23 Blogs and Podcasts to Help You with Your Side Hustle

Side hustles aren’t anything new. People have always looked for (and found) ways to make a little money on the side to supplement whatever they made at their main job. But the rise of the gig economy and the development of new technology platforms that match people wanting to make money with people willing to pay for a wide range of services has made side hustling into a significant part of the economy. About 10% of people in the United States participate in the gig economy in some form or another. If you’re considering joining the fray and starting a side hustle to pay off those loans faster or make some extra spending money, here are a few good resources to help you get started.

Resources for Finding Your Side Hustle

If you’re at the stage of figuring out exactly what you want to do and how this whole side hustle thing even works, there are a number of resources that tackle the general subject of having a side hustle.  

1. Side Hustle School

Side Hustle School consists of a daily podcast, in-person workshops, and a book that’s coming out soon. It’s a comprehensive, multi-format project to help people figure out how to develop a successful side hustle.  

2. Side Hustle Nation

Side Hustle Nation is a podcast and blog filled with advice on how to build a side hustle. The site offers side hustle business ideas, information on how to get a side hustle business set up, and tips on how to promote and manage your side hustle to make more.  

3. Side Hustle Pro

Side Hustle Pro is a podcast focused on black women entrepreneurs that started a side hustle and turned it into a profitable business. For those who could use some inspiration by hearing stories of people that have already developed a successful side hustle, this podcast is a good resource.  

4. Side Hustle Show

The Side Hustle Show is a podcast that covers tips and actionable advice about starting a part-time business. The topics on the podcast are fairly wide ranging, covering information on passive income, freelancing, self-publishing and more.  

5. Ryan Robinson

Ryan Robinson has a podcast and blog devoted to advice on building a side hustle and interviews with people have that have done so successfully. You can learn tips on getting started, advice on how to market your business, and insights from side hustle success stories.  

Side Hustle Resources for Managing Your Time and Money

6. Penny Hoarder

Penny Hoarder is another personal finance site that includes a section devoted to Side Gigs. Their posts can help you figure out new ways to make money and advice on how to keep more of the money you make from your side hustles.  

7. Believe in a Budget

Kristen Larsen has a blog and guide that provide useful information on how to start and maintain a side hustle. She collects ideas for different side hustles people can try and provides tips from her own experience building a side hustle business.  

8. Two Inboxes

Two Inboxes is a podcast produced by Forbes featuring interviews with people who manage multiple roles at once (hence the need for more than one inbox). The interviews get into the different types of work that guests do, as well as learning how to balance multiple types of work at one time.  

9. Budgets are Sexy

Budgets are Sexy is a blog that covers a range of personal finance topics. What makes them especially relevant to this post is their Side Hustle Series, which covers a wide range of ways people can make money on the side.  

Side Hustle Resources for Rideshare Drivers

10. The Rideshare Guy

Harry, the Rideshare Guy, got into rideshare driving early and started his site as a way to provide useful information to other drivers. He’s become one of the foremost experts on learning the ropes and making money as a rideshare driver.  

11. Rideshare Apps

Rideshare Apps is a site and community that covers industry news and promotions, and provides training resources to help new rideshare drivers learn how to maximize their profits.  

12. Ridester

Ridester is a blog that answers common rideshare questions and covers promotions from rideshare companies.  

13. Rideshare Report

Rideshare Report is another site with a blog that covers industry news and promotions. It also includes a forum where rideshare drivers can learn from and interact with each other.  

Side Hustle Resources for House Sitters

14. We Love House Sitting

We Love House Sitting provides articles with tips on how to be a successful house sitter, which networks help you find clients, and advice on skills you may need when working as a house sitter – like taking care of dogs and landscaping.  

15. Hecktic Travels

Hecktic Travels is a travel website with a lot of information on how to find and take advantage of house sitting opportunities while you travel. The couple behind the site promote good house sitting opportunities they come across and sell an ebook on how to become a house sitter.  

16. Housesitting Magazine

Housesitting Magazine is both a print magazine and a website with information about house sitting. They provide comparisons of different house sitting platforms, recommendations for books about house sitting, advice on creating a good house sitting profile and more.  

