The gig economy is booming. It has completely changed the landscape for employment and side hustles.
Historically, to earn some side hustle income, you’d have to go into a restaurant, bar, retail store, etc. and manually apply to work there to earn income.
Now, with the click of a button, you can start making money online through various gigs, no matter your location. The gig economy has become a go-to for people looking to increase their income or find employment quickly.
By increasing your income, you will unlock the opportunity to invest at a faster rate or pay down debt. If you are motivated enough to make extra money, you can do it.
You can now take control of your finances at your own discretion better than ever before.
I’ll give you a list of some proven jobs that will help you make great money without any experience necessary.
Top Jobs Driving Your Car
Let’s get into some of my favorite gig economy jobs that will help you make some additional cash flow right away.
1. Use Your Car to Haul Items
You likely have a car, which is an asset that can be used to make more money. If you have a van or a truck, even better! You can use these to haul even more stuff and put your vehicle to work to earn extra cash.
There are some services that you can use to start building demand for your car as a service to haul items. If not, use local bulletin boards to start posting about your services.
You can use your vehicle to help people move, haul waste, or recycled goods. It’s not a pretty way to make money, but it’s a great way to make money from a depreciating asset like a car.
Here are some other great ways to make money with your van or truck.
2. Become a Rideshare Driver
This is a gig economy job that you are likely most familiar with. It’s still one of the most proven, reliable ways to make money from a gig. You likely own a car and know how to drive.
Therefore, that’s all you need to know! You can apply to start driving and participate in ridesharing through Uber or Lyft.
You likely know the drill. I love this option because there is a large userbase of active users and still a significant demand for ridesharing services.
This won’t be changing anytime soon. After your application is approved, you are ready to make money driving.
3. Start Doing Delivery Services
I like to classify all of these into one category of delivery services. They all are somewhat the same thing, but some provide a niche of groceries, snacks, liquor, etc.
They all have somewhat of their own angle.
You don’t need any experience with this route because you probably do it for yourself every day. With these delivery apps, you can pick up groceries or deliver restaurant carry out for some extra money.
Delivery services are a great way to make money while staying active and moving. You’ll likely get a few steps in and some good exercise along the way.
Here are some of the most well-known delivery jobs:
- Instacart
- Shipt
- Postmates
- Doordash
- Caviar
- GrubHub
- Minibar
- GoPuff
Top Gig Economy Jobs From Home
Want to work from home and have more flexibility? Here are some gig economy jobs you can do from home.
4. Data Entry
Data entry and logging information is a very mundane task. Some people like the routine, the repetitiveness of this gig job. It’s simple, and it pays.
Plus, we likely know that there will always be demand for routine data entry or logging of some type of information.
This is one of those gig economy jobs that can be completely virtual and doesn’t limit you based on where you are located or where you are from.
Data entry includes the following scope of work to perform:
- Find emails
- Log websites
- Input information into tables
- Create graphs
- Paste information
- Routine computer-based data entry
You can start landing gigs with platforms like Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork. All three of the platforms have millions of users, and people are waiting to hire someone to perform tasks right now.
Tap into this demand right now and start earning some extra cash.
5. Social Media Management
You might think that social media management requires experience. It actually doesn’t.
There are several different social media accounts out there that need some routine management.
Needs may include:
- Posting to various platforms
- Reporting
- Following new users
- Typing up comments
- Responding to comments
- Typing headlines for new post creation
There is a different level of social media management that requires more experience, such as building audiences. Performing routine social media administration as a gig job is an excellent way for you to start learning social media. This could lead to you creating a full-blown business from it. Social media is all about creating engaging content to attracted eyeballs and clicks. There are other things you can do, like focus solely on ways to make money on a single platform like making money on Snapchat.
Think of all the businesses out there in today’s age. Every single one has a social media account now. You can start landing clients and capture the upside opportunity to build an established business.
6. Freelance Writer
Do you have a gift for writing? There are several genres of writing gigs you can find online.
- Blog writing
- Website article writing
- Resume’ writing
- Essay writing
- Technical writing
And more. Sites like Indeed and Upwork post writing jobs on a regular basis. And the gigs vary in terms of size too.
You might find a gig to write a 2,000 word article, or just a 500 word article, or even small articles. Writing gigs on Fiverr might consist of writing a poem or a song.
Use your skills to get some experience, and you could start landing even bigger writing jobs. You never know, you might be able to replace your regular income one day.
7. Graphic Design
If you’ve got great graphic design skills, you could use your skills to make money in several ways. If you like creating t-shirt designs, you can create designs and sell them on sites like Redbubble or CafePress.
With these sites, you upload your designs and they do the rest. They’ll sell your designs on t-shirts, mugs and more.
They handle all production, shipping and customer service. Then they send you a check when people buy items with your design on it.
Another option is to set up and design websites. You’d choose the theme and customize it for clients, create logos, etc. Check job sites like Upwork or Indeed to find freelance work in the area of graphic design.
Skill-based Gig Economy Jobs
Do you have a skill you would like to make money with? Whether you are handy or just good with animals, here are options for you to check out.
8. In-Home Tasker and Contractor Services
Growing up, we all made some cash from our parents for helping around the house. We have some experience in doing routine household chores.
Thanks to a few online platforms, you can do these online chores for others to start making money.
