Freelancing

Hands down, freelancing is the one of the fastest ways to begin making extra money on the side.

You don’t need to build a website, create a product, or even come up with some killer business idea. All you need is to dig into your inventory of current skills, and find ONE client you can solve a problem for.

What kind of problems could you solve? In the archives here, you’ll find people freelancing their skills in:

For more, here are some of the most in-demand freelance skills.

No, it’s not as sexy as “passive income,” but it’s not as speculative either. You can start getting paid right away, and if your goal is to replace your day job income, there’s probably no faster way.

The Best Freelancing Podcast

I compiled a binge-worthy selection of freelancing and service business podcast episodes from The Side Hustle Show into this playlist. I think you’ll like it!

Dive into the archives here to figure out what you can sell as a freelancer and how to get it done.

3 Productized Service Business Ideas You Can Start Today

November 5, 2021December 12, 2016

Productized service businesses are all the rage these days. They involve packing up a service traditionally sold on a freelance or hourly basis, and instead selling it at a fixed price or on a monthly retainer contract.

Examples include Dan Norris’ WP Curve, which offers unlimited WordPress support for $79 a month, or Russ Perry’s Design Pickle, which offers unlimited graphic design tasks for $370 a month.

These services are popping up in a ton of different niches, and for good reason. They have low startup costs, low overhead, and a simple to understand proposition for customers.

205: From a $1 Million Bankruptcy to $20k in Monthly Recurring Revenue: A Productized Service Case Study

November 5, 2021December 8, 2016

Gabe Arnold is the founder and chief pencil sharpener at CopywriterToday.net, a subscription based article writing service. In his early 20’s Gabe saw his construction business hit by the downturn in the property market to the tune of a $1 million bankruptcy, and began freelancing to support his family.

One common hold-up on his website projects was the words to paste into the pages, which gave him an idea. Tune in to hear how he took that idea from zero customers to $20k in monthly recurring revenue.

204: Your Legal Questions Answered

November 5, 2021December 1, 2016

As a small business attorney, Elizabeth Potts Weinstein helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, coaches, artists, etc, get all their legal affairs in order so they can focus on their businesses.

In this episode, Elizabeth agreed to answer some legal questions from members of the Side Hustle Nation Facebook Group. We cover disclaimers, business registration requirements, entity selection pros and cons, trademarks and copyrights, and licensing.

201: The OPA Plan: How to Borrow Other People’s Audiences to Explode Your Sales

November 5, 2021November 10, 2016

In 2011, Joshua Lisec landed his first freelance gig–on Fiverr of all places. He said he wound up making $1.67 an hour from that job, but it sparked his entrepreneurial journey.

Since then, he’s gone from “dumpster-diving for clients” to consistently landing 4- and 5-figure contracts and earning $167 an hour on one recent project, effectively 100x-ing his hourly rate.

In this episode we take a deep dive into what I’ll call the OPA Plan: borrowing other people’s audiences to grow your business, a strategy that’s earned Joshua $9000 in just the last couple months.

5 Simple Steps to Get More Clients Than You Can Handle

November 4, 2021October 5, 2016

We know that the attorneys, window washers, and web designers who earn the most money aren’t necessarily the ones who do the best work. Those who earn the most are those who know how to sell their service.

Realize that selling is a huge part of your side hustle.

If you are nervous about selling, this exercise will help.

My Startup Journey: 6 Failed Side Hustles and 1 Life Changing Success

January 24, 2022September 19, 2016

Yep. I designed bombs.

Sounds more exciting than it was.

I was actually stuck back in a dull gray cubicle, three locked doors away from daylight. I hated it.

Under the dim flickering florescent light, I hatched a dream: to launch my own startup. I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart.

190: How a Former Hairdresser Turned Her Side Hustle Into a 6-Figure Business, with Rachel Pedersen

November 6, 2021August 25, 2016

Rachel Pedersen was using social media to bring customers to her hairdressing chair, but never really imagined it would turn into a full-time business of its own.

One of her hairdressing clients owned a popular restaurant chain, but was struggling with online marketing and social media. Rachel offered to help and the rest is history.

Today her little social media management side hustle is a 6-figure business and she has even built a training program to help other people follow in her footsteps.

183: Zero to $30k on the Side in 6 Months

November 5, 2021July 14, 2016

Last fall, Chris Deardorff had a passion for startups and entrepreneurship, but wasn’t sure which direction to go. He had — and still has — a good job doing product marketing.

But as he studied the local startup scene, he noticed a common problem. Many startups struggled to gain traction for the products and services; a problem an experienced product marketer could solve.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Chris landed his first clients, the suite of services he decided to offer, and how he’s delivering the work in addition to his full-time job.

180: Listener Success Story: From Zero Customers to Full-Time Business

November 5, 2021June 30, 2016

Scott Tarcy reached out to me with a listener success story of taking some of his on-the-job skills and turning them into a business on the side.

Scott’s a mechanical engineer by trade, and his job involved lots of product design work, including computer aided drafting and 3D modeling. Recognizing that other individuals and companies might have a need for those skills, he took to the interwebs.

Usually Hustling, Occasionally Social