According to Forbes, as of October 2020, over two million Americans have pursued careers as freelancers, primarily because of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Companies across the US laid off their staff due to growing economic uncertainties, leaving many Americans financially stranded. For this reason, many people turned to other means of working and earning, commonly known as side hustles.
Everyone needs to be financially savvy and pursue a stable income, especially women. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women earn 82 percent of men’s annual earnings. The resounding gender pay gap is even more prevalent amongst women of color like you and me.
In this guide, we examine the best side hustles for women, helping women earn some extra income in their spare time.
What Is a Side Hustle?
A side hustle is a job one takes to generate more earnings in addition to their main part-time or full-time job. There are multiple reasons to seek a side hustle, which vary from person to person.
Side hustles are generally taken up during the evening or weekends and offer the flexibility a standard nine-to-five job wouldn’t.
Side hustle opportunities are prevalent because people are seeking financial freedom. They also allow you to pursue a dream job without compromising your finances.
How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Side Hustle
Turning your hobby into a lucrative side hustle is easier than you may think. You should check if there is a need in the market for the product or service you are offering.
According to BLS, on average, 45 percent of businesses fail during their first five years. It’s, therefore, essential to check the viability of your side hustle or business idea.
You will need to follow a few steps to turn your business ideas into profitable ventures. The first step is to make a list of your passions and hobbies.
Finding side hustles that generate passive income would also be in your best interest. Doing so will save you time and effort without compromising your full-time income.
How To Start A Side Hustle From Home
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You can quickly start a profitable side hustle from home once you establish your area of expertise. Evaluate how much spare time you have.
Afterward, evaluate your skills before selecting the type of side hustle that you will pursue. Your skills will inform you whether to choose an online or in-person side hustle.
Once you have enough information from your market research, you should develop a business plan. Your business plan will help you run your side hustle smoothly.
If you don’t want to become an entrepreneur, you can become a freelancer. Plenty of freelancing jobs offer flexible side hustles that only require your portfolio. With proof of your skills, you can receive plenty of invites to different job opportunities.
How to Start a Side Hustle as a Woman
Many women have side hustles to supplement their primary income. Follow these steps to generate multiple income streams from side hustles:
Make a List of Skills
Often, professionals build side hustles based on their skills. The point of a side hustle is to build from existing skills or knowledge. It should be a convenient opportunity where you can gain money.
Therefore, you should go for a side hustle that aligns with your skill set. However, you can also enroll in a course to build your skills before proceeding to any side jobs.
Conduct Research
Once you have established your skills, you should conduct extensive research. It’s essential to check whether your side hustle idea is viable.
You should also establish your time investment and the income stream you expect from the side hustle. This will determine both your commitment level and the success of your side hustle.
Create a Working Structure
The most important aspect of a side hustle is structure. You may want to escape the nine-to-five routine, but managing a side hustle without a proper structure is challenging. You should establish a convenient working schedule, solidify your tools of the trade, and set proper goals.
Develop Relationships
It can be a bit challenging to branch out of your normal work scene. Therefore, look into forging relationships with mentors or accountability partners. These people will offer you the support and advice you need to succeed. Connect with people who are in the industry you want to join.
Check Requirements
Often, side hustles feature minimal requirements, but this doesn’t mean you should overlook them. Reading the fine print will ease the process and help avoid unnecessary hurdles. Once you qualify for specific roles, you will easily receive job offers from clients.
Best Side Hustles for Women
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There are numerous ways for women to earn extra cash. Below, we feature the best side hustles for women with minimal requirements who pay decently. These opportunities are excellent for women who like being their bosses and curating their working schedules.
Personal Shopper
Becoming a personal shopper is an excellent idea since you can get paid to shop for clients in your home area. Personal shoppers are in charge of their schedules and often receive great tips when delivering goods on time.
Personal Trainer
Being a personal trainer may seem like a side hustle for men, but it’s highly lucrative for women looking to earn extra money. Female personal trainers are more popular today among men and women alike.
