How to Find a Side Hustle That Actually Makes You Money (And Feels Good to Do)
There’s no shortage of lists when it comes to side hustle ideas. You’ve probably seen the usual suspects: DoorDash, dog walking, online surveys, user testing. They’re fine, but I want to challenge you to go a little deeper. The best side hustles are the ones that are aligned with you—your passions, your skills, your personality, and the type of work you actually enjoy doing.
Let’s talk about how to find a side hustle that works for your life, makes you money, and maybe even energizes you in the process.
Step 1: Start with Passion and Patterns
Before you sign up for anything, ask yourself two questions:
What am I passionate about?
What do my friends come to me for?
Maybe you’re the one who always recommends the perfect restaurant. Maybe people trust your career advice or love the way you decorate a space. These patterns matter. They’re clues.
Your zone of genius might not be obvious to you because it comes naturally—but to others, it’s valuable. And that value can turn into a side hustle.
If you’re not sure where to start, go directly to your source: your five closest friends or family members. Ask them: “What do you think I’m best at?” It might feel a little bold to ask, but it’s one of the quickest ways to uncover opportunities you’re overlooking.
Step 2: Use the Ikigai Framework (Without Overthinking It)
There’s a Japanese concept called Ikigai—which is the intersection of:
What you love
What you’re good at
What you can be paid for
What the world needs
In a perfect world, your full-time job hits all four. But in the real world, your side hustle can get closer than you think. If you can find something that meets at least three out of four, you’re already winning.
Step 3: Avoid These 5 Common Side Hustle Traps
Now, here’s where it gets real. A side hustle is a business—and for it to be successful, it has to work for you. In my book How To Find and Start Your Side Hustle, I outline five key traps to watch out for:
1. No Passion, No Fuel
If you don’t care about what you’re doing, you won’t keep doing it. Even small side hustles need motivation. Make sure you genuinely enjoy the process—not just the potential outcome.
2. No Demand = No Business
Be honest: does anyone actually want this? Just because you like it doesn’t mean it will sell. That doesn’t mean give up, it just means test your idea. Ask around. See if people bite.
3. Low Pricing Potential
The math has to work. If you’re selling stickers for 75 cents and making 25 cents profit, you’d need to sell 800 to make $200 a month. That’s a lot of sticker sales. Consider services or products with higher price points or bigger margins.
4. High Startup Costs
Avoid side hustles that require expensive gear, licenses, or subscriptions upfront—unless you’ve mapped out a realistic plan to make it back. Ask yourself: how many units or clients would I need to break even?
5. Too Much Time for Too Little Return
If you’re working 12-hour days for $3/hour, it’s not a hustle—it’s a trap. Your time is valuable. Look for something you can do sustainably, ideally with a high hourly rate relative to your effort.
So… What Should You Actually Do?
Here’s my favorite side hustle formula:
Do something you’re good at that other people don’t want to do.
That might be:
Video editing for content creators
Social media audits for small businesses
Singing or acting lessons for kids
Helping someone set up their resume or online dating profile
Event content recaps for entrepreneurs (yes, this is a thing)
If it’s something you can do with confidence and joy, and someone else is happy to pay for it because they can’t or don’t want to do it themselves—that’s a real business.
Want More Help Finding Your Hustle?
If this got your wheels turning, you’ll love my short and practical book, How To Find and Start Your Side Hustle. It’s available on Amazon and packed with stories, strategies, and worksheets to help you go from “I have no idea what to do” to “Wow, I actually made money this week.”
You can grab it right here for more creative resources.
Keep going—your next idea might be right around the corner.
—Ben Hawes
Creative Entrepreneur & Side Hustle Coach
@benhawesHQ
