The top 11 self-employed job ideas for 2025

Print on Demand: An easy way to start a business

When it comes to self-employed job ideas, Print on Demand is the perfect option for anyone wanting to start their own business.

Experts predict global retail eCommerce sales will reach $8.1 trillion by 2026. A profitable business idea worth a go.

With this convenient business model, you can make money with very little investment, as you pay for the product only after a sale.

Then, our Print Providers take care of everything else – printing, packaging, and shipping directly to the customer’s doorstep.

The great advantages of Print on Demand 

When it comes to self-employed job ideas, Print on Demand is the perfect option for anyone wanting to start their own business.

Experts predict global retail eCommerce sales will reach $8.1 trillion by 2026. A profitable business idea worth a go.

With this convenient business model, you can make money with very little investment, as you pay for the product only after a sale.

Then, our Print Providers take care of everything else – printing, packaging, and shipping directly to the customer’s doorstep.

• Easy to start. With a bit of free time, anyone can start, run, and manage their business completely from the comfort of their home.
• Low investment. No need to spend money on inventory, warehousing, or hiring employees.
• Product scope. You can customize and sell various products – from apparel to accessories to home decor – easily appealing to customers.
• Creative freedom. With Print on Demand comes the freedom to explore endless design possibilities – creating a bestseller that resonates with your target audience won’t be hard.
• Seamless integrations. Whether you want to start a Shopify, Etsy, or eBay business, Printify provides seamless integrations with all the major eCommerce platforms and marketplaces.

Social media management and consulting

If you know how to engage audiences on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other outlets, consider offering social media project management services and market businesses online.

Social networks are invaluable for connecting businesses with people worldwide, allowing brands to build awareness of their products, services, and solutions. Today, it plays a big role in the business community.

Although the responsibilities differ from company to company, offering related services to these is a sure-fire way to get clients’ attention:

• Mapping out marketing strategy, implementing effective campaigns
• Growing a company’s audience on various platforms
• Creating content that resonates with the target audience
• Monitoring the results of campaigns, analyzing market trends

Try platforms like Fiverr or Upwork – they’re useful for finding clients and great for showcasing your marketing consultant skills.

While specific education isn’t required, having a degree or significant marketing experience will make finding clients much easier. With technical know-how, working for an eCommerce business or a computer software company can be very profitable.

If you have the knowledge, becoming a social media consultant may be your perfect business opportunity.

Online or offline tutoring

As the global eLearning market continues to grow, the industry welcomes everyone with the knowledge to share. After all, the industry’s market size will reach $400 billion by 2026.

Whether you want to tutor online or in a one-on-one environment, it’s one of the best self-employed job ideas – tried and tested, literally, over millennia. 

Today, there are plenty of platforms helping people create businesses teaching kids, adults, and seniors.

• Teachable. An online course platform helping people make money from their skills, knowledge, and abilities.
• Skillshare. In this learning community, everyone’s welcome to create, publish, and promote classes on various topics.
• Udemy. A convenient studying and teaching platform with millions of students. With its user-friendly interface, it’s great for tutors and students alike.

When starting a tutoring business, bringing value is how to draw people in. If you have useful knowledge you’d like to share, it may come as a natural business for you.

The opportunities are endless. You might even become a life coach or a career coach, changing people’s lives for the better and for good.

Social media content creation

If you enjoy creating content and how-to videos, brands will happily pay you for high-quality posts that increase their audience and promote their business.

Whether you prefer TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram, opportunities for content creators flourish on all platforms.

Again, platforms like Fiverr or Upwork are great for getting yourself out there. Alternatively, try solutions like Afluencer or Intellifluence if you’re more interested in creating content as an influencer.

Freelance copywriting

If you have a way with words and a passion for storytelling, becoming a freelance writer may be your ideal career.

Everyone, from small businesses to large corporations, needs writers to create appealing content, persuading the audience to choose their business.

Freelancers enjoy the freedom of setting their own hours, taking on projects that align with their interests, and working from anywhere with an internet connection.

