10 Business Ideas for Making Extra Money After Work

May
12, 2019

7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you already earn a steady paycheck and need some extra cash, an evening side-job might come in handy. Thanks to the internet and advancements in technology, there are a huge variety of money-making activities you could do from the comforts of your home, especially if you have a laptop and a steady connection.

In this article, I’m going to share 10 business ideas for making extra money when you get home from work in the evenings.

1. Create chatbots.

Chatbots are the talk of the town. Companies large and small are jumping on the chatbot bandwagon, implementing this technology tol for customer care, marketing, sales, even internal processes, among other activities. Now, however, chatbots don’t require huge amounts of programming, thanks to the natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) that powers them.

While this may sound complicated, you no longer need vast amounts of coding knowledge to create a chatbot. In fact, there are now chatbot-building platforms like ChattyPeople that allow you to create a bot for free in a matter of minutes through a powerful dashboard. Because many businesses don’t have time to create these chatbots themselves, you could do it for them by simply creating your own ChattyPeople account.

Related: Top 10 Best Chatbot Platform Tools to Build Chatbots for Your Business

2. Start an eBay business.

An eBay business is a great way to declutter your house while making some spare cash. Aside from the fact that it enables you to work from virtually anywhere with an internet connection, an eBaby business also allows you to choose your working hours.

You could start by selling collections of items you’ve accumulated over the years. With time, this could turn into a full-time venture where you could source products online and re-sell them for a financial profit. With these profits, you could continue to grow your empire.

Related: Making Money Online: 5 Major Online Selling Opportunities for Any Entrepreneur

3. Join a direct selling company.

Direct selling companies are a great way for you to work around your existing commitments to earn extra money. You can choose the hours you work and how much you’re willing to invest from your own resources into your venture. The best way to get involved with this type of activity is to work with a company that is part of the equivalent of the U.K.’s Direct Selling Association. Alternatively, make sure you work with organizations that are reputable.

It’s also worth researching the product you’re planning to sell. Make sure you choose a product that consumers buy regularly and will always need, and one that’s reasonably priced. You may also want to look for a product for which the demand is high and the supply is low.

Related: Direct Selling Goes Social, Retools for Millennial Generation

4. Become a virtual assistant.

This type of side hustle should be pursued only by those who are extremely organized and able to multitask. Becoming a virtual assistant is no walk in the park, but it can earn you a moderately good income. As a virtual assistant, you’ll be responsible for administrative work, including scheduling meetings, replying to emails, entering data and undertaking certain social media activities, among other tasks.

Related: 17 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Potential Virtual Assistant

5. Transcribe.

Transcriptionists can earn anywhere between $25 and $50 an hour … not bad for an evening side hustle, right? The best part about becoming a transcriptionist is that it doesn’t require any skill more advanced than the ability to type fast. While having a bit of experience under your belt will help with bigger clients, it’s not necessary.

All you have to do is listen to audio files and type out what you hear to the best of your ability. It’s worth noting that transcription can be a little tedious and boring, but it’s a good idea if you want to earn some spare cash.

6. Take surveys.

Taking surveys is an easy task; however, the amount you get paid for each one will depend on the company for which you’re completing them, as well as the amount of time you’ll be required to spend filling them out. That said, some companies pay up to $50 per survey!

Normally, you’ll be asked questions about your demographic; once surveys pop up, the company you have signed up with will get in touch and pay you through an ewallet, such as Paypal. You may be required to answer questions regarding a product or service and the area in which you live, or even to take an opinion poll. The options are endless.

Related: 5 Steps to Creating Effective Customer Surveys

7. Test websites.

Testing websites is a great way to earn some money from the comfort of your home after a long day at work. It’s a very simple process. All you have to do is wait for instructions from the company you have registered with and make sure that its website is easy to navigate, and functioning the way they want.

Related: How to Test Different Versions of Your Website in 6 Easy Steps

8. Become a salesperson.

Think of brands like Mary Kay and Avon. If you can see yourself representing them and selling their products, you may want to consider becoming a part-time salesperson. You could advertise your services to your friends and organize events where people can learn about the brand and products.

With time, you may create a loyal client base that comes to you when members need to buy new products. While the amount you earn will depend on the brand you’re representing, you can typically make up to 35 percent in commissions. The great part is you can choose your hours and meet new people along the way.

Related: 10 Most Innovative Movers and Shakers in Sales Leadership

9. Teach English.

If you can speak a second language well enough to teach it to someone else, then go for it. If you can’t, why not teach your mother tongue? With many people across Europe and Asia wanting to brush up on their English skills, this is the perfect opportunity for you to get online and teach them.

You can get started with the help of a computer, the internet and maybe a webcam with a microphone, depending on whom you’re tutoring. Please note that if you work through an agency, you may have to commit to a minimum of 20 hours a week. You should shop around because terms and conditions differ across the board.

Related: How Teaching English in Bolivia Sparked One Young Trep’s Bankable Business Idea

10. Become a search engine evaluator.

People may be put off by the term “search engine evaluator” because it sounds technical; however, you may be asked by companies to search for specific information on search engines and tell them how closely the results matched your search terms. This allows them to work on their search engine rankings.

Related: Don’t Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck, Emotionally

Finally…

The best way to take on an evening side hustle to make some extra cash is to establish your strengths and figure out what you enjoy and how much time you can invest. The above business ideas are just a few examples to try, and there’s a huge list from which to choose, so start searching online and find your side hustle to make more money in your spare time.