side hustle ideas

54 Side Hustle Ideas 2024 To Make Extra Money Fast (UK Version)

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Want to know the best side hustle ideas UK? For just a few hours of extra work, you can add a brilliant side hustle to your income.

The awesome thing about starting a side hustle is that you can do it in your spare time, working around your full-time job or lifestyle commitments.

A great side hustle idea can be the difference between making a bit of extra cash and launching a profitable venture.

When I started out blogging 10 years ago, I had no idea that it would lead to a career in copywriting (even though I always loved writing) but here we are!

So, whether you want to achieve financial freedom, get a little extra spending money for a holiday, or transition into making a full-time income online, read on to discover the best side hustle ideas UK, including the highest paying side hustles.

What Is A Side Hustle?

A side hustle is a way to start making money outside of your regular day job.

It may be a money source that allows you to make a decent income, or it may help you to get financial independence or even start a proper business that will eventually replace your day job.

How Much Money Can You Make From A Side Hustle Idea?

A profitable side hustle can depend on the type of work that you do and how much effort you’re willing to put into it.

According to Finder, Brits make an average of £206 per week from side hustle projects.

Naturally, the more spare time you have to dedicate to a side hustle, the more money you have the potential of earning.

Do I need to pay start up costs?

Not unless you plan on starting a business from scratch.

Most side hustle ideas don’t require your own money to begin.

Unless you’re entering quite a niche area which requires raw materials. Purchasing from a materials market can be costly. For instance, if you want to make pottery items to sell online, you’re going to need to buy some raw materials, like clay and tools.

To do this, you may need to start saving money first, before you can begin. However, many side hustle ideas don’t require start up costs.

What are the tax implications of a side hustle?

In the UK, you only need to pay tax when you earn £12,570. This may be higher if you’re claiming Blind Persons Allowance or Marriage Allowance.

If you earn more than £1000 you need to declare it to HMRC, even if you don’t need to pay tax on it.

Side Hustle Ideas

So, what are the best side hustle ideas for people in the UK to earn extra money?

Here are some brilliant side hustle ideas that you can start right now.

Matched betting

Matched betting is a great side hustle that anyone can do.

The good news with matched betting is that any extra money you earn is tax-free you don’t need to declare it.

I’ve made around £500 with matched betting for very little effort.

I use Profit Accumulator for matched betting as they lay out the step-by-step process for getting started. You do need a little cash to start with for this side hustle.

I started with around £50 – it does take slightly longer to achieve decent cash if you’ve only got a small pot to begin with but you can definitely make some serious money if you do it regularly.

Dog walking

If you love dogs, starting a dog walking venture is a brilliant side hustle.

You can easily begin by setting up a Facebook page and advertising your services on local Facebook pages or groups.

Alternatively, you can sell your dog walking services via Tailstar.

Freelance writing

Freelance writing is a great skill to have, making it the perfect side hustle.

I started freelance writing eight years ago and I’m now employed as a full-time copywriter so I know 100% that this side hustle has the potential to replace your day job and skyrocket your career.

Now, the approach you take to start freelance writing depends on how much income you’d like to make, and if you plan on making a full-time income from it in the future.

Experienced freelance writers can command hundreds of dollars per blog post depending on the niche that you’re in.

I started out on People Per Hour and Upwork to gain experience – I’d only recommend them for gaining experience and making some extra cash.

You can also use Fiverr too.

Social media manager

Who doesn’t use social media these days?

Social media management is one of the best side hustle ideas as almost all businesses have some kind of social media presence.

Running social media accounts for companies in your spare time is a good way to make money as you can simply write and schedule posts in advance, and then engage with users around your other commitments.

Becoming a social media manager means looking after Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter accounts for small businesses.

To get started in social media, consider reaching out to local companies via Facebook at gain some initial experience. You can then start marketing your services for a fee, reaching out to small businesses on Etsy, LinkedIn etc.

Virtual assistant

If you love staying organised, can use platforms like Google Docs, Microsoft Office and more, then being a virtual assistant may be your ideal side hustle idea.

A virtual assistant does all types of remote tasks, from content writing to booking appointments, and doing tech support.

Try Upwork or Indeed for businesses that need assistance.

