Seven side businesses you can start for free

IT’S surprisingly easy to make a significant amount of money in your free time, and it doesn’t take a huge amount of effort. Here are seven simple things you can do.

WHAT’S as fun as making money, honey? Making money on your terms. Doing something you really want to do. Without a cranky boss, a glass ceiling or a fixed schedule.

But how do you do make it real — without financial risk? It’s through the art of the side hustle.

A side hustle is a business you run in your free time that allows you the flexibility to pursue what you’re most interested in. It’s your 5-to-9 after your 9-to-5! It’s a chance to delve into food, travel, fashion, fitness or whatever you’re passionate about while keeping your day job. The downside? Well, there isn’t one.

Here are some ideas that you can launch for $0, today:

1. DOGSITTING

People are fanatical about their dogs (me included). My husband and I went on holiday last month and needed a reliable sitter. And a lovely lady named Nina took care of our fur baby for $500 for two weeks.

Can you create a cosy home for a cuddly canine? Holiday months and weekends throughout the year are rife with dogsitting requests!

Dog walking is another option. Small business owner Xavier Diekman from Mad Dogs has done just that. Picture: Richard Dobson

2. MATCHMAKING

Love love? Ever made a successful match in your friendship group? Awesome! Because some people are too busy to find it. You can get paid to make intros.

If you have a big network (corporate, alumni, a freakin’ exercise group) — you can match-make people with similar interests for a fee. One matchmaker I coach charges $2K for three new dates. Think of the return on investment!

3. TOUR GUIDING

Love your city and/or speak another language? Show others around! Platforms such as Vayable and GetYourGuide allow you to plan unique experiences in hundreds of cities around the world.

According to Forbes, the average Vayable tour guide fee is $250. Not too shabby for showing off your fave parts of your hood.

4. PARTY PLANNING

Event planning comes so easily to some people. A side hustler planned my gorgeous book launch party last summer and she had great fun doing it.

If you love to plan, I can assure you that there are lots of parties waiting to be planned by you! Birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, launch parties … the opportunities never end!

5. RESUME WRITING

Do people always come to you for advice when job searching? Then this one’s for you! You can charge per resume and/or per interview coaching session if you’re up for that, too. Most resumes are riddled with errors, poor design an unnecessary detail. If this is your strength, it’s a major business opportunity as people increasingly seek help to find their next job.

6. PERSONAL STYLING

Do you have a knack for style? One of my first coaching clients said to me, “Susie, when I’m at work at an ad agency, all I do (secretly) is pin fashion looks together and research vintage jewellery.”

Her passion was obvious — she followed only designers on Instagram, and always looked chic no matter what. So she started as a Side Hustler Stylist on Saturdays.

Now? She’s a full time personal shopper and stylist. Because a good chunk of us can use a little help in the wardrobe department, right?

7. OFFICIATING

My mother-in-law in Sydney has been side-hustling as a wedding celebrant for over 10 years. It takes several hours per wedding (pre-wedding meetings, some email and the ceremony itself).

She’s a gifted speaker and loves people. Now that the market for wedding officiants has become crowded, she officiates funerals, too. Both require sensitivity and compassion. Does this sound like you?

My side hustle as a life and business coach allowed me to walk away from a job that paid me $500k in my final year, while still being able to put some of the skills and knowledge I had accrued to megawatt use. Over 18 months, I built up my coaching business that I knew for certain would expand with full-time attention. That was 2.5 years ago!

Having a job is no reason to not start a business. You can build something real while working full-time. And it may be exactly what you need to get outta that slump you’re in.

Susie Moore is a business coach and author based in New York City who has been featured on the Today show and Forbes. She conducts free Side Hustle Workshops.