If you want a flexible way to make more money, finding a side hustle online is one of the best ways to make that happen.

The right side hustle can help you pay off debt, travel more, grow your retirement savings, invest, and reduce your daily financial stress. And because working online is inherently flexible, you have options to grow your income while managing the rest of your life.

Sure, it does take work to make even an online side hustle fit into your life – working after your kids go to bed, on your lunch break, or early morning hours – but the rewards can be extraordinary…

Making extra money allows you to start building the life you want.

Not only are the side hustles on this list all ones that you can do online, but they also pay well. This means you can put your precious extra time into making real money. Many of these side hustles can even be scaled into full-time work and potentially eventually replace your day job.

Okay, let’s just get to the good stuff…

Side Hustle Online | 11 of the Best Ways to Make More Money

1. Run Facebook ads for local businesses

Running Facebook ads for local businesses means helping small business owners develop and implement a digital marketing strategy. You’re essentially creating ads, targeting them, and helping your clients manage their leads.

The process of running Facebook ads only takes a few hours per week – about 2-3 hours per week after you’ve got your ads up and running. And Facebook ad clients are worth around $1,000/per month.

Besides the flexibility and income you can earn with Facebook ads, there are two more reasons this is a great side hustle online:

• You don’t need a background or degree in marketing or advertising. You can learn all the necessary skills – like how to use Facebook Ads Manager, best practices for creating ads, targeting, etc. – online.
• Facebook continues to be one of the best platforms for businesses to reach new customers. Large companies have been advertising on Facebook for years, and small business owners are now starting to tap into Facebook’s sophisticated ad targeting technology so they can run low-cost and effective ads.

Launching and running a small business is a ton of work. Many small business owners don’t have the bandwidth it takes to create and manage an effective ad strategy on top of their daily responsibilities. They also know that outsourcing for skills they don’t have is one of the best ways to grow their business.

If you’re interested in helping small business owners grow their business by learning how to run Facebook ads, check out the Facebook Side Hustle Course.

This course was created by two guys who have built businesses from the ground up by using Facebook ads.

Mike Yanda started running Facebook ads for his friends in the fitness industry while he was in law school as a way to pay down his student debt. After Mike graduated, he continued running ads and realized that growing his Facebook ad agency was a more lucrative alternative to practicing law. So Mike quit his job as a lawyer and started running Facebook ads full time. He now earns about $30k/month through his Facebook ad agency, while also being a work-at-home dad with three kids.

Bobby Hoyt started running Facebook ads as a side hustle after he quit his teaching job to work as a full-time blogger. He steadily began growing his client list, and a few months later he was outearning what he made as a teacher. Bobby also used Facebook ads to grow his blog, Millennial Money Man.

The point of telling you who these guys are is so you know they have legitimate experience. They’re not so-called Facebook ad gurus. They’re just two guys who have successfully side hustled with Facebook ads and want to share their strategies.

You can learn more by checking out the Facebook Side Hustle Course, and see how students have grown their side hustle to well over $1,000 a month in extra income. Here are two students who have done just that:

2. Start a blog

While blogging is an awesome side hustle that can truly increase your income in ways that you never dreamed of – we’re talking about earning five or six figures a month – there are two truths about blogging that you must know:

• Blogging is a very slow business model overall – it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme. It can be a hustle for a few months before you start making meaningful income.
• Most people quit their blogs before they have the chance to make money blogging.

Those truths are inexplicably intertwined and things you must remember. Blogging is slow, and most people quit before they get ahead.

But then why is blogging an amazing way to side hustle online?

Well, there’s the flexibility of working whenever, wherever you want, and of being your own boss. And you can start a blog about anything you want – personal finance, parenting, cooking, home decor, crafts, rehabbing houses, traveling, gardening – the list goes on and on.

Ideally, you take a broad topic like any of those listed above and then niche down until you have something unique and reflective of your voice and personal story. This is how you connect to readers and spread your message.

The majority of bloggers who stick with it aren’t making five or six figures a month (this is a reality for a few, but not for everyone), but you can still earn a few thousand dollars in extra income each month. This is money you make sharing what you love with the world – it’s an amazing feeling.

