The story of how I went from a 100 yen hourly wage on CrowdWorks to a '100,000 yen monthly fixed income' after discovering the side hustle of building Official LINE accounts—a quiet, hidden gem growing as the era of email newsletters comes to an end

Hello, I'm Mana.

Have you ever finished a job on a crowdsourcing site, looked at the payment notification, and tapped on your calculator to ask, 'If I convert this to an hourly wage, how much is it?'

“I spent 5 hours writing at 0.5 yen per character and earned 100 yen.”
“I wore myself out haggling over prices on Mercari, only to make 3,000 yen in profit for the month.”
“There are so many rivals in video editing and design that I don't even feel like entering the market.”
“I tapped hundreds of times on survey sites, but only a few hundred yen reached me at the end of the month.”
“Even when I post on Coconala, only people with a track record get chosen.”

Don't you have nights where the harder you work at your side hustle, the more your confidence is chipped away?

Putting the kids to bed, brewing a cup of coffee, and tapping on a calculator in the living room late at night, wondering, 'How much did I earn in an hour today?' Looking at the number that comes up, a sigh escapes me before I know it. 'What am I doing this for?' crosses my mind for a split second, yet I still find myself searching for the next job—I kept repeating that cycle for a long time.

I was the same way for a long time.

My take-home pay as a full-time employee was 180,000 yen. After paying rent, food, and utilities, there was almost nothing left. Every time a recital for my child's extracurricular activity approached, I would make up excuses, saying, 'It's tight this month, let's do it next year.' The guilt I felt that night while watching my child sleep was so heavy I couldn't put it into words. Even though I registered for crowdsourcing thinking, 'If I just increase my side hustles, I'll manage,' my first job took 5 hours for a 100 yen reward. I still can't forget the feeling of exhaustion from that night.

Because I had that experience, I want to deliver this specifically to those who have spent the same kind of nights.

To those who have been worn out in a world of 100 yen hourly wages. To those who are convinced, 'I don't have any special skills, so a side hustle is impossible for me.' From here on out, this is a story for 'our side'.

Actually, there is a genre in the side hustle world right now that is quietly gaining heat. It is a side hustle called 'Official LINE construction and operation agency'.

It isn't as hyped as video editing or design, but the demand is rising steadily, and it's easy to turn into recurring income—it's what you might call a 'hidden gem' side hustle. There are actual cases of people in their 40s with zero experience reaching their first reward in 3 months.

Today, I will tell you everything from my perspective about the true nature of this 'Official LINE side hustle,' the 4 concrete steps to reaching a fixed monthly income of 100,000 yen, and why you should act now in 2026.

Why is Official LINE construction a 'quiet hidden gem' right now?

Let me talk about reality for a moment.

When it comes to popular side hustle genres—video editing, web design, writing, handmade crafts, reselling—there are tons of people who 'want to do it,' and the moment you enter, you are surrounded by rivals. It's not rare to get caught in price competition and end up earning less than 500 yen when converted to an hourly wage.

In the midst of that, there is a genre where demand is surging, yet for some reason, there are still few people working in it.

That is the job of creating and operating 'Official LINE accounts' run by shops and companies.

Until a little while ago, email newsletters were the mainstream way for shops to send out announcements. Birthday benefit emails, sale announcement emails, new product arrival notifications—but nowadays, there are so many people who just leave those emails unopened, right?

On the other hand, many people open notifications from Official LINE accounts as a matter of course. That is why companies have realized, 'Email newsletters don't reach people anymore; from now on, it's Official LINE,' and they are starting to use LINE more and more.

In other words, market needs are growing explosively, but the number of people who can 'build and operate' them hasn't caught up yet. This is the true nature of this 'quiet hidden gem'.

3 reasons why the Official LINE building side hustle is the 'ultimate recurring income'

What makes this genre different from other side hustles is that it's not just 'trending'.

I will explain the three strengths in order.

Strength 1 | You can start with zero specialized knowledge

You probably think, 'Doesn't setting up a LINE menu require programming or something?'

