These part-time businesses are recommended for people who already have a full-time job and want to make extra money or start getting established as an entrepreneur:
Become a notary public: Each state has different requirements, but notary publics are always independent contractors who earn money by handling mortgage signings, notarizing trust documents and performing many other tasks. This part-time money maker offers the advantage of adding another skill to your resume or enhancing your current job qualifications. It's also a good side hustle for weekends and evenings, when typical notary publics may not be available. You'll need state certification, which will probably cost less than $100. Visit the National Notary Association to learn more about how to become a notary in your state.
Dog walking and pet sitting: If you're good with animals, you may have a head start on a part-time pet sitting business. Drawing from friends and neighbors is a good way to grow your business and you can increase your rates a bit once you're established. If you can't commit to boarding animals in your home or staying overnight with other people's pets, consider a dog-walking or waste clean-up business. Get more business quickly by registering with a service like Rover.com, which links pet owners with sitters and dog walkers (after you pass a background check and provide references).
Modern-day disc jockey: Event entertainment is in high demand, providing dance music for weddings, birthdays and bar mitzvahs and background tunes for more casual events. This is the ideal side hustle for people who already have an organized music collection, mixing software and a "have laptop, will travel" mentality. While full-fledged disc jockey equipment can be pricey, you can rent speakers, subwoofers and other bells and whistles until your business can justify purchasing your own.
Freelance personal chef: Cook meals for new moms, working parents or people who want to enjoy their weekends off. According to Entrepreneur, there's lots of demand for personal chefs.
Garage and attic cleaning: You might find doing someone else's dirty work can actually be fun. Along with the base fee, you may earn more by finding saleable treasures among the giveaways or bottles and cans you can recycle for profit. The only possible deal breaker: you'll have to acquire a truck if you don't already own one (they're typically too expensive to rent when you're trying to turn a profit).
Credit: Contributed by Pressmaster/Shutterstock
Credit: Contributed by Pressmaster/Shutterstock
Computer tutor: Whether you're an expert at programs from Windows and Linux or just really good at desktop publishing or work processing, you can earn money helping people improve their computer skills. Technical manuals are often expensive and hard for average computer users to understand. Business News Daily recommends charging by the hour for complete tutorials or holding short classes for small groups at a business.
Picture framer: If you're crafty but not necessarily a framing expert, read up or take a non-credit course at a local college. Then work with gallery owners, print shops, artists, photographers and portrait painters to build a client list. You'll need tools (but you can rent the saws and miter boxes at a home store to start).
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