26 Practical Side Hustles For Women (Make Real Money)

Are you looking to earn extra cash? Now is the prime time for women to start side hustles that can lead to real income. Side gigs are exploding in popularity. This is thanks to their flexibility, fulfillment, and financial upside. 

You can pay off your debt, boost savings, or have extra spending money. This list has 26 popular side hustles for women. It covers clever ways to set yourself up for financial success this year.

Best Side Hustles For Women

You can leverage skills like writing, coaching, and tech. You can also explore fun, creative endeavors you’re passionate about. There are options here for every interest and schedule. Read on to discover over two dozen side hustle ideas for women who want to monetize their talents, time, and energy. 

Blogging

Women that make real money in blogging are now everywhere on the internet. Think of Elna Cain, Maria Forleo, and Bola Sokunbi. These women have made a fortune off their blogs. So, you can’t blame a lack of inspirational examples for not starting your blog now.  

All you need to do is select a marketable niche you’re passionate about. It could be marketing, personal finance, cooking, or parenting.

100+ Most Profitable Blog Niche Ideas That Make Money!

Most bloggers profit from ad networks, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, and consulting. First, build your site with a reliable hosting company. Use a customized WordPress theme. Also, use relevant social media accounts. 

Freelance Copywriting

 Women who love to write can make good money as copywriters by helping brands create promotional content. This includes emails, sales letters, website pages, case studies, blog posts, ads, newsletters, and more. You’ll need to learn business writing skills, though. 

For instance, persuasiveness, results-driven copywriting principles, sales principles, and basic SEO. Use those skills to create content for your website or even post your samples on Clippings. Me. Regarding copywriting clients, you can get them anywhere. For example, you can find job listings on job boards like Flexjobs. You can also network in copywriting Facebook groups or ask people in your social circle. Also, consider checking LinkedIn or even setting up a personal website. 

Check out Alex Cattoni on YouTube. She went from working for Mindvalley to becoming a well-known copywriter and trainer. In her videos, you can learn how to set your rates for your online business based on experience. You can also learn how to deliver excellent work and nurture client relationships. 

YouTuber

YouTubers earn extra income through ad revenue, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and more. You can achieve this by making videos with your phone or camera. All you have to do is create videos consistently. Then, optimize titles and thumbnails. Promote via social media and engage with viewers.

However, YouTube can only allow you to monetize your content once you hit a certain threshold for views and subscribers—also, the income potential correlates with the following size and engagement. As a beginner, you may not make much. But YouTubing can become a lucrative side hustle if you put in the work. Top creators earn six figures and more. 

The best inspiration is Lilly Singh. She is a talk show host and actress. But she also has a big YouTube channel. There, she posts comedy videos about a teenage girl living with her strict Indian parents.

Affiliate Marketing

This is a great business idea because you don’t have to think about creating your products. You can earn money from other people’s products and also get to work from home. This works by signing up as an affiliate for companies relevant to your interests and audience. Then, they give you a special affiliate link to share with potential buyers. You can share the link via a website, emails, social media, and more. You’ll make a percentage of every sale you drive. 

Choose affiliate products that will provide value to your audience. This will build credibility and easily scale your income. Also, remember that driving traffic to your store and earning from affiliate marketing takes time and effort.

Podcasting

You can launch a podcast side business if you’re great at speaking or interviewing. Focus on what you find interesting or have expertise in. The most popular podcasts focus on Astrology, fertility, marketing, and true crime. Record episodes and distribute them via Apple Podcasts, Google, or Spotify. Also, promoting your episodes on social media expands your reach.

Once you grow an engaged audience, you can monetize your content. You can do this through sponsorships, affiliate marketing, donations, and ads. The hustle also comes with the flexibility to work when and where you want. Check out Bailey Sarian of Murder, Mystery & Makeup, and Dark History. Emani Ismail’s ‘Mistakes That Made Me.’ is also great. They can inspire you to start your podcasting journey. 