Actually, you don't need it at all.

Creating an Official LINE account is as simple as logging in with your own LINE, selecting the necessary items, and entering messages. A greeting message can be displayed with a single tap, and automated responses are easy to set up.

Furthermore, the official 'LINE Yahoo for Business' marketing campus is available for free, where you can learn all the basic operations through short video courses lasting 3 to 15 minutes.

For someone like me who was used to buying textbooks, purchasing materials, and joining schools every time I started a side hustle, this was a shock.

By just 'watching free courses and learning while actually tinkering with your own LINE,' you can grow to the level of being able to create Official LINE accounts for businesses. The initial barrier is exceptionally low.

Even on days when I had to leave work early because my child suddenly got a fever, I could just watch one 30-minute video at night. Through that kind of accumulation, before I knew it, I had become someone who 'can build them'.

Strength 2 | It becomes a 'steady monthly income' rather than a one-off payment

This is the most important part.

With video editing or writing, once you deliver the work, it's over. If you don't get the next project, your income is zero.

But Official LINE is different.

After receiving a one-time 'setup fee' of 10,000 to 30,000 yen (experienced people can even aim for 100,000 yen), it creates a structure where a recurring monthly income of 5,000 to 10,000 yen accumulates for operational support.

Message distribution, updating the latest information, scenario adjustments, and SNS integration maintenance—you handle the tasks that are time-consuming for the business to do themselves on a monthly basis. As you increase your contracts to 5 or 10 companies alongside your main job, a steady monthly income of 100,000 yen comes into view.

A side hustle where you don't have to worry every month about 'how much your income will be next month' is truly valuable.

Being able to pay for my child's lessons with peace of mind every month—I believe that alone makes this side hustle worth choosing.

Strength 3 | Demand is not decreasing; it is about to accelerate

The transition from email newsletters to Official LINE is only just beginning.

Small local shops, classrooms, salons, chiropractic clinics, hobby schools, and restaurants—there are far more owners than you can imagine who feel like, 'We really need to start an Official LINE account soon.' But they don't have the time to build it themselves, and there's no one in their company who knows how.

In other words, there are tons of people who want to hire someone, but there is an overwhelming shortage of people who can build and operate them. This supply-demand gap will be our opportunity for the next few years.

I was stuck in the hell of 100 yen per hour writing work myself

To be honest, I was also stuck in a loop of 'one-off, low-paying, non-skill-building side hustles' for a long time.

At 2:00 AM after putting my kids to sleep, I would open a crowdsourcing site and frantically apply for writing jobs that paid 0.5 yen per character. Writing 3,000 characters for one article earned me 1,500 yen. After fees were deducted, I received around 1,300 yen. The time required was about 5 hours. That works out to an hourly wage of 260 yen.

'My hourly wage is lower than a convenience store job...'

When I realized that, I felt like I was going to collapse.

Moreover, that weekend, when my child asked, 'Mom, can you come watch my friend's swimming recital?', I told them, 'Maybe next time.' I still vividly remember their face clouding over for a moment. Every time I brushed them off with 'maybe someday,' I felt like something inside me was slowly crumbling.

'Maybe I just don't have any talent,' or 'There's no point in continuing this side hustle'—that was the thought I had one night.

A mom friend of mine mentioned something offhandedly.

'The teacher at the bread-making class we go to was worried because she wants to make an Official LINE account but doesn't know how.'

At that moment, I heard something click in my head.

'Oh, I should try doing this.'

I use LINE every day. I can study the marketing campus for free. I'll start by taking on the job at a low price to build a track record.

The moment I thought that, my body actually trembled.

'The reason I couldn't escape the 100 yen hourly wage wasn't because of a lack of effort. It was just that the structure of the side hustles I was choosing was designed not to build up from the start.'

The '4 Steps' for beginners to reach their first paycheck in 3 months

Here is the concrete story. Based on the real-life example of a woman in her 40s who went from a complete novice to getting her first job in 3 months, I will introduce the 4 steps in order.

