough look for dirt or stains on cloth items.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $60

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, and OfferUp

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Used throw pillows

Do you have an extra panel of drapes lying around? Do you have home decor like a fireplace screen or an old Christmas tree? Sellers list everything from bathtub spouts to desk accessories online.

During the pandemic, everyone started to notice their home decor a little bit too much and wanted a fresh scene. You might have an old lamp, decor that you’ve grown out of, or blankets; Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, and eBay are all fantastic places to sell.

Be sure to list a thorough description – is there anything special about your item? Like is your rug machine washable?

AptDeco is a website that sells higher end, pre-owned furniture and decor; however their Trustpilot rating is 2.6 out of 5 so proceed with caution. Reviewers share nightmare stories about damaged furniture and headaches with payment.

Another quick way to sell these items would be in a yard sale. Another man’s junk is always another man’s treasure.

17. Kitchen Items

• 

  Kitchen Items

  • Subcategories: Crockpots, plates, tea cups, mini fridges, blenders, juicers, Instant Pots, toasters, waffle makers, etc.
  • Pros: You can get rid of clutter by selling your extra kitchen items.
  • Cons: Kitchen items tend to have stains or food residue left on them, so most buyers shop for new kitchen items.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $200

  • Places to sell:

    Craigslist, eBay, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, garage sales, pawn shops

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Items that do not look clean or new in their pictures

You might have extra pots, plates, or a mini-fridge lying around. Why not post them on selling sites to see if you can get a little bit of cash back before throwing them away?

You can sell your items on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or OfferUp. Keep in mind that eBay and OfferUp charge a 12.9% service fee.

Garage sales are also excellent places to sell these types of items.

When you take pictures, make sure your item is as clean as possible. People do not like buying kitchen items with stains or crumbs on them.

Also, when you take a picture, make sure that you don’t have a lot of clutter surrounding it. It gives the impression that your item isn’t in good condition. Here are examples of cluttery and clean pictures:

If all else fails, pawn shops are a good place to drop off all your items and get a minimum collection amount.

18. Motorcycles

• 

  Motorcycles

  • Subcategories: Motorcycles, cruisers, dirt bikes, electric motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, sportsbikes, etc.
  • Pros: You can gain some coveted garage space, gain a generous amount of cash, or upgrade your current motorcycle.
  • Cons: It might break your heart to admit you are done with riding.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $2K - $24K

  • Places to sell:

    Cycle Trader

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Motorcycles that are listed incorrectly

Did you once have a fancy for speeding along on your motorcycle past tons of traffic or riding with a group of buddies, only to later find that passion waning as you’d rather sit in a safe, air-conditioned car?

Mike Augusta, who used to run Jim Grubbs Motorsports, says, “Motorcycles are typically sold locally. In the past, the Recycler was the one-stop shop, and then came the Auto Trader, which took off. Trader branched off to sub-categories, such as Boat Trader, the RV Trader, and of course the Cycle Trader.”

“Proper categorization is key to capturing the right buyer for your motorcycle. Good photos of the side view, front view, rear view, and top view are helpful. Editing photo colors for clarity can be very advantageous.”

“There should also be a detailed description – including the year, make, and model of the bike and all of the upgrades added to the equipment.”

“The key to selling them is to have them priced right so proper research and pricing is essential.”

“Remember it is easier to lower the price but difficult to raise it! With the asking price, cite a “Firm” if the price is non-negotiable or “OBO” if the price is negotiable.”

“Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp are also very good resources but tend to not categorize as well for buyers to filter down to their particular needs.”

There are also Facebook groups that are dedicated to buying and selling motorcycles that you might have good luck with.

19. Musical Instruments

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  Musical Instruments

  • Subcategories: Basses, drums, music stands, amps, keyboards, guitars, violins, horns
  • Pros: You can sell your unused instrument to an eager musician. Sometimes you can get quite a large percentage of their worth back.
  • Cons: You might have to let a stranger into your home to try out an electric instrument (e.g., amps, electric guitars, basses, keyboards, etc.), so if you don’t have a garage you can open up, think of ways to meet them in public locations.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $50 - $500

  • Places to sell:

    Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Damaged instruments

On Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, there’s a plethora of musical equipment and instruments being sold: music stands, amps, keyboards, guitars, etc.

If you bought an instrument during the quarantine that you no longer have time to use and want to sell, first begin by cleaning up your instrument and taking good pictures from all angles.

My husband often buys and flips guitars.  He advises to offer a thorough description so the buyer doesn’t feel cheated when seeing defects.

Here is an example of a thorough description, expressing the rarity of this guitar, the wood it’s made of, and the details of its fret and saddles:

When selling instruments, it’s better to sell them on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace so that you don’t have to pay for shipping.

But if your instrument is super expensive, the flat shipping rate will be worth a smaller percentage of your selling price.

If you are not too thrilled about inviting someone into your home to try out a new instrument, as some instruments require electricity to sample, then try meeting them at Starbucks, the library, the bank, or the sheriff station.

