{"id":92557,"date":"2023-12-19T16:48:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T16:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.huboo.com\/ecommerce\/the-rise-in-ecommerce-drop-shopping-copy\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:19:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:19:37","slug":"how-to-turn-your-side-hustle-into-your-main-source-of-income","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/huboo.com\/ecommerce\/how-to-turn-your-side-hustle-into-your-main-source-of-income\/","title":{"rendered":"eCommerce Article – How to Turn Your Side Hustle into Your Main Source of Income"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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How to Turn Your Side Hustle into Your Main Source of Income<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t

A large percentage of adults in the UK have a second income source with online businesses proving popular, but how do you turn this side hustle into a main income stream?<\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t

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So, what is a side hustle?<\/h1>\n

A side hustle is a name given to a piece of work or job that you get paid for doing, in addition to your main job. It can vary from casual activity such as completing online surveys and reviews, creating content or renting a spare room to more formal employment such as a second job delivering food, manual labour, freelancing or running an online business.<\/p>\n

How common is it to have a side hustle?<\/h1>\n

A 2023 study Side hustle statistics in the UK<\/a> show that these businesses are a prevalent and growing trend in the UK, particularly among younger generations. However, there is a need for greater awareness regarding the tax responsibilities associated with these additional income streams.<\/p>\n

While some pursue a side hustle for the money and freedom, others took the opportunity to monetise a passion and turn a hobby into something that can potentially become their main source of income.<\/p>\n

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How much can you expect to earn from a side hustle?<\/h3>\r\n

How much you earn depends heavily on what the side hustle involves as some will have a much higher profit margin than others. Content creation for example, may not require any initial spend on materials but can be priced highly if calculated as an hourly rate, whereas creating handmade products may require materials, marketing spend and labour before you see any additional income.<\/p>\n

Read more about Side hustle statistics in the UK here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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How much can you expect to earn from a side hustle?<\/h3>\r\n \r\n
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Side Hustle Tax<\/h1>\n

Starting January 1st<\/sup>\u00a0 people earning over \u00a31000 a year from a side hustle such as selling second hand clothing on eBay or Vinted, or renting out a room on Airbnb, must register as self-employed and file a self-assessment tax return with HMRC at the end of the financial year to avoid a penalty charge.<\/p>\n

Read about how HMRC rolls out \u2018side hustle tax\u2019 for online sellers on eBay, Vinted and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Starting an online business<\/h2>\n

If you regularly sell products online and are earning more than \u00a31,000 through your side hustle, HMRC considers you a business. You will need to register that business with company\u2019s house by the 5th October, after the end of the tax year in which you started the company, and declare any income through a self-assessment tax return in January.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re registered as a sole trader or a business, and you declare your costs and show your profits, only your profits will be liable for the 20% tax.<\/p>\n

Registering yourself as a business enables you to claim back against some business expenses. For example, if you earned \u00a31,500 but spent \u00a3500 or more on expenses for the business, such as materials, you may not have to pay any tax.<\/p>\n

More information can be found on the Gov.uk website.<\/a><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n

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Most popular side hustles in the UK<\/h3>
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Selling old or refurbished items <\/h3>
Selling second hand or vintage clothing on sites such as eBay and vinted or very popular as well as refurbished electronics. Often stock is found in charity shops or bought in bulk cheaply to sell individually.<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Creating content <\/h3>
For a tech savvy generation with access to even just a smartphone, vlogging, writing, or becoming a social media influencer on TikTok or similar platforms are popular ways to generate additional money with no start-up funds.<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Creating products and selling them <\/h3>
Marketplaces such as Etsy and Not on the Highstreet have long made it possible for independent makers and creatives to sell custom or unique artwork and products. From pet portraits to candles, sewn crafts and even baked goods.<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Having a secondary part-time job <\/h3>
Working in childcare, a caf\u00e9 or freelance with the help of Fiverr Upwork to complete graphic design, web design, or copy writing are all popular for people with regular hours available.<\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Manual labour<\/h3>
From dog walking to cleaning, offering beauty services and even making deliveries can all contribute additional income. <\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Best online side hustles in the UK<\/h3>\r\n

