Need a Second Job? Get Creative.
I’m a big proponent of increasing your main income before turning to side hustles. However, I know with some folks a second job is either more preferable or what they consider their only option, and I’m always about increasing your income so let’s hop to it.
There are some nice side hustles that are easy to get into, such as waitressing like I did, or driving for Uber, or hosting an Airbnb Experience. What’s great about side hustles is that it can be anything that generates money – physical labor, mental labor, specialized labor, it’s whatever you want it to be. I’ve heard of some WILD ideas for a second job, like sweeping parking lots or being a lip psychic at parties. Sky’s the limit for whatever you feel is in your purview to do. There’s really just two things you need to do to get a successful side hustle going:
1. Do something you’re familiar with
and
2. Get creative with it.
Some things are universally “familiar,” like waitressing was for me. Other things might have a greater demand than you can fill because it’s an untapped market.
I’ll give you a good example. Let’s say you’re like me and have enough expertise in real estate to start there for your side hustle. If you look up “real estate side hustle” or “need a second job real estate” it’s mostly stuff about becoming a real estate agent, flipping properties, and other work that requires either a lot of upfront cash or connections. We’re looking for something easier to do than that, so let’s brainstorm about different parts of real estate we can lend a hand to.
Home Stager
You consume Pinterest boards and HGTV shows like your life depends on it. It’s a natural fit to make homes look absolutely gorgeous for potential buyers by rearranging existing furniture or bringing in completely new pieces. This also requires a lot of upfront cash, however, so maybe this isn’t it.
Junk Removal Service
A lot of people hoard a lot of stuff, and are very unwilling to move it when it comes time to live somewhere else. You pop up with your truck and get all that shit out of there for a much more reasonable rate than the big players will. Again, this requires you having a truck, but this could be doable.
Realtor’s Assistant
In my area, most homes go for at least a million dollars. Realtors getting a 2% commission on that means they only need to sell five houses to reach a six-figure income. You can get in on that action by teaming up with a superstar realtor who brings in a lot of business but has little time to manage it all. You might need to get a real estate license, you might not. This could be a good way to test the waters if you are thinking about becoming a realtor yourself one day.
Ghostwriter
The home description can make or break a new listing, and your writing skills can make a big difference. These home descriptions are an essential piece to advertising in real estate, but who’s got time to write out compelling copy? You, of course, because you’re getting paid to make these houses stand out from the rest.
On-call Notary
When someone buys a house, the closing transaction requires a notary to sign off on the deal. You can become the preferred notary for any high-income realtor or even a whole real estate office if you approach it right.
And there you go! Take a look at anything you’re passionate about and you’ll be able to see places you can offer your expertise and make some cash on the side.
Other Approaches
Above is approaching the side hustle by incorporating something you’re very well-versed about. You can also approach it by incorporating something you enjoy doing, at the risk of not being able to enjoy it once you do it for money. There’s quite a few folks out there that have turned their hobby into a nice income stream, like artists selling their completed pieces or the subset of gamers that actually make money streaming.
Also? You could approach it by using the same parameters as with the high-paying job, except more loosely since you won’t be devoting all of your time to it. For me, my waitressing job checked off the boxes I needed: reliable work with flexible scheduling, good people to work with, easy workload, and leaves me feeling good about it. You ALWAYS feel good catering a wedding. I even liked catering faculty events and Jewish Kiddushes.
For you guys, what’s your current side hustle? Better yet, what’s the wackiest side hustle you’ve ever heard of? I’m hungry for more stories to crack up about and the Internet never fails to disappoint.