People have side hustles for a variety of reasons. The most obvious among them is to make extra cash. But a growing number of people are joining the gig economy for other reasons, according to Business Insider India, including the chance to socialize and flex their creative muscles.
Whether you’re looking to rediscover your joy or looking to make some extra money on the side, we encourage you to keep reading for help finding your next side hustle in India.
7 Steps to Choosing the Right Side Hustle
What’s right for you may not be what’s right for someone else. When considering side hustles, put the same amount of energy and effort into thinking about and researching your options as you would when choosing a main career (after all, your side hustle could even become your main career eventually!) Here are some good places to start:
- Think about what you naturally enjoy doing during your free time.
- Consider what technical skills you bring to the table.
- Research different side hustles and their immediate vs. long-term growth potential.
- Consider work environment; for online side hustles, do you have a dedicated workspace at home to minimize distraction and promote focus, and if not, are you willing to set one up?
- Consider the work-life balance of the side hustle. Will they add to the quality of your life or be just another “to-do”?
- Research the income potential of each intended side hustle you plan to join so you can compare options side-by-side.
- Seek guidance from those you know and trust. They may be able to provide encouragement and direction, especially if you’re in the early stages of choosing a side hustle and need help narrowing down your options. (If network marketing teaches us anything, it’s that there is power in social networks!)
5 International Side Hustles to Consider in 2024 & Beyond
Need more help deciding? Allow us to provide you with these five sides hustle ideas that are extremely popular in India and might just be perfect for you!
1. Creative
A creative side hustle, like being a content creator, blog writer, or graphic designer might be right for you if you:
- Enjoy self-expression
- Have strong communication skills
- Are comfortable on camera (if you plan to be an influencer or YouTube creator, for instance)
- Have in-depth knowledge of content creation technologies, social media sites, and other creative programs like InDesign or Adobe CS.
2. Sales & Marketing
A sales and marketing role such as an affiliate marketer or e-commerce owner might be right for you if you:
- Are persuasive
- Are good at relationship-building
- Are detail-oriented
- Are good at customer service
- Are organized and driven to earn
3. Direct Selling
Direct selling gets a bad rap. But it can be a great way to earn extra income with a high degree of autonomy and incentives for working with friends and those in your network (what’s not to like about that?!) It may be a great side hustle if you:
- Enjoy building relationships
- Are a good communicator
- Love inspiring others to action
- Are independent, driven, persistent and willing to put in the effort and time required to build a business
4. Technical
Do you have technical skills like coding knowledge or medical encoding expertise? A technical side-hustle could be a good fit if you:
- Have a deep understanding of coding, web design, app development, or other technical fields
- Enjoy problem-solving
- Are creative and innovative
- Are comfortable with repetitive tasks and data entry
5. Service-Based
From online/remote language translation to transcription and even consulting, there are plenty of services that you can provide online in India as side hustles! A service-based side hustle might be a good fit if you:
- Have a strong work ethic
- Are people-oriented and solutions-oriented
- Believe in the products/company you’re working for
Learn More About Direct Selling
Thinking about starting a marketing or direct selling side hustle? Make sure to read these 7 must-read books for direct sellers.