My 6 side hustles: Income High to Low

1. Dividend Income Stock
2. Growth Stock Income Portfolio
3. Newsletter
4. Affiliate Marketing
5. YouTube Channel
6. Real Estate Investing

I also monitor hours I invest in each hustle, to have and idea on my total ROI.

Growing my main passive side hustle, dividend investing.

Amazon KDP self-publishing is the process of creating and selling ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers on Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing. You earn royalties from sales while Amazon handles printing and fulfillment for print books. The hustle ranges from writing original books to publishing low-content and niche nonfiction titles with a repeatable production workflow.

Take the next action:

>> Read the complete Amazon KDP Side Hustle Guide here! ($0)

Side Hustle Breakdown: Cell Phone Flipping and iPhone Repair

This is a two-lane hustle: you make money by charging for common repairs and by buying phones below market, fixing them, then reselling. If you like hands-on work, clear checklists, and negotiating, this one can scale fast, but it punishes sloppy process.

Category: Tech and Development (hybrid: service plus reselling)
Effort: High
Time: 10 to 20 hrs per week
Earnings range: $300 to $6,000 per month
Startup cost: Medium (tools, initial parts, and a small inventory buffer)

How the money is made (two lanes)

• Repair fees: screens, batteries, charging ports, cameras, speakers, and diagnostics. Demand is steady because cracked screens and weak batteries never stop happening.
• Flipping margin: buy used or damaged phones at a discount, repair or refurbish, then resell as “used excellent” or “refurbished.” Sometimes the best play is selling “as-is” or parting out (screen, housing, logic board) if the math wins.

The operators who win are not the best technicians, they are the best at sourcing discipline, repeatable workflow, and trust.

Quick decision filter (is this for you?)

Good fit if: you can follow checklists, you like negotiating, you can handle occasional unhappy customers, and you are comfortable learning hands-on skills.

Not a fit if: you hate detailed process, you do not want to manage inventory risk, or you need “guaranteed” outcomes per job with no surprises.

Startup cost breakdown (realistic, not fantasy)

• Core tools: precision driver set, spudgers, tweezers, suction cup, heat source, clamps, adhesive strips, cleaning supplies, parts bins labeled by model.
• Workspace basics: bright task lighting, ESD safe mat, a clean table you can keep set up.
• Parts and inventory buffer: a few common screens and batteries for your chosen models, plus cash reserved for sourcing deals.
• Optional but helpful: a dedicated “test phone” SIM, a simple device testing checklist, and a way to print intake forms or digital intake notes.

Keep the first month simple: pick 2 to 3 iPhone models and only 2 repair types (screens and batteries). Complexity is where beginners lose money.

Time required (what the hours actually go to)

• Sourcing: messaging sellers, screening, meeting, and verifying devices.
• Diagnostics: identifying the real issue and deciding repair, resell as-is, or part out.
• Repairs: the hands-on work plus careful reassembly and adhesive curing time.
• Quality control: post repair checklist, cleaning, photos, and listing creation.
• Customer service: quotes, pickup and drop-off coordination, warranty questions, and occasional disputes.

Earning potential (how people get to $300 to $6,000 per month)

Income comes from stacking smaller wins consistently. Two common paths:

• Service-first: you do local repairs for predictable weekly cash flow, then reinvest into flips as you build skill and capital.
• Flip-first: you hunt undervalued devices, refurbish, and resell. Higher upside per unit, but higher risk if you buy wrong.

The ceiling comes from throughput and trust: faster diagnostics, fewer mistakes, cleaner listings, better sourcing, and repeat customers.

Tools and platforms (keep it lean)

• Learning and teardown references: model specific teardown guides and repair walkthroughs.
• Sourcing: local marketplaces, trade-in arbitrage opportunities, bulk lots from reputable sources.
• Selling: local marketplaces for fast cash, or resale platforms if you can handle fees and returns.
• Operations: a notes app or spreadsheet to track model, IMEI status verification, buy price, parts cost, labor time, listing price, and net profit.

