Whether you're working full-time, part-time, or you're retired, it's nice to have extra money coming in when you want or need it. Having a side hustle can pay for bills, vacations, or give you that extra padding for your retirement. The trick with any good side hustles for women, though, is flexibility. And the best way to make fast money with flexibility? Look to the ‘gig' economy: simple jobs or tasks you can do morning, noon or night that typically require no previous training or certifications. All you need is a phone or computer. You simply decide when and where you want to work, then get paid!
So, what is a gig job”? Gig jobs are perfect for times when you want to supplement your current income, you're in between jobs or you have caretaking responsibilities you need to work around. And with a wide variety of gig jobs available, from ride-sharing to grocery shopping, along with quick moneymaking side hustles like selling your clutter on eBay or giving your opinion at focus groups, chances are you'll find something that fits your needs and your schedule.
The benefits: Not only are gig jobs easy side hustles for women, they're the fastest way to earn cash. Also, many companies handle promotion and get customers for you. Your payment can come as quickly as within a week after starting and sometimes sooner.
The financials: Most gig jobs are free to start. You may have fees (usually 5% to 25%) deducted from your earnings to cover a company's operational costs, such as websites and apps. If the job requires a car or tools, you'll supply your own.
Earnings: You can earn about $7 to $25 per hour when working for a company, but there are ways to earn more, like working peak hours for higher rates and receiving bonuses for referring new employees.
Taxes: You're considered an independent contractor. This means if you earn $400 or more during the year, you'll file a Schedule SE (Form 1040) to calculate income taxes and a Schedule C (Form 1040), showing profits and losses.
Getting started is easy!
Search “Top side hustles" online for ideas on what you may be able to do. Read on for 12 side hustles perfect for women.
1. Teach a class in your local community
Do you have something to share with your community, either a hobby or something from your professional life? Consider teaching others through community classes. To start with, check with your local rec department, library, or community center to see if they are looking for instructors. Don't be shy about pitching your own idea for a class. Many of these places will probably OK your idea. And who knows, you might end up loving teaching and passing on your knowledge or passion to others!
2. Become a consultant
A good way to stay involved with your professional side is to become a consultant in an industry you are familiar with. You might have methods of working or knowledge you can pass down to others. This is where LinkedIn can come in handy to figure out good side hustles for women. Connect with people you've worked with in the past and reach out to them to ask them about consulting opportunities.
3. Walk dogs or pet sit
There are several apps available for pet sitting and dog walking that make great side hustles for women. Wag and Rover are two such apps to check out. All you need to do is create a profile and mark your availability. With pet sitting, you can offer to host in your home or go to theirs, so it's an easy and convenient way to make some extra money and to get your dog (or cat or rabbit or turtle) fix. With these apps, you control your hours, so you can really do it at your convenience.
4. Work special events
If you don't want a regular gig, then consider applying to a place that just has special events. Sporting places, concert venues, and theaters are all good options. Summer is a great time of year to look for pop-up events like fairs, too. Check out what's available around you where you can pick up a gig from time to time.
5. Rent out your home
Have you heard of AirBNB? It's a website and app where people can rent out their home to others passing through town. There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you can rent out a room and earn regular income. Or you can rent out your home when you're traveling or on vacation so they can have the entire place to themselves. It can be a little intimidating to think about doing this at first, but it's one of the best side hustles for women and an easy way to make extra money. Plus, there are sites where you can rent out your backyard, garage (Peerspace) or even your swimming pool (Swimply)! If you're considering it, try finding a group on Facebook to join. They'll be able to give you advice and answer all your questions.
6. Sell your crafts
If you like to knit, crochet, make quilts or anything in between, consider selling them to others. This is a really good side hustle to do with a friend. You can join up to motivate one another and even split the cost of a booth or space at a craft fair. If you're considering trying this one, go to a few craft fairs yourself to see what is popular and does well. This will help you figure out what to put your time into. Even baked goods might be the way to go for something like this.
7. Become a ref, ump, or sports official
Training for these is often inexpensive, and there's such a need out there for good officials. This truly is a gig that's in high demand, but it's really flexible so you can take it on as you're available. If you're not sure where to look, start by contacting your area school, Little League organization, or another youth sports program. They should be able to point you in the right direction.
8. Give rides in your community
Lyft and Uber are two very popular ways for people to earn side hustle income. All you need is a tidy car, and you can make yourself available to give rides. It's relatively easy to get set up, but you do have to like driving and being friendly to strangers. Other apps that pay? Kango (where you drive kids around) and CitizenShipper (where you drive pets).
9. Run errands or shop for others
Shipt is an app that hires people to shop for others. There are other options, too, where you can run errands or pick up food for a fee. For instance, DoorDash is another one of the side hustles for women. Do a little searching to see what's available in your area.
10. Teach English online
There are a few different companies out there where you can work from home teaching English to kids, which makes a great side hustle for women. If the at-home option sounds like a good choice for you (and you like kids), check out VIP Kid. You can usually set your own hours, making it easy to work around your schedule.
Take what you're good at and spread the word to others
Whether it's any of the above or something else, sometimes you just have to be proud of your talents and share them with others. Are you a handyman or handywoman? Are you a good cook? Put a post out on Facebook or share with your friends that you're available for side jobs. You might be surprised what you get from just letting your own network know you're available.
Thank you Womens World
