All Side Hustle Ideas

Directories and marketplaces side hustle ideas

A job board, listings site, directory or marketplace that connects buyers and sellers.

Startup cost
Under $100$100 to $1k$1k to $10kOver $10k
Time
Hands-offA few hours a weekPart-timeNear full-time
Where
OnlineIn personOnline and in person
Earns from
AdsAffiliateSubscriptionsOne-time salesService feesRentMarketplace cutSponsors and donations
Coding
No coding neededNeeds coding

5 ideas

  • Directories and marketplaces
    Job board website that wins on marketing
    A simple job board website in a saturated category. The founder credits distribution and marketing, not the product, for its success.
    Online
    Starter Story, 2026
  • Directories and marketplaces
    Template marketplace for modern web frameworks
    Runs a directory of website templates for static site generators and frameworks, earning affiliate sales and now sponsorships.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2024
  • Directories and marketplaces
    Network of niche job boards and content sites
    Built job listing sites and blogs that run mostly automatically and cover expenses with ads and sponsorships.
    Hands-offOnline
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Directories and marketplaces
    Social network for amateur voice actors
    A community site where hobbyist voice actors connect and find work. It started by accident and now earns a steady monthly income.
    Online
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Directories and marketplaces
    AI-built niche directory sites
    The operator uses scraping tools and an AI coding assistant to build a listing site for a niche, then monetizes through leads, ads, affiliate links or listings. One example was a luxury restroom trailer directory.
    Hands-offOnline
    The Koerner Office