A simple website for your side hustle or passion project

Published 6 November 2026

Picture this. You work full-time. On nights and weekends you're studying to become a naturopath. You'd love a little corner of the internet that says who you are and what you're working towards. But you don't want to launch a "proper" business website, hire a designer, or spend three weekends learning software. You want something simple, cheap and low-risk, and you want it today.

If that sounds like you, you're in very good company. This post looks at how many Australians are doing this, why a website feels like a bigger job than it is, and how to get one live in minutes without the complication.

How many Australians run a side business or passion project?

Here's the honest answer first: nobody officially counts "second businesses". There's no single number for people who work one job and run a project on the side. But the closest measures all point the same way.

• Australia is a nation of small businesses. The ABS counted about 2.7 million actively trading businesses at 30 June 2025, and around 97% of them are small, according to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman. Most have no employees at all: roughly 1.7 million, based on ABS figures summarised by Xero.
• Lots of people juggle more than one thing. The ABS reports that 978,000 Australians, or 6.5% of employed people, held more than one job in March 2026 (ABS multiple job-holders).
• Side hustles are common. In Westpac's Side Hustle National Study (October 2025, about 1,000 Australians surveyed), 27% said they currently earn money from a side hustle or micro-business, and another 28% were thinking about starting one within 12 months. Surveys like this are commissioned online samples, so treat the numbers as a guide rather than a census.

Not every side project is about money, either. Plenty of people are building a blog, a club, a hobby or a future career, and want somewhere to point people when they say "I've started something".

Why a website feels like a big job (and doesn't need to be)

Most advice about websites is written for full-time businesses with a budget. For a side project, that advice creates three worries:

1. It'll take forever. Choosing a template, writing every page, fiddling with fonts.
2. It'll cost too much. Designers, developers, plugins, surprise fees.
3. It's a commitment. What if the project changes, or you're not sure it'll go anywhere?

The good news is that a side project only needs a small website. One clear page is plenty to start with.

What your first website actually needs

For a naturopathy student, or anyone starting out, one page can do the job:

• Who you are and what you're working on. A couple of honest sentences.
• What you offer or will offer. Even if it's "coming soon".
• How to reach you. An email address or phone number.
• Where you are. Your suburb helps local people (and local search) find you.

Be honest about where you are. If you're still studying, say so. "Naturopathy student, taking bookings from next year" builds more trust than pretending, and it's easy to update as you progress. Check any rules that apply to your field before you make claims about your services.

A page like this makes you look real. It gives you something to put in your Instagram bio, on a business card, or in a message to a first client.

A cheap, low-risk way to get your brand out there

This is what Yes Boss Websites is for. It's built for small businesses and passion projects, and we hold your hand the whole way:

1. You type a couple of sentences about your business or project, like you'd text a friend.
2. We design it. Our AI designer builds your website and writes the words. You see it in minutes.
3. You see it before you pay. You get two free rounds of changes first. If you don't love it, you owe nothing.
4. We launch it and keep it online. After you pay, we get it live. Keeping it online and safe is included, and you can ask for up to 2 changes a month in your chat box.

On price, there are two simple options: A$9 a month, or A$89 a year (2 months free). There's no setup fee. You're never locked in to a contract, and if you ever leave you can download your website. There's also a 30-day money-back guarantee after you pay. Full details are in our Terms.

Every live site gets a free web address like yourproject.ybw.au, so you can be online without buying anything else. If you later want your own web address, buy one from any web address seller (roughly A$15 to A$25 a year), tell us, and we'll set it up for you, free, within 24 hours or less. Need one? We suggest Hover, which sells .com.au addresses too. Any seller works.

That's the whole point: a small step, a small cost, and a website you can be proud to share.

Set up to be found, and we won't leave you on your own

We're a small business ourselves, so we know exactly how it feels to put something out there and hope the right people find it. That's why we don't just build your website and wave goodbye.

Every live site we build is set up to be found on Google and to be easy for AI assistants to read. It has clear page titles, your business details laid out the way Google likes, a simple list of your pages for Google, and a fast page that works well on phones. Then we stay by your side, holding your hand while you get out there:

• Got a question? Just reply to our email. A real person reads it.
• Want something changed? Type it in your chat box and we'll do it, with up to 2 changes a month included.
• Ready for your own web address? We'll set it up for you, free.
• Want a hand with Google Business Profile? We can set that up for you too, as an optional extra (A$49).

Nobody can honestly promise you a spot at the top of Google, and we won't. What we can promise is a solid, friendly start and someone on your side.

A few simple things you can do too

You don't need to be an expert to get the basics right.

• Put the words people search for on the page. Your name, what you do and your suburb, written plainly. For example: "Naturopathy student in Parramatta".
• Add your contact details. People need an easy way to reach you.
• Link to it from places you already use. Your social profiles, your email signature, your business card.
• Keep it up to date. A page that says what's happening now beats a perfect page that's two years old.

Common questions

Do I need an ABN? You don't need one to see your preview. A .com.au web address does need an ABN, but the free address doesn't. Whether your side project needs an ABN is a question for the ATO or your accountant.

Can I add pages later? Yes. The site starts simple. Bigger jobs like new pages or a full booking system aren't included in the monthly changes (simple bookings and a small shop are available as paid extras), but we'll quote bigger jobs separately and do nothing without your OK.

What if I stop the project? You can cancel any time, and you can download a copy of your website.

Is it only for businesses? No. Blogs, clubs, hobbies and community groups are welcome too.

Ready to put your side project online?

Tell us about it in a couple of sentences and see your website before you pay a cent.

Build my website

Sources

• Number of small businesses in Australia, ASBFEO (August 2025)
• Small business statistics Australia, Xero (summarising ABS counts)
• Multiple job-holders, Australian Bureau of Statistics (March 2026)
• Side Hustle National Study, Westpac (October 2025)