COVID-19 set the foundation for work-from-home gigs. As economic uncertainty gripped the world, several employers were forced to lay off staff, leaving many without a source of income. And those with jobs found themselves performing their duties from home, something thought near-impossible in corporate America just before the pandemic took hold. More and more people now look for work-from-home jobs so they can balance their personal and professional lives. Below we list a few jobs you can do from the comfort of your home or make a little extra cash in your free time.
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Upwork
Upwork is considered one of the best money-making apps that you can utilize as your full-time job or as a side hustle. The app connects workers with employers all across the world. You have to create a profile where you’ll be asked a series of questions like the skills you’re looking to market. Then you’ll be able to bid on job offers using an in-app currency that you’ll have to purchase. Whether you’re a coder, a finance pro, or just looking to do some admin work, you can be sure Upwork will have a gig for you. Upwork also offers a payment protection program, which ensures you’ll be paid safely and on time once you’ve completed the gig. There are a variety of methods you can choose to get paid, like direct deposit, wire transfer or PayPal.
Fivver
Fivver is another freelancing platform, and when it launched in 2010, every gig went for $5, hence the name Fivver. But how does it differ from Upwork? Well, on Fivver clients come to you instead of you finding and then applying for gigs. In addition, Fivver doesn’t offer hourly projects and it caps payments at $10,000. Its mobile app is very user-friendly and you have complete control over the project’s scope. Fivver also runs complimentary ads to market your services
OfferUp
If you have unused items lying around in your house, you can use OfferUp to sell them. Once you’ve identified an item you’d like to offload like a TV or furniture, simply take a picture, add a title with a short description and your asking price. The app allows you to communicate with potential buyers. Once you’ve reached a deal, you can either hand the item over in person or ship it to them. You can choose to get paid in cash or get it deposited into your bank account. For every item shipped via the OfferUp platform, the seller will have to pay a 12.9% service fee or $1.99, whichever is higher.
TaskRabbit
If you don’t mind being on your feet, TaskRabbit is worth checking out for a little extra cash on the side. You can create a profile that highlights your skill and the app lets you set your own rates for whatever the job is. You can provide a wide array of services like assembling IKEA furniture or mounting a TV. You’ll have a better chance of being selected for a job if you have a high task completion ratio. Clients can also save you as their go-to tasker for future gigs if you’ve provided satisfactory services. TaskRabbit claims to have saved its customers 4.3 million hours over 10 years.
Fluid Market
Have a truck that’s just gathering dust in your garage? You can rent it out on Fluid Market, a peer-to-peer truck sharing platform. The company says you can leverage its platform to rent a commercial vehicle with ease. Once you’ve selected the vehicle you’d like to rent, you can pick it up from a location of your choosing. Fluid Market deducts a 20% transaction fee, and a minimum booking fee of 10%, or $2 of the reservation cost (whichever is higher), is applicable as well. The company has a 24/7 support desk to answer any question or help smooth out an issue. As a lender of your vehicle, you’re paid via direct deposit.
Bookscouter
The thing with buying books is that you can’t buy enough. But soon you realize that you did indeed buy more than you have time to read. If that sounds familiar, you can use Bookscouter to sell old or new books. You can either sign up anew, or use one of the social platforms like Facebook as your login credentials. Then, using your phone’s camera, scan the book’s barcode. This will take you to a product page that lists all the available offers for the book you’re looking to sell. Shipping fee depends on the vendor; some will ask you to pay, while others may not.
