How You Can Make Money From The Gig Economy Right Away

The best way to make money right away is to focus on tapping into the gig economy instead of chasing passive income fantasies that go nowhere.

This has been a challenging time period for many of us. Some jobs were completed eliminated and many industries had to shut down for long periods of time. You’re likely looking for ways to bring more money in. This is why we’re going to look at the idea of making money from the gig economy and how you can maximize this opportunity right now.

How can you make money from the gig economy? How can you increase your income as a gig worker? 

Make money gig economy

“It looks like I’m moving up to the management team at my company.”

A buddy started delivering alcohol after he read our financial survival guide when the pandemic first hit and now he’s moving up to the management team as the company grows. He lost his job during the pandemic and he needed to find a new income stream. He jumped at this chance to make money and he ended up with a new career in an unexpected field.

I heard from another friend who started delivering food on his bike during the warmer months. He ended up making more money than ever before by taking advantage of this opportunity to make money from the gig economy.

Many people have had to turn to the gig economy for making money and financial survival during the last few years as the world became a bit chaotic. I want to help you figure out how to make as much money as possible from the gig economy.

Let’s get started…

What is the gig economy all about? What are gig economy jobs?

How to make money from the gig economy

What are gig economy jobs? There are actually many ways to make money these days from the gig economy. This is essentially short-term work where you get paid every single time you perform the service. This is like an on-demand freelance service ranging from delivering food to fixing pipes in someone’s home.

The general idea of gig economy jobs is that you make money from short-term work on a flexible schedule. You perform specific tasks that are in demand for a fee on your own schedule. 

Gig economy jobs can range from delivering groceries to dog walking. The task will depend on the gig economy app that you go with and what you decide to do. There are apps like TaskRabbit that allow you to perform completely random tasks for money (like setting up Ikea furniture or waiting in line for someone). Then there are very specific services where you perform one thing repeatedly (delivering food with Uber Eats).

What exactly is the gig economy though? What are gig economy jobs all about? 

Here’s the best description that I could find about what is the gig economy. According to this article on Investopedia:

“The gig economy is based on flexible, temporary, or freelance jobs, often involving connecting with clients or customers through an online platform.”

The goal with gig economy jobs is to pick up work that will pay you well on a flexible schedule so that you don’t have to commit to set hours. Most of these gig economy apps are generally flexible and they allow you to make some decent money while pursuing other ventures in life.

This then leads to an important question…

Who are gig economy jobs perfect for?

Finding work in the gig economy can also be the perfect bridge as you bring in an income and give entrepreneurship a try as you figure out your next steps in life.

How can you make money with gig economy jobs?

There are many ways to make money from the gig economy. Depending on when you read this article, the list could be entirely different. What’s in demand is often changing.

How you make money from the gig economy will also depend on what you’re into and where you live.

What are some popular ways to make money from the gig economy?

  • Working as a rideshare driver.
  • Delivering alcohol.
  • Delivering groceries.
  • Renting space out in your home.
  • Being a dog walker.
  • Performing odd jobs.
  • Performing freelance services.
  • Offering an Airbnb Experience.
  • Setting up Ikea furniture.

The best part of the gig economy is that there are so many different gig economy apps and so many interesting ways to make money within those apps.

As time goes on, more gig economy apps are coming out.

There are now websites that aggregate gig jobs (like AppJobs for example) to help you find the best gig based on your skillset and location.

The graphic below summarizes how AppJobs works. You type in your location and then they share what gig economy jobs are available around you.

Gig economy jobs

Let’s address the main question here…

How can you start making money right now with the gig economy?

how to invest your money wisely

There’s a gig economy job out there for you. We just have to help you figure out what the best option is so that you don’t waste your time.

Check out this video below on how you can get fit with side hustles in the gig economy.

Since there are so many different apps and platforms that it may seem overwhelming when you look to make money from the gig economy.

I want to help you figure out how to maximize your time so that you make the most money possible. This is why it’s important that you start testing one app at a time to see which platform is right for you so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. You can’t try to pursue every option at once. You’ll get burned out and frustrated this way.

Here are the steps that I would follow to make money from the gig economy right now:

Step 1: Look at what’s popular around you with the gig economy.

The gig economy is location-driven and how you can make money will completely depend on where you live.

What’s popular in one part of the world might even be nonexistent elsewhere.

For example, in a bigger city, there will be more folks who need groceries or want their pet walked when they’re at work. In a smaller town, there may be a higher demand for odd jobs around the house or drivers since it’s not easy to get around.

Here are a few things to think about:

  • Is your city spread out? Do people need to be transported? Is it a struggle to get around?
  • What resources do you have? Do you have a car to drive people around or a bike that you could use to deliver food?
  • What skills do you have? Can you set up furniture? Can you do odd jobs around the house? Are you handy?
  • What do you enjoy doing? Are you a dog person? Do you want to explore more? Could you deliver food on your bike around town?

The trick to the gig economy is capitalizing on what’s currently in demand with your resources and skill set.

For example, the other day as I walked through Ikea, I noticed that they were promoting TaskRabbit for anyone who wanted help with setting up furniture. If you’re good at setting up furniture and have a knack for it, you can make decent money from simply setting up a bedside table for someone. I personally am terrible at trying to figure out Ikea instructions. I certainly would’ve benefited from this service.

When Uber first came on the scene in Toronto in 2015, I decided to give driving for Uber a try because I wanted to see how the technology worked and if there was any money in it. Uber was a disruptive technology that I also wanted to get in on the ground floor.

I was able to make decent money from ridehsare driving because the app was still new and exciting. Uber was handing out promo codes and there weren’t that many drivers on the road. It was easy to spend an entire evening making money. People were turning to this new technology because they were fed up with how expensive taxis were. Driving for Uber was very profitable that summer.

