For Peace Corps volunteers seeking to extend their impact and generate additional income, side hustles provide a unique opportunity to leverage their cross-cultural experiences and skills gained during their service. This blog post explores ten diverse and impactful side hustles that align with the values and capabilities of Peace Corps volunteers, offering opportunities to continue making a positive difference while supplementing their financial stability.
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Travel Website for Sale | Potential Profit: 5000$/month
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Description: Fully Automated Travel Website – Hotels, Flights, Cars – $200/day Potential
Huge Profit through travel affiliate programs (Flight, Hotel, & Rental Car). Start an online business with this gorgeous, professionally designed, affiliate travel website. It is a powerful travel comparison website that allows users to find the best prices for hotels, flights, and car rentals. This type of website is currently very popular as more people try to save money when booking their next vacation.
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How to Start: You can build a website and online business from scratch or go with a readymade solution provided by Sitefy.
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Investment: 99$ to start the website.
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Skillset & Learning: No skillset required. Basic skills are required that can be learned in a couple of hours.
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Success Rate: Moderate to high, reliant on the monthly traffic to the website.
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Pros & Cons: It takes very little time to start this online business and ROI is the highest among all the businesses mentioned.
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Market Size: Globally, travel and tourism directly contributed approximately 2.9 trillion U.S. dollars to GDP
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Whom to Hire: You can hire developers, designers and marketing experts from different freelancing platforms or you can go with a readymade all-in-one solution.
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Where to Hire: Freelance platforms, specialized tech companies.
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Biggest Source of Marketing: Organic Traffic across the globe.
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- Cultural Exchange Coordinator
- Description: Facilitate cultural exchange programs between international participants. Organize language classes, community events, and immersive experiences to foster understanding and friendship.
- Earnings Potential: $500 to $2,000 per program, depending on duration and scale.
- How to Start: Establish connections with local communities, create program outlines, and market services to potential participants.
- Investment: Low to Moderate – Marketing expenses, event coordination.
- Skillset: Cross-cultural communication, program management, community engagement.
- Learning: Cultural exchange workshops, collaboration with experienced coordinators.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Positive impact on cultural understanding, potential for repeat programs; requires community building and logistical coordination.
- Language Tutoring and Translation Services
- Description: Leverage language proficiency gained during Peace Corps service to offer tutoring or translation services. Assist students or businesses in language learning or document translation.
- Earnings Potential: $20 to $50 per hour, depending on language and expertise.
- How to Start: Identify target languages, create tutoring materials, and market services locally or through online platforms.
- Investment: Minimal – Online tutoring platform fees, marketing materials.
- Skillset: Language proficiency, teaching, translation.
- Learning: Language tutoring courses, collaboration with experienced tutors.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Flexible hours, educational impact; may require adapting to different learning styles.
- Sustainable Agriculture Consultant
- Description: Share knowledge gained in sustainable agriculture projects during Peace Corps service. Provide consultation to local farmers or community gardens on eco-friendly and efficient farming practices.
- Earnings Potential: $30 to $100 per consultation, depending on the scale and scope of projects.
- How to Start: Build relationships with local farmers, obtain necessary certifications, and market services through agricultural networks.
- Investment: Low to Moderate – Certification fees, marketing materials.
- Skillset: Sustainable agriculture, project management, community outreach.
- Learning: Sustainable agriculture workshops, collaboration with experienced consultants.
- Success Rate: Moderate to High.
- Pros and Cons: Positive environmental impact, potential for community development; may require adapting practices to local contexts.
- Online Language and Culture Courses
- Description: Develop and teach online courses on language learning and cultural understanding. Cater to a global audience interested in expanding their linguistic and cultural knowledge.
- Earnings Potential: $50 to $200 per course, depending on enrollment and course content.
- How to Start: Design course curriculum, create online presence, and market courses through educational platforms.
- Investment: Moderate – Online course platforms, marketing expenses.
- Skillset: Course development, online teaching, cross-cultural communication.
- Learning: Online teaching courses, collaboration with experienced educators.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Global reach, flexible schedule; requires effective online course marketing.
- Eco-Tourism Guide
- Description: Utilize knowledge of local ecosystems and cultural practices to become an eco-tourism guide. Lead sustainable and educational tours for nature enthusiasts.
