No Time? No Problem. 6 Side Hustles for Ridiculously Busy People

These side hustles are perfect for people who think they’re too busy to start one.

EXPERT OPINION BY DIANA KELLY LEVEY

Illustration: Getty Images

Whether they admit it or not, several members of any team probably have a side hustle. Research shows 27% of Americans have side jobs for extra income. If you’re using skills to earn an income beyond a full-time paycheck, it’s safe to call it a side hustle. 

Your job is demanding, and leisure time is precious. Any side hustle you pursue should scratch an itch, like creative fulfillment, a new use for your skills, or extra money. I started a freelance writing side hustle in 2006 while working full-time for a media company. The extra income helped, but I also developed skills and relationships that I’ve been able to leverage for the past 20 years. 

To make a side hustle work, you need to carve out time in your calendar. It might mean waking up an hour earlier, working at night after the family’s gone to sleep, or swapping out one episode of a favorite show on the weekend for your side hustle. Alternatively, you can skip the time commitment and try a side hustle where you rent out your space or your equipment instead. 

Here are side hustles even ridiculously busy people can try. 

How Anthropic's Claude AI Became a Co-Founder

1. Productize your knowledge. 

The market for selling expertise online still has potential. Think about the problems people regularly ask you to solve, the systems you’ve built, and what others would pay to access.  

Teachers sell lesson plans. Coaches sell playbooks. Nutritionists sell meal plans, and freelance writers sell pitch templates. Package what you already know and create digital guides that audiences can buy on platforms like Gumroad, Etsy, Stan store, and Shopify. 

2. Sell digital templates. 

Selling digital templates means selling the foundation others build on, not always the finished product.  

© Inc.com