The idea of a side hustle is quite American in its nature, but more commonly here in the UK and Ireland, side hustles or additional income opportunities are gathering awareness and many people like you are focused on utilising their skills and knowledge to earn an extra income.
So whether you’re on the path to financial independence, want to earn an extra few pounds for your holidays or trying to stave of inflation, our list below of 94 side hustle ideas you can start in the UK, will hopefully help you build your wealth quicker.
Top Tip: Be mindful that your contract of employment may prohibit you from additional work if it directly competes with your day job. Or your employer may require notice of your intention. Air on the side of caution always!
Side hustle ideas
1. Sell items on Etsy
I have a client who makes tens of thousands of pounds per week on Etsy, having designed a series of very successful vintage prints. Other clients, though not just as financially successful, sell their personalised gifts to customers right across the country. Focus on your current skills or hobbies and make products you can sell. Etsys’ listing fee is incredibly small and they have a great system to help new creators sell their items online.
2. Sell stock photography
In my own 9-5, I use stock photography every day. A great photo can make a good design brilliant. Each stock photography site is populated by photographers who receive a commission for each download of their photo. Some of the most popular sites include Adobe Stock or Depositphotos who each have a contributor programme that allows photographers to sell stock photos
Depositphotos Contributor Programme – https://depositphotos.com/seller-price.html
Adobe Stock Contributors – https://contributor.stock.adobe.com/
3. Create digital courses
Use your knowledge and experience to help others through the creation of digital courses. The chances are, that if you have learned something, then someone else will need to also. With just an iPhone, you can shoot a professional course that will answer the needs of customers worldwide.
To present your course to the world, you need a service such as Thinkific. Thinkific is a world leaning course management system (I use it myself) where you can create, market and sell your online courses.
4. Create a blog
Ok so you’re probably thinking that i’m just regurgitating my own side hustles. And you’d be right! To be honest starting a side hustle is just the same as starting a business. The more you put in, the more you get out. A blog is a great way to communicate your business to a huge audience in a longer form that social media allows. You also get the opportunity to monetise your blog through advertising, affiliate marketing or selling your own courses. Imagine that!!
5. Sell unwanted items on Facebook marketplace, Ebay or Vinted
One of the most common side hustles in the UK, is selling your unwanted items. People want a bargain and your pre-worn or pre-loved items hold a value even if you aren’t in love with them anymore. You might not get a great value for selling your second hand items, but every sale adds up.
6. Become a house sitter
Empty houses are a target for criminals and keeping your house occupied while you are away is a great way to mitigate this risk. House sitting or pet sitting is a great way to earn an extra income or to travel cheaply around the world. Here in the UK there is a thriving house sitting community on sites like https://www.housesittersuk.co.uk/.
7. Stage houses
There are many instances where people will pay for house staging. I’ve known people who have hired 3rd parties to stage their homes for selling or rental. I’ve also known others who are hired seasonally to dress their Christmas trees and stage clients homes for the festive period.
8. Try affiliate marketing
On this blog I partner with selected business that I have used and trust to provide a quality service or product. If you choose to buy from them, as an affiliate, I get a small commission from the company. What products or services could you recommend to your networks? Do those companies offer any affiliate programmes?
9. Begin freelancing
Do you have a transferrable skill that could become more than just a side hustle? By freelancing in the part-time in the evenings or weekends, you can trial selling your services without interfering with your day to day employment.
10. Exhibit your art or hobbies
My mum has a passion for art and is an aspiring artist. She is supremely confident and has never any problem with walking into a store and asking them to display her art for sale. While she may only have a short career to date, her artwork is selling for hundreds of Pounds/Euros in stores across Ireland. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
11. Social media manager
Nearly every business needs a presence on social media. But not every business has enough work for a full-time social media manager. Check out your local businesses, especially those with terrible socials and reach out to them.
12. Sell your music through a royalty free music site
Nearly every business needs a presence on social media. But not every business has enough work for a full-time social media manager. Check out your local businesses, especially those with terrible socials and reach out to them.
