Earning extra money through a side business has become quite mainstream these days. If you want to become an entrepreneur, starting a side business is a great way to get started.

It also lets you pursue a hobby productively and offers you an opportunity to try something apart from the nine-to-five job. Here are some of the best side hustle ideas you can do on top of a day job.

1. Creating and Marketing Online Courses

If you consider yourself an expert in any subject, you can create online courses on that and sell them to interested parties. It'll not only be a source of side income, but also let you build a loyal community of content consumers.

Related: Top Platforms to Create and Sell Online Courses

You need to choose the course format depending on the platform where you’ll be selling your courses. Thinkific is a website where you can start with limited courses and unlimited students for free.

2. Remote Tutoring

Do you have a passion for teaching? Are you willing to help students excel in their studies? In that case, you can opt for remote tutoring.

This business will let you teach students from all over the world without even leaving your home. For remote tutoring, you must have a stable internet connection and a computer with a good quality webcam.

In this regard, you can take help from the online tutoring platform TutorMe. Here, you get the option to teach more than 100 subjects, including regular school and university subjects, languages, hobbies, and art.

3. Affiliate Sales and Marketing

A visual of the affiliate sales and marketing page of Amazon

You can boost your total income through affiliate marketing. The business idea is particularly beneficial if you own a website or blog that gets a significant number of web traffic. Then, you can make a passive income from the blog or content you’ll write for the site.

Tech giants like Amazon run dedicated affiliate programs for marketers who refer people to their websites. You can also try affiliate marketing tools and networks to earn money from your content.

4. Podcasting

An image showing podcast professionals

Podcasting has become quite popular nowadays, and you can leverage this by producing high-quality content for your audience.

You may additionally earn by getting sponsored advertisements if you continue making podcasts on a specific topic and have your own set of followers.

Apart from this, you can categorize your content as paid podcasts and make them available for a fee to the Spotify audience. Furthermore, you can ask your listeners to donate if they enjoy your program.

5. Part-Time Content Writing

If you want to become a full-time writer or blogger in the future, start with writing part-time and make it your side hustle.

Related: The Best Tools for Writers to Create Engaging Content

Many startups look for freelance writers who can write for their websites and blogs. You can find contractual content writing jobs on different hiring and freelance platforms. Moreover, you can ask your friends to get you a part-time writing job.

6. Freelance Proofreading and Editing

An image showing a glimpse of the proofreading work

Are you good at finding grammatical and spelling mistakes? Use this skill to earn some extra bucks through freelance proofreading and editing.

There may be several online language checking tools, but nothing can beat human eyes to locate the mistakes and understand the writing context. Renowned companies always prefer proofreading their content and copies by a human proofreader.

You can sell convenient proofreading and editing gigs on the online marketplace Fiverr and let your clients find you.

7. Stock Photography

A visual of the VistaCreate Contributor Program

Selling images to various online stock photography platforms for those interested in photography and photo editing. Your picture can be of nature, people, events, landmarks, or activities. You may make the photos more attractive by editing them.

You can join the VistaCreate Contributor Program to earn extra money by submitting your photograph. Upload the images, and if those get selected for listing, you’ll earn a remuneration. Putting your photos for sale on different platforms is another way you can try.

8. Travel Reviewer

Does your day job involve traveling to different places, or do you consider yourself a backpacker? You can start writing travel reviews as your side business in both scenarios. You can publish the reviews on your blog or on some third-party websites.

To become a travel reviewer, you need to have a camera and preferably a computer. Besides, you must know how to take stunning photos, create convincing videos, and write compelling travel stories.

9. Making and Selling Handicrafts

An image showing small business handicrafts items on Etsy

If you know how to make handicrafts, utilize this skill to earn money by selling them online. It’s better to start with limited resources and investment. Once you start getting a good response, you may scale up the production.

Visit the online marketplaces that sell handmade crafts to find out about the rending products. Or, you may choose to create something not available easily. After your product is ready, you can sell it on the online handicraft selling website Etsy to reach a global audience.

Related: How to Use Etsy to Buy and Sell Products

10. Selling eBooks

If you have a knack for writing, selling eBooks can be a smart side business idea. Nowadays, you don’t have to wait for a publisher to approve your manuscript to publish a book. Make an eBook and sell it to the audience.

You can write eBooks on any trending topics like self-improvement or motivation. You can also write books that’ll teach others how to learn a skill or progress in their career. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing lets you publish an eBook for free.

Related: How to Sell Ebooks Online With This Plan

Business Ideas for a Prosperous Future

A side business is not only a source of additional income. You may even end up having that as your primary business in the future. If finding a suitable side hustle sounds like a challenging task, go through the list mentioned here.

Before opting for a side business, make sure you know how to balance it with your full-time job.