Side Hustle Resources for Vacation Rentals

17. The Abundant Host

The Abundant Host is a blog that’s all about how to be a successful host on Airbnb. The blog covers best practices, mistakes to avoid, and tools Airbnb hosts can take advantage of to get more from the site.  

18. Get Paid for Your Pad

Get Paid for Your Pad is a book, blog, and podcast all about making money by renting out your property. They provide information on things like getting your listing just right, how to handle cancellations, and how to encourage good reviews.  

19. Pillow

Pillow is a blog that provides advice for people who offer vacation rentals. They cover topics like hiring a cleaning service for your rental, security tips, and vacation rental trends it’s good to be aware of.  

20. Laptop Landlord

Laptop Landlord provides a guide that covers Airbnb tips and best practices. It covers both the basics that newbies need to know and tips for getting more out of your listing once you’re established.  

Side Hustle Resources for Dog Sitters

21. Rover

One of the main platforms for matching pet sitters with pet owners, Rover is also one of the best sources of useful information for pet sitters. They provide guides on getting started, training tips, and knowledge on keeping dogs in your care safe.  

22. 101Petsitting

101Petsitting offers a blog with pet sitting tips, resources that cover important topics like pet sitting insurance and first aid, and a community of pet sitters you can join to learn from other people’s experiences.  

23. Petsit.com

The Pet Sitters International blog provides information on home pet care, pet safety, and how to run a pet sitting business. Starting a side hustle requires work and knowledge, but it provides more freedom in how you earn your money and what kind of options you have in life. And many people who start side hustles manage to turn them into their main job over time. If you’re ready to become a side hustler, take advantage of the knowledge of people who have been there and spend some time learning before you get started.

How To Make Money With Your Blog

You’ve heard it’s possible to make money blogging, but you can’t seem to figure out how it works. Creating a blog and writing posts is doable, you can work out that part well enough. But how do you turn that into income? The first thing you should understand is that it’s competitive. There are a lot of blogs and making money blogging isn’t easy. And even before you get to the point of monetizing your blogging, just keeping up with producing regular content is hard – no matter how much you love what you’re writing about. But if you’re still with us now that the warnings are out of the way, making money blogging is possible. You should expect it to take some time and a lot of work, but here’s how other people do it.

1. Be an affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing is when someone who produces popular content (often on a blog, but it can also be on YouTube or another social media platform) includes references and links in their content to products from relevant companies. When those links lead to purchases, the content creator gets a portion of the profits. A few things have to fall into place for affiliate marketing to work:

• You have to have a following – if no one’s reading your stuff, then there’s no one to click on your affiliate links.
• Your readers have to trust you – if they think you’re just making recommendations for the money, they’re unlikely to follow the links and make a purchase.
• You have to find relevant companies with affiliate marketing programs – If you write about movies and try to shoehorn links for fitness products into your blog posts, you’re unlikely to find much success. The products you promote have to be a good fit for your audience.

Building a following isn’t easy. You’ll need to create great content consistently, promote your blog to people in your target audience to get on their radar, and engage with your audience enough to build trust. And even if you do all that, a certain amount of success falls to luck. But if you can get to that point, affiliate marketing can start to net you some extra income. Learn more about HostGator's affiliate program here!  

2. Run ads on your blog.

Another option you have is to make money the way major online media properties do: with ads. You’ve probably noticed a lot of the blogs you visit show ads show alongside the content. Those ads make the blog owners money based on the number of impressions and/or clicks they get. You can pretty easily get started making money on your own blog by setting up an account with Google AdSense. Fill out their application, tell them the type of ads you’re interested in, and add the HTML code they provide to your website. The amount you can make with ads depends on how many visitors you get and how many of them click on the ads. You shouldn’t expect the payoff to be big – you need a lot of traffic and clicks for it to add up to much and Google won’t cut you a check until your account reaches $100, which will take a while. A lot of bloggers don’t recommend using ads at all since they can distract people from your content and, if you use too many, they can make your website look less authoritative and clutter your design. But, if you’re careful about how you incorporate them into the design and don’t set your expectations too high for the amount you expect them to make you, ads can be a good way to make a little extra cash from blogging.  

