The best side hustles of 2020 can help you increase or diversify your income. Some of them can turn into a full-time business, but all of them can help you work towards your financial goals.

But, the thing about side hustles is that not all of them are created equal.

For example, answering online surveys for $1-$4 per hour is a mindless way to make money, but it’s trading time for an incredibly small amount of money.

Another would be MLMs (multi-level marketing), they usually have a huge buy-in, like hundreds of dollars. Plus, they have questionable business practices that can put you in danger if you’re a partner.

So, what does make for a good side hustle?

Great question! The best side hustles for 2020 have a few things in common:

• Low cost of entry. A good side hustle is one you can get off the ground with a minimal financial investment. We’re big fans of investing in yourself, but when it comes to side hustles, you want to know that you can turn that investment around quickly. The higher the cost, usually the longer it takes.
• Flexibility. Side hustles are notorious for happening outside of normal business hours, where the “side” part comes from. The idea is that they should fit into your life, whether you have kids, multiple jobs already, are in school, etc.
• Bootstrapping. This just means that you can start your side hustle with skills you already have, or the skills needed are easily accessible to all.
• Scalability. The goal is to have a side hustle that can grow, and grow when you have the time to invest in it. You might have a few extra hours one week that you can use to increase your earnings, but you won’t hurt your business if you can’t work as much the following week.

The majority of the side hustles on this list will check all of those boxes, and as you read on you’ll understand why the ones that don’t are still listed.

Here are 11 of the best side hustles for 2020

1. Work as a freelancer

Freelancing is when you are self-employed and offering your services up to a number of clients. Depending on your business and the jobs you take, you may be paid on a per hour or per job basis. It’s a great option if you already have a marketable skill and are looking to bring in some additional income.

You can work as a freelancer with a number of different skills, like:

• Web development
• Photography
• Sound design
• Writing
• Copyediting
• Proofreading
• Bookkeeping
• Graphic design
• Marketing

The list honestly goes on and on, which is one reason why freelancing is one of the best side hustles in 2020. Well, that and the fact that more and more larger companies and even small ones, like bloggers, are looking to freelancers to fill out their workforce.

There are people who freelance professionally, making upwards of six figures a year. But that’s obviously not where you start. As you grow your experience, you grow your pay. And you can start finding clients through places like Upwork and Freelancer.

Interested in freelance writing, read more at How to Start Freelance Writing With No Experience.

2. Teach English online

Without teaching or English degree, you can make up to $22/hour teaching English online to Korean and Chinese kids through sites like VIPKid and QKids.

You will need some experience working with kids, but that can be any of the following things:

• Having children of your own
• Babysitting or nannying
• Working at a summer camp
• Substitute teaching
• Doing volunteer work with children

That’s broad enough for a lot of people to qualify as online English teachers, which is one of the reasons is one of the best side hustles in 2020. The other reasons are:

• The application process for most of these sites is fairly easy and doesn’t take too long
• You can work it outside of your own business hours
• The training process is fairly quick
• You aren’t responsible for lesson planning
• The kids are attentive learners

3. Deliver meals or groceries

One thing that is true of our current generation and time is that people want to automate even the simplest tasks, like buying groceries and ordering food. You can take advantage of that fact by side hustling for companies like:

• Shipt at $15-$22/hour
• Instacart at $7-$22/hour with $11 as the average
• Peapod at $12-$15/hour
• Grubhub with most drivers earning around $12/per hour
• Postmates drivers make 80% of the delivery fee, earning up to $20 per hour

The pay isn’t as great as some of the other side hustles on this list, but the reason we’re recommending it is because the barrier to entry is so low – virtually anyone can do it.

4. Run Facebook ads for small businesses

Okay, this is probably our favorite side hustle of 2020 because it’s scalable, flexible, and the barrier to entry is really low for what you get out of it.

See, Facebook is one of the best places for small business owners to reach new customers – it’s what the big brands have been doing for a few years now. But, small business owners lack the time or knowledge to run a good ads strategy in a way that sees real results.

Knowing that there was a market for Facebook ads managers (and knowing what a great side hustle it is), Laptop Empire’s own Mike Yanda and Bobby Hoyt created an affordable course that teaches you how to start your own Facebook ads agency. The industry standard is to charge $1,000-$2,000/month per client, and you don’t need any marketing or website experience to get started.

In terms of time investment, after you onboard a client, create the initial ad, and do some testing (this only takes a few hours), the ads essentially run on autopilot from them on.

To learn more about the course and hear from some happy students, click over to the Facebook Side Hustle Course. Some students have hit the $5,000+ a month mark!

5. Flip furniture

We’ve all seen furniture sitting out on the curb in our neighborhoods, everything from chairs, tables, nightstands, dressers, etc. Most of the time those pieces are actually in pretty decent shape. They just need a little TLC with a fresh coat of paint or refinishing, tightened joints, and new hardware.

If you’re handy, that’s easy work. And, it’s work that can turn trash into a profitable side business.

