Looking for side hustle ideas to supplement your income, or replace your soul sucking 9-5 job? Alternatively, you might be looking for something to help you pay the bills.
No matter the reason, these are side hustles and business ideas perfect for busy women like you. Whether you are a mom, full-time corporate worker, or someone who wants to start her own business, these are the top side hustles ideas for women worth checking out.
When I first started looking into online business ideas and side hustle, mystery shopping and participating in online surveys were on the top of list.
However, I soon realized that these side gigs weren't really what I was looking for and didn't offer enough money to make them worth my time.
In this blog post, we'll go over the best side hustles specifically tailored for women. Not only are these side hustle ideas fun to do, they are also quite lucrative and have the potential to be scaled into a full-blown business.
Ready to dive in to this list? Let us look at these 18 great side hustles for women that are worth trying!
#1 Deliver Groceries With Instacart
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While you are running errands and getting your groceries, why not use this time to make some money delivering groceries for paying customers?
With Instacart, you can get paid to shop for other people.
If you're looking for side hustles that can be done while spending time with your family, or even before running errands (to help save money on groceries), this side hustle is perfect for young moms, students and single women!
One of the best things about working as an Instacart delivery person? You get to choose your own hours, meaning you can work as many or as little side hustle hours per week as you want.
How to get started:
- Sign up on the Instacart website and complete your background check (instant approval process). Once approved, search for available service areas near where go live, choose a grocery store from the list of options and schedule your first delivery.
- This side hustle only takes a few minutes to complete, and you can get paid $15-$30 per hour or more!
- Check out 5 other ways you can make money delivering groceries right here.
#2 Sell digital stickers on Etsy
Did you know that stickers are extremely popular online, especially at online shops such as Etsy? If you're wondering why digital stickers can be so profitable, it's because there is a high demand for all things sticker related.
With Etsy, you can create your own side business and sell stickers and other handmade goods to people who are looking for unique items that they won't find in stores or at Walmart.
On top of the fact, this side hustle idea also requires no startup costs. Once you have created your digital stickers, you keep making money over and over again from them without needing to manage inventory.
To increase sales of your digital stickers, it is vital that you learn about SEO on Etsy. SEO stands for search engine optimization, which means that you need to use keywords that people are searching for when they look on Etsy.
If you can increase your SEO, then it will be much easier for potential customers to find you!
I highly recommend you use a tool such as eRank to help you do your keyword research, figure out what kinds of digital stickers are in demand and know about the latest trends all year round.
Whenever it is close to Halloween, Christmas or Valentine's Day, people are searching for digital stickers or related printables they can download, print and use for decorations, to make crafts and for their celebrations. Learn the Seasonal Product Secrets from this free eBook by Gold City Ventures right here!
How to get started:
- Create a seller account with Etsy and choose a side hustle niche (sticker making).
- You can either sell digital stickers, or educational printables for kids. Since starting my first Etsy store in March, I have made up $300 selling digital printables!
- Watch this free workshop to learn how to manifest passive income with printables on Etsy right now.
#3 Resumé writing
Resumé writing can be a great service to provide, if you are great at creating resumes that can increase the chances of something getting hired. In this day and age, resumés are more than just a piece of paper or PDF file.
If you are wondering how to make money side hustling, resume writing is an idea that can help you do so!
Just research local companies in your area and find out if they need somebody with better skills than their current team members. Then offer them your services as a side business in the beginning, and later scale up to full-time side hustle business.
How to get started:
- Just search for companies that need better resumés, and pick the ones you want to work with (it's best if you can see them in person).
- Once you have chosen your first company as a side hustle client, figure out what makes your resumé writing services unique.
- Stand out of the crowd by highlighting your expertise on networking sites such as LinkedIn and joining relevant business Facebook groups.
#4 Start a dessert catering business
If you're talented at baking and love making desserts, sweets and birthday cakes, starting a dessert catering business is a great side hustle idea! This is an especially great side hustle for women, especially if you are a mom.
Being a mom means you have the potential to cater for birthday parties, gender reveal parties and even baby showers for moms you already know!
This means that you can easily start by spreading the word with other parents you are already in contact with via play dates and birthing classes you have attended.
