The 10 Important Do’s and Don’ts of Choosing a Side Hustle
Trying to make the most of important don choosing side? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.
Key Takeaways
- The 10 Important Do’s and Don’ts of Choosing a Side Hustle There are plenty of legitimate ways to make money on the side.
- The more you know about the do’s and don’ts of side hustling, the less time you’ll waste on dud jobs and the faster you’ll reach your financ...
- Written by Jen Smith Last Updated: April 2, 2025 Reviewed by Jana Lynch Home Side Hustles There are plenty of reasons you might need an extr...
There are plenty of legitimate ways to make money on the side. The more you know about the do’s and don’ts of side hustling, the less time you’ll waste on dud jobs and the faster you’ll reach your financial goals.
Written by Jen Smith Last Updated: April 2, 2025 Reviewed by Jana LynchThere are plenty of reasons you might need an extra $50 or $100 in your pocket immediately.
After all, tires don’t warn you before they go flat, and kids have no regard for how much their stunts cost in urgent care bills. You might also need money fast if you’re trying to pay off debt or build an emergency fund quickly.
Luckily, there are plenty of legitimate ways to make money fast; you just have to know what to do. The more you know about the dos and don’ts of making money online, the less time you’ll waste on dud jobs and the faster you’ll reach your financial goals.
Common Pitfalls of Beginners
Getting paid fast for online side gigs isn’t a myth. You do have to be aware of some key facts if you want to avoid scams and find jobs that pay.
1. Don’t: Expect it to be effortless.
Unlike building a large-scale online business, fast money has a low barrier to entry. There are no job interviews, specialized degrees, or big marketing campaigns required before you can start working and cashing your checks. Sounds like it’d be simple, right?
Not necessarily.
The most successful side hustlers are the ones who treat their side gig as a business. And like a business, you’ll need to spend time upfront finding things to sell, building a customer base, and getting reviews. After that, you’ll work to maintain your reputation and expand.
You can make money fast, but don’t expect an immediate return. Your paycheck will be proportionate to the effort you put in.
2. Don’t: Fall for online scams.
When searching for online jobs, you’ll likely encounter at least one online scam. Here are some of the most common “wfh” scams you need to know about:
The fake check. In this scam, someone offers you a job, then sends you a check and asks you to deposit it. Soon after, they ask you to wire some of that money to someone else. Unfortunately, the check is typically a fake, and you lose real money.
Pay-to-play. If you’re being charged a fee for an interview or to continue the hiring process, you’re probably not dealing with a legitimate employer. And while there are job directories that charge for premium features, be skeptical of any that require payment upfront.
Identity theft and phishing. These scams trick you into providing identifying information in exchange for “lucrative” work-at-home jobs. Be cautious when filling out any applications that require your Social Security number, bank account numbers, or address.
If something doesn’t look right, do an online search for associated names or businesses to find complaints and reviews. And never send money to someone who’s supposed to be paying you.
3. Don’t: Waste time on small potatoes.
You’ll need to invest some time into making fast money online, but you shouldn’t have to devote all your days, nights, and weekends to it. These “small potatoes” opportunities aren’t scams but rather hobbies. They generally don’t offer enough earnings for the time you invest in them. The opportunities you’ll see commonly are:
Online surveys. Online survey sites claim to offer cash for taking simple surveys. Unfortunately, these surveys can be long, and the high-paying ones may be hard to come by. It’s common to waste 10 minutes on a pre-survey only to find out you don’t qualify for the real thing. Surveys are excellent for passing the time, so save them for when you’re not in a financial bind.
Multi-level marketing. These companies appear to offer a lucrative income selling products to your friends, but most of the time you make money by recruiting other people to sell “under” you. The products might be excellent but are not worth losing your friends.
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Matched betting. These online sports betting sites offer “no risk” returns and bonuses when you deposit minimum amounts. The truth is that while sites claim “guaranteed profit”, they don’t guarantee a good profit and one mistake can mean hundreds of dollars in losses.
Don’t get distracted by opportunities that seem too good to be true. Focus on the ones that require a little more work and have a consistent history of payments.
4. Don’t: Make large upfront investments.
If you need money now, you probably can’t afford to purchase a bunch of products to start a new business or make risky online investments. If you want to make money, invest your time.
Don’t purchase bulk inventory, rent office space, or have a custom website designed for your side gig. Use the products and interfaces already available to make money. Sign up for sites that you can offer services through, like Fiverr, Upwork, and Care.com. You can also dropship and use print-on-demand services for selling products without carrying inventory or buying them all upfront.
Making a large investment in a business isn’t bad, but it’s not necessary to make money fast online.
Related: How Emily Odio-Sutton Built a $560K POD Business
5. Don’t: Ignore long-term strategies.
Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees. Driving people around is a excellent way to make money when you’re in a bind, but you’ll never make six figures doing it. Don’t become committed to any short-term profit strategy.
Think about what you want to be doing in 10, 20, and 30 years. Balance quick-cash side hustles with building lasting wealth through investing for retirement and starting a business that can scale and grow long-term.
Use the fast money you’ll make to break the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle by expanding your expertise in your field, raising your hourly rates, and figuring out what’s holding you back from bigger money-making opportunities.
What Successful Online Earners Do
Now that you know what to watch out for, what are the best ways to increase income? Here are the “dos” for earning money online.
6. Do: Set a goal.
Know how much you want to make, what you’ll use it for, and when you want to have it by. Having goals will not only help you reach them faster, but you’ll also know when to stop so you can get back to investing in your long-term wealth.
Paying off a credit card, getting current on bills, or saving $1,000 are good examples of goals you can reach quickly. Saving for the kids’ college tuition or paying off your house are goals you should consider using longer-term methods to achieve.
7. Do: Choose the right methods.
There are methods for making money that have the capacity for high earnings, but typically won’t produce that level of income until months or years in the future. Alternatively, you can find survey sites that’ll pay you within a few days, but the earning potential is low.
When choosing the right methods to make money fast, you’re ideally looking for something in the middle, moderate levels of income that can be achieved within a few weeks. Here are a few e
Final Thoughts
Before you check out, double-check important don choosing side against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.
Originally published at dollarsprout.com.
Jen Smith
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