Although in the current economic climate many people will be looking to side hustles purely for additional income to cover their costs, others will start side hustles to pursue their larger ambitions and establish a base before giving up their primary occupation, or to enable them to continue a passion so there is no straight forward answer to which activity you should pursue.<\/p>\n

However, if you are looking for an activity to make money with little time commitment (or the most flexibility) that is highly scalable, online sales should certainly be considered.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to go far to find examples of where entrepreneurs have started with just one item, selling on Amazon to build a steady income stream \u2013 often while they sleep! – \u00a0with sales coming in at any time once the listing has been created. Add new products, test new categories and sales channels without strict time commitments.<\/p>\n

With an online business what you put into it is often what you get out of it. The more time and research you put into the business the more successful it will be.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Best online side hustles in the UK<\/h3>\r\n \r\n
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How to turn a side hustle into your primary source of income<\/h1>\n

Maybe your side hustle is selling printed t-shirts. You\u2019re designing the print, ordering the finished t-shirts in bulk to be stored in your home, ordering the packaging materials, and praying there\u2019s no delay with the delivery. You pack the orders and take your fifth trip of the week to the post office. Whilst it\u2019s great that your store is doing so well, the other parts don\u2019t sound so great and there may come a time you don\u2019t have enough space to place larger orders of t-shirts and packing materials so are missing out on potential sales where your best sellers are out of stock.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t make more money unless you make more sales, and you can\u2019t sell what you don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the ways you can help grow your side hustle store into your primary income:<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Keep an eye on your cost of sales and break even point to ensure you are making a profit and not just revenue.<\/strong> If your marketing budget is growing but not resulting in sales, you may need to adjust your strategy. Profit can be reinvested into the business to ensure you can pay any upfront costs needed to grow.<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Research thoroughly before making an order with a supplier.<\/strong> Resources and cashflow are finite as a young business. Ensure you are investing time and money in products that have demand, are not too competitive and can be sourced at a good price. Any reduction in product quality can impact returns and customer loyalty.<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Adopt a growth mindset.<\/strong> Experts are expensive and as a start up or small business you may not be able to afford to take on an agency or consultant right away to do the tasks you see necessary to grow your business. As an entrepreneur, you will need to know about a lot of areas of business from finance to creative skills and everything in between so it\u2019s a good idea to set some non-financial goals as you grow to ensure you have a good footing in the different areas and can adapt around any obstacles.<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Make sure you are compliant and set up correctly.<\/strong> Businesses need to be registered, pay VAT and keep a good record of accounts. As you can see with the above topic of side hustle tax, these regulations can change and can result in penalties if not followed.<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Don\u2019t forget about seasonality.<\/strong> It can take a few months for your marketing to really take effect, if you have a seasonal item, ensure you are marketing it well ahead of time. Equally, it would be prudent to ensure your forecasts and decisions are not based purely on historical data from the order peak such as the Christmas period, when this is unsustainable.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\r\n

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How Huboo can help <\/h3>\r\n

As an eCommerce fulfilment provider, Huboo takes care of storing stock, picking, and packing orders and safely delivering them to their buyer. In addition to space, one of the main advantages of outsourcing is that it saves time, a precious commodity for any entrepreneur. Instead of fulfilling the incoming flux of orders, you can focus on ensuring you have the right stock levels to meet demand, enhance your marketing strategy, refine social content, and capture a wider audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Find out more<\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div>\r\n
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How Huboo can help <\/h3>\r\n \r\n
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I initially found Huboo on Instagram. After asking small business owners who they use for fulfilment, Huboo popped up a few times. We originally shipped through Amazon, but as soon as me and Dean, our CEO and co-founder, spoke to Rob (our BDM), that was it for us. We loved the familiar, family-style approach of working. Huboo feels like an extension of our team; that\u2019s what we were looking for, and that\u2019s what we found. \r\n\r\nI would recommend Huboo to anyone; I think they\u2019re the best in the business, and we\u2019re grateful for you guys.<\/div> <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n Hermione Underwood<\/span>\r\n UK CEO<\/span> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\r\n
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Discover how we can help you grow<\/h3>\r\n
Get a Quote<\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n\r\n