10 Side Hustle Ideas That Require Less Than $500 To Begin

Side hustle: Easy business ideas

Side hustle business ideas are in enormous demand today. Although money does not always bring happiness, it can get you your dream vacation, help you pay for the wedding of your fantasies, invest, or pay off your debt.

This is where a side hustle idea can be helpful. Starting your own side business can allow you to earn a little extra cash on the side apart from your regular 9 to 5. 

Why Should You Be Interested To Start a Side Business?

Side hustles allow you to work for yourself. You can be your own boss and not worry about unrealistic deadlines. Moreover, these ideas provide an excellent opportunity to ease some financial burdens.

In the case where your side hustle may kick-off, it can become more than just a source of a part-time income. Furthermore, you do not require massive investment for these business ideas. With around 500 dollars and these ideas, you can start your side hustle business today!  

1. Become a Graphic Designer

As businesses shift online and technology takes over our lives, the demand for graphic designers is on the rise. Businesses require graphic designers for a variety of jobs such as design layouts, image editing, logo designing, and advertising.

Although a background in Graphic Designing will be of help, you can learn the nuances of the work with this Free Online Graphic Designing Course by Coursera. Mix it up with creative ideas and you are good to start an amazing side hustle. 

2. Sell Goods Online:

Here is an easy business idea that allows you to use your creative skills as an asset. Especially with the availability of social media that lets you reach a larger audience in no time, selling some handmade goods online can make a wonderful side hustle.

You can advertise your product and easily create a loyal following in your town or city. You can even go a step ahead and sell your goods at local trade fairs or make your own website to take your side hustle business idea to a new level.

3. Become an Influencer

With almost 4 billion people using social media in 2021, becoming a social media influencer has become a popular choice of a side hustle business. It is recommended to choose a niche. Some common ideas are fashion, travel, food, photography, gaming, fitness, etc.

The basic job of a social media influencer is to market a product and increase its reach. Since this is a side hustle driven by the audience, it may take some time to become an established business. But with quality content, you can start paid partnerships and earn a handsome side income.

4. Become a Virtual Assistant

If you have some time at your hand, you can become a virtual assistant who works remotely. Typically the job of a Virtual Assistant consists of administrative responsibilities, but depending on your qualifications you can be given a myriad of tasks.

Some of the common tasks for Virtual Assistant include data entry, document verification, drafting letters and emails, scheduling appointments, social media management, customer service, and client coordination.

This is a side hustle that pays you for the number of hours you put in the work. Most Virtual Assistants are paid by the hour. You can find gigs on websites like Fiverr, Upwork, Toptal, etc.

5. Become an Online Tutor

As the pandemic has paved the way to a new normal, tutoring on the internet has become an immensely popular side hustle. Tutoring is no longer limited to school curriculums. You can be a language instructor, teach a web design course or take dance lessons. 

Another idea is to create online courses to be sold on Coursera and Skillshare. But if you want freedom with your content you should consider having a YouTube channel or a website of your own all of which can be done in less than $500.

6. Start Podcasting

Do you like researching and talking about any specific topic? Do you think there will be people willing to listen to your stories and ideas? Then podcasting is the best idea for a side hustle for you. Some popular topics for podcasts are personal finance, book discussions, business, and entrepreneurship. 

You can start with basic podcast gear that you can buy under 500 dollars and expand your equipment with time. Once you have a considerable audience, you can expand this side hustle with paid promotions and partnerships.

 7. Try Your Hand at Social Media Management

If you think you know your way around social media such as finding the right hashtags for social media marketing, being a social media manager may be the best choice of a side hustle for you. 

Social media managers are expected to respond to customer queries on social media accounts, post interactive content, and expand the following of the business. All you need is a smartphone with a stable internet connection all of which can be managed well under 500 dollars.

8. Start a Dropshipping Business

Dropshipping is the best side hustle idea where you can sell products to consumers without even setting up an inventory. In this business, you receive orders and sell only based on these orders. 

Thus this is a risk-free business that can be easily managed on the side of your regular work. The investment cost is less than 500 dollars as you do not have to pre-stock and the only major spending that this side hustle requires is marketing and customer service.

9. Become a Consultant

If you are adept in a valuable skill and you have acquired certifications for the same, you can start an online consultancy business on the side of your regular work. Some popular ideas for a consultant business are financial advisor, tax consultant, business strategist, marketing, etc.

To grow your consultancy business, focus on applying the right marketing strategies and providing quality service to your clients. LinkedIn is the best platform that can be used for advertising your consultancy business. 

10. Start Blogging

As the reliance on the internet is increasing, blogs have become immensely popular. Masses are turning to online blogs to provide them with a range of information from cooking recipes to financial tips and from tv series recommendations to ideas for a side business under 500 dollars!  

You can start writing about something you are passionate about and share your ideas with the world. Once you have a dedicated number of readers, you can work towards monetizing your blog and create a business out of it.

Granted that it is not the easiest side hustle, but if it is strategized efficiently, it can give you great returns. Full-time blogging is a career path that has been chosen by many, and the freedom to expand your blog is simply the cherry on top of it.

Conclusion

Side hustles have become immeasurably popular, for anyone looking to make some easy cash with less investment. There is no dearth of what you can achieve with the help of the internet today. This was our list of 10 best ideas for a side hustles business under 500 dollars. 

Before making your choice, it is important to find something that you are passionate about and stay dedicated to it. This will help you enjoy your side hustle and you will be able to make enough time to take it up a notch and transform your idea into a successful business.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Good Side BusinessTo Start?

• A good side business is where your returns are more than your investment. The key to a side business is doing something easy that can be done alongside a regular job.

2. How much do Side Hustlers Earn?

• Income from side hustles varies from your work and experience in the industry. A beginner can earn about 100 dollars a month easily.

3. How to get Side Hustle Gigs?

• Side hustle gigs can be found through following me:

1. Gigs marketplace like Fiverr, Upwork, Toptal, Simply Hired, etc.
2. Social Media like Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn
3. Send out resumes to companies and business
4. Set up a portfolio website

4. How do I start a Side Hustle?

• Here are 5 easy steps to start a side hustle

1. Be prepared for a long haul
2. Ascertain your skills and area of interest
3. Define your goal
4. Find clients and ways to retain
5. Differentiate your work from your competitors   

5. What is the Easiest Business to Start?

• Following are some of the easiest side businesses to start:

1. Dropshipping Business
2. Consultancy Services
3. Blogging
4. Social Media Management
5. Sell Handmade Goods