Abby B. When I was young, my mom who was a corporate lady wanted my sister to become a hairstylist – she didn’t. But my mom was definitely right about how practical it is to have hairstyling skills.
There’s just so many ways you can make an extra income with hairstyling!
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link!
25 Best Side Hustles For Hairstylists
If you’re someone who loves using social media, you’ll be shocked to know just how much brands pay for you to promote their products or services.
The only downside is you’ll need a good number of followers (about 10k) to start making a considerable side income with sponsorships. Good thing is hairstyling is a highly visual niche so you’ll find no difficulty curating an online marketing plan!
Best platforms to start with are TikTok, YouTube shorts and Instagram Reels.
2. Build a YouTube channel for hairstyling
Love making long-form content instead of short videos? Start a YouTube channel and share hairstyling videos. You can share videos of you hairstyling your happy clients (with their permission) or even create educational hair wellness content.
A new trend I’m seeing is “a day in my life” videos where people share their everyday journey for others to find inspiration from or even view life from another person’s perspective. People love seeing others build their businesses in public too!
Starting a YouTube channel is free and you can record videos with just an iPhone. Make it easier for by having your tripods in a fixed position in your salon or studio to reduce decision fatigue.
Interesting YouTube channels in hairstyling niche:
| What do I need to start? | – A camera to record – Portable microphone for better sound – A video editing software |
Read: What I spent for my vlogging gear in first 6 months
3. Start a podcast for hair wellness
If you don’t fancy creating videos but interested in sharing hair wellness information, a podcast is a good way to start. You can expand later on into YouTube by video-recording and uploading your podcasting sessions – it takes less work to edit!
I personally love listening to self development podcasts but there are all kinds of podcasts out there. However, unlike YouTube, it takes social media promotion to get your podcast found by your ideal audience!
Talk about common hair-related topics or issues for the average consumer and share your tips on how to resolve them. Get a good microphone to speak into and learn how to edit using an audio editing software.
| What do I need to start? | – Good desk microphone – Set of quality earphones – An audio editing software |
Check out: 14 podcasts in the beauty and wellness niche
Content creation can be daunting – I totally get it. If you’re more of an introvert and prefer writing against all other methods, you can still make a good income by sharing informational content on a blog.
With your own website, you can blog anonymously without showing your face or using your real name.
My best tip for beginners is to make it an educational blog right from the start, instead of a personal one. It helps you get found by Google and reach a wider audience.
Pretty similar to YouTube, you’ll need to publish articles (like this one) consistently for a year to make any income with a blog. It’s an ideal side hustles if you’re not in need of an extra income today.
Start with this beginner blogging course or check out my free step-by-step guide on how to set up a blog.
| What do I need to start? | – A WordPress Website – Domain name & hosting – Passion to write for a specific niche |
Read: Why I invested in a blogging coach before doing anything else
Already have a decent number of followers on your socials? You can immediately make an extra income by sharing affiliate links to hair-related products or services.
Not all brands have an affiliate program for you to join. Some affiliate marketplaces to check out are Amazon Associates, CJ affiliate, Clickbank, Share-a-sale and Rakuten Advertising.
Compared to sponsorships, promoting affiliates is a way to make passive income with social media. You’ll earn a commission for every purchase made via your link. Stay genuine!
| What do I need to start? | – Affiliate products or services you can promote – Social media account with growing followers |
6. Pick up photography to sell beauty photos online
Professional photography skills can be beneficial for any kind of business. But a common way to make passive income with photography is to sell your photos on stock websites.
Just to give you an example, not every big website or a blog owns relevant images to use. So, they will resort to paying for quality photos of hairstyles, salons or even beauty tools that aligns with their content.
You can purchase a good camera, learn photography and take these kind of photos to sell!
Selling stock photos may not make much in the beginning, but it’s a good way to earn passively especially if you have a busy schedule.
Stock websites you can join to start:
| What do I need to start? | – A good camera – Photo editing skills – Consistency to upload photos frequently |
7. Become a freelance writer for hair wellness or beauty
Interested in writing for beauty topics but don’t want to go through the challenges of building a blog? You can still earn an income by writing for others.
