3 Side Hustles That Actually Make Money

Here are 3 realistic side hustles that actually make money and exactly how to start them.

February 13, 2025

Hey, thanks for joining for another week of New Venture Weekly.

Today we’re going to break down 3 side hustles that I’ve either done myself or seen people I know do successfully.

They’re not going to blow your mind, but I’ll tell you exactly how to start and grow each one so you can start right now.

Let’s jump in!

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Side Hustle #1

Create ads for brands.

As someone who has spent over $10m on ads for myself and for brands, I can assure you that this is a highly sought-after skill.

Ad creative is more important than ever on Meta & TikTok.

And people who know how to create winning ads are in high demand.

I’m not just talking about becoming UGC creator (something I broke down here and definitely still worth looking into).

I’m talking about editing video ads for brands.

Airpost is a great example of this.

Brands will send them all of their content, scripts, voiceovers, inspiration and briefs, and Airpost will edit videos - if they need new scripts or voiceovers for different angles, they’ll just use AI.

This is genuinely a service I would pay for, so if you do start this business - hit me up with some examples and maybe I’ll be your first client.

How to Start Doing This

  • Get comfortable with video editing software and learn the ins and outs of ad formats on Meta and TikTok. Use Foreplay or Atria for ad inspiration.

  • Practice editing video ads using real or simulated brand briefs.

  • Develop a workflow to handle raw content, scripts, voiceovers, and inspiration efficiently.

  • Experiment with AI tools to generate alternative angles or tweak scripts and voiceovers as needed.

  • Look at examples like Airpost to understand how brands package and edit their content.

How to Grow It

  • Build a simple website similar to Airpost that showcases your best ad edits and results.

  • Position yourself as an ad creative specialist, not just a UGC creator or video editor.

  • Promote your services on social media and platforms like LinkedIn, freelance sites (UpWork/Fiverr), and industry forums.

  • Create short demo reels or case studies that show measurable improvements in ad performance.

  • Offer sample edits or trial projects to give potential clients a taste of what you can deliver.

  • Cold email brands offering a trial to your service.

Tools You Can Use:

Side Hustle #2

Start a newsletter.

I’ll admit, I’m somewhat biased here as you’re reading this from my newsletter.

But true to my word in the intro, it is a side hustle I have tried and one I recommend you try.

This newsletter is my side hustle. It doesn’t make loads, but it’s not insignificant plus it’s fun.

They’re very cheap to start and they can scale infinitely.

Here are some past editions on starting a newsletter and untapped newsletter ideas.

What makes a newsletter good?

Find a problem people need consistent help with and write about how to solve it.

 How to Start Doing This

  • Pick a niche where you can offer unique, actionable insights.

  • Set up a simple landing page and choose an email service provider (the one I use is Beehiiv).

  • Write consistent, quality content that solves a problem for your audience.

  • Offer a free incentive to encourage sign-ups and kickstart list building.

  • Learn from proven models - study what works and iterate quickly.

  • The Newsletter Operator has literally everything you need to know about starting a newsletter.

  • Nicholes Cole is also a master at helping you make money with writing online.

How to Grow It

  • Leverage social media and your existing network to drive traffic to your signup page.

  • Collaborate with complementary newsletters by doing cross promotions.

  • Implement referral programs that reward subscribers for sharing your content.

  • Start monetizing early with sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or premium content once you build traction.

Tools You Can Use

Side Hustle #3

Website flipping.

Buy, optimize, and sell niche websites.

You’ve probably heard people do house flipping, where they buy a house, fix it up and sell it for profit.

This is the same thing but with a website.

I’ll probably do a full breakdown in the near future on this topic.

This is a strategy that can easily go from just a side hustle to millions.

I used to work for a company that was bought using this same model (I worked for them after they were fixed) but those guys sold for at least 8 figures.

They told me about how they find opportunities and it’s super simple:

Find a business doing well but that could do even better by changing 1 thing.

For example, this could be better SEO, ads, content, emails, etc.

Once it’s optimised and brings in more revenue, sell it on the marketplaces listed below for a profit.

How to Start Doing This

  • Use platforms like the ones listed below to find undervalued websites.

  • Perform thorough due diligence: check traffic, revenue, reviews, and SEO metrics.

  • Purchase websites with clear potential and outline a plan for optimization.

  • Learn the basics of website improvements - content refresh, design updates, and technical SEO fixes.

  • Learn paid ads, email marketing and/or content marketing.

Tools You Can Use:

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