13. Add your illustrations to a stock site
Like our photographer friends, illustrators can upload their designs to a range of stock sites where users can pay for a royalty free usage of the illustration. This is one side hustle you can ramp up or down throughout the year. An added benefit is that your designs always remain available, so you can sell multiple illustrations over and over. Like compound interest, but for your creative outputs.
14. Start a podcast
With just the phone in your pocket you can start a high quality podcast. Build a big enough audience and you can monetise this through sponsorship or advertisements. It’s also a great way to build your brand for other additional income generating opportunities.
15. Pet sitter
Pet hotels are expensive and many choose to leave their pet with a trusted pet sitter instead. If you are a lover of animals and want a side hustle idea you can achieve at home, this may be perfect for you.
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16. Transcribe interviews
When meetings happen often the notes from these can be quite lengthy. An excellent way to record these is in audio format so they can be transcribed for distribution or action later. For those who are great typists and have amazing attention to detail, this is a great side hustle idea.
17. Mystery Shopper
Small and large retailers hire companies and individuals to check in on the service delivered within their stores. I have friends who have mystery shopped coffee shops, others who mystery shop large sofa companies. Usually, these tasks can be completed in the evenings and at weekends. One of the largest such agencies of mystery shoppers is IPSOS – https://www.ishopforipsos.com/en_GB/
18. Tutor students in a subject you are familiar with
You don’t need to know everything about a subject to teach a student. As long as you can confidently convey the subject in an engaging manner, you could possibly become a tutor. I know A-level students making hundreds per week tutoring GSCE students in exam prepartion.
19. Make and sell jewellery
Jewellery is always in fashion. If you have a passion for making beautiful jewellery, use your skills to create a range of bespoke items. Ask gift shops in your local area to stock them on a sale or return basis and you share the profit with them.
20. Start a youtube channel
With 720,000 hours of video uploaded to YouTube daily it can be a challenge to establish your brand on this platform. However with energy and focus you can succeed online. Some of the largest Youtube channels started in a bedroom with little to no equipment. Can you create engaging content? Give it a try and this side hustle idea, could be your next big thing.
21. Rental Properties
This side hustle has a huge opportunity to add extra income to your household. If you don’t have savings for a deposit, look at ways to support other rental owners by helping them with their business.
22. Home organisation services
If you’ve Marie Kondo’d the shit clean out of your house, then you may want to offer home tidying services to those with cluttered or messy homes.
23. Attend focus groups
Want to taste delicious free beer? Or possibly try a new menu before it’s released? Focus groups are a great way for businesses to understand their customers i.e. you! And they pay you for the privilege.
24. Brand Ambassador
Brands are always looking for ambassadors to support and promote their products to target demographics. It can be a great way to get free products you’d be buying anyway and also to get paid at the same time.
25. Woman/Man with a van
I’ve had to bring a work van home to move washing machines, go to the recycling centre or pick up materials for DIY projects multiple times this year alone. If you have a larger car or van, put this to use by charging for these services. The extra bonus here is that many of the goods you have been asked to dump, can be flipped for additional profit.
26. Survey sites
Many businesses will pay for good survey results and dedicated sites such as IPSOS’s ISAY – https://www.ipsosisay.com/en-us are one of the most renowned of these sites. Top tip: Never pay to join a survey site, this is a huge red flag for a scam.
27. Deal creator
Put your knowledge and experience to good use by introducing businesses with a need, to services you use. This is the old school affiliate marketing akin to a finders fee. Always agree any commissions up front so that if you put a deal together for a business or service, you get a deal creator fee.
28. Write an ebook
Digital content can be consumed anytime, anywhere and by anyone. The opportunity to put your thoughts and experience into a digital document, has never been easier to achieve. Answer problems and provide guidance to others willing to pay for your digital ebook.
29. Get a part time job
The simplest and easiest side hustle, is to get a second job. The benefit of this is of course you are working for someone else, but the drawback is that you’re not building your own business, brand and customers.
30. Translation services
Unfortunately that C in GCSE Spanish isn’t going to allow me to become a professional translator. But if you’re multi-lingual and can communicate effectively in these languages, your could become a translation service provider.
