Side Hustles to Try in 2023
2020 and 2021 are the years that have shined the light on remote work. With limited social interactions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, most industries had to resort to a remote work setup. Unfortunately, other companies that suffered worse had to resort to layoffs. While the job market improved in the second half of 2020, 2021 remains unpredictable as to whether it will provide a better outlook on the economy’s future.
You or probably someone you know may have been affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But even if you aren’t, extra security on your cash flow during these uncertain times wouldn’t hurt. If that’s the case, then starting a side hustle is the best long-term strategy that you can do.
Your side hustle can act as a backup plan for the future when you doubt your employment or as an aid in your expenses. So if you are thinking of what side hustles to take on, here are four of the best ones in 2021.
Online Freelance Writing
With tons of written content out there on the Internet, it is no surprise that people are getting paid to write some of it. After all, the more traction that your content generates on a platform, the more money it will earn (hence, the concept of Pay-Per-Click marketing).
Although previous writing experience does help in making you more appealing to employers, you don’t have to be a journalism or creative writing graduate to become a freelance content writer. The main qualification employers look for in freelance content writers is above-average writing skills that can be applied to a vast area of expertise across industries. So if you have what it takes, try online freelance writing.
Larger platforms and websites employ full-time staff writers. Although this is true, most internet content comprises smaller websites hosted by larger ones. And thus, the content on these smaller websites is written by freelance writers who offer their writing services to one or more website owners.
Freelance writing can be a stable source of income. But just like any other job, your fees start low and eventually increase as more commission-based projects are given to you. The flexible schedules and lenient editing period are perfect elements if you want this as a side hustle!
Provide Local Services In Your Area
When people think of “side hustles,” they usually go into the mindset of creating a small-scale business. And to be honest, while setting up a business is a good idea, the current situation can hardly foster and support starting businesses.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need to be is observant of what the people in your area need the most. If you like more physical forms of sidelines, then scouring for your local area’s in-demand services may be for you. You can strike gold on what others may think as “uncool” or “chore-like” services.
Find something aligned with your expertise or relevant to your experience with what your locals demand. For example, if you are fond of pets and are kindred with them, you might as well start a pet-sitting service for those who still have on-site work. Your neighbors in your cul-de-sac are car enthusiasts? Monopolize a car-detailing job so that they will go to your turf for their car detailing needs. The possibilities for this are endless—you need to be mindful of what your locals need and how you can respond to them.
Be Part of a Social Media Managing Team
Even before the onset of the pandemic, most enterprises nowadays resort to social media channels to create traction for their brand. It has surpassed the saturation point of being just another pastime and is increasingly becoming more critical for businesses.
Small start-up businesses can gain higher traction when utilizing all forms of social media channels to their advantage. Social media allows brands to have a greater market exposure, increasing their sales. Furthermore, social media has also become a great aid in customer relationship management by accommodating inquiries, comments, suggestions, and user questions.
If you are an avid user of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or even LinkedIn, and you are keen on the different marketing strategies that bigger brands do to reach their audience, then this side hustle is perfect for you.
All you need to have is fluency in these platforms, especially if you’re applying as a moderator or a page handler. Of course, a basic understanding of marketing is a great advantage. But ultimately, you need to focus on a high response rate and engagement. You may need a refresher on automated responses, especially for inquiries from the chat or the comments section. Don’t forget to post highly engaging captions and relevant content. If you think you have what it takes to run a business platform to increase viewership, you should go for it!
Side Hustles to Try: Be an Online Tutor
Perhaps the most widely-known remote-based side hustle, online tutoring has long been the top-of-mind when the phrase “remote job” comes up, even way before the pandemic. Online tutoring is not limited to anyone. If you have proficiency in a particular language and can communicate with students willing to learn, you can teach a foreign language.
Are you good at algebra and calculus? You can tutor junior high schoolers who are struggling with those subjects. Can you mentally balance and solve chemical equations? Be a chemistry tutor and help out a student in need.
Online tutoring is also not entirely limited to the one-on-one video-conferencing teaching style. Solving hard-to-answer textbook questions on a piece of paper with a complete solution falls under this, too. But yes, the former typically have higher fees compared to just passing out solved answers on paper on sites like CourseHero. For the latter, be mindful that commission rates are based on what students pick as the “best” answer among the roster of answers provided by tutors.
Of course, online tutoring has its requirements too. If you are freelancing as an online tutor, chances are you’d be using your own equipment to tutor students from around the globe. It can be costly, too—you’d need a noise-canceling headset, a steady internet connection, and a laptop with decent system requirements.
Looking for an Online Tutoring Job?
If you are looking for online tutoring for whatever subject or field you are proficient at, Preply is for you! Preply hires only the best tutors out there. They require certifications for them to be a part of their team, so you can guarantee that students will learn as efficiently as possible. At Preply’s community board, students can post a particular subject that they want to learn, whatever it may be.
Preply will match a tutor to a student based on the student’s price point. Preply also requires tutors to create tailored lesson plans and syllabi for their students since they have different learning phases. You can click here to check some of Preply’s online tutoring and teaching jobs.
Side Hustles to Try: To Wrap It Up…
We may still be uncertain whether everything will go back to normal in 2021, but one thing’s certain: these tough times taught us resilience. We make do with everything and put in our maximum effort. Even when the pandemic subsides, side hustling will surely be the new norm. Now assess yourself and figure out which side hustle you can venture on!