Virtual Assistant  

Administrative work is one of the most flexible side jobs for women. You need skills such as managing emails and social media, handling data, researching, scheduling, creating graphics, and more. The most successful virtual assistants specialize in one area. For example, they focus on social media management for a specific industry.

If you don’t have any skills, check out courses on places like YouTube, Hubspot Academy, or Skillshare. Get training in areas you want to specialize in. Then, reach clients through sites like LinkedIn, Reddit, Flex jobs, Upwork, and VA communities. As a full-time or part-time virtual assistant, you can make over $30/hour or even start your own VA agency and earn more. 

Outsourcing Service

Outsourcing involves advertising services like social media management, web development, and client bookkeeping. You don’t need experience in these skills because you can outsource the service to someone else if they are good at it. But it’s easier to offer services based on your expertise. 

Additionally, ensure you set competitive service packages and rates. This will make attracting the right client easy and reward your subcontractors handsomely. You can get clients through networking, cold outreach, referrals, and advertising on social media platforms. 

Consulting or Coaching  

Are you a great listener, and you often get people coming to you for solutions? Then,  coaching is among the best side hustles for you. Also, if you’ve been working in a certain industry and gained lots of experience, monetize it by getting into consulting. Consultants and coaches charge between  $50-500+ per hour, providing professional advice or guiding clients through personalized programs for a monthly fee.

You can set up an office or just do it on Zoom if your clients are not in the same locality as you. The niches to explore are mental health, fitness, Spirituality, relationships, parenting, careers, marketing,  finance, and many others. 

Online Teacher

Teachers can also make some money by tutoring students online via sites like Varsity Tutors and Chegg Tutors or by independently setting up virtual classes. You can get paid per session or class at rates typically ranging from $15-50/hour. Another great perk of this side hustle is choosing your schedule and students to work with. 

So you don’t have to worry about your day teaching job as you can share your expertise from anywhere while earning a lucrative and flexible income. The most lucrative classes are languages, science, technology, and social sciences like psychology. 

Online Course 

You don’t have to be a university professor to do this; you don’t need to talk about technical things to get students. People have so many interests; if someone can teach them a skill in a few hours, they will sign up. 

So, if you have a skill or topic you’re passionate about, create an online course around that and get your side hustle started. You can make online courses using Canva, Teachable, Kajabi, or Podia and sell them using social media. Also, list your course on an online marketplace like Skillshare, Domestika, and Udemy, which handle marketing and delivery for a revenue share. Online course creators can earn thousands monthly, though income takes time to scale.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is one of the best side gig ideas. It’s also a flexible business model for women who don’t want regular day jobs. You can sell products that you don’t stock. If this sounds like a complicated puzzle, here are the steps involved in dropshipping: 

• A customer visits your online store and orders a product.
• You forward the order to your dropshipping supplier.
• The supplier ships the product directly to the customer.
• The customer receives it and hopefully loves it.

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to manage, but ensure you select reliable sellers with a great track record. You can sign up for such on Amazon Associates or Printify to sell print-on-demand items. 

Photography

Photography is a fantastic side hustle for a woman interested in this line of work. You can make extra money by offering services like headshots, events, and real estate photography, which are now highly marketable. Photographers can charge $100-500 per session with full-time earnings potential in the six figures. However, you will need to have a strong portfolio showcasing your work. But what if you’re a beginner? 

Do pro-bono work for a few events or photo sessions for professionals you know in real life? Gather them and start a business page on Instagram to showcase your work. Also, contact clients through promotions, directory listings, and networking with wedding planners, home stagers, hotels, and businesses. Photographers can also sell their work independently on sites like Alamy, Adobe Stock, or Getty Images to make extra cash  

Freelance Graphic Design

As a graphic designer, you can offer services like branding, marketing materials, packaging, and illustrations to clients as a freelancer. However, for a consistent side hustle from this, you need to prove that you’re reliable and can do the great graphics that clients want. So, build a design portfolio highlighting your skills, style, and client testimonials. 