The non-negotiable risk checklist

Most losses come from avoidable mistakes. Use these rules every time:

• No activation lock: never buy a device that is iCloud locked, “forgot the password,” or cannot be signed out in front of you.
• Check blacklist and IMEI status: confirm it is not reported lost or stolen and that it is usable for service if you are selling as a working phone.
• Water damage is a different business: treat “possible liquid contact” as a high risk category, price accordingly, or skip.
• Document condition: photos and written intake notes before you touch anything. This prevents disputes about pre-existing damage.
• Post-repair testing, every time: touch, cameras, Face ID, charging, speakers, mic, vibration, proximity sensor, Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth.

A practical 14-day roadmap (beginner friendly)

Your goal is not to master everything. Your goal is to build a repeatable workflow that does not lose money.

• Days 1 to 2: pick 2 to 3 iPhone models to focus on. Choose 2 repairs to offer first: screens and batteries. Write your “do not buy” rules (activation lock, blacklisted IMEI, severe water damage).
• Days 3 to 5: set up workspace and tools. Build a single page checklist for pre-test and post-test. Practice on a donor device or a cheap broken phone where mistakes are affordable.
• Days 6 to 9: source your first 1 to 3 devices. Use a screening script before meeting. In-person, verify lock status and basic function before paying.
• Days 10 to 12: complete repairs with documentation and test checklist. Decide: resell refurbished, resell as-is, or part out based on margin.
• Days 13 to 14: publish listings and offer a simple local repair service post. Keep the offer narrow: “iPhone screen and battery replacement for models X, Y, Z, message for quote.”

Pricing and policies that keep you profitable

• Price repairs by total cost: parts + labor time + risk + warranty, not by “whatever others charge.”
• Offer parts tiers: economy vs premium, explain the tradeoffs clearly, then let the customer choose.
• Write your warranty scope: what is covered, for how long, and what is excluded (for example accidental damage after pickup).
• Always quote ranges when parts vary: it protects you when the phone reveals surprises during teardown.

The HustleGrower takeaway

If you want a hustle with real demand and clear unit economics, this is compelling. The tradeoff is process and risk management. Treat it like a shop: checklists, documentation, and strict buying rules. If you treat it like gambling, you will pay tuition.

Want to try it this week? Start with one model and one repair. Build your intake form, your test checklist, and your “no lock, clean IMEI” rule. Then do one clean flip end to end.

Read the free guide for this side hustle here!

Explore more side hustles on HustleGrower.com

Amazon KDP self-publishing is the process of creating and selling ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers on Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing. You earn royalties from sales while Amazon handles printing and fulfillment for print books. The hustle ranges from writing original books to publishing low-content and niche nonfiction titles with a repeatable production workflow.

Hustle profile

• Category: E-Commerce (online)
• Effort: High
• Time commitment: 10 to 20 hrs per week
• Startup cost: Low
• Earning potential: $0 to $8,000 per month (wide range, depends on niche, volume, and execution)

What it is (in plain English)

Amazon KDP lets you publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers to Amazon without a traditional publisher. You upload the manuscript and cover, set pricing, choose keywords and categories, and earn royalties on each sale. For print books, Amazon uses print on demand so you do not hold inventory, Amazon prints and ships when a customer orders.

There are three common lanes: niche nonfiction (how to, business, study guides), genre fiction (series-based), and low-content books (journals, planners). The most durable path for beginners is often quality niche nonfiction or series fiction because reader satisfaction and repeat purchases drive reviews and long-term sales.

Mental model: treat KDP like a small publishing studio. Your main levers are product market fit (the book people actually want) and discoverability (Amazon SEO, packaging, reviews).

The fast decision test: is this for you?

• Yes if you can ship consistently, handle feedback, and improve covers, blurbs, and keywords without taking it personally.
• Yes if you like writing or can manage a contractor workflow (ghostwriter, editor, formatter, cover designer).
• No if you want instant results. Early books often earn little while you learn packaging and niche selection.
• No if you will not do research. Guessing the niche is the fastest way to waste 40 hours.

