In-Person Hustles for Active People

AirTasker: Mover

• What you do: Help people with moving tasks, including furniture.
• Pay Potential: $35+/hour
• Opportunity Score: 9/10

If you like to help others move their stuff while they move into a new home while earning some good money, this one’s for you! Earn money by helping people with their moving tasks, from heavy furniture to packing and unpacking, all while enjoying flexible hours and competitive pay.

Individuals with physical stamina, attention to detail, and excellent organizational skills thrive in this role as it requires lifting, moving, and organizing belongings efficiently.

Being an AirTasker Mover can be oddly satisfying. There’s something fulfilling about helping others navigate the chaos of moving while getting a workout and earning money.

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Physical Strength: Ability to lift and move heavy items safely.
2. Organization: Skills in planning and coordinating moving tasks efficiently.
3. Communication: Clear communication with clients to understand their needs.
4. Problem-Solving: Quick thinking to address unexpected challenges during moves.
5. Time Management: Ability to stick to schedules and meet deadlines.

Being an AirTasker Mover houses crucial soft skills like negotiation with clients for rates, time management to complete tasks promptly, and problem-solving to handle unexpected situations. These skills are valuable across various careers, enhancing your professional toolkit.

From Airtasker’s website, an average earning of around $35 per hour is highly feasible! That’s definitely worth the lifting and unpacking.

As an AirTasker Mover, underestimating the physical demands of the job is a common pitfall that can result in fatigue or even injury if precautions are not taken. However, the worst pitfall in this field is accidentally damaging clients’ belongings during the moving process, which can lead to liability problems and damage to your reputation.

Opportunity Score: 9/10

AirTasker Mover offers a high-opportunity score due to the consistent demand for moving services, potential for earning $35 or more per hour, flexibility in scheduling tasks, and the chance to build valuable soft skills applicable to many other professions. Just remember to: lift with your knees.

Online Side Hustles

Selling Educational Notes (Nexus Notes)

• What you do: Monetize your study notes and academic knowledge.
• Pay Potential: Varies, but a case study example of millions earned.
• Opportunity Score: 8/10

Forget teaching classes and dealing with the responsibility of having actual students around.  Earn money while helping students succeed by providing them with valuable study materials.

Detail-oriented individuals who excel in organization and have a passion for sharing knowledge can flourish in this side hustle, as it involves creating and selling educational materials.

Selling educational notes offers a unique blend of entrepreneurship and education. The best part about this is although you are relying on education to propel your earnings, you can always deliver quality outputs all the time by reviewing your educational notes before releasing them- that’s not something you can easily do with a real-time teaching session.

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Comprehensive Notes: Detailed and well-organized study materials covering various subjects/topics.
2. Experience/Thorough Knowledge: Nobody would buy from you if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Even great authors only managed to establish their reputation after building up their credentials one successful book launch at a time.
3. Writing Skills: Ability to explain complex concepts clearly and concisely.
4. Market Awareness: Understanding of student needs and trends in educational resources.
5. Marketing Savvy: Knowledge of digital marketing strategies to promote your notes effectively.
6. Ethical Considerations: Awareness of copyright and ethical guidelines when selling educational content.

Selling educational notes not only allows you to monetize your knowledge but is also leaving some sort of “legacy” for the next generation. It’s like being a mentor for the next generation through your educational materials.These skills are highly transferable and beneficial for various careers beyond the educational field.

According to information from Nexus’ website, authors typically earn hundreds of dollars per year by uploading their documents, while the top earners make thousands annually. This highlights the substantial income potential of selling educational notes through platforms like Nexus Notes.

When it comes to Selling Educational Notes (Nexus Notes), a common pitfall is neglecting to update content regularly, which can diminish sales and customer satisfaction. Conversely, the worst pitfall is facing plagiarism or legal issues due to improper content sourcing or unauthorized use of materials.

Opportunity Score: 8/10

Selling educational notes through platforms like Nexus Notes offers a promising opportunity to earn income based on the value of your academic knowledge, with potential earnings ranging from supplementary income to substantial profits, depending on the quality and demand for your notes. The only tricky part here is making sure that your educational materials do get approved.

