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5 Side Hustles for the Successful Freelancer

Freelancing means being in charge of your own destiny; an attitude becoming more popular in this day and age where nearly one out of four Europeans is working independently. A study by Eurofound showed that out of freelancers in EU-28 countries, 89% enjoyed being their own boss.

However, the same study reports that self-employment is indeed more financially unstable. There may well be months where you don’t get the amount of work you want to maintain your lifestyle. In these periods, it’s great to have a side hustle; a second income stream or two.

The best side hustles offer a good return on your valuable time. Here are a few ideas. 

Start a blog

Chances are, your self-employed lifestyle is more interesting than someone who just goes to work and goes home. People will be interested in how you got here and want to hear your perspective. Why not start a blog?

Whilst making big money blogging takes a lot of time and effort, if your goal is just for a nice side income there are numerous ways to monetize your blog. Your blog will also be a great part of your online profile and may even draw in new clients to your main business. 

Take surveys

As paid surveys are a huge source of information for Market Researching firms, there are never any shortage of survey options out there. A good paid survey requires very little time or effort from you and will reliably generate income.

You could try a wider online reward destination such as Swagbucks; these kind of programmes typically offer additional rewards for activities such as online shopping and playing games too. 

Teach others

Associate the word ‘tutoring’ with algebra? Think again. If you have set up a successful freelance enterprise you probably have many skills people would like to learn, from social media marketing to programming. And if you don’t want to go through the bother of commuting to your students’ houses, online tutoring via skype is becoming ever more popular.

Find your students by advertising on your network or using online teaching portals such as First Tutors that match students and teachers. If you want to teach your native language, Skype Language can probably help you out. 

Taking on a side hustle doesn’t mean you’ve failed in your main enterprise, rather it’s a national extension of your entrepreneurial spirit to have a failsafe for a rainy day. Whatever it is, find a great side hustle that complements your freelance lifestyle.

By Lucy Wyndham, Professional Freelance Writer