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What’s stopping you from starting a side hustle? Many people say they don’t have the money to start a side business. Sometimes, it does take money to make money. Or it could just be a matter of finding the right low-cost side hustle for some extra income.
If you’re hesitant to start side hustling because you don’t have a lot of money, don’t be. There are plenty of low-cost side hustles you can start for under $100. Many are also flexible so that you can make extra money outside of your regular working hours.
Check out this list of 21 side hustles with low startup costs. You can start on many side hustles today with no upfront costs.
1. Be a Virtual Assistant
Business owners need help with all kinds of tasks. While specific tasks are essential to their business, they might not be the best use of their time. For example, entering expenses into QuickBooks is critical but doesn’t drive revenue.
Business owners need to work on generating revenue rather than administrative tasks. Many entrepreneurs are happy to pay a virtual assistant to do things they don’t enjoy, don’t have time for, or don’t know how to do.
Here are some tasks that often get outsourced to a VA:
- Social media account management
- Email management
- Creating and editing blog posts or social media content
- Scheduling and calendar management
- Data entry
- Research
- Light bookkeeping duties
The business owner has more time to focus on their business. The virtual assistant gets to work from home and gets paid. It’s a win-win for everyone.
There’s little investment upfront, but to be successful, you must be organized, detail-oriented, and a good communicator. Strong computer and organization skills are a must. The more web-savvy you are, the better.
Most business owners are aware they need a social media presence these days. Very few have the time, staff, or knowledge to build and manage their accounts. They’ll happily pay you to grow their brand, generate engagement, drive leads, and support their customers via social media.
To be successful, you should be very familiar with popular social media platforms. A personal or business profile you can point to as proof you know what you’re doing will give you credibility until you can gather testimonials.
Other skills you’ll need include:
- Excellent time management skills. You’ll have a lot to stay on top of managing multiple accounts across several social media channels for various clients.
- Familiarity with scheduling and social media management tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, and Edgar.
- The ability to create content that speaks to a brand’s ideal customer.
- Top-notch customer service skills. Customers often look to social media for help or answers about products and services. You’ll need to respond quickly and professionally in your client’s brand voice.
- Data analysis skills. You’ll need data to guide your strategy and show value to business owners.
Social media marketing is a high-value skill. If you have a knack for getting attention on social media, you could make it your full-time gig.
3. Build Websites With WordPress
I started developing websites on the side while I went back to school. It became a full-time business while I transitioned into a new career.
It’s possible to earn four figures a month while working full-time. Starting, I charged $1,500 for a basic WordPress site of up to ten pages. You can definitely build a ten-page website in your off hours if you know WordPress.
You can find clients locally as I did. You can use freelance job sites like Upwork. You can contact the site owner with your pitch when you come across a website needing a facelift.
4. Become a Freelance Writer
The business world is always in need of people who write well. If you enjoy writing and are talented, freelance writing is an excellent side hustle. Here’s why:
- There’s plenty of demand
- No or low barriers to entry
- Startup costs are meager
- You can set your hours
- The work can be done from anywhere
- You can charge what you’re worth
- There’s potential to make a full-time income
The types of writing that are always in demand include:
- Blog posts
- Sales pages and landing pages for the web
- Sales letters and other marketing materials
- eBooks
- White papers
- Case studies
- Resumes
- Email newsletters
- Product descriptions for e-commerce stores
- Press releases
Pick a niche if you can since freelance writing is so broad. You don’t need a specialized degree to start. Your credentials are much less important than your ability and your writing samples.
You can showcase your talent by creating a portfolio site for free on Wix or Weebly. Create examples of the writing you want to do—link to any jobs you’ve completed. You can find freelance gigs on Upwork, Fiverr, and other beginner-friendly websites.
5. Publish Kindle Books
Even if you’re not the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, you can still make good money self-publishing ebooks.
I’ve often thought of giving this a try as I enjoy writing, and the upfront investment would be low. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but if I were to start this side hustle today, this is what I would do:
- Find a non-fiction topic that seems underserved. I believe non-fiction offers a better opportunity for an unknown author, especially if the book solves a problem for the reader.
- Check out the books already published on the topic. Pay close attention to the lackluster and negative reviews.
- If my knowledge of the topic is not enough to fill a book, conduct research, and take good notes on anything relevant I find.
- Write the book myself. I know some people outsource, but I have difficulty letting go. I would probably end up rewriting much of what I got back from a ghostwriter, defeating the purpose of outsourcing.
- Make or pay someone to create an eye-catching cover. People judge a book by its cover despite their parents telling them not to.
- Repeat the process with another topic and book. I think it would be challenging to create a steady income with just one book. The most successful Kindle authors I’ve seen have multiple books to their name, with some having 20+ titles.
The great thing about authoring Kindle books is that there’s zero risk. You might spend a bit for a cover design or some editorial help, but you won’t go broke over it. The downside is there is a significant upfront investment of your time, and you might not make a cent.
If becoming a published author appeals to you, give it a shot. There are low startup costs and the potential to earn a solid side income. You might even hit it big and quit your job one day.
