How many times have you thought how nice it would be to have a little extra money coming in, and then dismissed it as the idea of getting a second job doesn’t appeal? I know I have, and, like you, didn’t want two jobs, and that’s when I started my first side hustle business.
But things have changed a lot over the last decade. Side hustles aren’t what they used to be, and don’t need you to work all the hours God sends to make them successful.
Plus, with AI seemingly taking over everything we do, there is an active anti-AI movement seeking products and services from humans, not robots.
9 Simple Side Hustles Making Millionaires
So if 2026 is the year for you to add a little extra income each month and you’ve been looking for some interesting, low-investment options, I have nine simple side hustles that are slightly more unusual, but highly profitable options for you to consider.
Mobile Pizza Ovens
A wood-fired pizza oven on a trailer is actually one of the most scalable food businesses you can run without a brick-and-mortar location.
You show up at weddings, festivals, farmers’ markets, and corporate events. You make pizza in front of people, and the theater of it is part of the appeal.
Startup costs typically range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on your oven and trailer setup. Profit margins on wood-fired pizza are among the highest in the catering world, and the demand for unique food experiences at events shows no sign of slowing.
The key is locking in a reliable calendar of bookings early. One operator with three units reports being fully booked six days a week for four months straight.
This guide from Fire Within covers everything from licensing to dough management.
Reselling Thrifted Items
The resale market is booming. People are shopping secondhand more than ever, and smart resellers are making real money sourcing undervalued items and flipping them on eBay, Poshmark, Depop, and Facebook Marketplace.
The trick is knowing your niche. Vintage clothing, designer handbags, collectible toys, and book sets with strong brand recognition all tend to flip well. Your smartphone is your best tool. Before you buy anything, search completed sales on eBay to see what it actually sold for, not just what someone listed it at.
One of my friends turned her passion for vintage clothing into a six-figure annual income. She used eBay as her main sales channel and eventually opened a physical store after her online business outgrew her expectations.
You can start with items you already own and reinvest as you go.
This beginner’s guide from Haystacks walks you through the whole process.
Custom LED Neon Signs
My husband’s brother started his own custom neon signs business after being made redundant, and hasn’t looked back. His monthly revenue is over 75K, and he hasn’t had any trouble getting customers. Bars, restaurants, wedding venues, home offices, kids’ bedrooms. The demand is consistent, and the product is perceived as high value.
The good news is that modern LED neon flex has made this business far more accessible than traditional glass neon. You don’t need specialist glassblowing skills. LED strips are flexible, low-voltage, and beginner-friendly. A clear acrylic backing, some basic design knowledge, and you’re in business.
Etsy is the primary marketplace, and competition exists, but sellers who nail their photography and offer fast turnaround on custom orders do very well.
This guide from NeonSignsNow covers startup costs, design tools, and how to build your shop.
Photo Booth Rentals
I used to be in the wedding industry, and it was back in the day when photo booths were just taking off, and they haven’t slowed down. The photo booth industry is expected to grow from $650 million to nearly $1.2 billion by 2032. Weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, and brand activations all want them.
The business model is straightforward. You buy or build a quality booth, charge between $500 and $1,500 per event depending on your market and package, and show up. Many owners report getting their initial investment back within six to twelve months.
The formats have also evolved. Beyond the classic enclosed booth, there are now 360-degree video platforms, glam booths, mirror booths, and AI portrait setups. Operators who stay current with what’s trending in their local market book more events.
Friends who started when they first came out and used to work with me when I was a wedding planner, went from renting a single booth as a DJ add-on to booking 800 gigs a year, and they now have three booths.
SimpleBooth has an excellent 2026 guide to getting started.
Pet Waste Removal
Yes, really. I know it sounds awful, but picking up dog waste has become one of the most profitable service businesses you can start with almost nothing.
