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According to Forbes, more than one third (36 percent) of U.S. workers are in the gig economy, which works out to a very large number of approximately 57 million people.
According to Nasdaq, by 2020 43% of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers and it will continue to grow.
According to Betterment and its extensive study on the gig economy, this trend is fundamentally changing the way we earn, spend and save for retirement.
If you don’t already know what the gig economy is, let’s ask Google.
Google defines the “gig economy” as
“A labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs”
There are three main reasons why so many people are choosing to work in the gig economy.
Personal Empowerment
You get to decide when you want to work and how you want to work. In the gig-economy, you are your own boss. You get to set your own schedule at your own pace. Users are 1099 contractors which means they become their own small business.
Make More Money Quickly
If you’re already set up on a gig-economy marketplace or app, you can literally make a few taps on your iPhone and you can get cash deposited in your bank account. Minus the time needed to execute the service you’re offering, you can get paid within minutes.
Interrupt A Mundane Life
The typical wake-up, go to work at 9, come home after 5, watch TV, go to bed and repeat isn’t a life that everyone wants. Depending on the type of gig work you do, being in the gig-economy allows you to meet cool people and make new friends, break up the routine cycle in your life, and experience the world differently. You’re offered new ways to explore different areas in the city you live in.
12 Great Gig Economy Jobs You Should Try
You can join the gig-economy easily by simply downloading an app or joining an online marketplace.
1. SnapShyft
SnapShyft is one of the more recent gig-economy apps but is growing quickly across the Midwest. SnapShyft is a digital staffing app for food & beverage operations to instantly post uncovered shifts, allowing F&B operations to connect with experienced hospitality workers. Workers in the food and beverage industry can leverage their experience and pick up unclaimed shifts around their city. Venues in the food and beverage industry often struggle with being understaffed but with SnapShyft they no longer have to.
Download:
- iTunes — FREE
- Google Play — FREE
2. TaskRabbit
Task Rabbit is a great way to make a buck. If you have any skills whatsoever, you can make money off of them. Even if all you can do is lift heavy things, that’s great and there is someone out there who needs you. Jobs on TaskRabbit range from grabbing something at a store to painting a wall, to handing out flyers. All you have to do is let the app know what your skills are and how much you would like to get paid for using those skills to assist others, and voila, the requests come pouring in.
Download:
- iTunes — FREE
- Google Play — FREE
3. Fancy Hands
Fancy Hands has a diverse range of tasks that anyone can do. Fancy Hands seeks to provide assistants for anyone. You can simply apply to be an assistant and accept tasks on your own time. When you begin, you’ll get paid per task with consideration for how long it takes you to complete it, what time of day it is, and how complicated the task is. Fancy Hands is great for the entrepreneur because it allows them to hand off tasks like scheduling, emailing, and research.
Download:
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
4. Doordash
DoorDash is a food delivery app that helps Dashers deliver food from top restaurants to customers in your area. You can start delivering food on your own time to make extra cash. DoorDash helps restaurants make more money by offering the menus to anyone on the app. The business model of DoorDash is designed to benefit users as well as the restaurants. It enables users to find a restaurant and order food on one hand and on the other DoorDash gives restaurants an access to an extended customer base.
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
5. Turo
Turo, formerly RelayRides, is a peer-to-peer carsharing company. The company allows private car owners to rent out their vehicles via an online and a mobile app. In 2017, according to Turo, four million users had registered to use the service and 170,000 privately-owned cars were available for rental. Listing your car through this car sharing app could earn you up to $6,500 a year. Turo is often used by people who want to enjoy a fun evening in an exotic car for much cheaper than a traditional rental car service.
Download:
- iTunes — FREE
- Google Play — FREE
6. Uber/Lyft
Uber and Lyft are one of the most popular gig-economy apps. They are a location-based app that makes hiring an on-demand private driver. If you need a ride – they are a convenient, inexpensive and safe taxi service. If you need to make money, you can drive and earn as much as you want.
Download:
- Uber iTunes — FREE
- Uber Google Play –– FREE
- Lyft iTunes — FREE
- Lyft Google Play — FREE
7. Fiverr
Fiverr is the world’s largest freelance services marketplace. Fiverr provides freelance services for lean entrepreneurs with more than 116 categories. This gig economy app is renowned for its affordability and ease of use. Freelancers from copywriters to digital marketers easily fill their work schedules with clients from around the globe.
Download:
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
8. Rover
Get PAID to be with dogs. Seriously. Rover is a gig economy app that gives you the opportunity to spend time with four-legged friends and earn cash. It connects sitters and dog walkers near you who offer dog boarding, dog walking, house sitting, or doggy daycare.
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
9. AirBnB
A community-driven hospitality company, Airbnb allows homeowners to offer their homes and unique experiences to travelers. You can monetize your extra space and earn some extra income as a host using the app to list your home for prospective travelers to search by price, neighborhood, amenities, and more. Airbnb does not own any properties. It acts as an intermediary between those who want to rent out space and those who are looking for space to rent. Creating an account on Airbnb is free, and it is relatively simple.
Download:
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
10. Bellhops
If you are at least 18 years old and are physically able and strong, you can start earning money by providing friendly local moving services. Bellhops are professional and provide exceptional service while making moving day less stressful for customers. Once your move is scheduled, the Bellhops platform matches you with the movers who are most qualified for your job (based on factors such as location, home size, and time frame).
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
11. Freelancer
Freelancer is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace with more than 25 million users. Connect to employers and find work from anywhere while doing what you love by serving as a freelancer. Whatever your needs, there will be a freelancer to get it done: from web design, mobile app development, virtual assistants, product manufacturing, and graphic design (and a whole lot more).
Download:
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
12. Handy
Handy is the gig economy app for cleaners and handymen. Handy is the leading platform for connecting individuals looking for household services with top-quality, pre-screened independent service professionals. Clients who want assistance around the house will connect with you using the web or an iOS or Android device, and you can start earning up to $22/hour as a cleaner or $45/hour as a handyman.
Download:
- iTunes – FREE
- Google Play – FREE
Whether you own a car, like to clean, like to work in restaurants, or love to play with dogs there’s a gig-economy app out there for you. This list is only 12 out of hundreds. The gig-economy isn’t going anywhere so join now so you can begin taking advantage of all the opportunities that exist today.
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