15 Best Side Hustle Ideas with a Low Startup Cost (2026)

The greatest part of the population likes earning some additional money in the form of £500-£1,000 a month to cover bills and save. Your side businesses have no longer become a fad but a need for most families.

HMRC allows you to make the first £1000 without tax through side businesses annually. There could be hustlers who need a small amount to start the work. Many use up their savings. Some hustlers even use self-employed loans in the UK to scale their side business once they see steady profits. These loans will assist you in purchasing high-end equipment or stocking up on supplies.

15 Best Side Hustle Ideas

1. Freelance Writing and Copywriting

You can start writing for pay with just a laptop and the internet. Many businesses always need blog posts, web copy and emails. The writers are paid between £20 and £50 /hour, with the highest professionals earning £100 or more.

You may become a member of such websites as Upwork, Fiverr or PeoplePerHour to get your first jobs. You can specialise in a single industry such as technology or medicine, and earn a higher income. You write something you are familiar with to become notable among others.

2. Virtual Assistant Services

You can help busy people handle their day-to-day tasks. You’ll manage emails, schedule meetings, enter data or make bookings. Many small business owners need help but can’t hire full-time staff.

You can earn £12-£25 hourly. You can check out platforms like Time Etc or Virtalent for jobs. Start with one client, then grow. Some VAs later build small teams and run their own mini-agencies.

3. Social Media Management

Most small firms know they need social media, but lack the time to do it well. You need zero cash to start. You just need to know about Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

You can charge £200-£500 monthly per client, with each one taking just a few hours weekly. Learn the basics through free courses on HubSpot or Meta Blueprint. You’ll have a solid side income with 3-4 steady clients.

4. Online Tutoring

Many parents spend billions yearly to help their kids do better in school. You can tutor students online using a webcam and Zoom. It is possible that you can concentrate on high-demand subjects such as GCSE, A-Levels or 11+ exams.

Tutors make between £20 and £50 per hour-long session. You can teach those high-demandcourses such as Maths, English and Science.

5. Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

All you need is a few leads and waste bags. Large numbers of dog walkers charge between £10-£15 an hour for a brisk 30-minute walk. The pet sitters also make between £25 and £50 by staying with pets in their houses.

You can use apps like Rover or Tailster to find your first clients. Get basic pet care insurance for about £50-£100 yearly to protect yourself and the pets.

6. Reselling and Flipping Items

You can start with £20-£100 to buy your first stock. You look for deals in charity shops, car boot sales or Facebook groups. You can sell your finds on eBay, Vinted or Depop for a profit.

Check what sells well by looking at “sold” items on eBay.

7. Print on Demand

You design graphics on t-shirts, mugs or tote bags. Others, such as Printful, Printify and Redbubble, take care of printing and shipping. It is simply a matter of uploading your design and pricing.

You can sell via Etsy, or you can create your own store with Shopify. You get a net of about 20-40 per cent profit on these sales. Free websites such as Canva can be used to create designs.

8. Delivery Driver

There is no initial expense to convert your bike or car into a source of money. Register with Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat or Amazon Flex. The majority of drivers earn 10-15 per hour and more in the high seasons.

The E-bikes are taking off in cities for quick and easy food runs. Work when you want or log in for a few hours or a full day. You track your miles for tax breaks at year’s end.

9. Handmade Crafts on Etsy

Many buyers support local makers and find unique gifts. You can start with £50-£150 for your first batch of supplies. Some popular items include candles, jewellery, prints and knitted goods.

The Etsy listing costs just 16p. A majority of sellers make a profit of £200-£1000 a month. You may share your work on Instagram and Pinterest to attract more buyers. Sell personalised products at profitable prices.

10. Cleaning Services

It takes minimal materials and transportation to begin a cleaning side job. The cleaners are being paid between £12 and £20 an hour, with an end-of-tenancy clean costing between £100 and £300 an assignment. The clients are available in the local Facebook groups or in the Nextdoor application.

Many busy pros and Airbnb hosts need regular help. Some people offer this service in the suburbs, so you’ll face fewer rivals.

11. Photography Services

You can turn your eye for images into cash with a decent camera or even a good phone. You can snap events, portraits or product shots for local firms. The event shoots can earn you £150-£500 each time.

You can sell extra shots to stock sites like Shutterstock for passive income. Edit your pics with free apps like Lightroom mobile. You build a simple portfolio on Instagram to attract clients.

12. Translation and Language Services

You have an easy side hustle if you speak more than one language. Many firms need help with European and Asian languages. You can earn 8-15p per word, with a full page netting £20-£40.

You can find work on ProZ, TranslatorsCafe or Fiverr. You can add video subtitling to your skills for more jobs. The legal and medical texts pay the highest rates.

13. Car Boot and Market Selling

You can rent space at car boot sales or local markets for just £20-£50. Most Sunday pitches cost £8-£20. You can start by selling items from your home that you no longer need.

Toys, books, kitchen items and clothes sell well. You get cash in hand the same day. You might move up to a regular market stall if your items prove popular.

14. Website and Graphic Design

Many small firms always need help with their online look. You can learn the basics of Wix, Squarespace or WordPress, and you can charge £200-£1,000 per site. A yearly Canva Pro account costs about £100 but lets you create pro-looking designs.

The logo design jobs fetch £50-£300 each. You can have monthly care plans where the clients pay you a small fee to maintain their sites.

15. Content Creation

You can start a YouTube channel, TikTok platform or podcast with a phone and free editing applications. You will earn money through advertisements, brand arrangements and connections that will get you a share of revenues.

To join YouTube’s pay scheme, you need 1,000 fans and 4,000 hours of watch time. TikTok pays you based on views through their Creator Fund. Podcasts are free to start with Anchor/Spotify. You can pick a niche topic you love to stand out from the crowd.

Conclusion

You have come across 15 choices that can be used under various skills and time restrictions. These side hustlers begin small but expand to become full-time business owners. You can begin to move in at least one little step towards your first side income stream, which you can begin this evening.

You look at what tools you already possess, what your skills are, or what the need is in your area. You look into self-employed loans in the UK to help fund your next growth phase if your side gig takes off. You can get these from the direct lenders. You will get the same-day approval, and they also offer the best rates and terms despite your financial history.

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