Now Hiring: 9 Online Side Hustles to Make Money in Your Spare Time
Need some extra cash? If you’re looking to make some extra money on the side, an online side hustle may be just what you need. Whether you’re saving up for a big purchase or just want some extra spending money, there are plenty of options for side hustles that you can do in your spare time. In this article we have compiled a list of online side hustles that you can do at your own pace and at your own schedule.
Here are our 9 ideas for online side hustles to get you started!
1. Freelance Writer or Editor
If you have a way with words, freelance writing or editing can be a great side hustle. Many businesses and individuals need help with writing and editing tasks such as creating social media posts, writing blog posts, editing website content, or writing product descriptions. You can find freelance writing and editing jobs on websites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer. You can post your gigs there so that visitors can hire you, or you can apply for the many writing or editing projects that are posted. With good language skills, some experience, and a strong portfolio, you can earn a decent income from this side hustle.
Who’s hiring freelance writers or editors?
As mentioned, online freelancer platforms like Fiverr are a great place to start offering your services and collecting high ratings from your customers. There are also websites such as Edit Fast and Cactus, that hire freelancers internationally for various editing and writing positions. For some positions, you don’t necessarily need editing experience. However, a passion for the language and being able to explain ideas and concepts in grammatically correct and concise English sure helps.
2. Virtual Assistant
Many small businesses and entrepreneurs need help with administrative tasks, but may not have the budget or need a full-time assistant. This is where virtual assistants come in. The job market for VAs has grown exponentially in the last few years. As a virtual assistant, you can provide services such as email marketing management, scheduling calls and appointments, social media management, and data entry and analysis.
Who’s hiring virtual assistants?
You can find virtual assistant jobs on websites like Fiverr, Zirtual, and TaskBullet. Zirtual and Taskbullet are Virtual Assistant agencies, which give you a little more security and benefits as an employee instead of a freelancer. With good communication skills, respecting deadlines, and attention to detail, you can earn a steady income from this side hustle.
3. Online Tutor or Teacher
If you have expertise in a particular subject, you can make money by tutoring or teaching online. Working with students requires good communication skills, patience, and the ability to break down concepts so that your students can understand and learn. You also need to be comfortable with educational learning platforms to deliver your lessons. Lesson planning can take some time if you’re freelancing, but if you decide to join an online tutoring or teaching company, they often have materials available for you to use.
Who’s hiring online tutors and teachers?
There are many websites that connect students with tutors, such as Chegg, TutorMe, and Wyzant. You can also create your own online courses and sell them on an online marketplace like Udemy or on your own course platforms like Systeme.io or Thinkific. With the rise of remote learning, there is a growing demand for online tutors and teachers, making this a great side hustle to make money.
4. Online Chat Agent
Do you enjoy helping customers out with all sorts of questions, resolving problems, or troubleshooting technical issues? Then the ideal side hustle to make money for you may be as an online chat agent. As the name suggests, you will be providing real-time support to customers through live chat. No phone calls are needed and much of the process is fully automated. In addition to live chat, you would sometimes need to follow up with customers through email and resolve help tickets. As a live chat agent, you can specialize in sales or technical support, and you could also be training users on how to use a product or perform minor repairs.
Who’s hiring online chat agents?
To become a chat agent, you can join one of the many companies that provide online customer service solutions to businesses. Often the work times are flexible and this side hustle would be ideal if you want to work part-time and from home. Companies that regularly hire chat agents are The Chat Shop, The Mod Squad, or Foundever, which is hiring internationally and pays a decent hourly rate of around $17.
5. Internet Researcher
Working as a freelance internet researcher could be a perfect side hustle to make money when you have a good eye for detail and strong analytical skills. In this role, you would spend your time online doing research on a particular subject. Research also needs to be done for website content, social media, articles, or to gather statistics. Online research can be done as a freelancer or hired by a company. You will have to be very organized and have a good eye for detail. If you have any research experience, that’s a plus to get hired.
Who’s hiring internet researchers?
Appen is regularly looking for evaluators for search engines and Artificial Intelligence programs to provide feedback on Internet search results. Besides evaluation and testing jobs, Appen also has great opportunities to work in marketing, sales, software engineering, and translation/transcription positions. Appen hires nationally in the US but also international candidates can apply.
