Here is a side hustle that you can start up in your home with just a little bit of startup capital.

While this is a fairly easy side hustle start, it has the potential to become something very large if you find the right niche and audience.

How to Start:

• Find Your Niche: This step is pretty much the same for anything you start. Try to find a niche that isn't completely saturated. Look for items that you would find useful on a daily basis. Scan marketplaces like Etsy for inspiration and to check market saturation.
• Purchase a Printer: Printers have drastically come down in price over the years. A nice mid-tier printer to get you started can be had for under $200. The Creality Ender 3 is a great printer to get started with. It is extremely reliable but also has a huge community behind it, so troubleshooting should be easy enough if you encounter any issues.
• Learn Some Design Software: This step will take you a little while to get going. Spend a bit of time reading or watching Youtube videos on how to design 3d files. There are plenty of free software programs available to design with. I personally use TinkerCad for most of my files, as my needs are pretty basic.
• Set Up Shop: As mentioned previously, Etsy is a great place to sell your 3D-printed items. It is easy to set up and costs very little to get going. It would also be a good idea to set up some social media accounts to showcase your items.

The hardest part of this side hustle is probably finding your niche. To expand on what I mentioned earlier, some of the product ideas will just come to you in your day to day life. Since owning a 3d printer, I have printed dozens of things that I just couldn't locate in stores, seemed too expensive, or just too unique. Most recently I needed some end caps for a Thule roof rack. I could purchase them online for about $15 a piece (there are 4 of them). I almost had them ordered, but then realized I could probably design something within 30 minutes and have 4 of them printed by the time I went to bed.

Another resource for some inspiration is Thingiverse. This is a collection of individuals who upload their creations for you to print for free. Do Not just think that you can sell these on Etsy and call it a day. The creators upload these for personal use and are not allowed to be used commercially. Instead, browse around and look at some of the crazy things that people come up with to help boost your creativity.