Starting a service business on the side is one of the fastest ways to build extra income. It's flexible, low-overhead, and you can probably start with skills you already have. “I had a lot of drive underneath me," Abbey Ashley told me, about starting her service business back in 2013. "I was super pregnant and I hated my job so much,” Abbey started offering her services as a virtual assistant, and connected with her first clients at local networking events in Washington, DC. My the time her maternity leave was up--just a few short months--Abbey had booked enough work to not have to go back to that job she hated. On top of that, she only had to work 20 hours a week to do it, and could work from home. There are almost no barriers to entry to starting a freelance service business, and the startup costs are minimal. (All Abbey did was make business cards for networking.) In fact, it was a service business, a house painting business in my case, that was one of my first entrepreneurial adventures. Over time, Abbey scaled her virtual assistant business from just herself at $20-30 an hour, to her own little virtual agency, to $75 an hour and up for some specialized work. Full Show Notes: How to Start a Service Business to Replace Your Income, Step-by-Step New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Airbnb - Start an Airbnb business and earn money as an Airbnb Host! Monarch Money — Get an extended 30-day free trial of the top-rated personal finance app!