Whether you want to become debt-free quickly or save up to achieve your financial goals, the gig economy has made it easy for everyone to earn extra income.

Choosing the best side hustle depends on your skills, interests, and available time. It is crucial to find something that you enjoy and that fits into your schedule. The good news is there are many ways to earn more income. You can become a freelancer and work in your free time. Or maybe you want to get create and sell stuff at markets.

Here is our latest list of side hustles that are relevant today.

1. Driver

Becoming a ride-sharing driver is one of the most flexible side hustles today. You get to choose when you can pick up passengers, which is ideal for most people who have a full-time job because you can do it in your spare time.

You need a car and a smartphone with data to apply for the job. Of course, you’ll be subjected to background checks to ensure the safety of everyone involved: the passenger, the company, and yourself. The organization will peruse your driving record and criminal history.

These are a few of the requirements that you should prepare if you want to become a ride-sharing driver:

• Driver’s license
• 4-door vehicle
• Proof of residency
• Proof of vehicle insurance

2. Food Delivery

If sharing the same car with strangers isn’t your thing, you can still make money with your vehicle by side hustling as a food delivery driver. The transaction begins when a customer orders through the company’s app. The system then automatically looks for drivers in the area to pick up the food and send it straight to the client’s doorstep.

Registering is also a pretty straightforward process. You sign up on the company’s website and provide personal information, such as your name, address, age, location, vehicle details, driver’s license, and contact number. The company verifies the data you sent and informs you when you’ve become part of their fleet of freelancers.

Here are some ways to help you with your food delivery gig.

Be Friendly

In addition to earning from bringing food to customers, there’s also a chance that you’ll be getting tips. Food delivery is still a customer service job, even if you’ll be alone in the car for the drive. You’ll increase the likelihood of being tipped when you bring out your thousand-watt smile and be genuinely happy to serve them.

Be Efficient

This gig can bring in more money if you deliver the minimum number of orders. Moreover, hungry customers would appreciate it if you provided their orders quickly. Efficiency is not about speeding and reckless driving. Instead, you should figure out ways to cut delivery time through the GPS and maps on your phone.

Be Patient

Driving, especially during rush hour, can be stressful and frustrating. Keeping a level head while waiting for the food at the restaurant or for the car in front of you to step on the gas is essential for this job. When you enter the food delivery gig, you can choose not to be online during the busiest times. However, the downside is that you may miss out on the price surge and earn more money, particularly during usual dining hours.

Be Reliable

No customer wants to receive a jumbled mess of food. Once you’ve received their order from the restaurant, you should ensure it’s packed and sealed tightly. Also, place it securely in your trunk or wherever you’ll put it in your car so it won’t move around during the drive to the client’s place.

3. Online Seller – eCommerce

Another flexible side hustle is turning your passion into a business. Becoming a seller online is now more accessible through platforms that allow you to create a profile and promote your products to their extensive consumer base.

You can also create your website and grow your following organically. Regardless of your channel for selling merchandise online, you can build an empire from your computer.

4. Offline Seller – Street Markets

A worthy contender for a side hustle is selling products or services at street markets.  For services, you may wish to provide relaxing neck and shoulder massages or vehicle cleaning.  Another popular market stall option is selling fresh produce grown in your garden, such as seasonal fruit and vegetables.

If you’re crafty, you could also make and sell nice-smelling candles, or if you enjoy knitting, create a range of baby clothes or pet blankets.

Start your own mobile coffee cart from the boot of your vehicle and sell your coffee at sports events, markets and wherever you see the opportunity.

5. Host

If you have an extra room in your apartment or house to spare, you can earn money from that space by renting it out to backpackers and budget travellers. Airbnb is the leading platform for this business setup. It’s a digital marketplace where you can post your listing and wait for people to book.

The website takes a 3% cut as a commission on each booking. It provides the best value accommodation to guests according to their budget, while hosts can cash in on spare rooms, improving annual household income significantly.

If you think sharing a car with strangers is overwhelming, renting a room in your home may be even more daunting. However, there are things you can do to protect yourself, such as:

Screening Guests

Before confirming the booking, check the guest’s profile and read the reviews other hosts have given them. This information can give you an idea of what to expect from the clients. You can also view their social media profiles and see how they behave during vacations. If you have concerns and hesitations, declining politely and waiting for another booking may be better.

Investing in a Safe Box

Even if you aren’t sharing a house with a stranger, you should buy a reliable, safe box to store your valuable possessions and relevant documents. These containers are fire-proof and won’t be easily damaged even when mauled. Better safe than sorry, as they say.

Getting Insurance

While Airbnb protects its host with insurance, you should still get your own to increase your coverage. You never know what the future holds, and protection can help minimize your worries about where you can get funds during emergencies.

Installing a Security System

Have professionals put up a security system to protect you and your guests from people with evil intent? Surveillance cameras and theft-detection devices can keep your mind at ease even when you’re far from home.

6. Home Help

Busy full-time professionals often desire interior and exterior home help. Exterior lawn mowing, weeding, tree trimming, and exterior house, window, and roof cleaning are all time-consuming tasks that can be done during the week or on weekends.

Even the most discerning homeowners struggle to find the time to clean their homes. The basics like vacuuming, washing down benchtops and doing the laundry take up most of a full-time worker’s spare time.

Engaging a part-time housekeeper to do other deep cleaning tasks, like window furnishings (blinds or curtains), dusting around artwork, window frames, and cleaning kitchen cabinetry and other high-traffic surfaces in bathrooms, living areas and bedrooms.

7. Content Creation

Managing content creation for professional services firms is a viable side hustle. You can use an AI writer to assist you with ideas, content outlines, and research to craft blog posts, social media posts, and marketing emails. Ideally, you’ll focus on a niche that interests you, so adding your own opinions and knowledge ensures the content is personable and engaging.

Conclusion

Today’s gig and the sharing economy have created additional income streams for everyone. You can earn extra money through your vehicle by driving others to their destinations or delivering food directly to their doorsteps. You can also gain cash by renting your spare rooms to other people. Plus, you can capitalize on your passions and turn them into a business.