September 29, 2026
13 minute reading
A side hustle is paid work you do alongside your main job to earn extra income, build new skills, or test a business idea.
Side hustles have become a real part of many household budgets. Americans with a side hustle earned an average of $1,242 a month in 2026, and 61% said they could not cover their living costs without it, according to a LendingTree survey of 2,049 U.S. consumers.
The right side hustle depends on your skills, your schedule, and how much you can invest upfront. Below, you'll find 41 side hustle ideas, from online side hustles you can run from home to local services, plus a simple plan for getting started.
Once your side hustle is up and running, Fiverr gives you a freelance marketplace where businesses look for skilled professionals, along with Fiverr Guides to help you grow.
41 of the best side hustle ideas for 2026
At a glance: The best side hustle ideas for 2026
- Skill-based online side hustles, like writing, design, video editing, and web development, are the easiest side hustles from home to start with just a laptop and a portfolio.
- Fiverr lets you package your skills into fixed-price services, so businesses can find and hire you without cold outreach.
- Low-barrier options such as surveys, focus groups, and delivery apps need almost no setup but pay less per hour.
- AI tools can speed up creative work, but clients still pay for editing, judgment, and a human point of view.
- Skip anything that charges you to join, including MLMs and pricey "get rich quick" coaching programs.
1. Start a dropshipping business
To get started in dropshipping, you’ll need to set up an ecommerce store and find one or more suppliers with products to sell. You can set up your own website using Ecommerce platforms such as Shopify or WooCommerce or tap into existing platforms, such as Amazon, eBay, or TikTok Shop. To find suppliers, you can search dropshipping directories or work with print-on-demand suppliers directly.
2. Sell handmade crafts and goods
For example, soap entrepreneur Anne-Marie Faiola started Bramble Berry in 1999 with a pallet of soap, five fragrances, and a handful of soap molds. Today, Bramble Berry serves 60,000 customers and employs more than 90 people. Marketplaces like Etsy make it easy to reach shoppers looking for handmade goods.
3. Start a blog
Another way to make money digitally is by blogging about a popular topic. Blogs can be monetized in a number of ways, and even turn into full-time jobs.
You can write your own blog content, or get someone else to do it. Fiverr provides writers who offer blog posting services. Affiliate partners may be willing to contribute guest blog posts for free in return for promotional consideration.
4. Run a web design business
Promote your site by partnering with companies that work with clients who need websites, such as marketing agencies, or by listing your services in Fiverr’s website design category.
5. Create and sell an online course
- Health and wellness
- Self-improvement
- Personal finance
- Financial services
- IT
- Healthcare
The global e-learning market reached $352.59 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $701.07 billion by 2030, according to The Business Research Company.
6. Offer graphic design on demand
7. Sell pre-made designs
8. Sell illustration and animation services
Fiverr makes it easy to connect with businesses looking for freelancers offering illustration and animation services.
9. Offer PPC or SEO services
Pay-per-click advertising and search engine optimization help businesses get found, and in 2026 that includes showing up in AI answers from tools like Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT. If you understand either channel, small businesses need your help. AI tools can speed up keyword research and reporting, which lets you take on more clients. Learn how AI fits into SEO work, then list your services in Fiverr's SEO category.
10. Do social media management for businesses
Social media marketing is another area of digital marketing where businesses have high demand. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube are just some of the social media platforms where businesses need help creating posts and ads.
Sign up for a Fiverr account and set up your profile, highlighting your social media management experience and skills. Create distinct service packages (Basic, Standard, and Premium) that cater to different client needs.
11. Become a freelance writer
SEO marketing depends on relevant content, creating a high demand for blog writers. The global SEO services market was worth $92.74 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $203.83 billion by 2030, according to The Business Research Company. This means a steady stream of work for writers who can produce quality content.
12. Offer video transcription work
Transcriptionists in the U.S. currently earn an average of $20.04 an hour, according to job site Payscale (updated June 1, 2026). You can find work through a transcription company or by promoting your work through the Fiverr transcription services category.
13. Create and sell eBooks
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14. Edit resumes
If you’re a good writer, you also may be a good editor, which can open up additional income opportunities. One way to put editing skills to work is to help others find work by editing resumes.
Anyone with writing and editing skills can pick up resume editing, but you can bolster your credentials and increase your pay rate by getting certified by an organization like the Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW) . This will earn you the opportunity to be listed in directories of professional resume writers and editors. Then list your services in Fiverr's resume writing category.
15. Provide proofreading and editing services
Offer your proofreading and editing services on Fiverr, where authors and businesses look for editors every day.
16. Teach coding online
Developers never stop learning. In Stack Overflow's 2025 Developer Survey of more than 49,000 developers, half of respondents said they learned from videos in the past year, and about a third used online courses or certifications. Combined with working adults who need to learn to code, this creates a large market for coding instruction.
