12 Part-Time Business Ideas to Try in 2024
As the cost of living rises, so does the interest in part-time business ideas. Today, many online and offline options offer everyone a chance to start a profitable business.
This article gives 12 great business ideas you can start with no or low initial investment and still create a steady income stream.
Table of Contents
- Print on Demand
- Dropshipping
- Affiliate Marketing
- Freelancing
- Pet-Care Services: Pet Grooming, Dog Walking
- Livestreaming
- Social Media Content Creation
- Home Rental Host
- Sell Handcrafted Items
- Coaching and Tutoring Services
- Virtual Assistant
- Flip for Profit
- Start a Print-on-Demand Part-Time Business With Printify
- A Few Closing Thoughts
Print on Demand
With Print on Demand, anyone can become their own boss and make money online without any upfront investment, inventory, or logistical worries.
Why is this the easiest and cheapest business to start? In short, the entrepreneur pays for the product only after a sale is made. The supplier then does all the heavy lifting – printing, packaging, and shipping directly to the customer’s doorstep.
When it comes to making passive income, it’s a surefire way to success. After all, global retail eCommerce sales will reach $8.1 trillion by 2026, providing a promising opportunity for anyone wanting to start a small business.
Print on Demand: One of the Best Part-Time Home Business Ideas
Easy to Start
A beginner-friendly business model. With some spare time, anyone can start, run, and manage their own part-time business, bringing in passive income.
Low Startup Costs
You pay for the product only after a sale goes through – no need to spend money on inventory, warehousing, or hiring employees.
Wide Variety of Products
An online store can sell various products, from stylish apparel to trendy accessories to beautiful home decor, easily appealing to a wide audience.
Artistic Freedom
Outshine the competition by designing original products nobody else has – all-over-print clothing, tie-dye shirts, or custom hoodie dresses. There are both products and printing methods for every creative vision.
Passive Income
With work, persistence, and patience, an eCommerce store can grow into a full-time business and generate a healthy cash flow.
Quick Tips
Learn how to start a print-on-demand business by following our easy step-by-step guide.
On the Printify Blog, we cover success stories of people who use this model – many earn from a few hundred dollars to thousands a month.
Start a Rewarding Part-Time Business Today!
Dropshipping
You can sell various products with dropshipping – apparel, electronics, pet supplies, and even furniture. If you’d like to start, explore the best dropshipping websites to find the right one for you.
While similar to print-on-demand, there’s a slight difference, which may greatly impact sales. Unless it’s private-label dropshipping, you can’t personalize your products, making it harder to stand out in the market.
Quick Tip
Is dropshipping worth it? Take a look at our article, further explaining the strengths and weaknesses of this part-time business idea.
Affiliate Marketing
This is a great option as a part-time business idea. Affiliate marketing involves people partnering with brands and promoting a company’s products, earning a commission whenever someone completes the intended action.
Typically, brands work with affiliates to boost sales and traffic, rewarding partners for sales. A part-time business idea that’s welcoming to everyone.
While this option requires patience, it’s a great way to earn extra income without spending much money.
Profit Today – Partner With Printify
With our Affiliate Program, people earn a 5% commission on every sale their referrals make for the next 12 months.
If you’re a YouTuber, blogger, or influencer, our affiliate program may be a great part-time business idea for you.
- Join. Sign up to become an Affiliate. Our Team will review the application within 48 business hours.
- Share. Share the affiliate links with your target audience on social media accounts, blogs, or wherever else you have a following.
- Profit. Earn a commission when someone clicks on the link and orders. The more you promote, the more you profit.
Freelancing
Freelancing platforms have revolutionized how people work, providing great opportunities for professionals to connect with clients worldwide, from small businesses to big corporations. If you dream of becoming a digital nomad, it’s an avenue worth exploring.
Whether it’s freelance writing, freelance photography, or freelance business consulting, various platforms help find clients.
- Fiverr. A platform connecting freelancers with individuals and small business owners. A great website for those who are good with the written word, graphic designers, and virtual assistants.
- Upwork. A gold standard – one of the best part-time gig sites. After building a profile, freelancers can relax while work finds them, or they can search for jobs directly.
- Printify Experts. If you’re good at digital marketing, graphic design, or setting up a storefront, the Printify Expert’s program is for you. After a vetting process, we add professionals to our list of experts, helping them find new clients.
