So you need to make an additional income – perhaps you have a savings goal or just need to get out of debt ASAP. Here is a handy list for you to jog your memory and hopefully get a little inspiration.

• Direct Sales –  Direct Sales can often get a bad rap, but there are many successful people building a side hustle from the comfort of their home by selling goods via the social economy. What once used to be face to face parties or inviting people to an inhome demonstration, has progressed into the digital age with online marketing and social media events. The great thing is, literally anyone can do this! The key is here to pick a reputable company that is registered with the DSA (Direct Sales Association), know that there will very likely be some sort of start up cost, and pick something that you genuinely have a passion or are interested in. For example, my interests lie in household products, home and beauty. Click HERE for some examples.
• List unwanted items – Whether it’s on Ebay, Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, you can list your unwanted items that are not serving a purpose for you and are just taking up valuable space. Check out this LINK https://laptoplifestylemums.com/2020/01/19/declutter-this-1-item-to-make-up-to-10000/ to see how decluttering this one item can make up to $10,000!! A hot tip here is to research what your item can fetch by checking the ‘sold’ filters in Ebay. If your item is valuable, it would definitely pay to get an independent valuation.
• Garage Sale – As with above, selling your unwanted and unused items can free up valuable space but also turn those goods into cash very quickly! To ensure a successful event, make sure you take advantage of any free advertising via community online groups if this is allowed, and make sure you have plenty of change on the day. Be prepared to haggle!
• Flipping Items – Have you found an item that you know you could easily resell for a profit? Perhaps it’s a collectable or a designer label. Perhaps you have skill in repairing certain items and could easily restore something to it’s former glory for a profit. Once you’ve found your item/s , once again list them for a profit.
• Affiliate Marketing – Do you already have a Blog, Fanpage or Website? Affiliate Marketing may be an easy way for you to monetize your efforts! Check this out for my full explanation HERE.
• Paid Surveys – This is a great one to do on the go or at home! There are a number of Australian Survey Companies found HERE which will pay you either via Paypal or in Gift Vouchers to complete short online surveys about a variety of goods and services!
• Freelance – Do you have a particular skill that you may be able to utilize and to trade your time for dollars? Perhaps you are a wizz at Marketing , you create wicked logos and graphics, or you are a great writer and can do editorial pieces or are multilingual and can translate. There is opportunity to be had by advertising for work by becoming a Fiverr Seller! Advertise the exact work you are able to complete (perhaps its making a Music Album Cover for example) and set your price- you can advertise for services from $5-$10,000 per service). Best of all it’s FREE to join and the useful Q&A will even help you price your services. The money is transferred directly to you on completion of order.
• Blogging – Blogging is not a get rich quick scheme and is a labour of love. The key is in finding your niche or topic you are passionate about and share your real life experiences. Your passion and skills will shine through and over time you will build an audience. Once you have built that audience you can then provide information , articles or goods that provide value to your audience and therefore monetize your Blog. The key is to start on the right platform , and if you have no experience and need help with pre-made templates that you can personalize whilst still look extremely professional then I can highly recommend WordPress. Click HERE to find out more and get started!
• Make money by selling your Iphone photos! Check out apps such as FOAP who will allow you to sell your photos to businesses and brands who will buy images for commercial use. Best of all, you can upload your images straight from your phone. You can sell the same photo many times, generally you’ll receive $5 a photo. You can also make money by completing Foap Missions – where a brand will set a brief on the type of images they want and pick their favourites from those who completed the mission and then allocate their prize money for your photo. Click HERE to get started for free!
• Write your own training course and share with others! Do you have a particular skill or knowledge that you can share with others and can write out a step by step process to achieving the end goal? Perhaps it’s sharing how to create herbal remedies at home, or learning how to play the piano (yes , you can do this digitally!). Companies such as UDEMY allow you to sell your course to millions of people around the world who you would otherwise never have access to.
• Write an Ebook! Another area that you can demonstrate your skill and knowledge, or demonstrate your creativity with your storytelling! An easy way to get started is to publish your Ebook and sell it on the likes of Amazon, where their Kindle Members can download and read your book. If you have a blob, website or Fanpage you can also sell your Ebook straight off your own platform.
• Downloads and Printables – There are lots of ways you can make money in your spare time with this option. Whether it’s prints of artwork, organizational trackers, small bite sized pieces of information that will help build skill or knowledge, or many more ideas – if you can produce it, you can sell it! Check out options like Etsy or Ebay for your craftier type of items, whilst platforms such as Facebook or Pinterest are great for knowledge based downloadable items. You can always of couse promote any and all on your own webpage or blog.
• Babysitting – the age old favourite! This is a great way to make additional money while helping out another family in the neighbourhood! Get to know your local school community and offer your services.
• Dogsitting and Dog Walking – This can be easily promoted on your neighbourhood community page or group if allowable. This can be great repeat and referral business for you.
• House Sitting – This is a great one for Uni students and singles, especially if you are still living at home with your parents or are in between houses. Often there is the bonus option for pet sitting at the same time which saves the home owner extra money.
• Virtual Assistant –  are you an administration aficionado? Utilize your skills here to become a virtual assistant for other businesses and get paid on contract, for either a set period, by project or on an ongoing basis!
• Telesales from home – More and more businesses are outsourcing and allowing employees to work from home, and this area is no exception! Check with local employment agencies or employment apps to find these.
• Make and sell – Are you crafty and creative? Put your skills to good use and sell items in your spare time on Ebay, Etsy or at local markets.
