Side Hustle Ideas UK

Sam

15 Jul 2022

Updated: 24 Apr 2023

Side hustles are becoming more and more popular in the UK as a way to make extra income alongside a full time job or part time job. Learn how to make money through an effective side business with this list of 13 awesome side hustle ideas. Whether you’re looking for a way to supplement your income with something you can do in your spare time or make it your main source of income, these profitable side hustle ideas can help generate another source of income and achieve financial independence.

Matched Betting

Matched betting (also known as back or lay bet matching, arb betting, or double betting) is a betting technique used by individuals to profit from the free bets and incentives offered by bookmakers. It is generally considered a risk-free bet as it is based on the application of a mathematical equation rather than chance. A typical return for a matched bet where the stake is returned is 85%+ of the free bet offer amount and 70%+ where the stake is not returned. Most free bets are stake not returned.

What's even better is that you don't have to worry about a tax return because any income made from Matched Betting is tax free, which means you keep ALL your extra cash! This is why Matched Betting is an entirely valid option as a hustle business idea to generate some extra spending money.

Of course, Outplayed specialise in Matched Betting guidance and ensuring all our members make profit, so we can confirm that we are a great choice for potential side hustles. Click here for more information on joining the best Matched Betting site.

How Much Money Can You Make with Matched Betting?

The amount of money you have available as an initial investment is of course helpful, but it certainly isn't the be all and end of all of what you can make as a return from Matched Betting.

As a beginner, you should first focus on completing the bookmaker signup offers. These are special offers that the gambling providers offer to new customers as an incentive to sign up.

Something else worth considering is joining our affiliate program? If you already have a platform with followers/customers etc then affiliate marketing using our affiliate links may be just the ticket.

If you're interested in making an income through affiliate sales then contact us today.

Don't fancy Matched Betting? There are plenty of other side hustle options out there. Check out this list of potential side businesses possibilities;

Rent Out A Parking Space

Cars are expensive, but more often than not, we all need one. If you live close to a train station, industrial estate or anywhere that’s desirable by commuters though you may be able to rent out your parking space as a side hustle to make extra cash. But first, here are some things to think about:

  • Can the area (such as a spot on a driveway or in a garage) be used legally without a permit?
  • Do you have the right to rent out the space or has your landlord given you permission?
  • Is a key, code, or fob necessary to enter the space?
  • If "yes" to all of the questions above, you probably won't have any trouble renting out your parking space.

Don't give up hope just yet, even if you've given "no" answers to a few of the questions.

Renting is not permitted for spaces that require a council parking permit, but it is permitted for spaces that do not.

Check out Your Parking Space to see if there is demand in your area for parking spaces and if so, renting it out to a commuter might just be the source of the extra cash you need!

Become A Babysitter

Have you ever wished as a parent that you could be paid to look after your children? Although no one will pay you to look after your own children, you can make a lot of money babysitting other people's children in your spare time. List your services on a website like Bubble or simply start telling your friends and family about it. You can start making money soon with rates around £11 in most areas of the UK and with the cost of nurseries sky rocketing lately babysitting looks like a brilliant side hustle idea.

Anyone can make money babysitting if they have the proper qualifications. Although formal training is not required, any you have may make you more appealing to parents and agencies. Most parents prefer a woman to care for their children over a man, so babysitting is best suited to women. Regardless, none of you out there should be put off! More parents nowadays are open to the idea of having a modern man' look after their children!

Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping can be a great way to use up those free minutes and make some extra money too. It’s also a fun way to learn about different businesses and their products. mystery shopping can be a great way to use up those free minutes and make some extra money too.

Basically, large corporations want a means of ensuring the smooth operation of their business; they cannot rely on sending employees to check in on their outlets. For inspections, businesses require individuals who are not directly involved in their operations - that is where the mystery shopper comes in.

There are many organisations that find mystery shoppers for their business clientele. To become a mystery shopper, you must submit an application to these sourcing companies and successfully complete several simple exams.

