19 Best Side Hustles for Women to Earn Extra Money in 2024

Side hustles are ideal for anyone looking to make an extra income stream, even more so for women who often carry the larger share of family responsibilities. If you don’t have a family yet, having a side hustle can help you secure your finances and have enough resources to raise a family when the time comes.

The cost of living continues to rise in many parts of the world, while salaries remain largely stagnant or increase only marginally over the years. Soon enough, you’ll discover that your salary won’t be able to cater to your needs. 

Whether you have a working spouse or you’re raising children alone, there’s a need to create an extra income to supplement your salary and put aside some savings for the proverbial rainy day. If your significant other needs extra income as well, here is an article on side hustles for men.

How to Balance Work, Family, and Side Hustles for Women?

Right now, you probably feel you have your hands full with work and family responsibilities and are wondering how to incorporate a side hustle. Striking a balance comes down to time management. We all have the same 24 hours a day; what matters is how we make the best of them. 

Prepare a list of everything you need to do in a week. Create a schedule covering these tasks, with a designated timeline for each. Try to make it a daily routine. 

You may not adhere to it strictly due to circumstances, but it’s worth a try. Delegate what you can so you don’t have too much on your hands.

Having a schedule helps you avoid distractions. When you know what to do, you’re less likely to spend time aimlessly scrolling through your phone or watching TV. 

With adequate planning, you can do it all and even have time to rest. Once everything is planned, check out side hustle apps or keep reading to learn about the best side hustles for women. 

How to Choose the Best Side Hustles for Women in 2024

There are many side hustle options out here that can earn you extra income. Keep in mind that you can also generate passive income if committing to more demanding side hustle is not on the table. Below, we discuss various options in detail. But first, let’s see what you need to consider so you can narrow down the best side hustles suited for you: 

– Interest and Skill 

Your ideal side hustle will most likely come from something you’re passionate about or skilled in. Start by listing the things you love to do, even if you’re not an expert in them yet. Determine which one among them has the highest earning potential. 

Think broadly – this can be anything from writing to making crafts or caring for other people. If you think that you lack skills in a certain field, online courses can certainly help you get where you want to be.

– Time

With a full-time job as well as a family to look after, you don’t have too much time left for a side hustle. How much time can you spare? Perhaps only a couple of hours every day. Go for a side hustle that won’t take up too much of your time or choose something you can incorporate while doing other activities. For example, filling out surveys during your daily commute.

– Capital

There are side hustles you can start without capital, while others need money to get going. Do you have some savings you can use toward your side hustle? Consider the return on investment to see how much value you expect to get on your money.

– Break-Even Point 

How long will side hustles for women take to generate profits? Hopefully no longer than for men! Some people will make money immediately, especially those that don’t require any investment. Others will take longer; you’ll have to be putting in your money and energy for some time before you can reap the benefits.

– Flexibility

Go for a side hustle that allows you to plan your working hours. You may already have responsibilities that cannot wait, such as taking care of children or pets.

With these tips, you will be in a position to choose from the best side hustles for women there are out there. Remember running any side job is not easy, but the extra income stream is well worth the effort.

Best Side Hustles for Women to Earn Extra Money

Busy as you are, women need a side hustle that offers maximum flexibility. Below we have put together a list of side hustles for women that will allow planning your time without compromising your main job or family. By considering the factors named above, see what works best for you.

1. Cleaning Houses

While some people cringe at the idea of cleaning, some thrive and even find it relaxing. If you fall into this category, look no further for that extra coin. Let your neighbors know that you’re offering this service. 

You can do this via word of mouth or use the neighborhood’s WhatsApp or Facebook groups to reach more people.

Many people tend to be apprehensive about letting strangers into their houses. You may live in the same neighborhood but not really know each other beyond that. For this reason, house cleaning jobs may be scarce at first. 

You may find that house owners will want to be around and supervise you as you work at first. But once you gain their trust, they will be more willing to allow you to work even in their absence. 

With time, you can get weekly engagements in as many houses as you can handle, giving you the advantage of a consistent income. Consider the size of the house, as well as the number of chores you will need to do to determine how much you should charge. 

