Side hustle ideas from people who actually run them
Real side businesses, described by their owners. Filter by cost, time and how they earn.
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- 651 ideas
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- Files sold online: templates, printables, ebooks, stock photos, fonts, presets, plugins, recorded courses
- A web app, SaaS, mobile app, browser extension, bot or API that people pay for or that earns from ads
- A blog, niche website, newsletter, YouTube channel, podcast or social account that earns from ads, affiliate links or sponsors
- Making, printing or reselling physical goods, online or in person
- Doing work for clients for a fee: freelance, consulting, done-for-you services, repairs, local services
- Earning from something you own: renting property, rooms, equipment, vehicles, parking, vending machines, domains
- A job board, listings site, directory or marketplace that connects buyers and sellers
- Live tutoring, lessons, workshops, coaching or cohort classes
Matching ideas
About the data32 ideas
- Services and freelancingA large laundromat with a commercial laundry operation and remote management technology, now offered as a franchise.Over $10kIn personThe Koerner Office, 2026
- Services and freelancingAn 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 personSide Hustle Nation, 2026
- Services and freelancingAcquiring an existing landscaping company in South Florida instead of starting from scratch. The episode covers rebuilding after losing most of the team and clients, and using simple AI tools to save admin time.Over $10kNear full-timeIn personSide Hustle Nation, 2026
- Services and freelancingRuns a mobile knife sharpening service from a van, charging per inch of blade, mostly at farmers markets.Over $10kIn personHacker News, 2026
- Teaching and coachingTeaches private music lessons and plays jazz gigs.In personHacker News, 2026
- Physical productsSold unprocessed goat milk to a zoo's exotic animal nursery, used to feed young animals.In personHacker News, 2026
- Rentals and assetsThe 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 personThe Koerner Office, 2025
- Services and freelancingA local service handles cremation for pets and takes referrals from veterinary clinics. Clinics are the recurring business customers.Over $10kIn personThe Koerner Office, 2025
- Rentals and assetsThe operator holds stakes in RV and mobile home parks and collects rent from the lot and site tenants. Parks can also be bought and resold.Over $10kIn personDiary of a CEO, 2025
- Physical productsA 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
- Services and freelancingBuilt an escape room game with colleagues in a rented warehouse after trying local ones.Over $10kIn personHacker News, 2022
- Rentals and assetsOwns a number of rental properties across the US that produce monthly income after mortgages and expenses.Over $10kHacker News, 2022
- Services and freelancingOwns a franchise hair salon that is managed day to day by someone else.Over $10kHands-offIn personHacker News, 2019
- Rentals and assetsOwns a pawn shop that someone else manages day to day.Over $10kHands-offIn personHacker News, 2019
- Rentals and assetsEarns semi-passive rental income from one property unit and plans to buy more.Over $10kHands-offHacker News, 2019
- Services and freelancingA physical escape room that parodies startup life, run day-to-day by a manager. Revenue is ticket sales.Over $10kIn personHacker News, 2019
- Software and appsBought a foreclosed condo, redid the kitchen and bathroom in spare time, and sold it for a profit later.Over $10kHands-offIn personHacker News, 2019
- Services and freelancingRuns a private practice teaching mindfulness and breathwork, guiding self-exploration and providing healing touch and bodywork.Part-timeIn personHacker News, 2019
- Services and freelancingBuys older small houses, renovates them on weekends and holidays, and sells them for a profit. Hires out only specialist work like electrical.Over $10kPart-timeIn personHacker News, 2019
- Physical productsRan a coffee kiosk with branding and promotions designed to make customers return daily. Profitable but demanding on time and staff.Over $10kNear full-timeIn personHacker News, 2019
- Physical productsCuts 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 $10kHacker News, 2019
- Services and freelancingUses a CNC laser cutter to make items for friends and local schools, for a modest monthly income.A few hours a weekHacker News, 2019
- Rentals and assetsOwns a small rental property that covers its mortgage plus a little extra each month.Over $10kHacker News, 2019
- Services and freelancingHelps organize small music shows and festivals and records local indie bands, mostly for friends and acquaintances.In personHacker News, 2019
- Physical productsBought 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 personHacker News, 2019
- Rentals and assetsRents out the downstairs unit of a multifamily house bought with an owner-occupant loan, collecting monthly rent with little work.Over $10kHands-offIn personHacker News, 2018
- Rentals and assetsBought a commercial property with a fixed rate mortgage and leases it out. Takes little time each month and pays rental income after tax.Over $10kHands-offHacker News, 2016
- Services and freelancingA retail shop that fixes broken phones for walk-in customers, grown from one location to several. The owner later sold the business.Over $10kIn personTop Founders, 2016
- Over $10kHands-offIn personHacker News, 2014
- Rentals and assetsBought a house with an existing tenant and collects rent with very little work.Over $10kHands-offHacker News, 2014
- Rentals and assetsBought discounted condos, fixed them up and rents them out through a property manager, keeping most of the rent after fees and taxes.Over $10kHands-offIn personHacker News, 2014
- Rentals and assetsThe 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 personThe Koerner Office