I started my first side hustle on Amazon in 2017 for $0. At the time, I was working two jobs and freelancing, and I was excited about the potential to make some passive income by selling print on demand t-shirts with Amazon Merch on Demand.
At first it was just t-shirts, but now I also sell tank tops, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, phone cases, pillows and tote bags. Since the platform has expanded to international markets, I sell my products to customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan.
Start-up cost: $0
This platform has become my favorite passive income opportunity. It uses a print-on-demand business model, where products are printed and shipped after the sale takes place.
My responsibilities include creating graphic designs, and listing them for sale on the various products available in the Amazon Merch catalog. I find that simple, text-based designs can generate plenty of sales, so for me, design experience has not been required to be successful.
My favorite thing about this platform is how automated it is. After an order comes in, Amazon routes the order to one of their production facilities, where the product is picked, printed, and shipped to our customer. Each month I receive a payout for royalties generated on our sales.
Start up cost: $0
Amazon Merch is not the only way to make money with print on demand. I’ve taken the designs I created for my Amazon Merch side hustle and placed them on other products and marketplaces as well.
I’ve sold print-on-demand products on Etsy since 2018. The only cost associated with Etsy is a $0.20 fee to create a product listing, and if you use an invite link to begin selling on Etsy you can get 40 free listings.
I use a company called Printful to fulfill the orders. Printful has a direct integration, which allows them to automatically fulfill orders and notify customers when they’re shipped out.
In addition to Etsy, you can consider cross-listing your print on demand products to Walmart, eBay and Redbubble. I use all three platforms. Redbubble and eBay have been around for quite some time, while the Walmart option became available last year.
Start up cost: $0
My fiancé and I have both been a part of the Amazon Influencer Program since September of 2023. It allows you to make passive income by creating video reviews of Amazon products that you own.
Joining the program is free, and you can use your smartphone to start recording the videos. The uploaded videos are displayed on the Amazon product detail page for the product you review, as well as similar products. If someone watches your video before they buy the product, you’re typically paid a commission ranging between one and three percent.
I would start by reviewing all of the products you own that can be found on Amazon. As long as the item is available for sale on the platform, you can absolutely review it, regardless of where you originally bought it.
I have reviewed hundreds of products, and my fiancé has reviewed close to 1,000. I think this is a great potential passive income stream that is not super well known.
Start up cost: $0
YouTube is an ever popular side hustle that you can start today for $0, even with just a smartphone and an internet connection. I have found that when I create videos about my passions and hobbies, it often doesn’t feel like work.
The requirements to monetize your YouTube channel with AdSense are 4,000 hours watched, total across all video uploads, and 1,000 subscribers. Once you’re approved, you can get paid monthly based on how many ads were watched by your viewers.
I have my own YouTube channel from which I earn $4,900 a month in passive income. My fiancé and I also recently started a channel together where we unbox Amazon return pallets, with hopes that we can re-sell the products at a profit. Not only is it a fun project to work on together, it’s on its way to paying us ad revenue, once the channel meets the monetization requirements.
There are a ton of exciting side hustle opportunities out there. While the learning curve may seem intimidating at first, my best advice is to approach it with a positive attitude and a long-term perspective. It can take some time to scale these income streams to the point where they can replace a full-time income, but in my experience, it can be done.
Ryan Hogue is a former web developer and adjunct professor who quit both jobs to run his e-commerce business. Lift YouTube channel teaches people how to earn passive income using “Ryan’s Method.”
Hogue is also an instructor in CNBC’s new online course, How to Earn Passive Income Online. The course provides an overview of common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories.
Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.
