13 Side Gigs You Can Do From Almost Anywhere

Life is too short to spend it in a cubicle every day from 9 to 5 doing a job you don’t like, reporting to a boss you can’t stand, and making money that barely pays your bills.

This is why the digital nomad lifestyle has become so popular over the last few years.

A study in 2018 found that nearly 5 million Americans identify themselves as island hopping digital nomads who work while traveling full-time.

However, to enjoy this lifestyle, you need to find ways to make money without binding yourself to a specific geographic location.

Thankfully, you don’t need to look beyond this article for ideas.

At NicheHacks, we have a community of more than 150K travelers and digital nomads across our website, email lists, and social media groups who make money online.

Based on their experiences and feedback, I’ve handpicked a dozen proven ways to generate a sizable income from almost anywhere in the world.

And here’s the best part...you can do them as side gigs or dedicate more time to turn them into full-time income sources.

Let’s get started.

1. Offer Services As A Freelancer

No matter where you live, you can make money online as a freelancer as long as you have a skill that businesses or entrepreneurs can find useful.

Freelancing is the fastest way to start making money online from anywhere, which is why it’s among the top ways digital nomads earn a living.

According to Upwork, a leading freelancing website, more than 57 million Americans worked freelance in 2019.

Fiverr, another leading website where freelancers can find work, reports that on average, businesses are spending more money per order on their platform than ever before.

It’s hard to list down all the services you can offer as a freelancer, but I’ll quickly share some of them to give you an idea.

Writing/Blogging

If you can write engaging and error-free articles, thousands of blog owners in every niche imaginable are looking for writers like you.

Copywriting

Write sales landing page copy, website content, email sequences, etc. to earn thousands of dollars per month as a copywriter.

Virtual Assistant Services

Help your clients save time and focus on their core business activities by handling their daily tasks such as scheduling meetings, responding to emails, taking notes, managing operational website tasks, etc.

Outreach Services

Send cold emails and network with other business owners on behalf of your client.

Programming/Coding

Create software, mobile apps, websites, etc to potentially make six-figures a year.

Software Quality Assurance

Audit software and help developers optimize their code.

Graphic Design

Create logos, banners, and website designs to earn a living.

Voice Over Services

If you can speak well, offer voice over services for corporate marketing videos. You can also use a variety of free AI voice over generator tools that can create synthetic voiceovers for various purposes, including videos, presentations, and other audio-visual content.

Video/Audio Editing

Video content production is exploding and so is the need for video and audio editors.

Project Management

Marketers, agencies, and even large corporations are frequently hiring online project managers to handle remote teams and get things done.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Learn SEO and earn several hundred thousand dollars a year by driving traffic to your clients’ websites.

Guest Blogging

Help website owners and marketers create brand awareness by getting them featured on the leading websites in their respective niches.

Translation

Know more than one language? Offer translation services as a freelancer.

There are hundreds of other services you can offer as a freelancer and make money from anywhere.

Here are a few websites and portals where you can find freelance work.

• Upwork for freelance projects in every industry
• Fiverr for quick and easy projects (read this detailed guide to learn more)
• Flexjobs for remote jobs
• Craigslist for remote jobs
• 99Designs for graphic design work
• Problogger, Contently, and Clearvoice for content writing and blogging jobs

Your earnings as a freelancer are directly proportional to the strength of your brand image and professional portfolio.

2. Start A Blog To Make Money Online

Starting a blog is one of the best ways to liberate yourself from the 9 to 5 lifestyle and earn life changing money while traveling around the world.

The reason is simple: people love reading useful and engaging blog content.

Once your blog starts getting regular traffic, there’s literally no limit to the ways you can make money from it.

And the best part? Most of it is completely passive income.

Advertising

Use Google Adsense, Ezoic, Media.net, Bidvertiser or any other ad network on your blog to make money when your readers click on ads.

Affiliate Marketing

Promote products from Amazon, ClickBank, CJ, and other affiliate networks and earn when your referrals make a purchase.

Sponsored Content

Charge relevant brands to publish articles on your blog.

Members Only Content

Create a separate members-only section on your site for a monthly fee.

