What this tool does

The Side Income Finder helps you work out which ways of earning extra money actually suit you, rather than sending you down a list of generic ideas that may not fit your life. You tell it a bit about yourself and it points you towards options that match what you can realistically do.

The suggestions cover things like freelance work using skills you already have, selling items or services online, local jobs you can pick up around your week, and slower-burn ideas that can bring in a bit of money over time.

Who it is for

It is aimed at people in the UK who want a second income alongside a main job, parents fitting work around childcare, students, retirees topping up a pension, and anyone between jobs looking for short term earnings. It is also useful if you have a general feeling that you should be making more but no clear idea where to start.

It is less useful if you are looking for full career change advice, or if you already run an established business and want growth tactics. The focus here is on extra income that sits on top of what you already do.

How it works

You answer a handful of short questions about your skills, the hours you can spare each week, whether you want to work from home or locally, and any kit or qualifications you have. The tool then gives you a plain English summary of ideas worth considering, with a rough note on effort and how quickly money might come in. Nothing you enter is saved, and you do not need to sign up or give an email address. If the first set of results does not feel right, you can change your answers and run it again as many times as you like.

Treat the output as a starting point for your own research, not a guarantee of earnings. Tax rules, including the trading allowance and reporting side income to HMRC, will apply depending on how much you make.