The reason this is a good side hustle in 2020 is because the cost of materials is low (usually you’re just paying for the little bit of work you need to do before selling), selling is easy on sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, and the whole DIY aesthetic is really popular right now.

Plus, not everyone is going to want to work a side hustle that’s based online. You may use the internet to sell your wares, but that’s pretty minimal online work.

6. Start a blog

Blogging continues to be one of the best online side hustles because anyone can do it, and you can blog about anything you want. Love cooking? Blog about that. Trying to cut back on plastic? Share your tips in a blog.

With a blog, you are telling stories, sharing your experiences (good and bad), and passing along valuable information on a variety of topics.

However, blogging not a get-rich-quick scheme. It can take months before you earn anything, but once you start earning, it can turn into a pretty lucrative side hustle.

To start a blog, you’ll need to pick a niche, post regularly, and grow your audience. You can learn more at How to Start a Blog – Everything You Need to Know to be Successful.

And, if you’re interested in starting a blog but want a little help getting things started, Launch That Blog is a free service that does exactly that, including:

• Helps with the installation and set-up process of a WordPress blog
• Teaches you how to use it
• Helps you make it look awesome
• Ensures that you have the essential tools ready to go

The only thing you need to pay for is hosting, which is only $2.95 per month through Bluehost. Seriously, that’s it. Jump over to the Launch That Blog page to learn more about the service and bonus freebies.

7. List your house on Airbnb

Listing a room or your entire house on Airbnb is a great side hustle for 2020 because it’s pretty passive in terms of how you earn money. It’s income that can help offset your mortgage or just be a nice little chunk of cash to set aside in savings.

Here are some tips for listing your house on Airbnb:

• Stay within the law by checking the laws and guidelines in your city
• Clean up your house before you take pictures and host people
• Take high-quality pictures, which you can even do from your phone
• List all of the amenities that come with your house
• Offer visitors a pleasant experience with clean towels, toiletries, access to a coffee maker, the wifi password, local recommendations, etc.

8. Become a Pinterest VA

Just how digital marketers running Facebook ads for small businesses owners are in high-demand, so are virtual assistants to run and manage Pinterest accounts for online businesses and bloggers. That’s because Pinterest is a powerful search engine that businesses can leverage to increase traffic to their site.

Pinterest VAs can make around $500/month per client, and are responsible for things like:

• Creating pins
• Researching keywords
• Optimizing images
• Creating a pinning schedule

If you’re interested in learning how to become a Pinterest VA, we highly recommend the Pinterest VA Course Kirstin Larsen. You can read a review of the course at Pinterest Virtual Assistant Course Review: How to Start a Pinterest Management Side Hustle.

9. Shop through Ebates

This is another best side hustle for 2020 that won’t net you a ton of money, but it’s on this list because it’s super easy passive income.

If you’re not familiar with Ebates, they are a company that pays you to shop as you normally would online. Sign up is free, and you shop through their portal at over 2,500 different online retailers.

Ebates makes a commission for sending you to their partner stores, and they give you a little kickback as a thank you, which is normally around 1-4% of what you’ve paid. Ebates pays you via check or PayPal, and it’s 100% free to use.

10. Work as a virtual assistant

We’ve already talked about working as a Pinterest virtual assistant, but bloggers and online business owners use virtual assistants for a variety of tasks, including:

• Scheduling meetings
• Answering emails
• Managing social media accounts
• Publishing content
• Taking care of billing

Virtual assistants are valuable assets to any business owner, and as more and more people work online, this is going to be an even more in-demand side hustle.

You can start working as a virtual assistant through a site like Fancy Hands.

11. Leverage a skill you already have

Some of the best side hustles for 2020 that you’ve already read about include leveraging a skill you already have, like freelancing, but there are honestly even more options than that.

Think about the things you’re good at or love to do, like:

• If you love to knit or crochet, you can sell what you make through Etsy or at craft fairs. You can find a local yarn or craft store in your area to teach classes at. Most knitting and crochet teachers make anywhere between $20-$50 per hour through classes and private lessons.
• If you love to work on mopeds or scooters, what about buying ones that need a little work and flipping them. You can sell them on Craigslist or other online forums. If you estimate your costs well, you could make $300-$600 per flip.
• If you love baking, those fancy iced cookies are really popular for gifts, parties, and showers. Leverage your Facebook account to show off your work and find clients. Pay depends on what type of bakes you do and level of experience.

Those are really just a few options, and these types of side hustles are best if you start with word of mouth (your social media following, friends, and family), and maybe even reaching out to small business owners in your area.

Final word on the best side hustles for 2020

Side hustling is a powerful way to increase your income, reach your financial goals, and maybe one day turn into a full-time job. But, you can’t do those things with all side hustles.

Before you start one, think about the following things:

• What you want out of it? Is there a financial goal you’re working towards?
• How much time do you have to dedicate to your side hustle.
• Do you need money fast, or are you okay with something that’s slow growing like blogging?

Your answers should help you decide which side business to start with. And as always, we’re here to help support you and your business along the way.