Did you know that to make money with 3D printing in 2023 you don’t need to pursue it full-time, instead it can also be a side hustle while you pursue other earning opportunities.
In one of our previous articles, we discussed the various 3D printing business opportunities you can pursue. However, these were full-time businesses, and the level of expertise, investment, time, and effort required for those ideas was prohibitively high.
We understand that not everyone wants to start a full-time 3D printing business in India in 2023, and you may be looking for side hustle opportunities. Side hustles are ideal for students, stay-at-home moms, working professionals, and even small businesses looking to add a new revenue stream.
So, in this article, we focus solely on side hustle ideas that help you make money with 3D printing.
Can you really make money with a 3D Printer?
The straightforward answer is Yes! You can undoubtedly make money with a 3D printer or operating in the 3D printing industry in 2023.
How much money you ask? Well, that will depend on your level of knowledge and expertise in technology, as well as how much time you devote to this side hustle. In case you are looking to buy a 3D printer, then we have created a list of the best 3D printers for beginners in 2023 which you should definitely consider.
You can check out our list of some popular and some yet-to-be-popular ideas to make money and decide which one suits your routine.
Guide on how to make money with 3D printing in 2023
Sell Educational Models to Schools
One of the best ways to make money with 3D printing in 2023 is to sell educational models to schools. It is now widely accepted that 3D printing is an excellent learning tool that is widely used in STEM education. But not all schools have the funds to purchase 3D printers, or have trained educators who can teach 3D printing to students. Instead of selling them 3D printers – which already most businesses are pursuing – you can persuade schools to purchase educational models.
All schools use standard medical or science models to teach students, and these are mostly outdated and even loosely mended together to keep from breaking apart. So, replacing their existing models and more interestingly, offering them new and unique 3D printed models to enhance the students’ understanding of concepts, ideas and topics, is significantly interesting to schools.
You will have to develop conceptual models and either design them yourself or get them designed and 3D printed. Once you have the sample models, you just need to go on a selling spree. If you secure an order, get them manufactured on-demand and deliver it to the school.
You can create 3D printed models of all human body bones, conceptual models to explain science, math, geography, history, and literally any subject that can be explained substantially well with models. Focus on developing products that not only help students but can also reduce the effort of educators to teach those concepts.
3D Printer Reviewer
You can become a 3D printer reviewer if you are an expert in handling and using a 3D printer. You can contact manufacturers to obtain a 3D printer and write an exciting review of the 3D printer. This review can be posted on third-party blogs or even on your own YouTube channel. You can earn money from the manufacturer who wants his product reviewed by a third party or from the blog that will publish your content. This is one of the most straightforward ways to make money with 3D printing in 2023.
3D Printing YouTube Channel
This idea is closely related to the previous one about reviewing 3D printers. In addition to 3D printers, you can also review materials and software suites. No doubt a YouTube channel will require a considerable time to monetise, but as this is a side hustle, you won’t mind. All you have to do is post one video per 7 to 10 days. You may take a year to generate ad revenue but this idea certainly has a great long-term potential.
Invest in 3D Printing Stocks
If you are a stock trader, you should look into 3D printing stocks. The market is undoubtedly young, but if you enjoy taking risks, you can certainly take a look at the stocks. Many companies have gone public in recent years, and if you want to take a chance, consider this option.
(Please keep in mind that this is not investment advice, and readers should make their own decisions about whether or not to invest. We are not responsible for any investment decisions made by reading this article.)
Consultancy
If you are a technology expert, why not put it to good use. You can start a consultancy business. This can easily be a side hustle, but with this idea, you can make a lot of money with 3D printing.
Globally, the rate of adoption of 3D printing technology remains slow. MSMEs believe that the capital investment is prohibitively expensive to even consider the technology. Though this is true to some extent, investing in 3D printers will provide benefits across the entire supply chain, as opposed to traditional machines, which only provide benefits in certain parts of the production.
This is where the consultant can assist businesses in making better decisions about adopting 3D printing. You, as a consultant, can assist in answering questions like the need of the 3D printing technology for the business, whether the business really needs the technology, and, if so, how to implement the technology and more. Having someone at their side, will certainly help the MSMEs deal with technology sellers.
3D Scanning
With the introduction of 3D printing, reverse engineering has gained renewed interest and momentum. Because of the ease with which any type of object can be 3D printed, many industries are now scanning obsolete or old machine parts and having them 3D printed.
There are several ways to profit from 3D scanning. All you need is a scanner, which will undoubtedly be an investment, but you can also purchase smaller handheld scanners and provide scanning services.
Finding work through online freelancing jobs is the best approach. Several websites list available jobs, and you can also inquire directly with companies about contracting work. Once you’ve identified a few potential clients, you can start scanning and creating digital files.
Rent out your 3D printer or 3D Pen
In 2023, this is the best way to make money with 3D printing. If you have a 3D printer and/or a 3D Pen that you are not using, consider renting it out. Connecting with schools can earn you a quick buck by renting it to them during their science fairs, lab days, or any other special day. You can also rent it out to an engineering student for his academic project or to a local manufacturer. Additionally, you can even get resourceful and look for unique customers, such as families who want to have fun on weekends, parents that home-school their kids, and so on.
Sell digital 3D models
This is a great online side hustle and easy way to make money with 3D printing. The only prerequisite is that you need to be proficient in designing for 3D printing. If you are, then you can try to search for trends and cash in on them by creating relevant 3D models.
You can also unique create models for household or office products like home décor. You can sell them on online 3D model repositories. Some designers also create designs for household parts that regularly break and can be replaced with 3D printed spare parts But this has to be done carefully to ensure you are not infringing on any copyrighted/trademarked designs.
For designing the CAD models you will obviously require a good modelling software and depending on your forte you can use modelling software for automotive applications, for architectural applications or even for aerospace applications. You can also use free CAD software applications to design models.
Sell Personalised Products
The world is approaching a time when people are more inclined to purchase personalised products. Most customers are tired of mass-produced products that do not reflect their individuality. So, for such customers, you can design and 3D print personalised one-of-a-kind products that make them feel special. You can take user input on shape, size, texture, colour, geometry, and much more in account while creating such a unique product.
Selling such personalized products can help you make money with 3D printing, and it does not have to be a full-time job. It’s a great side hustle.
How to Get Started?
The answer on how to get started will depend on what you wish to accomplish. To get started you will need a CAD designing software (Read: Best CAD software for 3D printing), a 3D printer to print parts (Read: Factors to Consider When Buying a 3D Printer), 3D Scanner, registration on e-commerce sites or your very own website to sell online, and intrinsic knowledge of the technology. You may not necessarily need all the equipmentIn some cases, you may need all the equipment.
Once you choose which idea you want to pursue, you can buy the equipment and start your side hustle right away.
Full-time Business Ideas
If you are interested in getting into full-time 3D printing business then you can check out our dedicated article on the different 3D Printing Business Opportunities. To know the popular business ideas for providing 3D printing services, do read our article on the topic. But remember that starting a business is not as easy as it sounds. If you wish to know how to start a 3D printing business in India in 2023, then you do check out our detailed article which covers all aspects of running a business.
About Manufactur3D Magazine: Manufactur3D is an online magazine on 3D printing. which publishes the latest 3D printing news, insights and analysis from all around the world. Visit our 3D Printing Education page to read more such informative articles. To stay up-to-date about the latest happenings in the 3D printing world, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