• You can earn semi-passive affiliate income sharing products and services you love with your readers.
• You can get paid to write sponsored posts about companies who have made a difference in your life.
• You can create and sell printables, ebooks, and other digital products directly from your site.
• You can earn money by creating a course that’s tied to your blog’s message.

There are tons of possibilities for monetizing and scaling your blog in a way that’s right for you.

Learn how to start your blog today, or get help starting one with Launch That Blog. And once you’re ready to grow, check out Facebook Ads for Bloggers.

3. Become a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants (VAs) are an incredibly valuable asset for business owners because they manage many of the day-to-day tasks associated with running a business that the business owner might not have time for. This includes tasks like:

• Billing and invoicing
• Inbox management
• Social media management
• Scheduling
• Answering emails
• File management
• Preparing reports
• Data entry
• Basic website management tasks

Many VAs find their work to be very flexible, which allows them to work while staying at home with their kids, working another job, going to school, or traveling.

How much you can make as a virtual assistant really depends on the amount of work you’re doing – many VAs bills hourly – but it’s safe to say that you can net around $500-$1,000/month per client.

To side hustle online as a virtual assistant, you’ll need to be highly organized, as well as have good communication skills, strong time management, and be an effective communicator. You can learn more about the skills you need and how to get started at 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success.

4. Specialize as a Pinterest VA

A Pinterest virtual assistant is a VA that helps bloggers and other online businesses use Pinterest to bring traffic to their sites. It involves creating pins, optimizing for search using keywords, scheduling pins, running account audits, and more.

It’s a fun online side hustle if you enjoy using Pinterest, but it’s much more than browning Pinterest and pinning to different boards – you’re implementing a strategy to increase site traffic.

This is a niche position that is just as flexible as working as a general virtual assistant, and the pay is similar, with Pinterest VAs earning around $500/month per client.

Learn more about How to Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant in 2020 and check out Become a Pinterest VA Today to jumpstart your side hustle.

5. Flip furniture and other goods for a profit

This might sound like a weird way to side hustle online, but hear me out…

Every day, people are donating or throwing things away that are still in good shape. Who knows why people do it, but it’s great for people who want to flip those items for a profit.

You can do this by finding low-cost items – stuff you find at garage sales, flea markets, thrift stores, etc. – and spending a little time figuring out how to sell them at a higher price. You may have to do some repairs, but it’s usually more about knowing how and where to market your flips.

For example, you can find gently used exercise equipment at thrift stores and garage sales, clean it up a little bit, then list it for sale on Facebook Marketplace or eBay.

Another example is from a friend of Laptop Empires. They bought two vintage mopeds for $300, spent a couple of evenings cleaning them up and making sure everything was in working condition, then sold them on Craigslist for a total of $900. That’s $600 profit!

The last example was a super niche, but it gives you an idea of how you can make money flipping things. Here are more examples of the kinds of things flip online:

• High-end baby strollers
• Appliances
• Designer shoes and purses
• Wood furniture
• Yard equipment
• Power tools
• Bikes, scooters, and mopeds
• Sporting goods and equipment
• Video games and consoles
• Car parts

You can start by finding things around your house to sell – this keeps your initial costs low. Then, once you’ve started making a profit, scale your side hustle by checking out garage sales and thrift stores.

This side hustle qualifies as online because that’s where you’re selling things and doing your research. You can do the majority of the work in your spare time, which makes this super flexible.

Learn how to find good flips, marketing the right way, and more at Flipper University.

6. Work as a freelance writer

Freelance writers are responsible for writing a lot of the digital and print content you see these days, like blog posts, web copy, articles, sales copy, newsletters, emails, and more. And it’s an online side hustle that you can eventually grow into a full-time income.

While you don’t need a degree in English, journalism, or creative writing to work as a freelance writer, strong writing skills are a must. You can also make yourself more appealing to clients by learning about SEO, UX writing, or sales copy.

Here are some ways you can start your freelance writing career:

• Start a blog. Blogging will help you practice your writing skills and build your stamina for full-time writing work (if that’s what you’re interested in). It’s also a good way for clients to contact you and see your work. At the very least, start a website for your freelance business.
• Check out freelance marketplaces. Sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are platforms where clients can connect with freelancers. You create a profile, list your services and prices, and start finding work.
• Get in touch with your favorite bloggers. Bloggers need help filling out their content, and they are often looking for qualified writers in their niche to help do this. You can contact blogs you love and send them a pitch.
• Look at freelancing writing job boards. Job boards like Freelance Writing Jobs list full and part-time work for writers. You will need to build your experience to qualify for these gigs.