AI-Assisted Illustrator

• What you do: Use AI tools like Midjourney to create graphic designs.
• Pay Potential: $22,000+/month possible, average illustrator salary $42,000/year
• Opportunity Score: 7/10

AI-assisted illustration, where innovative tools allow you to create captivating graphic designs efficiently. This side hustle offers the appeal of leveraging technology to enhance your artistic output and potentially earn a significant income.

Creative individuals with a strong technical aptitude and a knack for innovative design concepts can excel in AI-assisted illustration, leveraging technology to enhance artistic outputs.

The quirky aspect of AI-assisted illustration lies in the blend of human creativity and technological prowess. It’s like having a digital assistant that enhances your artistic vision, allowing for more innovative and streamlined design processes.

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Creative Eye: Ability to conceptualize and visualize design ideas.
2. Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with AI tools like Midjourney or willingness to learn.
3. Attention to Detail: Precision in executing designs and ensuring quality.
4. Communication: Effective communication skills for client interactions and feedback.
5. Adaptability: Flexibility to embrace new techniques and trends in graphic design.

Engaging in AI-assisted illustration not only sharpens your artistic skills but also cultivates essential soft skills such as negotiating with clients for project terms, managing time effectively to meet deadlines, and adapting to client feedback—all of which are highly beneficial across diverse career paths.

Although there isn’t much conversation about AI-assisted illustrators’ salaries, a reddit thread talked about the effect of AI on artists.

In AI-Assisted Illustration, overreliance on AI tools without developing personal creativity and style is a common pitfall that may limit artistic growth. On the flip side, the worst pitfall involves using unlicensed assets or delivering subpar designs, which can lead to legal ramifications and damage your professional reputation.

Opportunity Score: 7/10

AI-assisted illustration presents a promising opportunity of showcasing your creativity in the new platforms of”modern art”. This side hustle combines creativity with technology and offers a pathway to develop valuable soft skills for professional growth. However, just like traditional art, finding outlets where you can showcase your artistic skills can be quite of a challenge.

Selling Digital Products

• What you do: Create digital products (ebooks, templates, courses) for passive income.
• Pay Potential: Extremely high due to low overhead and scalability.
• Opportunity Score: 10/10

Generate passive income by creating digital products such as ebooks, templates, and courses, capitalizing on scalability and minimal overhead costs.

Entrepreneurs with marketing prowess, creativity, and a good understanding of digital trends can succeed in selling digital products, leveraging online platforms to reach a wide audience.

The quirky charm of selling digital products lies in turning your creativity into a financial asset, like planting seeds of innovation that bloom into a profitable garden. If the internet is the modern marketplace, what’s a better business than selling this marketplace’s major commodities, right?

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Content Creation: Ability to develop high-quality digital products.
2. Marketing: Skills to promote and sell your digital products effectively.
3. Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with digital tools for product creation and distribution.
4. Customer Service: Providing excellent support to buyers and managing feedback.
5. Analytics: Understanding data to optimize sales strategies.

Beyond generating income, selling digital products offers a unique learning experience, allowing you to master content creation, refine marketing strategies, hone technical skills, excel in customer service, and gain insights from data analytics. These diverse skill sets are not only valuable for your side hustle but also transferable to numerous careers, fostering professional growth and adaptability.

In this article, a man named Thomas Frank showed proof that he earned $100,000 a month due to this kind of side hustle.

Selling Digital Products may lead to insufficient marketing efforts as a common pitfall, resulting in low visibility and sales for your products. However, the worst pitfall here is falling victim to online piracy or having your digital products stolen and redistributed illegally, causing financial losses and potential legal issues.

Opportunity Score: 10/10

Selling digital products offers a high opportunity score due to its potential for scalability, passive income generation, and skill development in areas crucial for professional success.