31. Handyman services
Handy with a set of tools or just generally great in the DIY department? There is always a market for those willing to do the jobs others can’t or wont do. I’d like to think I’ll clear our gutters, but in reality i’ll never get round to it. What service can you provide? Market yourself on facebook, gumtree and other local marketplaces.
32. Start a meal prep business
This side hustle idea is one I saw really take off in the pandemic. Born from those looking balanced and nutritious healthy meals, there is now many meal prep styles including graze boxes or meals specifically for students or the elderly.
33. Start a vending machine business
This is a side hustle idea anyone can start and manage. I read an article just yesterday where a 7 year old started a vending machine business and is making hundreds of dollars a week. Now I imagine she’s had a little help somewhere, but lets not hold that against someone taking action.
34. Amazon Mechanical Turk
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is a crowdsourcing marketplace that makes it easier for individuals and businesses to outsource their processes and jobs to a distributed workforce who can perform these tasks virtually. You can work as much or as little as you want completing tasks for businesses world-wide.
35. Start a subscription box service
I know businesses that have changed their entire sales model to subscription box services and others who have added this to their product portfolio. If a consumer or business buys certain products regularly, understand how you can add value to the product and build your own “box” to sell.
36. Alterations
My mum was a seamstress in her early years, so thankfully I’ll not be in need of your alteration services. But many people do and regularly get their clothing altered. If you’re hand with a pair of scissors, needle and thread, then you may find this side hustle idea very rewarding.
37. Freelance on Upwork
There’s an Upwork category for nearly every industry, but it is definitely skewed towards those that can be provided digitally. Are you a graphic designer, digital marketer or email marketing guru? This might be for you.
38. Voiceovers
With just an iPhone you can record professional voiceovers in your car. I know this because I have done it myself. Businesses are more frequently looking to tailor their marketing materials through the use of local sounding voice actors. You don’t need to have neutral or dulcet tones, but speaking clearly is a must.
39. Design patterns for carpets / wallpaper
If you know your vectors from your bitmap or you have a eye for patterns, you could design and sell your patterns for fabrics, carpets, wallpapers and more. Small and large producers are always looking for graphic designers to create new and unique patterns for their products.
40. Start a ezine and sell digital subscriptions
If you can add value through education, advice or entertainment a digital product such as a subscriber based ezine or newsletter is a great side hustle idea. Not only can it generate an income in itself, but can be used as part of a wider marketing strategy.
41. Become a wedding DJ
Being a wedding DJ isn’t about having impeccable music taste, but rather understanding what music the crowd will react to best. A broad music knowledge from across the decades could make this side hustle idea top of the charts.
42. App Development
Many of the developers I know are struggling to come up with their own app idea. They have turned their skills into a side hustle by helping others turn their ideas into reality. Granted this side hustle idea has quite a high barrier to entry, but if you already have experience in the industry, put it to use.
43. Rent out your parking space
Parking spaces are scare in many major towns and cities across the UK. Put your unused parking space to good use by renting it to those commuting to work. It can easily bring in a few hundred pounds per month with little to no management from yourself. You can list your parking space for free on sites such as https://www.yourparkingspace.co.uk.
44. Freelance your services
When I mention freelancing to clients, the first question always focuses on “Who would buy my service?”. Well if no one needed your service, you wouldn’t have a job. Take the tasks you do daily in your job and market them to other businesses in your free time. Be mindful not to cause conflict with your employer, so no moonlighting for a direct competitor!
45. Make and sell candles
One of my team makes bespoke candles and sells them each Sunday at the local market. In his words, this side hustle idea “pays for my holidays” and well to be honest, he does take some pretty awesome trips away. Start with your brand and product, then find locations to sell both online and offline.
46. Start a dropshipping business
Dropshipping is the low cost way to start an e-commerce store, by only purchasing your products and shipping them when your customer buys them from you. Commonly, drop shipping stores bring in products from foreign markets and a drawback to this is the delays in shipping from there to the UK.
There is absolutely nothing to stop you speaking to local manufacturers or suppliers or products and setting up this service locally. If you look around your local town, you will find many businesses that could benefit from selling their products online, but either don’t want to or don’t have the experience to do so.
