The Best Side Hustle in the World: Helping People

There are over 8 billion people on this planet.

And they all need help.

Look around you. Talk to them.

Talk to your friends. Ask your colleagues. See what your parents have to say.

Listen. Truly listen and see what you could help with.

Because what’s initially nothing more than help can easily turn into money. The people you help will tell their friends and the friends will tell their friends and families. You won’t be able to keep helping for free forever and some people will be willing to pay for your time, expertise, and goodwill.

It always happens.

Here are only 10 examples out of hundreds of possibilities:

1. Child care

Are you a parent? How many times were you unable to leave for the night because you just couldn’t find a reliable babysitter? How many times did you not rush the child to the emergency room for a coin-sized rash that went away on its own by the time you got there?

Most people will need help with their child and you can provide it: go take your friend’s child off her hands so she can have a quiet night at the restaurant. And take the pressure off her heart by sharing your expertise about rashes and fevers.

2. Elderly care

One of the most difficult situations for all of us is handling our aging parents. Elderly people have very diverse needs, from medical care to basic everyday needs.

And they’re all emotionally draining, especially for the limited-time adult who usually can’t handle the emotional toll of seeing his parent in that situation.

That’s where you can step in.

I tried it myself and the results were much better than I expected, with very little work and effort.

3. Pet care

Every time I go on vacation I have to deal with the same problem: what am I going to do with my cats? Just like any other mammal, cats need love, care, and presence.

I need someone reliable who understands their needs and can either come and feed them and play with them or take them to their place and do the same.

Why wouldn’t you be one who goes over to someone’s place and spends time with a couple of kitties for one hour a day? It’s fun and it pays. If you have a yard and they have a dog, it’s even better and it pays more.

4. House sitting

When going on vacation involves more than pet sitting, it can easily turn into house-sitting. A lot of people need someone to feed their animals, water their plants, and make sure the house looks inhabited and does not attract any burglars.

You can help a friend, have your own little vacation in their house, lower your spending and make some money too.

5. Gardening help

Gardening by a professional company is so expensive! I remember when I used to have a yard that needed so much tending that I searched far and wide for a person who would take care of it because I couldn’t afford professionals.

But somebody who has a green thumb and expertise from their own garden is a professional in his own right. He can easily help a full street of neighbors in need by pruning some plants, mowing the lawn, choosing the right plants that would thrive in that climate, or setting up their sprinklers for optimal times.

Most neighbors will be willing to pay a reliable neighbor rather than an expensive company.

6. Real estate brokering

A few weeks ago a friend complained about how she couldn’t rent her apartment although she was using a real estate agency.

I asked if she were willing to give me the keys and let me help.

She agreed and 2 days later the apartment was rented.

The only thing I did differently was that I actually got involved: took some nice pics of the apartment, shared them everywhere, and went there at whatever hour the possible renters could come.

To show her appreciation, she gave me one month’s rent and took me out to lunch! Not bad for 2 days’ work.

7. Running errands

One of the most annoying things that people hate doing is running errands. That’s where you show up. Because errands are not so annoying when they are somebody else’s and they get even less so when you get paid to do them.

I have a friend who is extremely busy. She works very long hours and is a single mom. At the end of the day, all she wants is to spend some time with her kid, have a shower, and go to bed.

The last thing she needs is to deal with the electrician or go shopping for light bulbs. So I do that for her. And she always makes sure that she pays when I need the electrician.

8. Help the less tech-savvy

No matter how bad you are at computers, gadgets, and the online world, there is always someone out there who knows less. Find him, help him, let the world know, and let the world pay.

9. Clean houses

I don’t know what’s the situation where you live, but where I am house cleaning services are expensive and the people who do them are always busy.

That’s why I have to do it myself, although I hate it, especially if it’s spring cleaning where I have to take everything apart, pull closets, and move beds.

If you’re one of those who are not averse to this kind of work, you’re in luck: people are dirty and they need someone to make it clean. You could be the one.

10. Dye hair

Many many years ago, an old boyfriend’s mom asked me to dye her hair because a visit to the salon is one of those very high expenses of the month.

It was a weird thing to ask and since I’ve never touched dye before in my life, I said no.

Years passed and now I dye my own roots every month, although I have a full head of thick hair. Recently I also learned to cut it.

If you’re somebody who is good with hair, you can also straighten, curl or do hair for events. If you charge just a bit less than a salon, people will be flocking to you.

A caveat:

Good does not equal stupid. Good does not equal doing things that you hate doing or that are detrimental to you. It doesn’t mean endlessly helping someone who wouldn’t help himself. It also doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself for the good of another.

Help is not sacrifice!

Conclusion:

Don’t make things more complicated than they need to be. Just remember that the best side hustles and also full-scale businesses started with identifying a need in the market and supplying for that need.

Needs are all over the place. All you have to do is listen and supply help. The ones in need will eventually supply money.