10 Best Side Hustles for Beginners in the UK 2024

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In a world where the cost of living rises every day, side hustles are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, around 44% of Brits already have a side hustle and some even have more than one. If you haven’t jumped on the side hustle bandwagon yet, this article will reveal the 10 best side hustles for beginners in the UK 2024.

A side hustle refers to a part-time job or business that you undertake alongside your regular job or other commitments. It's a fantastic way to supplement your income, pursue your passions, or even transition into a new career. In the UK, where the cost of living can be high, having a side hustle can provide you with that extra financial cushion.

Moreover, side hustles offer numerous benefits that go beyond the monetary aspect. They can boost your skill set, improve your time management, and ignite your entrepreneurial spirit. Plus, with the rise of remote work and online platforms, there are more opportunities than ever to start a side hustle, even if you're a beginner.

Read: How to use your side hustle to build wealth

So, if you’re ready to start your first side hustle - or if you’re looking to start another - here are 10 side hustles for beginners.

10 Beginner Side Hustle Ideas

Here is an overview of the best side hustle ideas for beginners in the UK. Scroll further down to learn more about each easy side hustle idea.

1. Make TikTok videos: Get paid to watch TikTok videos, send messages and create content. This is a good option for social media addicts who want to turn their passion into extra cash.

2. PaidOnlineWritingJobs: Find high-paying writing jobs and earn up to £75 per hour from your laptop.

3. Data Entry: Make money on your phone or laptop during your spare time. The best beginner side hustle for busy professionals or parents.

4. Sell clothes on Depop: Easiest side hustle to start as a beginner in the UK. Make money with clothes that are sat in your wardrobe.

5. Amazon FBA: Beginner-friendly eCommerce side hustle idea to start in 2024. Earn passive income with your own Amazon store.

6. Pinterest affiliate marketing: Low-effort side hustle for beginners in the UK. Earn passive income by creating Pinterest Pins.

7. Become a UGC creator: Make money on social media even if you have a small audience. Great side hustle idea for beginner’s who love to post.

8. Pet sitting: Get paid to look after people’s pets in the UK in 2024.

9. Freelance writing: Beginner-friendly freelancer side hustle that you can do from anywhere in the world.

10. Rent out your car: Easy side hustle idea for UK drivers who can commute to work.

11. Sell digital products on Etsy: Untapped passive side hustle idea that is great for beginners in the UK.

A Closer Look At The Best Side Hustles for Beginners in the UK 2024

If you want to know more about our recommended side hustles for beginners, here is a more in-depth look at each of the ideas mentioned in the list above.

1. Make TikTok Videos - A fun side hustle option for beginners

One of the best side hustle opportunities for beginners is to make TikTok videos for PaidSocialMediaJobs. This is a platform that connects freelancers with social media job opportunities. Many of the jobs available pay up to $75 per hour and you do not need any experience to start.

It is important to note here that PaidSocialMediaJobs is a site that connects users with side hustle opportunities, there is no guarantee that you will make any money. To earn extra cash, you will need to apply for jobs and deliver excellent work.

If you are savvy with social media, this could be a great side hustle for you. As well as creating TikTok videos, the platform offers Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter jobs. It is a good platform for anyone who wants to make money from social media but doesn’t want to go down the influencer route.

2. PaidOnlineWritingJobs - Earn up to £75 per hour from your laptop

PaidOnlineWritingJobs is a platform that connects users to high-paying side hustle opportunities. This is a great option for beginners because the jobs are relatively easy and require just a laptop.

Once you have signed up to the platform, you will receive job opportunities sent to your inbox. Users can pick and choose which jobs they apply for and most opportunities have very low application requirements.

Signing up to a platform like PaidOnlineWritingJobs is a great way to get your foot in the door as a beginner. By becoming a member, you will receive early access to the highest-paying remote jobs that are flexible and beginner-friendly.

The main drawback of this beginner side hustle is that you must pay £1 per month to access the platform. However, you can cancel your subscription at any time.

3. Data Entry - Make money doing simple tasks on your phone

Data entry is a straightforward and beginner-friendly side hustle. Many companies and individuals require data entry services, and you can do this work from the comfort of your home. It's a flexible option that allows you to choose your working hours.

Examples of data entry side hustles include filling out spreadsheets, copy typing, answering surveys, and completing forms. These jobs can take anything from 5 minutes to 1 hour to complete and require no existing skillset.

The best way to find data entry jobs in the UK is to sign up to a micro-tasking platform such as Clickworker, Amazon Mechanical Turk or Appen. These platforms work directly with businesses to find available data entry tasks and distribute them to workers.

