How to make £2000: 40+ side hustle ideas

While the average earnings from side hustles come to £206 a week or £10,701 per year, this is what side hustle money actually looks like in the UK:

• Most Brits (57%) earn less than £100 a week from side hustles.

• 40% of side hustlers earn between £100 and £1,000 a week.

• Just 2% earn over £1,000 a week.

Finder’s 2023 survey shows almost half of all Brits do some work on the side, so if you’re considering a side job, you’d be joining a large number of people.

Side hustle stats on gender show that 49% of men are doing extra paid work compared to 40% of women.

People in the UK choose to do extra work primarily because they want more job security (62%) and more money (38%). Also, people with a side hustle in the UK come from different professions and workplace situations: from managers in high positions to casual workers.

The three most popular side hustle apps are Uber, mentioned by 18% of gig workers, PeoplePerHour, mentioned by 12% of workers, and Deliveroo, with another 12%. Other popular platforms are Instacart, Amazon Flex, and Uber Eats.

To understand the side hustle tax in the UK, you have to start from the £1,000 Trading Allowance. The tax-free threshold applies to everything from renting out your driveway to selling second-hand clothes.

As most people earn much more than this, side jobs put you at risk of being pushed into a higher tax bracket. Also, people with a side job usually register as Sole Traders, so it won’t hurt to check out HMRC’s guide on Self Assessment.

Side hustle taxes come with some benefits when it comes to renting rooms. Just bear in mind that sharing the income with someone means the allowance is cut in half. So, if you’re considering AirBnB or a similar rental setup as an extra source of income, study the official government page to see how it applies to your situation.

A data entry side hustle usually involves inputting data for clients into digital formats such as spreadsheets and databases. Common tasks include data entering survey responses, transcribing handwritten documents, or cataloguing inventory details. In most cases, you can do this side hustle from home.

You can find data entry jobs on freelancing platforms such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, and Upwork.

However, data entry can be rather monotonous, although the simplicity of work may be ideal for after your day at the main job is over.

A virtual assistant side hustle would mean you’d have to manage emails, take calls, stay on top of calendars, schedules and appointments, prepare presentations and documents, and sometimes even help with basic bookkeeping tasks. Apart from admin tasks, you might also end up doing online research, data entry, social media management and anything (reasonable) your client needs.

Apart from freelancing platforms, you can look for a side hustle on dedicated virtual assistant platforms. While it can mean additional mental labour, being a virtual assistant is often a very lucrative side hustle.

A proofreading side hustle can be great for stay-at-home parents or anyone who requires flexibility from a job. If you have excellent grammar, punctuation, writing, and research skills, you can find jobs on freelancing or dedicated platforms.

People who have postsecondary education in a scientific or technical field can also work as technical proofreaders in their area of expertise, which is a side hustle that pays really well.

An influencer side hustle means finding a niche you’re passionate about, whether it’s fashion, travel, science, cooking, or any area where you have genuine expertise.

To succeed as a social media influencer, you will need to produce high-quality content regularly, including photos, videos, and captions. It’s also important to be skilled at different platforms, as they often require different content strategies.

Although it may sound easy, this side hustle requires dedication and knowledge. Also, it’s important to keep the delicate balance between monetising your content and remaining authentic.

The role of a social media manager means applying your social media skills to help a client maintain their online presence. This includes organising and creating posts, videos, or photos, moderating comments, and actively interacting with customers through messages and comments.

A social media side hustle can be tiring as you may need to handle negative comments and complaints, however, for those who can handle so many interactions, this can be a profitable side hustle.

A very easy side hustle you can do from home is to take paid surveys at websites such as Survey Junkie, OneOpinion, OnePoll, or Cashback.co.uk. Depending on the gig, you may get paid directly or just earn discounts, vouchers, and cashback.

While it’s easy, it doesn’t pay much, with the average payout of no more than £100 on one site. Still, a bit of extra cash or a discount (hopefully for a brand you need) won’t hurt, and it’s a really simple side hustle you can do after work.

Extra tip: Create another email account for this to avoid swimming in spam mail.