3. Accept donations.

Another option you have once you’ve started to build up a following is to make it easy for your readers to provide donations. You can include a subtle (but noticeable) donation link at the top of your page and a virtual tip jar at the bottom of each post: As with the other options we’ve mentioned, this isn’t a sure way to a solid income, but if your readers really appreciate your content, you may get a few extra bucks here and there this way. You could also consider setting up a Patreon account that provides rewards or exclusive content to readers that commit to donating a set amount (even if just $1) each month. Many content creators have found success with Patreon and it brings the added benefit of providing you with an idea of how much you can expect to make on a monthly basis.

4. Create information products.

One way bloggers make money is by using the blog as a marketing tool to sell products. The type of product that often feels like the most natural extension of what you do as a blogger is information products like ebooks, courses, or tutorials. If you have enough knowledge on the topic you write about and know learning more about it can be valuable enough to your audience to pay for that knowledge, then consider becoming an infopreneur. For this to work, you have to put the work in to create really strong information products that are worth charging for. Like any business, starting an infopreneur business takes a lot of time and work. But if you choose to go this route, your blog can become a valuable tool to attract people to the knowledge products you have to sell.  

5. Become a freelance blogger.

Content marketing has become big business in recent years and lots of companies need a constant stream of fresh blog content. The downside to becoming a freelance blogger is that you can’t be too picky about what you write about – you probably can’t get businesses to pay you for blog posts about your passion for romance novels or video games. But the good news is that it’s one of the best ways on this list for blogging to actually make you a living, rather than just a few bucks here and there. Working as a freelancer isn’t for everyone, but if you want to make a living as a blogger for hire, it may be a good fit for you. Start reading up on content marketing and get to work building a website and looking for your first clients. Like the other options on this list, this isn’t an easy way to make money, but it’s one more likely to lead to bigger returns than depending on the pennies you generate from ads or the dollar here and there from donations. If writing is your dream and you’re prepared to put in the work, you can make money blogging. But you’ll have an easier time building to the point where you’re earning an income if you have realistic expectations going in. Don’t expect a sustainable income overnight and know you may not be able to stick with subjects you’re most passionate about if you want to get paid. But with the right approach, blogging can pay off in real cash.

Enjoy a Successful Workcation by Answering These 5 Questions

Part of the appeal of running an online business is the freedom from being anchored to a particular location. Another plus is that your online business can help fund your travel. Before you strike out for a working vacation, there are a few things to plan and do for a productive and relaxing experience. Use this guide to make sure you can reach your clients and customers, get your work done, stay on budget, and enjoy yourself while you're working (far) away from home.

1. What does “work from anywhere” mean to you?

“Working from anywhere” covers a range of possibilities from writing copy at the local roller rink (true story) to consulting with clients during your month in the Caribbean to roaming the globe for years while teaching online. In this article, we'll focus on working remotely within in your own country or abroad for a relatively short period of time. Most countries issue travel visas for up to three months, so consider that a good upper limit for getting started. If you're interested in fully embracing the nomad-worker lifestyle -- moving from country to country for months or even years while you work -- you may want to take a few practice trips using these tips before you level up.

