Working at a baseball game could be one side hustle if there are available opportunities.
Alex Bierens de Haan/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Instawork’s Kira Caban and Bankrate’s Ted Rossman shared options for potential side-hustle work.Demand for various roles, like security guards, at a nearby concert venue could be one option.Another is doing a side hustle that involves something you’re passionate about.
Side hustles can include building a profitable business, spending a few minutes on an online gig like survey work, or working a job that falls outside your typical 9-to-5.
“For people who are looking for a side hustle, think about the time of year that we’re in and sort of some of the bigger events or ongoings that people really love to go to,” Kira Caban, head of strategic communications for Instawork — a platform where people can find flexible work — told Business Insider. “That’s usually a good indicator that these businesses are going to need help handling customer demand, and it’s a great way to make extra money on the side.”
Lots of people make money through side work. A LendingTree survey from November found that 58% of Gen Zers and 53% of millennials have a side hustle. Additionally, 80% of survey respondents with a side hustle said they were actually more reliant on this income given the current economy.
While some side gigs might be a temporary way to pick up some money for a vacation or a big purchase, many side hustlers are in it for the long haul. A Bankrate survey from April 2023 of US adults, where nearly 990 of participants had side hustles, found 44% of those with a side hustle said they think they will always need to do an extra gig — whether that be “to make ends meet,” to use “for discretionary expenses,” or both. Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate, told BI he hoped more side hustlers were taking on side work as a passion project or “to get ahead to pay off debt, to save, and invest more.”
“What we found was that most people are doing it just to get by, which I thought was kind of a sad reality that people felt like they needed to and they feel like they’re going to keep needing to,” Rossman said.
Below are some side work options for 2024, according to Caban and Rossman.
Concerts
If you like listening to music while working your day job, you might enjoy working at concert venues.
Caban said if artists are coming to play near where you live, it could be a lucrative opportunity as businesses will need to meet demand.
“They’re going to need people that work concession stands, they’re going to need people to help with security, they’re going to need people to do retail and cashiering, and it’s a great way to sort of get in on the action,” Caban said.
Take Davis Perrigo, for instance. The accountant worked as a security guard during a Taylor Swift concert when she played in Nashville in 2023 since he couldn’t land concert tickets.
Baseball games
Big arena concerts might not be the only side job opportunity involving a stadium event. Another gig could be at a baseball game, Caban said.
“They’re going to be in season very shortly with opening day and then the rest of the season,” Caban said about professional baseball players.
Surveys
Rossman said there are a lot of side hustle options that can be done from home, such as completing surveys.
“It’s not a get-rich-quick kind of thing — unless I suppose you’re dedicating a ton of time to it — but that’s something that’s pretty quick and easy to do,” Rossman said.
Scott, who previously shared his side hustle recommendations with BI, is one person who has tried surveys as a side hustle. He has completed surveys for Connect and through Prolific.
“If you have really busy schedules, if you’re not looking to make a ton of money from side hustles, then these survey sites are definitely perfect for you, you just have to be really picky and choosy,” Scott said.
Pet sitting or other kinds of care work
Another side job could be watching someone’s pets or care-related side hustles.
“In our research, we found that the most common side hustle for men has to do with landscaping and home repair,” Rossman said. “For women, it tends to be either crafts or childcare. So those all seem pretty accessible things that a lot of people could get involved with.”
Meghan Lim, who has walked dogs and watched pets as side work, previously told BI “the best price to start for dog walking is $20 for a 30-minute walk.” Lim also suggested meeting with a potential client first before taking care of their pet to ask questions, such as how long the pet can be left on their own and how often the pet should be fed.
“There are situations where you may not end up liking the responsibility or maybe you just don’t find the right fit with the owner,” Lim said.
Food delivery
There are several food delivery platforms people can try as a side job, such as Uber Eats. People could also try Instacart, which involves grocery delivery. Rossman said he thinks the barriers to entry are pretty low for food delivery, so it could be an option.
Erin Couch works a sales job and started using Instacart as a side gig in February 2023. Couch told Business Insider she’s able to make money from tips too and does this gig on the weekends to help pay off thousands in credit card debt.
“I use my Instacart money to pay off my debt once a week, $100 every Sunday — and that’s it for right now,” Couch said. “Once I feel more comfortable with my money situation, I’ll start paying more to get it down.”
Holiday-related jobs
If you are planning ahead or don’t have time for a side job just yet, you could take on a holiday-related gig toward the end of the year. That could be a good option as Caban said the holiday season is “notoriously” an expensive time.
“We will see people look for fun events, holiday parties, all of the things that you think about when you’re celebrating the holidays,” Caban said.
Caban noted that can include servers for events, bartenders, and people who can help with setting up or cleaning after events. She added that it can be a great way to enjoy the season while making money to offset any additional costs.
But side hustles for the holiday season don’t have to only involve events: Being an Airbnb host could be an option, as Business Insider previously reported.
A passion could become a side hustle too
If you don’t want to head to an event for a side job, think about things you enjoy. Rossman said side gigs could be a way to work on something you have a passion for — and it could be something that you don’t get a chance to do for your day job.
“Especially with somebody’s primary job, sometimes they’re not able to do something that’s a true passion project,” Rossman said. “You need to do something that pays the bills.”
Rossman added that “if you’re going to be putting in extra time and effort above and beyond your primary job” to work on a side hustle then it could be more enjoyable if it’s something you actually care about.
“Who knows? Maybe that even leads to a full-time gig down the road or furthers your experience in an area that you’re interested in,” Rossman said.
Find a side job similar to your primary job
Rossman said people can also leverage their skills, experience, and network.
For instance, Rossman gave the example of a graphic designer taking on side projects where they can apply their design skills. Those looking to do something that involves similar tasks or skills to their job though might want to do their research first and talk to their employer.
“You have to be careful that you’re not doing anything competitive or anything that would concern your primary employer,” Rossman said.
Caban shared similar advice as Rossman. Caban noted that people could start with what they are excited about or have experience doing.
“You may be really passionate about art or that creative side, but that’s not something that you do in your day job,” Caban said. “I think that you need to take stock in the things that you’re passionate about and then apply some of the skills that you have from your day job and figure out how to combine the two so that you can get going and start making that extra money.”
In general, Rossman’s main piece of advice is to “follow your passion, figure out what you’re good at, think about that total cost of ownership — the time you’re putting in, what you’re going to get out of it, what kind of materials you might need to source.”
Have you made money from a side job or a side hustle? Reach out to this reporter to share at [email protected].
