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It's always a good idea to have multiple streams of income, but there's nothing like a pandemic to drive the point home. In what seemed like a matter of hours, the coronavirus flipped the job market upside down, changing both the way we live and the way we can serve others.
While we don't know how long Portland's stay-at-home order will last, we do know it's high time we change the way we think about money—and how temp jobs and part-time gigs can fill in the gaps when full-time work is unavailable.
Steady, an app you can download for free on any smartphone, cuts out the grunt work of crawling through Craigslist and asking friends of friends for ways to earn extra cash. The app is a constantly updating job board based on location—once you enter your ZIP code, a list of opportunities becomes available, which you can sort through by time commitment, distance and category. It also acts as a new form of personal financial adviser, tracking your income and creating a personalized plan to help you earn and save. Steady also offers what it calls "income boosters": bonus cash automatically deposited in your bank account when you sign up for gigs with certain partners.
Here are five of Steady's temporary side hustles that can help you earn more cash, all while protecting yourself and others in these highly contagious times.
Clickworker
While this might be a good time to learn a new language or tune up your spreadsheet abilities, the truth is that not every job needs you to acquire a new skill. If you want to take a break from streaming or scrolling to earn some extra change instead, Clickworker gives you access to hundreds of remote jobs that require no special skills, including proofreading, taking surveys, and testing apps. All you need is an Internet connection; how much—or little—time you spend working is up to you. No Zoom meetings necessary.
Postmates Delivery Driver
If you've thought in the past month that food delivery workers must be making a killing with Portland's beloved restaurant scene shut down, you're not exactly wrong. The coronavirus hasn't stopped people from wanting to eat out, but it looks different now. Postmates, an on-demand delivery service, allows drivers to bring those favorite restaurants to customers' doorstep—with no fees or time quotas, meaning you take home everything you earn when you complete a delivery. It also happens to be one of Steady's designated income boosters, so $20 will instantly be in your pocket when you sign up and begin delivering from the app.
Rosetta Stone Tutor
Maybe tutoring has always been your side hustle, but the opportunity hasn't come up in a while. Even if none of us can sit shoulder to shoulder at this point, hunched over an SAT prep book, you can still educate the youths—and beyond—of the world as a part-time language tutor with Rosetta Stone. The company is currently looking for native English and Italian speakers with experience in teaching or tutoring to facilitate a series of online language classes. The schedule is flexible, so with a computer and Internet access you're good to go.
Randstad Call Center Representative
The nature of the coronavirus has been that while some jobs have all but disappeared, others have sprung up or adapted themselves to the work-from-home model. Randstad, an employment agency, is looking for customer service professionals to begin immediately, taking calls from those who have been laid off or furloughed and guiding them through the unemployment process. The job is carried out exclusively from home and your personal computer, so you don't have to risk venturing outside. You just might need to start practicing your customer service voice.
2 Brothers Moving & Delivery Strength Coach
Perhaps one of the hardest-hit industries of this time has been the fitness industry. In sad news for those dedicated to their daily gains, gyms quickly became breeding grounds for the virus and were some of the first businesses shut down. For those with coaching or personal training experience, 2 Brothers Moving & Delivery is looking for a part-time strength coach to improve the endurance and athleticism of its employees. For the time being, the new hire will have to follow and develop coronavirus safe practices in the gym area—but will also have the opportunity to join the companywide kickball team.
Download Steady at this link to start making money.