2. How will you connect with your customers or clients?

Where you go determines how you make calls and get online while you're away from your home base. Phone and internet access If you're traveling domestically, your phone and internet access shouldn't change much, but you may want to check the strength of wireless coverage and speed of internet access with your hotel, landlord, or home-stay host before you go. When you're going abroad, make sure you'll have a working phone and reliable internet. For international voice, text, and data, you can buy an in-country access plan from your US carrier and use your existing phone and SIM card overseas. These plans aren't cheap, though. For example, AT&T's Passport packages range from $40 per month for 200MB of data to $120 per month for 800MB of data and voice calls priced from $1 to 35 cents per minute. If you'll be out of WiFi hotspot range frequently or make a lot of calls, the international add-on option may not be cost-effective. If you just want a backup plan and the cost isn't an issue, an add-on package is an easy way to get access abroad, although it's a good idea to find out which in-country network they partner with and confirm coverage at your destination. That's important because in some countries, reliable cell service is limited to cities and major tourist areas. If you're going off the beaten path, you may need to find other options. Work-abroad author Kathleen Peddicord's recommendation for travelers is to buy a local prepaid SIM card for your unlocked phone as soon as you arrive in your destination country in order to have a local number and inexpensive wireless service. However, with the local SIM card in your phone, your US phone number won't work. For that reason, some work-abroad travelers follow travel writer Rick Steves' suggestion to pick up a separate prepaid phone when they arrive or keep a separate unlocked phone just for in-country use. For those times when you need to work on your laptop with internet access, in-country co-working spaces, coffee shops, and hotels can cover you for free or with a paid pass. HotelWiFiTest is a handy tool for checking WiFi speed and pricing at hotels worldwide. To protect your business data, it's a good idea to use a VPN like the one that comes for free with the Opera browser. Power supplies and reliability Headed overseas? You may need to buy a plug adapter and maybe a voltage converter for your laptop and phone. Research power reliability before you go, too. You're unlikely to face outages in major cities, but rural areas and less-developed locales may have power outages often enough to disrupt your work. Time zones If your business is based in North America and you keep regular office hours, the Caribbean and Central and South America are probably your best options for working vacations, thanks to the time zones. People can and do work abroad from Europe and Asia with clients in the US, but it takes more planning and careful management of your client's communication expectations to pull that off.  

3. What about emergencies?

It's always smart to be prepared in case of a professional or personal emergency, and a little planning before you go can save you serious hassles on the road. Professional emergency planning Keep the customer service numbers for your web host, shipping carrier, and merchant bank with you. Upload copies of any work-related documents you create while you're away to the cloud so you can reach them even if you lose your laptop or phone. If have employees back home, establish a reliable way to contact each other if something weird comes up. Better yet, delegate local mini-crisis management to a trusted employee before you go. Personal preparedness Even if you're not leaving the country, it's a good idea to touch base with your health insurer to learn your options if you need care while you're traveling. Most US-based insurers cover emergency care abroad, but you'll have to pay out of pocket up front and then file a claim. For more coverage while you're abroad, comparison shop travel insurance providers or use InsureMyTrip to find quotes. You may be surprised by how much inexpensive travel medical coverage is. For example, coverage for a month in Panama would cost me between $43 and $50. At that price, there's no reason to skip coverage, especially because travel medical policies usually include medical evacuation coverage – a huge savings in the unlikely event that you have a serious problem and need to get home for extended medical care.  

4. Are your travel documents in order?

For international working vacations, you'll need your passport and you may need a visa. Whether that's a tourist or work visa also depends on the rules of your destination country. Benny Lewis, an online language instructor who's been working while traveling for more than a decade, has written about how online work is tricky to categorize when you travel. In general, if you're not earning money from clients in your destination country, you're not “working.” Ultimately it's up to you to make sure you stay on the right side of the rules, so check before you go.  

5. How will you access your money?

Between international ATM fees imposed by your bank and foreign exchange fees levied by your credit card, you can end up spending more than you expect on every transaction abroad. To avoid these fees, look for cards and accounts that don't charge for foreign transactions and withdrawals. Nerdwallet, Kathleen Peddicord and the New York Times Charles Schwab's checking account options for no-fee international ATM withdrawals. For credit cards, Nerdwallet offers a yearly list of the best foreign-transaction-fee-free options. Business income is another thing to plan ahead. If your shop has a merchant account or if your clients pay you through PayPal or direct deposit, you're already set. If your clients pay by check and you'll be away from home for more than one billing cycle, move them to an electronic payment method before you head out.   Your “workcation” can give you a much-needed change of scene, let you catch up with distant friends and family, or help you preview a place where you might like to move later —all while earning an income. By following these steps, it can be a relatively low-stress, high-reward experience that gets easier every time you take your business on the road.

Want a Better Retirement? Start an Online Business

A comfortable retirement at age 65 used to be a standard part of the American dream, but these days, many adults keep working well past that age. Others—about 20% -- say they never expect to retire. Why the change in expectations? Retirement's expensive, and some people are afraid it will be dull, too. Part-time work and self-employment offer a middle path that can give you post-retirement income, something to do, and more freedom to control your schedule. Even if you're not ready to quit your day job any time soon, starting an online business on the side now can help you transition to retirement when you're ready.  

Why work past retirement age?