• Ironing –  Time poor professionals will value reliable and regular service! Check out the going rate in your area and decide how you will charge. To date, I’ve seen prices anywhere from $30-$50 per level basket of ironing.
• Social Media Influencer – If you are Social Media Savvy, know how to create interesting content that will engage your audience, know your niche, and have a magnetic personality then this may be for you. Whether its creating interesting content videos and promoting them on Youtube or reviewing products and/or services and sharing on Instagram there is the ability to earn money not just by the amount of subscribers you have or referral fees for advertising a product but there is often payment that can be sought (whether in cash or goods) by the business wanting you to review their item. A great example of this is the Kids Youtube Channel ‘Ryan’s World’ which started as a VLOG and ‘unboxing’ videos and features Ryan Kaji who at just 8 years old has amassed a fortune of $26 million in 2019 alone with profits from his videos and product line at Walmart.
• Scrap Metal and Battery Recycle – do you have some of these items lying around your house that you need to get rid of? Check for Scrap Metal dealers or Battery Recycle place (must be an authorized place to offer this service)  in your local area via your newspaper or community group , load up your boot and sell the items!
• Travel Agent –  Bricks and Mortar Travel Agents may be a dying breed, but there is a wealth of knowledge to be shared by engaging an experienced and trusted mobile agent. If you have a background in travel, then this may be an option for you. Check out agencies such as TravelManagers, Travel Counsellors and MTA Travel for work at home opportunities.
• Investing/Passive Income – what if you don’t have the time for a ‘side hustle’ but need another income stream? Enter Investing/Passive Income. For those who have never invested before, it can seem like a scary thing to begin with. I know, because this is how I felt. But a simple way to get started is to use an account such as RAIZ which is a low commitment investment tool and a fun and easy way to get started. The way that it works is that it takes your amount of money and invests it on the stock market. Your profit earned is proportionate to how much you have to invest. Basically you can begin with as little as $5 but the key I’ve found to really crank up your account is to link your bank account and use their handy ‘round up’ facility. What this means is every time you use your normal bank account , it will round it up to the nearest dollar and invest the difference. Spend $1.20 – round up to $2 and invest the 80 cents. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but trust me it really does add up. I used this app to easily save $1000 for Christmas.
• Cashback Programs – You’re spending the money on goods and services anyway, so why not see if you can earn some of your hard earned money back? Check out my review HERE
• Return and Earn – This is a relatively new scheme in NSW, but basically this recycling scheme pays back an amount of 10cents per item that is a qualified recycled item of plastics, cans and glass. You may redeem a cash refund or even supermarket vouchers.  If your household consumes a lot of these types of items you can definitely redeem a return while also doing your bit to help the local environment. Details of the scheme can be found here: https://returnandearn.org.au/
• Renting out items – Furniture, Cars, Bikes, Party Goods, Tools, Sporting goods and camping, Tech Equipment, Tools, High End Fashion and accessories, Books, Games – the options are endless! If you own multiples of any of these, you can look at renting them out! We are in a sharing economy, this is the perfect time for this sort of business.
• Uber –  Do you have a reliable vehicle and a good driving record? This is a great option as you can choose when you want to work in the hours that suit you. Whether its just one or two jobs around what your currently doing, or something a little more full time.
• Food Delivery – There are many dining apps that offer delivery, and an increased need for drivers. Check out your favourite App and the conditions for application.
• Drop Shipping –  want to be able to sell online but don’t want the hassle of stocking inventory? This could be a great option for you! Click on my link here to find out what Drop Shipping is and how you can get started.
• Resume Writing – Much like the freelance work mentioned above , Resume Writing is just another Freelance service that you can offer- great for school leavers or those returning to the workforce after a break – offering this service will give your customers the upper edge to their job application success. Advertise locally, and look out for opportunities on Apps such as Airtasker.
• Book Keeping – Do you have an accounting or finance background and are you experienced with MYOB, Quickbooks or other similar software? There is the opportunity to earn through this avenue either remotely or in person! Advertise on websites such as wordofmouth.com.au for business opportunities. Whether it’s for business that is one-off or regular repeat clientele,
• Air Tasker – Perfect for those who can be available to perform odd jobs. It may be anything from grocery shopping, to moving furniture. You will have the opportunity to bid for the business and apply for jobs whenever you like.
• Air BNB – Do you own property in an area with high tourist traffic? Whether it’s a single room or your house, consider vacating to rent out your property on Air BNB for additional money.
• Photography – Do you have a natural eye for photography? Turn your talent into cash and consider using your skill to take precious memories for such moments as family portraits, weddings, a new baby, pregnancy, sports plus many more opportunities.
• Mystery Shopping – There are a number of companies out there who will pay you for reviewing local retail services. Some include reimbursement for the purchase of goods, others are a flat rate of payment. If you have good analytical skills, an eye for detail and are able to return a short report promptly then this could be a good option for you! Check out https://therealisegroup.com.au/ and http://www.gbw.solutions/ to register your interest.
• Market Research – can you spare a few hours midweek or on weekends to be a part of a product testing or review panel? Check out companies such as Farron Research https://www.farronresearch.net.au/ or Colmar Brunton https://www.colmarbrunton.com.au/

This is by no means an exhaustive list , but hopefully it will give some inspiration on where you can get started. Opportunities are literally everywhere! You just need to know where to look, keep your mind and eyes open and be willing to dig in! Side hustles can be a lot of fun, and you can make a lot of friends this way! What is your favourite side hustle? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below. Remember that while you are working your buns off in your side hustle or money making idea, keep your eyes firmly fixed on the reason why you are doing this and what your end goal is! That will keep you motivated when times get busy xx