47. Copywriting
One of the biggest challenges small businesses face is communicating their messaging effectively. Business owners are great with the customers and they understand their product, but ask them to write a paragraph of copy for their website and well, you may as well have asked them for their first born.
Providing copywriting services is a great side hustle idea for those in Communications or Marketing roles where their experience writing technical or non-technical materials will support a businesses needs.
48. Join a clinical trial
“I’ve heard you get £50,000 if they cut off your big toe and reattach it”. While the reality might be somewhat different than this, there is money to be made for participating in clinical trials. Some definite consideration would need to be given to this side hustle idea though.
49. Deliver parcels for Amazon
If you wonder why sometimes an Amazon delivery driver rocks up in their own car, it’s not that their van has broken down, but more like they are part of Amazon Flex. You deliver parcels with your own car at times that suit you – you can choose to deliver as little or as often as you like.
50. Write articles for local publications
Local publications such a as newspapers, digital magazines and trade publications often hire freelance writers to populate their pages. If you marry this with some of your own interests like sport or industry, you can become quite an expert commentator in a relatively short time period.
51. Become a personal trainer
You’ve put in years at the gym and are the envy of men and women alike. Instead of dishing out advice for free to the gymbros, start as a personal trainer. You don’t legally need a personal training qualification, but many employers would require one and they’re pretty easy to get in the UK.
52. Children's party entertainer
Can you model balloons or face paint like a pro? Put your skills to use as a children’s party entertainer. Usually you’ll only work for an hour or two per party, so if you’re pretty ambitious you could schedule a few parties per day.
53. Rent out your speciality gear
If your passion project has cost more than you’d like to admit, then there may be a market to rent your speciality gear to like minded individuals. Cameras, DJ equipment and even telescopes can be rented pretty easily through local marketplaces.
54. Wedding singer
From children’s entertainer to adult entertainment with this side hustle idea. Whether you focus on singing at the daytime service or the evening reception, put your vocal talents to good use as a wedding singer.
55. Do data entry
We’re in a period of digital transformation where a hybrid of traditional and digital projects intermix in many businesses. With many traditional projects struggling to filter data into the digital ecosystem, manual data entry is still common practice. It may be somewhat monotonous, but stick on your favourite techno mix and the time will fly in.
56. Build or design websites
I’m a huge fan of a professionally designed and built website, as I understand the difference this can make to a business. Whatever your skill level in design or development, you can provide your services to clients and build your own experience at the same time. As with many of these side hustle ideas, ensure it doesn’t conflict with your day job.
57. Retail arbitrage
Also called retail flipping, if you can buy an item at discount to its retail price, there’s possibility to sell it online and make a profit. Many flippers use Amazon as their e-commerce store in this instance. Your profit margin must cover fulfilment, referral fees to Amazon, and potentially the cost of holding inventory as well.
58. Proofreading
If you’ve spotted any errors in this page, I promise they were done on purpose specifically for this side hustle idea. Promise!! Proofreading is often overlooked as a side hustle, but it is a worthwhile endeavour and there’s always a market for double checking content.
59. Virtual Assistant
In Tim Ferris’s Four Hour Work Week, he presents the idea that a virtual assistant can manage many of the tasks he should delegate. If you’re organised and have experience in business administration, this could be a great side hustle idea you could grow into a business.
60. House cleaning
If breaking out the marigolds and the anti-bacterial cleaner fills you with joy, then house or office cleaning could be the side hustle idea of your dreams. This is usually a regular side hustle, so you may only need a few clients to fill your diary.
61. Upcycling furniture
Facebook Marketplace is filled with people looking rid of their unwanted furniture. Often for free! Many of this furniture is also in great condition, but just needs a little TLC to make it great again. Put your handiwork to the test and then resell on any of the marketplaces or a bespoke furniture store.
62. Babysitting/childminding
I remember getting a fiver for a nights babysitting at age 17. This was in the late 90s and well, costs for babysitting services today are not £5. What I do like about this side hustle idea is that you can easily pick and choose only the clients and times that suit you.
63. Calligraphy
Put your penmanship to good use by providing a calligraphy service for weddings or special events. Build a following on social media and generate business you can do in the comfort of your own, at your own pace.