Market your services on LinkedIn, Upwork, and social media communities like the Reddit Graphic Design. Finally, set competitive prices per hour or monthly retainers based on time spent on a project and scoop of work.

E-commerce

E-commerce is also one of the few hustles for women to make from anywhere without incurring high startup costs. The business involves having an online store where customers can browse products, add them to their carts, and pay for them electronically. 

It is mostly done through a dedicated website, a Shopify store, a marketplace like Amazon or eBay, or even social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. However, it would be best if you put in a lot of strategic work for this to give you real income. 

First, you must figure out how to drive traffic to your shop effectively using SEO, social media, and ads. This niche is also super competitive. Therefore, you need great customer service and other general operation tasks like money refunds, return policies, etc. 

Bookkeeping  

Bookkeeping is a great way to earn online. Many businesses would gladly pay you $30-60+ per hour for bookkeeping services. They involve tasks like recording transactions, reconciling accounts, and producing financial statements for clients. And the best thing is that you don’t have to get hired by big corporations to get started.

Even local businesses in your area where you know the business people in person could hire them to help with their finances. You can also scale your business by building a brand on LinkedIn, where you can get hired remotely, even by large corporations.  If you don’t have a background in finance,  buy courses on Udemy and ensure you get certified in areas like Quickbooks and Xero. 

Voiceover  

People who do voice-overs earn extra money by making custom voice-overs for radio ads, cartoons, audiobooks, and corporate narrations. To make real money, buy professional home studio equipment and soundproof your recording space. But if you want to make money, you have to practice speaking clearly and acting.

Find clients by signing up for voiceover job boards and marketplaces. The most skilled voice actors charge $100-500 or more per hour when recording from home.

Child Care or Adult Care Services

This is an excellent side hustle because many families or care homes need an extra hand. And women are the most trusted and reputable caregivers all over the world. If interested, you can offer child care or elder care services. Some of the most common services in this niche are babysitting, tutoring, transportation, or companionship. 

You can check out sites like Care.com or anything available in your country. Alternatively, you could open a home daycare if properly certified. You can earn $15-25 per hour or more as a caregiver if you’re good at it. 

Makeup and Beauty Services  

The makeup, hair, and beauty industry is ever in demand, and some women can easily master or already have these skills. So, you can jump into this niche and offer your services virtually or in the comfort of your clients’ homes. However, this business requires you to build your reputation and a remarkable portfolio to get clients to trust you in their homes or with their image.  

Therefore, you must acquire the necessary licenses and certifications to build credibility and actually make money. Also, invest in high-quality supplies and tools to ensure exceptional results and safety for your clients.

Create and Sell Crafts

You can profit from your creative DIY skills by designing and selling handmade crafts. Take Danielle, for example, she is the founder of Danielle Oakey Interiors, an interior design blog, and she runs a pillow shop by using her interior decor experience to sell hand-crafted pillows. She sells them on her blog, Pinterest page, and Instagram page.

So, if you choose a specialty like jewelry, skin care products, shampoos, candles, or stationery, you can get started immediately. However, research what your target customer would love to buy so you only focus on the profitable side hustles when you make your products.

Flipping and Reselling

Flipping is a great side hustle for women because they have a great network and eye for detail. As a reseller, you can source valuable items from garage sales, thrift stores, auctions, and wholesalers and resell them. Once established, there’s potential to earn $1,000+ a month working just a few hours a week. 

The best flipper niches to explore are : 

• Used books.
• Tech Accessories like phones, watches, laptops, etc.
• Exercise Equipment. 
• Household Appliances.
• Designer Bags, shoes, and clothes.
• Vintage Jewelry and art.
• Furniture.
• Electronics.

You can list them on sites like eBay or Amazon with millions of buyers. It’s a flexible way to leverage selling skills but ensure all items are in great condition to avoid bad reviews online. 

