15 *Unique* Skills To Turn Into Side Hustles | Aja Dang

I'm Aja Dang here's another side hustle video! Here are 15 unique skills that you can turn into a side hustle and make some extra money :) Many of these are jobs that you can do from home, any time, any where and are perfect if you're trying to make some extra cash. Finding an extra job flexible enough to work around your school or work schedule is pretty easy. I'm hoping this is a starting off point to figuring out what kind of business you can build. Like I say in the video, everyone has some kind of skill they can monetize.
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[@mitzybitzuwoo1]

I know this video was made to think about what unique skills we can make money off of, but the skills you suggested did make me think of the qualities I have that can be considered an added bonus. These are mine: 1) Decent at small talk: now, I hate small talk, it's something I always dread when meeting new people. But I've been able to 'fake it' a little bit and figure out the right tone and how to make someone comfortable. It's through this, a manager gave me her number to call her if I ever needed a weekend job! We had a small talk as I was buying something and she said she just had a good feeling about me. Tip: make sure to ask them questions, people love talking about themselves. And when you talk about yourself, try to make sure it's related to what they said. If not, ask them a question related to what you said. 2) Intuition: my gut never lies to me, and I really need to work on listening to it a bit more. It's my intuiton that's helped me throughout lockdown, I just felt like I knew I would eventually find a new job after being made redundant (and it was correct!) So I wasn't panicking as much as I thought I would. 3) Finance: I feel like I'm decent at saving, but I also make sure I don't restrict myself. If I want to buy takeout, I won't stop myself, I just make sure to adjust. I make sure when I get paid, I put aside the appropriate amount for my savings and bills, and everything else is pretty flexible. It's through this, my friends and family know they can come to me to borrow some money, even when I was unemployed, because they knew I would be okay if they needed money for the time being.

[@mitzybitzuwoo1]

I know this is about making money from the skills you have, and that is important. But I just want to let you guys know that the qualities you have don't necessarily have to make you money. I guess they can make you stand out a bit more if you're trying to make money, but ultimately, the qualities you have can simply be qualities. Maybe it can brighten your day knowing you can do something not a lot of people can do, even if there's no practical use for it. I just think it's nice to know we all have qualities about us that's just make us a little bit different from one another, even if they don't serve a purpose other than to make you smile.

[@AshleyLoraAnderson]

I wanted to add to 1: Lots of kids are forced to be home schooled right now and their parents do not have the time or expertise to help! A lot of these kids need help with check ins for school and homework. Tutoring is a GREAT temporary option right now for anyone with a degree or currently in school

[@AjaDang]

absolutely! Do you know of places where people can share their tutoring experience with parents?

[@AshleyLoraAnderson]

I've seen it mostly posted wherever people normally post for babysitting jobs! Facebook groups is the main one I've seen but im sure its worth looking into sites like care.com and others

[@mayraprince580]

Loving your content! I planned my own wedding and LOVED it.. planning comes so easy to me so I started a wedding planning business on the side. I started offering virtual wedding consultations where I basically chat with a bride via zoom and email/text and guide them every step of the day and help them find direction on where to start.. the best part is that I charge a fraction of the price while still making extra cash and doing what I love.

[@AjaDang]

yes sis!

[@HolisticMoney]

I love that you’re not only giving examples of side hustles, but also USING those services that you’re suggesting. These are some really great examples of ways to make money.

[@anna_reads862]

Poshmark is a great side hustle! I've done $700 in sales this month. People are bored & want a deal. This is the perfect time to get started because people typically shop the most during quarter 4 (September-December)

[@HAYGURLHAYYYYY]

good to know! do you use mercari or depop as well?

[@anna_reads862]

@@HAYGURLHAYYYYY I have used mercari in the past a couple of times. I like Poshmark better because as soon as you share your item, it goes to the top of the search bar. E.g., if you share an American Eagle Sweater and someone searches for an American Eagle sweater, yours will appear first. With other platforms you can't control what shows up on the first page so. To me depop is very gen z and intimidating lol. But everyone has their own preferences! Poshmark just works best for me.

