The King of Side Hustles Nick Loper: These Are the Businesses to Start in 2026

Welcome to Market Movers: Building Brands & Links with Linkifi! Your go-to podcast for transforming your business into an unforgettable brand where branding meets SEO and link-building. I’m Chris Panteli, Co-Founder & CEO of Linkifi, and I’m joined by my co-host and Co-Founder, Nick Biggs.

In this episode we welcome Nick Loper — founder of Side Hustle Nation and host of The Side Hustle Show (~700 episodes). Nick shares a decade+ of patterns from thousands of stories: what still works, what AI can’t replace, and how to go from first $1k to meaningful freedom.

 

Key Talking Points

✅ From Amazon-Everything to Real-World Moats — The shift from Kindle/FBA/Merch/Influencer to local services, value-add directories, and UGC that brands pay for ✅ Recurring > One-Off — The $180/mo website model (templates + a 2-year term) and other subscription playbooks that print margin ✅ Simple Services, Superior Ops — Cleaning, window/pressure washing, consignment: answer fast, quote clearly, re-book—and you’ll win ✅ Directories That Outlive AI — “Near me” sites that layer useful filters/data over Maps; local, niche, and defensible ✅ UGC as a Retainer Business — Short, hooky brand videos (followers optional); shift to $3–5k/mo retainers for predictable content ✅ AI as a Power Tool — Use it for editing passes, B-roll pulls, SOPs, code scaffolding—keep humans for claims, compliance, and taste ✅ Experimenter Mindset — Take step 1, ship, get feedback; tomorrow looks like today unless you act

 

Quotes from Nick Loper

📢 “I built the show I wanted to hear—skip the theory, show me the steps.” 📢 “If I don’t do anything, tomorrow looks like today—that didn’t sit well with me.” 📢 “Local services win by being the better administrator—pick up the phone, follow up, re-book.” 📢 “Directories still work—if you add utility beyond a list.” 📢 “AI is a power tool, not autopilot—use it to accelerate, keep humans in the loop.”

 

Actionable Insights

 

🚀 Recurring Revenue Playbooks

• Flip project work to monthly packages (web builds, maintenance, reporting). Breakeven in 1–2 months, margin thereafter.
• Add 2-year terms + reduced “maintenance-only” pricing after the term to lock in LTV.

 

🏠 Local Service Edge

• Win on speed & certainty: answer within minutes, give transparent pricing windows, and ask, “Want me to book the next visit now?”
• Build “neighbor virality”: before/afters, yard signs, leave-behind offers, and a referral bonus for houses on the same street.

 

🗺️ Directories That Rank & Convert

• Start one city × one niche; add 3–5 filters the user actually needs (availability, price bands, specialties).
• Enrich with phone/email CTAs, FAQs, mini guides, and a short comparison grid.

 

🎬 UGC That Brands Buy

• Create 5–10 spec videos for products you already use; pitch 10 brands with a retainer (2–4 videos/month) vs. one-offs.
• They don’t need your following—they need on-brand creative for their ads/social.

 

🤖 AI in Your Workflow (Guardrails On)

• Podcast/video: first-pass trims, summaries, B-roll suggestions; human final cut.
• Content: outlines, angle ideation, drafts; human fact checks and tone.
• Ops: draft SOPs, client emails, proposal shells; lock down sensitive data.

 

🧠 Mindset & Momentum

• Adopt test-and-tune: ship a tiny offer, gather signal, iterate.
• Track leading indicators (response time, quotes sent, trials booked) as much as revenue.

 

Side Hustle Examples Nick Highlighted

• $100k/mo Web Studio via low-friction monthly website packages (niche + templates + fast edits)
• Unconventional Rentals: portable hot tubs/saunas with simple logistics and visible, seasonal demand
• Teaching → Agency: video-game classes scaled into a multi-instructor business
• Mobile Notary / Loan Signing: low barrier, rides financing/refi waves
• Amazon Influencer: 25–50 evergreen product videos → ongoing micro-payouts

 

Nick’s Short List (If He Had a Free Weekend)

• Near-Me Directories (AI-resistant, scalable once templated)
• Pressure Washing (cheap gear, fast ROI, “neighbor virality”)

 

About Nick Loper

Nick Loper