If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, and you’re looking for a way to increase your income, starting a side hustle could be a great idea. In fact, side hustles have become increasingly popular in recent years, with around 1 in 5 US adults saying they earn extra cash outside of their regular job.
The good news is that ecommerce platforms like Shopify make it extremely easy for anyone to launch a side hustle (or a full-time business) with minimal effort. You can sell virtually anything through Shopify, from advertising tools and services to physical products and downloads.
The biggest challenge is figuring out what you’re actually going to do with your new venture.
Fortunately, we’ve put together this list of some of the easiest, most profitable, and most rewarding Shopify side hustle ideas for beginners.
9 Shopify Side Hustle Ideas for 2024
There are potentially dozens of Shopify side hustle ideas you can explore today. The right option for you will depend on everything from your budget to your skills, and how much time you’re willing to dedicate to your venture. Here are some of our favorite options.
- Start Dropshipping
Dropshipping is one of the most popular new ecommerce models in the world today. By 2030, the market for dropshipping is expected to reach a massive $931.9 billion. Many entrepreneurs are drawn to this model because it’s so easy (and cheap) to get started.
You don’t have to actually make any products directly. Instead, you simply list products produced by other manufacturers on your store and take customer orders. Those orders are passed onto a supplier, through an app like Dsers or Spocket, and the third-party fulfils the order.
The great thing about dropshipping is there’s virtually no risk involved. You only pay for the base price of goods when they’re sold, so you can experiment with as many different types of items as you like. However, you will need to spend time identifying high-demand products for your customers.
- Create and Sell Print-on-Demand Products
Although dropshipping can be a highly rewarding and low-risk option if you’re looking for Shopify side hustle ideas, there are some limitations. For instance, you can’t alter your products in any way, so you’ll be selling the same items as a lot of other companies.
Print-on-demand offers an alternative to the dropshipping model which gives you more ways to make your brand and product stand out. Like dropshipping, you don’t pay anything upfront to create the products, and you don’t have to hold any inventory. You simply list items on your Shopify store and pass orders through to POD companies like Printful or Printify when they arrive.
POD brands handle all the production and fulfillment for you. However, they also give you the option to customize a wide variety of items with your own designs.
- Sell Digital Products through Shopify
Though dropshipping and print-on-demand can reduce some of the headaches associated with selling physical products, there are still challenges to overcome. For instance, you’ll need to deal with returns and refunds yourself in most cases.
If you want to avoid all those headaches, you can consider selling digital products instead. Options range from eBooks and downloadable guides, to music, online courses, printable resources, and even software. You can sell all of these items through Shopify with minimal effort.
Plus, you can even boost your chances of recurring revenue by creating subscriptions for members of your community. Tools like Digital Downloads on the Shopify app store make it easy to get started with a range of downloadable products.
- Curate and Sell Subscription Boxes
Speaking of subscriptions, have you noticed how popular they’ve become in recent years? By 2028, experts believe the market for subscription boxes will increase to a value of $73.6 billion. The great thing about creating subscription boxes, is you can tailor them to a specific niche.
You could create a gothic literature monthly box for book lovers, or a box of pet treats for dog and cat owners. Shopify subscriptions makes it simple to set up subscription policies for your store, and you can work with a Shopify designer to create a stunning subscription page. For instance, check out this one from Bokksu Snack Box.
https://resources.storetasker.com/shopify-examples/bokksu-subscribe
Of course, selling subscription boxes does take a little work. You’ll need to source the right suppliers for your products, and make sure they’re packaged correctly. This could mean working with third-party manufacturers, packaging experts, and delivery companies.
- Share Knowledge with Online Courses
Another concept that has grown significantly in popularity recently is online learning. According to one report, the online learning market will grow to a value of around $848.12 billion by 2030. While Shopify doesn’t have it’s own course creator, there are various ways to sell courses through the platform. You can create private pages and sell access to them through subscriptions.
The other option is to use an app like Thinkific to or Courses Plus to create and sell digital courses. These apps give you more tools for creating comprehensive learning experiences for students, with quizzes and time content distribution.
If you create courses about evergreen, popular topics, you can potentially earn a passive income this way. You can always add onto your side hustle by offering online tutoring services too.
- Offer Digital Marketing and SEO Services
If you’re skilled at drawing attention to other brands online, freelance marketing could be one of the best Shopify side hustle ideas for you. Since today’s ecommerce landscape is pretty competitive, many business owners are always looking for experts who can help increase their leads.
There are plenty of different marketing services you can offer, depending on your skills. For instance, you might create and manage social media campaigns on channels like Facebook or Instagram for a business. Both of these platforms integrate with the Shopify ecosystem.
You could also offer support with PPC advertising, or search engine optimization. Notably, if you’re going to pursue a career in marketing, even part time, you will need to commit to constantly updating and expanding your skills. Marketing strategies are constantly evolving, so it makes sense to ensure you’re up to date with all the latest strategies.
- Create Visual Assets for Store Owners
One of the things many Shopify store owners struggle with is getting the right photos and videos for their product pages. Visual assets are crucial on any online store, to provide your customers with an insight into what they can expect to receive from your brand.
If you have excellent photography skills, or videography talents, you could consider offering them to other store owners through your own Shopify site. Another option is to create digital assets, such as images and illustrations for blog pages and other parts of a Shopify website.
You can even shoot and sell stock photos that you can sell to a variety of different brands. Just make sure you know the ins and outs of licensing and copyright laws before you get started.
- Monetize your Shopify blog
If you have an existing Shopify website, whether you’re selling products or not, you can potentially earn a little extra income through your blog. Your blog isn’t just a great way to advertise your own brand, it’s also a place where you can earn an income through affiliate marketing.
With affiliate marketing, you’ll direct customers to other products and services through your blog posts, reviews, videos, and even social media content. Shopify even has their own affiliate marketing program you can sign up for here.
Although you might not earn a fortune with affiliate marketing immediately, it’s a relatively simple and convenient way to earn a consistent income.
- Support Other Shopify Store Owners
While Shopify is a relatively straightforward platform for web design and ecommerce, some business owners still need extra help managing and creating their stores. If you have skills in web design or development, you can sell your services as a Shopify Expert to access extra income.
You can join platforms like StoreTasker and choose your own hours, as a freelance Shopify specialist. Plus, you can even earn money offering other types of services, such as help with coding, Shopify consulting, or Shopify store management.
A good way to expand on this kind of income is to join the Shopify Partners program, and develop apps and themes you can sell on the platform. Shopify already offers hundreds of apps through its marketplace (some free and some paid). However, companies are constantly looking for ways to upgrade and enhance their store.
Of course, for both of these strategies, you’ll either need existing experience with or knowledge of coding. You might also need to consistently upgrade your skills with more training.
The Top Shopify Side Hustles
As mentioned above, there are no shortage of Shopify side hustle ideas you can explore in today’s digital world. The 9 options above are just some of our favorites, based on their simplicity and earning potential. However, you can experiment with as many different strategies as you like.
If you already have a Shopify store or website and you want help to make it stand out from the competition, contact Storetasker today to hire your own Shopify expert.
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