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10 creative businesses or side hustles you can start online right now


As you know there has been a massive shift globally in the last two years. So many people have realised that they want more out of life and a lot of people’s paths have changed due to redundancies, myself included.

My travel industry role came to an end at the very beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 and we went into the first big lockdown soon after. It gave me a lot of time to think about what I wanted, and even though it was a challenge, it was also an opportunity to start over and create something for myself that truly lit me up.

Having already run a side hustle (while I was working full time) I had a bit of an insight into running my own business. I knew this was something I wanted to do again, but this time around I wanted to build something that could sustain me and grow with me long term.

The online world has been expanding rapidly over the last 10 years and was utilised by pretty much everyone over lockdowns. It became obvious to me that this was the way forward for businesses.

As much as I love a brick-and-water model, and I hope we never lose shop fronts, in-person interaction and tangible products, the fact of the matter is that it’s easier to get a business up and running online. It’s also very practical in the world we are living in today.

I interact with a lot of visionaries and creatives in my online community that want to start a biz or side hustle, and after many conversations it gave me the idea to write an article about businesses you can start online right now.

Having done this twice, and also having sold my side hustle over the pandemic, I know there is so much opportunity in this space.

So, I hope the below ideas provide you with some inspiration and useful tips – we love useful tips!

10 Creative Businesses or Side Hustles you can start online right now:

Crystals

There are a bunch of amazing businesses selling crystals online and they are big on social media. I follow them all (bit of an addiction) – but just because it’s been done before doesn’t mean you can’t do it too.

Let’s be honest, everything’s been done before, but it hasn’t yet been done by you!

So, let’s start this section off with my number 1 tip – what’s your point of difference?

Of course, you are undoubtedly unique, but what is going to set you apart from everyone else? I would highly recommend thinking about this in the beginning stages of creating any business.

If you’re going to sell crystals, do your research on where you can find good quality crystals at wholesale prices. This is not something I’ve done before, but I do know websites like Alibaba ship from a million miles away and you have to place big orders to get wholesale rates. There are places locally in New Zealand and Australia, so perhaps check here first.

Candles

Candles are a great option if you like getting crafty and love your house smelling absolutely delicious!

There are a handful of candle supply stores online in New Zealand which makes life a bit easier. Some of my favs are NZ Candle Supplies and Pure Nature.

There are also a lot of other businesses that you can reach out to who might want to use or sell your candles in their shop. You can then set up a stocklist section on your website so people know where they can go to physically see and smell your candles.

Wellness Products

When it comes to wellness products there’s a lot you can do here. I used to sell bath salts, essential oil roll ons, body scrubs and more – all online.

This is also a great one for markets when you want that in-person interaction with your customers. It also means you can put out testers so people can try your products.

Again Pure Nature is a great supplier and who I used for pretty much everything!

If you’re selling skincare you might also want to look into the safety guidelines through MedSafe.

If you don’t want to create a website, Facebook is a good platform for these first 3 suggestions (crystals, candles, wellness products) because you can set up a Facebook shop and connect that to your Instagram page.

Photography

I know a bunch of photographers selling their services online, and some of them don’t even have the world’s best camera equipment, but still produce incredible images.

If you have a passion for photography there are so many roads you can go down in this industry.

Maybe you like portrait images capturing the true essence of your subject, or perhaps you prefer landscapes, weddings and functions, or even product photography. Whatever it is, all you need is a basic DSLR kit to get started and you can build it up once you begin to get a steady flow of income.

Squarespace has a bunch of beautiful free website templates that you can use to showcase your photography and packages. I would also recommend utilising Instagram and Pinterest, although Instagram has gone more down the video route.

Logo Design

One of the best free tools out there for logo design is Canva. This does mean that anyone can use it and make their own logos, but not everyone has a creative eye.

If you’re good with design and have a flare for branding, you could easily get into logo designing. You are also the perfect person for creating your own website. Again Squarespace is one of the best in my opinion with simple drag and drop templates.

It would also be pretty cool recording your screen while you create the logos and showcasing that on Tik Tok or Instagram Reels. Great for reach! In fact you could also do that when editing Photos (number 4 above).

Lara Franks

Sell services on Fiverr

This one comes naturally next on the list because you could actually sell your Logo Designing services on Fiverr, among many many other things.

Fiverr is a platform with freelance talent at your fingertips. You could be one of those freelancers. Services are purchased every 4 seconds on their platform, so that says a lot!

Here’s everything you need to know about Becoming a Seller on Fiverr.

Podcast editing

Are you an audio queen (or king)? Do you love a good Podcast? If you’re answering “yes and yes”, then this might be a great biz for you!

Podcasting is HUGE now and a lot of podcast hosts actually have no idea how to do the editing process, so help is in demand.

If you have any Apple software then you’ll know it comes free with GarageBand. This is the basic setup that you need to edit audio.

Of course, there are other systems out there, luckily the majority of them are not going to break the bank. Do your research for what works best for you.

Podcasting is another service you can sell on Fiverr, alongside your own website. There’s also a great app you can download called Headliner which you can use to share the Podcasts you edit on your social channels. Great for showing your audience and potential customers your skills.

Create an online course or workshop

Online courses have taken off over the last couple of years with so many people wanting to dive into personal development. There are a lot of cool platforms to create your courses on, and the best thing about this is that it’s passive income while you sleep! Winning.

If you have something you want to teach, to inspire and educate others, creating an online course or workshop is one of the best ways to do it.

Most of these platforms can link directly to your website, but here’s the thing, you don’t even need a website. You can market and sell your courses directly on platforms such as Thinkific or Kajabi.

All you need to do is put in the time and effort creating your course or workshop, and spend whatever amount you want on marketing – then once it’s uploaded it’s there to be purchased over and over again.

Write an ebook

If you’re a writer but not too sure how to crack into the market or approach publishers, guess what, you can do it yourself!

In 2021 ebook sales increased by 38 per cent, which speaks to a larger movement toward digital content. This is also a great lead magnet for any other business that you might want to create.

Ebooks use either a computer, mobile device or ebook reader to display the content and you can create them on systems such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Adobe InDesign.

Depending on your industry/what you’re writing about, ebooks can range from free to more than $100. I would recommend doing a bit of research on this first before committing.

Sell handmade crafts or digital products on Etsy

Last on the list, but certainly not least, is using Etsy to sell anything your heart desires. It’s full of creative crafty goodness and digital products. From jewellery to artistic prints, craft kits, self-care, wall planners, journals and more!

This is a brilliant hub to showcase your creative talent and make some money doing something that you love.

Etsy processed $10.28 billion in gross merchandise sales in 2020. WOW! It really is a fantastic option, especially if you want a simple way to get started without having to create a website.

There are so many other options out there too, but those are my fav creative biz ideas right now.

If this article inspired you, feel free to slide into my DMs on Instagram @larafranks_ or alternatively we can work together. I offer mentoring in the beginning creation stages of your business and would love to help you turn your dreams into a reality.

Lara Franks – Creative Coach | Mentor | Dreamer | Creator

I help ambitious female visionaries and creative souls take their passions to the next level. 

Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Maybe you want to enhance your creativity and tap into your full potential. Whatever it is, I want to help you turn your ideas and dreams into a reality.

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