Sell your things online
Clothes, books, toys, small appliances: what is sitting in your cupboards can find a buyer on second-hand sites.
Estimate not available
You need: Smartphone
In France, side income often comes from one-off gigs, selling items, local services, seasonal work or online tasks. This page shows SmartExtraLab ideas that apply in France, with the country filter already on. You can then refine by time, budget, season or tools you already have at home.
Each sheet covers how it works, usual steps and limits to know before you begin. For micro-enterprise, platforms, occasional sales or furnished rentals, see our rules guide: thresholds, declarations and special cases are summarised in general terms only. Nothing here guarantees income. Pick an idea that fits your schedule and energy, read the full sheet including warnings, then start small to check that the pace and the paperwork really suit you day to day.
80 ideas
The rules guide summarises caps and the micro-enterprise idea. It is not personal tax advice. Also read the sheet for your chosen idea (steps and warnings).
In many cases platforms send data to the tax authority. The rules guide explains the general idea (including DAC7). Keep your statements.
Yes: on this page, use the region filter (Île-de-France, Brittany, and so on) on top of France already selected.
Clothes, books, toys, small appliances: what is sitting in your cupboards can find a buyer on second-hand sites.
Estimate not available
You need: Smartphone
A day on a stall lets you sell lots of items at once, meeting buyers face to face.
Estimate not available
You need: Customer contact, Selling, Car
Buy undervalued items at flea markets or charity shops, then resell them online at the right price.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Selling, Car
Assignments lasting from a few days to a few weeks, in logistics, industry, retail or events.
Estimate From €14.90 gross per hour
You need: Good physical condition
Retail, catering, activity leading, logistics: many employers recruit students, especially in summer and at weekends.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Customer contact
Every late summer and early autumn, vineyards recruit pickers and porters for a few weeks.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Good physical condition
Strawberries, cherries, apples, asparagus: farms need extra hands at harvest time.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Good physical condition
Hotels, restaurants, campsites and ski resorts recruit staff for the high season.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Languages, Customer contact
In November and December, shops, warehouses and Christmas markets need extra staff.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Customer contact
School pick-ups, Wednesdays, evenings: many parents are looking for someone they can trust.
Estimate From €10.36 to €11.52 net per hour
You need: Teaching, Customer contact
Walk a dog, feed a cat during the holidays, or host a pet at your home for a few days.
Estimate From €10 to €17 per 30-minute walk (price paid by the client)
You need: Love of animals
Help a pupil in a subject you know well, at their home or by video call.
Estimate From €22 to €25 per hour (price paid by the client)
You need: Teaching, Languages
Assemble a piece of furniture, put up a shelf, change a handle: small jobs that are in high demand.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: DIY, DIY tools
Mowing, hedge trimming, weeding: many people do not have time to look after their garden.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Gardening, Good physical condition, Car
A few hours a week in private homes, often with flexible hours.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Nothing in particular
Carrying boxes, taking furniture apart, driving a rental van: a helping hand that is always in demand.
Estimate not available
You need: Good physical condition
Deliver meals or parcels by bike in cities, on hours you choose.
Estimate From €19 per hour of activity (guaranteed income)
You need: Good physical condition, Bike, Smartphone
A parking space or garage you do not use can be rented by the month, especially in town.
Estimate From €33 to €132 per month (rent received)
You need: Parking or garage
Drill, pressure washer, trailer, camping gear: rent out what you rarely use.
Estimate not available
You need: Equipment to rent out
A spare room can host a student, a worker on assignment or travellers.
Estimate not available
You need: Customer contact, Spare room
Visit a shop or restaurant as an ordinary customer, then fill in a questionnaire about the welcome and the service.
Estimate From €10 to €80 per assignment (payment)
You need: Customer contact, Writing, Smartphone
Give your opinion on a website, an app or a product, from home, a few minutes at a time.
Estimate From $ US4 to $ US10 per test (payment)
You need: Computing, Computer
Appear in the background of a film, series or advert, often for a single day.
Estimate From €98.48 to €108.33 gross per day
You need: Nothing in particular
Write content for websites, product pages and newsletters, or translate documents.
Estimate From €214 to €372 per day (rate charged)
You need: Languages, Writing, Computing, Computer
Logos, social media visuals and short video edits for shops and content creators.
