Side hustles have become a common method of making money when your normal 9 to 5 doesn’t cut it. It can help to reduce your financial stress and give you more spending power when you have your time off. They’re most popular with those just starting out in their career who want the independence that comes from having their own rental property, paying their bills on time, and enjoying the food they like. When you’re salaried, you have a set ceiling on your financial growth unless you get promoted or start a side hustle. If you’re interested in hustling on the side, here are some of the most promising side hustles taking US workers to higher heights.
1. Dropshipping
Dropshipping is the process of selling a product straight to a consumer with no need to buy the product in advance. You simply sell the product, arrange the delivery, and collect the money. There’s no inventory cost for you and there’s very little risk, as you only need to spend money on products when you’ve already sold them. You will need to have a website, though, and to stand out and succeed you’ll need to learn the basics of operating SEO. However, you will be able to specialise in selling the objects you know the very most about, meaning content generation and sales copy will be easier.
2. Actual Shipping
Shipping has exploded in the past couple of years as the world shipping industry responded to major supply chain shocks. People stayed home and started to order more than they have ever ordered before, showing the world just how important handling packages were. It’s easier than ever to get shipping work too. There are job boards where you can place bids and win jobs that are posted. The best thing about job board side hustles is that you work on a gig basis, meaning that you can completely fit your side hustle around your schedule with none of the pressure that comes with manning customer service issues during work hours.
3. Wholesale Trading
One of the oldest professions in the world is still a great side hustle – buying stock in bulk and selling individual items at a higher price. Unlike dropshipping with wholesale trading, you have a lot more control over your offerings, allowing you to standardise your quality and create package deals. You can still specialise in a niche, but the business model is different. Nowadays it’s a lot easier than in the days of original trading; you can just hop onto an online wholesale marketplace and find the perfect products for your side hustle.
4. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can encompass many different avenues, including Instagram influencing, writing a high domain authority blog, or simply reaching out to your friendship group with deals you know they’ll love. Affiliate marketing is effectively when you sell a product on behalf of a company and get a small cut of the deal. It’s an old technique that has become far easier with digitisation and online marketing.
