40 Side Hustles for Women (& Moms) that are Profitable in 2023

Raise your hand (or glass of wine) if you would like to make some extra cash.

Is it to make ends meet? Or enough for a MUCH needed girl’s weekend sipping margaritas on the beach? Whatever it is, we all wouldn’t mind being able to make some extra money here and there.

This list breaks down ACHIEVABLE, REAL side hustles for women, particularly moms with limited free time. Because your main hustle is either a full-time job or wiping boogers for the tenth time this morning while your coffee sits cold untouched on the Keurig.

So, in developing this list, I’ve kept the Mamapreneur ideals at the forefront when developing these side hustle ideas.

1. FLEXIBILITY: Build your business around your home schedule, not the other way around.
2. SCALABILITY: Work as little or as much as you want, with the potential to scale your business. Maybe you want to work a few hours a week while the kids are young, but then want it to become full-time gig when they hit the school years.
3. VISION: Take any of these seemingly simple ideas, and with vision you can do anything. I mean, there are children millionaires selling slime. If they can do it, so can you.

What are the Best Side Hustles for Women (and Moms)?

Little to No Cost Side Hustles For Women

These options are going to be side hustles you can do with little to no upfront costs or minimal education needed. You really can start these up right now on your own schedule. Not to mention, if you need to start any of these ideas, I have great tips on how to work with a baby at home.

1. Dog Walker or Pet Sitter

People LOVE their furry friends. This option is great in that there’s hardly any cost involved (maybe check out some liability insurance).

Puppy parents that are gone 10 hour days at work may need someone to walk their dog 1 to 2 times per day. Sign up for an app like Rover.com and get dog walking in your nearby neighborhoods (BONUS! Get your steps in too).

Overnight pet sitting is HUGE. If you don’t mind either staying at someone’s house, or having a friendly furry friend stay at your house, this is a great way to make some extra money with minimal effort. These days, overnight stays can bring in around $40-$50/night, or around $250 per week depending on where you live. That adds up pretty quickly.

2. Music Lessons

Still have that flute stashed in the closet from your high school days? I do (yes band nerd over here).

Start offering music lessons! It’s a skill of untapped money making potential. A 30 minute lesson makes on average $30-40 dollars for a 30 minute lesson. Do weekly lessons for 2 hours a week and you have yourself around $600 a month in the time that you likely would have binged the new Netflix historical drama.

3. Babysitting Services

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but babysitters make SOO much more then when I was a teenager. We used to make $20 a night and some free dinner. Now, you can make some serious cash.

If you’re a mom, this one’s a no-brainer. Join Care.com, BusyBeesBabysitting, or your local Facebook group to offer your services.

Although there is not much cost to this, I do recommend getting certain certifications like CPR.

4. Driving Services or Food Delivery Driver

I know, I know. You can’t make this list without giving this option because it’s JUST.SO.FLEXIBLE. Whether its commuting with Uber or Lyft, or being a food delivery driver with companies like Door Dash, it’s awesome to be able to just sign in and out whenever you want.

BUT WAIT, here’s another great option. I have a community “driver” on our local FaceBook group, and I’m willing to bet she’s killing it. She posts routinely on the community app offering set fees for airport pickup/drop off, etc, and schedules it all in advance on her schedule. And the community loves to support one of their own so she usually books completely out. And the community loves it because they have a reliable ride.

5. Language Tutor

Are you bilingual? Offer language lessons! I’ve been trying to learn new languages for years, and have my own language tutor through iTalki. You can offer lessons live or virtual which pay depending on your teaching level. What could be easier than just talking and correcting someone in a language your fluent in?

You can also offer small group lessons. As the world is becoming more global, monolingual parents are looking for ways for their children to be multilingual. Kids are sponges and it’s the best time to pick up a new language. I’m willing to bet if you offered kid language lessons, there will be a huge demand.

6. Freelancing

Do you have skill that you can market? Check out Fiverr or Upwork and offer your services! It will take some time to create a portfolio, gain reviews, and create a personal brand, but the potential extra money on your own schedule is totally worth it.

If you’re a great writer, that’s a particularly good skill to have for freelancing. You can offer resume writing, SEO optimized articles, or even help with research.

7. Baked Goods

Weddings, birthday parties, special events. People are always looking for some amazing baked goods to cater to their parties or to use as gifts.

My favorite baked good side hustle is decorated cookies. In my neighborhood, there’s a mom that makes these absolutely fantastic, elaborately decorated sugar cookies. They are pieces of art that you don’t want to eat. She makes them for holidays, teacher appreciation weeks, and ALWAYS sells out weeks in advance.

8. Rent Out Your Car

Do you have a car that sits majorly unused? I did.

