Working full-time while studying at college is not feasible for most students, yet most need a way to earn an income.
Luckily, you can easily make money by setting up a side-hustle.
All you need is some basic skills and a little bit of extra time. While not all side-hustles are going to work out for every student, there is always something you can do to earn money while studying.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out these 6 side-hustles you probably haven’t even thought about:
1. Freelance Writing
If you have a way with words, and a basic understanding of how online content is structured, you can make some extra money freelance writing.
Freelance writing works by writing online content for clients, typically on an “article-by-article” basis. They order an article, you write it, you get paid.
Finding high-paying clients can be time-consuming but if you’re looking to make a little extra cash, you can always advertise your services on sites like Fiverr or take a look at freelancing job boards such as ProBlogger or MediaBistro.
In the real world, you can always approach your campus to see if they are hiring writers for student publications. You can even reach out to local businesses to see if they require content for their websites.
2. Tutoring
There is no shortage of students who need help academically – especially in college. If you excel at a particular subject, you can offer your services as a tutor.
And you don’t even need to limit yourself to college students! Students of any age can benefit from your knowledge.
You can opt to meet in-person or even offer your services online via Skype or Zoom.
Advertise your tutoring services throughout your campus, on Facebook or even use Fiverr to set up an online service.
It has also been proven that tutoring others can improve your academic skills as well!
3. Winter Snow Removal
College side hustles don’t have to be focused solely on online services. If you prefer physical work, you can always look into offering winter snow removal services.
If you live in a climate that experiences significant snowfall, this could earn you some serious cash during the winter months.
The start-up costs of a snow removal business may seem daunting, but consider offsetting these costs by finding used equipment.
As long as you’re not looking to pursue this as a full-time career, used snow removal equipment is adequate for a side-hustle.
Should snow removal prove lucrative, you can always look into lawn maintenance during the warmer months.
4. Babysitting
You’re never too old to make money babysitting and most parents feel more comfortable having an adult look after their little ones.
Evening gigs would be perfect, allowing you to work on your studies while the children sleep.
Plus, sitting jobs are not limited to children. You can offer to house sit or pet sit for people in your area.
To get started, figure out your rates. On average, babysitters charge around $15/hour.
Next, advertise your services. You can use social media platforms such as Facebook or rely on word-of-mouth (the best kind of advertising) to find clients.
5. Clean Houses and Offices
Starting a small cleaning business is super easy – you just need a few basic cleaning supplies and some free time.
Gather up your supplies and advertise your services through social media or post flyers around your community.
Average house cleaning services cost around $30/hour. Since you are a student, and doing this casually, you should consider charging a lower rate.
Amp up your business by recruiting a friend or fellow student to help you complete more jobs. With a two-person crew, you can charge more per hour.
6. Deliver Food
With apps like UberEats, DoorDash and Skip the Dishes becoming vastly popular, you can stand to make a bit of extra money simply by delivering food.
These services work by offering a base pay for deliveries in addition to 100% of customer tips. Base pay depends on estimated time and distance and can range between $2 and $10 per delivery.
Because you are using your own vehicle, you could possibly deduct operational costs from your taxes, as long as you are hired as an independent contractor. Otherwise, if the service hires you as an employee, they will withhold taxes from your pay cheque.
Get Hustling!
You should never sacrifice your academic performance to earn money, but having cash is a necessary evil when it comes to being independent out in the real world.
Instead of wearing yourself thin between studying and working full-time or part-time on someone else’s schedule, picking up a side-hustle is the perfect way to balance your studies with making money.
Are you ready to hustle? Give one of these side-hustles a try!