[@AjaDang]

@@anna_reads862 I also like that you can negotiate on Poshmark.

[@carissawong2451]

I second this! During quarantine I made twice as many online sales because people are doing so much more online shopping.

[@anna_reads862]

@@carissawong2451 yes! may 2020 was my best month ever!

[@lin-zchang4774]

I can't wrap my head around the idea of being a virtual personal assistant.... it would be awesome if you did a video interviewing someone who either hires a virutal PA or is working as a virtual PA. I've heard that it's a thing but I've never really seen what that actually entails or what skills you would need, how to get a job as a virtual PA, etc

[@epicgardening]

🤎 appreciate the shout Aja! Let's deck out your garden for fall :)

[@kristyvo838]

Aja, I have really been enjoying your videos lately! You also seem so much happier and I am here for it. You deserve it. Thank you for providing us will such amazing tips in our debt free journey!

[@ilovetonkatsu]

Thanks for this updated list, Aja! I just started a career pivot into freelance design, and this video was so helpful to find additional resources for side hustles as I find my niche.

[@ashleygutierrez2200]

I've been working for VIPKid since 2017. The most I've made in a year is about $300 a year...so not much. And there is two reasons for this I think. 1. I live in CA and find the times flexible, yes, however after a while it is super exhausting. Assuming this is a side hustle for you, you will likely wake up at 3-4am teach a few VIP classes, then get ready to work your 9-5. So as you can imagine that gets exhausting really quick. 2. Now a days I have found it more difficult to get bookings. It could be because I have been on it for so long and not taught a ton of classes so my numbers look low. But I have had months open ahead of time and still struggle to get bookings. Just my experience. I really like the job, but just thought I would share. :)

[@AjaDang]

thanks for sharing your experience

[@CriticalHealingMoment]

I'm so glad you mentioned building an online program. I want to build a program around mental health/healing and also offer live instruction/facilitation. And it is a lot of work up front, it's so much I haven't even been able to tackle the idea.

[@LoveFoodMore]

Watching you and Brian during quarantine have been inspiring. I started a personal chef business and hot sauce start up and currently working on getting a site up. I’m a little late on the east coast but still applying for farmers market. I hope you get that personal chef one day!

[@Veeyah19]

Great advice Aja! I agree with cooking/baking. I personally love to bake so I made coconut buns for family and friends a few weeks ago on my day off and made $900 for one Saturday mornings work!

[@AjaDang]

girllllll! That's incredible! I think you're on to something

[@kellymei.]

Had to jump on this new video from IG! This was SO helpful Aja, thank youuuu! At a time like this, it def helps to start some side hustles - I'm feeling so inspired!!!

[@LittleChortle]

You honestly help me learn how to adult more and more with every video. I really appreciate you ❤

[@sydneyswope2009]

Aja you have changed my life!! I love your channel and you are my first wasian role model and it’s so great to have representation!

[@AjaDang]

omg I love that. thank you!

[@florabedinger9322]

I can’t wait for your planner to come out!!

[@rebekahg.6174]

I'm a graphic design student, and I just started working part time at a consignment store to pay the bills while in school. I think in the future I will be able to do more in my field at my job, such as social media management and business card design! I made a sale today because I posted an item on my Instagram stories, so things are going well!

[@dunja997]

I feel like I do have a lot of interests I could build on but I can't get to decide which one I would like to get deeper into especially. Thank you for this video, super inspiring like any of your content :)

[@WinenChill]

These are great tips! So much easier to use the skills you already have, than to recreate the wheel.

[@amipalmstudio]

Always inspired ✨ working on building up my creations while figuring out where I fit- looking like I need to make my own role/fits!

[@katiekolle3895]

Yes!!!! I'm finally the first one. Love you channel. :)

[@Nehagrows]

Been loving your content lately

[@AjaDang]

wow thank you!

