The rise of the side hustle shows no sign of slowing down as more people look for new ways to make money.
Originally, it may have been a hobby that added contrast to a desk-bound day job, which just happened to offer an extra revenue stream. However, with so many people facing uncertainty in the conventional jobs market (especially if they’ve been furloughed or made redundant) the earning potential of a side hustle is becoming an essential back-up to help pay the bills.
In fact, there are quite a few members of the JustPark team who live and breathe the side hustle. From Mike, who created affordable geo-tracking for SMEs to Jeyda, who spotted a gap in the bike repair market and Frani, who found a way to share her expertise with a broader audience.
If you haven’t been blogging for years, garnering a following as an influencer with affiliate marketing, or monetising your big idea outside the day job, fear not. There are many ways to start a profitable and sustainable side hustle. Here are some of our favourites…
Keep the kids occupied
As more parents return to work, there’s a real need for daytime babysitting before school starts again. Frazzled parents may also need a reliable sitter for weekend nights away from the kids! You don’t need qualifications to be a babysitter but most parents feel more reassured if you have a First Aid certificate (and enjoy watching Bing/Peppa/Duggee on repeat!).
Send out some sweetness
Who doesn’t love cake? And if you’re a whizz at baking delicious things like brownies and cookies (which can also be safely boxed and mailed), you could be on to a winner. Vegan and gluten-free treats were particularly in demand over lockdown when people couldn’t get to specialist shops or cafés. Demand is still high, so why not stand out with a niche offering? It’s a good idea to get your Food Hygiene Certificate if you’re going to do this.
Get crafty about your skills
Love turning a wooden bowl, producing iconic prints, or making mugs on the potting wheel? The shopper’s desire to own unique items never goes out of fashion and if you have a particularly creative bent, there are lots of sites to help you sell your wares. Or you can set up your own website and be fully in control of curating your digital shopfront.
Share your knowledge
If you’re lucky enough to be bilingual you could offer language tutoring. But even if you’re not a linguist, people love learning something new online, especially the connection this brings with like-minded people. With Zoom fully part of all our lives, designing a course and sharing your knowledge with multiple people in digital classes is more accessible than ever.
Rent out your parking space
We might be biased(!) but if all of that is sounding like a lot of effort, here’s the easiest way to start a side hustle: rent out space on your driveway. If you have more space than you need or a garage that could provide reliable parking or storage for a SORN’d vehicle, you could boost your income without lifting a finger. Well, you might have to tap on the app a few times to set up a listing but other than withdrawing your earnings, that’s about it!
Our space owners make between £500 and £3000 a year and the first £1,000 you earn is tax free. Your space doesn’t even have to be available 24/7, it’s totally flexible and up to you how often you make it available. It’s free to sign up and create your listing so why not start your side hustle with JustPark?