- Earnings Potential: $50 to $150 per person, depending on the type and duration of the tour.
- How to Start: Obtain necessary certifications, create tour packages, and market services through eco-tourism platforms.
- Investment: Moderate – Certification fees, outdoor gear.
- Skillset: Environmental knowledge, guiding, storytelling.
- Learning: Eco-tourism courses, collaboration with experienced guides.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Positive impact on local conservation efforts, potential for repeat clients; may require adapting to different client preferences.
- Grant Writing Services
- Description: Apply grant writing skills developed during Peace Corps service to assist local organizations or businesses in securing funding. Help them articulate their missions and projects effectively.
- Earnings Potential: $500 to $2,000 per grant proposal, depending on complexity and success rate.
- How to Start: Build a portfolio, establish connections with local organizations, and market services through networking.
- Investment: Low – Grant writing tools, marketing materials.
- Skillset: Grant writing, project management, community engagement.
- Learning: Grant writing workshops, collaboration with experienced grant writers.
- Success Rate: Moderate to High.
- Pros and Cons: Direct impact on community projects, potential for long-term partnerships; may require staying updated on funding opportunities.
- Outdoor Adventure Planner
- Description: Combine a passion for the outdoors with organizational skills to plan and lead adventure trips. Curate unique experiences, from hiking excursions to camping trips.
- Earnings Potential: $200 to $1,000 per trip, depending on duration and services provided.
- How to Start: Obtain necessary permits, create adventure packages, and market services through outdoor and travel platforms.
- Investment: Moderate – Outdoor equipment, marketing expenses.
- Skillset: Outdoor skills, trip planning, leadership.
- Learning: Outdoor adventure courses, collaboration with experienced planners.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Fulfills a demand for unique outdoor experiences, potential for repeat clients; requires thorough planning and safety measures.
- Online Coaching in Soft Skills
- Description: Leverage interpersonal skills gained during Peace Corps service to offer online coaching in soft skills. Help individuals improve communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities.
- Earnings Potential: $30 to $100 per coaching session, depending on expertise and client base.
- How to Start: Identify target audience, create coaching programs, and market services through online platforms.
- Investment: Minimal – Online coaching tools, marketing materials.
- Skillset: Soft skills coaching, communication, empathy.
- Learning: Soft skills coaching courses, collaboration with experienced coaches.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Positive impact on personal and professional development, flexible schedule; may require building an online presence.
- Online Artisanal Marketplace
- Description: Provide a platform for local artisans to sell their handmade products globally. Use connections established during Peace Corps service to source unique, culturally significant items.
- Earnings Potential: Commission-based, with earnings varying per sale.
- How to Start: Build an online marketplace, establish relationships with artisans, and market products through e-commerce platforms.
- Investment: Low to Moderate – E-commerce platform fees, marketing expenses.
- Skillset: E-commerce management, relationship-building, cultural appreciation.
- Learning: Online marketplace management courses, collaboration with experienced e-commerce entrepreneurs.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Empowers local artisans, global market reach; requires ethical sourcing and marketing strategies.
- Global Remote Internship Programs
- Description: Develop and facilitate remote internship programs connecting international students with organizations or businesses in need of virtual support.
- Earnings Potential: $500 to $2,000 per intern, depending on the duration and scope of the program.
- How to Start: Create internship programs, establish partnerships with businesses, and market services to educational institutions.
- Investment: Low to Moderate – Marketing expenses, internship program development.
- Skillset: Program management, cross-cultural communication, virtual collaboration.
- Learning: Remote internship program development courses, collaboration with experienced program coordinators.
- Success Rate: Moderate.
- Pros and Cons: Positive impact on global education, potential for long-term partnerships; requires effective program management and cultural sensitivity.
These ten side hustles offer Peace Corps volunteers a range of opportunities to continue their mission of creating positive change while also earning supplemental income. From leveraging language skills to promoting sustainable practices and facilitating cross-cultural understanding, these side hustles empower volunteers to use their unique experiences for both personal and community growth. Whether choosing to embark on eco-tourism adventures, become cultural exchange coordinators, or develop online coaching programs, Peace Corps volunteers can find fulfilling and impactful ways to navigate the transition from service to side hustle.
