Nick Loper

Nick Loper is a side hustle expert who loves helping people earn more money and start businesses they care about. He hosts the award-winning Side Hustle Show, where he's interviewed over 500 successful entrepreneurs, and is the bestselling author of Buy Buttons, The Side Hustle, and $1,000 100 Ways. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Forbes, TIME, Newsweek, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo Finance, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Hubspot, Ahrefs, Shopify, Investopedia, VICE, Vox, Mashable, ChooseFI, The Penny Hoarder, GoBankingRates, and more.

$1,000 Per Postcard: The Every Door Direct Mail Side Hustle

January 22, 2026January 22, 2026

What if you could turn every mailbox in your neighborhood into a $1,000 payday?

That’s exactly what Rachel and Dalton from Big Sky Automation have been doing with Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) postcards.

Here’s the idea: the Postal Service lets you deliver a postcard to every home on a mail route for about $0.25 apiece. You can use that to advertise your own business — or you can do what Rachel and Dalton do and sell that exposure to other local businesses.

By stacking multiple advertisers onto a single oversized postcard, they spread out the cost, create an affordable local advertising product, and keep the difference as profit.

They’ve mailed 20 postcards in about seven months, so this isn’t a one-off experiment. In this episode, they break down exactly how the model works — and why it keeps businesses coming back.

(Want to learn how to do this in your own area? Check out their free mini course at CommunityCardPlaybook.com)

Does it Make Sense to Buy a Franchise as a Side Hustle?

January 15, 2026January 15, 2026

This side hustle model has a lower failure rate than most independent startups. You get to follow a proven playbook for success. But is it the right path for you?

Today we’re exploring the strategy of franchises as a side hustle, buying into somebody else’s brand and system instead of starting completely from scratch.

Done right, today’s guest says it can replace your income in 2 to 3 years on a part-time basis.

Greg Mohr is the author of Real Freedom, Why Franchises Are Worth Considering and How They Can Be Used for Building Wealth. He runs FranchiseMaven.com.

Apex Focus Group Review: $750/Week Legit or Scam?

January 21, 2026January 13, 2026

Apex Focus Group is a legit resource to find paid market research studies. But there are enough red flags that it wouldn’t be my first choice in this field.

Still, paid focus groups are a fun and easy way to make extra money. That’s one reason why we’ve been covering them for years on Side Hustle Nation.

21 Ways to Make Money on the Weekend: $500+ a Month

January 23, 2026January 13, 2026

Picking up a new side hustle or weekend job can be a great way to make extra money.

In fact, more people than ever are doing just that. Per the U.S. Census Bureau report, about 13M U.S workers have more than one job.

In this post, I’ll share some of the most popular weekend jobs–and hopefully a few you’ve never thought of too!

Is Prolific Legit? (Here’s Our Honest Review!)

January 22, 2026January 12, 2026

Prolific.com is an online research platform that pays you for your opinion and feedback.

It’s a legit and easy way to make money online that pays much better than “micro task” sites like Clickworker and Mechanical Turk.

In fact, one Side Hustle Nation reader reported earning £300 in a couple of months of part-time effort on Prolific.

The 7 Best Side Hustle Podcasts for Business Ideas and Inspiration

January 12, 2026

Side hustle podcasts offer an easy way to learn from successful entrepreneurs while you commute, exercise, or tackle your daily tasks.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling an existing venture, these shows deliver the insights you need to succeed.

Willpower 101: 8 Ways to Strengthen This Critical Success Muscle

January 12, 2026January 12, 2026

Willpower predicts academic and professional success better than IQ, or charisma, or having rich parents.

It’s not the only ingredient in our success recipe, but it’s a critical one — and one I certainly struggle with at times.

So how do we get more of it?

20 Ways to Make Money Using Canva: Up to $10k a Month

January 22, 2026January 10, 2026

It seems like everyone is using Canva, but few recognize the platform’s full potential for making money.

The truth is Canva offers tons of money-making opportunities in products, services, and content.

Is Freecash Legit? Inside the “Most Rewarding GPT Site”

January 13, 2026January 10, 2026

Freecash claims to be “one of the most rewarding GPT websites in the world.”

(GPT = “get paid to…”)

But is Freecash legit? And how much can you really earn?

To find out, our independent app tester, Rachel, put Freecash to the test.

65 Alternative Investment Platforms to Earn Stronger Returns, Build Cash Flow, and Diversify Your Portfolio

January 16, 2026January 10, 2026

I’ve been excited about alternative investments since my early days as an aspiring real estate investor and peer-to-peer loan shark.

If you’re bored/scared/disillusioned with the “traditional” stock market and mutual fund asset classes, or if you just are curious what else is out there, this post is for you.

The cool thing is we’re living in a golden age of alternative investment opportunities, and it was quite an undertaking to compile these options.

Usually Hustling, Occasionally Social