17. Develop websites
Work with web talent
Businesses on Fiverr hire web developers for everything from landing pages to full online stores.
18. Offer computer consulting
19. Become an event planner
Meeting, convention and Event planners earn a median of $29.41 an hour in 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Full-time planner roles often require a bachelor's degree, but for a side hustle, a portfolio of events you've run and strong references can be enough to win smaller clients. You can also offer event planning services on Fiverr.
20. Offer photo retouching
Companies and individuals who use photos often need them retouched so they're suitable for display. If you're skilled at using photo editing software like Photoshop or Lightroom, you could earn money retouching photos.
Potential photo retouching clients include marketing agencies, small businesses, and photographers for events such as weddings. Create a portfolio of photos you’ve retouched with before and after versions to showcase your skills. Promote your services on your own website and in Fiverr's image editing category.
21. Sell photography
22. Be a consultant in your area of expertise
23. Start a pet-sitting or dog-walking business
24. Edit videos
Markets for video editing include marketing agencies, event planning companies, realtors, news media, and film and TV producers. Create a website and portfolio and promote your services through social media or through Fiverr’s video editing marketplace.
Learn more: The best video editing software
25. Be a Virtual Assistant
You can work as a virtual assistant part-time or full-time. Earnings vary with experience and other specifics. In the U.S., virtual assistants currently earn an average of $25.75 per hour, according to the job site Indeed (updated June 28, 2026).
You can list your services in Fiverr's virtual assistant category.
26. Start a bookkeeping business
27. Drive for rideshare or delivery apps
Rideshare and delivery apps let you earn with your own car on a schedule you set. Uber and Lyft drivers pick up passengers through the app, while Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub drivers deliver food orders. Instacart shoppers pick and deliver groceries, and Amazon Flex pays drivers to deliver packages.
To get started, you'll typically need to:
Create a driver account on the app
Pass a background check
Confirm your vehicle, license, and insurance meet the platform's requirements
Signing up is free, but factor in fuel, maintenance, and wear on your vehicle when you compare earnings.
28. Start babysitting
To take action on this side hustle:
- Obtain a CPR/First Aid certification
- Create a profile on babysitting websites like Care.com
- Ask friends/family for referrals.
29. Participate in focus groups
Sign up for focus group websites like FocusGroup.com and Respondent, and complete your profile to get started.
30. Take online surveys
Sign up for survey websites like Survey Junkie or Swagbucks, and make a profile to start.
31. Start a YouTube channel
32. Start a reselling business
33. Teach a language
You can offer language tutoring on Fiverr, Preply, or italki.
34. Become an influencer or brand ambassador
35. Sell AI generated art and copy
Harness the power of AI tools to create and sell digital art or copy. Platforms like ChatGPT and MidJourney can generate stunning visuals, while ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini can draft written content.
You can sell these creations on marketplaces like Etsy or Fiverr, or offer custom services to businesses needing unique artwork and marketing copy. This innovative side hustle can quickly become a lucrative source of income from home. Clients pay for the curation and editing, so treat AI output as a first draft.
36. Become an affiliate
With affiliate marketing, you sign up as an “affiliate” with different companies, typically companies you already know and like. You can then promote their products to your audience using an affiliate link with a specific tracking code.
Anytime someone makes a purchase using your link, you receive a commission from the sale of the product. While affiliate marketing can take a while to build up as you have to have a large, consistent audience, it can be a great side hustle.
It costs nothing to become an affiliate, except, perhaps, costs of starting your blog if you go that route. You can become an affiliate through Amazon and other programs like PartnerStack, CJ Affiliate, Awin, or FlexOffers.
Fiverr runs its own affiliate program, which pays commissions when people you refer place their first order.
37. Offer lawn maintenance services
38. Test websites and apps
There are typically no upfront costs for this kind of work. Offer your website testing services on a platform like Fiverr's user testing category or sign up for jobs with a platform like TesterWork.
39. Create UGC videos for brands
User-generated content (UGC) creators make short, authentic-style videos that brands use in ads, product pages, and social posts. Unlike influencers, UGC creators don't need a large following, because brands publish the videos on their own channels.
Common formats include product demos, unboxings, testimonials, and before-and-after clips. A smartphone, good natural light, and a quiet space are enough to start.
Build a short reel of sample videos using products you already own, then list your services in Fiverr's UGC videos category, where brands browse creators for ad and social content.
40. Start a clothing line
Print-on-demand platforms like Printful and Gelato turn your designs into t-shirts, sweatshirts, and other clothing without holding inventory. If you want to produce your own line, sourcing platforms like Pietra connect brands with manufacturers.
41. Flip furniture
If you have woodworking or furniture-building skills, you might consider starting a side hustle selling furniture. Find pieces on the side of the road or for free or at a low cost on Facebook Marketplace and restore them to their former glory so you can resell them at a higher price.
