Statistics suggest that one in five UK adults has started a side hustle in the past few years. Job market experts expect that figure to rise even further in the coming months.
If you’ve been toying with the idea yourself, but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few ideas for setting up your own side venture.
- Sign up for online surveys
- Pet sitting
- House sitting
- Parcel delivery
- Dog walking
- Cleaning
- Rent out a parking space
- Letterbox gifts
- Hampers
- Slogan tees
- Printed merchandise
- Cake maker
- Card maker
- Artist
- Personalised gifts
- Pop-up event organiser
- Upcycler
- Flipping seasonal products
- Wreaths
- Wedding season gifts
- Exercise instructor
- Meditation provider
- Photographer
- Social media management
- Nail technician
Quick and easy options for extra pocket money
1. Sign up for online surveys
There’s a long list of market research companies out there that offer rewards — both monetary or in the form of gift cards — for your opinion. Take a look at Swagbucks, Branded Surveys and Survey Junkie for options.
2. Pet sitting
If you’re an animal lover and have experience in looking after your own or other people’s animals, why not offer yourself as a pet sitter?
Start by getting a few flyers made up and post them through letterboxes in your local area. If there’s interest, you might want to think about setting up a website to reach more customers, too.
For more information, take a look at this article from The College of Animal Welfare.
Related: How to build a professional identity online without a website
3. House sitting
When some people go on holiday, they like to know that their house is being looked after while they’re gone, so they advertise for live-in house sitters.
You can set yourself up as an independent house sitter or sign up to become a sitter with an existing service like House Sitters UK.
4. Parcel delivery
If you own your own vehicle, are over 18 and have a valid driver’s license, you can sign up to become a parcel delivery driver with Amazon Flex UK.
The Flex element lets you sign up for delivery slots known as blocks, so you can fit deliveries around your other commitments.
Editor’s note: Make your new venture look professional with a logo you create yourself for free.
5. Dog walking
Dog walking can be stressful, as you’re in charge of the safety and care of your customers’ best friends.
However, if you’re accustomed to dogs and all the things they need during a walk, then you could stand to make between £15 and £60 an hour walking dogs.
6. Cleaning
Recent surveys indicate that one in three Brits don’t feel like they have the time to clean their homes properly, with two in five confessing that they only clean their homes twice a year.
Statistics suggest that the average cost of a three-hour clean in the UK is around £45.
To learn how to start a cleaning business, read this article from the Domestic Cleaning Business Network.
7. Rent out a parking space
If you live in a busy area and have a car parking space you don’t use, you can rent it out for as much as £200 a month.
There are many apps and websites that let you list your space for free (although they charge commission) or for a small yearly fee.
Options include JustPark, ParkLet, YourParkingSpace and Park On My Drive.
Simple online selling
8. Letterbox gifts
Letterbox gifts are parcels of curated gifts that can be sent through the post for occasions or just as ‘thinking of you gifts.’
To run a letterbox gift business, you’ll need a little bit of stock, a website and/or social media channels, and some wholesale contacts.
The options for things you can add to letterbox gifts is almost endless — think:
- Books
- Mini gins
- Facemasks
- Sweet treats
- Bath salts
- Tea towels
- Notepads
- Cup coasters
- Pencils
- Keyrings and more
For more inspiration, check out this article on How to make a letterbox gift set.
Related: 10 tips for taking stellar social media photos
9. Hampers
As with letterbox gifts, there is a range of types of hampers you can sell online, either through:
- Your own website
- Your social media channels
- Sites like Amazon or Not on the High Street
Fill your hampers with chocolate bars, pick and mixes, biscuits, hot chocolates, teas, coffees, sustainable beauty products, spices, flower seeds and more.
To learn more about what this side hustle entails, take a look at this article from Woman & Home magazine.
10. Slogan tees
It’s easier than you think to launch your own clothing range.
You just need to come up with the witty slogans and you can pass the production over to a print-on-demand company like Printful, Gooten or, if you intend to sell through Etsy, TeeLaunch.
11. Printed merchandise
As with apparel, it’s simpler than you might think to get a slogan, image or graphic printed on a piece of merchandise.
Through print-on-demand companies like Printful, you can produce everything from mugs, water bottles and drink coasters to candles, notebooks, aprons and hand lotions.
Editor's note: Start selling online now with GoDaddy's easy online store builder. If you can point, click, drag and drop, you can use Online Store.
Harnessing an existing talent
12. Cake maker
Cupcakes, brownie boxes, celebration cakes, seasonal treat boxes, dipping boxes, party platters — if you have a talent for baking, you can turn it into a side hustle and offer cakes for both delivery and collection.
Just be sure you have all your hygiene and food prep documentation in order.
