Four easy side hustles that cost little or nothing to get started with
If you’re looking for an easy way to make extra cash, side hustles are the way to go. Read on for four easy side hustles that cost little or nothing to get started with.
Unfortunately, it can be intimidating to start a side hustle if you don’t have much money to invest upfront. Thankfully, plenty of side hustle options cost little or nothing to start.
This article shares four easy side hustle ideas that won’t cost a fortune to start, but first, you need to keep something in mind.
Side hustle success always starts with market research
Doing ample market research before beginning your side hustle is important because it can help you understand your potential customers or market and choose an appropriate side hustle.
When doing market research for your side hustle, consider the following:
- Access to data: Ensure you can access accurate data and information about your target side hustle and market.
- Costs: Consider any costs associated with your preferred side hustle.
- Time: Factor in the amount of time your chosen side hustle requires and if you can fit it into your schedule.
Doing market research doesn’t have to be an all-consuming affair. It can be as simple as observation-based, competitive, or pricing market research.
Now, here are four easy-to-start side hustles – remember to research each further.
1) Complete online surveys
Completing surveys online has zero startup costs since most survey sites allow you to join for free, and some provide sign-up bonuses to motivate you. You can also do it from anywhere since you only need an active internet connection.
The premise behind this side hustle is that survey platforms, sites, and apps, like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie, will pay you, usually through redeemable vouchers or cash, to answer questions about various companies, products, and services.
On average, most surveys pay $1-$10, but some can pay more depending on the survey type and length.
2) Become a freelancer
Becoming a freelancer can be one of the most lucrative side hustles. With the right combination of skill and research, you can offer various freelance services, like article writing, graphic design, voiceovers, photography, etc., and earn a fair market price for your skills.
Do you know the best thing about freelancing? It’s one of the lowest-cost side hustles to start.
For example, to start freelance writing, you only need to create an account on freelancing platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and others to get started.
3) Be a delivery driver or courier
This side hustle is ideal for anyone with a bike, motorcycle, or vehicle since you can easily get started on platforms like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and many others. A quick Google search for a term like “owner driver jobs in Sydney” should also provide a list of courier jobs that you can check out.
One of the best things about this side hustle, besides the often free sign-ups – meaning zero startup costs – is that it offers incredible time and earning flexibility
Another great thing is that once you sign up and get started with a delivery or courier service that matches your side hustle needs, you can compare route planners and settle for one that allows you to earn more by optimizing your delivery routes and stops.
4) Try affiliate marketing
If you’re looking for an easy-to-start, low-cost side hustle that can scale to hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly income, you can’t go wrong with affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing involves using a special link, called an affiliate link, to promote other peoples’ digital products and services, then earning a set commission of the purchase price when someone uses your affiliate link to buy something you’re promoting.
Do you want to know the best thing about affiliate marketing? You do not need a blog/website.
With free-to-learn information and experimentation, you can develop a digital marketing campaign that uses S, A, B, C, D, or F-tier social media platforms, paid ads, and free SEO traffic to promote your affiliate links.
However, to maximize your revenue-making potential, don’t go in blind. Rather, do ample market research and learn as much as possible about generating optimized content around the products and services you want to affiliate yourself with and market to your audience.
These four ideas are just the start
Not inspired by these suggestions? These four ideas are just the tip of the iceberg: many other side hustles cost little or nothing to start.
Before jumping into a viral side hustle trend, the key thing to remember is to conduct market research. The more you research a side hustle business idea, the more you will know what you’re getting into and the more confident you will feel as you get started.
