10 Side Hustle Ideas for Introverts

Looking for a side hustle? Having one is all the rage these days. Whether it be due to inflation and looking for extra income, pursuing a passion, or creating income to pay off debt, we are told that a side hustle can help us to achieve these goals. But when you’re an introvert, the pursuit of the side hustle can feel daunting. As an Introvert, your mental resources may already be exhausted in your full-time job. If you spend your days surrounded by people or stimuli, the last thing you want to do is engage with more people or be more stimulated. Maybe you’re worried that you don’t have what it takes. 

So what is one to do? Building confidence in your abilities is one thing. But there are tons of options out there, where you can provide a service AND have very little interaction with other people. Some of these jobs will even create opportunities for learning, which introverts typically love. Without further ado, let’s get into it.

Side Hustle #1. Dog walk or pet sit.

When you’re an introvert, hanging out with animals is the best of all worlds. Animals provide interaction, without asking for much in return. During the pandemic, pets got used to having their pet parents at home. Now that many have returned to the office, the world is full of pet parents who need help in caring for little Fido. Turn your love of animals into a great side hustle. You can pet sit when their parents are working late or while they are away on vacation. 

You can set up your own pet-sitting business on social media, or use a website like Rover or Wag. Setting up a profile can be done in minutes. One of the benefits is that you can set your own schedule and you determine your own fees—but they do take a cut of your pay. It can be intimidating to begin, especially when you have to engage with the clients, and possibly their demands, however, you can identify your ideal client and work with them. If all of that seems like too much, you can offer your services to friends and family, and ask them to help you get the word out!

Side Hustle #2. Deliver groceries.

If you enjoy helping people, without interacting with them, you can deliver groceries. Maybe it’s not groceries but perhaps supplies or medicine. Either way, this hustle is a way to drive around in your car (perhaps while listening to a podcast) and make money. There are tons of delivery services out there like Instacart or Shipt. You’ll get paid to shop and deliver groceries to clients, without having to engage with them much.

Side Hustle #3. Become a transcriptionist.

Have you ever watched a YouTube video and clicked on the transcription button of that video? Someone had to type out that content. A transcriptionist is a professional typist who listens to recorded or live audio files and types up written versions of them. If you’re good at typing and listening and you have good attention to detail, then this could be the job for you.

This skill is crucial in various industries, such as the medical and legal profession, as well as the corporate one. The demand is high for this skill, so you may get paid well, depending on the company. The cool thing about this job is that you may actually get exposed to interesting topics. You may find yourself wanting to learn more about the topic you’ve transcribed. You do have to get trained and certified, but you can make good money depending on your skill level and speed.

Side Hustle #4. Become a personal chef.

I know. The idea of working out of a stranger’s kitchen, preparing food for them in real-time, sounds like a nightmare for the introvert. But this is not what we’re talking about. We’re talking about mass-cooking meals that you already prepare (i.e. grilled chicken, pasta dishes, etc.) and delivering them to those in need. You can spread the word to people at work or your children’s school to let them know that you do this. You have the flexibility to prepare as few or as many meals as you can handle in your free time. This can be a great way to make money by doing something you’re already doing (meal prepping and cooking)—just on a larger scale.

Do you know someone who is on a diet or is counting macros? You can offer to create meals or recipes that fit their dietary requirements. This may be a great opportunity for you to learn a specific type of cuisine and market your talents in this domain. What if you don’t cook or don’t like to cook? Heck, you could partner up with a meal prepping service like HelloFresh and BlueApron, to select the meals for someone matching their required macros or food restrictions. There are many ways to offer your services, especially when as an introvert one of your superpowers is attention to detail.

Side Hustle #5. Become a photographer.

It seems like everyone who has a smartphone thinks they’re a professional photographer. Hey, I use my iPhone X to record YouTube videos. But if you’ve got skills in the photography or video realm, or want to learn, you can use those skills to make money!

People need photos for all kinds of things, all year round. From YouTube thumbnails to stock photos to holiday cards, photographs and videos are in high demand. You can offer your skills to individuals, or sell your photographs and videos to be used by companies and websites. I often use photos and videos from Canva  but I have also seen people sell stock photos on Etsy as templates.

What if you’re a bit of a techie? Have you ever considered drone photography? As we hear about the real estate boom, realtors may need someone to take aerial photos of the home they are listing. Or maybe a hotel would like to add an aerial feature to their resort. You can offer your services or show them what you are capable of doing. And whether this company doesn’t require your services, you can always sell your photos on shutterstock.com, gettyimages.com, or istockphoto.com.

