This Side Hustle Could Make You Thousands While You Sleep

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When most people think of passive income, they envision something that happens in the background while they're out doing things they enjoy. Many common side hustles don't fit that bill. But for those willing to make an upfront investment, it might be possible to turn this dream into a reality.

If you have some extra cash and a little technical know-how, here's one easy business model that could make you hundreds or thousands of dollars while you sleep.

It's almost like printing money

Chances are, you've probably seen news stories about 3D printers and you've heard people talk about their capacity to revolutionize the way we live. A lot of people still see them as novelties. But there's real potential there for those willing to invest in this new technology.

Even small machines can build little toys and gadgets you could sell through an online store. All you have to do is advertise what you can make and, when a customer places an order, tell the 3D printer what to do. When it's done, ship it to the customer and put the extra cash in your bank account.

If you're willing to invest a little more money, you can go beyond toys and make functional items. High-end 3D printers are capable of printing metal, as well as plastic. If you have a scanner tool, all you have to do is scan the object you want to print and it'll quickly create instructions you can pass along to your 3D printer. There's little programming knowledge required.

With more knowledge of design programs, you could even create items completely from your own imagination. This could be anything from chess pieces to wall art. The sky's the limit.

Shouldering the upfront costs

There are a couple of challenges with a 3D printing business. The first is that there can be a steep learning curve, depending on the tools you use and what you want to make. You'll no doubt overcome some of this with practice, but you may want to invest in some 3D printing or computer-aided design courses so you can hone your skills.

The bigger barrier for most people is cost. The cheapest models cost around $200, but you can expect to spend at least $2,500 for anything that's considered professional quality. The cost of the largest and most versatile models can run well into the six figures. And that's just for the machine itself.

You'll also have to pay for the filaments needed to print your designs. And if you're interested in a scanning tool to speed up the design process, you'll have to buy one of these as well. Then there's the cost of selling online. If you use a marketplace website, you'll probably have to give a cut of your sales to the marketplace.

If this is problematic for you, consider starting small. Buy a low-end model at first. If you charge it to a business credit card, you might even earn some rewards that you could invest in future materials. Then, use the money you make from your first sales plus any extra cash you're able to scrape together to finance a better 3D printer in the future. You could then sell your old one or keep it, so you can potentially fill multiple customer orders at the same time.

This isn't the sort of business that will make you an overnight success. It definitely takes time to build up a customer base and learn how to make the best use of your tools. But once you've got it up and running, it's a pretty low-effort way to make money.

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