If you are an entrepreneur or even an employee right now the threat of losing some (or all) of your income may be looming. With that in mind I decided to show you a peek of how I am diversifying my income with online side hustles and give you some ideas of how you could get started too!
Diversifying your income with mini side hustles is the smartest move you can make. By spreading your income sources across multiple streams, you protect yourself from a single failure taking down your entire business. Here’s how to find the right side hustle for you and build a resilient, thriving income stream!
1. Determine Your Strengths (And Avoid Your Weaknesses!)
Not all side hustles are created equal—and more importantly, not all side hustles are a good fit for you. The key to success is knowing where your strengths lie and, just as importantly, what you’d rather avoid.
For example, my friend Rebekah isn’t a big fan of writing, so blogging wouldn’t be her best bet. But my friend Kir is a vegan and loves sharing her meal plans and workouts—so she turned that into an online coaching business!
Think about what you naturally enjoy doing. Do you love chatting on camera? Maybe YouTube or TikTok is your calling! Are you an artist? Print-on-demand T-shirts could be a great fit. By picking something that plays to your strengths, you’ll stick with it longer and see results faster.
2. Start a Blog with Ads and Affiliate Marketing
Yes, Google’s been a bit of a pain lately, but blogging isn’t dead! The key is to drive traffic from multiple sources—social media, Pinterest, and email lists—to bypass the fickle search engine gods.
Blogging can generate money in several ways:
- Display ads (like Mediavine or Raptive)
- Affiliate marketing (Amazon, ShareASale, Impact, etc.)
- Digital products (ebooks, templates, courses)
If you love writing and have a niche that people search for, blogging can still be an incredible long-term income source.
3. Monetize a Newsletter (Substack or Independent)
Email lists are a hidden goldmine! Unlike social media platforms that change the rules constantly, you own your email list. Platforms like Substack allow you to build recurring income with paid subscribers, or you can run your own newsletter and monetize through sponsorships and affiliate links.
The best part? Your newsletter can promote all your other side hustles!
4. Sell Print-on-Demand Products (T-Shirts, Mugs, Stickers, etc.)
Love design but don’t want to deal with inventory? Print-on-demand platforms like Amazon Merch, Redbubble, or Etsy let you upload designs and earn passive income from each sale.
I currently make about $5 per week on Amazon T-shirts—not life-changing yet, but it’s 100% passive and growing over time. The beauty of print-on-demand is that once you upload your designs, they keep selling without any extra work!
5. Affiliate Marketing Beyond Amazon
Amazon’s affiliate program is okay, but let’s be honest—the commissions aren’t great. If you want to make real money with affiliate marketing, look beyond Amazon!
Some high-paying affiliate programs include:
- ShareASale (great for craft and niche sites)
- Impact (tech, software, and business services)
- Private affiliate programs (courses, coaching, and memberships)
If you’re already talking about products and services in your content, you might as well earn commissions from them!
6. Create and Monetize Video Content (YouTube, TikTok, or Reels)
Video is huge right now! Whether it’s YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels, short-form video content is one of the best ways to grow an audience quickly. And once you have an audience, you can monetize through:
- YouTube ad revenue
- Brand sponsorships
- Affiliate marketing
- Selling your own digital products
If you enjoy being on camera (or even just doing voiceovers with visuals), video content is a fantastic long-term play.
7. Track Every Dollar to Find What’s Working
This might not sound exciting, but trust me—tracking your income is a game-changer!
For example, this month I’m making about $5 per week on Amazon T-shirts and about $20 per month on Substack in recurring revenue. Knowing that Substack has the potential to grow into a much larger, recurring income source, I’m focusing more time there than on one-time purchase income streams.
Tracking your income helps you make informed decisions about where to invest your time and energy for the best return.
8. Stack Your Side Hustles to Boost Each Other
Here’s where the magic happens—when all your side hustles start feeding into each other!
- Your newsletter can promote your affiliate offers.
- Your blog can drive traffic to your Substack.
- Your YouTube channel can sell your print-on-demand merch.
Instead of treating each hustle as a separate entity, think about how they can work together to create a powerful, interconnected system. When you share the love among your side hustles, you lift all the little boats and create a sustainable, growing income stream!
The key to a successful side hustle strategy is diversification—no single income source should make or break your business. By playing to your strengths, experimenting with different revenue streams, and tracking what’s working, you can build a thriving, resilient income that isn’t dependent on any one platform.
Which side hustle are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments!
Here are some more great articles that you might love!
- 7 Ways To FINALLY Make Some Money Doing Affiliate Marketing
- Choosing Your Lifestyle Blog Topics and Categories for Affiliate Marketing
- 7 Ways to Turn Your Hobby Into a Passion Project That Pays
