Creative Side Hustles to Make Extra Money This Year

While vaccinations have started rolling in, the world is still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Many of us have had our job security threatened by the effects of lockdowns. So there’s never been a better time to get creative and come up with some side hustles to generate some extra income on a regular basis. These ways to make extra money could supplement your regular job. Or, you might find yourself becoming a fully-fledged entrepreneur and pursuing one of these hustles as your main source of income.

Complete Surveys

Filling in consumer surveys is an easy way to make extra money online from home that doesn't require any experience. Just sign up with some different agencies, and you can get to work right away. An individual survey might take anything from 10 minutes to one hour, and you should be paid according to the time required. It's worth noting that you probably won't be eligible for every single survey on offer. For example, if you don't own an Android phone, you probably won't have much to contribute to a survey on Android users! Another thing to mention is that most sites need you to have taken a certain number of surveys before getting paid. You probably won't quit your day job on the money you'll make, but it's one of the easiest methods of making extra money that you can pursue around your schedule.

Reinvent Yourself as an Influencer

A staggering amount of people are leveraging online audiences to make a very comfortable living from being influencers. If you have a niche passion that resonates with other people, you can grow a social media following if you can consistently contribute valuable and informed content. Businesses of all sizes are enthusiastic about exploiting the power of influencers with sponsorships and paid promotions, plus you can generate income from audience views. So whether you’re into nail painting or Mediterranean cooking, you could be earning extra stimulus money just for talking about the passions in your life.

Sell Your Photos Online

Have you got a good eye for taking pictures? There's a massive market for high-quality images online. Businesses or publications are often looking for the right photograph to add to their articles and will be willing to pay a premium for the rights to use those pictures. Of course, it's impossible to gauge how much interest you'll receive. But if you've got a lot of good photos sitting around on your hard drive, there's no harm in posting them to photo hosting sites to see if anyone bites.

Drive for an App

For extra money that you can earn around your schedule, driving for an app like Lyft or Uber is one of the best weekend jobs for extra money available. You can set your own hours and work as much or as little as you like, no matter your location. Some times will be less busy than others, but generally, you won't find any shortage of customers, especially if you live in a big city. You don't need any POS systems since all payments go through the app. All you need is a clean, reliable car, smartphone, and a clean driving license, and you can start earning right away.

Freelance

If you have some skills in the creative arts, you could be able to charge a premium for your talents. Lots of websites and agencies are on the lookout for graphic designers, editors, writers, and other professionals, who can connect you with the right clients. You can set your own hours and pay rates, which can generate plenty of extra money depending on your skill level. You might want to lowball your fees, to begin with, while you're growing your portfolio, but once you get some momentum, you might find the offers flooding in.

Test UX Interfaces

User experience (UX) is a massive industry in its own right, and the market only keeps growing. Businesses realize how crucial UX is to maintaining audiences and winning conversions, but UX designers need testers to provide open and unbiased feedback. You simply have to navigate around a website on your computer or phone, fill in a questionnaire about your experience, and alert developers to any bugs.

Become a Social Media Manager

While this might sound like a full-time job rather than a side hustle, it’s not just big companies and brands that are looking for social media managers. Small businesses may not have a dedicated marketing department, but they will still want to promote their products online to the widest possible audiences. So if you like making connections with people and getting creative with words, this can be a good source of extra money. You may have to keep an eye on your client's online presence around the clock to be able to respond to inquiries rapidly. However, the work won't be overly time-consuming once you've gotten used to it.

Start Your Own Blog

Blogging is still a big business and offers a way to earn extra money by making new connections with people. If you can write knowledgeably about one or more of your interests, you can help inform people about their favorite subjects like sport, exercise, fashion, travel, and cooking. To monetize your blog, you should effectively implement search engine optimization (SEO) practices in your written copy so that keywords and help your website rank with search engines. This will generate more traffic than you can then leverage for extra money with affiliate marketing and on-page advertisements.

Conclusion: Start Making Extra Money Today

When times get tough, it’s time to get creative with new ways to make extra money on unemployment. Thanks to the internet, it’s never been easier to connect with clients and customers who can offer good money for your services. Look into these ways to make extra money, and you could find yourself becoming your own boss in no time. Have you got any winning ideas on how to make extra money? Share them with us in the comments section below!