Podcast Project Manager

• What you do: Manage various aspects of podcasts (setup, audio, editing, etc).
• Pay Potential: $40/hour for jobs, freelance rates can be higher.
• Opportunity Score: 7/10

The role of a Podcast Project Manager involves overseeing critical aspects of podcast production, including setup, audio engineering, editing, and more. This position offers substantial earning potential in freelance roles, making it a lucrative opportunity within the rapidly growing audio industry.

Individuals with strong communication skills, project management expertise, and a passion for audio storytelling can excel as podcast project managers, coordinating various aspects of podcast production effectively.

The unique appeal of being a Podcast Project Manager stems from the multifaceted responsibilities involved. As the orchestrator behind the scenes, you play a pivotal role in crafting captivating audio narratives that resonate with audiences, adding a layer of depth and artistry to the role. Plus, if your podcast team manages to secure some famous/legendary people as guests- you know you’ll be meeting them too.

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Project Management: Efficiently coordinate tasks, timelines, and resources to ensure seamless podcast production from start to finish.
2. Audio Production: Possess expertise in operating recording equipment, utilizing editing software, and applying sound engineering principles to maintain high-quality audio output.
3. Communication: Facilitate clear and effective communication channels with podcast hosts, guests, and team members to foster collaboration and achieve project objectives.
4. Organization: Maintain structured workflows, manage files, and adhere to production schedules to meet deadlines and deliver consistently polished podcast episodes.
5. Creativity: Infuse innovative ideas and creative flair into podcast content, enhancing its appeal, engagement, and overall impact on listeners.

Beyond the monetary aspect, the role of a Podcast Project Manager cultivates essential soft skills that are highly transferable across various industries. This includes (other than project management skills obviously) negotiation skills for client interactions, effective time management to meet production deadlines, collaborative teamwork, and a keen eye for details especially with the subtle tweaks a podcast needs to reach greater heights.

In this article, we get a deep dive with famous podcasts and their earnings. Also in the said article are some figures that will help you derive a conclusion about what it takes for your podcast to reach those said earnings.

As a Podcast Project Manager, poor communication with team members or clients is a common pitfall that can lead to misunderstandings and delays in project delivery. Conversely, the worst pitfall is mismanaging project budgets or timelines, which can result in client dissatisfaction, loss of business, and financial setbacks.

Opportunity Score 7/10

With freelance rates averaging around $40 per hour and the potential for skill enhancement in both technical and soft skill domains, Podcast Project Manager roles are rated highly for their promising earning prospects and significant contributions to professional growth within the dynamic audio landscape.

Niche-Specific Hustles

Field Inspector (JMI Reports)

• What you do: Inspect properties for condition and suitability.
• Pay Potential: $54,000/year (avg), $150-$350/day as side hustle.
• Opportunity Score: 7.5/10

Conduct property inspections with potential for a lucrative side income, offering an opportunity to work independently and gain valuable experience in the real estate field.

Detail-oriented individuals with a keen eye for property conditions, strong communication skills, and a methodical approach to work can thrive as field inspectors, assessing properties accurately and efficiently.

The quirky aspect of Field Inspector roles is the blend of outdoor work and meticulous attention to detail, providing a unique balance between active engagement and analytical observation.

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Attention to Detail: Ability to thoroughly assess property conditions and document findings accurately.
2. Communication: Clear communication skills for reporting and interacting with clients.
3. Time Management: Efficiently managing inspection schedules and meeting deadlines.
4. Technical Knowledge: Understanding of property evaluation criteria and inspection protocols.
5. Problem-Solving: Capability to identify issues and recommend solutions during inspections.

Field Inspector roles build essential soft skills such as negotiating with clients for inspection terms, effective time management to optimize productivity, and problem-solving abilities, all of which are highly transferable across various industries and professions.

According to Indeed, Field Inspectors working at JMI reports earn $15 per hour. That’s a great payout for inspecting various work-in-progress field work.

One common downfall in Field Inspector roles is encountering challenging weather conditions or physical demands during property inspections, which can impact productivity and comfort. The worst possible pitfall involves inaccurate or incomplete reporting, leading to misunderstandings with clients or legal issues, jeopardizing your credibility and reputation.

