Make an extra buck stat, by bussing kids to ballet practice or delivering packages.
The prolific and swift emergence of the gig economy in recent years has been a game changer—great if you’re looking for a way to supplement your income and provide yourself with more job flexibility; less great if you’re looking to, uh, survive.
But as the debate over how viable the gig economy—marked by short-term contracts and freelance work—really is when it comes to American workers earning a living, it isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
A Pew study from 2016 found that a quarter of Americans reported earning money on the “platform economy,” and Uber, Lyft and Airbnb have become so ubiquitous in the span of a few years that it’s hard to imagine the transportation and hospitality industries without them.
And the massive success of the gig economy has opened up nearly endless possibilities. If you’re not into putting time in behind the wheel for ride-sharing or setting up camp on a friend’s couch while someone stays in your apartment, there are a plethora of other options that can help you track down some extra cash when you’re in need.
nDash
Got a way with words? Sign up with nDash and you can peddle your wordsmith-y services to businesses in need of content creation. Writers set up profiles with clips and bylines, and set their own rates. Businesses can then reach out to specific writers they think might be a good fit, or else put out a call for pitches and ideas.
While this isn’t going to be your opportunity to land that New Yorkerbyline you’ve always dreamed about, it’s a practical way for writers to tap into a market you might not have otherwise thought to pitch to.
HopSkipDrive
If you’re into the idea of driving others around in order to make some extra cash but the prospect of bussing drunk dudes when the bars let out is too much, HopSkipDrive is essentially ride sharing, but for kids ages 7 to 17.
You’ll shuttle kiddos around the ballet lessons, soccer practice, to and from school, etc. To be a driver, you must have five years of experience caring for children and pass a rigorous 15-point certification process.
Currently, the service is only available Monday through Friday in LA, Orange County, San Francisco and the Easy Bay.
Amazon Flex
Ever wonder how that vegetable spiraler you ordered on a Friday from Amazon Prime can possibly arrive on your doorstep by Sunday? You can thank Amazon Flex drivers for that.
Drivers are promised between $18-$25 to deliver packages, and you can work as little or as much as you want by signing up on the app. Driver positions are currently available in over 30 cities, with more cities being added soon (because duh, it’s Amazon).
Speedlancer
If the very concept of freelancing drank a bunch of RedBull, the result would be Speedlancer. Clients who need work done in the field of design, writing, and data entry/research submit a task, and once it’s accepted, the turnaround time is four hours.
To be the one executing said work so speedily, simply apply to the job listing that fits your skillset.