Freelance writers typically earn up to $100 per article and usually write at least two articles per client per month. Writers are paid even more if they’re specialized in writing for a niche (e.g. beauty)!
This beginner freelance writing course is the one I took myself to start my writing career. It has everything you need to get started including how to pitch to clients for topics they can’t resist!
| What do I need to start? | – Writing skills – Good command of English or the language you intend to write for – Promote your freelance writing service |
Check out: How to start freelance writing and make money (the ultimate resource)
8. Sell hair wellness supplies to your customers
The common problem I see people facing is not knowing which product to get for their hair (including myself!). Of course, you’re offering them a service as a hairstylist, but you can also be selling hairstyling products for them to use at home or for a quick fix.
You don’t need a full-fledged business to be doing this and don’t need to be curating your own products for it.
The easiest way to get started is to source your favorite hair products for cheap and resell them to your existing customers for profit. It’s even better if it’s something they can’t find easily at local stores.
Once you know what sells, you may be able to sell them under your own brand and/or set up an online ecommerce store just for hairstyling supplies!
| What do I need to start? | – Right connections for cheap product sourcing – Platform to sell products on |
9. Become a pet-sitter in your area
I get it – not every hairstylist wants to make an extra income with hairstyling. Sometimes, you just need to take a break!
If you’re good with pets, pet-sitting is an underrated side hustle that every pet lover should go into. It becomes more doable if you own pets yourself and familiar with the kind of services a pet needs.
Pet sitters typically make $15-20 per visit and usually take more than 10 visits in one day. That’s easily $400-600 in a single weekend!
Services you can include with pet sitting:
- Walking
- Home boarding
- Sleepovers and night care
- Training
- Bring to vet
- Basic grooming & care
- Travel trips
| What do I need to start? | – Good skills with pets e.g. dogs, cats – Tools for the service you want to offer – Socializing to get clients |
10. Offer pet grooming services
Want to spice up your pet-sitting services with some hairstyling? You can offer pet grooming for both cats and dogs!
If you’re able to manage this on your own, good on you. But I always find pet grooming to be a difficult task for one, so you might need some help especially for the tougher ones.
Good thing is, it pays even more than pet-sitting and depending on the kind of grooming you’re offering, usually takes lesser time to complete.
| What do I need to start? | – Pet grooming skills for dogs and cats – Tools for the service you want to offer – Socializing to get clients |
11. Resell second hand items for profit
As a hairstylist, you probably have a lot of tools lying around that you’re probably not using anymore. I’m here to tell you to sell them!
Though you might be selling them for something cheaper than what you paid for, you can use the immediate cash to get something new that will help your business grow even better. There’s also a chance you’ll get to sell it for higher!
Once you’re comfortable with reselling second hand goods, consider buying someone else’s unwanted gem for a cheap price to sell for a profit. Other than Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Poshmark, you can source these from your local flea market.
Some popular things to flip are furniture, antiques, jackets, car accessories and tech stuffs.
| What do I need to start? | – An eye to spot underpriced valued goods – Skills and platform to sell online or offline – A small budget to purchase your first second hand item |
Check out: How to start reselling things as a side hustle
12. Become a part-time barista at a local café
I don’t know you but since you’re a hairstylist by profession and already dealing with customers on a daily basis, you might be interested in retail side hustles. Getting a part-time retail job is fairly easy and you can even start tomorrow if you’re lucky.
If you’re a coffee drinker, I would suggest working as a part-time barista for a café. You’ll meet tons of people, build a useful life skill (coffee-making) and even widen your connections/clientele for hairstyling.
Depending on the hecticness of the café, a barista should be an easy-going job, one that doesn’t require professional education. You’ll also get free coffee!
| What do I need to start? | – Professional barista training – Food safety knowledge |
13. Offer door-to-door beauty services
Not everyone likes going to saloons or beauty parlors due to the long wait (hairstyling takes time). I personally like to book my sessions on weekdays and avoid going on weekends – doesn’t work for all.
A way that works for both you and your customers is to offer home beauty services. Of course, you’ll need to think of the logistics of your tools/equipment, but your customers will enjoy the greater comfort and time saved.
