In today’s fast-paced world, generating extra income through side hustles has never been more accessible. Whether you’re looking to supplement your main income, build a passive revenue stream, or eventually quit your 9-to-5 job, the right side hustle can make all the difference. While some side hustles require significant upfront investment or specific skills, many low-barrier options can help you start earning quickly.
In this blog post, we’ll explore 13 untapped side hustles that are not only easy to start but also offer substantial earning potential. From leveraging new technology to tapping into niche markets, these ideas will help you diversify your income streams and possibly even achieve financial freedom. So let’s dive in!
1. Selling No-Code Products
What It Is: Have a brilliant software idea but no coding skills? No problem! With no-code platforms, you can create functional software without writing a single line of code. These platforms use visual interfaces that allow you to build apps, websites, and tools quickly and easily.
How It Works: No-code development is perfect for creating Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) — basic versions of software products to test in the market. By launching an MVP, you can gauge interest in your idea without investing thousands of dollars in software development. Later, you can hire developers to refine and scale the product once it gains traction.
Example: A great success story is Comet, a freelancing marketplace that was built using no-code platforms. Launched by three roommates, Comet quickly scaled to earning $800,000 per month and secured $14 million in venture capital within three years.
Opportunities: You can specialize in developing CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, or automation tools for businesses. Another option is to freelance, helping companies and entrepreneurs bring their software ideas to life using no-code.
Earning Potential: Freelancers can charge anywhere from $50 to $150/hour, depending on the complexity of the project.
Opportunity Score: 9/10 – Ideal for creative people with tech ideas but no programming background. The demand for simple, cost-effective software solutions is growing rapidly.
2. Becoming a Curated Expert
What It Is: Curated is a platform that connects niche experts with people seeking advice. If you have deep knowledge in a particular area — whether it’s snowboarding, coffee brewing, or photography — you can monetize your expertise by sharing it with others.
How It Works: As a Curated expert, you create and share curated content related to your niche. This could involve product recommendations, answering user questions, or offering advice. Users rate your expertise, and positive feedback helps build your credibility and earnings potential.
Example Niches: On Curated, you’ll find experts in areas as diverse as snowboarding (with over 600 experts) to espresso machines and grilling. Whatever your passion or knowledge area, there’s likely a niche for you on the platform.
Opportunities: In addition to Curated, you can expand your expertise onto other platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram by offering tips, tutorials, and product recommendations. Over time, you can establish yourself as a trusted authority in your niche.
Earning Potential: You earn commissions from product recommendations or consulting fees. Earnings vary depending on your niche and the demand for your expertise.
Opportunity Score: 8/10 – Great for individuals who are passionate about a specific subject and enjoy sharing knowledge.
3. Twitter Ghostwriting
What It Is: Ghostwriting for Twitter (or X) involves writing tweets, threads, and posts for public figures, influencers, or business owners. Busy professionals often need help maintaining an active and engaging presence on social media, and that’s where you come in.
How It Works: As a Twitter ghostwriter, your job is to study the client’s brand, philosophy, or published content (such as books or blogs) and create posts that align with their voice and persona. This helps your clients stay relevant online, engage with their audience, and grow their following.
Example: An author with multiple books might hire a ghostwriter to take key excerpts from their works and repurpose them into tweets. This not only helps promote the book but also attracts potential buyers or coaching clients.
Opportunities: The demand for social media content creation is booming. You can work with authors, coaches, entrepreneurs, or even brands that want a consistent online presence but don’t have the time to post regularly.
Earning Potential: Twitter ghostwriters typically charge between $500 to $2,000/month to manage a client’s account, depending on the level of involvement.
Opportunity Score: 9/10 – A growing market with significant earning potential. Perfect for those with a knack for writing and social media strategy.
4. Twitter Affiliate Marketing
What It Is: Affiliate marketing on Twitter involves promoting products through affiliate links. You earn a commission when someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase. This can be done across various social platforms, but Twitter (or X) remains a relatively untapped market for affiliates.
How It Works: You partner with companies or individuals who sell products and services relevant to your audience. For example, if you’re in the tech niche, you could promote software tools, gadgets, or online courses. Every time someone buys through your affiliate link, you earn a commission.
Example: Let’s say you’re promoting a $100 software tool, and the affiliate program offers a 50% commission. You would earn $50 for every sale made through your unique link.
Opportunities: Digital products, such as courses, tools, and ebooks, often offer higher commission rates compared to physical products. By building a niche following on Twitter and offering valuable content, you can increase the chances of affiliate conversions.
Earning Potential: Part-time affiliate marketers can make $500–$1,000/month, while full-time affiliates can earn $5,000–$10,000+ monthly, depending on their reach and marketing efforts.