Digital Product Sales

Sell eBooks, video courses, and other forms of digital products to your audience.

To build a successful blog, you need to understand the needs of your target audience and create high-quality content that answers their questions more comprehensively than your competitors.

3. Become A Professional Website Investor And Flipping Expert

The website flipping model works just like real estate flipping.

The image below describes the whole process.

Instead of starting and growing a blog yourself, become a website investor by purchasing an already established website that’s not making as much money as it should.

Improve that site, increase its revenue, and sell it to another investor for anywhere between 24 to 48 months worth of its monthly profits.

This means a site making just $1000 in monthly profit can be sold for as much as $24-48K.

You can buy and sell websites on platforms like Flippa, InvestorsClub, and EmpireFlippers.

4. Start Vlogging To Make Life-Changing Money

You already love traveling.

Why not share your experiences with other travel enthusiasts and make thousands of dollars every month?

If you haven’t already guessed, I’m talking about publishing travel vlogs on YouTube.

YouTube is not only the world’s largest video streaming platform but also the second largest search engine on the web.

If you can create interesting and engaging content on YouTube you can quickly build up a huge following from all across the globe.

Louis, a full-time travel vlogger, is a great example.

His channel has more than 23 million subscribers who eagerly wait for his daily vlogs in which he shares his travel experiences.

It takes several years to build such a huge subscriber base but you don’t need that many people to start making money on YouTube.

You can start earning on YouTube with advertisements and sponsored content with just a few thousand subscribers.

If you keep adding content, your earnings will increase automatically because of more content views.

5. Start Your Own Clothing Brand

The fashion industry is a multi-billion dollar market, and starting your own clothing brand can be a lucrative and fulfilling venture. With the rise of e-commerce and print-on-demand services, it's easier than ever to launch your own line of apparel and accessories.

• Find Your Niche: Identify a specific target audience and design clothing that caters to their interests and style preferences. This could be anything from fitness enthusiasts to pet lovers or fans of a particular hobby or subculture.
  
• Design and Production: Create unique and eye-catching designs that reflect your brand identity. You can either design the clothing yourself or collaborate with freelance designers. Utilize print-on-demand services to handle production and fulfillment, eliminating the need for inventory and upfront costs.
  
• Build Your Brand: Establish a strong online presence through social media, a website, and email marketing. Engage with your audience, showcase your designs, and build a loyal customer base.
  
• Market Your Products: Utilize social media advertising, influencer marketing, and search engine optimization to reach your target audience and drive sales. Consider offering discounts and promotions to attract new customers and encourage repeat purchases.
  

You can also check Nolabels Clothing for inspiration and high-quality basics to start your brand. They started a clothing brand that allowed them to express their creativity, connect with a community of like-minded individuals, and build a profitable business. If you're passionate about fashion and have a knack for design, this could be the perfect side gig for you.

6. Promote Third-Party Products As An Affiliate Marketer

I’ve already mentioned affiliate marketing as a monetization method for your blog.

But it’s such a huge industry that it deserves a separate mention.

Affiliate marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry with a very low entry barrier. You don’t need a huge investment, infrastructure, or advanced skills to get started with affiliate marketing.

This is why it’s one of the most popular ways to make money online.

It is hugely popular among digital nomads as well.

For example, Michelle, a personal finance blogger who lives and travels in her RV, consistently makes $50K+ with affiliate marketing.

Blogging is not the only way to make money as an affiliate marketer.

You can identify a problem, start an affiliate niche site about it, and make money as an Amazon Associate (this massive guide to Amazon Affiliate Program will tell you everything you need to know).

In some niches, you don’t even need to create a website to earn as an affiliate marketer.

You can sell products directly from your email list.

Let me quickly explain how.

• Identify a need or a problem with consistent consumer demand. For example, millions of people want to lose weight to feel good about themselves and live more active and healthy lives.
• Now find products on Amazon, ClickBank, CJ, or any other affiliate network that can help people solve those problems.
• Instead of directly promoting those products, create a lead magnet like a free eBook or video tutorial that shares tips on weight loss, healthy living, fitness or any other topic that addresses the core problem of your audience.
• Place the lead magnet on a landing page with an opt-in form (here’s a detailed guide to creating highly optimized landing pages).
• Create an email autoresponder series that shares free tips and recommends the right products to your subscribers (with your affiliate links).
• Promote your lead magnet using Facebook Ads.

