Working-from-home doesn’t have to always be a guessing game. But how do you gain steady footing in this gig economy?
Working at home might be the ideal to so many people. Being your own boss, working straight from your favorite boba café –what’s more to ask for? However, if you’ve been freelancing or working from home for a while; you’ll understand that this lifestyle comes with its own unique set of challenges.
The question that comes to mind most certainly would be; how do I manage a steady income?
If you’ve ever caught yourself bouncing around to find a reliable source of income through working from home –you’ve come to the right place! This calls for a brief introduction into the world of online gigging.
What is a Gig?
To put it simply, an online gig is a job that is a brief agreement between both parties (employer and freelancer/independent contractor) for the duration of a project. The world of such gigs is distributed evenly between part-time gigs, full-time ones and freelance jobs from home.
Should You Start Full-Time Gigging?
Now here’s where it gets interesting. The rapid growth of global villages and connectivity has made it immensely easy for the birth of what is commonly known as the digital nomad. Digital nomads are those who live, breathe and earn through the power of telecommunications + tech. Think of them as the revamped, digitally powerful breed of freelancers.
In fact, according to several studies by Intuit, the trend towards a ‘gig economy’ is fast approaching. By 2020, 40% of Americans are surveyed to work as independent contractors alone!
Online gigging is a lifestyle that provides an individual with limitless freedom to his or her own person. It allows for you to work numerous projects at a time, access to a large network of your industry’s professionals and of course, generate income straight from your home.
However, it is highly important that you find a reliable source of full-time online gigs. Much like any regular job –consistency and peace of mind are necessary for you to live comfortably! There are many freelance and online gig websites that offer job offers across vast professions of customer service agents, teachers, writers, software engineers, developers and many more.
Here’s a closer look at some of 2020’s best websites for steady online gigs –so let’s start earning.
1. Gramlee
Job Type: Proofreader/Copy Editor
Salary: $18-$20/Hour
Remember all that time spent complaining about English homework at the end of a long day? Turns out that it pays to know your verbs and nouns after all! With Gramlee, earning a whopping paycheck of close to $35,000 a year by proofreading is made possible.
Proofreading services are always in high demand. There are many bloggers and professionals who insist on perfect copy for their target audience –so impeccable grammar is more important than anything. Gramlee connects these professionals with Native English speakers and writers who can do just that. Gramlee’s starting pay rates anywhere from $12-$18 based on qualifications; and you’ll be expected to carry out services such as grammar checks and editing professional texts.
2. DaDa ABC
Job Type: Online Educator
Salary: $25/hour
DaDa ABC prides itself on the mobilization of educators and qualified teachers worldwide. One of the first of its kind, DaDa is a digital platform that connects teachers with students from China. Their entire business model is based on an online international school community; that promotes one-on-one learning and world-class content.
This unique online organization is powered by several big names –so you can definitely trust it’s authenticity! Their partners include Pearson Education and Oxford University Press amongst others. All you need to do to qualify for a DaDa account is to possess a certified Bachelor’s Degree and other qualifications such as TEFL, TESOL, CELTA etc.
It’s also imperative to own a powerful computer with webcam access and a mic headset in order to communicate with your students. Regardless, once you’re a DaDa teacher; it is both an enriching and rewarding experience that can definitely provide you with reliable working-from-home income.
3. 10UP
Job Type: Software Engineers/Web Developers
Salary: $80k/year
The wonderful world of web and app development is not left out from online freelancing! On the contrary, the demand for remote technical job listings has only grown. It’s unsurprising probably, with the fact that consumers and audiences are spending at least 10% more screen time each year.
To keep up with the digital boom, companies like 10UP have taken it upon themselves to offer reliable and 100% remote working positions to web designers and developers. 10UP consistently provides qualified job listings for front-end, back-end, UX designers and software engineers alike.
Of course, the expected salary for such web engineers generally ranges in the $80k amounts. This is no different from freelance and work-home-positions; with some freelance developers even qualifying for rates starting at $120/hour.
4. Buffer
Job Type: Social Media/Tech
Salary: $20/hour
Social media management might seem like a pretty straightforward task. Lo and behold, compiling and organizing posts, feedback, captions, impressions and the like is actually much more than meets the eye.
