Create a Side Hustle & Earn More Money

Create a Lucrative Side Hustle

This may seem like a left turn for a Shed Windows and More blog, but realize that many of our builders started their current companies as a side hustle without giving up income from their jobs. With so many of our customers working remotely or staying home more because of COVID-19 we thought it was good timing to share some great ideas that could provide extra income for your family.

Side hustles are a great way to increase your income while trying out a possible new idea for starting a company without risking your current income. Depending on your skills, earning extra income could quickly be within your grasp. No matter what you do for a job, thanks to the internet, making money and creating income is easier than ever. Some of the strategies we share below are real quick one-time fixes for extra cash and others take an investment of your time and some money. Have fun with this, include your family members, and realize each of us is unique and brings special talents to the table–this is your opportunity!

Start Your Side Hustle Today

Many of the ideas below only take a short time to generate money and others take some time and money to invest to create cash flow. Keeping your side hustle fun allows you to decrease stress while generating money for your family.

Quick Cash-Generating Ideas

Try selling on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. This is a great way to organize your home and clean out closets and the garage of outgrown clothes and seldom-used items. I have found really good success with Facebook Marketplace even for more expensive items like Dog Exercising Machines that sold for $1,500. When you use Venmo for accepting payment it makes selling one-time items a breeze!

If you have old hand-held electronics around the house, such as an old iPhone, Samsung smartphone, iPad, or Macbook, try selling them through Trademore or Gazelle. A great way to generate cash quickly and not fill our landfills with electronics. I found that my old first-generation iPod was worth over $1,000, but I had already given it away to a family member, so it was a reminder that there might be other cash-worthy items sitting around the house that could generate cash.

If you have old jewelry that you don’t wear anymore that is mostly gold and not gems, selling your jewelry for gold is a great way to generate cash quickly. Gold is at an all-time high of $1827 an ounce. Keep in mind that your jewelry usually isn’t 24-carat gold, but 14-carat gold, but it’s still a really good price at $1,073 an ounce USD.

Part-Time Driving & Delivery Work

If you enjoy driving or especially if you are in sales like a relative of ours and are driving around town, driving for Lyft or Uber is a simple side hustle that makes good use of your time between sales calls or other work that has you driving a lot. You can turn on and off your availability based on your schedule and it’s a great way to make money any time of the day. Our relative lives close to an international airport, in fact, he lives close to two, so driving for Lyft was a great way for him to make some extra serious side hustle cash.

Rent Your Guest Shed or Spare Room on Airbnb

We brought up renting your guest shed on Airbnb when discussing why this is a great time to build a guest shed. Depending on COVID-19 restrictions in your area, this can be a lucrative income. One of the ways you can be of service to our nurses and doctors is to rent out your guest shed to them during the COVID pandemic. Many of our medical personnel are working long hours, wishing to be safe around their families, and want to find a way to be closer to the hospital so they decrease their commute and rest between shifts. This is a win-win for you and your community.

Are You A Great Cook?

People are eating out less but still craving great food. Not everyone is a great cook. If you love cooking this is a great opportunity with our current conditions to become a personal chef. You can prepare meals for other people. I know there are so many meal subscription services, but that isn’t like having your own personal chef that cooks to your personal likes and dislikes. There are plenty of people that will pay to have a personal chef cook for them and deliver pre-made meals to their homes.

Love Dogs? Start A Dog Walking Service

Dog walking is a lucrative business and it’s a great side hustle. Also, technology has met needs and there are now leashes made so that you may walk three dogs at a time. Depending on where you live, dog walking services go anywhere from $20-$40 a walk. A walk usually is an hour’s exercise, picking up and delivering their dog back to their home. You wouldn’t think this business would be booming with people remote working, but with remote working and remote schooling, people are still finding it tough at times to give their dogs the attention and exercise they need. I know a number of people that took this from lucrative side hustle to a full-time company generating an amazing income!

Do You Like Fixing Things?

From computers to lawnmowers that won’t work, from a dress that needs a new zipper to a new iPhone that is overwhelming it’s the new owner–there is an opportunity in helping people by fixing stuff or helping them figure out stuff. With Zoom and screen sharing, so much of this work can be done remotely. Take your expertise and make money from it, whether it’s building sheds, doing alterations, giving new life to toys, motorcycles, and car maintenance, or repairing electronics while helping people in your community.

Love Growing Vegetables?

If you love growing vegetables, selling at a Farmer’s Market is a great way to take your extra vegetables and make money. People love buying directly from growers. If you have a large piece of property, let’s say a half-acre or better that you have planted, you could become part of a local farm-to-table subscription service, a great way to generate a steady income with once a week drop off and at the same time advertising your homegrown vegetables! So whether a Farmer’s Market to sell at once in a while fits your needs or if you regularly have extra from your garden a subscription service could provide a great steady income as a side hustle!

Do You Love Kids & Teaching-Tutor?

One thing this pandemic has done has brought up how much we love our kid’s teachers and their expertise. Remote learning has been challenging for so many of our children and us. But for some of you, this has been an aha moment where you realize you are really good at teaching and love some of the subjects you used to excel at in school. So take that knowledge and help kids that are having a challenge including their parents during the pandemic by tutoring kids in areas that you excel in and get paid at the same time. All of this can be done by Zoom so geography is not a factor, just getting the word out that you are available! Depending on where you live you can earn anywhere from $25 to $75 an hour depending on your credentials, track record, and recommendations!

We have only shared a small cross-section of ideas that could generate extra income as a side hustle. This is one of our favorite topics and we have an endless stream of side hustle ideas we can share to generate extra income for your family. From photography to selling eggs, from selling on Etsy to baking dog biscuits–there are so many fun and great ways to generate income as a side hustle!

Share with us at Shed Windows and More what you have tried for your side hustle. We not only provide everything you need to build your outdoor buildings and enhance your home but each month we provide marketing advice via our newsletter to our community and builders.