Starting a business can be difficult.
Not only does it require a lot of time and effort, it can also be very discouraging to think about quitting everyday stress without knowing whether you will be successful or not.
With that in mind, I’ve rounded up eight unique side hustles you can try this year. The goal is to provide you with potential side hustle ideas that you can scale and grow into full-time businesses over time.
This way, you can build an audience and a revenue stream before you take the decisive step and lay the foundation for your future success.
Do you have little time? Here are the key takeaways
- Create an e-course: A quality niche course can still provide a great form of passive income.
- Social media management: As more brands expand their social media marketing efforts, you could use your expertise to manage multiple channels.
- AI Automation Consultant: The rise in AI capabilities has created a gap for advice and support from qualified experts.
- Domain flipping: Since it’s easier than ever to create a website, domain searches are also becoming more popular.
- Ghostwriting for CEOs & Influencers: Thought leadership is becoming increasingly important, but people often don’t have the time to do it right
- Local drone photography and videography: Drones are a great way to capture memorable shots and videos, and they only cost a small amount up front.
- Personalized embroidery business: Personalization is a fantastic way to stand out from the competition.
- Subscription-based coffee roaster: Subscription-based businesses are a great way to manage inventory and grow according to demand.
8 Unique Side Hustles to Try This Year
Create an e-course
Advantages:
- Limited upfront costs
- The most important investment is time
- Once live, maintenance is minimal
Disadvantages:
- There are many other e-books to compete with
- E-books are generally perceived negatively
- Building your initial reputation takes time
Firstly, you could choose to do this Create an online course to earn a little money on the side. Creating an eCourse is easier than ever, with minimal upfront costs aside from your time and effort spent researching and writing.
Additionally, once your course is live, there is minimal maintenance required, just quick edits and additions as needed as information changes.
Of course, it’s important to note that the internet is flooded with average e-courses at best. Therefore, it is very important that you produce something that does not just regurgitate knowledge that already exists. Instead, focus on providing real value, accept that this will take a little longer in the short term, and slowly build a library of popular e-courses that will provide you with a healthy monthly income.
Social media management
Advantages:
- Completely remote and easy to scale
- High demand due to increasing brand awareness in social media marketing
- Posts can be scheduled to match the customer’s time zones
Disadvantages:
- Getting started requires a certain level of skills, qualifications or experience
- Finding first-time customers can be difficult
- Constant work on maintenance, administration and expansion
Another popular side hustle you might consider is social media Management. One of the biggest benefits of this approach is that you can do the work entirely remotely and use tools to schedule content in advance, ensuring it meets clients’ deadlines without taking up your entire life.
With increased awareness of the value of a brand presence on social media, there are also plenty of opportunities to amplify your efforts and turn it into a full-time business.
AI Automation Consultant
Advantages:
- Extremely current
- Room for growth as technology advances
- Business concern and lack of understanding are driving high demand
Disadvantages:
- Requires certain skills and experience
- Must constantly learn to stay up to date with the latest innovations
- Convincing brands that it’s necessary can be difficult
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ve gone a day this year without hearing about AI advancements or capabilities!
While some of these advances may seem minimal at best or difficult to understand, the evolution of AI has left companies desperate for ways to increase production and improve profit margins.
This is where an AI consultant can help. As technology evolves and becomes more mainstream, there is a lot of potential for growth in this role. Although ongoing training is required to keep up with new developments, this side hustle could be very profitable.
Domain flipping
Advantages:
- More and more demand for good domains
- Simply at a time of day that suits you
Disadvantages:
- Revenue per domain is minimal
- It can be difficult to find good domains without taking risks
- Difficult to scale without investing more time and money
Domain flipping is another work-from-home side hustle that can quickly provide you with a nice little second income.
As it becomes easier for people to create websites, web domains are also becoming more in demand, increasing the demand (and therefore competition) for high quality domain names.
However, I would be cautious if I expected this to become a full-time position. It can be difficult to choose domains that will one day be worth much more than you paid for them, and it can be difficult to scale them without investing more time and money.
Ghostwriting for CEOs and influencers
Advantages:
- Completely remote and can be carried out at a time that suits you
- Potentially high paying customers
- High standards of quality work that stand out from the norm
Disadvantages:
- Difficult to expand by investing more time
- Some customers can be very specific or critical
- The determination of tariffs may vary depending on the customer
The rise of generative AI would make many people think that the role of a ghostwriter is no longer needed. In fact, quality writing is more important now than ever!
Quality content is now a key differentiator for brands, especially CEOs and influencers whose personal brand is absolutely critical to business growth.
You can offer this service completely remotely and work at a time that suits you around other commitments. However, keep in mind that rates are often dictated by customers, so income may vary.
Local drone photography and videography
Advantages:
- Drones are much cheaper today than when they were first introduced, reducing launch costs
- Offer a service that regular photographers cannot
- High demand for beautiful images and aesthetics thanks to the growth of social media
Disadvantages:
- There are startup costs to consider
- The work is not remote and travel is required
When drones first came out, many people (myself included) scoffed at the price. Since drones have been on the market for several years now, they have become much more affordable and therefore have become a very useful tool for starting a photography or videography business.
Whether you specialize in weddings and work part-time on the weekends, or work with brands that want more marketing materials, drone-based photography and videography can be very attractive to many businesses in your area.
Personalized embroidery business
Advantages:
- Customers demand personalization
- Personalization can help you stand out from other services
- Turn a craft into a source of income
- Patterns can be created using a “set and forget” service
Disadvantages:
- Time-consuming and often demanding delivery times
- Requires specific skills and resources
When launching an eCommerce brand, it can be difficult to show audiences your unique selling point. Ultimately, what sets your brand apart from others in the industry?
One way to really stand out from the competition is to offer a service based on personalization. It could be embroidery, it could be metalwork, it could be anything in between! The main thing is that you lock in with a specific type of customer, thereby building a loyal audience where people make repeat purchases, which will help you grow your side hustle into a business.
Subscription-based coffee roaster
Advantages:
- Subscription businesses are easy to scale and manage their inventory
- The packaging is small, so you can easily store it at home until it weighs
- Easy to set up with minimal upfront equipment costs
Disadvantages:
- It will take time to build a consistent audience
- Requires time and effort to keep going
Lastly, I wanted to add one more thing Subscription business as part of this list because they are a great option for founders who want to track consistent sales and manage inventory within a budget. The reason I chose coffee subscriptions is because it’s a commodity that coffee lovers are willing to spend money on, it’s a product that people use frequently every month, and it’s a product that’s proven to be popular for generations.
All of this ensures that coffee roasting brands don’t disappear anytime soon and there is a built-in market ready to try your delicious creations.
Final thoughts
Want to start a unique side business this year? Founder+ offers the perfect resources to help you turn your ideas into reality. For just $1, you get instant access to over 30 courses and 1,000+ lessons, all taught by industry experts.
Whether you’re starting a passion project or building a profitable business, Foundr+ equips you with the skills, strategies, and community support you need to succeed.
Don’t wait – take the first step towards your next part-time job today. Register now.
