3 Different Types of Side Hustles you can start today!
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done” -Thomas Jefferson
Are you ready to turn your side hustle dreams into reality? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Being in your midlife season doesn’t mean you have to be stuck with only one source of income because you didn’t start any others in your younger years. Diversifying your income streams can provide greater financial security, with the added bonus of giving you exciting new opportunities for personal growth.
In this post, we’ll explore 3 different types of side hustles that you can start today, and what’s more, you don’t need to go and learn any special skills or knowledge—just some elbow grease and gumption. Read on, fellow entrepreneurs—let’s get hustling!
Starting a passion-driven, purposeful and profitable side hustle ticks so many boxes, and if you’ve not already gathered, I am a passionate believer in midlifers starting them – regardless of age!
Having a side hustle has many positive aspects, including:
- It can help you make extra money – we’re all feeling the pinch of a higher cost of living and earning more money each month can be a game changer.
- It can help answer the question of how you’ll support yourself in your senior years.
- You’re sick of “working for the man”- a side hustle has the potential to grow into your main hustle, providing your escape route from the 9-5 grind plus commuting to build someone else’s business.
The big question faced by many midlifers though is “what do I do?” With so many potential businesses vying for your attention, it can feel overwhelming, and as we all know – overwhelm can lead to procrastination. You don’t want to find yourself in the same place this time next year, not having started your side hustle.
There is a very real time constraint at midlife however. We don’t have years and years to grow something slowly like a 20 year old might. Most of us want to see results relatively quickly, (I say “relatively” as we all know that it can take a while for a new business to be profitable) which means that starting a side hustle that requires you to spend months, if not years, to learn brand new skills before you can launch, might not be your best option.
Never fear though, there are types of side hustles that are quicker to launch and start earning from, and they don’t require you to spend months to learn new skills before you can open for business!
3 Different Types of Side Hustles you can start today!
In a nutshell, my advice to any midlifer looking to start a side hustle and get earning quickly, is this: “what skills and talents do you already possess?” You don’t hit your midlife season without amassing wisdom and skills along the way, and when you leverage these to create your side hustle, you can short cut the process to getting your new business earning!
Sound good? Then check out 3 different types of side hustles you could create, building on the foundation of what you already know….
1. Offer Services
Instead of worrying about “what can I do?” it’s time to start asking instead “what do I know?” Do you have any of the following skills? Copywriting, video editing, writing, social media, bookkeeping, data entry, newsletter writing, editing and proofreading, website building, creative design, gardening or landscaping, animal care, sewing, baking, cleaning, childcare, marketing.
The list is limitless as everyone has unique skills and talents, and if you can match your skills to a need – you have a business! Scroll through sites like Upwork, and you’ll be able to see on one hand what services people with similar skills to you are offering, and on the other – what jobs are being posted which are looking for people with your skills to fulfil.
Starting a service based side hustle utilising skills you already have, is possibly one of the quickest side hustles to launch and start earning from. Once you start researching the marketability of your skill, you will be amazed at what small businesses and entrepreneurs will pay for. They might not be in the position to take on a new employee, but hiring a Virtual Assistant for 10 hours a week of bookkeeping services, admin support or social media management could be perfect for their needs.
2. Offer Products
Another type of side hustle that leverages off the skills you already possess, is one where you create products to sell. For instance, have you any of these skills? Photography, painting, pottery, wood work, jewellery making, writing, music, cake making, candle making, gardening.
Each of these skills could be used to create a marketable product, and there are so many ways you could sell your products, including:
- Selling in person at markets,
- Selling online via Ebay, TradeMe, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy or your own website,
- Selling by wholesaling to retailers.
Some product ideas might be: wall art, printed clothing with your designs, personalised jewellery, furniture creation or restoration, seedlings and produce, books, music albums, birthday or occasion cake creation, unique candles, printables like invitations – the list is limitless.
3. Offer to Teach
All the skills I’ve mentioned such as editing, bookwork, copywriting, administration, baking, playing an instrument, painting, sewing, gardening etc – can be taught, and there are people wanting to learn.
This is an especially good side hustle for people who have teaching, presenting or leadership experience. You simply combine your teaching skills to what you love, then niche it to meet a need. Here’s an example: Let’s say you are used to training people in your workplace. You also love swimming, and you’ve noticed a number of your friends don’t feel confident around water. You new side hustle? Teaching swimming to adults who might never have learned as children, or who are nervous and embarrassed about their poor water skills.
Your teaching doesn’t have to be limited to one delivery method either. You can teach via online or in person weekend workshops, via a series of classes online, in a community college, at a businesses boardroom, at a retirement home, a school or in yours or your student’s home. You can teach individuals or groups – the latter enabling you to earn more per hour.
Enjoying this post? Check out these posts as well!
- Why it’s not too late to start and succeed
- 20 Side hustles you can start today
- 4 Reasons why you should start a side hustle!
There are no set rules to creating a side hustle. You get to create how it looks, who it serves and how it fits into your life, and when you start by leveraging skills you already possess, you’ll potentially be able to start earning quickly from your brand new business.
If starting a side hustle is one of your goals for 2023, I invite you to begin the process by asking yourself the following questions:
- What skills do I have that I could offer as a service based side hustle?
- What skills do I already have that would enable me to create and produce my own product?
- What skills do I have that I could teach to others?
Here’s to your success!
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Great information! I provide the tech to get it all done so you don’t have to be a techy to create a side hustle.
Great ideas, it’s important to find your true purpose and share it with others, some of us are nurturing, while others are leaders, and some of us were meant to teach.
I started blogging almost 5 years now and it’s been very rewarding. I’ve also met many wonderful new friends in doing so.
Cat!
Such a great blog on creating and using a side hustle in midlife! I’ll be retiring from Education in two more school years. In addition, I’ve recently become a social stylist plus my blog and social media. I’m a firm believer in: You’re never too old! It’s never too late! Follow your heart and do something that brings you great joy.
We are singing from the same song book Julie 🙂
Yes to it never being too late to follow your heart!