5 Lucrative Ecommerce Side Hustle Ideas Anyone Can Start

If you ask me, the world of ecommerce is one of the most exciting opportunities and ways to make money online.

After all, according to Statista, total ecommerce retail sales are estimated to grow from 5.2 trillion in 2021 to 8.1 trillion by 2026. That's a lot of money on the table!

Personally, I've been involved in some type of ecommerce and digital marketing ever since I worked at an agency in college. And since then, I've tested out dozens of side hustles and met dozens of entrepreneurs in the space.

So in this post, I'm covering some of the best ecommerce side hustles you can use to get started. I've tested out all of these side hustles in the past. And each one of these teaches you valuable skills and also has immense income potential.

The Best Ecommerce Side Hustles

1. Launch A Shopify Store

One of my all-time favorite ecommerce side hustle ideas is to launch your own Shopify store.

Shopify is one of the most popular and powerful ecommerce platforms out there. And it lets anyone build their own online storefront where they can launch their own brand and begin selling products.

So, you can theoretically launch your own Shopify store and begin creating and selling products as your own brand. Some popular products you can consider selling include:

• Apparel
• Custom merchandise
• Handmade goods and crafts
• Fitness accessories
• Gift shop

I made a video that shares some popular online business ideas you can try. And many of these ideas are perfect for your new Shopify store.

You can also get creative here. For example, one of my friends runs a Shopify business where she sells custom ceramics and pots. She runs limited releases a few times a year, during which time she sells out all her inventory, all through her Shopify store.

I've ran my own Shopify businesses in the past. I've also run paid advertisements as a digital marketing side hustle for numerous Shopify stores in the past, and I love how easy store management is with the platform.

Plus, Shopify only costs about $31 per month in the United States. And you can often find a promotion where you get your first three months for just $1, so it's a super cheap way to launch your own ecommerce business.

Get started with Shopify!

2. Print On Demand

Print on demand, or POD, is another excellent way to make money with ecommerce if you enjoy passive income.

With POD, you work with a manufacturing partner that makes and ships your products to customers when you get a sale. All you have to do is create unique designs and add them to the products you want to sell.

Personally, I've tried out POD selling when I launched my Etsy print on demand business back in college.

The business was a bit of a flop and only got two sales. But it was an incredibly fun experience, and I tried selling memes for money by creating silly meme mugs and selling them via POD on Etsy.

Printify, one of the leading print on demand companies, is the partner I worked with to create and design my products.

I love using Printify since its design tool is super simple to use, so anyone can create unique products. And Printify also has over 100 products you can add your designs to and sell, including:

• Backpacks
• Baby clothing
• Hats
• Mugs
• Phone cases
• Socks
• Stickers
• Sweaters
• T-shirts

Once you create your products, Printify lets you integrate with popular ecommerce platforms, including Etsy and Shopify. So, you can begin selling quickly and don't need any technical knowledge to get started.

Ultimately, print on demand lets anyone launch their own product-based ecommerce business. And you also have decent margins and don't have to worry about manufacturing.

My guide on earning Etsy passive income covers this topic in a bit more detail if you're curious.

Try out Printify!

3. Dropshipping

Like print on demand or Amazon FBA, dropshipping is another popular ecommerce business model that lets you focus on selling and store management rather than handling orders.

With dropshipping, you sell products directly from manufacturers and suppliers to your customers when you make a sale. This way, you never have to invest in inventory and hold it yourself, so you can run a very lean business.

I actually ran a dropshipping store on Shopify as one of my college side hustles. I was selling hunting hats and equipment, and I managed to get one sale with a bit of testing and by running some Facebook ads.

This guide from Brian Jung covers a step-by-step guide on how to launch a dropshipping business on Shopify if you're curious.

Personally, I suggest sticking with Shopify since it's basically built for dropshipping. And to find winning products in the right niches, you can use platforms like Spocket.

Spocket has hundreds of quality products you can sell with your dropshipping business. These products are also made in the United States and Europe, so you don't have to worry about long shipping times and poor quality like you often do with reselling Alibaba and AliExpress merchandise.

Ultimately, dropshipping is a fun and exciting way to flip your money by buying and selling popular products.

