The most accessible side income often needs neither capital nor equipment: it builds on what you already know how to do. Online courses, e-books, consulting, a small online shop: here are the options, what they really earn, and the status to choose in Belgium to stay within the rules.
Start from what you know how to do
List what people often ask you to help with: software, renovation, cooking, a language, tax, photography, organisation. The question is not ‘what pays?’ but ‘for which problem would people pay to save time?’.
The options, from most active to most passive
Consulting and freelancing
Selling your time and expertise directly. It is the fastest way to earn a first income, and the surest way to check there is demand. Limit: your income stays tied to your hours.
Workshops and in-person training
Teaching a group multiplies the value of an hour. Ideal for testing content before turning it into an online course.
The online course
Once created, it can be sold many times. In practice, it takes a lot of work to create, and then above all promotion: without an audience, a course does not sell. Course platforms take a commission or a subscription.
The e-book and practical guide
Easy to produce, but sold cheaply: you need many sales for a meaningful income. It often serves as a gateway to a more expensive service.
The online shop: print-on-demand and dropshipping
- Print-on-demand: you create designs (T-shirts, posters, mugs), a provider prints and ships each order. Little stock risk, but thin margins.
- Dropshipping: you sell products shipped directly by a supplier. Courses that present it as easy often forget the competition, the cost of advertising, delivery times and your obligations as a seller towards European consumers (warranty, right of withdrawal).
Many ‘coaches’ mainly earn by selling the method for making money online. Before buying a programme, ask for verifiable student results, not screenshots.
- ConsultingFast income, tied to your hours
- WorkshopsOne hour, several clients
- Online courseSold many times, needs promotion
- Digital productE-book, template, tool: low price, volume needed
Your status in Belgium
- Self-employed as a secondary activity: the most common framework for a regular activity alongside a salaried job. Social contributions depend on income and stay low below a certain threshold. You need a company number and often a VAT number (with a possible exemption below a turnover ceiling).
- Collaborative economy: services between individuals through an approved platform can be taxed as miscellaneous income at 20%, with a 50% flat-rate cost deduction, up to an annual ceiling (€7,700 for 2025 income according to Test-Achats). Above that, everything becomes professional income.
- Copyright: income from an original work (book, recorded course, photos) can, under conditions, benefit from a specific tax regime. The rules have been tightened in recent years: check with an accountant.
Outside Belgium, most countries have a similar choice between a simple side-business status and full self-employment: check your national rules before you start invoicing.
A four-week plan
- Week 1: choose a specific problem and a specific audience.
- Week 2: sell a first simple service to three people, even at a reduced price.
- Week 3: gather their feedback and formalise an offer.
- Week 4: sort out your status, and only then consider an online or automated version.
Artificial intelligence can speed up every step: writing, course materials, layout, replies to clients.
Where to find these services
- Business countersSteps to become self-employed as a secondary activity in Belgium (FPS Economy)
- UCMSupport for the self-employed in Wallonia and Brussels
- UNIZOSupport for the self-employed in Flanders and Brussels
Links provided for information, with no partnership. Always check a provider's terms and authorisation before committing.
Test yourself
3 questions to check what you remember. Click an answer: the explanation appears straight away.
Question 1 of 3What should you start with to check that a skill sells?
A first sale proves demand before you invest time in a product.
Question 2 of 3Up to what ceiling was collaborative economy income via an approved Belgian platform taxed at 20% (2025 income)?
Above that, even by one euro, all this income becomes professional.
Question 3 of 3What is the main trap of dropshipping?
Courses that present it as easy often leave out these costs.
Frequently asked questions
Which side income can you launch without capital?
One based on your know-how: consulting, workshops, training or services. Start by selling a simple service to check demand before creating an online product.
Do you have to be self-employed to sell an online course in Belgium?
Generally yes, as a secondary activity if you are an employee, once the activity becomes regular. The collaborative economy regime only covers services between individuals through an approved platform and below an annual ceiling.
Is dropshipping profitable?
Rarely easy: strong competition, advertising costs, delivery times and consumer obligations reduce margins. Be wary of courses that present it as simple.
Sources
This article is educational and is not personal investment, tax or legal advice. Figures change: check them with the sources cited or a licensed professional before deciding. Read the full disclaimer.