Estimate From €269 to €402 per day (rate charged)
You need: Creative, Computing, Computer
Jewellery, candles, sewing, ceramics: sell your creations online or at Christmas markets.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Craft supplies
Artificial intelligence assistants can do part of the work: writing, answering customers, monitoring. Enough to launch a small online service.
Estimate not available
You need: Computing, Computer
Look after children during school holidays or on Wednesdays: games, outings and group life.
Estimate From €52.93 gross per day
You need: Leading groups, Customer contact
For five to six weeks at the start of the year, help Insee and the town hall count the homes in a neighbourhood.
Estimate From €4.50 to €5 gross per household counted
You need: Customer contact, Good physical condition
Photograph family celebrations, association or company events, then deliver a retouched selection.
Estimate From €315 to €522 per day (rate charged)
You need: Photography, Customer contact, Camera, Computer
Is your car often parked and unused? List it for rent on a specialised platform, insurance included.
Estimate not available
You need: Car, Smartphone
Keep someone company, do the shopping, go with them to an appointment or for a walk: real support for older people and their families.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Customer contact
Welcome and guide visitors at trade fairs, conferences, concerts or sports events, often for one or two days.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Customer contact, Languages
Drive a car from one place to another for a rental company, a garage or someone who has just bought it.
Estimate not available
You need: Customer contact, Driving licence, Smartphone
Submit your photos to stock image libraries: each time a customer downloads one, you earn a small amount.
Estimate not available
You need: Photography, Smartphone, Computer
Handle quotes, invoices, diaries and letters for tradespeople, freelancers and small businesses, from home.
Estimate not available
You need: Organisation and office software, Computing, Computer
Referee football, basketball, handball or other matches at weekends, with an allowance for each game.
Estimate not available
You need: Good knowledge of a sport
Comparing, rating and correcting AI answers in French, remotely, for platforms such as Outlier or Mindrift.
Estimate Up to $ US25 per hour (payment)
You need: Writing, Computing, Computer
Judging whether search engine results or AI answers are useful and reliable, a few hours a week.
Estimate On average €23 per hour (payment)
You need: Languages, Computing, Computer, Smartphone
Small, simple tasks on Clickworker: sorting images, checking texts, answering short questionnaires.
Estimate not available
You need: Computer
Typing up short audio clips, paid per audio hour, on platforms such as TranscribeMe.
Estimate From $ US15 to $ US22 per audio hour (payment)
You need: Languages, Writing, Computer
Conversation or French as a foreign language lessons by video, for adults around the world, on Preply or italki.
Estimate not available
You need: Languages, Teaching, Computer
Printable templates, planners, spreadsheets or PDF guides, sold as downloads on Gumroad, Payhip or Etsy.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Computing, Computer
Publishing your designs on Redbubble or Spreadshirt, which print and ship T-shirts, mugs and posters for each order.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Computer
A novel, practical guide or cookbook published as an e-book or in print on Amazon KDP and Kobo Writing Life.
Estimate not available
You need: Writing, Computer
Recording a video course on a subject you know well and selling it on Udemy or your own page.
Estimate not available
You need: Teaching, Computing, Computer, Good microphone
Writing useful guides and comparisons on a topic, with links to shops that pay a commission.
Estimate not available
You need: Writing, Computing, Computer
Sending a weekly newsletter on a hobby or area of expertise, with a paid option on Substack.
Estimate not available
You need: Writing, Computer
Regularly publishing videos on a specific topic and earning a share of ad revenue once the channel is eligible.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Computing, Smartphone, Computer, Good microphone
Posting, answering messages and running the Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn pages of shops and freelancers.
Estimate On average €256 per day (rate charged)
You need: Writing, Creative, Computer, Smartphone
Setting up simple websites for craftspeople, charities or freelancers with WordPress, Wix or a similar tool.
Estimate On average €290 per day (rate charged)
You need: Computing, Creative, Computer
Recording your voice for company videos, online ads, audiobooks or phone greetings.
Estimate not available
You need: Languages, Leading groups, Computer, Good microphone
Selling your own course summaries and revision notes on Stuvia, to other students.
Estimate not available
You need: Writing, Computer
Answering customers' calls, emails or messages from home, as an employee of a company or a contact centre.
Estimate From €12.31 gross per hour
You need: Customer contact, Computer
Testing websites and apps before release and reporting errors, paid per test or per bug found.