Walk Dogs or Pet Sit 

Pet sitting is also a highly flexible way to make money, potentially earning $20-50+ per appointment or daily visit in your neighborhood. This is also easy to get started. Start by Marketing your services to people who know you’re good with pets. You know your family, friends, neighbors, or work colleagues.

Additionally, you can sign up for jobs on apps like Rover or Wag and or any relevant social media apps like Instagram. Don’t ignore old marketing methods like flyers and word of mouth. Include important details like availability and exact service combo ( feeding, playing with the pet, or dog walking ). 

Laundry Service

Do you live in a busy city? If yes,  this service is a great opportunity for women who want to make a little extra money by offering laundry services. In cities, there are busy professionals and tons of commercial clients like restaurants who could use laundry services. For example, professionals would not resist an offer to have their laundry picked up and delivered to their homes. The same goes for commercial clients, especially if you can do large-volume laundry. 

Invest in equipment like a van and commercial laundry machines for this business’s effectiveness. Also, advertise your services through relevant digital channels and print marketing.

Cleaning Service

Many women overlook their skills at home and think they can only be hired in an office. And those already in the corporate world overlook their ability to make money off simple skills like cleaning. You start earning money by offering residential or commercial cleaning businesses that take on clients in your local area. All you need to learn is your customers’ needs, cleaning products, cleaning equipment, and understanding eco-friendly cleaning methods. 

And don’t forget to advertise your eco-friendly cleaning services through social media and network with realtors/property managers. If the business grows, hire employees or subcontractors to serve clients efficiently.

Ebook

If your idea is trending or a lucrative niche like making money online, you can sell ebooks online. Another thing is that your E-book has to offer valuable information and solutions to your target customer. The best thing is that you don’t need any money to get started because you can use free tools like  Canva to write and format your book. 

It is also free to publish on platforms like Amazon Kindle and promoted through social media groups, Shopify shop, Pinterest, TikTok, and affiliates. If your book becomes one of the top-selling ebooks, it can bring in thousands of dollars per month in passive income after completion. 

Purchase or Rent Out Real Estate (Airbnb)

The best part about real estate is that you can make a full-time income as a woman from the comfort of your home. You can achieve this by purchasing property or renting out your current home via platforms like Airbnb. 

Also, you must screen tenants thoroughly, meet all house safety requirements, and manage maintenance issues promptly. Also, marketing your place on social media platforms and using influencers helps bring in more customers. In this business, just manage your property appropriately; you will get many referrals and loyal customers.  

Proofreading or Editing

If you have strong writing and editing skills, these are the best ways to make money as a freelancer. Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Upwork, Problogger, and Flex jobs have hundreds of jobs for proofreaders so there’s enough market for this skill. With reliable internet access, you can work with authors, online publications, businesses, and students worldwide. 

You can also charge hourly rates ranging from $20-50  and monthly retainers based on experience, with potential for significant income depending on volume. Proofreading is an extremely flexible way to earn money, especially if you market your services consistently on social media or use job boards.

AI Prompt Engineer

Generative AI is an emerging niche with great income potential and creativity. Right now, it’s a crucial part of digital marketing, making it one of the lucrative side hustle ideas for women to make money. Currently, companies are paying for custom AI prompts on platforms like Joblist AI and Promptly Hired. Although it might seem simple, prompt engineering is somehow complex, especially for beginners. 

A prompt engineer will need to understand how to help businesses and individuals configure prompts so that you can create tailored content through AI. You also have to know something about making marketing copy for companies. This includes writing blog posts, landing pages, and product reviews. To start, check out free generative AI courses for Google or Microsoft.

How to Choose Your Perfect Side Hustle

When choosing a side hustle, there are a few key factors to consider. For instance, you must consider your interests, skills, and time availability. Let’s explore more details :

Identify Your Skills and Interests

You can start any side hustle you want, but starting with what you have is wise. List all your talents, skills, and previous work experience. Also, include hobbies and interests. This is because you will be using your natural strengths or expertise. So the side hustle will feel more enjoyable. This will increase the chances of success.

