There are literally hundreds of articles online that talk about legitimate side business ideas. Unfortunately, most of them talk about fluff jobs that are just simply not worth your time. Do you want to make the big bucks or not?
This article is all about honing in your energy and placing it somewhere where the money will flood in. You have to be strategic with the type of side business you start. It’s stupid to just do something if you have a “passion” for it. What if your passion doesn’t pay? I think you see where I’m going with this.
Here are 7 side business ideas that are worth your time because they all can pay huge dividends over the long term. Another benefit of the following side jobs is that they are easily managed along-side a full time job!
Here we go:
Tutoring
I’ve seen some of my friends make BIG money through tutoring. The real money is made in this side business with extremely wealthy families that are looking for someone to tutor their kids at home while they are at work. I know of tutors who make a full time living out of this side business. The beautify of it is that you can be flexible in terms of hours and often times weekends are the best times to tutor kids. With the never ending pressure to have successful children, tutoring can be a great side venture while you work at your day job.
Blogging
Wow, all I can say about this is that it’s an incredible way to make money. Figure out what you’re passionate about and the money will follow in the blogging world. While blogging is not a get rich quick side business, it’s a sweet way to make long term passive income over time. I blogged for free for 6 months and only survived because it was something I loved to do. If you can survive the initial hump, blogging will put dollars in your wallet guaranteed. Something similar to this is website acquisition. If you have the cash, you can purchase a blog instead of building one up. I recently did this with Redeeming Riches. Instead of creating a second successful personal finance blog, I decided to purchase an authority site within the same industry. After a payback period of a couple months, it’s pure profit going forward. If you do this with multiple sites, the money can add up quite quickly.
E-bay store
If I had more time on my hands, I would start an E-bay store. With very little overhead and the potential to make a killing, it’s a wonderful side business idea. Most people go about this side business the wrong way. If I did it, I’d make all my purchases off ultra-discounted sites like Woot and Whiskey Militia. Buy your merchandise of choice through these sites and then tack on a 20% mark-up in your E-bay store. It really is as simple as that. I remember a TV that was on sale ($499) through a discount site and hundreds were available. I checked Ebay and they were selling for $899. See the potential with this? It’s a very straight forward business model and one that can be done after work or on the weekends. Rinse and repeat, you now have an endless stream of opportunities!
Freelance writer
When I first started blogging, I didn’t make a cent. To help me achieve my goals, I ended up doing some freelance writing. I contacted other big name bloggers and offered my freelance writing services. At one point I was writing for twelve blogs on a weekly basis! I was pulling in around $800/month and loving it! Another huge benefit of freelance writing is that you can do it anywhere! My favorite spot to freelance was the local Starbucks overlooking the beach. It doesn’t get much better than that. Think about all the time you waste during your lunch breaks, after work, and weekends. Why not use some of that time to start your freelance career? Recession or no recession, quality writing is always in style and there will always be a market for it. I encourage you to try this side business out immediately!
Jack of all Trades
How many times have you found yourself frustrated with your lack of experience solving a plumbing leak or adjusting a new door in your house? This is where a handy-man comes in. People will always have small issues with their houses that don’t necessarily require a full blown general contractor. I’ve been seeing handy-man businesses popping up all over the place and I understand why, they charge$60/hour! So if you know you’re great with your hands or are an especially good problem solver, why not do some handy-man work on the weekends? I’ve seen this type of side business turn into some significant income for people and it’s fairly easy to get started! Also, once referrals start coming in, the marketing will take care of itself.
Nanny
This is one that I don’t have any personal experience with, but my future wife (Hannah) does. She currently works as a nanny part time and is making great money. As this is a referral game, making a good first impression and being responsible are critical to your long term success. Again, this is a side business that requires no up-front investment and the hours are typically very flexible. If you love working with kids and like the idea of getting paid to make babies laugh, then working as a nanny is for you!
Landscaping
I personally love landscaping and doing work out under the sun. Much of my college tuition was paid for by odd-job landscaping projects, most being from Craig’s List. Landscaping is another great side business to get involved in. It’s awesome if you have a full time job or are a student in college because homeowners typically like having their landscaping done over the weekend when they can be around to watch. To get started, you can start contacting family and friends. Once you have a couple projects under your belt, you should plan for a flood of new clients coming in. Who doesn’t want to hire someone they’re comfortable with?
It’s time to go make some greenbacks!
I’ve always been a huge fan of starting a side business. Not only is it great to increase your income but it reduces the stress related to solely relying on your day job’s income. It also provides you with an opportunity for YOU to be the boss, not your employer!
So do something you love and get paid for it. If that’s not common sense, I don’t know what is!
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