[@stylishthriftye]

Thank you 🙏 Aja. Your video was very timely. I was just thinking about creating a side hustle and your video was posted. Many thanks for the inspiration. Cheers!! 🤗🤗🤗

[@AjaDang]

amazing! Did this video give you any ideas for your side hustle?

[@Scandinative]

Thanks so much for mentioning my pet portraits again ❤️ I really appreciate the support!

[@QueenBridget999]

this video got me so inspired!! i feel so motivated rn

[@akeishadebaat865]

props to your thumbnails graphic designers and end cards! they are soo great love them and love all these ideas!

[@thewfhmommy]

I signed up for VIPKid because of your video last year! It wasn’t very successful for me, but it gave me the stepping stone to teach at other more lucrative ESL companies. Right now teachers aren’t getting many bookings and many teachers have left the platform. But there are still some that are fully booked

[@amac0190]

Thank you for the video 😊 your hair looks AMAZING black/dark brown, btw.

[@leandralovejoy2167]

thank you for sharing all of these suggestions! As a fashion student, I look forward to continuing to establishing myself as a thrifted clothes shopper! with that said, I wanted to note that interior design and interior decoration are two very different areas of expertise. interior design has to do with the architecture, flow and feeling of a space on a structural level while interior decoration has more to do with the furniture, accents, ornamentation and aesthetic details in a space.

[@PlaninProgress]

Early gang! Love your videos!

[@stinaljungstrom8691]

Such a great video!

[@shanillereynolds366]

OMG- Yesss! K watching now

[@Bougiecousin]

Love love love your Chanel

[@MikaylaRickard]

After watching so many of your videos I finally created a fiverr account for video editing for both KZbin and IGTV. I’ve been making KZbin videos since I was 12 but I JUST got into editing within the last 2 years and I think I’m pretty good. I’m definitely gearing my services towards people who are just getting into content creation since I still think I could use some practice and I’m not like a pro yet but I’m hopeful for myself!

[@ykook7000]

I'm so early lm from the future! Hi from Australia 🌞🐨

[@andie599]

VIP Kids and starting my own food business sounded the most possible for me! I love kids, I stay up super late, and I love talking 😂 also, I am moving to Dallas and can make decent Filipino pancit. If I can learn a couple other Filipino dishes, I think I would do well!

[@gabriellejackson1034]

It’s so funny you mentioned you need or want an assistant/copywriter because that’s actually what my side hustle is. I’m a Virtual Assistant + Copywriter! 💃🏽

[@caitiesanto]

That is so cool! How did you go about figuring out how to set this up? Like do you do it through a company?

[@TheImperfectReader]

I love the hunt of the 2nd hand shops.

[@moirageddes6723]

If you are in the US be careful calling yourself an interior designer because in a lot of states you need a special certificate to legally call yourself an interior designer. It is also important to differentiate between and interior designer and an interior decorator because they are actually very different jobs

[@benenon]

I nanny full time but babysit on the side! You can make good money date night and weekend sitting for a couple hours. I’m on a Facebook page that connects families to sitters so you don’t have to use care.com!

[@miguelbudgets]

Learning a second or third language can open new job opportunities! Which makes your more marketable! Very true.

[@AjaDang]

yes!

[@millennialmoneyprogress]

Great video Aja, as always. Just an FYI vipkid no longer hires California people because of the new 2020 AB-5 independent contractor law. I recently applied and was told they aren’t hiring from my location (CA). Hopefully they consider changing this in the future! I believe they have kept their current CA teachers though.

[@Candice48180]

Awesome video and great tips! But #8 Sewing...did I miss you talk about it? I saw it show on the screen.

[@novenebainter6866]

Good suggestion

[@ac444]

Ahh copywriting! I've been getting copywriting experience after graduating with an English degree because I'm OBSESSED with grammar and spelling 😂 So hey, if you ever need that personal assistant/copywriter, I'd love to help haha! 😊❤

[@abriajohnson-kinsey4099]

@Annie C I’ve been thinking about getting my bachelors in English lately... I’m currently getting a nursing degree but I use to be so creative, as far as writing songs, writing papers and poems but I’ve lost my juices years ago. Whenever a friend needed me to look over their papers, I loved doing it lol. I’m not sure what to do now..🤷🏾‍♀️ If I did go for it, I would want to teach literature at a university because I love reading or editing/copywriting, how’s your experience been with doing that?

