The Ultimate Glossary of Side Hustle Words and Phrases for 2025
If you’re considering starting a side hustle, you’re going to run into a lot of jargon.
The thing about side hustles is that you have to handle everything yourself – at least in the early days. This means you have to have a working knowledge of pretty much every area of business.
Knowing the side hustle words and terms you’re likely to run into will help you understand business concepts, follow industry conversations, and communicate like a pro.
Whether you're launching your first venture or scaling an existing one, this glossary will be your go-to guide for all the essential terminology you’ll encounter in 2025.
Below you can see the most common terms you’ll run into in your side hustle journey, ranging from marketing specific, to key business concepts.
The Ultimate Glossary of Side Hustle Words
Affiliate Marketing: A strategy where you earn a commission for promoting someone else’s product or service, typically through tracked referral links.
Automation: The use of tools or software to complete repetitive tasks without manual input, like scheduling social media posts or sending email sequences.
Bootstrapping: Starting a business with minimal external funding, relying on personal savings or reinvesting profits to grow.
Brand Identity: The visual and emotional elements that represent your brand, including logos, colour schemes, and tone of voice.
Learn about building a stunning brand identity here.
Break-Even Point: The stage at which your side hustle’s revenue covers its expenses, meaning you’re no longer operating at a loss.
Cash Flow: The movement of money in and out of your business, reflecting how much cash is available at any given time.
Content Marketing: Creating and sharing valuable content (like blog posts or videos) to attract and engage an audience, eventually driving sales.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of people who take a desired action, like buying a product or subscribing to a newsletter, after engaging with your content.
Dropshipping: A retail model where you sell products without holding inventory. When a customer buys, the order is sent to a supplier who ships the product directly to them.
Digital Product: A product that exists in a digital format, like an ebook, online course, or printable template, which can be sold and delivered online. Discover five essential digital products for all businesses here.
E-commerce: The buying and selling of products or services online through platforms like Shopify, Etsy, or your own website.
Email List: A collection of email addresses gathered from subscribers, which you can use for marketing and building customer relationships. This can also be referred to as a newsletter subscriber list.
Freelancing: Offering services on a contract or project basis rather than working as a permanent employee, often in areas like writing, design, or consulting.
Funnel (or Sales Funnel): The journey potential customers take, from discovering your brand to making a purchase, typically involving several stages of engagement.
Gig Economy: A labour market characterised by short-term, flexible jobs, where individuals take on temporary or freelance work instead of full-time employment.
Growth Hacking: Experimenting with unconventional marketing tactics to rapidly grow your side hustle’s audience and revenue.
Income Streams: Different ways you make money from your side hustle, like selling products, offering services, or earning through ads and affiliate links.
Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with social media influencers to promote your products or services to their audience.
Lead Magnet: A free resource offered in exchange for someone’s contact details (usually an email address), helping you build your email list.
Lifestyle Business: A business designed to sustain your desired lifestyle, prioritising flexibility and freedom over aggressive growth.
Monetisation: The process of generating revenue from your side hustle, whether through selling products, running ads, or offering subscriptions.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A simplified version of your product with just enough features to test its viability and gather feedback.
Niche: A specialised segment of a market, like sustainable fashion or pet photography, where you can focus your side hustle to stand out. Learn how to find your own niche here.
Networking: Building professional relationships that can lead to collaborations, referrals, or learning opportunities for your side hustle.
Passive Income: Money earned with minimal ongoing effort, like royalties from a book, ad revenue from a blog, or sales of a digital product.
Personal Brand: The unique combination of skills, values, and personality that defines how you present yourself online and in business.
Recurring Revenue: Consistent income generated on a regular basis, such as through subscription models or retainers.
ROI (Return on Investment): A measure of how much profit you make compared to the amount you invest in your side hustle, helping you evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies.
Scalability: The ability of your side hustle to grow and handle increased demand without a proportional increase in effort or costs.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation): The process of optimising your website or content to rank higher in search engine results and attract organic traffic.
Grab our totally free SEO checklist for online articles here!
Solopreneur: An entrepreneur who runs their business single-handedly, handling everything from product creation to marketing and customer service.
Target Audience: The specific group of people most likely to benefit from and buy your products or services, guiding your marketing efforts.
Time Blocking: A productivity technique where you schedule specific blocks of time for different tasks, helping you stay organised and focused.
Value Proposition: The unique benefit or solution your side hustle offers, explaining why customers should choose you over competitors.
Virtual Assistant (VA): A remote worker who provides administrative, technical, or creative support to entrepreneurs and businesses.
Conclusion
Having a solid grasp of side hustle words and phrases can be a game-changer for your entrepreneurial journey!
It empowers you to engage with business content more effectively, communicate with confidence, and make informed decisions for your side hustle’s growth.
Do you want to start a new side hustle to earn some extra income? Check out these easy side hustles you can start with ZERO investment right now!