It's also an excellent way to learn the basics of ecommerce and skills like running Facebook advertisements and how to scale an online store.

4. Ecommerce Consulting

Sometimes, one of the easiest ways to make money in an industry is to help teach other people.

Therefore, another potentially lucrative ecommerce side hustle you can try out involves consulting. And this is actually one way I've made money over the years, and it's been one of my most successful hustles in this space.

For example, I've made money with SEO consulting and ecommerce store management before. I even had a $3,000 a month retainer for a while where I was running Facebook ads for some Shopify brands in the music and entertainment space.

I found many of these jobs on Upwork and from my own network. But you can also look for ecommerce-related online jobs on marketplaces like Fiverr or with online job sites like FlexJobs.

There are also plenty of skills you can sell in this space, including:

• Conversion rate optimization
• Email marketing help
• Online business coaching
• Paid advertising specialist
• Search engine optimization (SEO) expert
• Social media management
• Web designer with an ecommerce focus

Finding clients as an ecommerce consultant or freelancer can take time. But if you don't want to run a business yourself, I think this is the fastest and least risky route to making money there is.

5. Sell Digital Products

One last ecommerce side hustle idea you can consider involves selling digital products.

Digital products are one of my favorite hustles because you have incredibly high margins. After all, you don't have to spend money on materials, manufacturing, and shipping. And this is a very fun way to make money without a traditional job.

There are also plenty of digital products you can sell, including:

• Downloadable products like decorations, business cards, and crafts
• eBooks
• Digital stickers, planners, and templates
• Online courses
• Workout guides and meal plans

Many sellers I know sell digital products on Etsy. And I even know some sticker and Etsy printable sellers earning $10k a month or more.

Personally, I'm making money by selling a freelance writing eBook, Freelance Writing For Freedom. I made the book for $0 by creating it with Canva, and it now makes about $200 a month, sometimes more, in largely autopilot income.

This is just one simple example of how you can make money with digital products and your own ecommerce store. And again, you can sell these products on marketplaces like Etsy or with easy-to-use online store builders like Shopify or Sellfy.

👉 10 Ways To Get Rich From Nothing.

Tips For Starting An Ecommerce Side Hustle

Now that you know some popular ways to make money with ecommerce, I want to share a few tips that have helped me make money in this space over the years:

1. Pick A Niche You Understand: In my opinion, it's important to play to your strengths by sticking to niches you know instead of chasing trends.
2. Test Numerous Ideas: Oftentimes, you have to test several products or ideas before you find one that sticks. Failure is part of the process, so don't get discouraged if your first ecommerce business doesn't take off.
3. Scale Intentionally: Scaling an ecommerce side hustle can take months or years. The key is to reinvest your time and resources diligently but in a controlled manner. Don't just spend money on Facebook ads hoping something sticks; create a business plan and game plan and stick to it.
4. Create A Schedule: Like any hustle, it's important to put in consistent work to find success. I suggest creating a weekly work schedule and putting a few hours in per week to your business while you hold down a day job and other responsibilities.
5. Always Keep Learning: The ecommerce world changes all the time. It's crucial that you keep your ear to the ground and stay informed about industry changes and best practices.

Ultimately, it can take many people months or years before they find success with ecommerce. But I truly believe the income potential is immense.

Personally, it took me five years of blogging before I could go full-time. But in 2022, WebMonkey made $272,000, which just goes to show what sort of income levels a simple online business can reach.

Extra Reading – How To Make 100K A Month.

Final Thoughts

I hope this guide on the best ecommerce side hustles helps you launch a new and profitable business.

In my experience, ecommerce is an excellent way to earn money online, even as a beginner. And while it's not always quick money, the income potential is truly inspiring with these business models.

Plus, the skills you develop along the way are immensely valuable as well. And even if your side hustle doesn' take off, the doors it can open and the networking you accomplish along the way makes it worth it.

Best of luck with your new ecommerce venture!

Want even more ideas to make money online? Checkout:

• The Best Legit Online Jobs That Pay Weekly.
• The Best Products To Flip.
• The Best Ways To Make Money With Your Laptop.