How to Start a Side Gig the Right Way in 2022

Are you looking to start a side gig this year?

Well, you’re not alone…

Earning a side income is a hot trend at the moment with almost 60% of Americans planning to get in on the action.

And I’m not surprised. I started my own side gig over 10 years ago and it was the best decision of my life.

It started as a creative outlet. Then I met some cool people and traveled the world. And yes, I stabilized my income and captured the freedom I was craving.

None of which would’ve been possible if I never started. So take the leap, you won’t regret it.

Over those ten years, I’ve learned a whole lot about myself and a range of new and interesting topics that I never imagined possible.

All-in-all, starting a side gig helped me find my passion and spend every day doing something I love.

But how do you find something you’re passionate about? What side gigs can you start in 2022?

Here are some ideas.

5 Side Gig Ideas for 2022

There are numerous ways you can sink your teeth into a side gig in 2022.

#1. Teach courses

Rather than coming up with something completely new, why not use the skills you already have to teach others?

The great thing about teaching courses is that once you’ve created a course it can earn you side income for months or years into the future.

It’s also super-easy to start a course-based side gig with sites such as Udemy designed specifically for this purpose.

#2. Take on freelance work

Another easy way to start a side gig is to work as a freelancer. Much like teaching courses, working as a freelancer allows you to use your current skills to make additional income without launching an entirely new business.

With freelance marketplaces, such as Fiverr, you can start an account and begin selling your skills in minutes. A gig is purchased every 4 seconds on Fiverr, with freelancers and experts making anywhere from $5 to $15,000+ per project. You can make money on Fiverr with just about ANY skillset – from graphic design to legal and finance consulting, there’s a business that needs your skills.

#3. Promote products as an affiliate

Affiliate marketing is a proven way of making a side income online. The concept is fairly simple, you promote someone else’s product or service and earn a commission for any sales you refer.

Being successful at affiliate marketing is a little more time-intensive than selling courses or completing freelance work – in the beginning at least. Before you can earn affiliate commissions you need to build an audience and gain their trust, so they respect your recommendations.

At the core of affiliate marketing is great content. Be that on social media, a blog, a YouTube channel, or some other targeted form of audience development.

Once you have the audience, you can find businesses to promote by using affiliate networks, such as Impact.

#4. Sell physical products

If you’ve really got the itch to start something entrepreneurial you may want to sell physical products. Of course, launching an eCommerce business will take a bit more nous and gruntwork than the other side gigs I’ve mentioned above.

For starters, you’ll likely need a bit of capital to purchase stock, advertise your products, and build a customer base. You’ll also need to determine where you will sell your products. On a website? On eBay? Etsy? Amazon? All are worthy options but have a cost and learning curve that is unique.

Alternatively, you can start a dropshipping business – which has the lowest barrier to entry. The way dropshipping works is that you sell the products of other brands on your website and when a customer places an order the brand handles shipment for you. It sounds good in theory but comes with a range of complications in terms of quality control, shipping times, and customer returns.

If you want to start a dropshipping business, check out Modalyst for finding products.

#5. Buy an online business

If you like the idea of affiliate marketing or running an eCommerce business but don’t want to invest the time into growing it from scratch, you could buy an already established brand. Of course, this requires capital!

Flippa is an online marketplace where you can buy and sell online businesses. It gives you a data-backed analysis of the business for sale and lets you make an educated decision about which one is right for you.

You could even use a marketplace such as this to “flip” your own websites, apps, or eCommerce businesses as they grow.

5 Tips to Brand Your Side Gig the Right Way

Choosing a type of side gig to start is one thing, but preparing for launch is a challenge in itself. Many new side hustlers underestimate how important branding is – even if you are just a freelancer. Your brand identity is what makes you memorable or easily forgotten – which one do you want?

Here are some important things to consider when branding your side gig:

• Choose a name and design a logo – Your brand name, colors, and logo all need to be in sync so that they leave an impression on prospective customers. Simplicity is important when choosing these elements of your business.
• Build a website – Even as a freelancer you need a website. Your website acts as a central place for people to find out about you and your side gig. It may be a portfolio, a store, or even just a bio page.
• Get a branded domain name – A short, unique, and memorable domain name adds value to your brand. My choice is .ONLINE because it’s refreshing and many of the best domain names are still available.

• Establish a social media presence – As well as a website, your side gig should have a social media presence. Social media is where people hang out online and by being present, it adds a layer of credibility to your brand. Another reason I choose .ONLINE for my domain is it works as a link shortener on social media, too. This significantly increases brand recall and builds trust. Here’s how it looks in one of my Tweets:

• Reach out to your network – Once you’ve got a name, logo, website, and social media presence, kickstart your side hustle by reaching out to your network and proliferating the message or asking for referrals. Don’t be shy – your biggest advocates will be those closest to you at the beginning, so take a leap of faith.

Wrapping up

The gig economy is going from strength to strength. There have never been more opportunities to start a side hustle than there is today. From freelance businesses to fully-fledged eCommerce stores, people all over the world are looking for ways to supplement their income and achieve their life goals.

When will you get started? What’s holding you back?