Cost of living crisis generates increased interest in side hustles

The high cost of living is leading to thousands of Brits searching online for ways to top up their income, analysis of internet search engine data has revealed.

According to the research by Fasthosts, Google now sees around 3,800 UK searches every month for "easy ways to make money" and 24,000 for "how to make money online".

The report, which analysed UK Google searches between December 2021 and February 2023, follows separate research by Enterprise Nation released earlier this year which found that 30% of UK adults are considering starting a business or side hustle in 2023 to boost their income.

How to start a side hustle

Here are the some of the most popular side hustle-related searches with Enterprise Nation resources to help you start and grow your own part time business:

'Sell clothes online'

Since December 2021, searches from people looking to make money by selling clothes on the web have increased by 72% to an average 3,300 a month.

Useful resource:

• Guide: How to start a fashion business

'How to make money on TikTok'

With 23m monthly users in the UK, it's no surprise that searches for generating an income using popular social media app TikTok have increased. There has been a 24% rise since December 2021 to an average of 2,600 a month.

Useful resources:

• Guide: How to start a business on TikTok

• TikTok Shop: Your burning questions answered

'How to earn money on YouTube'

Video is a powerful for small business owners looking to promote their offering or build a community. Searches for how to make money using video platform YouTube have remained consistent since December 2021 with an average of 600 searches a month.

Useful resources:

• Webinar: How to create attractive video content for your business

• Webinar: Three secrets to creating videos that will attract clients

• Why videos are a strategic marketing tool for winning new business

'How to become a virtual assistant'

People searching for advice on how to become a virtual assistant (VAs) has seen a 170% rise to 1,200 average monthly searches. VAs carry out administrative roles for clients such as appointment scheduling and diary management.

Useful resources:

• The story of virtual assistant Miss Make It Happen

• How a virtual assistant used the pandemic to launch the business of her dreams

Other Enterprise Nation side hustle resources

• Guide: How to start a side hustle

• StartUp UK: Tips for launching and growing a business

• Boost your digital skills with business.connected