Side-gig, side-hustle, passion project — they're all different words for the same thing and they're becoming a force to reckon with.
While not everyone can afford to quit their day job to pursue their passion, most people can take their skills and their spare time and turn it into a business.
The biggest cost to starting your business will be purchasing insurance, which experts recommended purchasing once you feel you're onto something, but before you assume too much risk. Annual premiums range from $750 to $2,000, depending on location and the type of coverage you need.
Here are 30 businesses you could start for next-to-nothing:
- Personal chef
Roll up your sleeves and break out the spices. A personal culinary business where you are a chef for private parties could be a delicious venture. Personal chefs make a median of $20 per hour.
- Tutor
If you have a skill, teach it. The average wage of a tutor is $17 per hour, according to PayScale.
- Dog walker
Love pets and getting some exercise? Dog walking is an easy business to start. Pet business insurance will make up the majority of your expenses, which usually cost $200 to 400 a month, according to onepet business insurance provider. Dog walkers typically make $8 to $20 an hour, with an average wage of $12.
- Professional organizer
If you have a knack for turning clutter into cleanliness, why not try turning that into cash? The median hourly salary for a professional organizer is $25.
- Fashion stylist
A great place to start is by styling a few of your friends for a party, and then encouraging them to tell their friends, career experts said. Soon you could have your own fashion business and be making a median of $15 an hour to above $40 once as you gain experience.
- Translator
Multilingual entrepreneurs, this business is for you. Whether you want to take up projects people post online, approach companies or start-ups that do a lot of international business or check local job postings, there are multiple ways to start building your own translation business. Translators make a median income of $20 per hour.
- Photographer
If you're a stay-at-home parent with a knack for photography, creating family portraits or photographing events for people in your neighborhood could be the start of a fruitful business. The trick here is that you'll probably need to have a nice camera, a tripod and equipment insurance — the total cost of which will most likely exceed $1,000. If you can get a deal on a good camera at a lower price or already have the equipment, then the start-up costs are low. Freelance photographers make a median of $24 per hour.
- Errand runner
Lots of people don't have the time to run errands daily, and a local errand service business could be a great solution. Errand runners make about $11 per hour.
- Jewelry maker
Jewelry makers typically make money on sales and projects, as opposed to hourly wages. Information from platforms for selling homemade goods like Etsy are a benchmark of what designers can expect to charge for their products.
- Transcriber
From video shoots to audio interviews or speeches, there's a lot out there that needs to be transcribed. If you're a good typist with a few extra hours and a computer, you could start your own transcription service. The median hourly wage for transcribers is $15.
- Avon or Tupperware sales person
Independent sales representatives for companies like Avon or Tupperware don't have to worry about creating a product or inventing a business structure. If you like talking with people, this social business could be for you. Incomes differ based on the company you work for and the amount of sales you make.
- Makeup artist
If you're a professional makeup artist or hairdresser at a salon, you could earn extra income by setting up your own side business. If you love makeup or hair care but aren't an expert, consider investing in a class or certificate program. Talk with professionals to find what they recommend, experts said. Makeup artists earn a median salary of $16per hour, while hairdressers earn a median of $9.
- Virtual assistant
Organized self-starters could find good work being a virtual assistant, a person who does all the things an assistant would normally do, just via the internet and phone. Virtual assistants earn a median salary of $16per hour.
- Consultant
"Every industry could have a consultant. In order to be a successful consultant, you need to have some sort of success in that particular field," career expert Jill Jacinto said.
As a consultant, you could help businesses make contacts, form deals and guide their strategic plan as a consultant. This job has a median salary of $20 per hour.
- UI/UX designer
This one's a little more obscure to the average entrepreneur than the others. User interface (UI) design and user experience design (UX) make sure your website or app is user friendly, intuitive and visually pleasing among other things. UI designers and UX designers make amedian of $35 per hour.
- Graphic designer
Graphic design has be frustrating for the nondesigner. While there are free design tools out there, many do not offer customization or the insight an expert would. That's where your business could come in. Graphic designers make a median of $15 per hour, which you can factor into project prices.
- Freelance writer
Companies and content websites need good content, and you want to start your own business. Consider starting your own business as a freelance writer. Freelance writers typically are paid by the post or project, so wages can vary.
- Social media manager
Many small companies or other entrepreneurs can't afford to have a social media manager or marketing team. Starting a social media company where you manage part-time or full-time other people's accounts could be a profitable gig. Social media managers make a median of $14 per hour.
- Personal shopper
If you love to shop or are interested in fashion retail, starting a personal shopping business could be a great fit. Personal shoppers earn a median of $14 an hour.
- PR professional
Have experience in a particular field? Recently retired? You likely have a lot of contacts and expertise in a specific industry, which you could leverage for your own venture. PR managers work with the media, government agencies and advertisers. They typically make $20 per hour.
- Copy editor
Business pamphlets, grant proposals and blog posts all need copy editing. Why not take your literacy and grammar skills to the market? Copy editors make a median of $18 per hour.
- Au Pair
There's a sizeable market out there for parents looking for help managing their family and taking care of their kids. If you've lived in an area for a while and know the locals, starting a babysitting or au pair business will be even easier. A nanny or au pair makes a median of $12per hour in addition to snagging perks such as free housing, meals and transportation.
- Event planner
Weddings aren't the only events that need planning. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties are just a few of many events people need help organizing. Event planners make a median of $17 per hour.
- Wedding planner
If you love detail and decor and don't mind the stress of dealing with last-minute changes, a wedding planning business could be a great fit. Wedding planners earn a median of $17 per hour.
- Property manager
This job is replacing what used to be known as the butler, experts said. A property manager looks after a household and ensures all property activities run smoothly. The manager would get the mail, do the laundry, stock the fridge, work with other professionals like gardeners and cleaning assistants. It's especially helpful for people who own multiple properties and don't have time to look after them. Property managers could make anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 per year, experts said.
- Caterer
While a personal chef usually caters to smaller groups, caterers prepare meals for big events. If you're a great cook who can handle multiple meals cooking at once, you could start your own catering business. Personal caterers make a median of $11 per hour.
- Personal trainer
Insurance is something you'll need at the outset with this business. If you love to work out, look into certifications you could get to become a personal trainer. If you're already certified, even better! Personal trainers make a median of $18 per hour.
- Accountant
If you're a certified accountant, you could start your own practice. Accountants make a median of $18 per hour.
- Craftswoman/Craftsman
Take your artistic skills to the next level by opening up an Etsy store for unique crafts you make. You could also look into renting a table at a local farmers market. Income for this job varies by the number of sales you make, among other factors.
- Tour guide
Many tourists want more than the typical grand walking tour of a city or town. If you know a place really well, why not set up your own independent tour guide business? You could take tourists on a walking tour of your town, stop by local art galleries and show them the best places to eat. Insurance for this business is important, in case anyone gets injured on a tour.