64. Become a streamer
This is a side hustle idea for the new generation who have grown up with Twitch instead of kids tv. Personally I put on Twitch instead of the TV most nights now and watch a myriad of streamers playing games. Some of these content creators are making millions per year.
65. Tour guide of your city
In my past career many of those I worked with took a side hustle idea and grew it into a fully-fledged business. This allowed them to quit their 9-5 and work on their own venture. One success story, is a long term client, who provides a very unique set of tours around our city.
66. Onlyfans
Possibly not something you’re familiar with, but Only Fans has become a business for many men and women across the world. Apparently there’s something for everyone on there, but I wouldn’t know.
67. Exam invigilator
If a seasonal side hustle idea is why you’re here, then an exam invigilator may be a great opportunity for you. Key times for exams are around the end of the main school terms and as the exams are timed, you know exactly how long you’ll be working for. Definitely a low stress side hustle.
68. Vlogger
Don’t forget to smash that like button and hit subscribe! Bring your channel to life and build an audience as a vlogger. Talk about things you love, things you hate or provide value and you could make this side hustle very profitable.
69. Get to grips with matched betting
Now I have to admit that I was an early adopter of Matched Betting. When sign up bonuses were plentiful in value and availability, I was there making £400-£500 per month easily. While it’s more difficult to make this type of money now, there is still money to be made.
70. Ironing / Laundry
There’s something therapeutic about ironing….or so i’m told. If thats the case then you should be paying me to do my laundry right? Well, unfortunately that’s not going to happen anytime soon and this service is one many are willing to pay for.
71. Edit vdeo
Sometimes side hustles are not about being centre stage, but being the person behind the scenes, making things happen. Many videographers use freelancers or 3rd parties to edit their videos and this makes it an in demand side hustle. Because of the nature of this service, those who are particularly skilled, can command a premium for their time.
72. Airbnb your property
With hotels and other accommodation at a high premium, rent a room or rent your property for profit. If you have a second property, this becomes even more attractive as an option as its usually way less occupied and not your primary home.
The Amazon section
Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce store. The easiest way to start a side hustle business is to go where the customers are. Well, Amazon has customers, in bucket loads. Below we’ve some ideas you can use to start your side hustle on Amazons platform.
73. Sell goods on Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is a great initiative where creators of handmade or personalised items can list their items for free on Amazon and only pay when a sale is made. There’s a special section for these products and support from Amazon on marketing.
74. Write / create books and publish them on Amazon kindle desktop publishing
I’ve met people who make tens of thousands a month using Amazon kindle desktop publishing. If you write or create books then you can list them for free on Amazon. It could be fiction, non-fiction or even colouring books, but there is great money to be made with this side hustle. Once your book is live it can be sold worldwide and Amazon will handle everything from the sale, to the printing, to the delivery.
75. Sell your designs on Amazon Merch
If you create bespoke designs, create a range of Merchandise using Amazons’ Merch platform. Upload your design, set the pricing and Amazon takes care of the rest. You can bring these designs to other platforms also including your own site and then let Amazon handle the fulfilment. This is a great side hustle for graphic designers.
76. Wedding Photographer
Capturing a couples big day is a special moment. Special moments cost big bucks to get the right photographer as you only get one chance to take the perfect photo. There are no do overs. With a little bit of experience under your belt, you can take your wedding photographer side hustle serious and charge accordingly for this.
77. Start an online shop
If I wanted to sell products today, I’d struggle with spending money on a bricks and mortar store front. With the barriers to starting an online store now virtually non-existent, bring your products to a world-wide audience and watch the sales roll in.
78. Rent out your spare room
Unlike short term lettings which do come with considerable administration, you may choose to rent out your spare room for a longer period. Also called house hacking, this has become a great side hustle for those looking to pay down their mortgage or to increase their income with minimal outlay or time commitment.
79. Flipping houses
Flipping houses can be a fantastic side hustle idea for those who have ambitions to be a landlord or property developer. You will likely need a deposit for a property, or if you want to learn the trade, assist a more experienced flipper in your spare time.
80. Create goods/products to sell on Amazon
Every product on Amazon started it’s journey with an idea. The availability to create, manufacture and deliver a product anywhere in the world has broken down the barriers to creating your own private product range.