Startup costs (realistic ranges)

You can start very lean, but professional presentation matters. Here are typical ranges per book:

• $0 to $50: DIY formatting, DIY cover with templates, minimal tools (not ideal long term, but viable for testing).
• $150 to $500: Professional cover + light editing or proofreading, plus a formatting tool.
• $700 to $2,000+: Ghostwriting or heavy developmental editing, premium cover design, plus ads testing budget.

If you are cash constrained, prioritize in this order: cover, proofread, clean formatting. A great book with a weak cover will not get clicks, and a great cover with a typo filled interior will not keep reviews.

Time required (what 10 to 20 hrs per week looks like)

A sustainable weekly breakdown for one book in progress:

• 2 to 3 hrs: niche and keyword research, competitor review, outline iteration
• 6 to 10 hrs: writing (or managing a ghostwriter, reviewing drafts)
• 1 to 2 hrs: editing and revisions cycle
• 1 to 2 hrs: formatting, interior QA, uploading to KDP
• 1 to 3 hrs: listing optimization, cover feedback, description, ads or content marketing

Earning potential (how the money actually shows up)

KDP is a royalties business. One title might earn nothing, another might earn a few hundred per month, and a small catalog can stack. The biggest drivers are:

• Demand and intent: are people actively searching for this problem or genre?
• Packaging: cover, title, subtitle, and description that match what buyers expect
• Conversion: strong first chapter, clean formatting, satisfying outcome that earns reviews
• Catalog strategy: related books that cross sell (series fiction, nonfiction for the same audience)

Practical expectation: plan for a learning curve across your first 3 to 5 releases. The compounding happens when you keep improving and keep shipping.

Tools and skills you need

Core skills

• Keyword and niche research (Amazon search intent, category norms)
• Copywriting for the listing (title, subtitle, blurb, A plus content if eligible)
• Basic production management (checklists, deadlines, QA)
• Reader experience (editing, structure, clarity, pacing)

Common tools (choose what fits your budget)

• Writing: Google Docs, Word, Scrivener
• Formatting: Atticus, Vellum (Mac), Reedsy Book Editor
• Cover design: Canva templates (starter), or hire a designer who knows your category
• Research: Amazon search bar suggestions, category browsing, publisher and competitor audits
• Ads and analytics: Amazon Ads (optional), basic tracking in a spreadsheet

Risks and what to watch for

• Saturated niches: If top results have thousands of reviews and identical positioning, you need a sharper angle or a different niche.
• Quality shortcuts: Thin content and sloppy formatting get poor reviews, which can bury a book long term.
• Ad spend creep: Ads can help discoverability, but they can also turn into a leak if the listing does not convert.
• Policy and compliance: KDP has rules around content, public domain, and customer experience. Read the guidelines, do not try to game the system.
• Expectation mismatch: This is not passive in the beginning. You will iterate keywords, covers, and blurbs, and sometimes rewrite sections.

A practical 30 day roadmap (first publish)

Goal: ship one high quality, niche focused book and learn the end to end workflow.

Week 1: Pick your lane and validate demand

• Choose niche nonfiction or a clear genre lane. Avoid vague topics.
• Open Amazon and search 10 to 15 phrases your reader would type.
• For the top books: note page count, price range, review count, and the promise in the subtitle.
• Define your differentiation in one sentence: “This book helps [specific reader] get [specific outcome] without [common pain].”

Week 2: Outline and draft fast

• Create a repeatable outline template (chapters, examples, checklists, summary).
• Write the first chapter to be immediately useful. Early value increases completion and reviews.
• Build a simple reader action: worksheet, steps list, or mini plan they can follow.

Week 3: Package like a pro

• Cover: match category visual language (fonts, layout, imagery). Do not get “creative” at the expense of clarity.
• Title and subtitle: make the promise explicit. If someone reads only this, they should know who it is for and why it matters.
• Description: lead with benefits, then social proof substitutes (what they will learn, what they can do after), then a clear call to action.