Buffer is an organization that helps to streamline the social media process for various companies across niches. Very few understand consumer insights and engagement much like Buffer –but they’re also actively recruiting those that do. Buffer often has remote positions for freelancers from all over the globe to join their team.
Here, you’ll find positions of content marketers, data analysts and many more that start from $20/hour.
5. Rev.com
Job Type: Audio Transcription/Captions
Salary: $20-$45/hour
It pays to be fluent in many other languages –and Rev is proof of that. This transcription service also doubles as a caption writing outlet that rewards those with A+ keyboard speed and typing efficiency!
Rev relies on the work of it’s freelance and remote transcribers to solve a number of unique solutions. Starting work at Rev would mean that you take on assignments like captioning short videos, transcribing audios from different languages into text and a few others.
Rev’s pay is honestly competitive –and frankly attractive for a simple transcribing service. Freelancers can easily earn up to $45/hour for audio that’s about 60 minutes long. Although this might not be a permanent full-time solution to working from home, Rev is great for completing gigs when you need extra cash on the side.
6. Worldwide 101
Job Type: Virtual Assistant
Salary: $18-$20/hour
As the modern-day gets increasingly busy, it helps to have someone around keeping you on track. This is the personal motto of clients on Worldwide 101, as they hunt for the perfect remote virtual assistant. Which could very well be you!
Worldwide 101 prides itself on being more than just another freelance virtual assistant platform. In fact, their UK-based team offers services ranging from remote project management to bookkeeping and customer service. Talk about full stacked service.
It pays to have more qualifications over at Worldwide 101. Starting salary, however, ranges from $18-$20 per hour; with a minimum commitment of 25 hours per week. The best part? You get to choose what schedule fits you best. It’s a win-win situation if you ask us!
7. Contena
Job Type: Freelance Writers
Salary: Based on Offer
There’s no doubt about it; content writers make up a large portion of the freelancing industry. As great a fact as that maybe if you’re a seasoned content writer –you would have definitely experienced a handful of clients taking advantage of the vast supply with offering dirt-cheap rates and below-market salaries.
With Contena, that sort of thing is a bit of a rarity. Founded by a group of devoted writers as well, Contena understands the need for qualified writers to be compensated fairly and justly. The site screens through each of their listings to provide the best experiences for both freelance writers and clients.
Contena displays a wide variety of full time, part-time and one-off gigs for your perusal. If you look hard enough, there are a few high paying remote jobs that even go up to $4000 in salary.
8. Instawork
Job Type: Local Gigs
Salary: Based on Offer
It would be impossible to conduct a write-up on online gigs and not include Instawork. This is an organization meant to connect local businesses with qualified staffing resources and talent! A quick run through the app would allow you to access hundreds of job listings in your area; from last minute promoters to event servers and many more.
Instawork’s business model runs on the ability of gigs ‘at the moment’ –but it still can be constituted as a form of steady freelance income if used wisely. Building up your portfolio and working gigs also boosts your rating, which can only mean good things in your future.
Think about this way. Completing a few jobs successfully = good ratings. Good ratings bring about better and higher-paying clients. Higher paying clients = more income on your end; and the ability to work as and when you feel like it, without needing to slug through a 9-5. Instawork is as flexible as they come –and you can always alternate between as and when you’re available for work.
So there you have it! By now, you should probably be able to tell that working remotely isn’t exactly a walk in the park (like everyone makes it seem!). However, having consistent forms of income as a freelancer can prove to be a major plus -especially when it comes to growing your own personal brand and reaping the rewards.
On the other hand, think about that extra cold, hard cash you can set aside for things like personal investment or even starting that dream business.
Professionally freelancing and working-from-home is what you should opt for if you’re interested in generating a side income, working up a strong portfolio –or even if you just need to take some time off from the corporate rat race. Regardless, it’s always good advice to have your own hustle.
Nothing is more important than your own identity and brand; it’s wise to always keep that in mind!
Jeremy has been running several online businesses behind his laptop for the past 5 years and he has worked as a freelance web developer previously. A trained marketer by profession, he also has Ruby on Rails and web development knowledge. His forte lies in eCommerce, SEO and content marketing. He’s been featured on Vice, Thrive Global, YFS Magazine, Forbes and several other publications. He prefers to connect with people on LinkedIn.