If you love dogs or have worked at a vet clinic, a dog walking or grooming service could be a good match. 

Assess Market Demand

You love something, but it may not have enough market demand. Before jumping in, asking friends, looking online, and checking for a strong market for a particular side hustle idea is important.

For instance, you may want to turn your house into an Airbnb rental. Yet, you don’t live in a tourist destination or a remote village where people rarely need such services. So it may not be one of the best ways for you to make money.

Time Assessment

Time is vital for a successful side hustle. Before you start, consider your schedule, family commitments, and how much time you have to devote to your side hustle each week. Some side hustles, like tutoring or virtual assistance, may need consistent hours. 

Others, like rideshare driving, blogging, and YouTube, allow flexibility. So, pick what you can do without sacrificing your family time or just making your schedule chaotic.

Test and Experiment

Most side hustles look good on paper, but you may not enjoy it. Try it out first before launching it. 

Spend a month doing some trial runs to test different ideas, if needed, before settling on one. Experience helps you see if it’s rewarding and the challenges involved. This way, you can confirm if it’s a good fit.

Legal and Financial Check

Make sure to check any legal or financial considerations for your side hustle. Some need specific licenses, permits, or insurance. Also, account for taxes on your side income. Doing your due diligence helps ensure your side hustle is set up properly.

Benefits of Having a Side Hustle

Engaging in a side hustle is a great way to make a positive impact on your life personally and financially. Here are some of the key advantages that  side hustles offer :

Supplemental Income

A traditional job often doesn’t pay women enough to cover bills comfortably. It also makes it hard for women to save for the future and have money for travel or shopping. This is where clever side hustles come in to provide that chance for women to earn that supplemental income.

The good thing is that there are endless opportunities for women. Whether it’s taxi services like Uber, monetizing a skill on Fiverr, renting out unused space, or becoming a social media influencer. 

Skill Development

A side hustle requires specific skills to generate income. Platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer short courses to learn these skills quickly.

Freelance writers, for example, can enroll in courses on SEO, social media marketing, and persuasive writing. This can boost their chances to land opportunities in the digital marketing world, including full-time content writing roles and starting their content agency.

Entrepreneurial Experience

A new side hustle is like a mini-MBA in entrepreneurship. In the few years I’ve managed this blog, I’ve learned to manage time, manage other people, market products, write, and handle finances. There’s no way I would have nurtured those skills all at once, but I had to for the success of my blog.

So, if women could start side hustles, many would learn skills they would have to pay a lot of money to master in just a short time. 

Diversification of Income Streams

9-to-5 is the most common and the only source of income for women, but it’s proving risky. COVID-19, massive layoffs, and the current global recession exposed this vulnerability. So, creating a side hustle by selling skills or products can be your saving grace to help you in case something unexpected happens or to pay your bills easily.

This Lending Tree side hustlers survey reveals that the number of Americans with side hustles has increased by 13 %. This means that people are starting to see the benefit of having money coming in from different sources, and so should you. 

Passion Pursuit

Whether you love writing, photography, or baking, all these can be financially rewarding. This is why platforms like Pinterest, Gumroad, Etsy, and Amazon have millions of sellers. Here, people can sell templates, Astrology accessories, books, handmade items, house decor items, crocheted items, and many more. 

The best inspiration is Rupi Kaur. She is a young woman who has made millions on Amazon, done world tours, and her official website selling poetry. So yeah, side hustles provide women an avenue to pursue their passion.

FAQs

Conclusion

With these side hustle ideas, you won’t need to worry about debts or expenses. You also won’t have to look for day jobs or fear being laid off anymore. You will be in control of your finances. Not having to stress about budgeting with a single income is the greatest feeling every woman deserves. But before you decide, ask your friends or family about their side hustle ventures. Learn how they feel about them. 

Then start your new side gig and the work required to make it work, like marketing.  Feel welcome to share your experiences, how you spend the money you make, questions, or any ideas that will help in the comments below.