Opportunity Score 7.5/10

With potential earnings of $150-$350 per day as a side hustle and opportunities for skill development in the real estate sector, Field Inspector roles are rated at 7.5/10, offering a good but not exceptional opportunity for supplemental income and career growth.

Chess Coach

• What you do: Teach chess, sell courses, or become a chess content creator.
• Pay Potential: High variability, top coaches/creators can make millions.
• Opportunity Score: 7/10 (also applies to general game coaching)

Share your passion for chess by coaching, creating courses, or producing chess content, with the potential for significant earnings based on expertise and market demand.

Strategic thinkers with excellent teaching abilities, patience, and a deep understanding of chess strategies can flourish as chess coaches, guiding and mentoring players to improve their game.

The quirky aspect of being a Chess Coach lies in the intellectual stimulation and strategic thinking fostered by the game, offering a unique blend of teaching and mental agility. It’s like bringing out the inner genius amongst chess geniuses to say it bluntly.

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Chess Mastery: Proficiency in playing and understanding chess strategies and tactics.
2. Teaching Skills: Ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and engaging manner.
3. Content Creation: Creativity in developing instructional materials or digital content.
4. Marketing: Skills to promote coaching services or courses effectively.
5. Continuous Learning: Keeping up-to-date with chess trends and developments.

Chess coaching builds valuable soft skills such as communication with students, strategic planning for lesson structures, and adaptability to individual learning styles, enhancing your teaching abilities and overall professional growth.

A common downfall for Chess Coaches is struggling to differentiate their coaching style or content from competitors, leading to difficulty in attracting students or customers. The worst possible pitfall involves ethical concerns or controversies related to coaching practices or content creation, which can damage your reputation and business prospects significantly.

Amazingly enough, chess coaches earn $107K – $200K/yr according to Glassdoor. Of course, it might need some very rich clientele and a whole lot of consistent students that pay well to get those figures, but of course, every side hustle has their challenges and rewards.

Opportunity Score 7/10

With high variability in earnings potential and the opportunity to leverage digital platforms for wider reach, Chess Coaching receives a 7/10, indicating a good but competitive opportunity in the coaching and content creation space, particularly for those with exceptional skills and innovative approaches.

Real Estate Photographer

• What you do: Take photos of real estate for listings.
• Pay Potential: $55-$65/hour (standard), up to $400/hour for luxury/commercial.
• Opportunity Score: 7.5/10

Capture stunning images of real estate properties for listings, offering a lucrative hourly rate with potential for higher earnings in luxury and commercial segments. It’s like going on hours tours but instead of getting enticed to buy the houses, you get paid for the pictures you take.

Creative individuals with an eye for aesthetics, technical photography skills, and the ability to capture properties’ best features can excel as real estate photographers, showcasing properties effectively through imagery.

The quirky aspect of being a Real Estate Photographer is the blend of artistic vision and attention to detail required to showcase properties in their best light, transforming spaces into captivating visual narratives. It’s also a very clever way to showcase your skills in photography by selecting an already aesthetically pleasing product (real property).

Skills/Things You Must Have:

1. Photography Skills: Proficiency in using professional cameras, lighting, and editing software to produce high-quality images.
2. Attention to Detail: Ability to highlight property features and create inviting visuals for potential buyers.
3. Client Management: Effective communication and negotiation skills to understand client needs and deliver satisfactory results.
4. Time Management: Efficient scheduling and workflow management to meet deadlines and handle multiple projects.
5. Marketing: Basic knowledge of real estate marketing and trends to tailor photos for specific target audiences.

Real Estate Photography builds essential soft skills such as client negotiation for project terms, effective time management to optimize productivity, and attention to detail, all of which are highly transferable to various industries and roles.

Pitfalls such as challenging property conditions affecting photo quality and potential conflicts with client expectations. These factors contribute to its lower opportunity score due to specialized skills and equipment requirements, competitive market dynamics, and potential income variability associated with client demands and market trends.

Although real estate photographers carry the heavy burden of real estate marketing, Glassdoor states that the possible earnings range from $59K – $111K/yr, which is pretty lucrative for the job scope.