Opportunity Score: 9/10 – A scalable and flexible option for those who are good at marketing and want to earn passive income through commissions.
5. Peer-to-Peer Lending
What It Is: Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms connect borrowers with individual lenders, bypassing traditional banks. As a lender, you can provide small loans to individuals or businesses and earn interest on the repayments.
How It Works: On platforms like Prosper, Lending Club, and Funding Circle, borrowers submit loan applications, and you (along with other lenders) contribute to the loan amount. You earn returns as the borrower makes monthly payments, similar to how banks make money on loans.
Example: If you lend $1,000 through a P2P platform, you could potentially earn 5%-7% interest on that loan. Returns vary depending on the borrower’s credit rating and the terms of the loan.
Opportunities: This is a way to diversify your investment portfolio, but it comes with some risks. Borrowers may default on loans, which could affect your returns. To minimize risk, it’s essential to invest in multiple loans.
Earning Potential: Returns range from 3% to 7% annually, making it a reasonable alternative to traditional investment vehicles.
Opportunity Score: 6/10 – Suitable for those with disposable income looking to diversify investments. However, it’s riskier than other passive income streams.
6. Real Estate Crowdfunding
What It Is: Real estate crowdfunding allows you to invest in real estate projects without the need to purchase entire properties. Instead, you invest alongside others in a shared property or real estate fund.
How It Works: Platforms like Fundrise and Realty Mogul enable you to invest in residential or commercial properties with as little as $500. The platform handles property management, and you earn returns through rental income or property appreciation.
Example: If you invest $1,000 in a real estate crowdfunding project, you might earn 7%-10% annual returns, depending on the performance of the property.
Opportunities: This is a great way to gain exposure to real estate without needing substantial capital or dealing with the hassles of property management. It also provides diversification for those who are already invested in stocks or other assets.
Earning Potential: Returns can range from 7% to 10%, with some investors reporting even higher gains. These returns often exceed stock market performance, especially in well-managed real estate portfolios.
Opportunity Score: 7.5/10 – A solid long-term investment option, but not for those seeking quick cash flow.
7. Medical Assistant Jobs
What It Is: Medical assistants work in healthcare facilities, helping doctors and nurses with various tasks such as checking patients’ vitals, administering medications, and scheduling appointments.
How It Works: You don’t need prior experience or a degree to start as a medical assistant. Many clinics and hospitals provide on-the-job training. As the healthcare industry grows, the demand for medical assistants is rising, making this a great entry-level job that can evolve into a long-term career.
Example: As a medical assistant, you might work part-time in a local clinic, helping with patient intake and basic care tasks. Over time, you can advance to more specialized roles like phlebotomy or medical billing.
Opportunities: With healthcare being one of the fastest-growing industries, many entry-level medical positions are available. You can also explore other niche medical careers, such as dental assisting, pharmacy technician, or optometry assistant roles.
Earning Potential: Medical assistants earn between $15 and $30/hour, depending on experience and location.
Opportunity Score: 8/10 – A stable job with growth potential, perfect for those looking for reliable income with minimal barriers to entry.
8. Investing in Royalties
What It Is: Royalties are recurring payments made to owners of intellectual property (IP), such as music, books, patents, or trademarks. By investing in royalties, you can earn passive income from the ongoing use of these creative works.
How It Works: You can purchase rights to a piece of intellectual property through royalty trusts or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). As the work generates revenue — through music streams, book sales, or patent usage — you receive a portion of the royalties.
Example: A famous example is the Beatles’ song “Yesterday,” which has been covered by numerous artists. Investors who own a share of the royalties from this song continue to earn money as it generates revenue from performances and recordings.
Opportunities: This is a niche investment, but for those with an eye for talent, it can be highly lucrative. If you can identify up-and-coming bands, authors, or inventors, you can buy shares in their IP early and profit as they grow in popularity.
Earning Potential: Royalty investors typically earn 5%-10% annual returns, but some high-profile works can bring in much more.
Opportunity Score: 6.5/10 – Ideal for creative industry enthusiasts with a knack for spotting talent, but requires some expertise and research.
9. Becoming a Taste Tester
What It Is: Taste testers sample food products and provide feedback on flavor, texture, and overall quality. Companies use this feedback to improve their products before they hit the market.
How It Works: Companies like Schwan Food Company hire taste testers to try new or improved products. Testers may work part-time or on a project basis, typically in larger cities or through online food review platforms.
Example: As a taste tester, you might be invited to sample and review products from a frozen food company, providing detailed notes on the taste, presentation, and overall appeal of the food.
Opportunities: While taste testing isn’t typically a full-time gig, it can be a fun way to make extra money on the side, especially if you live near a major city or are open to participating in online taste tests.