Step 1 | Create your own Official LINE account and learn while playing with it

The first thing you should do is 'actually try creating your own Official LINE account'.

You can create one for free, and the moment you register yourself as the first friend, the overall picture of the service will instantly click in your mind. While watching the video tutorials from the Marketing Campus one by one, implement the greeting message, automated responses, rich menus, and broadcast scenarios one by one.

With just this, in 2 to 3 weeks, you will acquire the 'basics for creating an Official LINE account for a business'.

You can do it with just a smartphone on the sofa after the kids are asleep. You don't need money for schools or teaching materials. An entry point where you can 'just try touching it'—that is the key.

Step 2 | Offer to do 'free monitoring' for acquaintances and local businesses

This is where you move in parallel with acquiring skills.

The classroom for your child's lessons, the hair salon you frequent, the neighborhood bakery, the handmade goods business run by a mom friend—there must be shops around you that would find an Official LINE account useful.

Ask them, 'Please let me create an Official LINE account for you. It will be free or very cheap at first. In exchange, please let me introduce it as a case study in the future.'

The important thing here is not to 'sell' right away, but to follow the flow of 'creating a sample first and having them actually use it.' When you can show a finished product, the client's level of conviction increases dramatically.

Step 3 | Create a portfolio page to visualize your 'proof'

Compile the Official LINE accounts you created for free monitoring onto your own portfolio page.

Just by lining up 2 or 3 examples with images—'what kind of shop it's for,' 'what functions were implemented,' and 'what changes occurred after introduction'—the level of trust from the viewer changes completely.

It is effective to post a link to this page on your CrowdWorks or Coconala profile.

Step 4 | Diligently apply on crowdsourcing sites and social media

Once you reach this point, it is finally the phase of acquiring projects.

What is important here is that you have gone through steps 2 and 3 without skipping them. The landscape of acquiring projects is completely different for someone who already has 1 or 2 free monitoring cases and a portfolio page compared to someone who just starts applying to crowdsourcing sites out of the blue. Please make sure you never reverse this order—prepare 'this side' of things in advance before going out into the world of applications.

In the actual case of M-san, they applied to 40 jobs. Even so, they couldn't land a job, and it was only on the 41st attempt that they finally reached their first project. Moreover, they were initially 'passed over,' but received a message two weeks later saying, 'We've decided we'd like to go ahead with you after all.'

The point is not to fear the number of applications, and not to get discouraged even if many jobs 'require experienced candidates.'

If you do 40 applications and land even one, the landscape will change in an instant. This is because you might get follow-up requests from the first client asking, 'Could you also handle this other part of the work?' or referrals might spread.

By the way, for M-san's first project, it was '1,400 yen for 3 hours' (about 460 yen per hour). It's not a large amount by any means, but this is a case where they acquired multiple recurring projects within 3 months from there and got things on track.

The reality of beginner market rates and the finish line

Let me organize the numbers for you.

• Beginner build fee: 10,000 to 30,000 yen per project

• Beginner operation management: 5,000 to 10,000 yen per month/client

• Experienced build fee: 100,000 yen or more per project is possible

• Experienced operation management: Continuous monthly income of 100,000 yen or more is within reach

For side hustle beginners, even if it looks small on an hourly basis at first, the nature of 'recurring income' becomes an asset over time. 3 contracts mean 30,000 yen a month, 5 contracts mean 50,000 yen, and 10 contracts mean 100,000 yen—having a fixed income of 100,000 yen a month on top of your main job completely changes the landscape of your household finances.

The numbers listed here are not just a rough guide.

This is the gateway for us—moms in our 30s and side hustle beginners—to help local shops and classrooms with their 'troubles,' 'desire to attract customers,' and 'need to deliver announcements.' Building an Official LINE account. Just by doing that, you can make the day of a shop owner struggling on the other side of the screen a little bit easier.

Don't you think this is a job that makes your heart a little warm?

The realization that 'recurring income' changes household finances

Let me change the perspective a little here.