Opportunity Score 7.5/10

Real Estate Photography has a good opportunity for learning and skill development in the photography and real estate industries. Presenting real estate photography is already a fine gig, but presenting the images of the properties sold- now that’s art right there.

Beauty Service Provider

• What you do: Makeup, hair, nails, styling for events like weddings.
• Pay Potential: $19/hour average, but high potential in freelance/business ownership.
• Opportunity Score: 8.5/10

Offer makeup, hair, nails, and styling services for weddings and events, showcasing creativity and potential for lucrative earnings, especially in freelance or business roles. Be the fairy god parent that puts the magic in their social events!

Individuals with strong artistic skills, excellent customer service, and a passion for beauty and styling can thrive as beauty service providers, transforming clients’ looks and boosting their confidence.

The unique aspect of being a Beauty Service Provider is the opportunity to witness clients’ transformations, boosting their confidence and creating memorable experiences that go beyond mere aesthetics.

Beauty Service Providers develop essential soft skills like providing excellent customer satisfaction, client negotiation, time management, and attention to detail which are highly transferable and beneficial in various careers.

Common pitfalls in this side hustle include last-minute cancellations impacting income, competition with other service providers, and occasional difficult client interactions that require professionalism and conflict resolution skills. A weak network and zero “word of mouth” referral game can easily shut your beauty service hustle down.

According to Ziprecruiter, beauty stylists earn $21 per hour. Now of course, the negotiations of the payment structure vary, but still, this kind of side hustle pays well!

Opportunity Score: 8.5/10

Beauty Service Provider roles offer substantial earning potential, creative fulfillment, and valuable skill development opportunities, making it a highly attractive side hustle. The opportunities are bountiful and the earnings (depending on the clients) can easily lead to unbelievable payouts.

Party Entertainer

• What you do: Trivia nights, children’s entertainment, etc.
• Pay Potential: Varies greatly (case study of $300 per booking)
• Opportunity Score: 6.5/10 (strong niche focus needed)

To everybody with the nickname “life of the party” out there, this one’s for you! Provide entertainment services for events like trivia nights and children’s parties, with potential for lucrative earnings and creative fulfillment.

Energetic, outgoing social butterflies with a flair for creativity, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to entertain diverse audiences can flourish as party entertainers.

The quirky aspect of being a Party Entertainer is the ability to bring joy and laughter to diverse audiences, creating memorable experiences that stand out in their uniqueness. If you’re having (crazy) fun with what you do, does that even count as “work”?

Well, emotional intelligence is a must. Other than that, strong interpersonal skills, creativity in entertainment planning, adaptability to different event themes, and time management to handle multiple bookings effectively.

Party Entertainers develop essential soft skills such as client negotiation for booking terms, time management to juggle multiple events, and the ability to improvise and think on their feet, all of which are valuable in various career paths.

Common pitfalls in this side hustle include seasonal fluctuations in demand, competition from other entertainers, and the need for continuous skill development to stay relevant and appealing to clients. Just like the side hustle preceding this one, your business/hustle will definitely rely heavily on word-of-mouth and good networking practices.

In this article by Ziprecruiter, entertainers (children’s party entertainers to be exact) earn $17 /hour. Although that amount didn’t reach the $20 range, the possible earning is still worth it considering the job. 

Opportunity Score 6.5/10

Being a Party Entertainer has earning potential and room for creativity (plus a not-that-stressful grind), but it’s rated lower because it’s a specialty that does not have much of a demand and the limited demand already has cut-throat competition.

Final Thoughts

Aside from ensuring that your side hustles of choice fit perfectly with your innate strengths and daily schedule, you have to make sure that you are also ready, passionate at best, to perform the tasks needed! A great way to start is by simply assessing your strengths and weaknesses first before officially looking for clients.

Of course, no victory can be earned without some challenges along the way. Once you begin your side hustle, you might encounter plenty of obstacles. From the growing competition, changes on the technical aspects of the field, client concerns, and so on. Just like in a full-time business, what keeps the money coming isn’t your business- but your hard work day-in and day-out!