That being said, you do not necessarily have to just cater for kids' events and parties; you can definitely think outside the box and focus on doing catering for corporate events instead.
How to get started:
- Just like starting any kind of business, your first step should be to do some market research about your business idea.
- If you're already part of mommy groups or local community groups on Facebook or some other in-person groups, start by asking whether anyone would be interested in getting catering done by you.
- For anyone who is not familiar with your baking skills, you can also spread the word by giving out samples, taking photos of your beautiful and delicious dessert creations and sharing them on social media.
#5 Dog groomer or pet sitter
Do you absolutely adore dogs and have a few of them at home? You can start charging side hustle money to groom other people's dogs for them, by becoming a Rover groomer!
This side hustle idea is especially great for women who love animals and want something they can work on part-time while still having the option to stay home with their own pups if needed!
When it comes to making money as a dog groomer or pet sitter, you need to sign up for an account with Rover.
How to get started:
- Look into the demand for doggy boarding service, as well as the different types of business models for this side hustle.
- After that, you should identify the target market to focus on, based on their location and whether they have dogs.
- Put together a side hustle budget for website creation, logo design etc., as well as any other expenses related to your side hustle business.
- Lastly, you should start working on getting clients through word-of-mouth referrals or online ads.
#6 Sell homemade gourmet dog treats online
Selling homemade gourmet dog treats online is one of the best side hustles for women looking to make some extra cash from home.
Starting a dog bakery from home does not require lots of upfront costs, is fun to do and allows you flexibility of schedule. On top of that, you can also decide to work on this side hustle part-time or full time, depending on your budget.
The great thing about starting a dog bakery business is that you can start small with just one product line and then expand as needed to create more variety. This means that if gourmet dog treats are not selling well for some reason, you could try out different side hustle ideas and products until you find something that works.
How to get started:
If you've never made dog treats before, start practicing by following side hustles like this one, where people share their recipes for homemade gourmet dog treats!
Otherwise, you can learn all about starting a successful dog treats bakery from home with this free webinar by Diva Dog Bakery.
Have a remarkable talent you would like to share with the world?
Consider sharing your drawing, painting, voice over, acting and even dancing skills with an audience online and make some serious cash on the side!
With platforms such as Tiktok and Facebook live allowing you to easily connect with millions of people, there are endless opportunities for side hustling women who want to share their talents online.
You can either sign up as an individual or start a business page on Facebook and promote it across the social media platform.
By sharing your talent side hustle through platforms like TikTok, you will also have the potential to become a verified partner and make a steady amount each month. Tiktok has the requirement of a minimum of 1000 followers to apply for verification.
How to get started:
Sign up as an individual side hustler or create a business page on Facebook and start sharing videos of your talent with the world!
To be eligible for Tiktok's verifications, you will need at least 1000 subscribers/followers. You can use Instagram hashtags like #Tiktok_Talent or side hustles like this one to gain more exposure and grow your following!
When it comes to making money with TikTok, you can either wait for opportunities to come up organically (e.g., brands reaching out) or you can actively seek out companies who would pay you to do sponsored ads on your channel.
#8 Start a mom blog
Are you passionate about helping people, sharing your knowledge with the world and talk about motherhood at the same time?
You should definitely start a mom blog! This is not only the perfect side hustle for moms who are time-poor, cash-strapped and looking for a side hustle, having a profitable mom blog could also potentially help you quit your day job.
In fact, mommy blogger Suzi Whitford from startamomblog.com made a whopping income of $500,000 in just 18 months from blogging part-time!
How to get started:
- Free Blog Plan Course: Get the exact plan Suzi from Start A Mom Blog used to grow her blog from $0 to over $9,000 a month in her first year of blogging
- Blog By Number course: This course covers everything from starting your WordPress blog from scratch, to how to write SEO blog posts and monetizing strategies for your mom blog. At only $147, it is pretty affordable compared to many blogging courses out there and packed with valuable info! She's also one of the most generous and warm bloggers out there that is genuinely there to help you succeed at blogging.
- $18 eBook: This is a 100-page eBook that helps you start a professional blog from day one, and is more cost-effective!
- List of blog niches that make the most money: This list of blog niches that make the most money also gives you lots of ideas for your blog business.