Estimate From €10 to €50 per test (payment)
You need: Computing, Computer, Smartphone
Offering instrumentals to rappers and singers, or music for videos, on BeatStars or stock audio sites.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Computer, Craft supplies
Designing useful or decorative objects in 3D and selling the files to 3D printer owners on Cults.
Estimate not available
You need: Creative, Computing, Computer
Creating subtitles for videos made by companies, trainers or associations, including for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
Estimate From €6 to €14 per minute of video (rate charged)
You need: Languages, Writing, Computer
Correcting the spelling, grammar and clarity of students' theses and dissertations, with Scribbr.
Estimate From €20 to €30 per hour (payment)
You need: Writing, Languages, Computer
Remotely checking comments, posts and messages in an online community on behalf of brands, with ModSquad.
Estimate not available
You need: Languages, Computing, Computer
Helping applicants present their background clearly, with a readable CV and a cover letter tailored to each job.
Estimate From €50 to €80 per assignment (rate charged)
You need: Writing, Organisation and office software, Computer
Cleaning up and editing podcasters' recordings: cutting silences, balancing voices, adding the intro and outro.
Estimate From €45 to €90 per episode (rate charged)
You need: Computing, Creative, Computer
Running role-playing game sessions by video call for players who pay for their seat, on StartPlaying.
Estimate not available
You need: Leading groups, Creative, Computer, Good microphone
Preparing a print-ready book interior for self-published authors: margins, headings, fonts, page numbers.
Estimate From $ US475 to $ US1275 per assignment (price paid by the client)
You need: Computing, Creative, Computer
Collecting an older person's memories by video call and shaping them into a short book for their family.
Estimate From €220 to €1000 per assignment (rate charged)
You need: Writing, Customer contact, Computer, Smartphone
Helping individuals fix a computer, printer or email problem by taking remote control, with their consent.
Estimate From €19 to €29 per assignment (price paid by the client)
You need: Computing, Customer contact, Computer
Turning people's video tapes, slides and printed photos into digital files.
Estimate From €13 to €19 per tape (price paid by the client)
You need: Computing, Organisation and office software, Computer
Reading manuscripts sent to publishing houses and writing a report with a summary and a reasoned opinion.
Estimate From €30 to €60 per assignment (payment)
You need: Writing, Computer
Helping players improve at a game you master, through video sessions or match reviews, on Metafy.
Estimate not available
You need: Teaching, Computing, Computer
Tracing a family's ancestors using online archives, then delivering a family tree and a short booklet.
Estimate From €295 to €595 per assignment (rate charged)
You need: Organisation and office software, Writing, Computer
Sharing your experience of a job or an industry in short paid calls with investors or consultants, through GLG.
Estimate not available
You need: Professional experience, Customer contact, Computer
Writing or correcting letters, complaints, wedding speeches or tributes for individuals.
Estimate From €25 to €35 per assignment (rate charged)
You need: Writing, Organisation and office software, Computer
Digitally furnishing and decorating photos of empty rooms, for estate agents' or private sellers' listings.
Estimate From €15 to €49 per photo (price paid by the client)
You need: Creative, Computing, Computer
Adding products to a small Shopify or WooCommerce shop: photos, prices, variants, stock and orders.
Estimate not available
You need: Organisation and office software, Computing, Computer
Replacing phone screens or batteries at home, with parts and online guides, for individuals.
Estimate not available
You need: DIY, Computing, DIY tools
Hand-writing envelope addresses, menus and place cards in fine lettering for weddings and events.
Estimate From €1 to €2.50 per envelope (price paid by the client)
You need: Creative, Craft supplies
Helping small associations fill in their grant applications: project description, budget, supporting documents.
Estimate not available
You need: Writing, Organisation and office software, Computer
Research centres look for healthy volunteers to test medicines, with an allowance for time and constraints.
Estimate not available
You need: Nothing in particular
On a trip you already make, pick up someone's shopping in store or at a drive-through and drop it at their home, for a few euros.
Estimate From €5 to €25 per assignment (payment)
You need: Car, Driving licence, Smartphone
Pose for drawing, painting or sculpture classes at art schools, municipal workshops or associations, often in 3-hour sessions.
Estimate From €23.13 gross per hour
You need: Nothing in particular