6. Become a Proofreader
Do you notice all the grammar and punctuation mistakes that show up in your inbox every day? If so, proofreading on the side might suit you well.
A love of reading and an appreciation for the written word is vital if you want to start a proofreading business. You’ll need excellent spelling, grammar, and punctuation skills, too.
If making money reading books and other written materials sounds like your cup of tea, check out freelance platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and PeoplePerHour. Freelance proofreaders routinely charge $30 an hour or more for their work.
7. Narrate Audiobooks
I don’t reach for a book or my Kindle when I want to catch up on my reading. I get for my earbuds.
I love audiobooks, and I’m not alone. With sales of audiobooks booming, there’s opportunity. If you enjoy reading and can speak clearly, you could earn extra money narrating audiobooks.
You don’t need voice training or a professional studio setup. You can start by producing clean audio and providing demo recordings for authors to check out.
Spring for a decent studio microphone to plug into your computer if you don’t have one. You can get a good mic for under $100.For recording and editing software, Audacity is 100% free. If you’re on a Mac, Garageband has all the features you need.
You can opt for a one-time fee or per-sale royalties if you provide audiobook narration through Amazon’s platform. You can also post a profile on freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr to get clients.
8. Create an Online Course
Nowadays, you can learn almost anything online. Many people turn to the internet first when they want to learn a new skill. You can learn banjo, crochet, coding, cooking, graphic design, yoga, and whatever else you can imagine.
If you have a valuable skill or hobby that interests others, you can make money by creating and selling an online course. Creating your course is a potentially lucrative side hustle. Course creators knowledgeable about in-demand topics can make six figures.
You don’t need to be the world’s foremost expert on a topic. You only need to be a few chapters ahead of someone starting. If you know more than a beginner, create a course targeted at newbies.
Most courses are video-based. That means you’ll either have to be in front of a camera to share your expertise, or you’ll need screen recording software if you’re creating something like software tutorials.
Don’t obsess over gear. Your phone and a tripod are all you need to get started. Screencast-O-Matic and Wondershare DemoCreator are affordable and have many of the same features as more expensive programs if you need screen recording software.
To sell your courses, dedicated learning sites like Udemy and Skillshare have huge built-in audiences you can tap into. They’ll host your course for a cut of sales. Hosted platforms like Teachable let you keep a higher percentage of sales, but you’re responsible for promotion.
Both options handle the technical details like billing and video hosting for you. You might have to answer some questions or update the course occasionally, but it can become a mostly passive income stream.
9. Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube allows anyone to share their knowledge, opinions, and creativity through video. Why not you?
Starting a YouTube channel is free. Good lighting and sound are essential, but you don’t have to invest in top-of-the-line equipment when starting. You can begin immediately if you have a phone that takes decent video.
If being on camera is not for you, there are plenty of faceless YouTube channels you can start. For example, you can review products showing just your hands, upload drone or GoPro footage, or record tutorials with screen recording software.
You can make money through Google AdSense, affiliate marketing, and sponsorships. It will take time to build an audience and a steady stream of revenue, but there are YouTubers making millions annually.
While being a YouTuber has pros and cons, the bottom line is it’s a low-cost side hustle. You can start today and make a life-changing amount of money.
10. Teach English Online
Cambly will pay you $10 to $12 an hour to chat with students online in English. That’s not a life-changing amount of money, but it’s flexible, and you don’t have to commit to a minimum number of hours.
You only need a smartphone and the Cambly app to teach. No certification, experience, or degree is required. Cambly pays teachers once a week via PayPal.
11. Start a Transcription Side Business
Transcriptionists convert audio files to text. They type what they hear and proofread the text for accuracy. The kinds of audio files that people pay to have transcribed include podcasts, interviews, lectures, and more.
It sounds simple enough, but it can be challenging. Low-quality recordings, multiple speakers, thick accents, and people talking over each other make accurate transcription more difficult. Transcriptionists who specialize in legal or medical transcriptions tend to earn higher rates.
In terms of startup costs, you don’t need to spend much to get started if you already have a decent pair of headphones. Transcription pros use specialized audio playback software like Express Scribe Pro, which comes with a foot pedal. The foot pedal allows you to pause, forward, and rewind audio files without taking your hands off the keyboard.
When you’re ready to look for work, there are several sites where you can find transcription gigs. Three that are popular with newer transcriptionists are Scribie, Rev, and TranscribeMe.
Final Thoughts on Low-Cost Side Hustles
Increasing your income with a side gig is an intelligent way to meet your financial goals faster. If you’re strapped for cash, there are side hustles with no startup costs.
Your side hustle can be a part-time job, something you’ve always wanted to try, or a business you want to launch. Having a side hustle can mean a few extra bucks every week or a new full-time career.
You don’t have to dip into your savings or go into debt to start a side business. You can leverage gig economy apps and hiring platforms or use your existing skills to freelance. Plenty of low-cost side hustles won’t interfere with your full-time job and cost less than $100 to start. So, which side hustle will you choose?