More Americans seniors (age 65 and older) are working now than at any point since 2000, according to a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center. Nineteen percent of this age group works full- or part-time, and over-65s are the only age group with rising employment rates. Experts say the trend is due to the fact that retirement—especially healthcare—is increasingly expensive, especially as average life expectancies grow. There are emotional reasons for working, too. Some workers enjoy their jobs and don't want to give up careers they've spend years building. Extroverts may shudder at the idea of giving up the workplace relationships they've developed, while introverts may stress out at the thought of having to establish new social connections after retirement. And plenty of people have kicked around the idea of changing careers or moving to a dream destination if they could afford to do so.  

Working past retirement with an online business

An online business can help older workers – and younger ones, too – meet these goals. Whether you want to retire altogether from your current career, keep working half-time, or pack up and work from Central America or Thailand, an online business may be a way to achieve your goals while still earning money.   An online business can provide a low-overhead way to earn income Starting an online business isn't free, but it does spare you some major expenses like commercial rent and commuting costs. This post covers the must-haves for starting an online business so you can price your options and build a budget. If you're not close to retirement age yet, that just means you have more time to research, plan, and save for your online business.   An online business can help you change careers or shift gears Maybe you're an accountant who's always dreamed of running a screen-printing business. Maybe you're an advertising account manager who would rather consult one-on-one with your own clients. Or maybe you're one of the many Americans who's gradually aging out of a physically demanding job like housekeeping, landscaping or construction. The New York Times reported in 2016 that some older blue-collar workers are switching gears to become mentors in their fields, switching to desk jobs, or becoming their own bosses. By developing an online business model for a new career or consulting role, you can make the transition more easily when you're ready. An online business can help you stay busy and engaged If the idea of staying home with your tech and your online store sounds like heaven, you already understand one benefit of owning an online business. But online business ownership isn't just for loners. There's a huge and always-growing list of local, regional, and national events that cater to or include online business owners so you can network and pick up new professional skills. The Small Business Administration has a national calendar of in-person and online events for business owners that you can search by location and date. Many of these events are free or inexpensive and provide information new and experienced owners can use. Some of the topics on offer as of this writing are Quickbooks instruction, accessing capital for your business, guerilla marketing techniques, and business plan development. If you thrive on big, high-energy events and have the time and budget to attend them, Inc. has a great list of some of the most popular options for small business owners. Your state or city may hold annual business expos, and just about every town has a business group that meets regularly for networking lunches and social time. Online retailers can extend their reach into the community by vending at fairs and other special events. Vending can be a great way to connect with shoppers who want to see and touch the merchandise before they buy or who want to get to know your story and learn about your process. And your online shop is a great way to promote these live events.   An online business gives you the option to live anywhere Especially if your business provides creative services (writing, web design) or professional advice (consulting), you're free to work from just about any place that offers reliable electricity and internet access. Some people go full digital nomad and travel from place to place while running their business, as Heather Wilde did while she helped to found Evernote from a sailboat and an RV. Others take their online business with them when they move to a retirement destination that's more affordable than the US. Latin America is an especially popular destination for working retirees, thanks to the comparatively low cost of living in most locations, access to good health care, the number of English-speaking expat communities, and shared time zones with clients based in the US.  

Figuring out your online business path

Starting an online business costs less up front than starting a brick-and-mortar business, but it requires the same kind of careful planning and preparation. Here are more tools to help you move forward:

• Read our quick guide to the 11 things you'll need to do to start your online business.
• Download the free HostGator Guide to Launching Your Home Business for how-to tips on everything from deciding if you should be your own boss to filing your new-business paperwork and developing products and services.
• Get inspired by these 50 online business ideas.

Take the time to work through your business plan and startup steps carefully so you can have your online business up and running the way you want when you're ready to retire from full-time work. And when you're ready to set up your online business website, we can help you get started.

How Holiday Shipping Surcharges Can Impact Your Sales

UPS has announced it will tack on extra fees for shipments sent out during the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as well as the week before Christmas to help cover the costs of meeting high demand. Analysts say the UPS holiday shipping surcharges—ranging from 27 cents to $2.99 for standard packages, depending on the shipping speed and date--will to hit small-to-medium online retailers hardest. Here's what you need to know about the new charges and how your business can stay competitive this holiday season.

