Expanding your earning potential as a hospitality professional means picking a side hustle that is not only lucrative, but also aligned with your skills and interests. That way it won’t feel like work, but will still let you get paid.
To show you what’s out there, here are a few ideas and options which will give you a starting point for your own side hustle adventures.
Hosting Cooking Classes
If you’re a hospitality professional, chances are you have an impressive cooking repertoire. So why not monetize your culinary expertise by hosting cooking classes?
This could be an in-person event or conducted online to reach even more attendees. You’d be surprised at how many people would pay for lessons, especially if they come from a trained professional like yourself!
Furthermore, this side hustle allows for creativity and flexibility while capitalizing on your established skills set.
Managing Vacation Rentals
With vacation rental websites booming, there’s a considerable opportunity in managing these properties. As a hospitality professional, you already have the skills and knowledge needed to keep guests happy.
Your role would include vetting potential renters, coordinating cleaning services after each stay and handling any issues that arise during rentals.
What makes this side hustle particularly appealing is the ability to work remotely most of the time, which is an advantage if flexibility is what you’re after. Plus with commission-based earnings per booking, your income can be significant.
Setting Up a Meal Kit Delivery Service
Imagine the convenience of having pre-portioned, ready-to-cook meals delivered at your doorstep. That’s essentially what meal kit delivery services offer.
If you have culinary creativity and logistical skills to match, setting up this type of business could make for an excellent side hustle. Just be sure to check out the competition when planning your delivery business. For instance, order from EveryPlate to see how the experts do it. Learn from these industry leaders so you can craft an irresistible offering in an ever-growing market.
Establishing a Specialty Catering Business
If you have a signature dish or unique cooking style, this is another asset that you can turn into cash by establishing a specialty catering business.
Your background in hospitality will play an integral role here, allowing you to design menus, manage customer relations, handle logistics and more. From serving at award parties and weddings to regular company meetings, the possibilities are endless with this side hustle!
You can even match your business according to market requirements. Whether that’s low-carb diets, vegan options, gluten-free choices, or anything else, tailoring to specific niches could lead to commanding higher price points and acquiring steady clientele.
Starting a Wine Consulting Agency
Wine consulting could be an appealing way to supplement your income if you’ve got the nose and palate for it. With this venture, your role would involve advising clients on wine purchases, cellar management, food pairing or even hosting wine-tasting events.
You could provide services to individuals, restaurants or corporate clients seeking expert input on their wine selection. As a hospitality professional with a penchant for vino, such an enterprise would make full use of your knowledge and love for the craft.
Launching an Event Planning Enterprise
If organizing comes naturally to you and attention to detail is essentially your middle name, launching an event planning enterprise could be the perfect fit.
This side hustle involves taking charge of every aspect of an event, from conceptualization to execution. You draw on your hospitality expertise to ensure events run smoothly and clients are satisfied.
From small corporate meetings to large-scale weddings, there’s never a shortage of events needing expert handlers. And of course this gig allows for networking that may spark other business opportunities or lead you into exciting new avenues within the industry.
Running a Home-Based Bed and Breakfast
You can turn your home into a source of income by running a bed and breakfast. If you’ve got an unused room or an annex, this is a great way to put them into use.
As a hospitality professional, every detail matters, from the quality of furnishings right down to the menu for breakfast. It’s all about making guests feel comfortable while giving them an immersive local experience. Think homemade meals, personalized tips on locale exploration and beyond.
Creating Food-and-Travel Blogs
Lastly, think about leveraging your expertise in food and hospitality by starting a blog focused on these interests.
You could use this platform to share insider tips, authentic recipes, restaurant reviews or snippets from your travels to food capitals across the world. You might be surprised how many people are intrigued by culinary adventures!
As you grow followers via engaging content, monetizing opportunities can pop up, including affiliate marketing or sponsored post proposals.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth restating that a hospitality-focused side hustle has to be something you enjoy, or else it will only add to your daily stress, and the financial rewards might not be worth it.