Nowadays, the salary from a full-time job may not be enough to fund one’s lifestyle. Maybe they have a family, special needs, or just an expensive hobby that they can’t cut out of their life. In this case, it may be necessary to find a side hustle or side-job.
But for all the introverts and shy people out there, you may feel dread at the word “side hustle”. You might be thinking about people that sell have to build networks and tap on friends and family to make a sale, but this isn’t always the case. The best side hustles for introverts do not have to get you reaching out to strangers and can get you additional income in the comfort of your own home.
So if you’re a bit camera shy and don’t like talking to strangers, here are a few side hustle ideas you can do.
Freelance Writer/Editor/Proofreader/Transcriber
You don’t need to have an English or Literature degree to do any of these freelance tasks. As long as you’ve got a wide vocabulary, at least an intermediate level of grammar, and are an efficient reader or writer, this is a good side hustle option for you.
If you’re willing to do all four, you need to specify it when you look for work. These tasks vary, so it’s important to know the difference between these four.
Writer
Writes original content, the length of which depends on what type of content you’re doing. Research skills are a must, and you have to be flexible enough to write in a certain voice, tone, or style your client requires. You’re also expected to proofread and edit your own work before submitting, or else you won’t find repeat customers in your business.
People and businesses hiring freelance writers include students (essays, term papers, theses), content marketing agencies (blogs and articles), outsourcing companies (any type of online content), and more.
Editor
You don’t have to come up with and write original content, but this doesn’t mean it’s any easier than being a freelance writer. On top of re-reading the entire content, you’re required to check for grammatical errors, proper word usage, and re-write entire paragraphs. Basically, your job is to polish content that already exists while maintaining the idea that the writer had.
You also have to check the general flow of the piece and see if it’s a cohesive article. For tasks like academic papers, you also have to double-check for proper citation, missing references, and other mistakes that could be grounds for plagiarism.
Proofreader
Think of proofreading as the lite version of an editor. You read a person’s work, but only focus on grammar, syntax and typo errors. You’re being hired as a proofreader to be a second set of eyes. No research is necessary and you don’t have to comment on the topic, flow, and tone. Focus on grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Transcriber
This type of freelancing also includes encoding, but to be a successful transcriber you’ll need very good listening skills (and maybe a pair of headphones). As a transcriber, you’ll listen to recorded audio and type down what you hear word for word.
This can be tricky for those with poor listening skills and those who have a hard time understanding accents. For some clients, the audio can be in such bad quality that it’s even more difficult to make out the words. In this case, you’ll either have to give an educated guess or use context clues to find out the garbled word.
While you’re only writing or typing down the audio, good spelling and vocabulary skills are still necessary so that you recognize more words and can type down the transcription efficiently.
Why It’s a Great Side Hustle for Introverts
It’s OK to only offer one or two of these freelance services, but providing all four provides a bigger chance of attracting clients.
While you will be required to correspond with your client, you don’t have to market your services. You can put yourself on websites like Fiverr or Upwork and try to find available freelancing jobs. You can also find companies like marketing agencies and publishing houses looking for contract freelancers. Or, if you’re a student or alumni, you can use a community forum or group to advertise your services.
The socializing and advertising in freelancing is minimal, so you don’t have to force yourself to make small talk when you work. Your writing will speak for itself.
Dog Walker
Why socialize with humans when you can spend your mornings surrounded by furry friends? Given that around 85 million families in the United States have pets, you’re likely to find one or two interested clients within your community.
As the title goes, dog walkers are responsible for giving docs their daily exercise. How much you make depends on your rate and the number of dogs you can walk in one go. Those who have experience with bigger dogs and have a bit more arm strength can rein in three or more dogs, but those who are hesitant about dogs’ safety should stick to one or two.
Why It’s a Great Side Hustle for Introverts
First, there’s the convenience. Chances are that you’ll find people looking for dog walkers within your community or even your city, so walking to your clients is not a problem. Simply advertise your services on social media, your community’s message board, or anywhere that will get the message out.
Next, there are the benefits you get. If you spend your mornings walking or doing light exercises, dog walking hits two birds with one stone: you’ve increased your income while getting your weekend workout.
And finally, you spend the bulk of your hustle interacting with dogs. It goes without saying that those who are scared of dogs may not find this job enjoyable, but those who do can enjoy a nice walk with an adorable dog.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is basically a PA that never has to leave the comfort of their own home to do their job. You’ll handle the smaller tasks your client needs you to do, like planning and organizing documents, managing their calendar, and arranging and re-scheduling meetings for them if necessary.
Small business owners and upper-level management from small businesses and startups use virtual offices to reduce their operating expenses, and virtual assistants are becoming a popular choice due to their cost-effectiveness.
Why It’s a Great Side Hustle for Introverts
You will be required to talk to the client you’re working for, but it’s more on email and voice calls than actual video calls. You aren’t required to work in an office and can work from the comfort of your home. You will need to email and schedule meetings with other people, but in terms of socializing, it’s very minimal.
Blogger
No, you don’t have to be an Instagram influencer with a million followers to become a successful blogger. As long as you run a website that has thousands of visitors, you have the potential to earn income from it. Either you run Google Ads, join Amazon’s affiliate marketing, or get offers to publish sponsored content.
Just take note that this is easier said than done. Blogs with a “dear diary” format are less likely to drive traffic unless you’re already someone with a huge fanbase. Instead, try blogging about a niche you’re really interested in that could attract plenty of readers.
Why It’s a Great Side Hustle for Introverts
You might have to hire a couple of freelancers to get your website optimized and rank fast. But if you’re willing to read up and take a couple of courses on this, you could be your own one-person team. And once you’ve gotten enough traffic to warrant either sponsored content or ads, correspondence is through emails.
Landlord/Airbnb Host
Yes, you can reap the income a landlord or an Airbnb host can even if you don’t have the people skills. As long as you have the property or the funds to buy property, it’s still possible to be a landlord.
Property management allows property owners to be hands-off landlords. Instead of dealing with the legal duties of a landlord and looking for potential tenants, all of these tasks will be delegated to a property manager or property management business that will do the work for you. While you own the property and have the final say in what goes, your property manager handles all the other tasks in exchange for a percentage of your rental income.
As for Airbnb, now that social distancing is becoming the new norm, contactless check-ins and check-outs are becoming more popular. You aren’t required to personally meet your guests, and instead you can just give them instructions on how to enter your property. This may mean investing in a coded lock box or a special lock and just give them the combination, but at least all you’ll have to deal with is cleaning the house before a guest arrives and after they leave.
Why It’s a Great Side Hustle for Introverts
You might think that owning rental properties is limited to those who can be assertive, but as long as you have the funds to buy property and hire a property manager, you don’t have to deal with the process of renting out your property, dealing with repairs, or even evicting them when they’re late on their payments. Think of this as a passive investment.
Take note that while these side hustles are great for introverts, there’s some amount of socialization with clients. While introverts are not necessarily averse to speaking to others, shy people may take a while before they can step out of their comfort zone to do some of these side-jobs. Just think about the added income you can get from these jobs to motivate you to get out there and start offering your services.