81. Deliver pizzas
An old friend of mine delivers for our local Chinese takeaway and pizzeria each weekend. He does this side hustle to create an additional income that pays for his family holidays or events such as Christmas without getting into debt.
82. Start a dog walking business
Busy people have pets and these pets often need looking. While the busy people are busy being busy, walk their dogs for fun and profit. With the added bonus of getting your steps in also!
83. Baking - Cakes or Cupcakes
The lady who bakes our occasion cakes, does this from her home. She was recommended to us by a friend and we’ve recommended her to countless others. If you have a passion for baking and the patience for creative designs, baking and selling cakes/cupcakes could be a great option for your side hustle.
84. Become an Uber driver
Since the pandemic it’s nigh on impossible to get a taxi or Uber home at the weekend. If you do, it’s a multiple of the normal price. Usually because the desperate (me) will pay anything to get home quickly and safely. Becoming an Uber driver, you can pick your own hours and meet interesting people on a nightly basis.
85. Crypto
I don’t know enough about crypto to write anything intelligent here, so I’ll just say this. Some people seem to be making money with a crypto side hustle.
86. Social media influencer
“I’m not pretty, personable or liked enough to influence anyone or anything”. Yep you may have said that in the past, but with focus and effort to build your personal brand, you could create an online following and earn an income from this.
87. User generated content (UGC)
UGC stands for user-generated content. By definition, user-generated content is any form of content—text, posts, images, videos, reviews, etc. —created by individual people (not brands) and published to an online or social network. The dirty little not so secret of UGC, is that many brands pay content creators to create this content.
88. Rent out your garden - Allotme
Make use of your excess outside space with Allotme. AllotMe is a fantastic startup that allows you to find a space nearby to start growing your own food. Those with space (gardens or allotments) can charge a fee for this and/or share in the outputs.
89. Bookkeeping
Side hustles are not just for the young! A neighbour of mine in her 70s is a bookkeeper for many local small businesses. Not only does this side hustle bring her in an income. But it keeps her mind active and she has a regular flow of people to her home each week.
90. Window cleaning
What I love about window cleaning as a side hustle, is that with a little bit of focus on marketing, you can concentrate your business literally to a small geographical area. With 10-20 houses in 1-2 streets and cleaning their windows every fortnight, you could make £400-£500 easily each month.
91. Nail technician / tanning
With a minimal investment in materials and equipment you could set your next side hustle in motion as a nail technician or mobile tanning salon. With just a little bit of marketing on facebook or other social channels, you can attain a small client base very quickly.
92. Tidy peoples gardens
I tend to my garden, with the same vigour as the green keepers at the local golf course 😉 but many are not like me. Even with moderate gardening skills, tidying and clearance of cluttered or overgrown gardens is a great side hustle.
93. Film Extra
As a side hustle idea, being an extra is a great opportunity to earn additional income and also working on other projects at the same time. You get paid for all the time you are on set. In reality, you’re called up for only a few hours across this time and you can devote the downtime to other projects.
You also get to add “Wildling no.3” to your resume and call yourself an actor.
94. Propagate and sell plants
As you’ve probably gleaned from this post, I’m somewhat the horticulturalist. I have not tried to monetise this hobby, as for me it’s just that. I know some that have a thriving side hustle for a huge range of plants, fruit and vegetables that they sell each year. If your fingers are green, look at how you can monetise this for fun and profit.
Final thoughts
Some of these side hustle ideas do require licensing or qualifications. Before you start any side hustle, please do your own research and ensure you are legally allowed to operate this business. It’s also prudent to note that income from your side hustle will be taxable. Conversely, any of your business costs can be deducted from your turnover, so this also has its own set of benefits.
Take action!
Hopefully this list has inspired you with some side hustle ideas. But ideas aren’t enough. Take action! Even if only moving forward one step, you are doing more than you did yesterday. These side hustles will help you build wealth no matter what your age outside of your 9-5.
Let me know how you get on, I’d be delighted to hear from you. If you’ve any other side hustle ideas, please put them in the comments below and I’ll add them to the list above.
