New Year 2023: How to start a side hustle

What is a side hustle?

Before we dive in, we need to know what we’re talking about when we say ‘side hustle’. It’s a way to make extra money outside of our usual work, giving us more financial freedom by increasing our income. Side hustles are also an opportunity to explore whether a hobby can make us any real money.

With the new year upon us, the time is now to start a side hustle. Start off 2023 by being savvy, as now is all about cultivating a better relationship with our finances.

Let’s be practical

When it comes to starting a side hustle, it takes work to see the benefits. If this sounds off-putting, don’t fret – the payoff will be worth the initial drive. It’s best to go in with a realistic mind set, as it’s rare for something to garner immediate success. Also, keep in mind our time is valuable, so we shouldn’t sell ourselves short.

To get started, HMRC allows us to earn £1,000 per tax year as a tax-free trading allowance from a side hustle before we have to register as self-employed and start paying tax – however there are benefits to registering as self-employed early. Visit www.gov.uk to find out more and decide on the best option.

LOMO Crafts

During lockdown 2020, Sam Lomax and her husband started “LOMO Crafts” – the name coming from the couple’s surname. Like many people during the pandemic, the pair wanted a hobby to pass the time. Sam’s husband began moulding garden ornaments, including a horse head and paw-shaped stepping stone.

After posting them on Facebook, the creations took off to the point Sam’s husband wanted to buy a cement mixer – something Sam nipped in the bud. Downscaling, the business shifted over to handcrafted pottery painting kits. These sets proved to be popular at parties, with many popular designs being available.

LOMO Crafts’ mission statement is to be fun, affordable and memorable…

• FUN for all of the family
• AFFORDABLE to every pocket
• MEMORABLE family time spent crafting together

"We have 3,500 moulds that we use to produce the clay pieces used in our kits. We started by buying the moulds, but we now have a 3D Printer and a Former to produce our own.

"We sell our kits via Facebook, Insta, eBay, Etsy and in person at events. We stock our sets in museums and gift shops across the Wirral, Liverpool and Chester. We also donate sets to local charities, kids’ clubs and care homes.

"Our Facebook group has grown to over 3,600 members, many based all over the UK.  These include our lovely individual customers, but all of the businesses, schools and clubs that also buy from us.

"Our stalls at festivals are always popular. We offer the facility for the people buying our sets to sit with us and paint for no extra charge. It’s adorable watching the children and their parents sit and paint and seeing all of their finished masterpieces.

"When we first set up LOMO, the biggest difficulty was getting noticed in a crowded marketplace. Due to this, we focused staying local and making sure our name was out there. We then looked to expand online by spending time on our content, pictures and posting on social media.

"The biggest challenge was that we needed help, lots of help, and our friends and family stepped up.  You will regularly find my friends, mum, sister and niece helping out on our stall at events or behind the scenes packing bags, or doing postal runs.

"It's rewarding seeing the extra funds we have available in our bank account. The additional income has come at exactly the right time with the increase in the cost of living. Our biggest wish is the business growing to be in a position to start to employ people."

Maureen’s card business

Maureen Wadeson from Laurencekirk, Scotland started out making greeting cards as hobby. It grew into something more when she started selling her cards at coffee mornings. When people began contacting Maureen to make personalised cards for special events, she bought a special cutting machine to boost the professionalism of her side hustle.

“I started making cards after taking redundancy, as I wasn't quite ready to retire. I didn't look for another job because I needed more freedom than your typical 9 to 5 offers, plus I had to help look after some elderly folk. This hobby fitted the bill, it offers flexibility – I’ve also always enjoyed making cards for family and friends.

“I enjoy my side hustle and would encourage anyone to give it a try. For making cards, there are craft channels on TV where you can buy products, or they recommend good craft suppliers you can go to directly.

“When it comes to profit, I try to break even, but I also like to support local events with my card stall. In the village, we try to raise money for hanging baskets on lampposts during summer and for our Christmas lights in winter. I give a percentage of my takings to whichever sale we are trying to raise money for.

Get the ball rolling

Still not sure what your side hustle could be? Here are 21 ideas to inspire you. Maybe you have the skills to start one of these or perhaps they’ll spark your imagination to come up with your own!

• Create and sell homemade goods. Etsy, Handmade on Amazon and even Facebook Marketplace are perfect places to sell our wares.
• Get paid to test new apps. An easy way to earn quick cash, look at User Testing, PingPong and Tester Work for gigs.
• Become a rideshare driver. Uber and Lyft are the go-tos for this one – if you have a car!
• Mow our neighbours’ lawns. Don’t expect a large sum of cash, but doing a neighbour a solid like this can result in a couple of quid for the money jar and could be the start of a gardening service.
• Wash cars. Same as the above, plus we’d need to buy our own supplies.
• Start a YouTube channel. Hobbies can always make a profit, so if you’ve got an interest that people want to know more about, create a YouTube channel to explain it. Focusing on niche subjects is a great way to grow an audience.
• Start a social media page. Similar to starting a YouTube channel, plus as our audience grows we can start generating revenue through sponsored posts by reaching out to brands we love.
• Deliver packages. This side hustle does require a car, but becoming a delivery driver for the likes of Amazon can result in an hourly wage of £17, high above the National Living Wage of £9.52 of January 2023.
• Become a Park Christmas Savings Agent. Mad about Christmas? Learn more about the benefits of being a Park Agent by clicking here.
• Deliver fast food. Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat allow to work your own hours, so they are great for flexibility.
• Dog-walk. Do you like dogs and going on walks? Indulge your passions by walking someone’s pooch for a price - Pawshake, Friends for Pets and Care.
• Pet-sit. Animal lovers rejoice, you can get paid for looking after people’s furry friendswhen they go away! Check jobs on sites like Trusted Pet Carers, Fetch! Pet Care and Rover.
• Complete online surveys. It can take some time to generate real cash, but answering survey questions can earn hundreds of pounds. i-Say, Swagbucks, YourSayPays and Survey Friends.
• Rent out our homes to holidaymakers. Setting up ourselves up as an Airbnb host can result in a pretty penny, especially if we’re live somewhere that is in high demand.
• Write as a freelancer. Fiverr is a great place to advertise your writing skills, with businesses of all sizes willing to pay for your skills on an ad-hoc basis.
• Sell unwanted goods. Try Depop, Vinted and eBay for getting rid of bits and bobs.
• Babysitting. Sites like Childcare and Babysits can be used to find local work, but please be aware they have compulsory screening processes for safeguarding.
• Participate in focus groups. Taking part in paid research is a fab way of making some extra cash - Take Part in Research, YouGov and Research Opinions are good bets.
• Teach a language. If we know another language, there are plenty of opportunities to help others learn too - MyTutor, Teaching Further Education and Tute are just a few.
• Give music lessons. Share the gift of music by teaching lessons on sites like Fiverr, Music Teachers and Superprof.
• Become a house sitter. It’s a big responsibility, but we can enjoy a home away from home through the likes of TrustedHousesitters, Mindahome UK and House and Home Sitters UK.