Cleaning houses is a labor of love. Transforming a messy house into a clean, neat, fresh-smelling one calls for a level of patience that many lack. Use it to your advantage!

2. Grocery Shopping

Some people hate shopping, while others thrive at it. If you’re one of the latter, you can easily turn this hobby into a side hustle. You can also appeal to some women who do not have the time to shop or don’t like it. 

Instead of passing by the store every now and then to pick what they need for the day, give them the option of drawing up a weekly shopping list which you’ll be happy to attend to. Some don’t know how much supplies they spend in a week or month. 

They simply pick what they need when they need it. You can have a standard list that clients can personalize according to their needs.

Coming up with a shopping list helps in budgeting. With time, clients will realize that you’re saving them a visit to the store and saving them money in the process too. Buying in bulk is always cheaper than buying one item at a time. 

Keep yourself updated with any offers or discounts the stores may be offering and advise your clients accordingly. An extra tip here; shop during off-peak hours, so you don’t have to endure long queues to the cash register.

3. Cooking Homemade Food

As we stated earlier, your skills can make a great side hustle. If you love cooking, you’re just a few logistics away from creating an additional income stream here. What about all the food outlets around us? Fear not; plenty of people prefer home-cooked meals but lack the time or skill to prepare one.

Nothing beats the love and attention to detail that comes with homemade food. Whatever it is that you’re good at cooking can earn you some money. 

There’s always a market for this type of prepared food. You can always introduce some free samples and let your neighbors taste your food before you start selling.

From there, put together a schedule. Depending on the time available, decide if you’ll be cooking every day or on certain days of the week. 

Create a timetable for what you cook on different days. Taking this approach makes it easier for you to plan and shop in advance. It also creates consistency as your clients know what to expect on any given day.

By the time they get home from a long day’s work, most people are exhausted to the bone. They either have to do with leftovers from the fridge or order fast food yet again. Not that they do not know the health implications of such feeding habits, but their options are limited. 

Use your culinary skills to bring freshly cooked healthy food to their table. Some will even invite you to meal-plan and cook in their homes, giving you a chance to earn from an activity you love doing. 

4. Fashion Stylist

If you love fashion and always have an eye out for the latest trends, you can make a business out of it. You’ll be helping people figure out what to wear and probably even shopping for the clothes they need as well. 

Corporate professionals with hardly any time to spend shopping around are always on the lookout for fashion stylists. Just look around you, and you’ll likely notice a couple of people who might need a hand with their clothing. 

Starting, you can dress a model and showcase the outfits on social media. The model here can be your friend, family member, or even yourself. Create a portfolio, dressing different body types for different types of functions. 

With time, people will grow interested in your services. Familiarize yourself with the clothes stores in your area and online. As a repeat customer, you may negotiate discounts with the stores so you can get even more profit from your side hustle.

Celebrity stylists are earning top dollar out here. With a passion for fashion and an eye for unique pieces, you may be able to get there someday. In the meantime, help those around you upscale their grooming for a small fee.

5. Makeup Artist

The beauty of makeup artistry is that you have a canvas right there with you — your own face. Do you enjoy applying makeup to your face? If so, you may as well share this skill with others and earn while at it.

Many women out there cannot make head or tail of all these makeup products in the market. Name all these primers, foundations, powders, blushes, mascara, and liners. That’s where you come in. 

If you haven’t already, study the products and get to know them inside and out. Know their sources in detail. With so many substandard products in the market, you want to be sure you’re using legitimate ones.

The average woman only wears makeup when the occasion calls for it. Let the women around you know you’re available to make them glow for that special occasion. Even if it’s a side hustle, you should have your own makeup kit, and you can also guide those who would rather buy their own. 

Watch video tutorials or take online courses to improve your skills and keep up with the latest trends. Remember to showcase your looks online to reach more potential clients.

6. Social Media Influencing

If you have a sizable following on your social media platforms, you can become an influencer and receive money from companies to promote their products. Social media management for your personal brand is a profitable side hustle. 

