9 Side Hustles for 2019 That Don’t Require a Lot of Talent or Ramp-Up Time

By: Marianne Hayes | Grow

Nearly 40 percent of Americans are rocking at least one side gig, a recent Bankrate survey found—and the average hustler brings in $686 per month.

If earning more money is on your 2019 resolutions list, these gigs can help. With a relatively low barrier to entry, they don’t require much time or even talent to get started.

Get paid for grocery shopping.

You’re going to the grocery store anyway; why not get paid?

Grocery-delivery companies Shipt and Instacart pay up to $20-$22 per hour—plus tips—to fill grocery orders for others. Tie this gig to your regular shopping trip and deliver to locals, and it's a pretty hands-off side gig that lets you set your own hours.

Charge electric scooters.

If you live in one of the 100+ cities where Bird and LimeBike are available, you may have seen their electric scooters around town. The rental companies are currently taking on independent “Bird Chargers” and “Lime Juicers” to power these eco-friendly wheels.

The job requires finding scooters and taking them home, charging them (with company-provided cables), then returning them to a docking station. This blogger generally earns $15 to $25 per day, and drops off scooters on his way to work.

Rent your backyard...to dogs.

Calling all dog lovers. Sniffspot—kind of like canine Airbnb—connects dog owners with people who have private, hazard-free backyards for their four-legged pals to run and socialize safely. Sniffspot says many of their hosts "are making enough to significantly offset their rent or mortgage payment." Hosts set their own price per dog, per hour.

Deliver packages for Amazon.

Go down any residential street, and you'll likely see Amazon boxes waiting on most doorsteps. Someone’s got to make these deliveries, and Amazon pays “delivery partners” who set their own schedules between $18-$25 per hour to get the job done. Check with Amazon Flex to see if this opportunity is available in your city.

Sell your favorite products.

Rodan and Fields skin care, Scentsy candles, Beachbody fitness routines—network marketing has come a long way since Mary Kay, and there are plenty of companies willing to pay you to be a part-time brand ambassador.

“The most important thing is to really like and believe in the product,” says Susie Moore, author of “What If It Does Work Out? How a Side Hustle Can Change Your Life.” Because how much you earn depends on the effort you put in, and you have to be willing to get out there and sell—meaning this gig probably isn’t for everyone. Still, this blogger was able to replace her full-time income within two years of selling essential oils on the side.

Stack “micro jobs.”

A micro job is exactly what the name implies—a fast, bite-sized task you complete on a one-off basis with no strings attached, like audio transcription or basic data entry. One job’s pay isn’t much, but even $10 a day adds up to an extra $300 earned per month. The most popular (and trusted) micro job platform is Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Host dinners or local tours.

Love showing friends around your city or entertaining at home? Turns out, you can monetize that hospitality. Companies like Rent a Local Friend and ToursByLocals pay enthusiastic side hustlers to give tourists an insider experience.

And eat with pays legit foodies to host private dinners, cooking lessons, and local food tours. The idea is to give people cool, authentic food experiences. If approved, you post your unique listings and set your own prices. Private holiday dinners in Brooklyn, for example, are currently listed for just under $100.

Become a mystery shopper.

Go shopping, rate your customer service experience, get paid. That's the gist of mystery shopping, a common practice in virtually every industry, from restaurants to retailers. Compensation varies, but this blogger makes $8 to $25 per hour.

Companies like GBW and Market Force are good places to start looking for gigs.

Spruce up local yards.

Snow removal is in high demand during the winter months, and CostHelper reports that the going rate is $25 to $75 an hour. Once the weather warms up, $30 to $80 per visit is today's standard lawn-mowing rate, according to Home Advisor.

Republished with the permission of Grow.