Askwonder is a company that hires online researchers for a large variety of projects. Just sign up, go to your dashboard, and see the research gigs that have been assigned to you. Projects that you can expect to do are recommendations for products, explaining a trend, gathering statistics, or exploring a market.
6. Online Juror
Lawyers use mock trials on a regular basis to get feedback on their arguments and identify weaknesses in their cases. As an online juror, you would be hired to provide this feedback. Online jurors are selected to replicate the diversity of a regular jury panel and are sent information such as videos, photos, and transcripts to review. If you’re selected and you have reviewed the materials, you provide your verdict together with the rest of the panel and receive compensation for your time. The pay varies depending on the company and the complexity of the case, and some companies have minimum payment requirements before allowing withdrawals.
To be an online juror as a side hustle, you also need to meet requirements such as:
- Be a US citizen
- be 18 or older
- have good reading and writing skills
- have a clean police record
- not be a lawyer or other legal professional
Who’s hiring online jurors?
At eJury, you can apply to be a mock juror if you meet the requirements and take an oath. The pay won’t make you rich, but if you have an interest in law and want to make some extra cash on the side, this could be just for you.
Online Verdict is another mock trial website that hires online jurors. Here, the time that you spend on a case is roughly between 20 and 60 minutes and you get between $20-60 per case. Checks are sent every 2 weeks.
7. Online Transcriptionist
Online transcriptionists are professionals who convert audio or video files into written documents. If you have great English language skills and you’re a good listener, this is a great side hustle. You will also have to be able to type at a good speed, as the pay is per audio minute in most cases. That means the longer it takes you to transcribe an audio or video file, the less money per hour you make. However, as with every skill, practice makes perfect. You will get faster the more jobs you do. If you can specialize in, for example legal, medical, or technical transcriptions, you can ask for a higher fee. You will also need to get familiar with transcription software and TTS tools (Text to Speech), this will help you work faster.
As a transcriptionist, you will be doing all kinds of jobs, like converting audio meetings into minutes, conversations, interviews, speeches, and more into written text.
Who’s hiring online transcriptionists?
There are many companies that hire transcriptionists, so some will have a better compensation than others depending on the type of work they have.
Transcript Divas is one of the better-paying sites that offer a wide variety of gigs. Other companies that are hiring are Scribie or Rev.com.
8. Online Travel Agent
Who doesn’t love to travel? And how cool would it be to work as a travel agent in your spare time? As an online travel agent, your job is to help individuals and families plan and organize their dream vacations. Businesses also hire travel agents to organize corporate travel for their employees. To be successful, you will need good listening skills to understand the client’s wants and needs, as well as good research skills to find the best deals. You would be researching anything from flights, car rentals, hotels, restaurants, excursions, and sights to see. As an online travel agent, you will build a network of trusted partners that you can work with to compile the best vacation and travel packages for your clients.
Often, no specific education is required, but you will have an advantage with a business degree and experience with travel software such as Travelperk or Rezdy.
Who’s hiring online travel agents?
Working Solutions is one of the agencies that hire online, work from home travel agents. If you’re looking for a part-time gig that you can do on the side, this may be the right site for you.
World Travel Holdings hires travel agents, but also customer service agents or travel consultants. They are known for their competitive pay and company perks.
9. Voice Actor / Voice-over Artist
If you have a great speaking voice and are willing to invest in a good microphone, being a voice actor or voice-over artist could be a lucrative side hustle for you. Note, though, that being a voice actor requires much more than just reading aloud into a microphone. As a voice actor, you will have to be able to bring life to a character, sell a product, or convey important information. Gigs may also include reading an audiobook, making an educational video, or making an announcement. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, many tech startups need voice-over artists to fill the voice databases, so the opportunities are growing as we speak. These days, you don’t have to be in a studio to do recordings. You can do it from home if you have a quiet room and some basic audio equipment.
Who’s hiring voice actors / voice-over artists?
You can easily get started by posting your services on a platform like Fiverr, or you can apply with companies like Voices.com, Bunnystudio.com, or Voice123.
Conclusion
You see, the possibilities to find online side hustles to make money in your spare time are endless. We have discussed a few of the most popular ones and whether you choose to be a freelancer or sign up with a company to work online, the right side hustle is out there for you. It may take some practice, dedication, and determination to get started, but with the right mindset you’ve got what it takes to be successful – and, who knows, maybe you can even turn it into a full-time career?
Are you a stay-at-home parent? Then we have some ideas for you too!