Plus, you can charge a higher price!
| What do I need to start? | – Portable tools and equipment – An existing clientele to market to |
14. Specialize in bridal makeup and preparation
If you’re only offering everyday hairstyling for a salon at the moment, consider upskilling into bridal services. Specializing in a niche like bridal really helps you increase your rates and widen your reach.
Take some time to learn the best hairstyles for brides! Chances are, you’ll also be paid EXTRA for doing quick hairstyles for the bride’s mother and bridesmaids.
You’ll be getting a lot of calls and referrals in the future from friends of friends of bride, even if it’s just a single event. It’s a smart way of indirect marketing.
| What do I need to start? | – Bridal hairstyling and preparation skills – Portable tools and equipment – An existing clientele to market to |
15. Become a freelance event planner
Are you a good organizer? Love to plan your personal meetups and travels? Becoming a freelance event planner is doable even with a full-time job.
If you’re only focusing on event planning for weddings, it’s most likely that you’ll be booked for the weekends.
You can be offering event planning services together with wedding hairstyling on the side, but you’ll need additional people to help you out. Can’t be fixing hairstyles and getting things running in a single event!
| What do I need to start? | – Attention to details – Great organizing skills and sourcing of goods – An existing clientele to market to |
16. Host workshops to teach your skills or create paid online courses
Hairstyling is a vocational skill that allows individuals without professional education to make money for a living. You might also be coming from a similar background and want to give back to the community.
The best way is to teach others hairstyling skills that will help them make an income! You can teach basic or advanced modules via physical workshops or make your side hustle more passive by selling pre-recorded online courses on learning platforms.
The common price points for a single payment short online course are $30, $47 and $67. People are always more willing to pay a higher price if it enables them to upskill and make an income.
Some sites you can host online courses on:
| What do I need to start? | – A niched course idea – Well thought out module – Tools to record your lessons e.g. screen record, microphone |
Creating courses is too much work for you? Here’s a list of digital products you can make to sell on easy platforms like Etsy. I’ve made a quick guide on how to make these products too!
17. Complete online surveys for cash
If you need something quick, completing online surveys in your spare time may work for you. It’s completely doable using a mobile phone and does not require a computer.
Although it’s not a passive side hustle and can’t bring in a lot of income, it takes little time to complete and you’re able to fit it in easily into your busy schedule. Think, getting a survey done while in the subway!
You’ll get paid depending on the survey complexity and amount of time it takes to complete the survey. Payouts are usually initiated when you meet an income threshold – achievable after finishing a few surveys.
| What do I need to start? | – Your mobile phone – Signing up to online survey platforms |
Want to make $300 this month?
Easy! Just fill up surveys in your free time on Survey Junkie!
Save up for that dream vacation. You deserve it.
18. Become a part-time personal care assistant
Personal care assistants are usually needed on a full-time basis to help elderly, disabled or recovering individuals to carry out day-to-day activities. This can include bathing, grooming, dressing and feeding them as they’re unable to do it themselves.
However, care centers are more open to hire part-timers especially if you have relevant experience in caretaking. If you’re someone new to this, it may be hard to get started – also since, it requires a lot of patience and empathy.
Regardless, it can be a rewarding side hustle that allows you to both give back to the community and build deep connections!
| What do I need to start? | – Patience and empathy to become a caretaker – Relevant experience in caretaking – Strength as you’ll need to assist physically |
19. Teach hairstyling for professional training institutions
You may be liking the idea of teaching I’ve explained above, but unsure on types of modules you can offer and if there’s any demand for your workshops/courses.
The best way to get started is to test your idea on someone else’s platform – it minimizes your risk. Teaching hairstyling on a part-time basis for training institutions may help you build the confidence you need to create your own course someday.
You’ll also get to work with others, learn from them and make new friends!
| What do I need to start? | – Patience to teach and assess others’ progress – Well thought out module – A hairstyling institution in your area to join |
20. Learn to become a massage therapist
If you’re looking for something that’s not related to hairstyling but still involves a lot of hand movements, massaging is a lucrative side business to get into.
It’s always better to get certified as a professional massage therapist, it allows you to build credibility against others and price higher.