20. Office Supplies

• 

  Office Supplies

  • Subcategories: Office chairs, book shelves, scrapbooking supplies, desk organizers, filing cabinets, printers, staplers, stamps, paper organizers, laminators, calculators, paper, dry erase supplies, etc.
  • Pros: When you are moving, upgrading the fashion of your office, or cleaning out your house, you can make some extra cash.
  • Cons: Most people aren’t on the search for used items when it comes to office supplies. They usually enjoy new products.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $15 - $10,000 (for latex printers)

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Worn down items with scratches or dents.

Perhaps you have a child who has grown and gone to college. You no longer need their desk and office supplies. What should you do with them?

The best way to sell office supplies would be through Facebook Marketplace or Offerup. Craigslist and eBay seem to have search engines that don’t necessarily turn up a lot of items when a general “office supply” search is done, should a shopper be shopping in that manner.

When listing, be sure to share a lot of pictures from different angles. It helps the sale if you also have an original picture of the furniture when new from where you bought it.

Name brand furniture also sells well. This elegant Ethan Allen Ebony Hitchcockwriting desk and its matching detailed chair sold for $455 on eBay.

Pawn shops and garage sales are also another way to sell office furniture or supplies.

If you can’t seem to sell them and want the extra space in your house, consider donating them to a non-profit organization.

21. Pet Supplies

• 

  Pet Supplies

  • Subcategories: Dog bowls, playpens, pet carriers, pet gates, dog crates, dog houses, dog pens, pet stairs, fish tanks, reptile tanks, bird cages, cat towers, hamster cages
  • Pros: You can test out products to see what works best for your dog and then resell them to get some of your money back.
  • Cons: Pet supplies that have fabric are difficult to resell because they can carry diseases and parasites.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $1000+ for a luxury dog house or a dog treadmill

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or Craigslist

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Dog beds or anything with fabric not washable in a washing machine

Pet owners go through fads too; it’s just too much fun to dress up our furry pets and try out new leashes on them. We try out different pet carriers, dog crates, dog houses, dog bowls, and playpens, and then we find out what our dogs like or don’t like.

Here are a list of pet supplies that are safe to sell:

Most of the people who want to buy these items will be people other than first time dog owners (such as pet sitters), because just like with babies, people like to buy their first pet the new stuff.

However, if you have a luxury dog house or dog treadmill, then it might be fun to see how much money you can get back!

22. Photos

• 

  Photos

  • Subcategories: Professional to amateur photos
  • Pros: You might have a photogenic family or be pretty nifty with your camera, and this way, you can get a little bit of pocket money for what you do anyway.
  • Cons: Photos don’t sell for much. Depending on your personality, you might be horrified or amused to find pictures of your family posted publicly in other realms.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $0.02 - $500 per image

  • Places to sell:

    On your own blog or several other online photo companies

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Bad photography

Did you know that you could turn your family photos into money-makers? Sites like Shutterstock are always looking for new photos to license for other people to use in articles.

The payout per picture can be pretty low. So be sure to regularly upload new photos to the site.

You will want to find your niche – your area of expertise that you excel at photographing. What are the types of photos that sell? 

• City
• Architecture
• People
• Food
• Nature
• Travel
• Animals
• Business

If you sell your photos on your own blog or website, then you can set your own prices and display them however you want. However, your buyers are then limited to the number of visitors on your site. Network through social media and LinkedIn.

Unfortunately most of the big players in photo shops have poor TrustPilot ratings, including Etsy, Shutterstock, SmugMug, Adobe Stock, and WordPress. Though some of these complaints might be due to poor customer service, rather than complaints from the photographers, proceed with your eyes wide open.

Also, the larger the photography site, the less control you have over your own prices and the more competition you have with other photographers.

Here are a few smaller photography sites that have higher TrustPilot ratings:

23. Plants

• 

  Plants

  • Subcategories: Succulents, house plants, fruit trees, orchids, potted flowers, faux plants, Aloe vera plants, privacy plants, plant stands, pots
  • Pros: You get to share your joy for horticulture while also earning a little bit of money.
  • Cons: Unless your plant is very rare, plants usually do not get sold for a lot of money. If you’re serious about your business out of your home, you might make about $1000 for one season as a side hustle, but that would require selling, packaging, and mailing around 300 plants.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $3 - $500

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist, OfferUp, and with friends

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Since some people are willing to give away plants, the average plant isn’t going to sell for much. You may enjoy gaining $10 on a potted plant though.

Are you moving out of the country and you don’t want to trash your plant? Do you have a talent for succulent art or have a plethora of pots? 

All of these items are sellable. However, some people who want to redo their gardens are willing to give away plants and dirt for free, so you won’t gain a lot of money selling plants unless your plants are rare.

You aren’t limited locally. As long as you have layers of protective paper or tissue paper (while also making sure your plant can breathe), you can ship seeds and plants safely. As long as buyers have it in writing that you’re not selling the pots, you can send plants in coffee cans or even styrofoam cans.

