Welcome to the Online Gig Economy
Tags: Online Business, Freelance, Side Hustle, Online Work At Home, Gig Economy

The surprisingly old-new way to easily make money online

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

I have a confession to make. I did not believe in the online gig economy until the effects of COVID-19 made me try it out late last year for some extra cash.

So far I have made close to $1,000. It is not a lot of money but for someone who had zero faith in online work, this is almost a miracle. I know of many people who can afford to live comfortably without starting a business or requiring a regular 9–5 job but by just freelancing.

When you think of gig workers, you probably think of entertainers or Uber drivers making some extra cash driving people around in their cars or contractors like carpenters on TaskRabbit or, locally here in Kenya, Lynk.

While all these are gig workers. You too can get a share of the gig money with your specialized skills. This can be as diverse as finance, marketing to even law.

The onset of the pandemic forced many people out of their jobs and into self-employment. And as the new entrepreneurs get a foot landing in their specific industry, they are beginning to recognize that they cannot successfully run the show in every aspect of their business. They need help. The help that comes in the form of independent contractors since getting full-time employees can be quite a stretch in an uncertain economy.

On the other hand, established businesses are also starting to realize the benefit of gig workers. They are often highly skilled professionals who produce exceptional results in short-term contracts. An arrangement that works better than getting an in-house team or hiring a full-time employee to specialize in that area.

The third group that really benefits from gig workers are people just like you and me. People that need short-term help with a project that is not necessarily an income-generating activity. Perhaps you need a photographer/ videographer to cover a family celebration, it is often quicker and cost-friendly to hire a gig worker or freelancer. They can offer more personalized services and experiences.

Limitless opportunities exist for those that are willing to open their eyes to them.

The good book, the Bible, even says to diversify.

“Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.” Ecclesiastes 11:2, New International Version (NIV)

If there is something the pandemic has taught everyone is to invest their time, skills, knowledge, and energy into several ventures because things can change in an instant. You need to have a back-up for the rainy days.

By becoming a gig worker, you gain the freedom of working with various local and global clients to earn an income that you can re-invest in other ventures.

If you are a good writer, you can consider monetizing your skills here on Medium. There are very many good writers here who have shared tips on how you can do that. You can also write for clients on almost any topic and writing genre on various freelancing sites like Upwork or iWriter or Freelancer.com.

If you are within the coaching space, countless opportunities exist within the gig-work space. The same thing applies to more than 70% of careers. Especially those previously thought to be traditional careers (9–5 roles) such as accounting. With good time management skills, you can offer this service to multiple clients and earn 2x to 4x more than you would in one job.

If you have a side-hustle, for instance, an engineer by day and an artist at night, try selling your services and products online. In 2021, I am pretty sure you will not lack a couple of websites or marketplaces that can earn you a pretty shilling.

Although working as an independent contractor, “gig-worker”, is not for the faint-hearted, it is worth at least a try. My experience has taught me to broaden my mindset and be willing to invest my time, skills in 7 or even 8 ventures.

Have you tried working as a gig-worker? What has been your experience so far?