Some online platforms that allow you to do routine home tasks include Taskrabbit, Angie’s List, or Thumbtack.
These in-home tasks are replacing what people would get hired for on Craigslist.
You can do home tasks, including some examples:
- Yardwork
- Landscaping
- Raking leaves
- Snow removal
- Laundry
- Cleaning
- Manual labor
- Packing boxes
- Moving
Other contractor services include things like dog walking with Rover or even in-home massage services with Soothe.
Some of these contractor services require some form of experience or proven experience before you get hired.
The list goes on and on. You can get hired immediately for this line of work and start making money. Most of the jobs would be characterized as manual labor within this form of gig economy job.
That’s okay. It’s a great way to make money, stay active, and get paid instantly.
9. Dog Sitter/Dog Walker
Pet adoptions are on the rise these days. And if you’re a dog lover, that means an opportunity to make some extra cash. Companies like Rover are looking for people to do gig jobs like walking dogs and pet sitting for dogs.
You might find jobs that are short-term gigs, like watching a pet for a day or two. Or, you might find longer term jobs where you’re watching a dog for a week or longer as a pet owner goes on vacation.
There are daily gigs available too, such as walking dogs on a daily basis or a few times a week.
If you didn’t want to sign up for gigs on a site like Rover, you could always hand out flyers in your neighborhood advertising your services.
10. Use Your Photography Skills
If you have a knack for photography you could do some gig work in this field. You’ve got a couple of options for making money with photography. For example, you could make cash as a local photographer.
Shooting high school graduation pictures or engagement photos is one example.
Offer to go on location to local parks or popular sightseeing areas to get a good background.
Another option is to sell stock photos. Businesses and websites purchase stock photos to use on blog posts and website pages. Photographers like you take great photos and upload them to a site such as Shutterstock.
You get a small commission each time someone purchases the right to use one of the stock photos you upload on the site.
Sites like Shutterstock do have certain requirements you have to meet with the photos you submit, but many smartphones have camera capabilities that meet those requirements.
Hint: the stock photos that get the most sales are those that depict people doing everyday activities like eating, playing, or shopping.
11. Babysitting
If you like kids, you could work on getting gigs as a babysitter. Care.com lets you post a profile advertising your babysitting services and sharing your experience in the field.
You can choose what ages of kids you’d like to watch, days/times you’re available, etc.
If you don’t want to go through another company to find jobs, you can always reach out to people in your neighborhood or on social media to advertise your babysitting services.
And as you do a great job taking care of peoples’ kids, your business will grow. You can determine how big you want it to grow and how many hours per week you want to spend on this gig.
12. Airbnb
Do you have an extra room in your house? Or is your finished basement sitting unused? How about renting the space out once in a while? Airbnb lets you post spaces you have for rent. It’s kind of like having a hotel room at your house.
People make reservations to stay one night, two nights or more. You provide a comfortable, clean space for them to stay at a price lower than typical hotel rates. Airbnb takes a cut off of your nightly rate and you keep the rest.
Airbnb is a pretty popular choice for business and leisure travelers who need a place to stay but want to avoid traditional hotels.
Staying at an Airbnb rental is cheaper and often feels more like home than it does when you stay at a regular hotel.
13. Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant is someone who works from home assisting people with a variety of tasks. I talked about about doing social media management as a gig job.
Other types of virtual assistant tasks:
- Making phone calls and setting up appointments
- Managing websites
- Managing other staff members
- Data entry tasks
- Managing schedules for team members
- Making travel arrangements
And other administrative tasks. If you’re organized and good at helping people, you might like picking up a gig or two as a VA. Find clients on sites like Upwork.
14. Coding Work
Are you good at computer coding? Even if you understand basic coding language you can probably find some gig work on a job site like Upwork.
People need coders to help set up websites, modify websites, create apps, create games and other tasks.
And if you get really good at coding, you might be able to create an app that sells for some serious money. If you don’t know how to code, you can learn coding for free at Codeacademy.
15. Tutoring
With tutoring gigs you can find work in a number of different ways. Sites like VIPKid, Chegg, and Tutor.com let you work from home as you teach kids in a variety of subjects.
You might tutor kids learning English as a second language. Or you might tutor them in subjects like math and reading.
You can also find tutor gigs locally by advertising online or spreading word about your services to local parents or schools. If you like working with kids, tutoring might be a good gig for you.
Conclusion
Gig economy jobs can be an excellent way to make extra money. These should be done strategically, however. By starting a new gig economy job means that you should take your hard-earned income and save.
Not use it to buy new clothes or material items.
Use this new advancement in technology and workflow to better your financial picture.
If you already have a full-time job, these gig jobs will help you make some extra money on the side, which will flow directly to your earnings. This is a considerable way to unlock new ways to save and invest.
You’d be surprised at how many people find new success or even wholly new careers from these various gigs. I suggest that you view this opportunity as a business from the get-go.
Continue to invest in yourself and your business, and you might be surprised about where it takes you.
Brian is a Dad, husband, and an IT professional by trade. A Personal Finance Blogger since 2013. Who, with his family, has successfully paid off over $100K worth of consumer debt. Now that Brian is debt-free, his mission is to help his three children prepare for their financial lives and educate others to achieved financial success. Brian is involved in his local community. As a Financial Committee Chair with the Board of Education of his local school district, he has helped successfully launch a K-12 financial literacy program in a six thousand student district.