Learn more at How to Start Freelance Writing With No Experience.

7. Become a proofreader

With writing in high demand, so are proofreaders – these freelancers polish all types of written content to ensure that it is error-free. Proofreaders are responsible for finding and correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.

This is a great online side hustle because you can set your own hours and work from anywhere (or at least anywhere with an internet connection).

Besides working for freelance clients, you can proofread for academics, lawyers, technical writers, and other professionals. Many proofreaders start by reaching out to people they know and by using job sites like Fiverr or Upwork. And if you need training, there are some great courses out there to help you get started, like Proofread Anywhere.

8. Teach English online

There is a growing need in countries like China and Korea for online English tutors. Sites like VIPKid set qualified tutors up on their platform and connect them with young students who are learning English.

You can qualify to be a tutor if you are a native English speaker and have a bachelor’s degree (it can be in anything, but it doesn’t need to be English or teaching). You will also need experience working with kids, which can include raising your own kids, babysitting, working at summer camp, and more.

The reason people like to side hustle online as an English tutor is that the hours fit nicely with most schedules – you can teach in the early morning hours or late into the evening. It’s all online work, there’s no lesson planning, and it pays $14-$22/hour.

For more great side hustles for teachers, check out 13 of the Best Side Hustles for Teachers.

9. Work as a freelancer

There are a few freelancing side hustles already listed in this article, but the reality is that there are lots of opportunities for all kinds of freelance work, including:

• Graphic design
• Web development
• App development
• Translation services
• Accounting
• Bookkeeping
• Photography
• Sound design
• Photo editing
• Social media management
• Illustration
• Transcription

And these are just a few options – companies outsource all kinds of work to freelancers to save money, which creates opportunities for you.

You can start by leveraging your existing skills and look for ways to grow and market your skills. Online job sites are a great place to start, and so is starting a website for yourself. It’s also worth connecting with people you know and seeing if they have any leads for you.

10. Create an online course

Online courses have become increasingly popular because they offer people an affordable way to learn new skills from the comfort of their homes. These can be skills that simplify their life, help them make more money, or take up a new hobby.

This has made online course creation a lucrative way to side hustle online. In fact, according to Teachable, nearly 30% of course creators have made $75,000 or more in the last 15 months, and almost 40% have made between $25,000-$50,000.

Successful course creators teach skills that they know well – this is a must! Many successful creators already have an existing online presence, like a blog or online business, plus an email list to launch their course.

You can learn how to create your first online course, from choosing a topic, testing your idea, and marketing your course at Learn How to Create an Online Course in Just 9 Steps, where we share many tips that have helped us have six-figure course launches.

11. Start an Etsy shop

This is an online side hustle that’s great for creative types who love the process of making and sharing. Etsy has become the go-to online marketplace for independent sellers of handmade and vintage items, and there’s a place on Etsy for all kinds of creatives.

Among many other things, people use Etsy to sell:

• Printed t-shirts
• Stationary
• Jewelry
• Accessories
• Party supplies
• Wedding decor
• Bath and beauty supplies
• Home decor
• Paintings, prints, illustrations
• FIber arts

One niche that’s surprisingly profitable and passive is e-printables. These are digital files for things like stationery, calendars, planner pages, signs and artwork, and more.

It’s a great online side hustle because you can create one digital file, list it on Etsy, and sell it almost indefinitely with very little work. And because it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about manufacturing or shipping anything.

How to side hustle online?

The secret to making a side hustle work is to either find something that you love doing, or find something that allows you to do what you love.

That means you don’t have to be passionate about your side hustle, but that you can get fired up about the fact that it will help you destroy your debt, retire early, travel more, or just have a little extra cash.

You have to be willing to make some sacrifices to make your side hustle work, like getting up an hour or two early, working on your side hustle after the kids go to bed, etc. But trust me, it’s worth it.

When you can increase your income and reach your financial goals, you’ll be so grateful you put in the work.