Once you've been approved, you may start taking on mystery shopping missions and earning both decent money and free goods!

Baking

Many people have started a bakery from their homes during the recent lockdown as a popular side hustle. The ideas coming out of the kitchens of some of these bakers are truly inspiring. Many bakers, chefs, and even those with little experience took to their kitchens to bake as the uncertainty grew, forcing bakeries and restaurants to close their doors.

As the lockdown wore on, new trends emerged, including drop-in hospitality, online shops, and street vendors. Creative projects and pop-ups continued to emerge as chefs were furloughed or faced with the unfortunate situation of losing their jobs.

Suddenly, production kitchens at home, as well as empty restaurants and bakeries, became the setting for the baking of locally accessible – small-batch – delicacies.

Be sure to measure your pricing by the time it takes to make the cake itself as well as the ingredients you use to remain profitable.

Sell Digital Designs

Companies are constantly looking for graphic designers to create content for them. With low cost, yet high-end graphic packages like Canva and Figma cornering the professional design market there is always potential work for freelance designers. If you have an eye for design checkout Upwork to list your services in relevant design categories.

People with highly specific Photoshop and Illustrator skills used to be the only ones qualified for graphic design jobs. To earn money from a job as a graphic designer, years of college and post-college study were typically necessary. That is still true in a certain sense. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. The graphic design software market has swelled significantly.

Professionals with a strong software toolkit are required for high-end graphics and picture production. Saatchi and Saatchi are not every client, though. Numerous small businesses require assistance with infographics, social media graphics, website graphics, simple custom illustrations, and other marketing materials. They seek immediate benefits at a cost they can bear. They don't require a group of employees to work on a Facebook ad or website banner.

And that's where the chance is for those who are ready to start a side business as a graphic designer, helping small business owners who lack the time or patience to complete the work themselves.

Let’s check out a few great pieces of software that have entered the graphic design world where Adobe once dominated;

Canva - Canva used to be considered as being too simplistic and overused (you could find its graphics on Facebook and Pinterest with ease), but things are different now.

Canva raised their game (in the face of fierce competition), acquired millions of dollars in funding, and introduced some pretty great features. Canva will continue to be the most widely used design and publishing tool for freelancers, small businesses, bloggers, and business owners in 2022 and will likely dominate this market well into 2023. There's nothing better on the market at the moment for rapid design production.

Figma - Figma is without a doubt the most cost-effective option available right now, particularly if you and/or your team are serious about designOps. Widely used to build websites, Figma manages to make collaboration with developers easy whilst being robust enough to fill many designers needs.

In terms of functionality and platform compatibility, it continues to be competitive with competing UI design tools, and yet it consistently innovates without introducing more feature bloat, which has historically led to the demise of many products.

Sketch - Likely to replace Photoshop as the preferred interface prototype tool, and many developers now prefer receiving Sketch files from designers rather than layered Photoshop files. The Sketch graphic design programme was created specifically for creating interactive interfaces, unlike Photoshop. Designers who use Photoshop to create user interfaces for desktops and mobile devices may want to take a closer look at Sketch as a result..

Sketch is a vector design application available only for Macs that specialises in producing interactive prototypes of web and app designs. The working designs that Sketch generates provide your clients a better understanding of how everything appears and functions. As a result, they are better equipped to offer more insightful input on the user interface's (UI) and user experience's (UX) functionality, which permits informed approval prior to the development stage, reducing irritation and saving time and money.

Freelance graphic design is extremely popular right now and depending on your skill and client base can easily turn from a side hustle into a full-time income stream.

Become An Uber Driver

Becoming a driver with Uber is not as hard as you might think. In fact, you could be driving for Uber in as little as 48 hours (provided you’ve sorted the small, but integral issue of…a car), which stands to reason why being an Uber driver is a great business idea that provides a decent side hustle cash flow.

You almost likely are aware of Uber, even if you have never used it yourself. The Uber App is so commonplace in its industry that the word "ridesharing" has been replaced with the name Uber.

