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.

59: How to Start a Side Hustle Consulting Business that Gets Paid, with Kai Davis

October 11, 2018July 3, 2014

Consulting can be a beautiful business model because it transitions you from selling what you do to selling what you know.

So what do you know that other businesses might pay for? What could you consult on?

We cover all that and more with Kai Davis this week on The Side Hustle Show. We talk everything from landing more clients, increasing your rates, getting paid to do work you used to do for free, how to get clients on a monthly retainer agreement, and if you stick around to the end of the show — Kai lays out his exact one-hour-at-a-time plan on how he would get a new consulting business off the ground.

52: How to Use Freelancing to Find Business Ideas (and Cold Showers to Find Yourself)

January 6, 2019May 22, 2014

Nick Reese is an accomplished entrepreneur and sought-after business coach. We set out to record an episode on the mindset necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur, and I think we reached that goal, but along the way, Nick shared a fascinating way to build a lucrative side hustle by starting out freelancing.

And on top of that, he shares why he started taking cold showers 2 years ago, and why he’s actually got me hooked on the cold shower thing in the couple of months since we recorded the episode.

How (and why) to Find a Business Coach: 11 Entrepreneurs Share What Coaching Means to Them and How They Found Their Coaches

November 4, 2021May 19, 2014

A couple weeks ago, a commenter named Dan asked for some resources on how to find a business coach.

I thought it was an excellent question so I put a query out on HelpAReporter.com asking current coaching clients:

How they found their coach?
Is there a general rule for budgeting how much to spend on a coach?
What do their coaches help them with? What are the benefits?
How often do they meet?
How long they’ve been working together?

These are the thoughtful and insightful answers I got back.

42: Niche Down and Dominate

October 16, 2018March 13, 2014

In Episode 42 of The Side Hustle Show, Alex Harris (aka AlexDesigns) joins me to talk niche service businesses.

He shares how he built his business, AlexDesigns.com, in his spare time, how he landed his first customers, how he scores big name clients, how he prices his services, and how he’s recovering from a Google algorithm update.

39: Hacking Your Side Hustle for Growth and Passive Income

October 16, 2018February 20, 2014

In Episode 39 of The Side Hustle Show, I’m joined by Mike Newton from HackingPhotography.com.

We discuss how to make a name for yourself in any business, how to score corporate clients (and why you’d want to), and how to generate passive income streams from a service business.

35: From $18 an Hour to $1000 an Hour in 60 Days

December 13, 2021January 23, 2014

In episode 35 of The Side Hustle Show, I learn how Daniel DiPiazza from Rich20Something.com went from earning $18 an hour to $1000 an hour using his “Marsupial Method” for side hustle businesses.

It sounds hype-y, but it happened. Pretty crazy stuff, with parallels you can takeaway and apply to your own biz.

34: How to Build a 5-Figure Subscription-Based Service Business in Your Spare Time

October 10, 2018January 16, 2014

In episode 34 of The Side Hustle Show, fellow side hustler Ryan Cote from WPAmplify.com discusses how he’s built his part-time service business into a high-value recurring-revenue machine.

We talk scoring customers, pricing, delivering the goods, retention, and much more.

33: How to Build a Niche Coaching Business That Lets You Quit Your Job

June 18, 2020January 9, 2014

In episode 33 of The Side Hustle Show, I’m joined by Virginia Roberts from TheHeartographer.com. Virginia shares an awesome story of side hustle success, turning a personal skill into a hobby, then into a part-time coaching business, eventually quitting her job to be a full-time entrepreneur.

Usually Hustling, Occasionally Social