You can privately train clients over the weekends or evenings at your local gym or run a fitness class.
Freelance Writers
The freelance writing gig economy is booming and generating many jobs, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All you need to become a freelance writer is a good laptop with a connection to the Internet and decent writing skills.
Many business owners rely on freelance writers to help them meet their company goals and needs, particularly since the increased popularity of social media marketing. You can choose to work part-time as a freelance writer from home.
Cleaning Service
According to BLS, maids and housekeeping cleaners earn an average salary of $26,220 annually. You can earn more or less depending on referrals and reviews. If you want to do something other than work directly for clients, you can start a mini cleaning service company, letting you cater to different clients over the weekend.
Ride-Sharing Service
One of the best side hustles is starting a ride-sharing service. Instead of driving to work alone, you can offer drop-offs to people working in the same vicinity. This is a great way to cut fuel costs while increasing your cash flow.
Laundry Services
You can start your mobile laundry service in your local area, utilizing a social media page to attract your neighbors and people in the vicinity to your business. Running a laundry business provides an extra source of income without being demanding. This type of side hustle can easily work with a busy schedule.
Real Estate Agent
If you are good at marketing, you can become a real estate agent part-time. This is an excellent side hustle for professionals with a keen interest in selling houses. You can also learn about real estate through free online courses. Often, real estate agents are paid in commission.
Affiliate Marketing
Online marketing is the perfect side hustle. For instance, with affiliate marketing, you get paid commissions by online businesses when people buy their products through your online avenues, including social media like Instagram, blogs, websites, YouTube videos, and podcasts.
However, you should know that affiliate marketing is very different from network marketing or multi-level marketing (MLM). The latter involves pyramid selling, and according to the Federal Trade Commission, less than one percent of MLM participants make a profit.
Be careful when looking for affiliate marketing opportunities, and ensure you’re not joining an MLM. A common one was the “DECI” in Kenya.
Land The Best Side Hustle For You
Women’s best side hustle jobs offer convenience, decent pay, and reliability. These three factors determine which side hustle will positively impact a woman juggling two or more jobs. You should narrow down the list of the best side hustles given the options listed in this guide.
Before settling for any side hustle job, it is essential to take note of the challenges you may encounter. Some jobs attract huge pay but have a lot of downsides. Join the digital nomads Kenya community before you settle on a side hustle.
Digital Nomads Kenya is a resource to help you make remote income, create a location-independent lifestyle, and achieve more freedom.
You’ll find insights and resources from Kenyan nomads already on the road while inspiring those considering a long-term nomadic lifestyle. We would like it to be a resource to help people get unstuck, avoid getting duped, and achieve the perfect work-life balance.
What can you expect from us? Tips and tricks to hack remote working, insight on earning remote working, and new information on the best destinations, co-working spaces, and accommodations around Kenya.
Side Hustles for Women FAQ
What are the highest-paying side hustles for women?
Women’s highest-paying side hustles include personal training, social media management, online tutoring, graphic designing, party planning, walking dogs, and photography. These side hustles require positive reviews to attract high pay and clients. Some clients pay extra cash for jobs well executed.
How can I make $1,000 on the side?
You can choose audio transcribing, investing in money markets, freelance writing, graphic designing, web developing, babysitting, or cleaning houses. These quick cash job opportunities are less demanding and, if done well, can lead to significant paydays.
What are the best side hustles for extremely busy women?
The best side hustles for extremely busy women are online tutoring, blogging, running a virtual assistant business, resume writing, or video editing. These are excellent opportunities to boost your finances. Ensure you select jobs based on your availability so that you don’t affect your quality of work within your primary job.
Which are pandemic-friendly side hustles?
The top pandemic-friendly side hustles are content writing, web design, telemarketing, online tutoring, and data entry. These are safe for COVID-19 because they don’t involve physical contact with others.