finances

Side hustles. The gig economy. It seems like everyone is talking about ways to make money doing what you love these days. If you’ve been wanting to try and see if you, too, can make money off your passions, read on for 5 creative ideas!

Make a product: If you love to make things, consider selling them. Bake cupcakes, hand-pour candles, make small batch soap, or start painting–there are thousands of options! Think of ways you can put a little twist on your product to make it stand out from others: maybe each bar of soap has a prize inside or instead of painting on canvas you are painting tote bags or the covers of journals. Once you’ve determined your product and your creative twist,  start an Etsy shop or look around your town for somewhere where you can rent a booth or participate in pop-up markets.

Share your expertise: What are you an expert in? Do you keep up with all the latest social media trends? Are you a stickler for grammar? Or is organizing closets and garages your idea of a perfect Saturday? These are all things people will pay you to do for them! You can use sites like Upwork or Fiverr to find virtual jobs, or local Facebook groups or NextDoor to find in-person opportunities.

Create content: It isn’t the fastest way to make money, but it can be lucrative for those who are able to find and connect with an audience. Consider starting a blog, podcast, or a YouTube channel to try out earning with advertising revenue. Or, if you have content you think people will pay directly for, perhaps setting up a Patreon account or creating a course to sell is the way to go. 

Print on Demand: If you love graphic design or art, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of an inventory-based business, consider uploading your designs to print-on-demand sites like Society 6 or Spoonflower. Your cut may be smaller than if you were handling the whole process, but once you get your art uploaded, it can be a relatively passive income stream.

Flip Items: If you can spend hours hunting for treasures at estate sales, yard sales, and thrift stores, consider flipping items. If you have a good eye for finding diamonds in the rough, you might be able to make some money turning one person’s trash into someone else’s treasure. Utilize Facebook’s Buy-Sell-Trade groups or Marketplace, apps like Poshmark, or if finding vintage knickknacks is your specialty, consider renting space in your local antique store. 

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Don’t be discouraged if you don’t start making money right away; it can take time to build up a business. But with a little hard work and imagination, you can move some of your favorite activities from hobby to money-making venture. 

Do you have an experience monetizing your passions? If you have creative money-making tips or ideas of your own, drop them in the comments!