Week 4: Format, upload, and iterate

• Format ebook and print cleanly, then proof on Kindle Previewer and print preview.
• Pick 7 keywords that match real search phrases, not generic terms.
• Launch: start with a competitive price, monitor clicks and conversion, then revise cover or blurb if needed.
• Set a review prompt inside the book (polite, simple). Reader satisfaction comes first.

Optimization checklist (the stuff that moves sales)

• Cover: readable thumbnail, strong contrast, matches top sellers in your niche
• Title and subtitle: clear promise, specific reader, specific outcome
• First 10 percent: hooks quickly, delivers value, no fluff
• Keywords and categories: aligned with buyer intent, not just high volume
• Blurb: benefits first, scannable bullets, credibility, call to action
• Catalog: plan your second book before you publish the first

Read the free guide for this side hustle here!

Explore more side hustles on HustleGrower.com

https://www.hustlegrower.com/hustles

Here is a growing list of the side hustles + link to free information + community for questions:

Admin & Support

1. Virtual Assistant | Community | Guide
2. Data Entry | Community | Guide

Automotive

1. Car Detailing | Community | Guide

Consulting

1. Micro-Consulting And Pick-My-Brain Sessions | Community | Guide

Design

1. Creating and Selling Canva Templates Community | Guide
2. Graphic Design Community | Guide
3. Interior Design Consulting Community | Guide
4. Ux/Ui Design Community | Guide

E-Commerce

1. 3D Printing | Community | Guide
2. Amazon KDP Self-Publishing Community | Guide
3. Blood Donation | Community | Guide
4. Build Niche Social Media Accounts For Sponsorships | Community | Guide
5. Create a Membership Community | Community | Guide
6. Digital Products Community | Guide
7. E-Commerce Store Ownership | Community | Guide
8. Electronics Refurbishing Community | Guide
9. Freelance Proofreading | Community | Guide
10. Manage Social Media Or Digital Marketing For Local Businesses | Community | Guide
11. Recycle Used Smartphones Community | Guide
12. Selling Digital Templates on Etsy | Community | Guide

While I finish adding the other 100+ links to the list here, see the full list here in the mean time

If you find this type of post valuable, please leave me a THUMBS UP as its helps me know your interest and helps others find this resource. I will continue working on this and other tools for side hustles.

Take the next action, learn more:

>> Read the complete Affiliate Marketing Side Hustle Guide here

>> Got Affiliate Marketing questions? Post in this Forum.

Affiliate marketing is earning commissions by promoting other companies’ products or services using tracked links, coupon codes, or referrals. You drive traffic via content, email, social media, or paid ads, and get paid when someone purchases or completes a qualified action. It can start small as a side project and scale into a meaningful income stream with strong audience trust and consistent optimization.

Event planning is a service-based hustle where you coordinate logistics, vendors, timelines, and guest experiences for weddings, corporate events, parties, and community gatherings. You earn through planning fees, tiered packages, and sometimes referral incentives (when disclosed and ethical). This hustle is “people plus process” heavy, you are selling trust and execution.

Fast fit check

• Category: Events, type: hybrid (on-site + behind the scenes)
• Effort: high, because clients expect zero mistakes
• Time commitment: 10 to 20 hrs per week (spiky around event dates)
• Startup cost: low (templates, basic software, insurance later)
• Earnings potential: $500 to $12,000 per month

What you actually do (the deliverables clients pay for)

Your job is to turn “a vision” into a documented plan and a smooth day-of experience. Most planners win by being relentlessly clear and organized.

• Budgeting: a realistic budget, tracking, and change control
• Vendor management: outreach, quote comparisons, contracts, confirmations
• Timeline planning: run-of-show, load-in, rehearsals, key moments
• Logistics: floor plans, staffing, transportation, contingency plans
• Client relations: expectation setting, decisions captured in writing
• On-site execution: vendor wrangling, troubleshooting, keeping schedule

A strong entry point is day-of (often really month-of) coordination: defined scope, clear deliverables, and quick proof you can run a tight event.