In 2016, I went with Airbnb to rent out my condo. I had purchased a new property and I was looking to make some money from it. I listed the place and I found guests. The unit made me money until my condo decided to ban Airbnb rentals in the building.

In 2019, I started an Airbnb Experience because I enjoy hosting events and I had a feeling that there would be money to be made in tourism. I started a coffee crawl and showed tourists around my community in Toronto. I got paid to drink coffee with tourists from around the world.

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I definitely see myself getting involved in the gig economy again.

Step 2: Think about what you really want to do in the gig economy.

What do you really want to do? Is there any kind of gig that you look forward to doing?

You have to find a gig that you can somewhat enjoy so that you’re not miserable while trying to make some money.

After working as a rideshare driver, I realized that I didn’t enjoy driving people around (especially intoxicated people who wanted to yell at me late at night because I didn’t let them smoke in the car).

I enjoy drinking coffee and leading groups so running an Airbnb Experience was the right move for me. As I become more of a dog person, I could see myself signing up for Rover to walk dogs in Toronto this summer since I also enjoy going for long walks.

Here are a few options for finding the right gig economy job for you:

  • If you want to get more exercise in, you can deliver food on a bike.
  • If you love pets, you can become a dog walker or a pet sitter.
  • If you enjoy cleaning up, you can clean houses.
  • If you love graphic design or have creativity, offer design ideas to print on demand businesses.
  • If you just want to make a few extra dollars, you can perform completely random tasks.

You have to be realistic with yourself here so that you don’t waste your time. You don’t want to list out your spare bedroom if you don’t like to host people. You don’t want to sign up to be a driver if you hate driving around in your city or if you’re not a good driver in general.

Step 3: Apply to get approved on the gig economy app.

The next step to making money in the gig economy involves applying to get approved. You have to apply to even have a chance of making money in the gig economy.

What does the application process like?

  • When I wanted to drive for Uber, I had to go through a background check.
  • My friend wanted to deliver alcohol so he was tested out by the company to see if he could be trusted.
  • With Airbnb, they wanted to vet my experience to ensure that it was worth listing.

Every gig economy app will have its own application process that you have to go through. Your goal should be to fill out the forms promptly so that you can apply and wait to hear back. The good news is that if you get denied the first time, you’ll often hear back about what went wrong.

Your goal should be to apply immediately to the gig economy job so that you don’t waste time.

I see far too many people get intimidated by the application process and just give up. The sooner that you apply, the sooner that you’ll find out if you’re accepted or not.

Step 4: Test out different apps and services.

Start making money gig economy

The beauty of the gig economy is that it’s flexible and you don’t have to commit to anything for the long run. The different gig economy apps also work with you to ensure that you maximize your earnings.

You’re not stuck with the first app that you apply on. You can download a few apps and test them out until you find the ideal gig since the income options are extremely flexible.

For example, you could deliver food in the evening and walk dogs in the morning. You could list your place on Airbnb while you look for gigs setting up furniture.

It’s up to you to figure out what the best options are for making money based on your location and skillset. If you find that there’s not enough money to be earned on one app, you simply switch over.

Step 5: Assess and adjust. You have to ensure that you’re maximizing your income with the gig economy.

The goal is to test out work in the gig economy until you find something that pays you well. You should also try to find something that you’re pretty decent at so that you could make money with this in the long run.

Then you have to assess how it’s going. You want to ensure that you’re making the most out of the gig economy.

What should you think about here?

  • Look at how much money you’re bringing in. What’s the pay like?
  • Compare different apps and services. Is there more demand on one app? Do you get paid more on another app?
  • What your real rate per hour is. How much are you actually making per hour or per gig? Is this worth it or would your time be better spent trying something else?

Once you assess how your work in the gig economy is going, you can then just adjust. A friend found that the best schedule would be to work for Uber Eats during the lunchtime surge. When I listed my Airbnb Experience, I found that weekend mornings were the best time to run to maximize on tourist traffic.

Once again, the goal here is to make money here.

How do you maximize earnings?

  • Look at peak times. The trick is to optimize your schedule so that you’re making as much money as possible with your limited time.
  • Consider using multiple apps. You have to find ways to maximize your earnings on different gig apps. I’ve seen many drivers alternate between the Uber and Lyft app. This also happens with food delivery services. There are so many apps out there that you could benefit from running on multiple apps to maximize your revenue.

Good luck with testing the waters in the gig economy.

One of the best ways to start with the gig economy is to do random tasks on TaskRabbit.

You may still feel stuck about how to proceed with the gig economy because you’re not totally sure of what you could specialize in.

If you’re not sure how to start with gig economy jobs, one of the best options appears to be TaskRabbit.

I looked at what’s popular near me to explore the options for making money and this is what I found on TaskRabbit. You could make $80/hour to set up furniture if you’re handy. Check out this graphic below.

Make money from Task Rabbit

The trick is to reverse engineer the process for landing a gig economy job with TaskRabbit.

  • Think of what skills you have or what tasks you can complete.
  • Then see what others near you are charging for these services.
  • Offer a similar service or apply for similar gigs.
  • Start to get paid for random tasks.

Ania Smith, The CEO of TaskRabbit went on record to make this claim about wages:

“The average hourly wage for a tasker in the U.S. is $48. In cities like New York and the Bay Area, it’s around $60.”

What if I don’t have any skills to make money with TaskRabbit? 

There’s good news. You could get paid to stand in line! The gig economy has made it possible for anyone to find a side hustle that brings in money. The goal of this article is to help everyone reading this find a gig economy job to bring in money right away.

Here’s a quick recap for how to make money with the gig economy right now:

How are you going to make money with gig economy jobs? We did our best to share the best gig economy jobs out there right now. Let us know in the comments if you have any history with the gig economy.

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