Data entry jobs are usually quite low-paid. However, they are appealing to beginners because of the low barrier to entry, flexibility and relatively low-stress.

4. Sell clothes on Depop - The easiest side hustle for beginners in the UK

Perhaps the easiest way to make extra money on the side in the UK is to sell your clothes on Depop. This involves uploading items to your own Depop store and making money every time someone buys something that you no longer wear.

You would be surprised how much you can make from a few old outfits. We tried this side hustle during lockdown and managed to make around £350 in one month.

This side hustle is perfect for beginners because it has zero startup costs and requires very little time. The process of sorting through your clothes and taking photos may take a couple of hours but after that, all you have to do is reply to messages from buyers.

Depop is free to use in the UK. Furthermore, you can sign up from the age of 13 which makes it a great side hustle for teens.

If you’re looking for a long-term side hustle, it is easy to turn your Depop shop into a small re-selling business. This involves sourcing items from second-hand stores or wholesalers and selling them for a higher price on Depop. This is a great small business idea for people who love fashion.

Many Depop re-sellers are able to run their business full time. In fact, some of the most successful Depop sellers make up to $10,000 per month from their shops.

5. Amazon FBA - Best eCommerce side hustle for beginners in the UK

Amazon FBA is a program where you send your products to Amazon, and they handle storage, shipping, and customer service. This side hustle is perfect if you're interested in e-commerce but don't want to deal with the logistics of running your own online store. It's a scalable business model that can be very profitable.

As one of the best eCommerce side hustles, Amazon FBA can be very profitable. However, this side hustle requires a little more initial effort and higher startup costs than the other beginner side hustles that we have mentioned so far.

Getting started with Amazon FBA requires researching trending products, finding a wholesale supplier who can ship the products to an Amazon warehouse, listing the products on your Amazon storefront, and finally, marketing the products.

It can take several weeks to make your first sale and some sellers don’t make any profit for a whole year. However, Amazon FBA is a side hustle that pays well and over time, it is possible to turn FBA into a six-figure business.

Amazon FBA is widely considered the best eCommerce side hustle for beginners because sellers can take advantage of Amazon’s pre-established audience and reputation. This makes the process of landing your first sale a LOT easier. FBA sellers also don’t need to worry about storage or fulfillment which makes it a good side hustle idea for travelers.

6. Pinterest Affiliate Marketing - Low-effort side hustle for beginners

Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular passive side hustles in 2024. However, many traditional platforms make it difficult to earn money without a big audience, which can take a lot of time to build. Pinterest affiliate marketing is an innovative approach that solves this issue and makes it possible for literally anyone to make money from promoting products online.

Pinterest affiliate marketing involves creating visually appealing pins that link directly to products via affiliate links. Every time that someone clicks on a pin, they will be directed to the product sales page and you earn a commission if they choose to buy.

Pinterest is a great platform for affiliate marketing because it is a visual search engine - people use the platform to search for ideas and inspiration. This means that you do not need any followers for your pins to appear in search, just SEO-optimized descriptions.

The best way to start is to sign up to a beginner affiliate program. These programs have low entry requirements and allow you to promote a range of brands.

When it comes to hacking the Pinterest algorithm, there is no magic number. However, we recommend posting multiple times per day, everyday, for a least 3 months to see results from this beginner side hustle idea.

7. Become a UGC creator - Make money on social media even if you have a small audience

If you want to make money on social media but Pinterest affiliate marketing isn’t for you, you could try becoming a UGC creator. A UGC creator is a social media content creator who creates content on behalf of brands. The content is usually used for social media marketing to promote products in a way that is relatable and realistic.

Brands realize that professionally-made ads aren’t as effective as genuine, human-made content when it comes to marketing. Therefore, there is a huge demand for UGC creators who can create video, image and text content for brands to use.

You do not have to be an influencer or professional social media creator to be successful with UGC. In fact, brands look for everyday people who can create content that appears relatable and amateur.

The easiest way to become a UGC creator is to sign up for a UGC agency. These agencies connect brands with creators to make the process of finding work easier. Most agencies ask for some content samples upon application.

Successful UGC creators can earn A LOT in 2024. The highest-paying platform is YouTube followed closely by TikTok. However, it is possible to create UGC content for a variety of platforms.

8. Pet Sitting - Get paid to look after people’s pets

Animal lovers will be pleased to know that it is possible to make extra money in the UK by looking after other people’s pets. Pet sitting is a popular side hustle that can earn you between £20 and £75 per hour. This beginner side hustle is one of the easiest to start. Simply sign up for a pet sitting platform, create a profile and apply to local jobs.

