Looking for the best side hustles to earn some extra money as a teenager? You are at the right place. We all know how frustrating it is when we don’t have the money to get what we want, whether it is the newest video games, skins from Fortnite, or the Jordans we always wanted. In this guide, we will go through some of the best side hustle ideas you can consider to get the money you need for what you need. Some of them can even be turned into a money-making machine.
Creative & Artistic:
1. Sell handmade crafts online (Etsy, craft fairs)
If you love crafting, you can turn your hobby into a side hustle. Anything as simple as a necklace, bracelet, or earrings, to something more advanced, such as a backpack. Sell them on Etsy or showcase them at local craft fairs or markets to connect with your customers.
2. Design and sell custom t-shirts/phone cases
Design eye-catching graphics, inspirational quotes t-shirts, or phone cases. If you always find it difficult to find a style or design that suits your taste, chances are others might feel the same, and that could be an opportunity. Here is a full guide on how to start your phone case business from Shopify.
3. Teach art or music lessons
Teaching others to do what you can is a good way to earn extra income. If you have spent years learning to play an instrument, use that skill and experience. Don’t be afraid of the fact that you are too young or not good enough to teach. Find the right customers you can provide value to and start from there.
4. Perform music or comedy at local events (cafes, festivals)
Another way to leverage your skill sets is to perform at local events. If you are confident and not afraid to perform in public, it can be a good opportunity because not everyone can do that. Getting paid is one of the most fun and rewarding ways to earn extra cash.
5. Face painting or caricature drawing at events
Offer face painting at children’s parties, fairs, or community events. Children love face painting and face painting is not a difficult skill to learn. You will get the hang of it very quickly and once you build up your reputation, you might even get customers knocking on your door and inviting you to events to do that for them.
6. Help decorate for parties or events
Additionally, you can consider decorating children’s parties or events. This could involve assisting with balloon arrangements, setting up centerpieces, or creating themed decorations for birthday parties, baby showers, or other celebrations.
Service-Oriented
7. Dog walking/pet sitting
If you are a pet lover, consider something like dog walking or pet-sitting. Help out the pet owners and take care of their pets. You can earn up to $30 an hour for walking a dog.
8. Yardwork or gardening services
Many people lack the time or energy for yard work or gardening. Offer your services to mow lawns, weed gardens, or plant flowers. You can start by reaching out to your neighbors, and word of mouth can get you more customers.
9. Tutoring
Are you good at math, science, or English? Tutoring younger students in subjects you excel in and make you enough money you need. You might even want to consider having one or two students at a time to increase your income.
10. Babysitting
Instead of sending children to childcare, some might prefer to have a babysitter over at their house. If you have younger brothers and sisters, you can easily convince the parents that you are capable of doing this job.
11. Car washing
Many people need to spend a couple of hours washing their cars. They would appreciate your help and would be willing to pay you for your effort. It saves them time and energy and allows them to make better use of their leisure time.
12. Organizing garages/basements/closets
Help others to organize their garages, basements, or closets, this is a job that everyone can do and does not require any experience. All you need is a pair of gloves and you can get started.
13. Basic home repairs or cleaning tasks
You can offer some basic home repair services such as fixing leaky faucets or tightening a door knob or some cleaning tasks. You do not need much equipment to perform these tasks, the basic gears that get the job done will do.
14. Organizing events or parties
If you are the creative who always comes up with great and fun game ideas, you can turn that talent into a side hustle idea. Helping others organize events or parties is both fulfilling and rewarding, bringing happiness to others while making money sounds like an awesome idea to me.
15. Offering tech support to less tech-savvy neighbors
Not everyone is as good at technology as we are and can have a difficult time using the technology. You can provide some services such as wifi troubleshooting, setting up a device, installing basic security software, or even setting up an Instagram.
Online Side Hustles
16. Design and sell printable art online
You can design and sell printable art online with minimal effort these days. Use AI such as chatGPT, give them the correct prompt and you can have a unique design that can make you money.
17. Create and sell online course
If you have a particular skill set and experience in, for example, photography, social media marketing, video editing, or content creation. You can create an online course that can generate recurring passive income. All you have to do is create the courses once update them once in a while and promote them.
18. Graphic design or logo creation services
For those who have some experience in graphic design or logo creation, you can be a freelancer. If you don’t have any experience, you can take some courses or watch some videos on YouTube and start learning by providing value to customers. Sign up on Fiverr and start getting your clients today.
19. Start a YouTube channel
Becoming a YouTuber can be extremely lucrative. You can put ads in your videos, get sponsored, or get commissions from services or products you promote on your channel. Another good thing about this is you don’t need any money to start.
20. Instagram Influencer/ Tiktoker
You can also try Instagram or TikTok if you are trendy and know how to catch people’s attention. You can monetize your account the same way as being a YouTuber. Additionally, Tiktok just launched the Creator Rewards Program a while ago and you can earn some income on the views you get.
21. Sell ebooks online
Again, you can create a “How to Guide” or food recipes with some images with AI and sell them as ebooks online. Be creative and you can integrate this with other side hustles we mentioned, such as creating and selling one that is related to your niche on Instagram.
22. Start a blog
If you are an expert in a particular area, for example, cooking. You can start a blog, share your secret recipes recommend your favorite kitchen wares, and earn commissions from promoting them.
23. Product photography for online business
If you have a passion for photography, in particular, product photography. You can reach out to companies and take some professional-looking images of their products to showcase their best qualities. You will need to learn how to do some photo editing as well but with the amount of information on the internet, if wouldn’t be difficult to learn those skills
24. Live stream video games on Twitch
For all the gamers out there, it is a shame if you are not already doing this. If you play Counter-Strike, Valorant, League of Legends, and Fortnite, you should be streaming on platforms like Twitch. You don’t have to be the best, you just need to have a personality and be entertaining.
Read this Reddit post on why people like this particular LOL player, Tyler 1.
25. Write reviews
If you are someone who enjoys writing reviews for apps, websites, products, or restaurants, you can get paid for that. However, you should be honest with your reviews and don’t do it just for the money.
Summary
Which side hustle is the best for you as a teenager depends entirely on your preference, your personality, the skill sets you have, and how resilient you are. Some of them are easy and do not require plenty of skills, and most of them are more challenging but are more rewarding. When you are deciding which side hustle you should start, also consider if it can be turned into a business that can eventually generate passive income. Building a money-making machine is what we preach on this blog.
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Also, read this post on how to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
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