For step-by-step guidance on setting up a cake or sweet food business, check out this blog from Three Little Birds Bakery.
13. Card maker
According to research, 80% of buyers are more likely to purchase from a brand that offers unique products or personalised experiences.
If you’re an arty type, you could cash in on this sentiment by designing and making your own greeting cards. You can sell through:
- Your own website
- Social media
- A third-party site like thortful, which champions local designers, illustrators and photographers
To show credibility, also consider getting a dedicated email address for your business.
14. Artist 
There are so many avenues for talented artists to make money online. Whether you specialise in pet portraits or abstract art and whether you sketch, paint or sculpt, you can sell your pieces through your own website or through a third-party site like Etsy or Not on the High Street.
To find out more check out this article on Starting out as an artist.
15. Personalised gifts
If you’ve got a graphic design background, you could set up a business selling personalised items. Much like the letter box gifts and hampers, you’ve got a huge list of options.
Think:
- Stickers
- Badges
- Bookmarks
- Chocolate bar wrappers
- Gift tags
You could even offer personalised posters that feature everything from the route of a favourite run to the QR code for a favourite song.
For a little inspiration and to see how far you can really go with a personalized gift business, read this story.
16. Pop-up event organiser
How about organising a regular:
- Stand-up comedy night
- Poetry evening
- Cheese and wine night
- Gin-tasting event
Just find the right venue and you can start selling tickets through your own website or a third-party site like DesignMyNight.
To find out more, take a look at this article on How to run a comedy night.
17. Upcycler
If you’ve got a knack for sanding, painting and repairing, an upcycling side hustle could be for you.
Past their peak coffee tables, dining tables, bookcases and chairs are often listed for sale or even for free pickup on the internet.
Spend some time on the likes of Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Preloved to hunt for bargains or freebies that you can upcycle and sell on.
To learn how this side hustle works, check out this article from House Beautiful magazine.
Seasonal selling
18. Flipping seasonal products
This involves purchasing seasonal items like Christmas jumpers in end-of-season sales and selling them for full price when the right time of year comes around again.
19. Wreaths
Homemade Christmas wreaths can sell for around £50 a time.
However, wreaths aren’t just for Christmas anymore. Spring, Easter and even Halloween wreaths are becoming increasingly popular.
20. Wedding season gifts
Statistics suggest that the wedding industry in the UK is worth £14.7 billion.
By sourcing, making and selling wedding season products, you can claim yourself a bit of that pie.
Your options are almost endless. Think about:
- ‘Will you be my bridesmaid’ gifts
- Environmentally friendly or themed confetti bundles
- Invites
- Wedding morning attire
- Hen do decorations
- Wedding favours and more
With a little extra training
21. Exercise instructor
If you’re already passionate about exercise, why not think about training to be an instructor? You can train to become a certified yoga instructor, for example, in as little as six months.
Once trained, you can choose to:
- Work for an hourly rate at a studio or
- Run your own classes at a venue of your own choosing (including online)
The beauty of being an exercise instructor is that it’s easy to fit around other work commitments as you can teach evening and weekend classes instead of daytime sessions.
For tips on how to become a gym instructor, read this article from the National Register of Personal Trainers.
22. Meditation provider
An estimated 8.29 million people in the UK practice meditation. There are various training providers out there, with some offering certifications within a week.
For more information take a look at The British School of Meditation website.
23. Photographer
If you already have an interest in photography, you can easily turn that interest into a side hustle by taking a night class.
Prices for a 13-week ‘Introduction to digital photography’ class can start at as little as £200.
Once trained, you can offer your services at everything from engagement shoots to cake smash sessions.
For more inspiration read this article on ‘What Does It Take to Be a Professional Photographer?’
24. Social media management
If you're savvy with social media, you can offer social media management services to small businesses or entrepreneurs. You can find clients on websites like LinkedIn, Upwork or Fiverr.
For more guidance take a look at this Hootsuite blog on how to make money as a freelance social media manager.
25. Nail technician
By taking a night course, you can train to be a qualified nail technician in a year.
Course fees start around £400.
As with fitness instructing, you can offer these sorts of services in the evenings and on weekends.
For more resources visit the Federation of Nail Professionals website.
Keep your side hustle safe and compliant
Regardless of the side hustle you choose, it's important to ensure that you comply with any relevant laws, regulations or standards.
Here are some common-sense watch-outs to keep in mind:
- Apply for any necessary permits, licenses or certifications for your business or service.
- Register for taxes and keep accurate records of your income and expenses.
- Ensure that you have adequate insurance coverage if needed.
- Follow any safety guidelines or protocols related to your service, such as cleaning or maintenance procedures.
- Protect any intellectual property rights related to your products or services, such as trademarks or copyrights.
Once that's sorted, spread your wings and fly!