You might be amazed at how simple it is to start driving and delivering for Uber if you're looking to start a new side business. You might not even need to have a car. Here is all the information you require.

With more than 115 million active users as of the beginning of 2022, Uber is the greatest ridesharing app to find on-demand trip alternatives. As a passenger, you're presumably already familiar with how the Uber app operates: You can request a ride at any moment after installing the app and entering some details (including a payment method).

Choose a transportation choice after entering your destination and pickup addresses. Once a driver is available, they can accept your request, pick you up, and take you away. Your payment method on file will be used to cover the cost of your ride; cash is not necessary.

It's obviously a little more work to sign up to drive or deliver orders through Uber Eats, but it's not as tough as you might imagine. You'll need to download a different app and provide the information required for a screening procedure that looks at your driving and criminal histories.

There are further requirements: You must meet the minimum age requirement to drive in your city, possess a current driver's licence, have proof of city or state residency, be insured if driving your own vehicle, and have some prior driving experience in order to transport people (three years if you are under 25).

The vehicle you'll be driving must also be registered, however there are restrictions. For instance, the vehicle must have four doors and be under 15 years old.

You can start taking delivery requests whenever you want if you already drive for Uber. However you choose to spend your time, whether it be full- or part-time, whether you want to leave your 9-to-5 job or just earn some extra money on the side, working as an Uber driver or delivery person is a terrific way to achieve your goals.

Sell Stuff On eBay or Facebook Marketplace

A fantastic place to purchase a variety of goods and resell them for a profit is eBay. eBay is the number one online marketplace to sell anything you want to get rid of them because there are millions of buyers actively searching for what they want there.

Selling your stuff on eBay rather than donating or throwing away old items can yield a fortune. Remember that 1970’s Action Man with moveable eyes sitting in your loft? Yep, that will go for £85+ on eBay these days!

Some people also choose to pursue eBay full-time, whereby they purchase goods for a bargain at car boot sales or charity shops, then resell them for a profit. A few things to consider when thinking about using eBay as a selling tool;

  • Can you ship goods at a profit?
  • Can you also make a profit when you factor in packaging?
  • Are you comfortable with frequent post office trips, which will increase as you sell more items?

Since Facebook is primarily a social network, its marketplace is well-suited for developing close relationships with users and because of this, the platform is a great place to attract new clients and sell to them. Ultimately though, Facebook marketplace is similar to eBay in that anyone can sell and purchase, which makes this arguably the most flexible side hustle.

If this model seems attractive to you and you have a product in mind that will work well, it's worth getting used to the process by selling your own stuff.

Buy and Sell Domains

A huge hit back in the ’00s, buying and selling domain names was more of a hit back then, especially after Microsoft famously forgot to renew their hotmail.co.uk domain making this one of the great hustle stories. This one may not be the money-spinner you are hoping for, but the more diligent among us can still make money.

Due to the sheer scale of the internet, it is essentially difficult to register 3–4 letter combinations, single words, or even popular double word domain names due to the extremely crowded domain market.

Therefore, you typically need to buy expired domain names if you want to pursue the strategy of flipping unusual domain names that will have inherent worth right away.

There are several online markets where you may find and buy expired domain names. However, unlike the man who briefly acquired Google.com, expired domain names don't frequently come your way.

Initially, expired domains are ones that won't be renewed. People frequently forget to renew their domain names or choose not to shell out the money, which causes this to happen.

The domain registrar will then give the owner a 30-day window during which they can still renew their domain. After this time, the domain name "expires," at which point the domain registrar puts it up for auction. The highest bidder normally prevails after a seven-day bidding period. That's all there is to it.

Interested In Fitness?

As more people become health-conscious, the demand for personal trainers to assist them in achieving their goals is increasing. This could include assisting people who are trying to lose weight or coaching others to reach a level of fitness that allows them to run a marathon.

There aren't many side hustles that offer the same level of flexibility as personal training. People who work full-time may prefer early morning, lunchtime, or evening sessions, so it's a great side hustle if you're looking for something other than the typical 9-5.

