(Update 3/17/2020: lf you’re looking for strictly work-from-home jobs that you can do while in self-isolation, I recommend checking out this post of 25+ websites where you can find work-from-home jobs and gigs.)
I’m not an economist (or even someone who remembers how to do long division), so I’m the last person who should be talking about the economy and recession risks. However, I did graduate college with a Journalism degree at the height of the Great Recession while making $10 an hour working for a Big 3 automotive supplier, so I know what it’s like to enter adulthood in a perpetual state of financial doom and uncertainty. So – basically an economist, but the kind where all the money is on fire and you can only catch it with your teeth.
If you live in the United States, whether you experienced the Great Recession or not, you probably also know a bit about financial doom and uncertainty. If you’ve ever worried that the company you work for might lay you off due to circumstances outside your control, you know that feeling of doom and uncertainty. Hell, if you’ve ever had a job you hate and would love to quit but it’s your only source of income and healthcare so you begrudgingly stick around, you also know that feeling of doom and uncertainty.
Yet so many of us are in these situations because we feel like we have no other choice. We’re just doing what’s expected of us in exchange for the privilege of existing in society. Wake up, go to work, exchange the majority of our waking hours and energy to make a third of what our bosses are making off our labor, rinse and repeat, pay taxes, maybe retire, die. It’s the American dream!
So many people say that working for yourself is the biggest career risk you can take. Personally, I think it’s riskier to have all your income tied to a situation where so many external variables are dependent on someone else. It’s incredibly vulnerable to have nearly every decision about your job, your income, and your healthcare in the hands of a CEO who cares more about shareholders than employees, and yet it’s considered “the norm” and the most “secure” way to survive in this world.
If anything, I should be grateful for the last recession because it put this vulnerability on full display for me. I was working in an industry where the government was bailing out our main competitors in order for them to avoid bankruptcy. Automotive plant workers were laid off left and right. Restaurants and stores were closing because their main customers were out of work. Utility bills went unpaid, credit cards soared past their limits, and homes went into foreclosure as the months without work went by. Watching this ripple effect was jarring. I think about this ripple every time I hear the word “recession”. I think about how so many lives were uprooted because the one job they thought had their back was ripped from under them, with no recourse or alternative means for survival. I knew there had to be a way to keep myself out of this situation, but how? Everybody was doing what was expected of them and still got fucked over by bad policies and decisions that they had absolutely no control over.
Want to know what finally gave me a sense of stability and control? Freelance writing. Side hustling before “side hustle” was part of our vernacular. One day, while browsing jobs online hoping to find the journalism gig of my dreams, I discovered the world of online content writing. I stumbled upon a website where you could apply to join their pool of writers and claim available articles to write whenever you had time. Holy shit. Suddenly, there was a way for me to make an extra $20, $60, $100 every week, or even every day, only working when I had the extra time.
Those sites are what we now call “content mills,” and I’d advise most people to stay away from them. Still, they are relevant to what I’m getting into because it was my first introduction to the world of freelance work. Even more significant is that they were my first introduction to a world where I actually had more than one way to make money. As in, if the company I worked for full-time went under and my job went poof, I’d have another way to generate income. I had cracked a code that let me see past the nihilistic lens through which I was seeing the world and my future. I had figured out a way to be my OWN pimp, a way to control the variables and not be dependent on one income source for eternity.
That’s what this whole post is about. Whether we dive into another recession or not, in this society it’s crucial (and easier than ever, thanks to the internet) to use your skills to diversify your income and maintain a sense of financial independence.
When you have more than one source of income, the world is much less likely to end if you lose your job.
If you keep your job, your side hustles will benefit you by giving you bargaining power. Ever had a job that took advantage of you, severely affected your sanity and you desperately wanted to quit, but you couldn’t because it was your only source of income? It’s a lot easier to do that, even without a new job lined up, when you know you’ll still have money coming in from somewhere else. When you no longer depend on the company to survive, it’s easier for you to set boundaries and more difficult for a boss to use that power in their favor.
I don’t just think you deserve to feel confident about your financial situation because it’s less stressful. I think it’s an integral part of surviving in a capitalist society where a small economic setback can mean you no longer have food on the table.
Now that I’ve ranted long enough about capitalism and recessions, it’s time to get to the point of all this: a list of side hustle ideas that will help you diversify your income and take some of the risks out of your financial future.
Sell a Local Service
If you know how to do something that other people don’t know how to do (or would rather pay someone to do it for them), you have a business. And with the internet, you have more access to customers than ever before. There are plenty of apps and websites to connect eager customers with people ready to babysit their kid, walk their dogs, put together Ikea furniture, do their laundry… the list is endless. Check out these websites to see what kind of services you can sell:
You can even check your local Nextdoor forum or neighborhood Facebook group for people looking for help. If you start off by picking up a couple of gigs here and there, you might even develop a reputation that helps you start your own business.
Sell Online Services
If the internet is more your thing, there is plenty of work to be had. Again, all that’s required is the ability to do something that others would rather pay someone else to do. I found my first freelance writing job through eLance, which is now Upwork, back in 2009, and have been taking freelance jobs in some capacity ever since.
