11 Great Side Gigs That Everyone Can Do

11 Great Side Gigs That Everyone Can Do

If your full-time job isn’t bringing home enough bacon, it may be time to think about adding a side job. The benefit of a side job versus a part-time job is that you generally get to set the schedule, which helps you stay motivated and ward off burnout longer. To help you start earning extra money right now, here are 11 suggestions for side jobs that anyone can do — many of them from the comfort of your own home.

1. eBay Seller

If you have items of value lying around your house that you don’t want or need, put them on eBay. You’ll be amazed at the kind of junk bidders clamor to buy on the online auction site; one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, after all. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the system and perfected your pitch, reach out to friends and family and offer to put their unwanted valuables on eBay for a small commission if they sell. They’ll be interested because in the history of the world nobody has ever said no to making money when zero work is involved. That’s a fact.

2. Focus Group Participant

Depending on for which focus groups you qualify for — many of them have strict criteria — you could make upwards of £200 per session. To find a focus group near year, browse Craigslist or research websites that specifically help pair willing participants to focus groups.

3. Landscaper

This is more of a spring-summer-fall side gig, but it’s good work if you can get it. It’s hard work, too — so be prepared to break a sweat. You’ll need your own equipment (lawnmower, hedge clippers, weed whacker, etc.) and a vehicle in which to transport the equipment, so make sure you line up those necessities before advertising your services. If you do a good job for one neighbour, the potential to be hired by other folks in the neighbourhood is fairly high; they’ll see the quality of your care and the way you work just by looking out their window. Marketing doesn’t get much easier than that.

4. Dog Walker

 If you like spending time with furry friends, set up a dog-walking business to make extra money. It may be difficult to find clients at first, so it’s worth advertising on Craigslist and even promoting yourself the traditional way via flyers posted around the neighbourhood and on bulletin boards in coffee shops and supermarkets.

5. Blogger

 You may not be the next Ernest Hemingway, but the great thing about blogging is that you don’t have to be a brilliant scribe to get readers to pay attention to your musings. The only thing you really need to have is a strong opinion about whatever it is you’re writing about — which can be anything: cooking, wrestling, astronomy, livestock…literally whatever interests you. If it interests you, it’s bound to interest somebody else. Once you start building your readership, ad revenue from clickable ads will help you start earning money for your efforts.

6. Vacation Host

 If you have extra space in your home, services like Airbnb and Roomorama can help you market your guest bedroom or pullout couch to tourists looking for inexpensive accommodations during their vacation. If you live in a major city, you can make a decent amount of money per night, while less-traveled locales command less. Either way it’s money in the bank for renting out space that otherwise remains empty.

7. House Cleaner

 If you know how to clean your own house then you know how to clean someone else’s — and busy people with little time to do it themselves are willing to pay a pretty penny for the convenience of having someone else sweep, mop and otherwise disinfect their humble abode.

8. Babysitter

 The main requirement for this lucrative side job is that you must like children. You’ll need patience, creativity, an arsenal of game ideas and bedtime stories, and the ability to stick to your guns when the puppy-dog faces come out — which mainly happens at bedtime. If you’ve got those things down pat, you can charge anywhere from $10 to $30 per hour, depending on your experience.

9. Baker

 This seems like an odd job to do on the side, but with the ability to connect in our communities like never before — thanks to the Internet and cool new sites that put the focus on localness — allow amateur and semi-professional bakers to whip up their tasty creations and sell them to anyone with a sweet tooth within a 10-mile radius.

10. Tutor

 If you’re exceptionally gifted at a particular subject that is taught at a local school or college, offer your services to those students who may require additional help. You can promote your services privately online or you can reach out to the establishment and let them know that you’re qualified and available should they need an extra brain.

11. Errand Runner

 Whether you live in a major metropolis or a small town, someone is too busy to run their errands themselves. That’s where you come in. Offer to pick up their dry cleaning, do their grocery shopping, stop by the post office — whatever tasks they need crossed off their list — for a reasonable hourly fee. Running errands hardly seems like work — and you can fit some of your own in while you’re doing it — but the payday is nothing to balk about.

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