10 Of The Best Side Business Ideas To Start In 2023

As an entrepreneur who has tried more than his fair share of part-time businesses over the years, I’ve learned that the best side business ideas are those that have a relatively low barrier to entry, room for growth, no to low investment, and, of course, the potential to make some serious money. 

While not all of the ten ideas listed below score top marks in every category, they do serve as an ideal entry point into the exciting world of the side hustle, providing the chance to make some extra cash without giving up your day job or investing a ton of money up front. 

Top 10 Best Side Business Ideas 

1. Join The Gig Economy

The US gig economy is expanding three times faster than the country’s entire job market, proving that there’s not only an abundance of opportunities for gig work but also a plethora of benefits to be gained from those opportunities. 

Undoubtedly the main reason services like Uber, Instacart, and Doordash remain such a popular choice among budding side hustlers is that they have the lowest barrier to entry. 

As long as you have your own vehicle, license, and insurance, you can practically start immediately. 

What’s more, although the default payment processing time for many gig apps can be as much as two or three days, most also have a fast pay option in which you can receive your money as soon as the next day for a small extra fee making this a great small business idea if you’re in a hurry to make extra money. 

Of course, the real beauty of the gig economy is that you’re not limited to driving around all day delivering food or getting people from A to B. 

There are plenty of other options. 

For example, you could use the Rover app to pick up some extra cash as a dog walker in your spare time or download TaskRabbit and use it to find jobs such as furniture assembly or DIY tasks. 

On the downside, one disadvantage of gig work is that there isn’t much opportunity to grow your business, as you can only make as much money as your schedule allows.

Opportunities for upselling are limited, and since some apps generally assign you to a customer at random based on your availability, there isn’t much opportunity to develop the kind of loyal customer base that keeps people coming back to you, and only you, time and time again.

That aside, if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to bring home some extra cash, gig work is undoubtedly an excellent place to start.  

2. Flip Thrift Store and Flea Market Finds

Thrift stores, flea markets, and even yard sales serve as a veritable gold mine of potentially profitable inventory for Savvy entrepreneurs who are willing to go out and look for them. 

Whether it’s snazzy second-hand clothes that can be flipped on fashion marketplace apps such as Poshmark or electronics, collectibles, and sports equipment that can be resold on eBay, thrift stores offer a veritable goldmine of profitable inventory for savvy entrepreneurs who are prepared to go out and look for it.

Of course, the key to success here is knowing what to look for and what to look for in the first place. 

I learned the hard way that there is nothing worse than handing over your money to a thrift store for something you’re convinced is rare and valuable, only to discover that it’s worthless and nobody wants it.

With that in mind, it pays to begin your thrift store flipping career by really getting to know your market. 

Pick a niche, something you already know something about, whether it’s vintage fashion, sports merchandise, music, or just about anything else. 

Next, use sites such as the aforementioned eBay or Facebook Marketplace to research the kind of items relating to your niche that people are buying and how much they’re buying them for. 

This will prove invaluable for your next thrift store treasure hunt as it will help focus your attention on those items that are actually going to turn a profit.

3. Sell Your Skills as a Freelancer

One of the many wonderful upsides to the self-employment boom is that as more and more people start their own businesses, the more small business owners there are out there who need help with a whole host of marketing and management tasks.

That’s where you come in.

If you have a knack for writing, bookkeeping, graphic design, web design, or product photography, for example, then there’s a huge market out there for you to offer your services as a freelancer. 

Much like gig economy work, freelancing has a generally low barrier to entry as anyone can set themselves up on services like Fiverr, UpWork, and People Per Hour and begin trading their skills for money. 

It’s completely free to sign up and use any of those services to find freelance clients. Freelance marketplaces typically make their money by charging a commission automatically deducted from your earnings, making them the ideal platform for starting a side business with no upfront costs.

However, since it is so easy to get started, competition can be fierce, meaning you will have to go all out to impress clients and stand out from the crowd, going above and beyond in terms of your work, professionalism, and customer service. 

4. Share Your Knowledge

They say that knowledge is power, and in the world of side hustling, your expertise can prove to be a powerful way to profit.

If you have a qualification in your chosen subject, you can make additional income teaching those subjects to students via sites such as Tutor.com or SuperProf. 

Elsewhere, talented musicians can start a side business sharing their skills with other would-be virtuosos on platforms like Live Music Tutor.

That’s not to mention the high demand for certified TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) tutors, who can find regular, flexible work thanks to the likes of Preply and Tutorful. 

One of the best things about selling your knowledge as a side business is that there are plenty of opportunities to grow by creating additional revenue streams. 

Along with online tutoring, you could always package pre-made lessons into an online course and upload it to Udemy or Teachable, earning money any time a new student enrolls.

You could also share your expertise through self-published books sold on Amazon KDP or Smashwords, giving you three sources of income from the same subject.  