You can offer massage services at your current salon and/or visit clients at their homes. It’s a great side income idea that allows you to tap into your current clientele.
| What do I need to start? | – Massage therapist certification – An existing customer base to market to |
21. Start a freelance customer support role
Sites like Upwork allows people to work remotely whether it’s on a full-time basis or a part-time one. Since you have soft skills that is beneficial for dealing with customers, you may be able to get a part-time customer support role for online businesses.
Start by charging a lower hourly rate against others and build up your digital portfolio. Clients are more willing to pay a higher price with experience and good reviews!
| What do I need to start? | – Patience to deal with customers – Good command of language clients are looking for – Able to use digital resources for working remotely |
22. Specialize in professional hair loss treatments
Hair loss is a serious problem people are facing as they grow older – sometimes from just 30 years old. Individuals especially under 60, are willing to put pay a lot for hair treatments just so they can look good.
Aside from hairstyling, you can learn and get certified for provide hair revival treatments and lessen hair loss for old age. You are essentially tapping into your current customer base as everyone has an old relative and will get old themselves!
| What do I need to start? | – Certification for hair revival treatments – A customer base to market to |
23. Sell hair extensions and wigs online
If you’ve thought about setting up an ecommerce store for something you have experience in, selling hair extensions and wigs can work wonders for you.
You’ll need to source the products and purchase in bulk to enjoy lower prices – so it’s something doable if you have the funds to put upfront.
I recommend using Shopify (although it’s not free) as it’s the easiest to use for beginners. Then set up Facebook ads and Google ads to bring in traffic to your store. You can always leverage on organic social media traffic for long term success!
| What do I need to start? | – Bulk purchase of products to sell – Storage area for keeping stock – Handling of daily operations to dispatch out orders – Online ecommerce store – Social media for organic traffic or use paid ads |
24. Become a nail technician
Perhaps the most common side hustle hairstylists go into is to become a nail technician. You can offer nail beauty services for your current salon including manicure and pedicure.
Aside from the usual nail treatments, get into nail design and decoration. In my experience, it pays a lot more than just a normal haircut and customers will always change their nail deco!
| What do I need to start? | – Nail treatment and designing skills – Tools and equipment for nail-related services – Existing customer base to promote to |
25. Design and sell merchandise with print on demand
Love the concept of ecommerce but not looking to invest money into initial product purchase? Start a print on demand business instead!
Print on demand is basically creating designs and selling them on merchandise that will only be printed when there’s a purchase. You can manage passively without handling any operations as fulfillments will do it for you.
Just sign up for an account with a POD fulfillment like Printify or Printful. Then head on to Canva to create designs, export it and upload them on products like leggings, phone cases, or tote bags.
Alternatively, if you’re short on time, you can buy ready designs on creative marketplaces like Envato Elements or Creative Fabrica.
You can sync your seller account with either Etsy or Shopify to sell your products on. Order printing and shipping is handled by the fulfillment.
You keep the difference between price and cost!
| What do I need to start? | – Basic designing skills – A laptop to work with – An initial niche and product |
Can’t decide what product to design and sell? Check out my product guides before deciding!
- Tote bags for print on demand
- Tumblers for print on demand
- Phone cases for print on demand
- Posters for print on demand
- Leggings for print on demand
- Jewelry for print on demand
- Candles for print on demand
- Doormats for print on demand
- Hoodies for print on demand
- Pet products for print on demand
- Socks for print on demand
- Pajamas for print on demand
- Blankets for print on demand
- Baby clothes for print on demand
- Wrapping paper for print on demand
- Puzzles for print on demand
- Stickers for print on demand
- Athletic wear for print on demand
- Hats for print on demand
- Journals for print on demand
- Greeting cards for print on demand
- Mugs for print on demand
9 Ways To Make Passive Income For Hairdressers
Based on the current trends, here are 9 ways to make passive income for hairdressers:
- Promote affiliates products or services
- Start a YouTube channel on hairdressing or beauty
- Build a podcast for hair wellness
- Write educational content for your own hairstyling blog
- Self publish low to medium content books on Amazon KDP
- Sell pre-recorded online courses for beauty modules
- Sell original beauty photos on stock websites
- Sell art and designs with a print on demand business
- Sell digital products for beauty on Etsy
15 Beauty Side Hustles
These are 15 ways to make money with beauty side hustles:
- Become a makeup artist for photoshoots and theatre