Celebrities with thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers earn top-dollar advertising for major brands on their platforms. The goal here is to keep growing your numbers so that your financial security and extra income rise proportionally.

As a social media influencer, companies expect you to showcase their products and portray them as the best in the market. You can decide to pick a niche. For instance, if you’re a chef, you can advertise food products, food stores, restaurants, utensils, kitchen gadgets, and so on. Or you can choose to remain open to advertising anything.

Initially, businesses will offer you free samples of their products in exchange for a mention on your posts. A clothing brand can offer free dresses, or a cosmetic brand can offer you free skincare products. 

Not too bad, since you would have spent your money buying these products anyway. As your profile grows, brands will begin to pay you for influencing services. You can then create a rate card to outline your charges for different advertising services.

7. Filling in Surveys

If you’re short of time and cannot spare several hours at a time, online surveys will earn you that extra money without taking too much of your time. Filling in surveys takes only a couple of minutes on average, so it’s a perfect side hustle.

Surveys are generally questionnaires from organizations that collect defined information from a specific audience. The information collected is then analyzed and used to create or improve products, predict consumer trends, build marketing strategies, and formulate relevant policies.

Sites like Pawns.app contain plenty of surveys you can earn from. You can fill them in as you commute to work, at your desk when not too busy, during lunch break, or even when watching your children play. 

You can access most of these sites through your phone. The more surveys you complete, the more you earn. This is a simple and profitable side hustle that doesn’t require any special skills and loads of your time.

8. Photography

Many have realized the value of high-quality pictures thanks to social media. As such, they are willing to pay a good amount to those willing to offer them. 

To tap into this profitable side hustle, consider investing in basic photography equipment; camera, lens, lights, tripod stands, and props. Everyone is snapping photos on their phones, so having a camera will help you stand out.

Photography is one of those side hustles for women and also men that may not earn you money right away. You’ll need to take some time to learn the basic photography skills. YouTube and other online courses come in handy here. Start by taking free photos of people, animals, products, or just nature. 

Take your time in photo editing. Editing makes the difference between an ordinary photo and an extraordinary one. Various free photo editing sites exist. However, consider investing in premium photo editing apps at some point later down the road, as they give you more options.

As you improve your output, you can begin charging a fee. Include your watermark in the photos to draw more attention to your work. With time, you may want to focus on a particular photography niche. 

As a woman, consider looking into baby photography. Many parents want photos capturing their baby’s milestones but are unsure if the photographer can handle their young ones. As a woman and possibly a mother, you’re likely to inspire more confidence in parents. Specializing in one niche allows you to earn more.

Another method of earning through photography is posting your photos on stock photography sites such as Alamy, Shutterstock, and Getty Images. 

People are always on the lookout for relevant photos to use on their platforms, and that’s where stock photos come in. Every time someone pays for your photo, you earn a commission. As your skill improves and your photos increase in quality and quantity, you can earn a decent amount from these sites.

9. Write Articles Online

If you have a knack for language and grammar, freelance writing can be a great side hustle. There are plenty of people out there who need articles for their websites and social media pages. 

That’s where freelance writing comes in — you can craft content on various topics depending on client specifications. Quality blog writers are in high demand, and you can find article writing jobs on websites such as Freelancer, Upwork, Fiverr, TextRoyal, and so on.

Besides good grammar, the most important skill in blogging or any other form of freelance writing is the ability to research. You don’t need to know much about the topic at hand; the ability to do proper research makes all the difference. 

Familiarize yourself with search engine optimization (SEO) as well. SEO is the use of relevant keywords to boost an article’s ranking on search engines. SEO is a major marketing tool for businesses and is often the main reason they want articles written in the first place.

Most freelance writing websites have a ranking system for their writers depending on the quality of their work. You may earn as little as $1 for every 100 words as a new blog writer. With consistently high-quality work, your rating goes up, and so does the pay.

10. Event Planning

We all love a good party, but all the work that goes on behind the scenes, not so much. You can establish a resourceful side hustle if you can hone your skills in event planning. Start with small parties; birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, family get-togethers, and the like. 