5. Sell Your Art

Just like those running knowledge base businesses, creative types have lots of potential revenue streams to take advantage of. 

The most widely known of these is, of course, selling arts and handmade Goods via autism marketplaces such as Etsy.

Creating your own store on Etsy costs nothing. you only pay anything when you make a sale; even then, the money is taken directly from your account as a commission fee. 

Not that the web is the only place you can turn your passion into profits. 

Contact local Galleries and art organizations to find out details of art fairs, pop-up events, and other opportunities to sell your work. 

Doing so not only gives you a way to make extra income on top of your Etsy store, but it also is a great way to meet your buyers face to face, building a relationship that could well lead to them buying more of your work in the future. 

6. Rent Your Space on Airbnb

Starting an Airbnb rental business is a great side hustle for anyone with space at their property that isn’t currently being utilized. 

Although the common advice is to rent out your spare room, practically any unused space can be turned into attractive and comfortable accommodation. 

My family and I recently stayed in a converted garage in Philadelphia, and the owners had done such a good job at providing a five-star experience that we now couldn’t imagine staying anywhere else the next time we’re in town. 

However, this also highlights the one drawback to running an Airbnb side business:

In order to deliver the kind of high-grade experiences that generate rave reviews and repeat bookings, you may need to invest money in upgrading your real estate, even if it’s only with a fresh coat of paint and new bedding. 

Still, if you have that kind of capital available, the gains are there for the taking, with the average Airbnb host in the United States earning over $40,000 per year. 

7. Start a Repair Business

Are you the one all your friends turn to fix their cellphones or your family’s go-to person for household appliance repairs?

Related: 59 blue collar business ideas

If so, a part-time repair business is perhaps the best side hustle idea to pursue. 

You can offer your services to local customers via on-demand handyman apps such as AllBetter or Angi Services. 

These apps provide access to countless household repair, service, and maintenance jobs that you can fit into your schedule, with opportunities to earn bonuses and tips from satisfied clients. 

There are other ways to grow your repair business too.

Learn how to design business cards and pass them on to friends or colleagues you’ve helped out in the past, asking them to refer you whenever they hear of someone in need of your services. 

Get flyers printed and distribute them in your local community, and be sure to utilize social media to reach your target audience. 

8. Offer Virtual Assistant Services

Starting a virtual assistant business not only gives you the freedom to run your side gig on your own terms and your own schedule but also allows you to take on a variety of work, 

One day, you could be managing social media accounts for a local gym, the next, you could be booking lead appointments for an online consulting business, making this the ideal business for anyone who gets tired of doing the same thing every day. 

As with many of the side business ideas listed in this guide, it doesn’t take a great deal to get started, requiring little more than an Internet connection and whatever tools or apps you need to provide your services. 

Like other freelancers, you use platforms such as Fiverr to advertise your services, find clients, and manage your orders, all without paying a penny upfront. 

9. Create Monetizable Content

Content creation is big business these days. 

LinkTree’s 2022 Creator Report notes that top earners can bring home over $50,000 in annual revenue, while the average earning for a part-time creator is less than $1,000 per year.

The only drawback here is that whether you decide to start blogging, podcasting, creating videos, or making any other type of content, it may take a while before your efforts really pay off. 

It’s often said that bloggers need to wait between six months to a year before their blog begins to turn a significant profit, while platforms such as YouTube require you to have 500 followers and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million views on your shorts before you can access monetization tools. 

Stick with it, though, and the rewards can be well worth it, especially if you work on creating unique ways to repurpose your content. 

For example, it’s not unusual for a successful blogger to also self-publish books and YouTube videos relating to their niche, ultimately creating multiple sources of income from one content brand.

10. Start a Home Services Business

Last but not least, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, there’s a whole host of possible home service businesses you could start, whether it’s domestic cleaning, gardening, lawn care, or even dog walking.

You could even get paid as a pet sitter or for looking after someone’s home while they’re on vacation by using apps such as Trusted House Sitters or Mind My House. 

What are the Best Side Business Ideas to Start in 2023? Final Thoughts

If you recall, I started this guide by saying that the best side business ideas are those that have a low barrier to entry, making it easy to get started. 

With that said, it’s worth noting that what may be easy for one side hustler may not be so straightforward for another. 

After all, while launching a part-time landscape gardening business may be no trouble at all for someone with a shed full of tools and a love of working outdoors, it might not be such an effortless undertaking if you first need to raise the funds to buy all the equipment. 

Likewise, becoming a freelance writer or social media marketing specialist can provide exciting opportunities for those with the right skills. The level of competition in any freelance industry can make it tough to stand out from the crowd. 

Hopefully, the ideas listed above have helped you determine the right path to start your journey toward a profitable side hustle. However, if you’re still struggling, see our complete beginner’s guide to starting a side business, where you’ll find an easy-to-follow exercise that can help you make your mind up once and for all.