Joining an independent market research group is a quick side hustle that is much better paid than online surveys. The interviewers will ask you to test a product, website, or service. You can start your search on websites such as UserTesting, TestingTime, and UserInterviews.

All you need to do is be honest, polite, and respond quickly to messages as there are a lot of people looking to do the same thing as you.

The main downsides? You don’t know how many interviews you'll have, so you can’t rely on this for your main income. Also, you may be paid in gift cards.

Affiliate marketing refers to advertising products on your blog, social media profile, or any other online space to earn a commission from any sale that comes through you.

While you can apply to be an affiliate partner to a lot of ecommerce stores, you will need to have a niche, an audience, and content creation skills first.

People who choose copywriting as a side hustle need to write to the point, captivating, and persuasive content for that makes its readers take action: e.g. click on a link, subscribe, or buy.

On the other hand, content writers create different texts with less immediate aims: engaging, informing, and building trust.

So if you're a good psychologist, skilled with words and willing to acquire a solid understanding of digital marketing and SEO, writing may be the right online side hustle for you.

A dropshipping side hustle lets you sell directly to customers without having any inventory, as the inventory will be handled by the supplier. If you have a niche you’re passionate about, whether it’s make-up or fishing equipment, and have a penchant for marketing, you can start a dropshipping business.

However, there are a few issues with dropshipping. First, the competition is high, so this will require a lot of strategising and a solid business plan. Also, you are at the mercy of suppliers, meaning you don't get as much control over the quality of the products you sell.

Print-on-demand is a side hustle idea that combines selling your digital designs and dropshipping. If you have a knack for illustration, design, or photography, upload your artwork onto a range of printable items to curate your product line.

The printing will be handled by a print-on-demand vendor who will handle the printing and shipping and invoice you for the wholesale price and shipping costs.

Another variation of a creative-type side hustle is selling just your digital products. This means no costs after the initial product creation and only charging for digital downloads, in different formats.

This can range from selling beats and songs to selling printable meal or exercise plans, daily planners or journals, fonts, photographs, really, any digital format.

If you have great taste in art, you can even use scans of artwork in the public domain and then let the customer do the printing on their own terms.

This side hustle is ideal as there are no shipping costs, no overhead costs, and is one way to get yourself some much coveted passive income.

Selling used textbooks (or other books) from your own inventory or from garage sales, campus sales, or thrift shops can be a great side hustle for a student.

You can sell them on Amazon or eBay, but if you’re too busy to find buyers and want a quick way to make money, you can sell books to specialised vendors such as WeBuyBooks.

Also, if you’re not sure how much you should charge for a used book, some apps can scan book barcodes and tell you the book’s current price on Amazon.

And last but not least, additional sales experience can look good on your resume.

A used goods side hustle will let you declutter and earn some money at the same time. You can find used goods in thrift stores or markets and sell them on specialised sites like Depop, or Facebook Marketplace.

This is one of the most popular side hustles as it can be fun and doesn’t require too much effort.

It’s also a good side hustle to do while on maternity leave in the UK, as you can sell baby clothes once your child outgrows them, or clothes and equipment from your older children to make more room for new things.

Teaching English as a second language tops the list of flexible side hustle ideas, as you can control your schedule really easily and it only takes a good internet connection and perhaps a headset to get you started.

Even if you’re not an actual teacher, you can find businesses looking for native speakers to just give conversation lessons, or businesses with ready-made lessons that simplify your role.

Teaching certifications such as TEFL are helpful, but you can get a job without them (although sometimes you will be required to acquire a certificate after you start working).

For any skill you have, there is someone in the world who wants to learn. If you already have some teaching experience or experience in content creation, you can start an online course as a side hustle.

While this is a lot of work, there are still online platforms that take some of the workload off your back and handle advertising for you (e.g. Skillshare).

While it’s nice to share your knowledge for free, it may be even nicer to earn some cash while helping people with their studies or secondary school subjects.

You can advertise in person or online, or find platforms looking for tutors (although they do take a cut).

A tutoring side hustle can get you somewhere between £10 and £40 per hour, depending on the subject and your qualifications. If you can find your own students, teaching via Skype or Zoom (I even used WhatsApp before) can be a great way to make some extra cash, even with just two lessons per week.

