Why the End of the Year Is a Great Time To Start a Side Hustle, According to Experts

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According to a survey by Omnisend, 31% of Americans are currently running a side hustle and 65% report spending less than 10 hours per week on their ventures. The survey also found that 44% of side hustles involve selling physical or digital products online. The good news is that there are various side gigs that you can pursue if you’re looking to bring in a little extra money. While the holiday season can be a busy time for many, it’s also filled with opportunities to earn more and finish the year strong. 

We will explore why the end of the year is a wonderful time to start a side hustle and even review which side hustles are poised to make the most money around that time. These are three reasons why you should start a side hustle at the end of the year.

There Are More Opportunities To Make Money

Steven Lowell, career coach and reverse recruiter at Find My Profession, noted that this is the best time of year to start a side gig because there are more opportunities available overall.

“Basically, the increase in activity for industries like travel, tourism, retail, restaurants, etcetera creates a new demand for convenient solutions, supplied by an ecosystem of side gig workers,” he explained.

With more business activity happening, there are more opportunities to start some sort of side hustle at this time. 

Side Gigs Worth Exploring

• Assembling furniture
• Driving visitors to and from airports
• Food shopping
• Copywriting
• Graphic Design

“Aside from the seasonal work that exists in retail, there are thousands of mobile apps to find work,” Lowell added.

As people scramble to reach deadlines and make time for everything, they’re going to have to outsource work to reliable freelancers to help complete their tasks. The good news is that you can tap into the gig economy or offer your freelance services on an existing platform such as Freelancer.com. 

This leads us to the next point. 

Consumers Are Willing To Pay for Convenience

“The end of the year is a great time to start a side hustle because spending increases, deadlines are tighter and people are more willing to pay for convenience,” said Julien Brault, financial expert and founder of MooseMoney.

Since people tend to be busy during this time of year with holiday activities, travel and the general chaos of trying to get so much done in a short period, many are willing to spend money on convenience and assistance. For example, an employer may not have the bandwidth to plan a holiday party and arrange for gifts, which is where a freelancer can come in and offer creative solutions. 

Side Gigs Worth Exploring

Brault noted that side hustles that make the most money this time of year typically address seasonal or time-sensitive problems. Specific ideas of things that people are willing to pay for around this time of year include:

• Seasonal home services, such as snow removal and winter upkeep
• Light removal and holiday decoration takedown around the house
• Running errands or completing odd jobs on a platform like Taskrabbit
• Renting out a spare bedroom or your basement for travelers 

Exclusive insights shared with GOBankingRates from Taskrabbit revealed that there has been a 62% year-over-year increase in return-related bookings on the platform at tail-end of the year, as consumers outsource the hassles from Black Friday and holiday shopping. If you’re looking to bring in some extra cash, you can help people with holiday returns or run errands for them.

If you’re uncertain about what kind of side hustle to start with, you can browse through apps like Fiverr or Taskrabbit to see what kind of services are popular to determine if there’s anything that matches your skillset. If you help someone solve their problems around this time of year, you can start to build your portfolio up and get the testimonials rolling in as we head into 2026.

You Can Have Your Side Gig Idea Ready for the New Year 

“It’s a great time for testing your side hustle idea, getting a couple of fast initial testimonials and entering the new year with confidence in your project,” said Jan Hendrik von Ahlen, career expert, coach and founder of JobLeads.

He emphasized that the end of the year is a sweet spot for side hustles because demand increases significantly as people want to attend events, go out and make resolutions, etcetera. Instead of waiting for well-into the new year, you can use this time to finally get your side venture off the ground and bring some customers in. 

Side Gigs Worth Exploring

Hendrik von Ahlen shared the following ideas:

• Resume/LinkedIn overhaul to prepare for the heated job market in the new year
• Photography to capture family shoots, company events, dinners and so on
• New Year’s resolution packages depending on your expertise (fitness, nutrition, productivity coaching or something along those lines)
• Home organization, ranging from downsizing to big pre-holiday cleanups

With people looking to make changes in the new year, you can work on crafting your offer to ensure that you’re ready for a strong 2026 with your new side hustle. Hendrik von Ahlen noted that if you keep your prices modest and deliver quickly, you can build customer relationships during this stressful time of year.

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