5 Side Hustles Students can Start in 2024

Summary

In this video, recent IIT Hyderabad graduate Sano shares his journey from a financially struggling student to earning over 30 lakhs through various side hustles. He discusses five lucrative opportunities for students, including private tutoring, marketing and SEO, video editing, graphic design, and content creation, emphasizing the importance of time management and skill development.

Takeaways

• 💼 The speaker, Sano, emphasizes the importance of financial independence and shares his journey from a lower middle-class background to earning over 30 lakhs during college.
• 🏫 Sano suggests that college students should consider side hustles to earn money, acknowledging that these hustles require hard work and dedication.
• 📚 The first recommended side hustle is private tutoring, which Sano explains can be a lucrative opportunity for students with strong academic backgrounds.
• 💡 Marketing and SEO are highlighted as a growing field with a demand for skilled individuals, offering potential earnings of 20-25k per month after gaining expertise and building a portfolio.
• 🎬 Video editing is presented as a valuable skill in high demand, especially with the booming creator economy, and Sano shares his experience and resources for learning this skill.
• 🖌️ Graphic design, including thumbnail creation for social media platforms, is another suggested side hustle with potential for quick earnings and further specialization.
• 📈 Sano stresses the importance of time management and productivity tools like Aif Flow to balance academic responsibilities with side hustles effectively.
• 📈 Content creation is described as a complex but rewarding side hustle that involves multiple skills and can lead to significant income, though it requires consistent effort and passion.
• 📈 Building a portfolio or proof of work is crucial for gaining credibility and securing clients in any side hustle, as demonstrated through Sano's experiences in marketing, video editing, and graphic design.
• 💡 Sano encourages students to explore their interests and skills, and to be persistent in their efforts to build a successful side hustle, even if it means starting with smaller earnings or learning new skills.

Q & A

What was the speaker's financial situation like before college?

The speaker came from a lower middle-class family where the father was a private tutor and was struggling to pay for the speaker's college education.

What were the two clear things the speaker realized at the end of the first semester of college?

The speaker realized the need to make their own money and to do so quickly.

How much income did the speaker earn over the four years of college?

The speaker earned more than 30 lakhs in income over the four years of college.

What is the first side hustle the speaker recommends for students?

The first side hustle recommended is private tutoring, especially for students who are above average in academics.

What is the average monthly charge for tutoring one student according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that one can easily charge between 3,000 to 6,000 per month for tutoring one student.

What is the second side hustle mentioned in the script?

The second side hustle is marketing and SEO, which involves helping companies and startups with content planning, strategy, and search engine optimization.

What does SEO stand for and why is it important for businesses?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is important for businesses to increase their visibility and ranking on search engine results, thereby attracting more potential customers.

What is the third side hustle the speaker discusses and why is it in demand?

The third side hustle is video editing. It is in demand because of the booming creator economy where many want to produce content but lack the necessary video editing skills.

What is the fourth side hustle mentioned and how can it be a quick way to earn money?

The fourth side hustle is graphic design, with a niche focus on thumbnail designs for YouTube and Instagram. It can be a quick way to earn money as there is a high demand for well-designed thumbnails in the creator economy.

What is the fifth and final side hustle the speaker talks about and why is it complex?

The fifth side hustle is content creation, which is complex because it involves a combination of multiple skills such as market research, strategy, SEO, video editing, script writing, and camera presence.

What is the speaker's advice for those who are not passionate about content creation?

The speaker advises that if someone is not passionate about content creation, they should not start it as it requires a lot of dedication. Instead, they can try the other four side hustles mentioned in the script.

What productivity tool is mentioned in the script and how does it help with task management?

The productivity tool mentioned is Aifflow. It helps with task management by allowing easy integration with other tools, providing a universal inbox for tasks, a command bar for quick task addition, and features for reviewing and reflecting on task performance.

What is the special offer for students regarding the productivity tool Aifflow mentioned in the script?

Students can get a 60% discount on Aifflow by using a code provided in the video.

Outlines

00:00

💼 From Struggling Student to Successful Side Hustler

The speaker, Sano, a recent graduate from IIT Hyderabad, shares his journey from a financially constrained student to earning over 30 lakhs through various side hustles. He emphasizes the importance of creating one's own income and doing so quickly. Sano outlines five side hustles suitable for students with zero investment, stressing the value of hard work and providing services in demand. The first side hustle suggested is private tutoring, which can be a lucrative opportunity for students with strong academic backgrounds, allowing them to charge a monthly fee for their services.

05:01

📈 Marketing, SEO, and the Power of Content Creation

Sano introduces the second side hustle: marketing and SEO, capitalizing on the booming creator economy. He explains the market gap for content creators and strategists, suggesting that students can learn these skills through free resources or paid courses. To establish credibility, he recommends creating one's own social media page to demonstrate expertise in growing online presence. This approach can lead to clients and higher earnings. The third side hustle mentioned is video editing, a skill in high demand due to the rise of content creation. Sano shares his experience and offers guidance through his channel 'sanos cut,' which provides tutorials on various aspects of video production.

10:01

🎨 Graphic Design and the Art of Thumbnail Creation

The fourth side hustle discussed is graphic design, with a niche focus on thumbnail designs for YouTube and Instagram. Sano points out the high demand and potential earnings in this area, advising beginners to learn the basics of Adobe Photoshop and study existing thumbnails to improve their skills. He also touches on the broader field of graphic design, which requires more time to master but can lead to freelancing opportunities. Sano highlights the importance of time management when juggling academic commitments and side hustles, recommending the use of productivity tools like Aifflow for task management.

⏰ Time Management and the Ultimate Side Hustle: Content Creation

Sano concludes with the fifth side hustle: content creation. He describes it as a complex skill set involving market research, strategy, SEO, video editing, scriptwriting, and more. While it requires significant dedication and time before seeing monetary returns, content creation can be highly rewarding. Sano warns that it's not for the faint-hearted and suggests trying it only if one is truly passionate. He also emphasizes the importance of time management, using tools like Aifflow to organize tasks and reflect on productivity. Sano offers a discount code for Aifflow to students and thanks the company for sponsoring the video.

Keywords

💡Freedom

Freedom in this context refers to the autonomy to pursue personal desires and make choices without restrictions. It is central to the video's theme as the speaker discusses how earning money enabled them to achieve this freedom, particularly in college. The speaker emphasizes the importance of financial independence in doing things they want, whenever they want.

💡Lower middle class

The term 'lower middle class' describes a socioeconomic status where individuals have limited financial resources. In the video, the speaker mentions their background as a student from a lower middle class family, highlighting the challenges they faced in affording college education. This background serves as a motivation for the speaker to seek financial independence.

💡Side hustle

A side hustle is an additional job or venture pursued alongside one's primary occupation. The video focuses on suggesting five side hustles that students can undertake. The concept is integral to the video's message, as it illustrates ways for students to earn money and gain financial independence while still in college.

💡Private tutoring

Private tutoring involves providing one-on-one educational instruction outside of a formal classroom setting. The speaker mentions this as a viable side hustle for students who excel academically. It is presented as an accessible way to earn a significant income, with the speaker providing examples of how much one can potentially earn per month.

💡Marketing and SEO

Marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are strategies used to increase a brand's visibility and online presence. In the video, the speaker suggests that students can offer these services as a side hustle, capitalizing on the booming creator economy. The importance of demonstrating expertise and providing proof of work in this field is emphasized, illustrating the need for tangible results to attract clients.

💡Video editing

Video editing is the process of assembling and refining video content. The speaker highlights this skill as a valuable side hustle, especially in a content-driven economy. They discuss the accessibility of learning video editing and the potential to earn a substantial income by providing this service, emphasizing the impact of video editing in content creation.

💡Graphic design

Graphic design involves creating visual content for various media, such as print, digital, and social platforms. The video mentions graphic design as a side hustle, particularly focusing on niche areas like thumbnail design for YouTube and Instagram. The speaker advises on the importance of building a portfolio and gaining practical experience to establish credibility in this field.

💡Content creation

Content creation refers to the process of producing original material for various platforms, such as blogs, videos, and social media. The speaker discusses content creation as a long-term side hustle, noting that it involves a combination of multiple skills and requires consistent effort over an extended period. They also highlight the potential for content creators to develop a diverse set of skills that can be monetized.

💡Proof of work

Proof of work in the context of the video refers to tangible evidence of one's skills and abilities, typically demonstrated through a portfolio or successful projects. The speaker emphasizes the importance of having proof of work in various side hustles, such as marketing, video editing, and graphic design, as it is crucial for attracting clients and establishing credibility.

💡Task management

Task management involves organizing and prioritizing tasks to improve productivity. The speaker discusses the importance of managing time effectively, especially when balancing college work with a side hustle. They introduce a tool called 'Akif Flow' as a means to integrate and manage tasks, illustrating the need for structured planning in juggling multiple responsibilities.

💡Creator economy

The creator economy refers to the ecosystem where individuals create and monetize content, often leveraging digital platforms. The video mentions the booming creator economy as a backdrop for various side hustles, such as marketing, video editing, and graphic design. It underscores the opportunities available for students to capitalize on the demand for content creation and related services.

Highlights

The speaker emphasizes the importance of financial independence and the ability to pursue personal interests without restrictions.

The speaker's life changed significantly 5 years ago, transitioning from a student in a lower middle class family to a financially independent individual.

The need for self-sufficiency and fast income generation was a turning point for the speaker, leading to various entrepreneurial endeavors.

The speaker earned more than 30 lakhs over four years through diverse side hustles, including graphic design, NFT sales, and freelancing.

Introduction of the five best side hustles for students to start with zero investment, highlighting the value of hard work and skill in earning money.

Private tutoring as a side hustle, especially for students with above-average academic performance, as a way to earn a substantial income.

The potential earnings from private tutoring, with the speaker's personal experience and the ease of getting tutoring gigs.

Marketing and SEO as a lucrative side hustle, capitalizing on the booming creator economy and the market gap for content creators.

The importance of having proof of work in the form of a personal social media page with a significant following to gain credibility in marketing and SEO.

Video editing as a high-impact and accessible skill, with the speaker's personal experience and insights on the demand for video editors in the content creation industry.

The process of learning video editing and the need for proof of work, such as a personal portfolio showcasing one's editing skills.

Graphic design and thumbnail creation as niche side hustles with high earning potential, especially in the context of the booming creator economy.

The speaker's personal journey of self-teaching graphic design fundamentals and the time investment required to become proficient.

Content creation as a long-term side hustle requiring dedication and a variety of skills, including market research, SEO, and storytelling.

The challenges and rewards of content creation, including the potential for multiple skill development and the possibility of high earnings.

The importance of time management and productivity tools like Aif Flow for balancing college work, side hustles, and personal life.

Aif Flow's features, including task integration, calendar synchronization, and productivity tracking, as a solution for managing multiple responsibilities.

The speaker's recommendation for students to try content creation and, if not passionate, to consider the other side hustles mentioned earlier in the video.

Transcripts

the freedom to do the things that you

actually want in your life and do them

whenever you want to my life was not

like this 5 years back when I came to

college I was just like any other

student from a lower middle class family

my dad was a private tutor and he was

struggling to pay my college so at the

end of first semester two things were

very very clear one is that I needed to

make my own money and second I needed to

make money fast then I tried my hands

and anything and everything that I was

either interested in or that promised me

a little bit of money from graphic

design to selling nfts from making

videos on the internet to even

freelancing as an artist and as a result

over the four years of my life I earned

more than 30 lakhs in income which did

not just pay my college fees it also

fueled my lifestyle and so that I could

afford the things that I needed and also

the things that I wanted to go on

College trips to buy expensive gadgets

and literally everything that I ever

wanted to do in college hi my name is

Sano and I'm I am a recent graduate from

IIT Hyderabad and today in this video I

want to talk about five best side

hustles that any student can start in

their free time with zero investment now

disclaimer before I start nothing in

this video is going to be easy or quick

money you need to understand that making

money is a hard-earned skill and you can

only make money by providing value to

people who can pay for that service now

while most of the side hles on this list

is something that I have done myself

number one is some something I have

never done but I have seen multiple of

my friends do and earn like 10 to 15K

per month very very easily the very

first side has a onard list is private

tutoring if you're in college or in high

school and you are sort of like above

average in academics trust me it is very

very easy to get tutoring gigs in your

own area when I was in 11 12th people in

my area knew that I was okay I was good

at academics so I will often get parents

that will come to my house to request me

to teach them their children which I

obviously didn't but just goes to show

that how easy it is to get these

tutoring gigs and in today's day and age

if you're just teaching one kid you can

easily charge anything from 3,000 to

6,000 per month and then in no time

you'll have a batch of three four or

even five kids and that is easy 10 to

20K per month by investing like what 15

16 hours every single month that's a

game changer for anyone who wants to

start earning money as soon as possible

while they in college but you see this

one is a little more limited because

suppose if you're living in a hostel or

if you don't want to get out of your

room every day and go to some other

place and teach people you just want to

sit in your room with your laptop and

make money through that then number two

in your list is just for you which is

marketing and SEO I do not need to tell

you that the Creator economy is

absolutely absolutely booming in 2024

and it is going only up from now on and

that is why every company every founder

every startup all of them want to make

content and there is a huge Market Gap

because there are not enough content

creators or content planner content

strategists on the market because

Founders and startups they expertise in

building things they are not supposed to

know how to make good content that is

where you come in you do not make

content but you do can still plan

content about how to grow their

Instagram or how to grow their YouTube

channel or you can take care of the SEO

of their social media page because that

is a really important thing by the way

SEO means search engine optimization you

can look it up if you want what I mean

to say is these things are not very

inherent to Founders or companies or

Brands startups they generally do not

expertise in these things so they are

always looking forward to hiring someone

who have the expertise there are

multiple different free resources

available on the internet I will link a

few of them in the description below you

can go to them or you can just spend

like 500 to 1,000 on a good paid course

and that will do the job as well but

that is only half of the puzzle because

after spending one or two months

learning all of these things and gaining

some expertise why would anyone still

hire you nobody will hire you because

whenever you reach out to a client

saying I'm good at this this this this

this you have no proof of work so the

first thing you need is some kind of

proof of work without even getting a

client what you can do is you can make

your own social media page it can be a

theme page a fan page or your own social

media account about you or something

that you like and and grow that page

everything that you have learned over

the last 2 3 months on uh marketing and

social media analysis and SEO use all of

those things to grow your own page to

like 30k 50k or 100K followers and then

it will be so buttery smooth to get any

client that you want because everyone is

looking for someone who can take their

social media page their Instagram their

Facebook or whatever to 50K 30k or even

better 100 and whenever you're reaching

out to clients the bigger your own Pages

the more your credibility and the more

money you can charge so if this sounds

interesting to you you need to start

working today because if you start today

maybe in 2 to 3 months you can start

earning 20 to 25k per month at the

minimum and the more you work in this

field you will keep charging more and

more now coming in at number three is

something I have been doing for the last

7 years almost and that is video editing

as I already told you in the last point

that the Creator economy is booming and

everyone wants to make content now some

startup or some brand wants to make

content there is a guy who is planning

the content there's a guy who's shooting

the content and there is the SEO guy

who's going to upload the content with

the right tags and the description and

whatever but there is still a Gap a huge

gap over here which is filled by the

video editor video editing is probably

the most impactful and the most

accessible skill in today's day and age

and that is why you will see almost

everyone wants to learn video editing

and that is where you come in now from

the outside video editing might sound a

very complicated thing but if you just

work up the courage and install Premier

Pro or thein resolve and get started

into learning it you can literally get

to a very good average intermediate

level in like less than 2 months and

after that again you won't still get

clients you still need some kind of

proof of work just because you know

Adobe After Effects really well it is

not going to work nobody is going to

hire you you need some proof of work and

if you're still confused about how to

start with all of these things I have

this channel called sanos cut where I

talk about lighting cinematography video

editing sound design color gring

storytelling story structure and video

editing in general and I teach all of

those things from absolute Basics so

there are a huge amount of valuable

videos coming on this particular Channel

because I wanted to build a channel that

I wish I had when I first started video

editing on content Creation in general

and that is exactly why you should go

ahead and subscribe to sanos cut right

now now number four on our list is

something a little bit different it is

graphic design or maybe if you want to

go a little more Niche and start to make

money a little bit quickly it can be

thumbnail designs for YouTube and

Instagram see as I said the greater

economy is really really booming it is

our time to leverage that fill all the

gaps that are in that part and we can

start earning money we can start getting

paid for filling those gaps one of those

gaps that is sort of little bit

unorthodox is is thumbnail making trust

me when I say this I know people who

make YouTube thumbnails and charge like

5,000 6,000 or even more for one

thumbnail now obviously they deserve

that because they do a brilliant job

they do a brilliant amount of research

editing and all of those things while

making those thumbnails I'm not telling

you that you will be able to charge

5,000 per thumbnail in 2 to 3 months but

if you download Adobe Photoshop or some

alternative right now and start to learn

and also study a lot of good and bad

thumbnails on YouTube you can start

earning at least 500 to 600 per

thumbnail maybe 2 months down the line

and that's a really good deal if you can

work for like two three different

creators that will easily make you

something around 6,000 to 10,000 to

start off with in less than 2 months but

if thumbnail design is not your jam and

you want to go back to graphic design it

is a little broader in terms of vastness

and it will take a little more time if

you go into graphic design by the so you

guys will not probably know this but I

selft taught myself the fundamentals of

graphic design when I was back in

college and it took me around 6 to 8

months for the absolute fundamentals

nothing advanc for the absolute

fundamentals so you can also learn that

in 6 to 8 months you can get to a level

where you can start freelancing now even

after you learn all the fundamentals you

still wouldn't get hired as like any

other field you need some proof of work

so in generally design field people work

a few gigs the first 3 four gigs for

free or for a very low price so that

they can populate their portfolio with

really cool looking projects and that

portfolio can get them a high playing

client High playing high paying client

in the near future but graphic design is

not the only kind of design you should

be learning you should also learn to

design your time because side hustle AB

to

motivated but when life hits when you

finally go back to college with your

College schedule the assignments the

tests the attendance classes

and managing a side hustles become very

very tough I have done it in college and

I know that it takes pristine time

management skills and a very good idea

of how to manage all the tasks that you

have in your hand it can be your

assignments can be your classes can be

your ppts and all of those things and

after that comes your side hustle your

client calls your portfolio you're

building things you if you are also

building your social media the things

that you post the things that you edit

what is the time when you learn and

watch tutorials what is the time that

you practice all of those things have to

be managed all these tasks need to be

managed really really well you know I'm

a sucker for productivity and I was

looking through my productivity YouTube

feed where I saw a few people talking

about this new task management

application called a the absolute first

thing you need to keep in mind when you

are managing multiple things in your

life is to time block them do not mix

and match your college work with your

SLE work instead give your undivided

attention to both of them so that they

can get completed faster and most of us

are already using some of the other

productivity tool or some calendar and

aif flow fits in seamlessly because of

its easy integration with tools like

Gmail slack notion ASA and much much

more I personally have connected it with

my Google Calendar and my notion and it

is very easy to add new tasks into aif

flow you can add them directly into the

universal inbox and later drag them onto

the calendar you can add them directly

to the calendar or you can use the super

powerful command bar to add new task the

command bar is bound to a keyboard

shortcut and it makes reaching things

around aif flow really really simple but

for someone like me who has to manage

different things like their own

lifestyle job and content I have created

different tags for live content and the

job and I can also create projects right

over here so that whatever task I get I

can also connect them to a particular

project so that at any point of time I

can just add a filter to my Universal

inbox and see exactly which tasks of a

particular project are remaining how

much of it is done and which are the

ones that are snoozed and with this new

feature called the morning ritual I can

also look back on yesterday on how I

have taken care of my task why did I

fail why did I do good but if I want a

bigger picture for the reflection I can

get statistics for how am I using Aki

flow what tasks am I doing and how much

time am I spending in different parts of

my life now I understand it might be a

little overwhelming to start off with

but that is exactly why you can book a

one-on-one exclusive onboarding call

with the official support team of akif

flow and if you are a student you can

get a 60% discount on akif Flow by using

the code that is shown over on the

screen thanks a lot for akif flow for

making this video possible now number

five on our list is something that I

love the most and that I have been doing

for the last 5 years and it is still the

largest source of income even after I

got a full-time SD job it is nothing

other than content creation that is the

thing about making videos on the

internet now you might be asking

list last because this is not an easy

side hustle congregation is not

something that will start making you

money in the 2 to 3 months range you

probably will have to be posting content

consistently for 6 8 months or even a

year or more before you start earning

money and the other complexity about

conation is that it is not one

particular skill this skill involves

things like market research Market

strategy SEO video editing script

writing and all of the things are

involved even your camera presence the

contration is basically an amalgamation

of 10 15 or 20 different skills and that

is why initially I was

thinking but then I also thought this is

probably the best way to grow because if

you can actually hone this particular

side hustle you will be having 15

different skills which you are really

good at to sell to the world later on

though even if you grow your interest in

one particular Department in content

creation you can just hone into that

that and again sell that particular

skill fill Gap in some other company and

get hired as simple as that but as I

said unless you are very passionate

about content creation do not even start

because it takes a hell lot of

dedication or you know what you can just

give it a try and if you're not

passionate enough you will just quit

within the first two or 3 weeks and

after that you can come back to this

video and try the other four things I

have mentioned before this and if you

are currently in college and you want to

get ahead of 99% students in your

college here is a video describing

exactly how to do that cheers