Why is UPS raising its holiday shipping rates?

  The holiday gift delivery season is an exceptionally busy time for shippers, with an average of 30 million packages a day moving via UPS during the 2016 holidays, according to Reuters. Besides huge volume, the combination of inflexible holiday deadlines and winter weather can snarl even the most carefully crafted logistics. To handle package volume and to meet retailer and customer expectations, shippers have to hire thousands of seasonal employees, operate and fuel more trucks, run more flights, and cover all those costs. Hence the holiday surcharges, which some writers have compared to surge pricing charged by ride-share services when demand is high.

How might the UPS move affect small online sellers?

  Higher shipping costs during the holiday season may put smaller sellers at a competitive disadvantage. Amazon, Walmart and other major e-retailers can afford to cover the holiday surcharges, but most small businesses can't—at least not without taking a disproportionate hit to their profit margins. Chain retailers that offer buy-online-pick-up-in-store can avoid the surcharges altogether on those orders, because UPS is only adding the surcharges to residential deliveries. If you're thinking of simply passing on the extra shipping costs to your customers, think again. Nearly 90 percent of online shoppers say free shipping is the incentive they value most. If you can't offer a great deal on shipping, your holiday shoppers will likely move on to the next retailer. That's why it's critical that you figure out your pricing, shipping, marketing, and cost-control plans for the holiday shopping season now.  

What do the surcharges mean for your holiday pricing and shipping?

  Now is a good time to review your store's shipping options, but keep in mind that surcharges for holiday shipping may not be limited to UPS. Although FedEx hasn't announced a holiday price hike as of this writing, the Wall Street Journal has reported that some analysts expect the company to make a similar move. On the other hand, if you find a better deal with another carrier that won't tack on a holiday sales surcharge, enjoy the advantage that comes with being a nimble small business – many large retailers are already locked into their shipping plans for November and December. If switching carriers isn't an option for you, consider adjusting your pricing ahead of the holidays to recoup all or part of the surcharges. You may wonder why customers would accept a slightly higher price instead paying a shipping fee. It's because of psychology. As Tom Popomaronis writes at Forbes, free shipping is “about the perception of saving money, feeling like you snagged a deal.” We want free shipping, even though we all know the cost is baked into the item price. So bake it in if you can do so without hurting your competitiveness.  

What do shipping surcharges mean for your holiday marketing?

  The situation isn't all bad for smaller online sellers. Your business has some advantages, especially the ability to develop strong relationships with individual customers and pivot quickly to explore new holiday marketing approaches right now. Here are some options to consider. Focus on excellent service and individual attention to customers, especially repeat buyers and those who have sent holiday gifts from your shop in the past. Do you offer gift wrap, e-gift cards, or a yearly gift reminder service? Now's the time to consider adding them. Promote holiday deals ahead of Black Friday or from December 2 – 17 to work around shipping surcharges. Work on your upsell strategy to make each order more profitable. Does your shop have a “you may also like” widget on your product and cart pages? Now's the time to look into adding one. Explain your shipping policies clearly on your site. Whether you decide to absorb holiday shipping surcharges or pass them on to your customers, it's a good idea to let customers know what they can expect and why so they can make an informed decision.  

Other holiday shipping tips

  Kenny Kline at the Huffington Post put together a helpful list of shipping tips for e-commerce sellers that can help you cut costs year-round. They include:

• Pack orders with size, weight, and item protection in mind. The smaller and lighter your packages, the less you'll pay. Just make sure that the items you ship are fully protected.
• Look for freebies. A friend of mine who owns a thriving online vintage jewelry business regularly puts out calls on social media for leftover bubble wrap and boxes. Her network gets to recycle their packing materials and she gets free supplies – win-win.
• Skip the carriers' package insurance and go with a third-party insurance provider. In some cases, making this switch can make up for holiday shipping surcharges. For example, Shipsurance offers rates that are 44 to 97% lower than UPS and FedEx, who charge as much as $2.70 for a package worth up to $100. At 44% off, that's a savings of $1.18 of $2.70 carrier-provided insurance.

What does your holiday shipping plan look like now? Let us know in the comments!