You could easily start a personal training business and market locally to put some extra money in your pocket. Getting fit is big business these days and the average person will pay by the hour for a personalised workout plan.

Sell Vehicle Ad Space

Got a car? Did you know you could get paid to advertise on it? If you reside in a densely populated location and spend a significant amount of time driving, using a platform like Wrapify to sell advertising space on your vehicle could be a great side hustle in 2022.

The majority of us use vehicles to drive to the types of locations that the companies behind slogans want to reach, whether it's a supermarket parking lot or simply cruising down the high street.

The first thing to remember about car wraps or promotional posters is that they are only temporary. They're applied to clean metal and then peeled off when you're finished. The installation is completed at a professional garage and can take anywhere from 10 minutes to a full day, depending on the size of the transfers being installed on your vehicle.

When your employment period is up, the wrap can usually be removed at home without causing any damage to the vehicle. If you're not overly precious about the look of you car, this is the ultimate in terms of passive income.

Freelancing

What do you do now? You could consider doing something similar to your day job, but as a freelancer, each week to make additional income. Sometimes called virtual assistants, freelancers can do almost anything providing there is a requirement for the task. Do you do social media as a job? Social media management is a very sought after skill these days and those that possess experience in building and managing large online communities are very rare.

Are you a travel agent - you could try setting up a local flight hacking site and offer customised trips based on your experience of where to find the best deals? Or do you enjoy writing? Freelance writing is one of the most common side hustles and provides great freedom as you can do it anywhere...even on the beach plus as SEO has become more commonplace, a freelance writing service is always needed by many a business owner.

There are plenty of freelance writers around, but finding a good one is usually a minefield for a business. Make your freelance writing standout by publishing articles on Medium or your own website.

You might also be a procurement professional for a large company - you could set up a consultancy and help SMEs with bid writing? Or if you're really great at gaining engagement on various social media channels, you could become a freelance social media manager, which is always in demand and an ideal side hustle. The possibilities are endless with freelancing and sites like Fiverr, People Per Hour and Legiit make it easy to get online and make a passive income even if you don’t have/want a web presence or online business.

Freelancing can make you extremely busy IF you have enough clients. So this may not fit into the 'flexible side hustle' category entirely as more often than not freelancers are part of the team they work with.

Dropshipping

We've covered dropshipping vs matched betting in another article, but if you appreciate the automated parts of print on demand, but prefer marketing and operations over designing custom designs, then a dropshipping business is a type of ideal side hustle where a third party manufactures and transports your products on a daily basis, which leaves the setup of the online shops and the marketing up to you.

Dropshipping is a fantastic side business because it requires less effort and money than a conventional business plan. Start-up costs for a warehouse or products are not necessary. Even setting up a dropshipping business is really easy. We've broken down the procedure into seven quick steps; take a look:

  1. Create an online storefront (Shopify, Dukaan)
  2. Decide the market and product you wish to target.
  3. Pick a dropshipping company that can handle your shipping and refund procedures.
  4. Build your website and populate it with products.
  5. You obtain the order details, address, and other information when someone places a purchase on your website.

The wholesaler or the dropshipping service provider receives all of this information. including the merchandise's cost (while you keep the margin). The supplier will handle both the shipment and the packing.

Setting up a dropshipping business is simple if you work with the correct service provider. Simply maintain consistency in your efforts and watch your income stream increase.

Dog Walking/Sitting

One of the most popular side hustle options is of course working with animals. In particular dog-walking. According to the PDSA 26% of UK adults own a dog, resulting in an estimated 9.6million dog population, which not only makes the market for this potentially perfect side hustle huge, but you can also double up as a pet sitter.

Most working professionals won’t have time to walk their dog, so a convenient dog walker or sitter is a great way to earn extra money. This one is likely to translate into a business due to the nature of the task being done while the owner is at work (in the day), but that is what makes dog walking a brilliant side hustle idea.

Check out some other articles below based on some of the common questions we receive as well as our betting calculators, which help you make the most profitable bets and increase your betting earnings.

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