As long as you have the land and garden to grow plants, you can make a side business of selling them. First, consider what area of expertise you would like to be in – e.g. orchids, succulents, or carnivorous plants?

Whenever you grow something in your garden, you tend to have an overgrowth of them and you have your supply right in your own home. And then do you research so you sell them with optimal quality.

Etsy is pretty well known for being a great place to sell plants on the web. They have a $0.20 listing fee, a 6.5 % transaction fee, and a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee.

You can also sell them on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, or eBay. Keep in mind that OfferUp and eBay do charge a 12.9% service fee for each item sold.

As with all home businesses, your sales will multiply if you advertise on social media with a lot of colorful pictures.

Lastly, Shopify is touted as one of the online sites to sell plants, but I would veer away from it as it has a low Trustpilot rating of 1.7 out of 5 and plenty of negative reviews.

24. Shoes

• 

  Shoes

  • Subcategories: High heels, sports shoes, running shoes, loafers, work-related shoes, dance shoes, snow boots, rain boots, trekking shoes, wedges, booties, etc.
  • Pros: You can get some money back for the shoes you’re not wearing.
  • Cons: People tend to not buy shoes in bad condition so if your shoes have a lot of wear and tear, you might as well donate them.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $500

  • Places to sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, and OfferUp, TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Tradesy, or Swap

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Used and worn shoes, shoes with scuff marks, or shoes with holes

Your daughter wore those recital shoes once and then grew out of them. You still have your wedding shoes and designer high heels that were comfortable when you were younger.

Is there a demand for used shoes? Surprisingly, yes.

With Payless Shoes Stores going out of business and barely beginning to make a climb back, parents love cheaper ways to buy those one time recital dress shoes.

Also, there are shoe collectors out there that own thousands of pairs of shoes.

If you have shoes to sell, first make sure they are in good condition and do not have any smell to them. Clean your shoes as well as you can before taking a photo. If you’ve only worn them a few times, it’s better to write that in your description and describe them as gently used.

EBay is a great place to sell expensive designer shoes because people can bid higher and higher for them. Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and OfferUp allow you to set a price and not budge from it.

Keep in mind that timing and location matters. A fashion designer friend listed some Azzedine Alaia shoes on eBay and had a hard time selling them – until Alaia passed away. After that, she gained 175% of the original cost she paid in Europe! Now that Issey Miyake has passed, she has shoes from his Pleats Please Collection to profit from.

Smaller Companies to Use:

Smaller Companies to NOT Use:

25. Sports Equipment

• 

  Sports Equipment

  • Subcategories: Balls, tennis racquets, golf clubs, bicycles, skiis, hockey equipment, ice skates, rollerblades, boxing gloves, pads, helmets, hockey sticks, fishing poles, billiard equipment, pools, bowling balls, scuba diving gear, exercise equipment
  • Pros: You can finally gain some space in your house from all those unused pieces of sports equipment. You’ll also be benefiting your buyer because they won’t have to pay full price for gear.
  • Cons: Most normal sports equipment will be banged around by your kids, dented, or stained, and no longer in a resalable condition.
  • Sales Price Range:

    $5 - $500

  • Where to Sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Play It Again Sports, Geartrade or Sideline Swap

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Any equipment not in good condition

How many times does your child start a sport and then veer in a new direction? Sports equipment is costly, and you can resell all of them to parents who want to buy them at a cheaper price.

First, make sure they’re in good condition and clean – minimal wear and tear, no rips and stains, and no stench.

Here’s some fantastic sports items to resell: golf clubs, bicycles, skiis, hockey equipment, ice skates, rollerblades, boxing gloves, etc. Some exercise equipment is easier to sell than others.

It might be easiest to list locally and sell to someone who lives near you. Great photos and a thorough description can make your sale go quicker.

Even though OfferUp and eBay are easy to list on and have a large number of visitors, they both charge a 12.9% service fee, while Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have no listing or seller fee.

If you’re putting together a garage sale, that’s another excellent place to sell used sports equipment.

Another option would be to find a Play it Again Sports store near you. You can enter their store with your used items, no appointment necessary, and receive cash, check, or store credit within 10 to 15 minutes. They sell used items for about 40% – 60% of what they would sell for new, and you receive about 30% – 60% of that amount.

26. Strollers and Baby Items

• 

  Strollers and Baby Items

  • Subcategories: Strollers, cribs, playpens, Bumbo food seats, baby gates, high chairs, step stools, baby bathtubs, baby jumpers, toy chests, doll bookshelves, children’s desks
  • Pros: After your children grow out of baby items, you can sell them and get rid of clutter.
  • Cons: Most car seats, drop-side rail cribs, and baby mattresses cannot be resold. Used baby clothes are sold for little profit. (See Clothes.)
  • Sales Price Range:

    $10 - $200

  • Where to Sell:

    Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp

  • What Doesn’t Sell Well:

    Crib mattresses, old car seats, or drop rail cribs