#9 Virtual assistant business
Making money online is one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life, but I can honestly tell you that virtual assisting is the easiest path for beginners!
Although in the beginning you might also struggle to find clients, once you understand how to show your value to clients, have a clear plan when it comes to offering your services, you're in business.
It definitely does take a lot of time and effort to get up and running, but it is definitely one of the best jobs I have ever had. The flexibility and freedom I enjoy as a virtual assistant has completely turned my life around. Not to mention the fact that I have never made so much money in my entire life!
If you know nothing about the online world, I highly suggest you start by offering services to paying clients as a virtual assistant(VA). Here are some virtual assistant services you can offer clients:
- Email management: CEOs and executives get tonnes of emails daily, but they don't have the time to organize them, or figure out how to prioritize them. As a VA, you can provide a service that will help them manage their emails more efficiently.
- Social media marketing: Any kind of online or offline business needs website traffic in order to make sales, which is why there is currently a high demand for social media managers and digital marketers. Knowing how to quickly go from 0 website views to thousands of page views is a highly valuable skill you can have as a VA.
- Real estate VA: Real estate agents are finding it more and more difficult to keep up with the demands of their clients. As a side hustle, you can help them find properties that are suitable for their needs or update sale reports.
- Recruitment: Recruiters spend most of their time looking through resumes in order to filter out potential candidates they will be calling or interviewing during work hours. As a VA, you can help them find qualified candidates by doing the resume screening for them, so they have more time to focus on other tasks.
How to get started:
- Before you start registering your VA business, spend some time figuring out which of these 275+ VA services you can offer.
- When you are ready to get serious about your VA business, take the Jumpstart Your VA mini-course to learn more.
- If you want to learn all about booking out your VA services, the Fully Booked VA is the best course out there! Check out my full review of the Fully Booked VA course to figure out whether it is the right fit for you.
#10 Freelance Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is another great side job you can do to make extra money on the side, as long as you have a basic understanding of how to use Quickbooks.
If you already have experience in account and bookkeeping, this side hustle could also potentially become a full-time business.
Bookkeeping side hustles are extremely profitable, especially if you have a lot of experience in doing them for people!
You can charge between $20-$40 per hour for your bookkeeping services. For this side gig, it's especially important that you build strong relationships with your clients by doing the best job possible.
The more organized their books are, the better they will be able to run their business. Whenever your services help your clients save or make money, they will continue to love working with you.
How to get started:
It's a side gig that can be done from home and it might even become your full-time job! The most important thing is to make sure you have the necessary skills for this side hustle, such as an in depth knowledge of QuickBooks.
#11 Social media manager
With more and more businesses going 100% remote, making a good amount of income or sales online is crucial to their success. This is where a social media manager comes in, as they work side by side with the CEO and online marketers to make sure their business is growing on all of the right social media platforms.
Businesses that are hiring for this position typically need someone who has experience in using Hootsuite or another type of scheduling program, as well as a deep understanding of how Facebook advertising works.
Generally, most e-commerce and brick and mortar businesses spend most of their budget on social media channels such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok.
This is because the popularity of these channels is only growing and they are the best way to get your message in front of a massive audience.
In fact, more than 40% Millennials spend time on Pinterest every single day, which means that getting your product and services noticed on Pinterest has the potential to help grow your business! Social media channels such as Instagram and Tiktok attract a different demographic, but they are no less popular.
How to get started:
- You will need a wide range of skills in order to succeed as a social media manager side hustle, such as the ability to create and manage Facebook ads, write compelling blog posts and use automation tools like Buffer or Hootsuite.
- It's important that you build relationships with your clients by doing the best job possible.
#12 Teach English online with Magic Ears
Teaching English as a foreign language is one of the best side hustles you can do to make extra money if you enjoy teaching and tutoring. Not only that, but you can also teach English online if you are located in a different country. So, this side hustle is one that you can literally do from anywhere, anytime!
This side job has the potential to become your full-time career, especially because there is no limit on how much money you make teaching English all over the world.
Related Teach English online articles:
#13 Become a seller on Mercari
Whether it is because you love fashion, or because you want to sell some of your pre-loved designer handbags and clothing items, selling on Mercari is another great side hustle for women to do.
As Mercari is currently valued at $750 million, it's safe to say that this is a trustworthy online marketplace to sell your items.