Think of all the aspects that go into event planning: venue, food, décor, sound, and entertainment. The success of any event is only as good as the effectiveness of the service providers in delivering these. 

Collect a list of service providers in each niche and their charges. Doing so will be necessary when a client gives you a budget, as it will help you determine what service providers fall within that budget. You can also buy some of these supplies with time to maximize your profits. For instance, you can invest in a sound system, so you no longer have to hire.

You can start organizing parties for free, especially those you’re a part of. It could be an end-of-year party with your colleagues. Or a class reunion with your college classmates. Or even a family get-together. 

It will cost you time and energy, but consider this an investment in building your party-planning skills. In the process, you’re also showcasing your abilities, and before you know it, you’ll be getting invitations to plan other peoples’ parties at a fee. With time, others will trust you with more important functions, leading you to graduate into a fully-fledged event planning expert.

11. Social Media Management

The online space holds immense business potential, yet companies are underutilizing this potential or missing out on it altogether due to inadequate social media presence. You can come into this space and help brands structure their online content. 

To begin with, you need to understand the basic details of the company, such as: 

• History
• Products or services
• Target market
• Business goals
• Sales targets
• Future projections 

With this in mind, you can create engaging content that resonates with the target audience. Remember, you don’t have to log in every time you need to post something. You can schedule your posts with a specified time in advance, and they’ll upload automatically.

As a social media manager, it is your work to boost interactions. Encourage your audience to give feedback and engage with them. Replying to their queries promptly and comprehensively is paramount too. 

Social media management often requires using various tools for photo and video editing or post automation, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the most popular ones.

How can you help your client reach out to more people? You can come up with a budget for promoting the pages, which means that those will obtain prominence and more people will get to see them. 

Social media management doesn’t mean working with a single platform. You can also spread your wings to more channels other than the conventional ones, such as Facebook and Twitter. New kids on the block, such as TikTok, have gained massive popularity and can prove valuable in reaching more potential clients. You can achieve all this by utilizing only a few hours every day.

12. Graphic Design

Graphic design adds color and vitality to normal text, making it visually appealing. If you have an interest in unique designs, you can try your hand at this side hustle. You don’t have to be an expert; there are platforms that make it easy for a novice to create engaging designs. Online courses and free tutorials can teach you everything step by step.

Start by creating simple designs such as invitation cards, logos, business cards, letterheads, etc. Use social media to showcase your designs. Soon enough, you’ll have enough work flowing in and reach financial security.

13. Dog Walking or Pet Sitting

You can look for dog-walking tasks by talking to your neighbors or checking online. Sites like Rover, Wag, and PetSitter have plenty of dog-walking jobs to choose from. 

It’s worth noting that these sites do carry out a basic screening to ascertain your skills and knowledge about dogs before they allow you to list your services on their platform. You may take a while to get your first job, but it gets easier as you build your profile.

If you love dogs or other animals, you can also earn extra money by pet sitting or providing pet care services as a side hustle. You can start by pet-sitting your friends’ and neighbors’ fluffy friends on the weekends and once you feel more comfortable, you can offer your services publically. Sometimes pet-sitting requests come for a longer time so you can even turn it into a nice vacation abroad! 

14. Virtual Assistant or Transcription Jobs

Virtual assistant jobs are becoming increasingly popular, especially as side hustles for women. This is mainly because the virtual assistant role is a remote job, so you can work from home. 

Virtual assistants can schedule appointments, make phone calls, manage email accounts, and take care of travel arrangements. As a virtual assistant, you can also transcribe various audio files.

Transcription involves the conversion of audio content into text files. Such jobs are available online on sites such as GoTranscript, TranscribeMe, Scribie, and Speechpad. Here, you can earn about $5 per audio hour. 

An audio hour takes an average of four hours to transcribe. In the beginning, you’re likely to take much longer. As you gain experience, you can work faster and earn more.

