Appjobs Team August 20, 2021

The gig economy has provided many people with a popular, flexible way of making money today whether you are looking for a new form of full-time work or want to earn an additional income on top of your regular wage. Many people turn to the gig economy to get a side hustle and earn more money on top of a full-time job when they aren’t earning enough to pay all their expenses and still have the lifestyle that they want, or when saving up for a big purchase such as a deposit on a house. Working in the gig economy on top of a full-time job can also be used to pay off debts and meet a wide range of other financial goals thanks to this flexible way of making an additional income. But the gig economy is not just for side hustles. Many people have successfully managed to turn gigs into their full-time source of income, often earning more than they did in full-time employment with many other perks including flexible working and the fact that they’re in control. 

How to Get Involved With Gig Work When You Work Full-time:

If you are already working full-time and want to earn some extra money, there are plenty of gigs that you can do. Many people who earn money full-time from the gig economy will have started out doing it as a side hustle and gradually done more and more over time until they are earning money from gigs full-time, so the option is always there. The idea is to choose gig work that can easily fit around your current work schedule. For example, driving for food delivery companies is often a popular choice since this is often in higher demand in the evenings. There are plenty of flexible gigs to consider if you want to start making an additional income on top of working full-time or are looking for a flexible and self-led work option that you can build up to a full-time income source in the future. 

Examples of Gig Work:

Today, gig work is taking over as one of the top choices for people to make money. Some of the best gigs can be found online, with online working opportunities bigger than ever before. Making a side income online has become easier compared to in the past and there are many online gigs that you might consider for your full-time income including web design, copywriting, virtual assistance, teaching online courses, private tutoring virtually, blogging, streaming games, affiliate marketing, and more. Online gigs can be an ideal choice for those who want something that they can easily do from home to make an additional income. You can find a range of gigs at sites like Fiverr, and there is nothing stopping you from taking on a few types of different work at the same time or even starting your own business online with a blog, YouTube channel, or eCommerce store, etc.  

Gig Economy Examples:

Not all gig work is found online. Some of the best gig work today includes driving work, which can be easily accessed by anybody who has a method of transport such as a car, bike, or motorcycle. Bear in mind that if you have a car or a motorcycle, the right insurance policy will usually be required for you to sign up for driving gig work. Food delivery is one of the most popular options thanks to companies such as UberEats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat. These brands will hire self-employed drivers to deliver food to customers. Drivers are paid on a per-job basis and are fully in control of the work that they do thanks to apps that can be downloaded straight to your smartphone where you can see the jobs that are available in your local area and pick the ones that you want to do. One great thing about working for these companies in the gig economy is that you are not limited to a particular area. Once you have downloaded the app and gotten set up as a driver, you can usually take your work anywhere in the country helping you maximise your earnings by visiting places where the demand is higher. 

Parcel delivery is another ideal type of gig work for those who drive. In this job, you will also be self-employed and working for a parcel courier company such as Hermes, which will provide you with parcels to deliver on a given day. While this job can be done part-time or around a full-time role, it is also one of the best options for those who want to use the gig economy to make a full-time living, as there is always plenty of work available. Amazon is among the many companies that offer this type of self-employed gig work in a wide range of cities and towns. 

If you don’t drive, it might feel like the range of gigs that you can do is limited to you unless you’re working online. However, this isn’t always the case as you can find many companies that offer side gig work or even set yourself up as self-employed and advertise the services that you are offering online in your local area. Consider your likes, skills, and interests and come up with something that you could do for money. For example, pet sitting can be a viable gig to get into, as people will always need somebody to watch their furry friends when they’re not around. Dog walking is another great offline gig option for animal lovers who want a way of earning money doing something that they will enjoy in their local community. 

Gig Workers Examples:

What is a gig worker? Gig work is becoming more and more popular, and gig workers are people who are primarily self-employed but tend to work for one company or a few different yet similar company types. One of the best parts of being a gig worker is that it opens up opportunities for you to earn money doing pretty much the same job but with different brands. For example, if you get into food delivery, you don’t have to only work for UberEats; you can also make some money working for their competitors Just Eat and Deliveroo, depending on where the most jobs are for that day. 

Gig workers have a unique advantage over employed workers in that they tend to be in control of the work that they do. You can choose gigs as they become available and take a day off whenever suits you best. Some examples of gig workers in everyday life that you might have encountered include your parcel delivery courier, a food delivery person, and online workers on sites like Fiverr who offer services like web design, graphic design, copywriting, or social media marketing. 

Are There Any Downsides?

Despite being a way to make additional money on the side of your full-time job or even an option for full-time work itself for those who prefer, gig work can have some downsides. For example, you are not always guaranteed work in the same way that you would be when in full-time employment. Some days can be slower than others and you will never be certain that you are going to earn a certain amount of money on any given day, week, or month, which means that it’s important to stay on top of your finances and make sure that you have an emergency fund large enough to cover your expenses during those times when the work is slow. In addition to this, because you are self-employed, you are also responsible for a lot of things that an employer might otherwise cover. This will usually depend on the job that you do, but it can often be quite expensive. For example, if you want to work as a food delivery driver, you will need to get a specialised type of insurance that covers you to deliver hot food. Regular business insurance policies on your car do not cover this type of work and you will usually need to go with a niche insurance company on top of your regular car insurance company, so make sure that you are planning to work enough to cover these costs. 

Finally, another thing to consider before deciding if gig work is for you is that you might be working at unsociable times. Depending on the type of work that you do, you might find that during the late nights and weekends is when you are going to get the most work available and have the highest chance of making money. While this might be ideal for fitting your gig work around your full-time job if you have one, it can also lead to work-life balance problems, so it is worth being aware of before you start. 

Today, gig work has become a great way to make money either as a full-time income or side hustle. Which type of gig work would you be the most suited to?