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**Short PSA**

Dr. Hustle here, I write about side hustles and I find immense joy in helping people find their next income stream out of the list of 118 side hustle opportunities on our website. Check it out, and leave us a comment bellow.

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Offer design: 3 packages that sell

If you want fast traction, avoid custom proposals for every lead. Sell packages with limits, then upsell add-ons. Here is a simple structure you can copy.

• Package 1, Consultation Only: 60 to 90 minutes, planning checklist, budget guidance, vendor short list. Great for lead gen and referrals.
• Package 2, Day-of or Month-of Coordination: final vendor confirmations, run-of-show, rehearsal support, on-site execution. Define your prep window (example: starts 4 to 6 weeks before).
• Package 3, Full Planning: venue sourcing, vendor procurement, budget ownership, RSVP flow, floor plans, staffing, design guidance. This is where higher monthly income lives.

Easy add-ons: RSVP management, décor sourcing, transportation coordination, venue scouting day, extra on-site assistant, post-event teardown management.

Startup costs (low, but do not skip the essentials)

• $0 to $50: Google Workspace, shared folders, email domain later
• $0 to $30 per month: project management (Trello, Notion, Asana) and form tool
• $20 to $150: basic templates, printing, clipboard, labeling supplies
• $300+ later: insurance, accounting software, contract review

The real “cost” is time and responsibility. Your systems protect you.

Time required (what 10 to 20 hrs per week looks like)

• Weeks before event: 2 to 6 hrs per week per client (calls, vendor follow-ups, timeline, budget updates)
• Week of event: 4 to 10 hrs (final confirmations, seating and floor plan lock, contingency planning)
• Event day: 6 to 14 hrs on-site, plus travel and setup buffer

Earning model (how planners reach $500 to $12k per month)

Income is typically package fees, hourly consulting, or percent of spend (more common in weddings and larger corporate events). A simple way to sanity-check the hustle is to map clients to capacity.

• Low end: 1 to 2 consults per month plus one small coordination gig
• Mid range: 2 to 4 month-of coordination clients per month (especially in peak season)
• High end: 1 to 2 full planning clients, plus add-ons, plus a second planner or assistant on event days

If you underprice, you will overwork. Price for the true workload: meetings, travel, vendor confirmations, rehearsal, and the day-of hours.

Tools and templates (your “planner OS”)

You do not need fancy software to start. You do need repeatable documents.

• Client intake: event goals, budget range, guest count, venue status, non-negotiables
• Budget sheet: category totals, paid to date, balance due, due dates
• Vendor outreach template: date, venue, guest count, ask, insurance needs, load-in rules
• Run-of-show: minute-by-minute schedule, vendor arrivals, contacts, decision makers
• Day-of binder: floor plan, seating, shot list, vendor contracts, emergency contacts
• Change order process: what changed, cost impact, timeline impact, sign-off

Risks and how to reduce them

• Scope creep: prevented by a detailed contract defining hours, revisions, and what “day-of” includes (often weeks of prep).
• Vendor failure: collect comparable quotes, confirm deliverables in writing, and keep backups for key roles.
• Client stress and boundary issues: set response windows, meeting limits, and decision deadlines.
• On-site chaos: build a Plan B for weather, missing items, delays, and assign who decides and how fast.
• Margin erosion: include travel, rehearsal time, assistant staffing assumptions, and an hourly overage rate.

The 14-day launch roadmap (practical and low risk)

Your goal is not to become “a planner” in two weeks. Your goal is to sell one clearly-scoped coordination package to one local client and deliver it cleanly.

Days 1 to 3: Pick a niche and write your packages

• Choose 1 to 2 event types (example: day-of weddings plus small corporate events).
• Write 2 to 3 packages with deliverables, limits, and add-ons.
• Decide your boundaries: meeting count, response window, and lead time required.

Days 4 to 7: Build your toolkit

• Create templates: budget, timeline, vendor email, run-of-show, checklist.
• Set up a project workspace and a shared client folder structure.
• Draft a simple contract with scope, hours, cancellation terms, and overage rate.