15. Translation

This side hustle idea is one more online job you can do from the comfort of your home. If you’re bilingual, this is a potent opportunity for you. Here your job description involves translating research papers, notes, textbook excerpts, scripts, and a variety of other content. Check out Upwork, Translation Directory, Gengo, and One Hour Translation for jobs in this field. 

16. Earn With Your Car

Your car costs a tidy sum to buy and maintain; you may as well use it to earn some extra money. You can sign up for online taxi or delivery services. 

Better still, you can rent out your car when not in use and generate passive income. If you choose this option, use a legitimate car rental site to safeguard your rights. 

Alternatively, you can offer your car for advertising, where a company wraps your car, and you become a mobile advertiser. It’s one of the best side hustles for women who are busy as you get to earn some money with not much effort on your side.

17. Tutoring or Teaching Online

If you know different languages, can help pupils with math, or have some expert knowledge in marketing, you can generate extra income by teaching online. It’s a remote job and you can use various online platforms to advertise as a tutor.

You’ll have to invest some time into preparing a teaching plan and gathering all the required materials but it will become easier and quicker with every new student or a class. Online teaching requires some skills, such as subject knowledge and good communication skills and it’s a profitable side hustle.

18. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a perfect side hustle that generates passive income giving you financial independence. You’ll have to invest some time and effort at first but later the business can basically run itself, without you having to spend too much of your time. 

To start dropshipping, you’ll have to decide what goods you want to sell. Research the market and choose a niche that would have a fairly good demand but not too much competition. Then, find your suppliers and build an attractive online store. Set up your finances, do some marketing to boost your brand, and watch those sales go up!

Important to mention that you can build an online store using various templates and e-commerce platforms. Most of them will take care of your payment methods and other important things. You can then focus on marketing and getting your online shop popular.

19. Selling Handmade Crafts or Art

Are you good at pottery, drawing, or sewing? No matter what your main job is, whether you’re a nurse or a primary school teacher, you can turn your hobby into a profitable side hustle! Sell your handmade goods on social media or e-commerce platforms such as Etsy, Shopify, etc.

Make sure you follow the best e-commerce business practices. For example, collect feedback from your happy customers, so others know your online store can be trusted. You can also apply various promotion codes and special offers to get more returning customers. This will help you sell more and generate even more extra income.

How to Grow Your Side Hustle Into a Full-Time Business?

That side hustle can blossom into a full-time business with smart work and consistency. Owning a business gives you more control of your time and money. Here’s how to speed up the growth:

– Keep Records 

The first step in achieving a feat is record keeping. Have a precise record of your capital, expenses, sales, and profit. Most people tend to run a side hustle casually; after all, they already have another source of income. 

Others want to wait until the business is bigger to start bookkeeping. Do better. Get your records in order from the very beginning. This approach will help determine if the side hustle is profitable enough for you to scale it into a full-time business.

– Invest in Your Skill

While you may get away with some sloppy products while running a side hustle, running a full-time business requires you to master your skills and give the best. 

Consider enrolling for formal training or an online course in your area of business. Regarding formality, you need to register your business and acquire all the relevant certificates, lest you find yourself with the law.

– Have Some Savings

The business will likely take some time to sustain itself and pay the bills. Remember, transitioning from a side hustle into a full-time business comes with additional expenses. 

You may need to rent premises, buy equipment, acquire business permits, and so on. As your business grows, have some savings to deal with these processes and your upkeep.

Keep scaling your side hustle by building capacity to meet the anticipated rise in demand. Work on the quality and quantity of your products. Soon enough, you will be able to turn that side hustle into a sustainable full-time business.

Conclusion

Side hustles for women have the power to create a viable secondary income, which is great for supplementing your regular salary and even making some savings and gaining financial independence. 

If you dream of attaining financial independence, having a side hustle will get you there quicker than just having a regular job. If you lose your job, you’ll already have something running to cushion you as you look for another job or even scale it to a full-time business. 

Besides money, side hustles for women expose them to new skills, experiences, and networks. Having an extra job can be difficult to begin with as it requires changing habits and routines, but it pays off – financially and in many other ways.

FAQs