Use your skills to make additional income.

Do you have a hidden talent? No, not the kind that lands you on America’s Got Talent, but something you do well and, with a little push and dedication, could help make extra money. And no, this doesn’t involve stuffing envelopes in the comfort of your own home.

Here are 8 excellent options for boosting the bank account:

1. Freelance Writing

If you can write a clear and interesting style, you can probably get some freelance writing gigs with local merchants. Businesses always want to keep their company name out in front of the public, so you may be able to land work writing articles or blogs. Write a couple of pieces on spec to take to the first meeting, but be clear you aren’t giving your talent away.

And don’t confine yourself to just one business. Look around. If you spot a niche you think you can fill with your talent, approach the owner. You’re not out anything if they don’t hire you.

For that matter, if you know anything about sports or the arts scene, you might be able to get a gig-job as a stringer for the local paper. It would help your chances immensely if you’re also good with a camera, to provide art to go with your articles.

Hire your talents out for editing services. If there’s a college in your town, there’s almost certainly a professor who’s writing his own text book. Although some of them can be a bit touchy about outside help, most of them are aware their writing could benefit from a polishing. Again, you’re not out anything if you don’t get the job.

2. Web Design

If your talents extend more toward computer coding and design, web design is a perfect way to make extra money. Take a look online at some of the local businesses’ websites. Are they lacking in eye-catching design and business specifics? Are they too cluttered? Take forever to load? Difficult to navigate? Finding those who desperately need your help won’t be hard.

3. Arts and Crafts

Are you crafting things for yourself that everyone who sees them admires? If you’re creative and can spot the next trend — or at least have an idea what people like — you can easily make some extra cash by selling on Etsy. Take plenty of pictures of your items, set a reasonable time for delivery — you’re going to lose potential customers if it takes an inordinate amount of time to deliver the goods — and a price that’s inviting but doesn’t undervalue your time, and get started. Keep adding new items to your page.

4. Computer Repair

If you’re able to fix your own computer, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to fix someone else’s, and make a little money while you’re at it. If you can repair keyboards and monitors and wipe out harmful malware or find the cause of a computer’s slowdown, you’ll probably get plenty of clients. Start small, fix the computers of friends, get word of mouth on your side, then print up business cards or set up your own website.

Don’t know how to design a website?  There’s a guy up in #2 who’d like to talk to you.

5. Tutor

If you’re good with putting abstract concepts across in an easy-to-understand manner, you may be able to start a math tutoring service. There are always students who need help with algebra, calculus, geometry, even basic math. And you thought you’d never use any math skills you learned back in high school in your daily life. Not only can you use them, you can make some money.

For that matter, do you speak a second language? Are you good with English? Also marketable skills that scores of students can use help with.

Along those lines, some younger students struggle with reading comprehension, so why not tutor them?

Best of all, most tutoring can be done online.

6. Music

Not necessarily start a band, get famous, get rich, then break up and have a solo career, but if you play guitar or piano at a better-than-average level, you might consider giving music lessons. It can be frustrating at first, but it can also be rewarding, and not just financially.

7. Gardening

Do you have a green thumb? Then why not use it to make a little green? Planting a successful garden isn’t easy, so you’re sure to be in demand with those who want to live off the land but aren’t quite sure how to do it.

For that matter, do you always have an abundance of leftover vegetables from your garden? Consider selling them around the neighborhood.

You may even land a few lawn mowing jobs.

8.) Handyman

If you’re good with home repairs and have all the tools you need to do them, consider becoming a weekend handyman. This is another one that’s going to require word-of-mouth to really get you up and running, but most people are afraid to call the professionals in the Yellow Pages or online because they don’t know how trustworthy they are, or how expensive.

Establish yourself, prove you are reliable, honest, affordable, and the rest will take care of itself. But for something like this, you may want to look into extra insurance.

How Do I Start a Side Business?

All right, you’ve decided you want to do something, but let’s take a look at what that involves. Also, do you want some extra income to pay off some debt, buy a new car, take a vacation, or would you like to expand this into a full-time business? How you answer helps determine how deeply involved in your side-gig you want to get.

But first, let’s see what it takes to get started.

1.) What’s Your Best Talent?

Do you have more than one? You will have to determine which one gives you the most pleasure doing. If it catches on, you’ll be doing it for a while, so make sure you like what you’re doing.

And if the first time doesn’t work, then move on your second-best talent.

2.) Are You Going to Invest in This Business?

You’ll probably have to invest at least a minimal amount in yourself to get word out, and you may need to do some social media marketing to get your first sales. Keep track of what you’re spending and what you’re bringing in. If you’re spending more than you’re making, it might not be a good idea to continue down this road. (1)

3.) Is This Going to Conflict With Your Main Job?

If your side-hustle is in direct competition with your day job or you’re poaching your own contacts, it’s probably not going to end well. Reconsider whatever it is you’re doing on the side and try to think of something else.

4.) Do You Have the Time to Make Extra Money?

You don’t want to overbook yourself to the point you don’t have time for yourself or family. By the same token, if you go through with this, count on at least a couple of evenings during the week and probably some time on the weekends going to your side hustle. (2)

SOURCES:
1. Ferreira, Nicole Martins. “10 Best Side Hustles to Make Extra Money in 2021.” Oberlo, Oberlo, 26 Oct. 2021, https://www.oberlo.com/blog/side-hustle.
2. Ferreira, Nicole Martins. “10 Best Side Hustles to Make Extra Money in 2021.” Oberlo, Oberlo, 26 Oct. 2021, https://www.oberlo.com/blog/side-hustle.