A 'fixed income of 100,000 yen per month' might sound like a large number when you hear it. But the actual feeling is a bit different.

What's important is the peace of mind that 'that income will definitely come in every month.'

In the case of video editing or writing, even if you earned 50,000 yen this month, you have to work just as hard to earn the same amount next month. The anxiety of 'what will I do next month?' or 'will I be able to get the next project?' is always in the back of your mind.

But in the case of Official LINE operation management, if you sign contracts with 5 companies this month, you will receive payments from those same 5 companies next month. Even in a week where you couldn't work for two days because your child suddenly got a fever, your income remains the same.

It's hard to convey the difference in that feeling unless you've actually experienced it—but I've heard stories of people who 'strangely started crying' when they received their first fixed income after starting a side hustle.

Rather than the joy of income being proportional to effort, the quiet sense of relief that 'I'm okay this month too' hits home for moms raising children. Since hearing that, I've wanted to convey the meaning of having a 'recurring income mechanism' more seriously.

Summary | Let's graduate from the world of 'one-off, low-unit-price' work

Thank you for reading this far.

Perhaps right now, the feeling that 'maybe the reason I couldn't escape a 100 yen hourly wage wasn't because of a lack of effort' is starting to sprout within you.

That is exactly right.

It's not because you lack skills.
It's not because you lack talent.
It's not because you don't have enough time.

It's just that the 'structure of the side hustle you chose' was a system that didn't allow for accumulation from the start. That is all.

Building Official LINE accounts is a side hustle with a structure that still has few competitors and provides recurring income. People who notice this and take action will be a true minority from here on out.

And there is one more thing I want to tell you.

2026 is a 'once-in-a-few-years window' that is open

To be honest, it's not as if building Official LINE accounts has been a 'prime target' for years.

The shift from email newsletters to LINE is accelerating all at once, and while corporate demand is exploding, there are still overwhelmingly few people who can handle it. This is a truly short, 'quiet period' before it becomes a field where 'everyone knows about it,' like video editing or design.

This window will not stay open forever. The reality is that those who notice it first are the ones who will go and claim their seats.

I want you to go and claim that seat.

What will happen if you do nothing as things are

Let me tell you a slightly scary story.

Suppose another half year passes while you keep thinking, 'I'll start someday.'

If you open a crowdsourcing site, writing projects with a rate of 0.5 yen per character will still be lined up. Mercari will be full of back-and-forth price negotiations. The nights where you put off your children by saying 'maybe next time' will continue to pile up. The thought 'I noticed it, but I didn't act' will suddenly pop into your mind in the middle of the night.

That feeling—the regret of 'if only I had acted back then'—is truly heavy.

Every time you say 'maybe next time' to your child, those words pile up inside you. The first time, you can brush it off as 'it can't be helped.' But by the fifth or tenth time, the thought 'would things be different now if I had acted back then?' will suddenly cross your mind.

That regret is a kind of weight that is hard to convey to others. It's not that the household budget is in crisis. But there is no breathing room. That 'lack of breathing room' comes out as saying 'maybe next time' to your children.

That is why I want those who can act now to act now.

But with just one choice, the future can change

Conversely, imagine a future where you watch a free course for 30 minutes a day and learn while tinkering with your own Official LINE account.

In the first month, there might be nights where you still can't land a project. But by the third month, you might suddenly check your phone to find a message saying, 'Could you please help me build an Official LINE account?' Half a year later, as your monthly fixed income accumulates, you might find yourself smiling softly next to your sleeping child, thinking, 'Next month's income is secure.'

A life where your heart aches every time you check your bankbook changes into a life where you feel a little proud every time you check it. The day will come when you can book tickets for your child's recital without hesitation, thinking, 'It's fine this month.'

Just one choice can change things this much.

I have heard stories of people who have undergone such changes many times. People who initially thought, 'Maybe I can't do this,' end up smiling and telling me half a year later, 'I'm glad I did it.' That smile is the reason I keep writing like this. That is why I truly believe you can do it, too.