To start a music side hustle, you need to have a high level of musical skill and know your instrument well.

A background in music theory will make you better positioned and make it easier to find students, but you can also find plenty of people on campus who may just want to learn more practical things.

If your heart beats for painting, woodworking, baking, sewing, knitting, crafting jewellery or anything else, you can pursue your passion while boosting your income.

However, start-up costs may include materials, design costs, and maybe some marketing, so make sure to consider them in your calculations.

If you want to sell online, you can make use of Shopify, Square, or Etsy for your side hustle.

If your hobby is singing, dancing, or playing music, you can find extra income as a performer in clubs or even as a street performer.

If you don’t feel like going out, you can just stream your performances on Twitch or other platforms.

If you remain consistent, you’ll find your audience.

Ghostwriting is a creative side hustle that involves being paid to write a book (fiction or nonfiction) without getting credit for it once it’s done. This means you won’t be listed as an author or contributor, and that you give away all rights to the person who hires you to write it.

While you may imagine needing to write a novel, there are also ghostwriting gigs for nonfiction that require you to write about something in your area of expertise.

You can find ghostwriting jobs on platforms such as Upwork, Freelance Writing, and Funds for Writers.

While the industry is competitive, if you’re a skilled voice actor, you can start a highly satisfying side hustle as a narrator.

On platforms such as ACX, VoiceJungle, and Bodalgo, you can monetise your acting skills and create audiobooks, podcasts, commercials, or instructional videos.

There are several ways to get paid. You can charge per hour, get a percentage of royalties, or charge per run-time of the final product.

Do you love spending time with animals? As a pet sitter, you can enjoy time with them and get paid for it!

It’s a good side hustle for teens, and you can find your furry clients on apps such as Rover, Wag!, PetSitter, and PetBacker.

It helps to be a member of an association of pet sitters and even have a pet first aid certificate so your clients can trust you with their fur babies.

Love the outdoors and have experience with dogs? Dog walking might be the best side hustle idea for you.

What you need to know is that dog walking requires a bit more skill than pet sitting. While certifications can help, your experience, and the way you approach dogs (and people) are more important for success in your side hustle.

Also, having insurance is useful (in case the dog gets lost, bites or gets bitten) as well as being a part of a national association. As with pet sitting, you can find dog-walking clients on dedicated apps.

If you’re really fond of pooches, pet grooming can be a great side hustle in the UK, given that over 34% of households have a dog.

Along with fur grooming skills, you also need to be able to handle cats and dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments, and prepare to be scratched from time to time. And yes, you also need to be able to keep the animals calm and safe during the process.

This side job requires higher equipment and startup costs, as well as training and certification.

If you enjoy the process of assembling flat-pack furniture, it could be a great side hustle. But how will you find clients? For starters, there are plenty of short-term jobs of this kind on apps such as TaskRabbit and TaskEasy.

You can earn anywhere between £20 and £60 per hour, and you don’t need any qualifications—only skill.

Ridesharing is a great side hustle because it works even if you have another full-time job. You can choose when you’re active, whether it’s for one hour or five.

Also, you can even pick up a passenger going in a similar direction while you’re driving home from work.

However, you’ll have to consider fuel prices, car repair services, cleaning expenses, and insurance. At the same time, your earnings vary depending on the season, location, and demand.

A parcel and food delivery side hustle can be very profitable, but there are similar expenses as with ridesharing. In fact, you can do both at the same time with Uber and Uber Eats.

Flexibility, ease of entry, and good earning potential are all major upsides to this kind of work, however, you will need additional insurance. Again, earnings can be unpredictable.

An Uber Eats, Deliveroo, or Amazon side hustle can get you around £15 an hour at busy times, or according to Payscale, around £10 per hour on average.

Some other ideas for a side hustle include mowing and landscaping jobs. If you're good with the lawnmower and have a bit of spare time, you can find tasks in lawn care and landscaping on TaskEasy, Airtasker, and TaskRabbit.