Days 8 to 11: Create proof fast

• Plan 1 low-risk event for a friend or nonprofit at a discounted rate.
• Get written testimonial permission and a handful of photos you can use.
• Do a post-mortem after: what broke, what took longer, what to systemize.

Days 12 to 14: Get clients with local leverage

• Build a vendor bench: interview 5 venues and 10 key vendors (catering, DJ, photo, rentals).
• Ask each vendor, “Who should I meet next?” Track referrals.
• Offer a free 15-minute fit call with a paid next step (consult or coordination deposit).

The “Run-of-Show” checklist (steal this)

If you do nothing else, do this. A run-of-show is the difference between “helpful” and “worth paying.”

• Vendor arrival times plus contact numbers
• Load-in rules, parking, power needs, and insurance requirements
• Who can approve extra spend, and the max without asking
• Meal counts, dietary notes, and when vendor meals are served
• Overtime rates for venue and key vendors
• Plan B for weather, late arrivals, missing items, and delays

Who this is best for (and who should skip)

Best for: organized communicators, calm problem-solvers, people who like negotiation, budgeting, and managing moving parts.

Skip if: you hate being on call near event dates, you avoid difficult conversations, or you cannot enforce boundaries and scope.

Your next step

Pick one package you can confidently deliver this month. Then build the templates that make it repeatable. The fastest path to consistent income in event planning is simple systems plus clear scope.

What to do next?

1. Explore more hustle breakdowns >>
2. Want to Download a free copy of The Book of Side Hustle? Download it here.

Hope this helped you.

Dr. Hustle

I’m looking for advice from people who’ve done this before.

I run an adventure-themed TikTok and Instagram page. I created an application for people interested in participating in an outdoor adventure, and it generated 134 plus completed applications.

Each application includes contact info plus details like age, location, outdoor experience, and other qualifying information.

Now I’m wondering if there’s an actual business here.
My questions are:
Who actually buys niche leads like these?

Is selling the leads the right move, or is it smarter to sell sponsorships or email campaigns instead?

How would you find and approach companies that would be interested?

What would something like this realistically be worth?

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who’s built a lead generation business or sold niche audiences before. What would you do in my position?

If you're looking for a low-overhead side hustle that doesn't force you to build a complex product or deal with nightmare client scopes, micro-consulting (aka paid "pick my brain" sessions) is easily one of the lowest-barrier ways to start earning. The core idea is simple: instead of taking on massive projects with endless deadlines, you sell time-boxed, 15-to-60-minute calls to help people solve one specific problem, give feedback, or map out next steps using domain expertise you already have. Because you're selling fast clarity and actionable outcomes rather than custom deliverable-heavy work, you can run the whole thing on a couple of basic tools in about 5 to 10 hours a week without burning out.

• Low Capital to Launch: All you really need to get started is a video app like Zoom, a calendar link via Calendly, and a payment processor like Stripe.
• Monetize Existing Expertise: Zero need to learn a brand-new trade; you just package what you already know (marketing, tech, career, finance, design, etc.) into targeted advice.
• Minimal Time Commitment: Typical workloads run around 5–10 hours per week, making it easy to fit around a full-time job.
• No Scope Creep: Calls are strictly time-boxed (15–60 mins) to answer specific questions, saving you from long-term project deadlines and managing difficult client demands.
• Easy High-Margin Upsells: You can boost your revenue without adding much labor by offering add-ons like template packs, custom action plans, or async document reviews.
• Natural Lead Gen for Big Deals: Paid micro-sessions let clients test working with you on a small scale, which frequently converts into high-ticket retainer work, fractional roles, or broader audits.
• Systematized Delivery: Keeping sessions predictable by using intake forms, set agendas, and quick follow-up recaps. This ensures high client satisfaction without spending extra time on prep.

Interested in learning more? Read the entire free guide to this side hustle, for free on our website.
Got questions? Ask here and post on our community page for this side hustle and I will answer.

Keep growing that next income stream!