Build your skills and client list by offering lower rates to start. Get some friends to pose for you and build a website where people can purchase photographs.

Side Hustle #6. Sell products on Etsy.

Do you like to draw or create jewelry? Are you a professional (lawyer, doctor, designer) who has come up with forms for your own business? Then maybe you should consider selling your products on Etsy. Etsy is a great place to sell anything you’re good at making.

Setting up a profile is simple, and listing a product is easy. Etsy has faced some controversy lately as it has some rules that creators feel are not business-friendly. Etsy also charges per listing and takes a percentage of the sale of your product. But it’s worth it because people trust Etsy. Plus, you can buy your shipping labels on Etsy—which means you can send everything from your own mailbox (aka no runs to the post office when you work until 3 AM on an order).

Side Hustle #7. Sell baked goods.

There is something about a really good chocolate chip cookie that my neighbor drops off every once in a while. I’ve tried to recreate the recipe but to no avail. She’s an expert and I would pay her for the luxury of getting cookies for special occasions (or just a Friday night). People love cakes, cookies, pies, and all those sweet goodies. So, if you’re good at baking, this is a great side hustle for you.

Start by baking for a friend or a relative (or a neighbor). Make your beautiful creation, post it online on your social media groups, and get people talking. Use social media and the power of word of mouth. As with being a professional chef, you can decide who, what, when, and how much you want to bake. Maybe it’s something you offer only on holidays. Or perhaps you only bake once a month. Either way, you get to control how much you want to do in your free time. And if you’re that good, you will build a loyal customer base that will come back over and over again.

* As an aside, don’t forget to look up local laws for baking and selling food out of your home before you start your baking business.

Side Hustle #8. Clean houses.

Cleaning houses is hard work! As people spend more time going back to the office, there is less time to devote to cleaning. And who doesn’t love coming home to a clean house? We all need our houses cleaned, and lots of people would rather pay someone else to do it. A person can outsource cleaning and focus on other things, such as their own side hustle, or the kids’ afterschool activities. This is where you come in! If you like cleaning and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, this could be the perfect fit for you. Plus, depending on the customer’s schedule, you may never have to run into them and engage in dialogue. Win-win for an introvert.

Start-up costs are low if you want to branch out on your own. Or you could work for a company that provides insurance and healthcare benefits. You may need some tools and supplies. Some homeowners might even provide you with the products they want you to use. You can make good money while burning some calories and listening to music, audiobooks , or podcasts.

Side Hustle #9. Run a faceless YouTube channel.

Now here’s an idea worth seriously considering. Yes, it seems like everyone and their mother have a YouTube channel. Heck, even I have one. There is always room for you to throw your hat into the ring. It does require some skill and a commitment to putting out weekly videos (if you want a chance at monetization).

The beautiful thing about faceless videos is that you can take something you’re passionate about and teach that to a world that could use your knowledge. You don’t have to show your face, you don’t even have to use your voice. With the advent of ChatGPT and other AI websites, you can generate content and visuals that don’t require you to expose yourself if you don’t want to. You can remain anonymous and outsource much of the work if you want. Other than interacting with the tons of comments you’d receive, you can engage as much as your energy stores will allow.

Side Hustle #10. Become a coach.

We’re introverts. The last thing we want to do is commit ourselves to screaming kids on a soccer field. While the idea of studying the game of soccer sounds appealing, dealing with parents and social commitments does not. But there’s more than one way to get paid as a coach. I’m talking about tutorials, where you can share your knowledge of said acquired skill in a webinar. There’s also life coaching, career coaching, and financial coaching. If you have a passion for something, or a natural ability, and want to help others, coaching can be a great calling. You might need special certifications, but if you feel the call, coaching is a solid side hustle! Anything where you can become an expert and share your expertise one-on-one may be something worth considering.

In Conclusion

I could go on and on about the side hustle and how it could be a great thing for introverts. I am on a quest to create more income for myself without having to burn out. Besides manifesting, my goal for 2024 is to figure out how to make $100,000 in income. That comes out to $300 a day for 50 weeks. I am taking every opportunity I can to learn more about ways to make money work for me. Several of these options are serious contenders. Follow along to see how I make out. I would also love to hear anything that has worked for you. Send me an email and let me know.