Like so many other people, I went from a one hour commute to the office to working at home the majority of the time. If you’re car just sits in the garage collecting dust, then think about renting it out! You can make some awesome cash for practically doing nothing.

As a growing trend, Turo is one of the popular names to get started. But lots of Turo alternatives have been sprouting up, so check out your local market to see which app would work best for you. Some even allow you to rent out for long periods of time, which would be a great option if you have a spare vehicle. Typically, you’ll see around $30-$45 dollars per day which lets you make some extra money quickly.

9. Rent Out Your Pool

Did you know you could rent out your pool? Neither did I.

And then one day on my local Facebook neighborhood group, a woman with an amazing backyard would rent out her pool on the weekends! I thought it was a great idea, especially since pools are a ton of upkeep. Sounds like a great idea to make some extra cash for something you might not being using on a particular day anyways.

You can also check out apps like Swimply, that are specifically designed for home owners to market out their pools.

10. Rent Out Your Storage Space

Do you have a two or three car garage that you’re not using? Instead of sitting there empty, why don’t you rent it out!

That’s what the new peer to peer platform Stache Storage is all about. Some people say they’re making $1000 a month, and you practically have to do nothing! This is a fantastic way to make some extra side hustle cash without a lot of work if you have the space.

Health, Beauty, Fashion Side Hustles for Women

1. Personal Trainer

It’s no secret that personal trainers can make some great money. And for good reason. They use their expertise to work with bodies of all types and help them reach their health goals. The amount you can charge really depends on your personal brand, but typically around $25/hour is a fair starting point.

Now, there is some up front investment in this one. You’ll need to go through training and get certified. However, once that’s done, your ready to go. You can offer lessons at your own house, a park, the client’s house, all on your schedule. It’s a great way for some extra cash.

2. Lash Stylist

If you haven’t tried eyelash extensions, I highly recommend it. I’m a pretty beat up mom most of the time, but with my eyelashes I feel somewhat presentable with my hair in a bun and some tinted moisturizer. But this isn’t about promoting the lashes, but lash stylists themselves!

Many people offer lash stylists from their own home. Check your local state’s Board of Cosmetology to see what’s required in your state. Typically, these run around $100 a set, more or less depending on where you live.

3. Hair Stylist & Hair Extensions

Following eyelash extensions, hair extensions are the next best money maker. And WOW are these things expensive. Hair stylists charge anywhere from $500-$2000 for a full head of these, depending on the method used to apply them.

Now, being a hair stylist comes with a few years of schooling, followed by hair extension training. But when you get there, you can enjoy your own schedule and make great money doing it.

4. Microblading

Eyebrow microblading has become super popular lately. If you’re someone with thinning eyebrows, these can pretty much transform your face (not that you need it!).

To become a microblading artist, you’ll need to take a course and get licensed. But once you get over the learning curve, some microblading artists make a six figure full time income!. But you can work as little or as much as you want.

5. Makeup Artist

I have now been a bridesmaid no less than eight times, and let me tell you, these artists do pretty well on a Saturday morning. You will have makeup costs at the beginning, but offer your services for free or at a discount at first and then word of mouth will take your far after that.

And really, you can learn this by watching a ton of YouTube videos and practice practice practice. Wedding makeup artists can typically make around $1000 per session if you include the bride and bridesmaids.

6. Wedding Dress Alterations

When I bought my wedding dress, it was a used dress I found at a second hand store but made with GORGEOUS Swarovski crystals (YES that’s my real dress in the picture). Little did I know when I bought the dress, the alterations with all those crystals cost MORE than the actual dress itself.

If you are good with a sewing needle, wedding dress and bridal gown alterations have HUGE money making potential. You can work on your own schedule, out of your home, as little or as much as you want.

Online Side Hustles for Women

When coming up with side hustles for women, making money online is a must for people wanting to work anytime and from anywhere. I love a change in scenery, so being able to work from my bed, to a coffee shop, to the beach is a game changer in my quality of life.

1. Blogging/ Affiliate marketing

Now, obviously I am a HUGE advocate of this as a side hustle, full time hustle, and everything in between. As a new blogger myself, there is a long learning curve, but it has the potential to make passive income which I am ALL about.

Anytime you can make money sleeping, count me in.

Now a lot of people will say blogging is cheap, just spend $10 a month for a hosting site, but honestly that’s not the entire truth. In order to actually obtain monetary results, you’ll need to invest in a course, SEO keyword platforms, AI writers, etc. But if you’re willing to put in the work and upfront costs, you can make high passive income which is ideal with a family.

Check out Adam Enfroy’s Blog Growth Engine Course, where he teaches you how he makes over $100k/month.

And then when you’re done with that, I would look into purchasing the best blogging platforms to make money.

