It is sunrise in your beach town and you are on the boardwalk with your camera getting shots you plan to put up in your living room for decoration. Vendors with their wares are setting up tables and tents for the day because they know there is money to be made from tourists. You know that visitors spend a lot every year on activities, food, housing and souvenirs in your community. With a little effort and ingenuity, you could cash in on the tourism trade by turning your hobbies or interests into a side hustle in your beach town.
Water Work
There are many ways to make money from water activities. You could invest in water crafts such as kayaks, paddle boards, surfboards, or jet skis and rent them out. Buying a boat for charter fishing is also a possibility. Depending on your financial situation, you can start small and add to your inventory as your profits build. You could also be a supplier of water gear, such as scuba or snorkeling. User-friendly software like 360 payments will make it easy for you to work with customers both in person and online. Whatever your favorite water activity is, you can turn it into a side hustle by teaching it in short workshops for tourists. If you know how to parasail, for example, you could teach others so they can experience how exhilarating it is, too.
Feeding Frenzy
Tourists and locals all need to eat, so if you love feeding your family and friends, you can turn your passion for food into a side hustle. You could open a cafe focusing on one type of item, such as muffins, and set hours around your lifestyle. A weekend pizza parlor could make you lots of money during the busy season and then you can hold special parties in the off-season for the people like you who live there year-round. If there isn’t an affordable space to rent, then check if your community allows vendors to set up by the beach area. All you need are tables and a covering to offer the goods made at your home.
Tired Tourists
One of the easiest ways to make money in a beach community is to offer housing to tourists. You could rent out your couch, an extra room or your whole house on various online platforms. This type of side hustle involves little investment because you already have the goods that you are selling. Of course, maintenance, appearance and cleanliness have to be high-quality, but these qualities do not have to be expensive, just consistent. If you do not want to advertise online, you could always partner with local hotels or bed and breakfast establishments to help them with overflow. One perk to this type of side hustle is you are in complete control of the schedule and availability.
Making Memories
After receiving numerous compliments about your sunrise photo, you decide to sell your work to visitors who will have a beautiful keepsake of their summer vacation spot. You can turn any craft or art you make into a souvenir simply by putting the name of your town on it or including some landmark as part of the design. Many people would much rather buy something to remind them of their wonderful summer memories from a local craftsperson than from a shop stocked with trinkets from China. What you make in your spare time could turn into a side hustle by selling your creations to tourists. This will give them something unique to remember your town by.
There are many possibilities to make money on the side, but living in a beach community offers opportunities not available inland. You can cash in on any of your experiences with water activities for a side gig, as well as provide services and goods for the abundance of people from out of town with money to spend during summer months. Living by the water can be both fun and profitable for you.