Pet sitting is a great side hustle for beginners because it is enjoyable (as long as you like animals). The exact requirements of a pet sitter will depend on the animal that needs caring for. Some pet-sitting jobs require walking, feeding, or overnight care. Others simply require you to watch over pets for a few hours while their owner is busy.

Pet sitting is a good side hustle for students because it is flexible and you can study whilst watching people’s pets. To successfully land pet-sitting jobs, apply for as many as possible and showcase our experience by adding photos to your profile. It may take a few days to find a job and the process gets easier as you gain good reviews.

Over time, it is possible to find regular owners who can provide you with a steady stream of pet sitting work.

9. Freelance writing - Beginner-friendly freelance side hustle that you can do from anywhere in the world.

Freelance writing is one of the best side hustles for beginners for several reasons. There is a lot of work available, the pay-per-hour can be very high and it is easy to get into. Freelance writers create written content for businesses that need to outsource work. This could be anything from blog posts to email copy.

Freelance writing requires just a laptop and writing skills, which means that it can be done from anywhere in the world. It is possible to earn up to £150 per hour for advanced writing gigs but the average freelance writer in the UK can expect to earn around £20 per hour.

The best way to find freelance writing jobs is to sign up for a platform such as Fiverr. Fiverr is a freelance marketplace through which freelancers can post their skills and businesses can hire suitable individuals to complete tasks.

To increase your chances of finding work, we recommend creating a portfolio of examples that you can use to showcase your skills. This could be essays or long-form content that you have written or examples of copywriting (emails, website content ect…).

10. Rent out your car - Easy UK side hustle for anyone who can commute to work

Did you know that you can make money by renting out your car in the UK? That’s right. It is possible to earn up to £600 per month by renting your car to tourists and other people who need to borrow a vehicle. This side hustle is very easy to start, as long as your car has under 100,000 miles on the clock, and does not require any lengthy applications or waiting for profits. As soon as you are accepted by a car rental platform, money is almost guaranteed.

The process of renting out your car for extra cash is simple. First, make sure that your car meets the requirements. Then, sign up to a car rental platform such as Turo or HiyaCar. The last step is to list your car and get paid.

Most car rental companies use disposable, digital keys to ensure that the process of renting out your car is safe and seamless. All you need to do is hand your car over to people at the start of their lease. The car rental companies ensure that your vehicle is maintained throughout the process. It is also possible to specify what days your car can be rented out, which means that you ca still use it yourself when you need to.

Also read: How to make money by putting ads on your car

11. Sell digital products on Etsy - untapped passive side hustle idea

Etsy is an e-commerce platform that allows anyone to sell their own products online. However, not everyone has the space, or skills, to create, store and sell physical products. Luckily, it is possible to earn a good side income by selling digital products on Etsy in 2024.

Digital products are virtual products that can be downloaded and used electronically or printed off. Examples of digital products to sell on Etsy include printable wall art, photoshop templates, website designs, fonts, and digital planners. These products can be created using free tools such as Canva and are easy to store.

Despite the low cost of making digital products, it is possible to make a LOT of money from this online side hustle idea. Furthermore, the income from selling digital products on Etsy can easily become passive once the products are made.

It is easy to set up an Etsy shop in the UK. Simply fill in your details, list your products, and attach a payment method. To increase your success, make sure to use optimized descriptions and update your product listings regularly.

What Makes a Good Beginner Side Hustle?

It is possible to make a good side income with a side hustle in the UK, even as a beginner. However, there are a few things that make this easier that you should look out for when choosing a beginner side hustle in 2024.

Low Start-Up Costs

One of the key factors that make a side hustle ideal for beginners is low start-up costs. You don't want to sink a significant amount of money into a venture before you're sure it's a good fit for you. The side hustles mentioned above generally require minimal initial investment, making them accessible to most people.

Opportunity for Passive Income

Passive income is money you earn without actively working for it. While not all side hustles offer passive income, some, like Amazon FBA and selling digital products, can generate money even when you're not actively working on them. This is a valuable feature as it allows you to earn while you sleep.

Easy Setup Process

Beginners often prefer side hustles with a straightforward setup process. Complicated or time-consuming start-up procedures can be discouraging. The side hustles listed in this guide are known for their simplicity in getting started. You can usually set up and start earning within a relatively short time.

Conclusion

There are numerous ways that you can earn extra money from a side hustle in the UK as a beginner. In this article, we have discussed 10 great options to consider and provided some things to look out for if you see any other side hustle ideas that seem appealing. The best side hustle for beginners in the UK in 2024 is data entry because it is possible to make money on the same day as signing up.

For more side hustle ideas that you can use to make extra money in the UK, check out our other articles on The Rich Girl Guide.

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