This side hustle requires a lot of hard work and commitment, but if you're willing to put in the time, it can be one that pays off.
The more good feedback you get from buyers on Mercari, the better your chances are at being rewarded with high-paying sales! As an added benefit, there are zero listing fees on Mercari, which makes it easier for you to sell more products.
How to get started:
- All you need in order to start making sales on Mercari is a smartphone and access to the internet!
- It doesn't matter what kind of items you sell either; as long as they are legitimate products with a high demand, you can sell them on Mercari.
- If you want to make more sales and see your side hustle grow quickly, it's important that you take advantage of the skills section in each product listing.
- This is a great opportunity for buyers to get a sense of what makes you stand out from other sellers! For example, you can highlight your brand name or tell buyers about all of the positive feedback you've received on other listings.
You might want to read: Guide On Selling Success on Mercari
#14 Scoping
Ever heard of scoping? Well, until about a year ago, I never knew that this was even a job people actually do! If you have no idea what exactly scoping is, it's basically editing court transcripts so that a human can actually understand it.
Why is there a need to do this you ask? Well, court transcribers use stenographs and the machine only catches the important parts of a conversation.
For example, it may catch “I don't know” but miss out when someone says something more relevant to their case that needs explaining in detail .
This side hustle is one that you can do from anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access!
In fact, there is a complete course on scoping you can take with the Internet Scoping School that gives you the whole training on scoping. At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.
What you need to know about scoping:
Scoping requires that you have an extensive legal vocabulary at your disposal, so it is best if you are already knowledgeable in this area.
This side hustle can also be very tedious and tiring because there's no way around typing out everything said word for word—no matter how long it takes!
As mentioned, you can take an online course with the Internet Scoping School if this sounds like something that interests you! They even have free resources for people just starting out in scoping. However, it's important to note that since this side job is not a part time gig but rather a full-time side hustle, it requires lots of dedication and time.
It takes an estimated 52 weeks to complete the scoping course with Internet Scoping School —that's almost a year!
Of course you can take your own sweet time completing this side hustle, but if you want to get ahead in scoping quickly then choosing their program is the way to go.
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#15 Flea market flipping
Love a bargain at the local flea market or yard sale? Flea market flipping could be the ideal side hustle for you! This is one of my favorite side hustle ideas of all time, not only because this side hustle does not require a degree or formal certification, it is also highly lucrative.
With the right know-how and some common sense, you can flip items and instantly make 200% or more profit.
The idea is simple – go to the bargain section at flea markets, thrift stores, garage and yard sales and find an item that the lowest price possible. Next, do a quick search online to see if there is a demand for this product, as well as the prices people are willing to pay for it.
A great way to do this is by doing a Google search, or an eBay keyword search.
For example, if you saw a baby seat at a flea market, look up its make and model to see how much it costs second-hand to gauge its value. If you see it for sale at said flea market for a lot cheaper than what it is worth, buy it and bring it home.
If you are able to improve the item by painting, cleaning or doing some basic upgrades to it, you can charge a lot more for the item and increase your profit margin.
After you have done some work on your item, list it on eBay and watch the money roll in. Remember to take good quality photos of the item from various angles, so that a potential customer can make a better purchasing decision.
Of course, you will need a truck or van if possible so that you can transport your goods from place to place easily when they sell. You may also want to invest some time and resources into know how exactly what people are willing to pay for an item, and finding out what people are looking to buy.
Next steps:
- Check out this interview to find out how this stay-at-home mom makes money flipping used items on eBay and makes a full-time income!
- Learn how to make money flipping from this couple who went from making $42k as side hustle flippers to $133k doing it full time while parenting 3 kids. The Flipper University course is not always open for enrolment, so make sure you join the waitlist here. In the meantime, you can watch this free webinar here to learn how to create a recession-proof side hustle with a profitable reselling business.
#16 Content writing
Are you great with words, or just simply have a knack with writing articles? Content writing is a great side hustle for women who are creative with words, and love writing.
Content writing is basically creating content that can be used across various platforms, including print or online advertisement copy for companies wishing to market their products and services.
This side hustle requires you to create unique pieces of work on a regular basis, so you must be able to juggle multiple projects at the same time.
