4 Side Hustle Ideas To Earn $100,000+ (Even If You’re Busy)
ByLien De Pau, Contributor. Lien De Pau, founder of The Big Exit. Sell your biz for max value.
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April 18, 2025, 10:30 am EDT
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What if your next six figures didn’t come from More
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Most business owners think earning an extra $100,000 a year takes a lot of hustle. But what if your next six figures didn’t come from working more hours, but from setting up a side hustle system once and letting it roll?
The truth is, small business owners who are looking to grow their revenue in a sustainable way don’t work harder, they work different. They build a side hustle that not only diversifies revenue, but also boosts the value of their business.
Extra Resource: If you want to know how much your business is worth today, check out this independent business valuation tool.
If you’re running a business and are looking for ways to diversify your revenue streams, here are 4 ideas you can start on the side that will bring another 6 figures to your revenue.
4 Side Hustle Ideas To Earn $100,000+
In this article, I’ll show you four powerful side hustles you can launch now, without burning out, to add $100,000+ in annual revenue:
Digital Products
Micro-Communities
Affiliate Revenue
Rent Out What You Already Own
Side Hustle 1: Digital Products That Sell While You Sleep
The fastest-growing founders I know aren’t just selling services. They’ve packages their services into a how-to framework and sell that framework as a digital product to clients. Think: templates, toolkits, planners, swipe files, online courses, niche guides and books.
Here’s why it works: You build the framework and create the digital product once. You sell it forever. You own almost 100% of the margin.
How to Start With Digital Products:
Identify your repeatable process or method. This is your framework.
Turn that framework into a toolkit, a template, or a micro-course.
Sell via your own site or an existing marketplace (like Udemy, Amazon, Kajabi, Etsy).
Promote through email, Instagram, or partnerships—no fancy marketing needed.
A tip to get going: Keep it simple, so you can launch fast. Test the market first and get a $1,000 in sales before you optimize or make your digital product ‘perfect’.
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Side Hustle 2: Build a Micro-Community With Monthly Revenue
Your content is free. Your client inbox is full. So why not create a space where clients pay to be closer to you and your team?
A paid micro-community is an easy revenue stream with lots of leverage. Whether you have 10 members or 1,000 your effort will be the same.
Why it works: It turns customer service into a business model. You don’t need to be a guru, You just need to help your clients. Something you already do today. With just 50 clients who pay $200/month to learn, grow, and build with you.
Example: Joey, owner of a web design studio, launched a paid Discord group for creative freelancers wanting to quit Upwork. $49/month. 300 members in 5 months. $176,400 annual recurring revenue. With his community he shares client pitches, lessons, and behind-the-scenes playbooks.
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How to Start with Micro-Communities:
Choose a niche pain point you’ve solved already.
Offer access to your knowledge, templates, and time.
Host on community platforms like Circle, Discord, Slack, or even via WhatsApp or a Facebook Group.
Price it low to start, like $10 to $49/month. Grow from there.
Added Bonus: Business buyers love recurring revenue. Micro-communities are incredibly attractive when it’s time to sell your business.
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Side Hustle 3: Affiliate Revenue From What You Already Use
When you’re already recommending tools, software, and books, why not get paid for it?
Affiliate income is the most underused side hustle for service business owners. You have built trust. Clients ask what you use. That’s influence you can monetize.
How to Start with Affiliate Revenue:
Make a list of 10 tools you use weekly.
Find which tools have affiliate programs. Sign up for them.
Add links in your marketing messages, welcome emails, website, social posts.
Create one resource page on your website called: "Tools I Use to Run My Business."
Mindset Shift: You’re not being salesy. You’re monetizing your own recommendation engine. Own it.
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Side Hustle 4: Rent Out What You Already Own
Let’s get old-school for a second. Cash flow doesn’t have to be digital. Sometimes, wealth is hiding in your storage unit.
Real Example: My client Tania had lighting gear from her photography days collecting dust in her office. She started promoting it to creatives who prefer to rent gear instead of buying it. It now rents out twice a week at $90/day. That is $720/month from stuff that used to do nothing but take up space.
Other Ideas for Renting Out What You Own:
Rent out office space by the hour (co-working-style)
Sublet your podcast studio
Lease unused land or a parking spot
Why it works: There’s zero creation time. Just monetization. Most business owners are sitting on income streams without knowing it.
Today’s Action Step: Walk through your workspace, garage or storage unit. Ask: what haven’t I used in 90 days that someone else would pay to use?
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Final Thoughts on Side Hustles To Earn $100,000+
The biggest mistake I see business owners make? Waiting for the perfect idea, the perfect platform, the perfect moment. The truth? Side hustles don’t succeed because of perfection. They succeed because someone started messy, then refined fast. You don’t need to add more working hours to your calendar. You need to add one intentional stream of income to your ecosystem.
Start with the one that feels most fun. Build momentum. Test fast. Optimize later. And soon, you’ll have a side hustle that makes $100K+ for your business. Because the real flex is about earning more revenue while keeping your calendar open.
Follow me on LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work.
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Lien De Pau, Contributor. Lien De Pau, founder of The Big Exit. Sell your biz for max value.
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