Busy pet owners will happily pay someone else to handle this job on a weekly or biweekly basis. Recurring clients are the backbone of this model, and once you build a solid route in a pet-dense neighborhood, the income becomes predictable fast.
One business owner in the Pacific Northwest built his pooper scooper operation to over 2,000 recurring clients and now generates millions in annual revenue.
Startup costs are low, no special training is required, and you set your own schedule. The main thing you need is reliability and a willingness to just get on with it.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.
Mobile Car Detailing
Now this is a service I would happily pay for. I hate taking my car to be cleaned, so if someone came to the house to do it for me, I’d definitely pay for it. People are more time-poor than ever, and they increasingly want someone to come to them rather than spend a Saturday at a detail shop.
Mobile car detailing ticks both boxes. You bring the service to the client’s home or workplace, charge a premium for the convenience, and keep your overhead low because there’s no premises to pay for. Profit margins for solo mobile detailers typically range from 60 to 80 percent.
A basic setup can be launched for $1,000 to $1,500. As you grow, you add ceramic coating, paint protection, and fleet contracts with local dealerships, which provide consistent, repeat work.
One college student started this hustle with his brother and scaled it to $6,000 a month while still studying full-time. Their first marketing move was a Facebook post their mom shared.
This guide from MobileTechRx covers licensing, equipment, and what the top earners are making.
Property Flipping
Every time my husband watched one of the property flipping TV shows, he talks about buying a house to do up and flip. Although he’s never actually done it yet, we know several people who have and done very well out of it.
ATTOM Data reports that house flippers earned around $66,000 in gross profit per flip in 2023.
The learning curve is steeper than the other hustles on this list. You need to understand your local market, renovation costs, holding costs, and how to find properties below market value. Connecting with a good real estate agent and a reliable contractor early on makes a significant difference.
Beginners typically start with one or two flips per year. Experienced flippers with established contractor networks and financing in place can manage five or more.
Winter months often present better purchase opportunities, as there’s less buyer competition. Kitchens and bathrooms deliver the strongest return on renovation spend.
NerdWallet offers a clear, practical guide to starting a house-flipping business.
Handmade Hair Accessories
The global hair accessories market is projected to reach $11.2 billion by 2030. Scrunchies, claw clips, pearl-embellished headbands, and silk hair ties are all surging in popularity, driven largely by social media.
Handmade versions command higher prices than mass-produced alternatives, and buyers on Etsy, Instagram, and TikTok are actively looking for them.
The startup cost is low. Materials are inexpensive. You can test designs before committing to inventory. Strong product photography is essential because on visual platforms, the image is the pitch.
Building relationships with local boutiques gives you an additional sales channel beyond online platforms. Some sellers also combine their accessory business with tutorials and styling content, which drives traffic organically.
This 10-step guide from HN Wholesale covers sourcing, branding, and where to sell.
Custom Festival Clothing
Festival-goers are impulse buyers. They walk past a booth, see something they can’t find anywhere else, and buy it on the spot. That’s the entire business model, and it works.
Custom festival clothing includes bold graphic tees, sequined jackets, hand-painted denim, and anything else that reads as unique and expressive. The keyword is custom. Generic printed merchandise rarely performs as well as pieces that are designed specifically for the crowd at that event.
Direct-to-film (DTF) printing has become the decoration method of choice for many vendors. No minimum order quantities. Fast application with a heat press. Works on any fabric color.
Pop-up stalls at festivals, markets, and events are the primary sales channel. An online Etsy or Shopify store can generate year-round sales between events.
ShirtSpace has a practical guide on techniques, trends, and how to price your product.
The financial content in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional financial advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any business or investment decisions.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not professional advice. It may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Editorial Policy for details.
Kylie Lang is a nationally syndicated travel journalist with bylines on the Associated Press Wire & more, a lifestyle writer, and the founder and editor of Your Lifestyle Library (yourlifestylelibrary.com). She holds a BA (Honours) in History from the University of Kent and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers.