Getting a Side Hustle in 2021 : 6 Ideas to Boost Your Family’s Finances 

Earning a bit of income on the side is a very popular topic of conversation in 2021. If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us it’s that the future is uncertain and with that being the case, having more than one source of income is definitely a more secure option. 

A side hustle is a great way to utilize your skills and passion and turn them into something that brings in additional income for your family. In these difficult times many people are seeking additional income streams or pivoting to open up new sources of revenue. Side hustles are not to be scoffed at; they can be big or small, they can be used to pay bills, clear debt & invest for your future. So, what type of side hustle will suit you? Well, what do you know how to do, that someone would buy or hire you for, if they knew you were available? Or what complementary services could your business offer to your existing clients?  

There are so many different ways you can earn a few extra euros with a side hustle and so many of them can be done from the comfort of your own home. Thanks to the internet, we have the possibility to tap into a vast amount of opportunities found in the digital ether of cyberspace, but finding the right one for you will depend on your unique needs, your skills and market demand.  

If you already have an idea, what’s stopping you? If not, get ready for our pick of some simple side hustle suggestions to inspire you and eventually you might even be able to say goodbye to your 9-5. 

1. Sell Stuff: 

The first idea is to sell belongings that you already have by decluttering items like clothing, kitchen items that you no longer need. Leboncoin.com or Vinted.com are great places to do this. But what if you have or make your own products? During the pandemic, some of the businesses who see high levels of success are those selling products and services directly to consumers online. As retail has been closed, manufacturers and entrepreneurs have simply skipped the middleman and been able to achieve much higher mark-ups by selling through shopify.com, Amazon, or Etsy or by using an add-on shop plugin on their website like Woo Commerce. My research shows that health and exercise products and gifts have seen huge success in the past year. Another booming sector to consider are digital products that people can access and download online. Examples include printables, courses & eBooks. So, if you are highly knowledgeable and passionate about a subject this might be for you. 

2. Online Tutoring 

Tutoring is extremely flexible and can be done around another job on evenings and weekends. There are lots of apps and companies online who employ part and full-time tutors. You can also offer tutoring services privately via Facebook groups. I reviewed and signed up for cambly.com as part of my research for this article. This platform is really easy to use, does not require teaching qualifications and offers opportunities to simply chat to people and make money. You can choose to tutor adults or children. 

3. Virtual Assistant/PA  

If you have an eye for detail and are super organized, why not support a small business owner or CEO with their administration. This can be a fantastic opportunity to offer a few hours of your time to a startup and help them grow. There is really no limit to types of jobs a VA/PA might be doing including but not limited to inbox management, organizing travel arrangements, dealing with clients, comment response, organizing google drive, graphic design or writing social media posts. There are lots of tools you can use but my favorite one that I use myself is toggle.com, an effortless, free, time-tracking software. 

4. Social Media Manager  

Social media is an important part of any marketing plan. No matter how big or small a business’s social following, a lot of work goes into building an engaged audience to keep them coming back for more. And just when you think you’ve got it just right, boom! there’s an algorithm change and you need to revise your now ineffective strategy. While it might sound like a dream come true to actually earn an income tweeting, snapping, pinning, and posting, being a professional social media manager is a lot different than posting on your own personal accounts. It can be a full-time job on its own to keep up on social media and that is why many business owners seek to outsource these tasks to someone who is social media savvy. The role might see you developing a strategy on how to post and when, what social channels a business should even devote their energy to in the first place, building a social media calendar and even writing, designing and scheduling posts. Check out canva.com for designing posts and hootsuite.com for scheduling.  

5. House Sitting / Pet Sitting  

Yes, this can be considered a genuine side hustle as it can save you quite a bit of money in rent and utilities and it is quite popular on the Riviera. There are property and estate owners who will hire you to come and look after their home and look after their pets whilst they are away. Take a look at trustedhousesitter.com and mindmyhouse.com .  Rover.com is another great platform where you can register to look after pets either at the owners’ home or yours. You can offer other services too like dog walking and dog grooming. 

6. Handy Man / Woman 

Are you a dab hand at a bit of DIY? Do you know how to mount shelves, do you find painting walls therapeutic? Why not consider doing odd jobs for local residents. All along the Riviera there are people looking for a trustworthy individual to help them with all sorts of small jobs around their homes and gardens. 

With so many options, it’s easy to become overwhelmed figuring out which one is right for you. Whatever you choose to do, make a business plan and follow it in easy to achieve steps and goals. 

Just pick one that suits you and get started. The flexibility of these side jobs means you can stop if you don’t like it or pause if life gets crazy.  

Why not challenge yourself to pay your weekly food shop with your side hustle, and see where it takes you. 

Getting a Side Hustle in 2021 : 6 Ideas to Boost Your Family’s Finances 

Earning a bit of income on the side is a very popular topic of conversation in 2021. If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us it’s that the future is uncertain and with that being the case, having more than one source of income is definitely a more secure option. 

A side hustle is a great way to utilize your skills and passion and turn them into something that brings in additional income for your family. In these difficult times many people are seeking additional income streams or pivoting to open up new sources of revenue. Side hustles are not to be scoffed at; they can be big or small, they can be used to pay bills, clear debt & invest for your future. So, what type of side hustle will suit you? Well, what do you know how to do, that someone would buy or hire you for, if they knew you were available? Or what complementary services could your business offer to your existing clients?  

There are so many different ways you can earn a few extra euros with a side hustle and so many of them can be done from the comfort of your own home. Thanks to the internet, we have the possibility to tap into a vast amount of opportunities found in the digital ether of cyberspace, but finding the right one for you will depend on your unique needs, your skills and market demand.  

If you already have an idea, what’s stopping you? If not, get ready for our pick of some simple side hustle suggestions to inspire you and eventually you might even be able to say goodbye to your 9-5. 

1. Sell Stuff: 

The first idea is to sell belongings that you already have by decluttering items like clothing, kitchen items that you no longer need. Leboncoin.com or Vinted.com are great places to do this. But what if you have or make your own products? During the pandemic, some of the businesses who see high levels of success are those selling products and services directly to consumers online. As retail has been closed, manufacturers and entrepreneurs have simply skipped the middleman and been able to achieve much higher mark-ups by selling through shopify.com, Amazon, or Etsy or by using an add-on shop plugin on their website like Woo Commerce. My research shows that health and exercise products and gifts have seen huge success in the past year. Another booming sector to consider are digital products that people can access and download online. Examples include printables, courses & eBooks. So, if you are highly knowledgeable and passionate about a subject this might be for you. 

2. Online Tutoring 

Tutoring is extremely flexible and can be done around another job on evenings and weekends. There are lots of apps and companies online who employ part and full-time tutors. You can also offer tutoring services privately via Facebook groups. I reviewed and signed up for cambly.com as part of my research for this article. This platform is really easy to use, does not require teaching qualifications and offers opportunities to simply chat to people and make money. You can choose to tutor adults or children. 

3. Virtual Assistant/PA  

If you have an eye for detail and are super organized, why not support a small business owner or CEO with their administration. This can be a fantastic opportunity to offer a few hours of your time to a startup and help them grow. There is really no limit to types of jobs a VA/PA might be doing including but not limited to inbox management, organizing travel arrangements, dealing with clients, comment response, organizing google drive, graphic design or writing social media posts. There are lots of tools you can use but my favorite one that I use myself is toggle.com, an effortless, free, time-tracking software. 

4. Social Media Manager  

Social media is an important part of any marketing plan. No matter how big or small a business’s social following, a lot of work goes into building an engaged audience to keep them coming back for more. And just when you think you’ve got it just right, boom! there’s an algorithm change and you need to revise your now ineffective strategy. While it might sound like a dream come true to actually earn an income tweeting, snapping, pinning, and posting, being a professional social media manager is a lot different than posting on your own personal accounts. It can be a full-time job on its own to keep up on social media and that is why many business owners seek to outsource these tasks to someone who is social media savvy. The role might see you developing a strategy on how to post and when, what social channels a business should even devote their energy to in the first place, building a social media calendar and even writing, designing and scheduling posts. Check out canva.com for designing posts and hootsuite.com for scheduling.  

5. House Sitting / Pet Sitting  

Yes, this can be considered a genuine side hustle as it can save you quite a bit of money in rent and utilities and it is quite popular on the Riviera. There are property and estate owners who will hire you to come and look after their home and look after their pets whilst they are away. Take a look at trustedhousesitter.com and mindmyhouse.com .  Rover.com is another great platform where you can register to look after pets either at the owners’ home or yours. You can offer other services too like dog walking and dog grooming. 