[@ac444]

@@abriajohnson-kinsey4099 well if you like nursing i would stick with getting your degree since you've probably put in a lot of work for it so far and it'll be a stable job. Plus you can work on writing on the side until you get enough experience to switch over (if you choose to!). And you don't necessarily have to go to school to get into writing! It's my best skill compared to everything else so that's why I majored in it but if you want to write, you can start with your own website and writing pieces for friends, family, and small businesses to build a portfolio and then you can move on to bigger things. There's a lot of writing opportunities in healthcare too if you think about it (marketing, medical writing, etc). Having nursing experience might help you get your foot in the door for writing in healthcare if you choose to so because you'll know medical terminology. You can also pitch article ideas to websites and become a contributor to add published work to your portfolio. But if you want to be a professor, then I'm not too sure about that route except I think you'd need to go to grad school for that. Teaching is probably more reading and writing-intensive and isn't really related to copywriting. Copywriting is more related to marketing (product copy, marketing emails and campaigns, etc). For copywriting, I started off in content mills which is pretty awful tbh (low pay for a lot of work 😔) but it got me some experience that I used towards a proper job! And now my resume looks pretty decent and when I applied to jobs recently, I got a couple interviews right away! Sorry if this is long but I hope it's helpful! There's a lot of fields within writing so it's hard to cover them all haha 😅 But whether it's creative writing, teaching literature, or copywriting, I'm sure there are many paths to get there! I wish you the best of luck with everything, life always has a way of working itself out! 🖤

[@RedElegance]

Like the end card

[@shaylamcdonald8436]

I wish you would make a financial podcast!!!!!!!!

[@LuminousNews]

Concerning 5:13, as I understand it, VIPKid could hire people in California, but they choose not to do so. VIPKid could hire Californians as employees and provide them with workers’ compensation, insurance, benefits, paid sick days, and state family leave. But instead VIPKid chooses to hire non-Calfornians as independent contractors and does not provide them with workers’ compensation, insurance, benefits, paid sick days.

[@didine256]

This is what the gig economy is all about, extremely low cost employees

[@madasusual498]

A side hustle people I know have been doing lately is OF. When I tell you some of my friends have quit their job because of how much they are making 🤑 got me reevaluating my side hustles 😂

[@AjaDang]

hey man, make that money. No judgement here.

[@morayoilori4761]

What exactly is OF? What does it stand for?

[@madasusual498]

@@morayoilori4761 Only Fans 😂

[@SamElle]

HAHAHAH IM NOT GREAT WITH WORKING WITH CHILDREN EITHER!!! I am a child myself hahah

[@AjaDang]

honestly, I applaud anyone who works with children. I can't even sit next to a child without getting the hibby jeebies (#payourteachersmore)

[@LaurenGVideography]

I feel like I have so many skills but I struggle with finding the market/customers for it. Tips?

[@Scandinative]

Are you active on social media and showcasing your skills there? That's where I find most of my supporters - instagram, facebook, facebook groups etc.

[@LaurenGVideography]

Vada Morrison Yes, but it’s not as easy as it’s sometimes portrayed. For example, I’m a graphic designer and photographer. My graphic design is most popular because it’s all online and remote, and I struggle to find clients for my photography bc I need to find people in my city and I use all the hashtags when I share my work. The more people go to me for graphic design, the more word of mouth I get. But when I only get a couple of people to photograph, it doesn’t do much for word of mouth. I just moved too, so I don’t have any friends in this new city. Basically what I’m saying is, how do I find clients locally and not just all over the world online. And not just any locals, but those needing a photographer.