Food delivery driver

Deliveroo, UberEats and JustEat all regularly require food delivery drivers.

Delivering food may not make you rich but it’s steady work that can easily help you to make more money.

Generally, you’ll need your own car or bike – you can expect to make around £9 to £15 per hour.

Pet sitting

Pet sitting services are a great side hustle for people who love animals.

Pet sitting involves looking after animals in their own home while their owners are away.

You could offer your services via Tailstar or promote yourself within local Facebook groups.

Market research

Make money with consumer focus groups, answering research questions and market research focus groups.

You can earn around £20+ per hour simply for answering a few questions about the products or services you currently use.

Angelfish Opinions are one website that provides market research opportunities.

Car boot sales

If you’ve got some spare belongings in your home, then doing car boot sales may be an excellent side hustle idea for you.

Check your local Facebook pages to see what’s going on in your area.

Rent out your spare room

Renting out your spare room could make you around £300 – £500 in extra cash per month depending on where you live in the UK.

If you own your own property, and have the space, this is a brilliant side hustle idea, especially as renting is in high demand.

Rent out your car

You can earn up to £650 per month by renting out your car.

If you’re looking to make extra income with little effort, this side hustle can give your bank balance a boost.

Try signing up to Karshare to loan out your ride.

Rent out your space for film/TV

Did you know that film and TV companies rent out properties to film in?

Imagine seeing your kitchen or spare room on TV! Cool, huh?

Plus, you’ll make some extra cash in return.

Contact agencies like Location Works to register your home.

Mystery shopping

Mystery shopping involves ‘testing’ companies on their customer service, shop design, and more.

Tasks involve making a telephone call or visiting a shop or restaurant to make a purchase.

You’re usually given a fee or vouchers in addition to a free meal or reimbursement for purchases.

A few companies that offer mystery shopping as a side hustle include:

Market Force

Grassroots

Tern

GWB

Children’s party entertainer

If you love acting or having fun, being a children’s party entertainer could be a profitable gig.

Ideally, you’ll need to be good at dancing, singing or general entertaining.

You can earn around £30+ per hour but you’ll probably need to work most weekends since this is when most kids’ parties are held.

Amazon delivery driver

If you fancy earning some extra cash as a side hustle, then why not sign up for Amazon Flex.

With this, you can deliver parcels in your own vehicle at a time that suits you.

I do know someone who’s joined the scheme so it is legit. However, I believe there may be a waitlist – Gaz has been signed up for a while and not been successful as yet.

Download the app to see if it’s available in your area.

Babysitter

If you’re good with children, earning money as a babysitter may work well for you.

If you’re going to go ‘legit’ I’d recommend getting a DBS check first.

However, you could try making money via word of mouth with people you know first.

Influencer

These days, it seems like every young person is an influencer.

Luckily, you don’t need a huge audience to start making money from influencing.

If you can grow your Instagram or TikTok followers to a couple of thousand people, then you could start getting extra cash as a side hustle via an app or pitching to small companies.

Upcycle furniture

Did you know that you can get free furniture from Facebook Marketplace and Freecycle.

If you’re handy with DIY, you could upcycle free furniture with a bit of paint, new handles etc and then sell these pieces to make money.

It’s the ideal side hustle for anyone creative!

Complete surveys

Surveys won’t make you rich, but you can make it an extra side hustle, especially if you use your phone a lot during the day, or have some spare time.

A few decent survey apps/websites include Curious Cat, Appinio, and YouGov.

Create an online store

If you want to create an e-commerce side hustle, then try building an online store.

You’ll need some products to sell first – you could source these via AliExpress or Alibaba. You can also get wholesale lots from eBay.

This is a good side hustle if you want to build a business to replace your full time job.

Etsy shop

Etsy is a platform for sellers that create ‘handmade’ items.

If you enjoy making pottery, cards, sewing, calligraphy etc, then an Etsy store could be the perfect side hustle for you.

You can also make and sell digital items too.

Cleaning

Cleaning isn’t the most glamorous side hustle but you can earn up to £20 per hour.

If you want to make money cleaning, you’ll need some cleaning products and tools – you could clean houses or even cars. I’ve seen young lads in my local area offering car cleaning services so you’re never too young (or old) to start!

