The Best Side Hustle Ideas To Make Extra Money This Year

Everyone wants to earn some beer-money alongside their main job or studies. Doesn’t matter if you’re a student looking to earn some cash, or someone who’s moonlighting in their cubicle. A side hustle can add some extra spice in our lives, not to mention extra cash and even some extra skills.

Plus in this economy, a side hustle could go a long way. If you have a thirst for adventure and are willing to put in the effort, read on to discover about the top 10 hottest UK side hustles in 2023 and how you can get started.

1. Airbnb Host

This is one of the easiest ways to earn a passive income. If you have additional rooms, you may rent out areas of your house, garage, or even your driveway (especially if you live in a neighbourhood with limited parking). Alternatively, you could also invest in run down properties by giving them a makeover and renting them out. If you reside in a popular tourist destination, another benefit of becoming a host is that you can anticipate a steady stream of visitors and make a reasonable income at that particular period.

2. Product Testing

Before their items hit the stores, companies want to hear customer reviews, and this is where you can contribute as a product tester. You can test gadgets, toys, gift cards, beauty goods, kitchen supplies, and more as a product tester and write reviews about them. 

To get started, register with a market research organisation and complete their screener survey, which will let the business determine whether or not you are qualified for the position. Once you’ve met the requirements, you’ll be asked for your address so that the items can be delivered right to your house. And soon you’ll receive things to test and be asked to write reviews about them in exchange for payment in cash, through PayPal, or through online store gift cards.

3. Donate plasma

Plasma occurs naturally in our bodies and can be utilised to treat burn victims as well as people with autoimmune diseases and blood clotting disorders. You could earn up to £100 for donating your plasma, if you meet the criteria. The whole procedure takes around 1 hour tops. However, before you consider plasma donation as a viable side hustle, make sure to check with your personal doctor so as to make sure that your health doesn’t get affected. 

4. Personal tailor

If all of your friends turn to you when they urgently need your stitching expertise, it may be a sign that you should turn this hobby into a side gig. You might create personalised clothing products for customers to differentiate your business from other clothes retailers and offer your brand a genuine, personal element. 

The list is infinite and includes everything from adorable baby outfits to snug dog costumes to custom shirts to rag dolls. You might also collaborate with community fitness centres and personal trainers to provide your customization services to gym goers. For example if they lose weight, they’ll also need to have their clothing altered and that is where you take the centre stage. 

5. Host trivia nights

You know how engaging trivia shows can be and how thrilling it can be to get an answer right if you’ve watched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire or Pointless.

There is a sizable income that can be made by hosting trivia nights in pubs, bars for birthday parties or bachelorette/bachelor parties. Make sure to include a range of topics in your quizzes, such as sports, lifestyle, music, etc.

Start by approaching the eateries and bars around your town or area and pitching them on your services. These establishments have good reason to accept your offer since they estimate that the players will place extra food and beverage orders while playing the game. You can also charge for entry and give some of that fee as the pot for winners.

6. Dog walker/pet sitter

This position is ideal for someone who loves animals and it makes a great side hustle idea, especially in bigger towns or cities where people are busy. Rates for pet sitting can range between £10 and £15 per hour, and if you have past experience as a sitter or working at an animal shelter, you may be able to charge more.

You might begin by asking your family, friends or other close relatives if they need assistance with their pets before gradually expanding your clientele.

Empathy and patience is a must for this job, animals require care and patience and must be treated kindly.

7. Write and Review CV’s

One of the most crucial papers a student or job seeker may have is a curriculum vitae. Professional CV writing and editing can be a lucrative side hustle business or even a full-time profession that can be carried out virtually anywhere.

Although in this field qualifications are not particularly important, they do boost your chances of employment. It also helps if you have a track record in HR or recruitment where you have insight into what makes a good CV. You can join professional organisations to keep up with industry developments or advertise your services on a variety of platforms, including Upwork, Fiverr, and even Reddit.

8. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a different type of online marketing approach used online, and also by Instagram and TikTok creators. Here you set up an online store and buy things from a third party that also handles shipping – meaning that you never even handle inventory.

Most drop shippers use Amazon’s FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) which means you ship your product to an Amazon distribution centre and whenever an order comes in, they ship it. However, you can also set up a system where your order is dispatched from the suppliers warehouse wherever that might be in the world.

Due to the seller’s lack of inventory management requirements, this business model is extremely popular with very minimal risks and a high likelihood of profitability.

Drop-shipping frees up time that can be used to find a market niche, promote your products, find new consumers, or help existing ones. By outsourcing manufacturing and delivery to a third party, drop-shipping saves you a tremendous amount of time. You can drop-ship on websites like Amazon and eBay to reach a wider audience.

9. Social Media Manager

If you know your way around various social media applications and spend a significant portion of time scrolling through them, you could consider working as a social media manager as your side hustle. However, managing social media is not an easy job and is one that can require quite a bit of your time and expertise.

You will be required to, amongst other things, manage your client’s online presence, produce content, and develop a successful social media plan. Managing social media is one of the most happening and creative jobs out there in 2023 and can bring in some good cash if done properly.

You’ll need to specialise in at least one platform, such as Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. It’s also a good idea to take a course in social media management and sign up for a tool such as Buffer to handle your clients post scheduling.

10. Social media influencer 

One of the hottest social media side hustle ideas in 2023 is influencer marketing, which doesn’t require you to be in the spotlight if you don’t want to. OK, you might be thinking, yeah easier said than done….

But actually, becoming a high profile social media personality isn’t so tricky. It’s actually just a case of:

• Identifying your niche
• Choosing one platform where you want to build your profile (at least to start with)
• Being consistent with your content strategy and schedule

If you don’t know where to start, perhaps you can share images or videos of your pets, your crafts or baking projects, or information about a subject you know a lot about. Consider partnering with other influencers, charging for sponsored content, and offering items as ways to monetize your channel.

Want to be a high profile Linkedin influencer, or build you professional brand? Check out this course from Linkedin guru Justin Welsh to help you get tons of clicks and engagement on Linkedin.

Conclusion

The best thing about side hustles is that you may try different things while still relying on your regular income to pay the bills.

A side hustle can also be a great opportunity to meet new people, learn more about a subject you’re interested in, or simply be recognised for something you’re good at while making additional money or it could turn into something bigger, you never know. Hopefully our list helped you find a side hustle that suits you!

Check out our guides to making your own jobs in the UK and how to use social media to find a job. Or take the plunge and try one of these business ideas under $500.