Why Everyone’s Starting a Shopify Side Hustle in 2025

Feeling the pressure to make extra money lately? You're not alone. With rising costs, unstable jobs, and side hustles popping up all over TikTok, it’s no surprise that more people are looking for simple ways to earn from home.

But here’s the good news: you don’t need to invest thousands or have any business experience to get started.

Thanks to Shopify’s $1/month deal, launching your own online store has never been easier or more affordable. Whether you want to sell trending products, something handmade, or just test out a business idea, Shopify gives you the tools to do it without the stress.

In this post, I’ll show you how everyday people (not tech pros or influencers) are building real online income using Shopify and how you can do the same with almost no upfront cost.

🧠 How to Make Extra Money Online with a $1 Shopify Store (Step-by-Step)

💼 Why Everyone’s Starting a Shopify Side Hustle in 2025

Feeling the pressure to make extra money lately? You're not alone. With rising costs, unpredictable job markets, and financial goals that aren’t getting any closer, more people are looking for simple, low-risk ways to earn from home.

The good news? You don’t need to invest thousands or be a tech expert to launch your own business.

Thanks to Shopify’s $1/month offer, you can start your very own online store and test out a real side hustle—with full access to everything you need for the first three months. Whether you want to sell trending products, handmade items, or digital goods, Shopify gives you the tools to do it without the overwhelm.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to start (even if you’re on a budget), what you can sell, and how people are making real money with Shopify in 2025.

🛍️ What is Shopify, and Why It Works

Shopify isn’t a side hustle itself—it’s the platform that powers your side hustle.

Unlike Amazon or Etsy, Shopify isn’t a marketplace. It’s a website builder that lets you create your own branded online store where you control everything—from what you sell to how you design it and who you market to.

It’s used by millions of sellers, from first-time entrepreneurs to growing ecommerce brands, because it’s:

• Beginner-friendly

• Mobile-optimized

• Customizable

• Connected to apps that make everything easier (like dropshipping, digital downloads, and order tracking)

🔎 What Can You Sell on Shopify?

Here are four of the easiest and most popular ways to make money on Shopify:

✅ 1. Dropshipping Products

No inventory, no packing, no shipping.
You sell a product from a supplier (like those on Zendrop or CJdropshipping), and they handle fulfillment. Your profit is the difference between what your customer pays and what you pay the supplier.

Trending product ideas:

• Smart kitchen tools

• LED lights

• Car organizers

• Pet grooming gadgets

✅ 2. Print-on-Demand

Upload your design. Sell the product. Let the printing company handle the rest.
You can sell custom mugs, t-shirts, phone cases, tote bags, and more using print-on-demand apps directly inside Shopify.

Popular ideas:

• Minimalist quote tees

• Funny coffee mugs

• Personalized gifts for teachers or pet owners

✅ 3. Digital Products

If you’ve created an ebook, template, budget planner, or printable, you can upload and sell it through Shopify with automatic delivery.

✅ 4. Handmade or Small-Batch Goods

Shopify is great for crafters too. Whether it’s jewellery, candles, or skincare, you can list and manage your inventory professionally in just a few clicks.

💻 How to Get Started for Just $1

Shopify is offering a powerful deal for new users: just $1/month for your first 3 months after the free trial. That means you can build and run your entire store for less than the cost of a coffee.

Here’s how to start:

1. Go to the Shopify free trial page (insert your affiliate link here)

2. Sign up with your email

3. Choose the Basic Plan when prompted to unlock the $1/month deal

4. Cancel anytime within 3 months if it’s not for you

During this time, you can:

• Set up your store

• Add products

• Customize your brand

• Start testing content or even make your first sales

It’s a low-risk way to test your side hustle without worrying about upfront costs.

🎨 How to Design Your Shopify Store to Look Professional (Even If You’re Not a Designer)

Once you’ve added a product (or a few), the next step is making your store look trustworthy, clean, and ready for customers. And the best part? Shopify handles most of the design work for you.

You don’t need to be a graphic designer or spend hours customizing everything. Here’s how to keep it simple and effective:

✅ Step 1: Choose a Clean, Mobile-Friendly Theme

Inside your Shopify dashboard, go to Online Store > Themes. The platform comes with a built-in theme called Dawn—which is free, fast, and fully optimized for mobile (which is important since most people shop from their phones).
You can stick with Dawn or browse other free themes in the Shopify Theme Store.

✅ Step 2: Customize Your Store with Drag-and-Drop

Click Customize on your chosen theme. You’ll be able to:

• Add your store name or logo

• Change colors and fonts to match your brand

• Edit homepage sections (like banners, featured products, testimonials)

• Create simple navigation and product pages

Keep it clean and focused; don’t overwhelm your visitors with too much at once. A few great photos and clear calls to action go a long way.