Unlike a day job, freelancers enjoy much more freedom. They plan their own schedule, making freelancing one of the best part-time business ideas anyone can do in their spare time.
Pet-Care Services: Pet Grooming, Dog Walking
With undying love for their furry friends, people enjoy pampering their pets. Not only that, they also spare no expense to give them the very best, making this a great small business idea for anyone.
If you love pets, offer a pet grooming or dog walking service, it’s a great part-time gig, perfect as a weekend business to make extra income.
Try Rover or Wag! to find pet-sitting opportunities in your area, or break into the pet care market by building your own website using Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace. With a professional approach, finding potential customers won’t be difficult.
Industry’s data: In the United States, the pet industry expenditure reached more than $136 billion in 2022, clearly showing that it’s one of the best part-time business ideas to start.
Livestreaming
Try streaming games, trendy discussions, music sessions, or yoga lessons, turning your followers’ joy into profit – a fair exchange. You can even chat with your fans using just your phone, whatever they enjoy.
Typically, professional streamers make money with subscriptions, donations, advertisements, and sponsorships. As far as part-time business ideas go, live streaming is a great option, increasingly gaining popularity.
A few platforms for streamers:
- Twitch. While making extra cash with Twitch donations isn’t easy, if you take time to build a following, profit will follow. People happily support their favorite internet personalities.
- YouTube. Streamers can use the YouTube Super Chat to monetize their channel so the audience can pay to showcase their message. Streamers get 70% of the donations, the rest goes to YouTube.
- Patreon. With Patreon, anyone can start a side business and earn money by doing what they love, providing exclusive content to paying followers.
If you create content that speaks to your audience on a personal level, gaining followers won’t take long. Afterward, consider selling fan merch to supercharge your profits.
Start a Rewarding Part-Time Business Today!
Social Media Content Creation
As influencer marketing continues to skyrocket, everyone’s welcome to ride along and make some extra cash. In 2023, the global influencer marketing value was $21.1 billion.
With sponsored posts, companies want to increase their reach and are happy to pay creators for promotional social media posts. However, a loyal follower base is a must.
As an example, let’s look at the most popular social media platform for influencers, Instagram, to get a glimpse of how it all works. Just keep in mind that the influencer rates vary from platform to platform.
| Influencer Type | Number of Followers | Average Payout for a Post |
|---|---|---|
| Mega-influencers | 1 million+ | $10,000+ |
| Macro-influencers | 500,000 to 1 million | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Mid-tier influencers | 50,000 to 500,000 | $500 to 5,000 |
| Micro-influencers | 10,000 to 50,000 | $100 to $500 |
| Nano-influencers | 1,000 to 10,000 | $10 to $100 |
| Mega-influencers | |
|---|---|
| Number of Followers | 1 million+ |
| Average Payout for a Post | $10,000+ |
| Macro-influencers | |
| Number of Followers | 500,000 to 1 million |
| Average Payout for a Post | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Mid-tier influencers | |
| Number of Followers | 50,000 to 500,000 |
| Average Payout for a Post | $500 to 5,000 |
| Micro-influencers | |
| Number of Followers | 10,000 to 50,000 |
| Average Payout for a Post | $100 to $500 |
| Nano-influencers | |
| Number of Followers | 1,000 to 10,000 |
| Average Payout for a Post | $10 to $100 |
The same way social media platforms connect us with friends, influencer marketing platforms connect social media influencers with companies.
- Grin. One of the best influencer marketing platforms, covering all popular social media.
- Afluencer. An all-in-one influencer digital marketing platform. A home to aspiring social media influencers.
- Intellifluence. A network of trusted social media influencers. Search, browse, and apply for opportunities that align with your passions.
Try to become an authority in a specific field and provide value to your social media audience. Whichever social media platforms you use, brands will gladly partner with someone who can promote their business online.
Quick Tip
When it comes to small, part-time business ideas, becoming an influencer is a viable option. Learn how to make money as an influencer in 2024 from our easy-to-follow article.
Home Rental Host
If you’re lucky enough to own a spare property, starting a part-time business is easy – renting your place is a surefire way to make additional income alongside your full-time job.
While you’ll initially need to invest in bedding, towels, cleaning supplies, and services, afterward, you can relax while guests come and go.
