All Side Hustle Ideas
Every idea links to its source

Side hustle ideas from people who actually run them

Real side businesses, described by their owners. Filter by cost, time and how they earn.

Ideas
651
ideas
Publications
14
publications and shows
Categories
8
categories

Browse by category

  • Digital products67
    Files sold online: templates, printables, ebooks, stock photos, fonts, presets, plugins, recorded courses
  • Software and apps205
    A web app, SaaS, mobile app, browser extension, bot or API that people pay for or that earns from ads
  • Content and media105
    A blog, niche website, newsletter, YouTube channel, podcast or social account that earns from ads, affiliate links or sponsors
  • Physical products105
    Making, printing or reselling physical goods, online or in person
  • Services and freelancing103
    Doing work for clients for a fee: freelance, consulting, done-for-you services, repairs, local services
  • Rentals and assets36
    Earning from something you own: renting property, rooms, equipment, vehicles, parking, vending machines, domains
  • Directories and marketplaces11
    A job board, listings site, directory or marketplace that connects buyers and sellers
  • Teaching and coaching19
    Live tutoring, lessons, workshops, coaching or cohort classes

Matching ideas

About the data

Startup cost
Under $100$100 to $1k$1k to $10kOver $10k
Time
Hands-offA few hours a weekPart-timeNear full-time
Where
OnlineIn personOnline and in person
Earns from
AdsAffiliateSubscriptionsOne-time salesService feesRentMarketplace cutSponsors and donations
Coding
No coding neededNeeds coding

19 ideas

  • Services and freelancing
    Mobile espresso bike for events
    An espresso setup mounted on an electric-assist cargo trike that serves coffee at events without the overhead of a shop. The founder also builds and sells units to other entrepreneurs.
    Over $10kIn person
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Small-space gourmet mushroom farm
    Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms such as oyster, lion's mane and reishi, starting in a very small space. It grew into a farm operation alongside a growing club.
    $100 to $1k
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Sell goat milk to a zoo nursery
    Sold unprocessed goat milk to a zoo's exotic animal nursery, used to feed young animals.
    In person
    Hacker News, 2026
  • Physical products
    Wild-harvested produce at farmers markets
    Sold pesticide-free produce foraged from leased land and roadsides at farmers markets.
    In person
    Hacker News, 2026
  • Rentals and assets
    Imported perfume vending machines
    The operator imports vending machines that dispense perfume and places them in venues. Sales come from customers buying from the machines. The owner dropped it as too much hassle.
    Over $10kIn person
    The Koerner Office, 2025
  • Physical products
    Resale store for popular regional snacks
    A shop buys a famous roadside chain's snacks and resells them to customers elsewhere. Revenue comes from retail sales of the resold goods.
    The Hustle, 2024
  • Physical products
    Build boats on commission
    Builds dinghies, canoes, catamarans and other small boats in spare time, selling some and taking commissions from friends.
    $1k to $10kPart-time
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Services and freelancing
    Startup-themed escape room
    A physical escape room that parodies startup life, run day-to-day by a manager. Revenue is ticket sales.
    Over $10kIn person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Software and apps
    Buy, renovate and sell a foreclosed condo
    Bought a foreclosed condo, redid the kitchen and bathroom in spare time, and sold it for a profit later.
    Over $10kHands-offIn person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Sell music CDs and crafts at fan conventions
    Sells folk music CDs and handmade items at science fiction and fantasy conventions.
    $100 to $1kIn person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Backyard chickens and egg sales
    Keeps chickens and sells the eggs, which covers little more than feed costs.
    A few hours a week
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Beekeeping and honey sales
    Keeps bees and sells the honey, which brings in a few thousand a year.
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Coffee kiosk built around a morning habit
    Ran a coffee kiosk with branding and promotions designed to make customers return daily. Profitable but demanding on time and staff.
    Over $10kNear full-timeIn person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Custom tabletops for woodworking systems
    Cuts custom tabletops compatible with a popular woodworking tool brand on a CNC router and advertises only on Craigslist. Gets repeat orders from hobbyists and contractors.
    Over $10k
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Home-based hard cider company
    Licensed a home as a winery to make hard cider, selling to local stores and at a summer farmers market.
    Part-timeIn person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Homemade berry jellies sold by word of mouth
    Makes jelly by hand from berries grown in the garden and sells it through word of mouth.
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Sell surplus chicken eggs
    Sells eggs from backyard hens when they lay more than the household uses.
    Hands-off
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Physical products
    Small family winery from bought vineyards
    Bought vineyard plots and makes organic wine in an old-school dry style with help from a winemaking family, selling it and reinvesting the proceeds.
    Over $10kIn person
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Rentals and assets
    Vending machines in a single venue
    The operator places vending machines at one high-traffic location, in this case a hockey rink, and keeps the sales. Costs are stock and machine purchase.
    Over $10kIn person
    The Koerner Office