Tutoring

If you’ve got a degree in English, Maths, Science etc, then tutoring students could be a good way to make money.

Tutorful is one website where you can sign up to offer your services!

Freelance transcription

Transcription involves listening to audio and typing it into words.

If you’re a fast typer, you could earn around £15 per hour from your home.

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping involves recording financial transactions – something that many businesses need.

If you’ve got good maths skills and understand the practice of bookkeeping, this side hustle could bring in a few extra pounds per month.

Becoming an Uber driver

One of the most well-known side hustles is an Uber driver.

To become an Uber driver, you’ll need your own vehicle, a valid driving license, the correct insurance, and be at least 21.

Reselling

Reselling involves purchasing discounted items and reselling them for more so that you make a profit.

Things like toys or gift sets are good things to buy and resell, particularly at Christmas.

Selling baked goods

If you’re good at baking, then selling baked goods could be a good side hustle.

I’ve seen many people set up local Facebook pages or Instagram accounts to sell their cakes and cookies.

You’ll need to register as a food business and be inspected by your local council for cleanliness etc. I’d also suggest getting insurance if you’re selling to the public.

Mobile hair and nails

Can you cut hair or do gel nails?

You could go mobile as a side hustle to make some extra money.

Gardening

Gardening isn’t the easiest side hustle – there’s a lot of hard work involved.

But, if you enjoy being outdoors, you’ll find plenty of people in local Facebook groups looking for help with digging out weeds or tidying their gardens.

Offer freelance tech support services

If you’ve got great tech skills, why not provide tech support services to entrepreneurs and local businesses. This is a brilliant side hustle idea that can prove very lucrative, particularly if you can get repeat business within your local community.

Flip websites

Flipping websites is a lucrative side hustle if you know how to set up websites on Shopify or WordPress.

By adding content to them, doing SEO and making them look visually attractive, you could sell a website for a couple of hundred pounds simply by doing the basics.

Flippa is a marketplace where you can sell websites.

Website testing

Testing websites via UserTesting helps companies to ensure they give their audience a good online experience.

By signing up as a website tester, you can turn this into a profitable side hustle.

Laundry services

Plenty of busy people need help with their laundry, such as washing and ironing.

If this is something that you like doing, try setting up a Facebook page and offering your services within local groups.

Become an extra

You can earn extra cash for being on TV and film sets as an extra.

Many production companies require extras for background scenes. While there is a lot of waiting around involved, this could be a fun side hustle, and you may get to spot a few celebs in the process.

Consider signing up to an agency to get started.

Provide translation services

If you speak more than one language, make money by offering translation services.

If you can speak French, HappyScribe offers translation jobs.

For other languages, try RWS or Gengo.

Become a makeup artist

Are you good at makeup application?

Why not become a makeup artist in your free time.

You don’t need any qualifications to get started, but you will need skills.

Consider doing makeup on friends and family first – take photos or videos and set up your own website and social pages – social media is a great way to get your makeup skills noticed!

Sell your images

If you love taking photos, then try selling your images to stock photo websites.

Shutterstock and EyeEm both accept submissions.

Freelance photography

If your photos become a hit with stock image websites, you could turn your passion for photography into a money maker.

Freelance photography is one of the best side hustles as people always require a photographer for events like weddings and birthday celebrations.

If you already own a decent camera, advertise your services via local websites in your area.

Design websites or logos

If design is your speciality, you could offer websites or logos in exchange for cash.

You can find clients via Fiverr or Upwork.

Become a voiceover artist

Do you have a good speaking voice?

Becoming a voiceover artist could become a full time job, especially if you have a nice tone to your voice.

Try finding a voiceover agency or advertising your services on People Per Hour.

Data entry

Do you have good computer skills? Are you a fast typer?

Then you could be good at data entry. This involves inputting information into databases like Microsoft Excel, and these jobs are usually remote.

Check out Indeed or Monster for data entry jobs in the UK.

Affiliate marketing

If you want to make money via affiliate marketing, you’ll require some kind of audience.

I’d suggest, using social media, YouTube, TikTok etc to start creating content and then adding affiliate links so that you can make a bit of cash.

Start by making content about what you’re good at – if you’re good at cooking, make some cooking videos, if you enjoy football, maybe create some football commentary videos.