Earning Potential: Part-time taste testers can make $15-$50 per session, while full-time positions may offer up to $100,000 per year.
Opportunity Score: 6/10 – A quirky, fun side hustle for food lovers. Not a full-time income source, but good for extra cash.
10. Personal Tailoring Services
What It Is: Offering personal tailoring services, especially as a traveling tailor, where you visit clients’ homes to take measurements and later deliver tailored garments.
How It Works: Instead of requiring clients to visit a tailor shop, you offer a premium home service. This could include altering suits, dresses, or everyday clothing. You could also specialize in serving niche markets, such as athletes or business executives, who often need custom-fitted clothing.
Example: A well-known NFL tailor has built a business creating custom suits for over 200 NFL players, showing how lucrative tailoring can be when you cater to a specific niche.
Opportunities: The key to making this a successful side hustle is convenience and specialization. By offering home visits or focusing on high-end clients, you can charge premium rates for your services.
Earning Potential: On average, tailors make $30,000–$60,000 per year, but specialized tailors can earn significantly more, especially in high-end markets.
Opportunity Score: 7/10 – A solid business idea with growth potential, especially if you can cater to a niche market.
11. Real Estate Rental Income
What It Is: Owning and renting out real estate properties is one of the most well-known and profitable ways to generate passive income. Whether it’s residential homes, vacation rentals, or commercial spaces, rental income can be a consistent source of monthly earnings.
How It Works: You can rent out a spare room on Airbnb, invest in rental properties, or even rent out commercial spaces to businesses. With proper management, rental income becomes a relatively passive stream, especially when coupled with property appreciation over time.
Example: If you own a property and rent it out through Airbnb, you can earn income from travelers staying in your home. Alternatively, you could invest in a rental property and collect monthly rent from long-term tenants.
Opportunities: Real estate offers a wide range of possibilities, from renting out vacation homes to investing in multi-family buildings or commercial spaces. You can also explore house hacking, where you live in the part of a property while renting out the rest.
Earning Potential: Depending on the property and market, real estate can bring returns of 10%-15% annually, along with significant tax benefits and property appreciation.
Opportunity Score: 9/10 – Real estate remains a highly profitable investment, but requires research and capital. A great long-term wealth-building strategy.
12. Print on Demand
What It Is: Print on demand (POD) allows you to sell custom-designed merchandise, like T-shirts, mugs, or bags, without having to manage inventory. Products are only created after a customer places an order.
How It Works: Platforms like Redbubble and Printful handle the printing, shipping, and customer service. Your job is to design products that people want to buy — whether it’s catchy slogans, creative artwork, or niche-focused designs. You upload your designs to the platform, and when someone orders, the platform prints and ships the item.
Example: A designer might create a line of eco-friendly T-shirts with inspiring quotes. Once uploaded to a POD platform, the shirts are printed and shipped automatically whenever someone makes a purchase.
Opportunities: POD is great for artists, graphic designers, or anyone with a creative flair. You don’t have to worry about upfront costs, and the business can scale easily as you create more designs.
Earning Potential: Successful POD sellers make $500–$5,000/month, depending on their designs and marketing efforts.
Opportunity Score: 9/10 – A low-cost, scalable side hustle perfect for creatives who want to monetize their work.
13. Appointment Setting
What It Is: Appointment setters work with businesses that sell high-ticket products (usually $3,000+) to schedule appointments between potential clients and sales teams. You are responsible for qualifying leads and ensuring they are a good fit for the company’s products or services.
How It Works: As an appointment setter, you’ll communicate with prospects via DMs, emails, or phone calls, ensuring they meet the criteria for the company’s high-ticket offers. Once you’ve qualified them, you schedule a call with the closer (salesperson) who will finalize the deal.
Example: You might work with a business coach who sells $10,000 coaching packages. As an appointment setter, your job would be to engage prospects in conversations, assess their needs, and set up a sales call with the coach.
Opportunities: This role is vital in industries like real estate, business coaching, software sales, and consulting. As you gain experience, you can even build your own team of appointment setters and start an agency.
Earning Potential: Appointment setters can earn $5,000–$10,000+ per month, especially when working on commission.
Opportunity Score: 9.5/10 – A high-earning potential side hustle that can easily scale into a full-time business.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to dip your toes into side hustles or ready to dive headfirst into a passive income journey, these 13 untapped side hustles provide ample opportunity for growth and financial independence. From leveraging new technologies like no-code platforms to tapping into more traditional avenues like real estate and medical assistant jobs, there’s something here for everyone.
The key is to pick a side hustle that aligns with your skills, interests, and goals, and take consistent action. So, which one of these side hustles will you try first? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to share this post with anyone looking to start their side hustle journey!
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