Out of boredom or necessity, you may want to make some extra money during the coronavirus.
But with so many go-to side gigs on indefinite hold, its hard to know where to turn.
A good place to start: the mirror.
Brendan Smith’s side gigs giving coffee tours and working as a DJ have slowed way down. So he’s used Facebook Live to grow at-home coffee sales for his day job as an outreach coordinator for Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters. Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder
The way to capitalize on those skills isnt always obvious.
Here well outline several steps to help you monetize your talents.
If all goes well, youll still be seeing returns long after the pandemic calms down.
I know that not everyone out there is going to have a huge business.
But I do think its about uncovering that skill, adapting it and applying it to this new economy.
Our team has compiled alist of creative waysyou can fatten your bank account this week.
This is a long list, so dont get overwhelmed.
Well keep it updated as offers changes or expire.
Both hard and soft skills are fair game.
And dont be discouraged because you dont have a specific credential.
Many valuable skills dont require any credential at all.
Take humor for example.
Its great situational comedy and provides people a much-needed laugh in anxious times.
The icing on the cake is that each joke earns them a $5 tip.
Did you know?
you could Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion
2.
Consider Your Customer
Think: What do your potential customers needright now?
You may crochet beautifully and dream of launching your gig.
But right now, the general public isnt likely to stock up on $200 handmade afghans.
Your product needs to be relevant to people during the pandemic.
What could those crocheting skills be used for instead?
Find out where your customers are.
Find out what they need.
Find out what you’re able to learn, Brendan Smith said.
Smith is an outreach coordinator for Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters.
On typical weekends, he alsohosts craft coffee tours as a side hustle.
Both gigs rely on in-person networking and coffee tasting, which dont comport with social distancing.
Technology is not natural to a lot of people, Janel Norton said.
you’re able to always go the route of a standalone website.
But you may want to hold off on that until you have an established customer base.
For general freelance work, it’s possible for you to get started withone of these freelance websites.
Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer are among the most popular.
Freelance sites generally take a 20% fee for each sale.
For selling products, Amazon, Ebay and Etsy are among themost popular sites to sell stuff online.
Fees work differently for each website.
They landed onMindbody, a content management system that caters to gyms and wellness centers.
They say the most important part is doing your homework.
See what your audience is using and see what your competitors are using, Janel Norton said.
Make It Easy for People to Pay You
Many freelance and e-commerce websites have built-in payment systems.
Citek and Cavalcanti, the joke-slinging bartenders, monetized their idea by using Venmo.
The first day we had 15 [requests] come in right away.
It just took off, and it brought people a sense of positivity.
Facebook Messenger offers a free payment system as well.
Paired with Marketplace, it makes buying and selling things locally quite seamless.
Just be sure your deliveries and in-person sales are contactless.
Dont Reinvent the Wheel
Novel doesnt always mean better.
You dont have to come up with a stellar new business idea or side gig.
The skills youve already learned or honed in previous gigs can transfer to existing ones.
For instance, Uber fares are plummeting, but some sectors of the transportation industry are booming.
Those customer-service and driving skills are applicable to other gigs that are in high-demand right now.
Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
He covers the gig economy, entrepreneurship and unique ways to make money.
Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.
Probably not as good as youd like.
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