Facebook Marketplace is a popular place to sell upcycled furniture. Upfront costs include any tools and equipment you need to improve each piece.
Side hustles to avoid
MLM schemes
MLM, or multi-level marketing, companies (also called network marketing companies) pay distributors to sell products and to recruit new distributors, who then earn money for the people above them.
According to the FTC, most people who join even legitimate MLMs make little or no money, and some lose money. When a company earns mainly from recruiting rather than from sales to real customers, it may be an illegal pyramid scheme.
Watch for these warning signs:
- An entry fee or starter kit you have to buy to join
- Pressure to buy inventory upfront, with no guarantee you'll sell it
- More focus on recruiting friends and family than on selling products
- Big income promises with little proof behind them
Many participants have ended up in major credit card debt after buying products they couldn't sell. If an opportunity asks you to pay to join, treat that as a reason to walk away.
Cryptocurrency trading
Some people have made money trading cryptocurrency, but prices can swing sharply within days, and many traders lose more than they make. That volatility makes it an unreliable way to earn steady side income.
Side hustles that require licensing or certifications
Coaching programs
While not a side hustle you can join in on, many people who have seen legitimate success with side hustles have created their own coaching programs to help others. However, some of these coaching programs can cost a lot of money to join, often $500 to $1,000 or more.
Unrealistic business ventures
How to find a great side hustle work from home
Many workers run a side business from home because they aren’t earning enough from their regular work to cover expenses or student loans. However, other side hustlers work to increase their standard of living, to lay a foundation for a new career, or to get paid for a hobby they enjoy.
Side hustles have grown more popular as the Internet and smartphones have made it easier for entrepreneurs to make money online from the comfort of home.
The internet has made side hustles from home easier to start than ever, yet fewer Americans have one than a few years ago: 33% in 2026, down from 44% in 2022, according to LendingTree. Those who do are earning more from them, which makes choosing a side hustle that fits your skills and time more important than picking the most popular one.
- Choose something you're passionate about. Your side hustle should be something you enjoy doing, or at least something you're interested in. This way, it won't feel like work and you'll be more likely to stick with it.
Start small and simple. Don't try to do too much at first. Just focus on getting started. Once you've got the basics down, you can start expanding and growing your side hustle.
- Use your existing skills and knowledge. You don't need to start from scratch — you can leverage your existing skills and knowledge to get started with your side hustle. This will save you time and energy, and help you hit the ground running.
- Create a brand. First, you need a brand name to call your business. You can use your own name or choose a name that sums up what you’re selling. You can hire a professional graphic designer to make a logo for you, or use Fiverr Logo Maker to make one yourself.
- Promote your side hustle. Make sure you let people know about your side hustle — whether it's through social media, word-of-mouth, or other marketing channels. The more exposure you can get, the better.
- Be prepared for bumps in the road. There are challenges and setbacks for all small business owners, no matter if you’re selling t-shirts part time or freelancing full-time. Just remember to stay positive and keep moving forward, and you'll eventually achieve your goals.
How to start a side hustle
- Create a list of options. Which of these side hustle ideas seem most viable for you? Some require you to have a certain skill set, others require you to have access to specific equipment, and some just require a good bit of time. Make a list of the ones that fit the bill according to our last section on choosing the right side hustle and go from there.
- Put together a plan. Once you’ve settled on a single side hustle to get started with, create a plan that outlines any equipment, tools, or software you need, anything you already own that you’ll need to pull out to use, and how much time you can dedicate to your new side hustle.
Give yourself a goal. How much do you hope to bring in from your side hustle? Setting a goal, along with a date to reach it, will motivate you to stick with it until you have a steady income.
Take advantage of helpful tools. Fiverr lets you create a free seller profile, list your skills as fixed-price service packages, and get discovered by businesses searching for help in your area of expertise.
- Promote your new side hustle. Create social media accounts, a website, job marketplace profiles, and more in order to promote your new side hustle and find even more work.
- Get to work. Start doing the work for your new side hustle! Whether that’s client work, creating handmade items or art to sell, filling out surveys, etc., there’s no time like the present to just get right into it.
Measure your success. Pay attention to your monthly income from your side hustle and whether it’s growing or not. From there, make any changes to your plans, like an increase in pricing, a new platform to test out, or something else. As you make more and more money from your side hustle, consider whether you can make a full time business out of it and bring in even more income.
Frequently Asked Questions about side hustle ideas
How do I choose the best side hustle for my skills?
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Can I start a side hustle without building my own website?
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Which side hustles are easiest to scale into a full-time business?
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How can I find my first clients for a new side hustle?
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Do you have to pay taxes on side hustle income?
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About the author
Roy Rasmussen
Coauthor of Publishing for Publicity and ghostwriter of two Amazon bestsellers, is a freelance copywriter who helps small businesses get more customers and make more sales.
