Which side hustles can you start in the Netherlands to earn money online?

Which side hustles fall under e-commerce?

E-commerce is one of the most popular ways to earn money online: you sell products or services online. The following six side hustles fall under this.

1. Start a dropshipping business

Dropshipping is an e-commerce model where you sell products you don’t keep in stock yourself. Instead, you buy the product from a third party after you’ve sold it, and they ship it directly to the customer.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to sell your products on (such as Shopify or WooCommerce), and products to sell

2. Start with print on demand

Print on demand is an e-commerce model where you sell customised products, such as t-shirts, mugs, posters and more, which are only printed after a customer places an order.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to sell your products on (such as Shopify or WooCommerce), and products to sell.

3. Sell digital products

Digital products, such as e-books, digital courses, software, music and more, can be a lucrative way to earn money online. Because they’re digital, you don’t need physical stock and overhead costs are low.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to sell your products on (such as Shopify or WooCommerce), and products to sell.

4. Make unique products to sell online

If you’re creative and enjoy making unique, handmade products, you might consider selling them.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to sell your products on (such as Shopify or WooCommerce), and products to sell.

5. Sell on online marketplaces

Online marketplaces like bol and Amazon give you access to a large existing audience. The advantage is that these platforms have a large customer base; the disadvantage is that you compete with other sellers and give up a percentage of your sales to the platform. If you want to get started with this, read what you need to start selling on bol, and whether selling on bol is still worth it in 2026.

• Startup: 3-5 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 5-7 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, products to sell, and you need to register as a seller on the online marketplace. To be able to sell on bol you also need to be registered with the KVK for 10 weeks before you can open your store there.

6. Sell through your own webshop

Setting up your own webshop gives you full control over your brand, your products and your customer relationships. The downside is that you’re responsible yourself for attracting customers to your webshop.

• Startup: 3-4 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 4-5 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to set up your webshop on (such as Shopify or WooCommerce), products to sell, and you need to invest in marketing to attract customers to your webshop.

Why does data matter in e-commerce?

In e-commerce, data determines the choices you make: which products you add, how you optimise your product pages, how findable you are, and how much profit is left over. Whether you sell through your own webshop or through a marketplace, data lets you base those choices on evidence instead of guesswork.

If you sell on bol, our tool MarktMentor helps with that: it maps out demand, competition and your margins, specifically for bol. Dive into market research on bol, for example, to determine which products have potential, and read step by step how you reach your first 1,000 euros in revenue on bol.

What other ways are there to earn money online?

Besides e-commerce there are many other ways to earn money online, from services and content creation to tech. The following fourteen ideas fall under that.

7. Become an online coach or consultant

If you have expertise in a certain area, you might consider becoming an online coach or consultant. You can help clients reach their goals, solve problems, or improve their skills.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to offer your coaching or consulting services on (such as your own website or a coaching platform like Coach.me), and the skills and experience to provide effective coaching or consulting.

8. Become an online tutor

If you’re good at a particular subject, such as maths, science, or a foreign language, you might consider becoming an online tutor. You can help students improve their study skills, prepare for exams, or understand new concepts.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 1-3 months
• Requirements: If you start on your own you need a KVK number. If you don’t want to start your own service, you need to register on a platform to offer your tutoring services (such as Tutor.com or Chegg Tutors), and the skills and experience to provide effective tutoring.

9. Become a freelance writer

If you have a talent for writing, you might consider becoming a freelance writer. You can write articles, blog posts, web content and more for various clients.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 1-5 months
• Requirements: A platform to offer your writing services on (such as Upwork or Fiverr), strong writing skills, possibly a KVK registration and an audience.

10. Become a virtual assistant

As a virtual assistant you can carry out a wide range of tasks for clients, such as email management, calendar management, bookkeeping and more.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Low
• First income: 1-2 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to offer your services on (such as Upwork or Fiverr), and strong organisational and communication skills.

11. Become a social media manager

As a social media manager you manage companies' social media accounts, create content, respond to comments, and analyse the results to improve the social media strategy.

• Startup: 1-3 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 1-4 months
• Requirements: A platform to offer your services on (such as Upwork or Fiverr) or a place to build a network, knowledge of social media strategies and analytics, and possibly a KVK number if you’re not working for an employer.

12. Become an affiliate marketer

As an affiliate marketer you promote products or services from other companies and earn a commission for every sale or lead you generate.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Low
• First income: 1-2 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to carry out your affiliate marketing activities on (such as your own website or social media channels), and you need to sign up for affiliate programmes.

13. Become a blogger

As a blogger you can earn money by placing ads on your blog, writing sponsored posts, selling products and more.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need to set up your own site or have a platform to write on, and possibly apply for a KVK registration. You also need to invest time and effort in creating content and promoting your blog.

14. Become a YouTuber

As a YouTuber you can earn money by placing ads on your videos, making sponsored videos, selling products and more.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: A YouTube channel, you need to invest time and effort in creating videos and promoting your channel, and possibly a KVK number if you want to expand your commercial activities.

15. Become a podcast host

As a podcast host you can earn money by placing ads in your podcasts, making sponsored episodes, selling products and more.

• Startup: 2-4 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 3-6 months
• Requirements: A platform to set up your podcast on (such as Anchor or Podbean), and you need to invest time and effort in creating episodes and promoting your podcast.

16. Become an online course creator

If you have expertise in a certain area, you might consider creating and selling an online course.

• Startup: 2-4 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 4-6 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a platform to set up your course on (such as Udemy or Teachable), you need to invest time and effort in creating the course and marketing it to an audience.

17. Become a stock photographer

If you have a talent for photography, you might consider selling your photos on stock photo websites.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 1-2 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, a camera, and you need to upload your photos to stock photo websites (such as Shutterstock or Adobe Stock).

18. Become a graphic designer

If you have a talent for graphic design, you might consider offering your services to clients.

• Startup: 1-2 months
• Difficulty: High
• First income: 2-4 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, graphic design software (such as Adobe Illustrator), and a platform to offer your services on (such as Upwork or Fiverr).

19. Become an app developer

If you have app development skills, you might consider developing and selling your own apps, or offering your services to clients.

• Startup: 8-24 months
• Difficulty: Very high
• First income: 12-24 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, app development skills, and a platform to sell your apps or offer your services on (such as the App Store, Google Play, or Upwork).

20. Become an SEO consultant

If you have knowledge of search engine optimisation (SEO), you might consider offering your services to companies that want to improve their online visibility.

• Startup: 2-4 months
• Difficulty: Medium
• First income: 3-6 months
• Requirements: You need a KVK number, knowledge of SEO, and a platform to offer your services on (such as Upwork or Fiverr).

Which side hustle fits you?

Choose the side hustle that fits your skills, your interests and the time you have. These are twenty of the many ways to earn money online in 2025; the best choice depends on what you’re able to do and what you enjoy. Building an online income takes time and effort and results aren’t guaranteed, but with persistence, a serious online business is achievable.