This is how the process will work when your Facebook Ad goes live.

• You’ll drive traffic from Facebook to your landing page.
• Visitors will download the lead magnet by joining your email list
• The moment they become email subscribers, they’ll start receiving emails with product recommendations.
• You’ll make money every time your subscribers purchase the products you recommend.

7. Participate In Paid Online Surveys

Participating in paid online surveys is an easy way to generate extra pocket money every month.

You can respond to surveys irrespective of your location and potentially earn a few hundred dollars every month if you can spare 1-2 hours daily for this activity.

You can learn more about ways to maximize your earnings with surveys, along with dozens of paid survey sites, in this article.

8. Sell An Online Course

Online learning is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Millions of people are purchasing online courses to learn new skills, increase their income, and achieve different objectives.

If you’re passionate about a topic, you can create an online course and sell it on platforms like Teachable, Udemy, Skillshare, etc.

These platforms have millions of monthly visitors which means you don’t need to worry about finding students for your courses.

However, the quality of your needs to be top-notch in order to receive positive reviews and attract more students.

9. Become An Online Tutor

Don’t have time to create an online course?

No problem.

Start teaching as an online tutor to make thousands of dollars every month from anywhere in the world.

It’s really simple.

• Join an online teaching platform like ClassGap, Preply, or TutorMe.
• Highlight the subjects you want to teach.
• Connect with the right students
• Get paid to teach.

You can also find students for different subjects on Craigslist and Upwork, and teach them directly via Skype or any other video calling solution.

10. Start An eCommerce Dropshipping Business From Anywhere

eCommerce growth is skyrocketing all around the world.

According to Maryville University, global retail eCommerce will exceed $4.88 trillion by 2021.

Dropshipping is the easiest way to enter the eCommerce market without spending anything from your pocket.

Here’s how the dropshipping business model works.

Unlike conventional eCommerce stores, dropshipping doesn’t require any inventory or prior investment.

Instead, you only need to list the products on your eCommerce store and drive traffic to your site.

When you receive an order, source it directly from the cheapest supplier, and ship it to the customer keeping your price cut.

This whole process can be automated using Shopify and Oberlo.

11. Establish A Private Label eCommerce Business With Amazon FBA

Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) is an Amazon service using which you can establish a multi-million dollar eCommerce business.

Here’s how it works.

You need to find the right product to sell on Amazon, ship them to their warehouses, and focus on product marketing.

Amazon takes care of the logistics, payments, customer support, and returns.

12. Start A Print-On-Demand Business

Print-On-Demand is another eCommerce business model that you can run from anywhere.

It is quite similar to dropshipping but gives you greater control over the design and quality of your products.

Here’s how it works.

• Sign up with a Print On Demand (POD) company like TeeSpring, Printful, or Shopify.
• Create or upload designs for t-shirts, caps, mugs, and other accessories.
• Add the final products to your eCommerce store.
• Drive traffic to your site using Facebook Ads, SEO, and other traffic generation strategies

When a customer orders one of your products, the POD company prints it with your design, ships it to the customer, and pays your share of the product price to your account.

13. Sell Photography Online

If you’re a travel enthusiast and love to explore new places, you can easily make a lot of money by selling your photographs online.

The process is simple.

Sign up for photo sharing sites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock, upload your photos, and get paid a share of the sale price every time someone purchases your photos.

Here’s an article that shares how one photography enthusiast turned his hobby into a full-time income source by selling photographs on Etsy.

Are You Ready To Start Your Next Side-Gig?

There has never been a better time to earn money online and live on your own terms.

With so many different earning options, there’s no need to remain stuck in a job that you don’t like. Even if you’re not prepared to quit your job right now, try the side gigs I’ve shared in this article to see how much you can earn in a few months.

If you give it a full go, you’re likely to make several times more money than your full-time job.

Do you have any questions about these side hustles? Did we leave any out? Let us know in the comments below!