In 2024 alone, about 36% of Americans have a side hustle as many look for ways to make more amid uncertainty fueling fears over the economy, according to Coursera. Today, one way to diversify your income is through certain creative side hustles.
When it comes to unique side hustles, the options are endless — from furniture flipping to faceless videos, launching an online course and subscription newsletters. Here are top creative side hustles you can start today.
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Faceless AI-Generated Videos
This side hustle uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create videos that can be uploaded to YouTube channels. Online tools such as InVideo can produce high-quality content with stock videos, text and AI voice-overs without you having to appear in front of a camera.
To start, you need to select your niche. Some ideas include motivational content, educational summaries, tech reviews, tutorials, health and wellness tips or even financial advice.
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After you have a niche idea, ensure you maintain consistency and that your videos are fully optimized. Regular publishing on your channel and eye-catching titles and thumbnails make your channel much more visible. For example, keywords in video descriptions and tags help your YouTube search ranking in InVideo. That organic traffic will also come to your channel.
Monetization strategies aren’t limited to ad revenue. You can generate more income through affiliate marketing, selling merchandise or sponsorships. When your channel grows, you can use it to sell other products, like digital courses or eBooks, creating even more revenue streams.
Flipping Furniture
Furniture flipping is a not-so-well-known side hustle with fairly high-profit margins. A good place to search is on Facebook Marketplace. Look for furniture that is either free or super cheap and “flip” it.
For example, you could get a piece of furniture and refurbish it with sanding, staining and upholstering to take old furniture and make it look brand new. You can also redesign the furniture and for inspiration, you can use websites like Pinterest and YouTube.
Keep in mind, refurbished furniture must be correctly priced to make a profit. Consider material costs, time and demand, to keep your prices competitive but profitable. Use good photos when listing online to show the furniture in the best light possible. Well-written and clear descriptions also help attract buyers.
Course Sales
The e-learning market is increasing, creating the opportunity to profit by sharing knowledge.
The first step is identifying a subject you’re passionate about and an knowledgable in. It can be virtually anything, but if your expertise is in a topic in high demand, your course will likely be successful.
Some potential high-demand ideas are:
- Technical skills like coding and graphic design
- Creative hobbies like photography
- Personal development like time management and fitness
After identifying the subject you’re passionate about, it’s time to create engaging material. You can use sites like Udemy or Teachable to publish your courses. Plus, with these platforms, you can create video modules and structure everything the way you like.
After that, you need to market your course. Social media platforms can help promote educational content since most platforms are integrated with major social media platforms.
Targeting your audience with a sneak peek or an early bird discount can help increase interest. Connecting with influencers or industry experts can also help you gain more attention and build your network.
Subscription Newsletters
Subscription newsletters are an great way to build a community while making money. Tools like Substack can help you with creating and selling newsletters to audiences.
Here are some creative ways to build a successful newsletter:
- Define your niche: Focus on a specific audience — computer scientists, personal finance students and digital nomads are just a few examples. Identify a topic you’re interested in.
- Grow your subscriber base: Use social media and a blog to share snippets of information from your newsletter or a subject related to the newsletter that will make a potential reader subscribe.
- Create value for subscribers: If you want to retain subscribers, you must provide consistent value. This may be deep industry analyses, actionable advice or curated content. Make sure it connects with readers and what they are looking for.
- Monetize your newsletter: A few monetization strategies include paid subscriptions, sponsorships or affiliate links. Eventually, you can add other revenue streams, such as e-books or paid webinars, in addition to your newsletter.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Creative Side Hustles That No One Is Talking About for 2025
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