After building a reputation and demonstrating solid writing skills, freelance writers can negotiate their rates based on the value they bring to the brand.

As one of the best freelance job sites, Upwork is a great place to jump-start your freelance writing career. Whether you want to offer resume writing services for individuals or content writing for companies, Upwork’s the place.

Freelance graphic designing

If you’re blessed with artistic talent, it’s never too late to explore a career in graphic design. It’s one of the best self-employed job ideas for creatives of all stripes.

With the rise of digital media, the demand for visual content remains consistently high – every business needs promotional content that will reach prospective customers through beautiful imagery.

While building a strong portfolio may take some time, afterward, on sites like Upwork, you can showcase your work and wait for clients to find you.

Cleaning services

With flexible schedules and the ability to choose their clients, cleaners can balance personal life with work, set their own schedule, and choose the scope of services they offer.

Whether it’s residential or window cleaning, there are plenty of ways you can earn money by turning things shiny and spotless.

You can advertise your services on social platforms, ask around in your circle of friends, sign up on platforms like TIDY or TaskRabbit, or inquire if upcoming corporate events need some helping hands.

Childcare

While everyone loves taking care of their own kids, often, parents need to rely on childcare to help them balance life’s responsibilities. A sad state of affairs, yet it’s one of the best self-employed job ideas for moms and responsible people dedicated to childcare.

Network, ask around in your circle of friends, and you might find work as a babysitter on an as-needed basis.

Or, think big and go all-out – start your own daycare center. Just remember that it’s a highly regulated business requiring serious research of childcare provider laws in your state, county, and city. Of course, obtaining state licensure is an absolute must.

Delivery services

As people spend more time on their jobs, on-demand delivery is a valuable service. If you own a vehicle and enjoy driving, it’s a rewarding job and a great business idea.

Try platforms like Uber Eats or Grubhub and start making money on your own terms whenever you have free time. With their easy online payment arrangement, you can wave goodbye to dealing with complicated payment processes.

Alternatively, advertise your services on your social networks, letting friends, family, and colleagues know you’re open for business. Grocery delivery services or running errands in town, you’ve got it covered.

With a friendly approach, finding a few clients won’t take long. After you’ve built a network of customers, you can even combine shopping trips to ease the workload.

Blogging

While blogging is a viable business venture, it may take time to pay off. Yet, when it does, and you receive a good amount of traffic, ads generate revenue for you – ongoing cash flows provided by pay-per-click advertising. Or, you can work with sponsors or try affiliate marketing.

To build a truly profit-generating blog, you can also create specialized niches like fashion, crafts, or fitness.

Whatever you’re passionate about, plenty of people are as enthusiastic as you, making it one of the best self-employed job ideas for people with a knack for writing.

Use platforms like Squarespace or Wix – they’re a beginner-friendly way to start a beautiful blog.

Pet sitting

Finding a reliable pet sitter may be challenging with our lives getting busier. That’s where you come in – happily waving leashes and cat toys, providing an invaluable service while pet owners are on vacation, at work, or running errands.

If you have a soft spot for pets, it’s an ideal self-employment idea, bringing you joy and profit. 

With sites like Rover and Wag!, anyone can quickly find opportunities in their local area.

Step 1: Sign up for a free Printify account

After signing up, you can access the Printify Catalog of more than 900 high-quality products, our Mockup Generator, and our extensive network of carefully vetted Print Providers.

Step 2: Select a product

In the Printify Catalog, you can quickly find anything you need. Simply browse our products, select your favorite, and click Start designing.

Step 3: Design your next bestseller

Whatever you’d like to design, our Mockup Generator allows endless customization – add a design, text, illustrations, or a combination of these to create a product unlike any other.

Step 4: Test the quality

While not mandatory, we strongly advise ordering samples. With them, you can see whether you’re happy with the final product.

Step 5: Add products to your store

With Printify, you can sell on some of the most popular eCommerce platforms and marketplaces. Shopify, Etsy, eBay, and many other platforms are just a few clicks away.