These Side Hustles Are Trending Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic

The rise of the side hustle

The covid-19 pandemic brought so much uncertainty and although it may have affected some businesses badly, other ventures are thriving like never before.

Many people are beginning to own new businesses, particularly alongside paid employment.

New businesses are being launched every day and the online business boom has become quite noticeable.

With many countries still under government-imposed lockdown restrictions and quarantines, more people have free time on their hands and are constantly looking for ways to make more money.

It is no longer business as usual because a lot of people are exploring different means of making additional income.

Economic instability, loss of jobs, pay cuts and financial struggles have pushed many to explore innovative ways to make ends meet.

A side hustle is no longer an alternative, but a lifeline.

Through this pandemic, some side-hustles have become more popular than before. Here are some of them:

1. Freelance Writing

Writing online is easy and fast. With it, you can write within the comfort of your home anytime, anywhere.

One of the fastest ways of spreading information is through writing and since people are constantly gaining new knowledge by reading online, more writers should aim to make that information readily available, depending on what topic catches their interest.

Really, if writing is something that you like to do, it doesn’t take much to put it out there. All you need is a proper workspace, laptop, writing materials, stable internet and you are good to go.

Freelance writing gives you enough flexibility because you can choose to work remotely for anyone or even for yourself.

With popular writing platforms like Medium, Vocal and Newsbreak, writing can be a valuable source of income. Some of these writing platforms may require membership fees alongside written guidelines for writers who want to join their platforms.

Upwork and Fiverr are good platforms to also bid for writing gigs. Any writer who wishes to be a member would have to create a profile and follow the requisite guidelines.

2. Food Delivery

Food delivery is the new norm because people are now more reliant on ordering meals and other items online. This side hustle has become more popular in recent times.

Many food apps are on the rise to deliver food to people within the confines of their homes.

In fact, food delivery drivers are now in high demand. The delivery business has grown so much that Business wire reports that by 2023, the food delivery market is expected to hit $154.34 billion mark.

Delivery companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Just Eat, GrubHub are quite popular. They are trending because they render fast and effective delivery services.

3. Online Tutoring

If you are knowledgeable in a particular subject and can teach, tutoring could be a great side hustle to consider.

Since the pandemic started, many kids have been introduced to online learning. However, some kids can’t cope with unusual school sessions and may need extra help from tutors. This is where online tutors can fill in the educational gaps. Apps like zoom and skype make it easy to teach, regardless of distance.

Many people are daily making substantial income from tutoring. For instance, the website “tutors.com” shows that tutors make about $25 - $80 per hour. VIPkid and GogoKid are platforms that hire online teachers.

4. Virtual assistant services

Who is a virtual assistant?

The Money and Mimosas website defines a virtual assistant as:

“An online assistant that provides business support and even personal assistant support to companies and individuals using the internet and sometimes, the phone, depending on the job requirements.”

Virtual assistants can help with a lot of things like handling social media accounts, responding to emails, proofreading blog posts, research, content creation, report compilation, data entry and a host of other functions.

Being a virtual assistant is flexible and one can also work from anywhere. Now more than ever, there is a higher demand for virtual assistants by many individuals and businesses.

Depending on their level of expertise, virtual assistants make about $10-$25 dollars per hour. The experienced ones make a lot more.

5. Creating and selling products online

Many people are constantly creating and selling stuff online. New courses, e-books, printables and other things are being sold.

People who can make handmade items are now turning their craft into a quick side hustle. Etsy is a good place to sell stuff online; you can get customers that require specific products. There are other popular websites meant for the same purpose too. Amazon and eBay are great places to sell stuff and make money. If photography is what you love to do, you can sell your photos on popular sites like unsplash and pexels.

Having a side hustle is one way to rake in extra cash and it has become a guaranteed safety net for many. There are so many advantages of having a side hustle and as Independent online puts it,

“A successful side hustle can also be an excellent way of boosting self-esteem, enjoying more work variety, providing stimulation for opportunity and creativity, and even building valuable networks.”

Find something you love doing, and make it a side hustle. Let your creativity work for you.