6. Handy Man / Woman 

Are you a dab hand at a bit of DIY? Do you know how to mount shelves, do you find painting walls therapeutic? Why not consider doing odd jobs for local residents. All along the Riviera there are people looking for a trustworthy individual to help them with all sorts of small jobs around their homes and gardens. 

With so many options, it’s easy to become overwhelmed figuring out which one is right for you. Whatever you choose to do, make a business plan and follow it in easy to achieve steps and goals. 

Just pick one that suits you and get started. The flexibility of these side jobs means you can stop if you don’t like it or pause if life gets crazy.  

Why not challenge yourself to pay your weekly food shop with your side hustle, and see where it takes you. 

An Interview With Victoria Stevenson

General Manager of Columbus Hotel, Monaco On Their Seasonally Themed Creative and Culinary Activities for Children 

I am Victoria Stevenson, General Manager of new lifestyle and boutique hotel Columbus Monaco and mother of two. I am of English nationality and grew up and studied in the Principality before joining the Institut de Hautes Études de Glion in Switzerland. After an international career, I returned to the Principality of Monaco where I joined the Columbus in 2014 and took over the management four years after my arrival. 

What activities do you offer?  

Here at the Columbus Monte-Carlo we are very attentive to the needs of families and regularly organize workshops dedicated to our little darlings. Depending on the health situation, we try to organize activities every other month where the children meet for 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon. They carry out creative and culinary activities around a seasonal theme, under the benevolent instruction of the hotel teams. 

Where did the idea of doing children’s activities come from? 

The Columbus Monte-Carlo is an establishment that aims to be authentic and in view of its geographical location allows our customers to live like locals. It therefore seemed obvious for us to organise activities for customers’ children but also for the children of the Principality and its surroundings. We then imagined these workshops with our team and launched them last Halloween. 

Tell us about The Columbus Monte-Carlo and where it is located in Monaco? 

Columbus Monte-Carlo is located in Fontvielle, a district which was reclaimed from the sea 30 years ago. It was the Principality’s first lifestyle hotel, designed and founded by David Coulthard, the former Formula 1 driver, in 2001, and acquired by London & Regional Hotels in 2010. A complete renovation was carried out in 2018, offering a brighter atmosphere with the opening of the lobby onto the neighboring Rose Garden through its large bay windows. 

What kind of clientele do you welcome and what should guests visit and experience during a stay at the Columbus? 

Far from the stereotypes of large hotel groups, the Columbus Monte-Carlo welcomes a varied clientele of regulars and new visitors, coming for business or leisure. Fontvielle whilst close to Monte Carlo feels off the beaten track and more authentic. If you have ever gone for a walk here, then you have probably discovered the beautiful Princess Grace Rose Garden created in homage to Grace Kelly by Prince Rainier III and inaugurated in 1984, nearby you will also find the Chapiteau under which the Monaco International Circus Festival is held. The Columbus hosts most of the troops that perform there every year. We also host many guests who come to experience the plethora of sporting events which take place at the Louis II stadium, stronghold of AS Monaco, and headquarters of the annual Herculis athletics meeting, which is only a few minutes’ walk away. Finally, just a short distance away you can discover the Naos private beach which mixes modernity and relaxation, joy and conviviality, with the breeze of the sea air, fine sand, and a truly panoramic view of the Mediterranean.   

What gastronomic delights can guests explore at your restaurant Tavolo and The Bar?  

Columbus Monte-Carlo’s restaurant Tavolo offers an innovative dining experience in Monaco. It’s daily ardoise menu draws on Mediterranean flavours to create delicious dishes crafted from fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. Open for lunch and dinner, 

Tavolo’s acclaimed outdoor terrace overlooks the Princess Grace Rose Garden, where guests can enjoy a superb view over the hundred-year-old olive trees and the 315 varieties of roses. 

Guests and locals alike can enjoy the hotel’s sleek, cozy bar which pays homage to classic cocktail culture. Our cocktail bar offers a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and a snacking menu. A truly elegant experience. 

Do you have any special offers for our readers?  

The 181 rooms and suites at the Columbus Monte-Carlo are designed especially for our guests. Most of them have terraces or balconies, with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. The hotel gives pride of place to families with dedicated attention designed around out youngest guests. We offer a 50% reduction on a second room booked and free admission for children under 12. 

For those who would like to extend their stay even further, note that serviced residences have been added to the offer in June 2019 with 4 studios, 8 duplexes and a penthouse.