2. Virtual Assistant

Is your office staying at home post-pandemic? Well, so are a lot of other business as people seem to really like getting rid of their hour long commute. That doesn’t mean you still don’t need your office assistant.

Virtual assistant help with emails, schedules, social media, honestly, the skies the limit. On average, they make around $19-$20/hour. You can find these opportunities on Flexjobs or Indeed.

3. Develop an Online Course

Now, this is one of the more lucrative options. If you have a skill you can monopolize on, make an online course for it. You do have the upfront costs of developing the course, but then it’s passive income after that.

The important part before getting to this stage is already having an audience. Whether that’s from a blog or Instagram, if you have a large following then it’s time to monetize from it. Moms have made it huge with online courses about baking, child sleeping, cooking, or starting a business.

4. Create SVG files

By now, I would be surprised if you don’t know someone that sells some type of product at farmer’s markets or Etsy. More likely than not, those phrases and images are purchased.

That’s where SVG files come in. And it’s GREAT passive income. Create an SVG file, post it on a platform like Etsy or Design Bundles, and make money while you sleep.

5. Font Creation

This one goes hand in hand with SVG files. In order to make amazing products that sell, Times New Roman just doesn’t cut it anymore. You need custom fonts.

If you have a background in graphic design, or know calligraphy, you can make and sell your own fonts for people to use.

6. WordPress Theme Designer

This is another great way to make money. If you look at this blog (or any blog for that reason) you will see a Copyright Theme at the bottom. Since I didn’t want or have the knowledge to build a website from scratch, I purchased a theme for about $150 that was ready for me to customize it myself.

Anyone can learn how to build a theme for sale. Simply watch a ton of YouTube videos and get practicing. Once you’ve put in the upfront work, you can watch the money roll in as people purchase your themes. It’s a great way to make money online.

7. Digital Artwork

Are you an artist? Instead of all the overhead costs of printing, canvas, and selling in a physical market, more artists now are making their products digital.

This way, an individual can purchase the image, and use it in whichever way they would like. It’s really a win-win for both parties. You can also take it a step further by turning your artwork into an NFT. Simply download an NFT wallet, create a profile on your preferred NFT marketplace and you’re all set!

Photography Side Hustles for Women

If you have that good eye and are a whiz at taking pictures, think about monetizing it with one of these options. What’s been so interesting, is with the invention of the camera phone, you would think that the photography business would have gone down, but it’s done the EXACT opposite. Everyone wants those Instagram-worthy photos.

1. Wedding Photography Business

If you’re married, then you already are aware of how MUCH a good photographer can charge to capture that special day. If you’re already a photographer, getting into the wedding industry is a great side hustle as you can choose a few days a month to work, but really make some great income.

Typically, they can make anywhere from $1500-$4000 a wedding session, depending on your experience and expertise level. Want to take a different approach? Become a wedding videographer! They make around $1000-$2000 per wedding.

2. Newborn Photography

I just had my babies in the past few years and WOW are newborn photos so expensive. I tried to “do it myself” and let’s be honest, they looked horrible. Yes, that’s my daughter in the picture above after I caved and got the professional photos done.

My newborn photographer made a studio in a room from her house, had hundreds of baskets, swaddles, backgrounds, and only worked 2 to 3 times per week. And guess what, she’s now RETIRED. Depending on where you are, you’ll make around $400-600 per newborn session.

5. Maternity Photographer

Falling in line with the newborn photo shoots, women love to have those glamorous maternity shoots. I never had them done, but really wish I did now that those days are over.

Maternity photographers can make some fantastic money. And like most photographer marketing, word of mouth is everything coupled with an awesome Instagram page showing off your work.

6. Family Photographer

Now, I love the idea of being a family photographer because you have the gift of repeat customers. Newborns are only newborns once, but families want at least annual photos for those holiday cards.

If you do a great job, you’ll build up a clientele in no time, and will likely have a harder time telling people you’re no longer accepting new clients. Not a bad problem to have! Family photographers can charge anywhere from $200-$600 per session depending on location, how many hours, etc.

6. Holiday Sets

SO SO SO genius. Every holiday season we have a few people that set up “scenes” and charge around $30-$50 for 15-30 minutes. The Christmas ones last year were super adorable, I simply used my own iPhone and had great photos at an affordable price.

But, the entire time I was thinking what a KILLING this couple was making when they offered it for 8 hour days, 4 days a week and had to do next to nothing after the set up.

7. Stock Photography

Have you see those images on websites of happy families, homes, a flower, like literally ANYTHING on a website? Chances are, it’s a stock photo.

When you’re building a website, NO, you can’t just copy and paste a photo from google images. You have to own the photo or be prepared to face copyright penalties.