✅ Step 3: Preview Everything on Mobile

Before publishing, click the mobile icon in the top-right corner of the editor. Shopify shows you exactly how your store will look on a phone.
Make sure your buttons are easy to click, your text is readable, and your images load quickly.

Pro Tip: Add a "Featured Product" or "Best Sellers" section on the homepage to guide first-time visitors. It builds trust and helps them decide faster.

📢 How to Get Sales Without Spending on Ads

You’ve set up your store, picked a product, and made it look clean and professional. Now the big question is: how do you actually get people to buy?

Here’s what most beginners don’t realize:
You don’t need to spend hundreds on ads to make your first sales. In fact, some of the most successful Shopify stores today are using completely free traffic to drive results.

📱 The Power of TikTok and Instagram Reels

You don’t need a huge following or fancy equipment to start getting traffic. Short-form video content is one of the easiest (and free) ways to drive people to your Shopify store.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are packed with shoppers discovering products through quick, scroll-stopping videos. A single video can go viral and bring in hundreds, or even thousands, of visitors.

What kind of content works best?

• Product unboxing or demos

• “Oddly satisfying” or clever use cases

• Before-and-after transformations

• Relatable customer reactions or trending audio clips

📌 Pro tip: You don’t have to show your face. Just focus on your product and hook the viewer within the first 3 seconds.

🔗 Add Your Store Link Where It Counts

Once someone is interested, make it easy for them to buy:

• Add your Shopify store link to your TikTok or Instagram bio

• Pin a comment on your video with a direct link or simple call to action like:
  👉 “Get yours here: [yourstore.com]”

This simple setup creates a smooth path from curiosity to checkout without spending a cent on ads.

🔹 Paid Ads (Optional, When You’re Ready)

If you want to grow faster, running simple ads can help drive targeted traffic to your store—even if you’re just starting out.

Shopify makes this easy by integrating directly with

• TikTok Ads

• Facebook Ads

• Google Smart Campaigns

You can set up and manage these ads right from your Shopify dashboard without needing any complicated tools or advanced knowledge.

Start small with just one campaign, test a few product images or videos, and focus on the messaging, why someone needs your product. You don’t need a huge budget to get results. Even $5–$10 a day can help you collect data and learn what works.

Whether you stick to free traffic or decide to run ads, Shopify gives you the flexibility to grow your store at your own pace.

Why Shopify Is the Smartest $1 You’ll Ever Spend

Let’s recap:

• You don’t need a big budget to start a business.

• You don’t need to store inventory, pack boxes, or be a tech genius.

• You can build a real side hustle in a weekend—with just $1.

Shopify gives you the tools, freedom, and flexibility to build something of your own. Whether you want to make an extra $200/month or turn it into something bigger, it all starts with one decision: to start.

🛒 Ready to launch your side hustle for $1/month?
Click here to start your Shopify store now → Here

🚫 Don’t Just Launch a Store , Build One That Actually Works

Starting a Shopify store is easy. Making it work? That takes a few smart moves. Here are three things to focus on if you want to actually make sales—not just have a pretty site sitting online:

✅ 1. Prioritize Fast Shipping

Long shipping times lead to refunds, bad reviews, and lost customers.
What to do instead:

• Use Shopify-compatible apps like Zendrop or CJdropshipping

• Filter for products shipped from the U.S. or your target country

• Avoid anything that takes over 2–3 weeks to arrive

✅ 2. Test the Product Yourself

It’s tempting to list products you’ve never seen—but quality matters.
What to do instead:

• Order the product before you start marketing it

• Check the packaging, delivery time, and how it looks in real life

• Take your own product photos or videos to build trust

✅ 3. Launch Fast, Then Improve

Don’t get stuck tweaking your logo, fonts, or colors for weeks.
What to do instead:

• Start with 1 product and a clean, mobile-friendly Shopify theme

• Focus on traffic, feedback, and content that drives attention

• Adjust based on what works, not what looks perfect

✅ Ready to Start Your $1 Side Hustle?

Building an online business used to be expensive, confusing, and time-consuming. But not anymore. With Shopify, you can launch a fully functional store, test products, and start making money—all for just $1/month.

Whether you're looking for a flexible side hustle, a new income stream, or a long-term business, this is one of the lowest-risk ways to start. You don’t need a big budget, fancy tech skills, or years of experience. Just a simple plan and a willingness to try.

💡 Need help choosing what to sell?

Grab our free guide: “10 Digital Products You Can Sell (Even If You’re a Beginner)” to get inspired and see what’s working right now.

👉 Click here to get the free guide

And if you're ready to dive in…

🎯 Start your Shopify store for just $1/month today , and build something that's yours.
[Insert your Shopify affiliate link here]