[@cherylT321]

I’m used to working with children around the age of four and five. I’ve been working with this age group for over 20 years. I have over a hundred individual folders in my home, full of work for this age level; things like counting, drawing a line to the right number, writing in numbers, as well as papers on recognizing the alphabet. I would love a side hustle where l could use my paperwork to help this age group learn. Do you have any suggestions on how you think l could implement something like this?

[@maeleenhurley5858]

Aloha! What brand and color lipstick are you wearing in this video? It is so pretty!

[@AshleyLoraAnderson]

can anyone tell me how they started freelance video editing? I want to start but don't want to jump into the deep end before my skills are ready!

[@pamelatruong8434]

I'm not an expert, but the best is really to put yourself out there. Reach out to local companies, the smaller one that needs your help. If you have previous work done, show them in a portfolio. Be confident about your skills :)

[@hibellla]

These are always inspiring and ugh I know I can pay off debt faster if I get a side hustle, but I'm barely holding onto my mental health with my life as is. I really wouldn't want to do anything complicated so maybe like a hostess or barista? Can you do that with no experience? Also I've heard a lot about teaching english and most people say the parents only like to hire non-black ppl 😳

[@jaceny3077]

Take care of yourself first. There is time for everything else when you are back to full strength. 🙏🏽

[@PlaceboEllie]

I have heard that they like to hire non-black people too, but some of my friends have more luck on italki where you can teach to people from all over the world :)

[@AjaDang]

100% take care of your mental health first. Stay strong :)

[@musiclistener28]

Do you have any advice for starting your own business (especially as a woman)

[@alicebonin9579]

omg I've never been so early in my life

[@HeyLauryn]

Same

[@cinnamonyee606]

There’s a girl on KZbin that actually designs and decorates animal crossing islands!! Her channel is Briclyn Forest!

[@AjaDang]

whhaaa????!?!?!?! I restarted my island bc I hated it. It's looking okay... finding places to put my houses have been a struggle.

[@cinnamonyee606]

Aja Dang I’ve stopped playing AC for a while but definitely wanted to restart my island several times 😂

[@LilianPhan13]

Can you please provide the link the the discord channel? :)

[@AjaDang]

it's in the description box!

[@jenna-leeclifford9571]

Where is the discord to link to? I wanna get in on this stuff! Lol

[@AjaDang]

it's in the description box under mentions

[@WWcrazypoophead]

Does anyone have the discord chat she was referring to in the video :0 ?

[@kelly3848]

Can you share what IG accounts you follow to find thrifted items? I also love buying second hand, but don't enjoy going through everything at the store.

[@Daisy-pq7zy]

Are you in NYC by any chance?

[@kelly3848]

@@Daisy-pq7zy No I'm not unfortunately!

[@muhsina_khan]

Hey! I m a copywriter.. work for a company part time. And I will write your posts for free if you want! Because I love you and you are SO inspiring. 😘

[@senoritajha1468]

I AM DEBT FREE AS OF TODAY AND IM VERY VERY F*KING HAPPY AND U WERE A VERY BIG HELP OR INFLUNCE TO HELO ME GET HERE COZ I AM tried TO PAY THIS FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS

[@mariama12]

Woooooo! That’s amazing, congratulations 🎉 😃

[@senoritajha1468]

Thank you so much

[@mayaw7148]

im so sad I would LOVE to teach kids in China English because it's very nostalgic but I'm from CA T_T why'd CA gotta do that

[@BensonGitau]

🎼🎤 everyday I’m hustling hustling....

[@AjaDang]

no joke: was my theme song in college.

[@robbvious]

Think I might be the only person who subscribes to Aja bc she's really pretty 😳🤭

[@abbizoh]

Well hopefully you watch her for her content too, and not to just stare at her good looks in silence?

[@MurkedStat]

Nah, we're right here.

[@robbvious]

@@abbizoh Oh of course! I love different perspectives on personal finance! I'm very sorry that you interpreted my comment as me objectifying Aja, that is absolutely not the case. My intentions were to compliment, not objectification. I appreciate that you asked me to clarify, Alisha!

[@MurkedStat]

@@robbvious come on bruh, dont be a simp