- Teach beauty and hairstyling courses for professional training institutions
- Provide hairstyling services for events
- Create your own beauty products to sell
- Offer pet grooming services
- Specialize in hair loss treatment for older people
- Sell hair extensions and wigs online
- Become a nail technician and designer
- Start a henna drawing business
- Offer door-to-door massage services
- Specialize in bridal makeup and wedding beauty
- Create beauty products for sale on Etsy
- Start a YouTube channel to provide beauty tips
- Sell paid online courses for Do-It-Yourself beauty
- Become a model yourself
How To Make More Money As A Cosmetologist
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can make more money as a cosmetologist:
- Decide what type of product or service you want to sell
- Search for similar products or services in the market to analyze demand
- Choose a single project to start with
- Allocate time to create the product or upgrade your skills (if needed)
- Choose a platform to market your finished product or your freelance service
- Start with a low selling price to collect reviews and/or build a portfolio
- Increase your price or hourly rate as you progress
- Set up social media e.g. TikTok, Instagram and Twitter to promote yourself
- Include a link on how to contact in bio of social account
- Post daily on your social media to look active and up-to-date
- Mix professional and personal experiences to build trust online
- Allow engagement and ask customers to directly message if they need hairstyling tips
- Repeat!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can make money while going to beauty school by taking up side hustles in your free time. Some side hustles that are related to beauty are makeup, hairstyling, pet grooming and even nail design. These side hustles can be done on weekends and able to provide a good income.
New hairstylists can build clientele by offering free basic hair-related treatments. They can also branch out beyond salon hairstyling by providing event-based services like wedding hairstyling. Through these events, a hairstylist’s clientele can be built via word of mouth and referrals.
Which Side Hustle Should I Choose?
Unsure which side hustle for hairstylists you should go for? Here are the top 6 things to consider when deciding which side hustle is best for you.
- How much time can you commit to it?
- Consider how much time you can set aside for your side hustle for weekdays and weekends
- What type of income are you looking for?
- Do you want to make income actively or passively while you sleep?
- What sparks interest & passion in you?
- Choose a side hustle that aligns to your personal goals and interests as it keeps you motivated
- Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
- Different side hustles requires different level of communication with the outside world, are you comfortable meeting new people every day?
- What is your current partner or friend up to that you can leverage on?
- Doing something with a friend or partner makes things easier and more manageable
- How soon do you need to make extra money?
- Not all side hustles make the same amount of money in the same pace, do you need money today or in a year’s time?
Bottom Line
There are so many side hustles you can explore for hairstylists within the beauty niche (or even outside of it). Start by writing down the kinds of knowledge and interests you have, then specify how each can be monetized.
In the end, you’ll need to pick one or two things and give yourself time to try them out. You’ll eventually find something that works for you!
I will always recommend building passive income streams to no longer trade time for money.
Here are 25 best side hustles for hairstylists:
- Grow your social media and get brand sponsorships
- Build a YouTube channel for hairstyling
- Start a podcast for hair wellness
- Share your hair wellness knowledge with your own blog
- Promote affiliate links for hair-related products
- Pick up photography to sell beauty photos online
- Become a freelance writer for hair wellness or beauty
- Sell hair wellness supplies to your customers
- Become a pet-sitter in your area
- Offer pet grooming services
- Resell second hand items for profit
- Become a part-time barista at a local café
- Offer door-to-door beauty services
- Specialize in bridal makeup and preparation
- Become a freelance event planner
- Host workshops to teach your skills or create paid online courses
- Complete online surveys for cash
- Become a part-time personal care assistant
- Teach hairstyling for professional training institutions
- Learn to become a massage therapist
- Start a freelance customer support role
- Specialize in professional hair loss treatments
- Sell hair extensions and wigs online
- Become a nail technician
- Design and sell merchandise with print on demand
I’m not one to brag, but blogging has changed my life. I’ve been able to earn an income passively while on a coffee date and traveling with my family. With everything, it takes time to learn and not an overnight success – to speed things up, get yourself a blogging coach before starting.
These are my blogging resources to help you out:
- Step-by-step guide how to start blogging in your free time
- Why you need a blogging coach right from the start
- Worried of exposing yourself? You can blog anonymously
Photo by John Diez