Two popular platforms:
- Booking.com. As one of the world’s largest travel marketplaces, it connects people with hosts from all corners of the world.
- Airbnb. Another trendy online marketplace for rentals, helping travelers enjoy an authentic experience.
Regarding low-effort part-time business ideas, renting a property is at the top.
Quick Tip
Renting a property has its risks – difficult tenants, property damage, and legal issues. Diligently screen tenants, write a clear rental agreement, and don’t forget insurance.
Sell Handcrafted Items
If you’ve ever dreamed of starting a small venture with a big heart, a handicraft business may be the right choice for you. After all, industry analysts expect the arts and crafts market to reach $50.9 billion by 2024.
Etsy, a go-to marketplace for original products, is a great platform to sell handmade bags, home decor, jewelry, or anything else you make yourself.
Coaching and Tutoring Services
As the global eLearning market continues to grow, experts predict it’ll reach almost $400 billion by 2026. Providing online tutoring services is a great part-time business idea.
On Udemy, an excellent learning and teaching platform, some of the most popular courses are on Python programming language, Excel, and ChatGPT. Browse through the full list and see whether there’s a subject you could teach.
You can also explore other platforms and start by following their guides:
- Skillshare. A place where anyone can create, publish, and promote online courses on various subjects.
- Teachable. A beginner-friendly platform letting people create online courses, sell materials, and host classes.
When it comes to profitable part-time business ideas, tutoring remains one of the best. If you create an engaging online course, providing value to people, finding students, and making money won’t take long.
Start a Rewarding Part-Time Business Today!
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are essential to any organization, handling administrative tasks efficiently and effectively. They provide various services – social media management, data entry, and drafting correspondence.
With their help, professionals can focus on running their business and achieving their goals on time.
Study the industry you want to enter and offer virtual assistant services on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
Quick Tip
While virtual assistant work is one of the best part-time businesses to start, the beginning won’t be easy – specialize and build up expertise to charge higher rates.
Flip for Profit
Regarding part-time income ideas, flipping for profit is one of the easiest to start. The idea is simple – sell a product for a higher price than you bought it, keeping the difference as profit.
Here are a few ways:
- Buy on Amazon, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace and sell elsewhere. Find cheap products and sell them for a higher price somewhere else, for example, in a local marketplace.
- Refurbish things people give away. When things get old, people want to get rid of them. In crafty hands, old sofas can turn into a good furniture business.
- Garage sales. While time-consuming, people often find valuable items at garage sales, which they resell on Amazon for a significant profit.
Quick Tips
If you have experience with a specific product category (electronics, furniture, books), it’s best to go with that so you’ll instantly recognize a good deal.
While flipping products on eBay can be profitable, so can designing and selling your own, which you can learn from our easy-to-follow guide on how to start an eBay store.
Start a Print-on-Demand Part-Time Business With Printify
With Printify, anyone can start a successful business effortlessly – an easy way to supplement your day job income. Without having to worry about inventory, storage space, or hiring employees, making money has never been easier.
Step 1: Sign Up for a Printify Account
With a quick sign-up, you gain access to the Printify Catalog full of customizable products. Search, choose your favorite, and click Start designing on the right side to create your next bestseller.
Step 2: Apply Your Design
In our beginner-friendly Mockup Generator, uploading graphics, logos, or texts only takes a minute. With original designs, it’s easier to make more money. When ready, we provide realistic mockups for your store.
Step 3: Order a Sample
With samples, businesses can check the quality of their newly designed products. If they’re happy with the result, their customers will be too. Just remember that samples are actual products, so they’ll cost the same as regular items.
Step 4: Choose Where to Sell
Printify offers seamless integrations with various eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, allowing businesses to find the best fit.
Step 5: Publish and Start Selling
When products are ready, publish them to your sales channel and start making money. When a sale goes through, our Print Providers print, package, and ship straight to your customer’s doorstep.
A Few Closing Thoughts
While there are many part-time business ideas, choosing the right one may seem challenging, especially if you have a full-time job. With that in mind, it’s vital to carefully evaluate the options and make sure they align with your lifestyle.
Not every opportunity is the right fit – let your unique abilities, passions, and strengths guide you.
With the right approach, anyone can make money by doing what they enjoy without quitting their day job.
Start Your Own Business Today!
Written by
Leon Walker
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