Also, this is a fantastic side hustle for teenagers, as it can get you some extra pocket money while you don’t need to invest anything but time and effort in the job.

A handyperson side hustle can include anything from mounting TVs and shelves to taking care of plumbing, replacing faucets, cleaning rain gutters and garages, and fixing white goods.

You can start as a local contractor and advertise on social media, or look for jobs on task apps. As long as you have the skills and qualifications, you can make a decent amount of money as a handyperson.

Sewing and tailoring are undervalued crafts. If you’re skilled with scissors and a sewing machine, you can do alterations, create sewing patterns, or tailor custom clothes.

A sewing side hustle can bring you extra income, and as you’re in control of the number of orders you take, you can combine it with another job. Alternatively, your sewing side gig may grow into a full-time business. You can also teach others to sew.

If you’re thorough, knowledgeable of safety and health precautions, and are physically fit, consider a cleaning side hustle. It won't take up all your time, and it can help you earn a decent amount of cash.

You can choose between residential and commercial cleaning. However, it’s easier to start with cleaning homes as you can build personal relationships with your customers and rely on word-of-mouth.

Taking in a lodger or renting out your home is one of the best ways to make extra income. With just a few nights of booking, you can easily add a few hundred pounds to your monthly budget.

Listing a room or home is free, although Airbnb does take a percentage fee, around 3% for most hosts.

Depending on your location, you can also pad your wallet a bit by renting out your driveway or parking space. According to the rental platform YourParkingSpace, you can earn between £40 and £400 each month.

Renting out your tools and equipment is one of the most profitable rental business ideas.

For example, you can rent out your paint sprayer, carpet cleaner, pressure washer, or even party equipment, photography equipment, or a musical instrument.

One of the most popular platforms for renting is RentMy, and you can use it to basically pay off your equipment after a number of renting gigs.

On RentMy and similar platforms, you can rent out your vehicles, from mountain bikes (great if you’re near a popular track) to vans and cars.

Even if you only list them for a day, it can make the next payday look less distant.

Another popular rental business idea is renting out your storage space, whether it’s a storage unit, a loft, shed, or a space in your garage.

It won’t require as much effort (cleaning and advertising) as renting out a room, so it’s much closer to actual passive income.

Other profitable things you can rent out include clothes, shoes, and all things fashion. Look into fashion rental marketplaces such as Loanhood or apps like By Rotation, and earn money by helping people look good.

If you have a green patch of land, consider renting it out. The demand for garden party venues and camping sites is growing, and it’s a shame not to share a gorgeous view with your guests.

If you have a garden fit for growing veggies or flowers, you can also rent it out to people with green thumbs who don’t have a garden of their own. You can list your garden on AllotMe.

As a house sitter, you provide homeowners peace of mind when they’re away by keeping an eye on their place. You may look after pets and plants, collect mail, and maybe do some light maintenance tasks.

While some jobs are paid (often modestly), others simply offer you a free place to stay and an opportunity to travel, which still saves you some cash.

You can find gigs on sites such as TrustedHouseSitters, Homesitters, and HouseSittersUK.

Offering walking tours in your city can be a lucrative side hustle. Research your city’s attractions well, or find a unique spin on them, such as retracing a historic event or visiting less-known attractions.

Having solid organisational and people skills is a must, along with a talent for storytelling. And it’s not that hard to find clients for your tour guide side gig — check out ToursByLocals or GetYourGuide.

A mystery shopping side hustle includes visiting businesses such as shops and restaurants to check if they're following business guidelines. You can even find gigs that require you to mystery shop by phone: that’s a side hustle you can do from home without leaving your sofa.

Sometimes, you won’t get paid in money, but get to keep whatever you bought in the store, although it’s rarely an expensive item.

Also, with a lot of companies, mystery shoppers outside of city centres get better pay, as there is less competition for the jobs.

Babysitting is an excellent side hustle for teenagers and students. It’s flexible and well-paid, with rates of around £15 per hour. Your rate will depend on your location, recommendations, age, and additional tasks such as preparing meals and cleaning.

Having a Basic DBS Check can help, as well as any other skills you can offer, such as helping with homework, or playing an instrument.