You could possibly make anywhere from $0.05 to $0.5 per word when you are starting out with online writing with content mills because it's not about what your skills are worth, but rather how much competition there is for each project.
If you want to make more money as a content writer, and have more control over the types of projects you take on, I highly recommend these alternatives:
- Sell PLR(Private Label Rights) articles to bloggers – You can sell up to $150 per 1000 words for exclusive articles that are free for them to use without crediting you as the writer. This means that you waive your copyright for said article, and that you will not sell the same article to another blogger or use it for your own website
- Create content writing packages – Consider offering content writing packages for retainer clients to increase your income. Some bloggers would hire a content writer to write X amount of articles each month for consistency, as well as control over the content, delivery and so on. You can charge up to $600 per 4 articles or more depending on your experience.
- Start a content writing agency – Instead of writing every single article you sell to clients, why not consider hiring a few writers to write them for you instead? This means that you can offer content writing services to higher end clients who are after quality work, and willing to pay a premium fee fo your services. You can then pay your writers a subcontract rate that makes your agency profitable.
#17 Sell your food photography skills to bloggers
Similar to content writing and selling your articles online, you can also sell your food photography skills to food bloggers to make some serious money!
As I am an active member of plenty of Virtual Assistant and blogger groups on Facebook, I see food photography services, custom recipe development and done-for-you food photography images for sale all the time.
I kid you not, some of them go for $250 per recipe!
Now, you might be wondering why bloggers would spend this kind of money for their blogs.
After all, why can't they take the food photos themselves? First of all, most bloggers that I know are either busy entrepreneurs with multiple businesses, work from home moms juggling homeschooling or those who enjoy not having a 9-to-5 job.
Whenever you can fill a demand for a busy business owner, and provide a solution for their problem at a “decent” price point, they will be eager to get your help! Trust me, if they make 5 figures or even 7 figures each month, do you think they will find $500 or $1000 for your services expensive?
Absolutely not! At the end of the day, that is just a number to them.
#18 Make money proofreading
If you are not already aware, you can certainly make money proofreading on the side, as your full-time gig or as your side hustle business.
Any kind of online publication, including ebooks, blog posts and even social media posts can use a fresh set of eyes to proofread their writing.
Court transcripts and documents also require proofreaders to ensure that what is said in court can be heard accurately. After all, you probably don't want to end up on the front page of a newspaper for saying something completely different from how it was actually written!
Therefore, this side hustle is perfect for writers who enjoy proofreading and editing, as well as those looking for a home-based side business idea.
You might think that this side hustle is oversaturated and doesn't really pay much because there are so many people who will do these jobs. However, with the right training and business know-how, you can make up to $20/hr as a freelance proofreader.
Before you can start making money proofreading, you definitely need the proper training and some knowledge of the proofreading process.
Apart from having an excellent grasp on grammar, you will also need to be great at formatting content. As proofreading is not just about fixing spelling mistakes, you need to know where and how to properly format text.
How to get started:
- You can definitely start by checking out these online proofreading jobs as a complete newbie.
- However, if you want to go full-time with your proofreading side hustle, I highly recommend Proofread Anywhere's General Proofreading course.
- That's because my friend Caitlyn Pyle made $30,000 as a court proofreader, and teaches you everything from the business side of offering proofreading services as a freelancer, to getting your official certification via the course.
- Watch the free webinar here to learn more about proofreading as a career, and whether it will be a good fit for you.
Wrapping up: The Best Side Hustles Women Can Do
If you're a busy stay at home mom, or a burnt out career woman looking for the perfect side hustle, these 18 ideas will definitely help you get started. A side hustle is not only a great way to gauge your interests, help you gain new skills and make you a little extra income on the side. It can also be the stepping stone to starting your own business!
The benefits of having a side hustle extends beyond just making money and helping you pay off debt, in fact my side hustle was completely life-changing.
Whenever someone asks me about the best side hustles they can do, I always suggest that they start by thinking about what they enjoy doing as a hobby, as well as activities they used to do during their free time.
Your hobbies can help you extra money to supplement your income, as well as potentially helping you pay off debt faster!
It is important to remember that it will take some time for you to figure out which of these side hustles will be perfect for your lifestyle, as well as to help you hit your goals.
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