How to Write Article Pitches that Get the Job
The art of pitching is less about your qualifications, and more about your presentation. We break down the best ways to write and send article pitches that will actually get you the job.
Over a decade ago, I started a small side-hustle at the same time I began working at my first day job. Balancing a side-hustle with a day job was always a challenge, but one I enjoyed immensely.
And it really paid off too.
Over the years, my side-hustle brought in quite a bit of extra cash—which meant more savings, more vacations, and allowing my wife to stay home with our kids.
Then, a couple years ago when I was very unexpectedly laid-off, my side-hustle was the safety net we needed. Without missing a beat, I took the gig full-time and haven’t looked back.
Without overdoing it, I can honestly say starting a side-hustle has completely changed my life.
So whether you need side-hustle ideas to help you change your life situation, or just want a little more fun money, today I’ve got 11 side-hustle ideas that you can actually start this weekend.
These ideas DON’T require a lot of startup capital or time and can turn a profit very quickly.
Here we go:
1. Become a freelancer
First on my list of side-hustle ideas is to become a freelancer. To start freelancing from scratch, take a skill you’re already good at and find a few companies or people who need your services.
Why is freelancing first on my list? Because I genuinely believe it’s the quickest path to escaping your day job or making extra cash on the side.
A good friend of mine recently lost his job and, within the first few days of being “out of work,” was able to drum up over $9,000 in freelance work just from his network of friends and family.
His story, while inspiring, is extremely repeatable. The afternoon I lost my job, I booked $2,000 in work.
You can freelance in just about anything too. If you’re a designer, becoming a freelance designer is extremely straightforward and good designers are always in high demand.
If you’re a writer, there’s no shortage of freelance writing jobs for beginners all over the Internet.
Regardless of your current skill set, I’m willing to bet there are clients out there looking for what you have to offer.
2. Do odd jobs on Fiverr
“What if I’m not a designer or a writer?” you might be asking. That’s fine. There are plenty of other freelancing opportunities for you out there.
Take a look at Fiverr, for example. Millions of people are making money on Fiverr doing all sorts of bizarre things.
From a guy who gets paid to “say anything as a horse” to someone who makes money by “screaming at people and objects,” you’re only limited by your imagination.
Of course, Fiverr isn’t just for the bizarre or unusual. Millions of freelancers are making really good money on Fiverr. This Fiverr freelancer made $33K by experimenting on the platform.
If you’re really serious about it, you can apply for Fiverr Pro where freelancers charge way more than just $5.
3. Sell (or flip) stuff on Craigslist
If you’re really short on time—like, you need cash right this second—then selling stuff (or flipping stuff) on Craigslist is a really great option.
For starters, go around your house, in your attic or basement, and all around to find quality stuff you just don’t use anymore.
You’ll be surprised what kinds of items you can sell on Craigslist for some quick weekend money.
To take it one step further, try browsing the “free” sections on Craigslist to see what kind of treasures people throw away. Go pick them up and repost them in a relevant category where you can make a cool 100% profit.
4. Drive people around
Of course, one of the most common side-hustle ideas these days is to experiment with gig economy jobs. Among the most popular is becoming your own private taxi.
Applying to work with Lyft or Uber is something you can definitely tackle in a weekend and from there, you can decide your own availability and hours based on when you work and how much money you want to make.
5. Deliver food (or something else)
Of course, if being a taxi doesn’t suit your interests, maybe you’d prefer to run small errands for customers instead. Another very common gig economy job is that of delivering and running errands.
With apps like DoorDash or TaskRabbit, you can deliver meals or perform other small tasks for customers in your spare time.
6. Become a virtual assistant
Speaking of doing small odd jobs for customers, perhaps a more long-term side-hustle idea you’d like to pursue is that of becoming a virtual assistant.
In essence, you’d be hired by someone who needs regular help with small odd jobs in order to get their job done on a daily basis. In any given weekend, you might edit a document, update a PowerPoint presentation, order a salad, fill out a spreadsheet, or reply to an email.
There are plenty of sites you can use to find your first virtual assistant job and, if you like it, you can scale up to work full-time from your own office or home.
7. Sell (or resell) on Amazon
I have a neighbor who works at a local grocery store. On the side, his wife and he scour thrift stores for used (or new) books they can sell on Amazon.
The kicker? They make a cool $40,000 extra every year just from collecting, finding, and reselling books on Amazon.
I tried this idea out myself a few years ago and made about $700 just posting a few items here and there when I could. It made for a great little boost around Christmas time.
Signing up to sell on Amazon is super quick and something you can definitely do to get started this weekend.
8. Teach something (anything) online
If selling physical products isn’t interesting to you, maybe you should pursue a side-hustle idea that’s a bit more digital in nature.
For example, you could become a teacher online. Sites like Udemy allow you to upload your own video courses on any subject matter and start finding customers right away.
Once you’ve created a quality video course (which admittedly may take longer than a weekend, but you could write out a basic outline this weekend!) all it takes is some regular promotion and it can turn into a nice stream of side-income for you.
If you don’t want to develop a course, you might consider teaching your native language online—especially if you speak fluent English. Schools and programs in other countries pay online English tutors very well and have flexible schedules.
9. Pick up litter
If you want an extremely simple side-hustle idea you can start this weekend, I have the one for you:
Picking up trash.
Companies in your communities have parking lots and campuses. And the last thing they want in their parking lots is a whole lot of garbage. So these companies pay individuals and other small companies to come pick up the litter on a regular basis.
This guy started picking up litter on the side of his day job and has grown his small business into a $650,000+/year operation!
10. House-sit, babysit, or pet-sit
Need a side-hustle idea that will help you travel on the cheap? How about house-sitting?
Did you know there are people who will pay you to stay in their house while they’re away on an extended trip or vacation?
If you’d rather sleep in your own bed at night, you can also try babysitting on the weekends, or pet-sitting too. With apps like Rover, you can sign up to pet-sit all the cuddly animals in your city.
11. Make and sell something
Finally, if you need a side-hustle idea you can start this weekend, look no further than sites like Etsy where you can create and post your hand-made items for sale to happy buyers.
This college student makes an extra $5,000/mo selling on Etsy. Not bad for a side-hustle idea you can sign up for in less than a weekend and manage with minimal time and effort.
What’s your ideal side-hustle?
That’s my list of side-hustle ideas you can start this weekend. My invitation is to go out there and figure out what side-hustle might work for you and give it a shot!
