This Side Hustle Could Make You Thousands While You Sleep

When most people think of passive income, they envision something that happens in the background while they're out doing things they enjoy. Many common side hustles don't fit that bill. But for those willing to make an upfront investment, it might be possible to turn this dream into a reality.

If you have some extra cash and a little technical know-how, here's one easy business model that could make you hundreds or thousands of dollars while you sleep.

It's almost like printing money

Chances are, you've probably seen news stories about 3D printers and you've heard people talk about their capacity to revolutionize the way we live. A lot of people still see them as novelties. But there's real potential there for those willing to invest in this new technology.

Even small machines can build little toys and gadgets you could sell through an online store. All you have to do is advertise what you can make and, when a customer places an order, tell the 3D printer what to do. When it's done, ship it to the customer and put the extra cash in your bank account.

If you're willing to invest a little more money, you can go beyond toys and make functional items. High-end 3D printers are capable of printing metal, as well as plastic. If you have a scanner tool, all you have to do is scan the object you want to print and it'll quickly create instructions you can pass along to your 3D printer. There's little programming knowledge required. 

With more knowledge of design programs, you could even create items completely from your own imagination. This could be anything from chess pieces to wall art. The sky's the limit.

Business Credit Card Comparison

Consider these business credit cards that offer a convenient and efficient way to separate personal and business expenses, simplifying accounting and tax reporting.

Additionally, business cards can provide valuable perks such as rewards points, cashback, and expense tracking tools, enhancing financial management and the potential to help save money in the long run.

Offer	Our Rating	Welcome Offer	Rewards Program	APR
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Apply Now for Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card On Chase's Secure Website.	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5 Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor	Earn $750 bonus cash back Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business	Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 12 months Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 18.49% - 24.49% Variable
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Apply Now for Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card On Chase's Secure Website.	Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars. 4.50/5 Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs. = Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor	Earn 100,000 bonus points Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.	Intro: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 21.24%-26.24% Variable

Shouldering the upfront costs

There are a couple of challenges with a 3D printing business. The first is that there can be a steep learning curve, depending on the tools you use and what you want to make. You'll no doubt overcome some of this with practice, but you may want to invest in some 3D printing or computer-aided design courses so you can hone your skills.

The bigger barrier for most people is cost. The cheapest models cost around $200, but you can expect to spend at least $2,500 for anything that's considered professional quality. The cost of the largest and most versatile models can run well into the six figures. And that's just for the machine itself.

You'll also have to pay for the filaments needed to print your designs. And if you're interested in a scanning tool to speed up the design process, you'll have to buy one of these as well. Then there's the cost of selling online. If you use a marketplace website, you'll probably have to give a cut of your sales to the marketplace.

If this is problematic for you, consider starting small. Buy a low-end model at first. If you charge it to a business credit card, you might even earn some rewards that you could invest in future materials. Then, use the money you make from your first sales plus any extra cash you're able to scrape together to finance a better 3D printer in the future. You could then sell your old one or keep it, so you can potentially fill multiple customer orders at the same time.

This isn't the sort of business that will make you an overnight success. It definitely takes time to build up a customer base and learn how to make the best use of your tools. But once you've got it up and running, it's a pretty low-effort way to make money.