If your nifty with a camera, take photos and sell them on places like Unsplash, Getty Images, or iStock.

8. NFT Photography

If you’ve been watching the news, then you’ve likely heard the term NFT thrown around in the last year or so. But what is it? Essentially you attach a token (NFT, non fungible token) to your digital work. Think of this like the paper document on a high end painting. This token (proof of ownership) is then bought and sold on an NFT marketplace.

Digital artists, photographers, and videographers are making BANK on the rising digital platform. If you’re a digital creator, you can learn more where I explain it here.

Product Side Hustles for Women

If you’re creative and have a physical product in mind to sell, this can be a great option to make some extra money, plus it’s super fun!

1. Art Decals and Stickers

If you have kids, then you know they grow so fast. That’s why wall decals and stickers are a go-to for room decorating, because you can change their room theme as they grow. No need to keep repainting over and over again.

Did you know that stickers are the #1 selling item on Etsy? And they are affordable to produce. If you’re creative, check into this product idea.

2. Party Theme Decorations

If you have a child, then you already know how kid birthday themes are a hot commodity. Wild One? What a wONEderful world?

Selling theme packages are a big hit. If you have a creative idea for theme party supplies, this may be the way to go for you.

3. Journals and Notebooks

If you’re an artist, people love their journals and notebooks. Instead of selling a canvas, you can take your artwork and turn it into the cover of a journal. Amazon is a great place to market your product.

4. Makerflo Crafts

MakerFlo is best known for their tumblers that you can customize via sublimation, but they also have a lot of other options like wood crafts, kitchen products, and leatherette products. They consistently get rave reviews due to the quality of their products and amazing customer service.

You can quickly learn how to make and sell these products, and make some great money quickly. Plus, this gives you access to the private FaceBook Group where women share phenomenal ideas & provide excellent networking opportunities.

5. Crochet Patterns or Knitting Patterns

If you know how to crochet or knit, instead of selling products like hats and scarfs, sell the patterns themselves. People love making their own products whether for themselves, to give as gifts, or to sell.

6. Get creative, the skies the limit!

I could write an entire post on the most profitable products to sell, but really, you can sell just about anything. If your crafty in any way, it’s a great option to work on your schedule and scale as much as you would like to.

Miscellaneous Side Hustles for Women

These options aren’t any less valuable, but didn’t fit neatly into the categories above.

1. Private Swim Coach

Swim lessons are very popular if you live in the Southwest like Arizona and California. If you have a pool with small children, swim safety is a parent’s top priority. Swim schools are popular, but don’t offer the individualized approach.

That’s where personal swim lessons come in. I had this for my kids during the pandemic and it was a game changer. My coach taught my 18 month old to float and kick to the ledge for safety. And it’s not cheap, as private swim coaches easily charge $100 to $150 for a 30-45 minute session. So if you’re a swim instructor or love swimming, consider getting your swim teaching certification and get teaching!

2. Mobile Notary Service

If you’ve ever had to get something notarized, it typically means having to wait a long line at the bank, make a reservation, or find a notary service nearby. Who has time for that?

This is where your private notary comes in. Now getting your notary license is dependent on the state that your in, but some people have made up to $8000 a month full time. Realistically, you can easily make an extra $1000 a month watching people sign documents.

If you really want to create your own business, then take it a step further by becoming a notary signing agent. This agent is a notary that is specialized in mortgage and loan documents and this specialty is in high demand. Once you’re a notary, just take the best notary signing course to become an expert, and then start networking with Realtors in the area.

3. YouTuber or Social Media Influencer

Now, this one is easier said than done as the competition to becoming a influencer these days is fierce. But do you know who is the top YouTuber? Yup, a kid unpackaging toys. Or check out Blippi, he’s making millions and it all started with a silly kids outfit and a camera.

If you’re looking to go this route, I highly suggest treating it like a business. It’s a very competitive space, so be sure to do your homework before investing too much time.

What are side hustles for women (moms)?

A side hustle is typically something that may not be your full time priority, but a way to make more money on the side.

Maybe your full time job is being a mom. Maybe its a 9-5 job. Whatever it is, a side hustle is a way to earn some extra income.

Now a lucrative side hustle will likely require a higher investment in either learning a new skill or achieving an education of sorts. I personally believe that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself, so take the plunge.

Also, the women that are most successful are those that take a side hustle idea, and turn it into something creative. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Think like small businesses do, and instead of focusing on how you can make a few hundred dollars, think about how you can make tens of thousands instead. It will change your frame of mind.

Is it possible to work on your own schedule?

The short answer is, YES, ABSOLUTELY! With any of the ideas above you can scale them to work as little or as much as you want to earn some extra income without the obligations of a part-time job.