Calling all ladies looking for some side work! Whether you have extra time on your hands or you’re looking to get a little extra paper, Beyonce style, the gig economy is calling your name. What’s that, you ask? The gig economy is characterized by short-term, contract based work, offering flexibility in hours. Think your freelance graphic designer friend (or Uber driver). Whether you’re between jobs and looking for income to hold you over ‘til your next big break, trying to pay your student loans, or just looking for a little cash money, we’re here to help you make the gig economy work for you.
In fact, Karsten Strauss of Forbes reports that “by the year 2020, 43% of the U.S. workforce will be made up of workers who freelance—that includes younger workers who love the flexibility of working that way and older ones looking to assert more control over their careers.” It’s time for you to get a little piece of that action! Here are our top 5 recommendations of the perfect side hustle for the millennial woman. (Bonus: we’ll tell you how to become the best in the part-time biz.)
Everyone has opinions – why not get paid to give yours?
Rather than ranting on Twitter for free, get paid to tell people what you think! One way to do that is by joining focus groups. Brands are looking for (millennial) people to give them feedback all the time. Presumably, this helps prevent them from making catastrophic marketing mistakes (a la Pepsi), but you also get to help launch new products, give input on surveys, and tell people what you think. Some companies pay big bucks: “You can make up to $350 a session doing this,” reports one expert.
Similarly to focus groups, working as a beta tester for new apps is a straightforward and fun way to get that dough. A beta tester tries out “cool, new, unreleased products” and offers an opinion to the app developers to make sure it’s #flawless before being released to the masses. BetaBound (our partners in app development!) has a great primer on what this looks like. While not all companies will compensate you in hard cash, you often get access to new products before anyone else.
Pro-tip: For focus groups, check out companies like Mindswarms, FocusGroup.com, and Fieldwork. To become a beta tester, check out erli bird, Centercode, and Beta Family.
Get your Marie Kondo on.
That spring cleaning you’ve been putting off all season? Maybe you’d be a little more motivated if you could make some $$ off the things that have served you. It’s time to stop telling yourself you’ll get around to re-reading those old college textbooks collecting dust on your bookshelf. Did you know you can make $1,000 selling those tomes? Ditto with the glitter halter top you haven’t worn since senior year and your old electronics.
Pro-tip: Sell your old electronics on Gazelle or Amazon Trade-in. Amazon Trade-in works for textbooks, too, or try Textbooks.com, Powell’s, or AbeBooks. To make some money off your wardrobe, check out this roundup of sites that will help you sell your clothes from Buzzfeed.
Teach English Remotely.
Great for people who love chatting, connecting with someone else in the world who wants to learn English is the perfect side project for karma points. And the best part is you don’t need to pack up your life and move to a remote country to get the same cultural exchange as you might in the Peace Corps. Simply log into Skype on your Saturday morning and chat away with a kindred spirit across the globe. The going rate for English teachers in places like Hong Kong or the UAE is upwards of $25 an hour – though fair warning, to get solid referrals you’ll want to get your ESL (English as a Second Language) accreditation.
Pro-tip: Check out sites like Indeed, Learn4Good and Remote.co to see postings for remote English teaching jobs.
Assist, virtually.
You don’t need a ton of experience to become a virtual assistant. A VA’s role is to provide support services from a remote location. That support can include everything from simple administrative tasks to complex social media campaigns. Depending on your skill level and dedication, virtual assistants make between $20 – $100/hr.
Pro-tip: Read this guide to learn more about what it takes to become a virtual assistant. It includes resources for setting up your first VA gig!
Put that “millennial” stereotype to good use.
Millennials are known for taking tons of selfies, right?! So why not make some money off that stereotype, and either grow and sell your Instagram page, or start selling photos to a stock image company?
“If you already have a sizable Instagram following, or a knack for getting followers, you could be approached by major brands, gear companies, and other relevant businesses with products and services your audience may be interested in,” writes Ryan Robinson in Forbes. Seriously, you can sell your Instagram channel for anywhere between $100 – $500, depending on how well you’ve managed the page. Or, you can just get paid by brands to promote certain products.
If social media isn’t so much your thing, consider contributing to a stock image service. Each service has their own rate and commission, but the nice thing about this option is that you can continue to earn passive income after your photo is listed. Sites like 123RF give you 60% commission each time your image gets a download. Nice!
Pro-tip: Join the Facebook group Instagram Posse to learn how to grow your Instagram page. Already have a sweet following? Check out Instagram channel marketplaces like FameSwap, BuySell Shoutouts, and EpicNPC for more on how to buy and sell Instagram accounts. To submit your stock images, read this guide.
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