Exploring New Income Streams: My 2022 Side Hustles Journey
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At the outset of 2022, I made a significant change in my passive income efforts. I decided to discontinue three side hustles that were yielding no results, allowing me to focus my time and energy on three new ventures.
In this article, I will discuss my insights, errors, and what I’ve earned so far to help you determine whether these options might interest you.
Before launching these three income streams, I spent several months evaluating their viability.
Reflecting on my early experiences since starting my online income journey in 2011, I realized I had overcommitted to too many projects, which led to burnout and a lack of dependable income after four years.
My endeavors included MLM, affiliate marketing, CPA, CPC, blogging, and survey completion, ultimately leaving me exhausted and overwhelmed by information overload.
This time around, I approached things differently.
Before diving into a new side hustle, I now dedicate 2–4 months solely to market research, platform evaluation, and potential profitability.
I invest time in reading and watching videos about others’ experiences on the platform. This preparation helps me understand what I can offer and highlights mistakes I can avoid. YouTube serves as an excellent resource, providing free mentorship to guide you in starting your online income journey.
Here are the three income streams I initiated in the first half of 2022:
1. Creative Fabrica
Creative Fabrica is a platform that allows users to sell and buy design elements like graphics, illustrations, fonts, and KDP interiors. They offer a subscription model, enabling users to download unlimited files for commercial use, in addition to one-time purchases.
I began using this platform in early 2021, relying on its graphics and fonts for designs in my Redbubble shop and Amazon KDP low-content books.
As I honed my design skills, I created a portfolio of original designs and applied to become a designer for Creative Fabrica. They provided me with a free page to host my store and list my designs at set prices. I earn a percentage of the subscription fee whenever someone purchases one of my designs or a subscriber downloads it.
In the three months since I joined, I’ve generated $60.97 from my digital products and downloads. Currently, I have four files and three designs available.
One mistake I made was not consistently adding new products. I initially posted three items all at once and then neglected the platform as I pursued another venture.
I promoted my designs a few times using Pinterest, and I’ll delve deeper into my Pinterest strategy in a future post.
2. YouTube Channel
I launched a faceless YouTube channel to document my journey toward passive income. I share my experiences, earnings, and lessons learned throughout the process. My primary focus has been on Amazon KDP, where I create videos on researching profitable keywords to enhance the visibility of self-published books.
I aimed to post videos daily, maintaining this schedule for the first three weeks. However, I eventually felt overwhelmed and now strive to upload once every 3–4 days, allowing time for the videos to rank in the YouTube algorithm.
You can subscribe to my channel below to follow my journey:
Passive Income With Nora
As for earnings, my channel hasn't generated income yet, as I need to reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time to apply for monetization. Currently, I have 378 subscribers and 476 hours of watch time with 32 videos published.
I regret not starting the channel sooner, as it takes time to build traction and watch hours for monetization.
Nonetheless, I'm grateful for the platform to share my experiences and connect with my audience. I enjoy producing engaging videos and learning throughout the process. If your sole motivation for starting a YouTube channel is financial gain, be prepared for a long and challenging journey.
3. Fiverr
I joined Fiverr at the end of 2012 during my maternity leave after having my second child at age 21, while also completing my university studies at Macquarie University through Open Universities Australia.
I discovered the platform as a potential avenue for earning money through my skills in content writing and translation. However, I was inconsistent and only managed to write a few articles before stopping after a few months, as it wasn’t yielding results.
At that time, I undervalued my work, offering 500–700 word SEO-optimized articles for just $5. This effort took 2–3 hours, and after deducting Fiverr fees, PayPal fees, VAT tax, and currency exchange fees, I was left with a mere $3.80, roughly €3.50. The compensation was hardly worth my time.
However, at the start of 2022, I resolved to approach Fiverr differently. I listed my services as a content writer and began selling digital downloads of KDP interiors I had designed.
I established my store a month ago, but I’ve yet to make any sales. I plan to promote my listings on Instagram and Pinterest.
What income sources did you explore in 2022?