Once you start getting views/followers, you can begin to join affiliate networks and make money.

Sell a skill

Are you good at design? Can you write CVs, are you good at organising things?

These are all skills you can sell on Fiverr. Many people use this platform as a side hustle. There are so many ways you can make money – the more unique, the better you may stand out.

Do ‘odd jobs’

Imagine earning money by putting some Ikea furniture together or putting up a few shelves.

If you’re decent at DIY, then doing ‘odd jobs’ could make a good side hustle.

Task Rabbit is a website where you can earn cash for small jobs.

Enter competitions

Entering competitions is a fun way to make money in your spare time. This side hustle does require some luck and effort, so it’s not for everyone.

However, if you enjoy the thrill of ‘winning’, then becoming a comper could be one of the best side hustles for you.

Fix electronics

Are you a dab hand at fixing phones, tablets, computers?

Fixing electronics isn’t a common side hustle but if you’ve got the skills then it could become fruitful.

Try advertising your services via social media or Gumtree. You could even buy broken items on eBay, fix them, and resell them for a profit.

Repair old clothes

Another good side hustle you can turn into lots of cash is by repairing clothes.

You can often find clothes that may need a bit of TLC via charity shops or on Depop.

If you can repair branded items, you can resell these – you could even turn old clothes into something new like a handbag.

What are the highest paying side hustles?

If you’re searching for highly paid side hustles, then you may be interested in these:

Carpentry – around £50 per hour

Dropshipping – around £40 per hour

Baking – around £30 per hour

Beauty therapy – around £18 per hour

Making jewellery – around £17 per hour

Blogging – around £15 per hour

These stats are according to Materials Market – obviously, the more time you have to dedicate to a side hustle, the more you will earn. If you have a specific skill, then that’s also going to give you a higher earning potential.

Passive income side hustle ideas UK

OK, so realistically most passive income side hustles require some form of effort up front.

If you’re willing to put in the hard work, then these side hustle ideas may interest you.

Create an online course

Creating an online course could make your extra income soar.

You’ll need to have some kind of skill to teach – that could be cooking, teaching people personal finance, dressmaking, or something else.

If you have some kind of audience, then you can create and sell an online course via platforms like Teachable.

If you don’t have your own website or audience, then Udemy and Skillshare are good places to host video courses.

Selling digital products

There are tons of digital products you can sell passively online.

These include:

  • Canva templates on Etsy or Creative Market
  • eBooks via your website
  • Fonts on Creative Market or Creative Fabrica
  • WordPress/Blogger templates
  • Shopify templates
  • Printables like art or planners

Airbnb

If you have an extra property, or the money to invest, then setting up an Airbnb could be lucrative. To make this a passive source of income, you’ll need to find someone to manage (clean and welcome guests etc) your property, but with more people staying in the UK to holiday, this could be profitable.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping isn’t an easy method of earning money but if you have some kind of audience, or know how to get traffic to your site (for example, you have some money to spend on Facebook ads), then dropshipping could be the right side hustle for you.

Essentially, this involves selling a product and shipping it directly from the manufacturer or stockist. You can set this up to run automatically as a passive side hustle idea – you’ll probably need to hire a VA or assistant for customer service though.

Dropservicing

Dropservicing is similar to dropshipping, but instead of selling products, you’re selling services.

For example, you may offer web design and then fulfil orders by hiring someone on Fiverr to do it for you. While this can make you a profit, you’ll need to find a reliable and skilled person to fulfil orders for you.

Blogging

Blogging is one of the best side hustle ideas that anyone can start.

All you need to get going is your own website.

Simply start writing blog posts, learn SEO and have some patience until you start getting views. You can then use display ads or affiliate marketing to make money.

How to Choose A Side Hustle Idea

So, how do you choose from all the side hustle ideas UK?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help narrow your choices down?

  1. How much do you want to make each month?
  2. How much time do you have to dedicate to a side hustle?
  3. How much effort do you want to put in from the start?
  4. Do you want to put in any money or do you want to start with as little as possible?
  5. What skills do you have?
  6. What do you enjoy?

Answering these questions will help you to determine which side hustle ideas are best for you.

You could also try several of these to see before you make your final choice.

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