What kind of services can you sell online? The possibilities are endless:
Virtual Assistance – This is one of the most diverse ways to work online, whether it’s freelance or full-time. Data entry, calendar management, scheduling, research, transcription, administrative support… many business owners prefer to pay someone else to handle these tasks, and not all of them have to be done in-person.
Related post: How to become a virtual assistant and make money working from home.
Content Writing – Article and blog writing, copywriting, technical writing, editing, resume writing… words power the internet, and the ability to use them will always be in demand. I used to work for a TV company writing p0rn video descriptions. One of the easiest writing jobs I’ve ever had. You don’t have to have a journalism degree or years of agency experience to be a writer. There are plenty of writing books and courses out there that can teach you different styles. If you have good grammar and know how to construct a sentence, you can probably get paid to write in some capacity.
Graphic/web designer – Every business needs a website and logo.
Programmer – If you know how to code, you never have to set foot in an office again.
Sites to find remote work:
Rev – Transcription jobs
Amazon Mechanical Turk – Get paid to perform small tasks for other people and businesses
One way to make it easier on yourself is to create a website or blog to show off your skills. Even if it’s just a bio, contact info, and description of the services you offer, a website helps prove that you’re serious about what you’re offering. It’s also where you can publish blog posts, either to show off your writing skill or demonstrate your expertise in your line of work, which helps to build trust with potential customers.
If you think you have no skills to sell, the internet can teach you how to do anything! Skillshare has plenty of courses on in-demand skills, from copywriting to coding.
Create a Product
If you’re not into selling services, sell a product! People will buy anything. Just look at all the weird and fascinating stuff on Etsy and Amazon. If you know how to make something, someone will probably give you money for it.
You don’t even have to make a physical product. Here’s a list of 20 types of digital products you can sell on Etsy for (mostly) passive income.
Bluprint is an excellent website for learning how to make anything, from quilts to cake decorations. YouTube is also a great resource for how-to videos.
Start a Print on Demand Shop
Print on demand is a service that allows you to print your own designs on t-shirts, mugs, bags, wall art, accessories, and more. If you know how to make PNG files, even if they’re only text, then you have what it takes to open a POD shop. This is my current main source of income.
Be sure to check out my list of the best print-on-demand services available.
Create a Course
Do you know how to do something that other people would like to learn? Instead of taking a course, create one! Sites like Skillshare, Bluprint, and Teachable are designed for making and selling courses of all kinds. A few examples of courses that people have made:
Big Bowls: Hearty Vegetarian Meals
Design Infusion: Creative Textiles
Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design
Excel for the Real World: Gain the Basic Skills for Microsoft Excel
Learn How to Motivate Yourself: Master Self-Discipline and Get Things Done
Knife Skills: Chop Like a Chef
How to Give a Great Foot Massage
There is always something you know how to do that someone would like to learn.
Drive for Uber/Lyft/DoorDash
Depending on where you live, there is a lot of earning potential with companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and GrubHub. I haven’t worked for any of these companies but have noticed that they all have Subreddits where gig workers share tips and advice:
Do you work for one of these rideshare or delivery apps? I’d love to hear about your experience (good or bad) in the comments so others know what to expect.
Rent Out Your Home on AirBnb
If you live in a touristy area, consider renting out your house on Airbnb (or part of it). You can rent out your whole house when you’re gone, or even just a room for people who need a place to crash for a night. When I lived in downtown Detroit I considered renting out my flat for the weekend of the electronic music festival and going to stay with friends. It would have been an easy $600, probably, but ultimately I was too paranoid (and too lazy to do the proper cleaning) to do it.
Flip Thrifted Items on eBay/Poshmark/Facebook Marketplace
When I go thrifting I usually find a few things I love but are not my size. If the price, brand, style, and condition is right, I’ll buy the item and sell it on eBay or Poshmark. Earlier this summer I found a pair of J Crew black scalloped shorts, size 6, brand new with tags, for $3. I sold those bitches for $25 on Poshmark the next day! If you’re good at the hunt and have an eye for what people are looking for, you can make money doing this, too.
Start a Blog/Podcast/YouTube Channel
If you know how to write, you have something to say, and you’re willing to spend lots of time working on your side hustle before making money off it, content creation is a great side hustle with limitless potential. With the internet you can create content just about any way you prefer – talking on video, writing a blog, yelling into a microphone on a podcast. Here’s a post with 5 reasons I think blogging is a great side hustle (plus some other reasons why it’s not).
One of the most common ways people make money off content is through affiliate marketing, where you share links to other people’s products and services in exchange for a commission when someone makes a purchase through your link.
If you’re thinking about starting a blog, or even just a portfolio site to sell your skills, check out my section of blogging-related posts to help get you started.
There are plenty of other ways to make extra money, so don’t be afraid to test the limits of the internet and see what best caters to your skills. If you haven’t noticed, “skills” is a common theme on this list, because it’s integral to financial security. The more skills you have, the more valuable and recession-proof you become. I hope this list inspires you to try something new and make some extra money!
Do you have any side hustles? Share your ideas or success stories in the comments!
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