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The pandemic did not give birth to the gig economy, but it sure did help it grow up a lot quicker. In 2020, side hustlers scrambled to find alternative income streams out of necessity, because COVID-19 left them unemployed or furloughed and dependent on government benefits.
Last year, however, the landscape shifted. The 2021 Side Hustle Report from DollarSprout — a widely cited annual study from one of the top sites dedicated to the gig economy — showed that people who had started a side hustle out of necessity were making it a full-time thing in much greater numbers. More people were spending more hours and making more money from their side hustles than ever before as gigs transformed into businesses.
If you’re considering joining the movement, you’ve no doubt been advised by countless online lists to start an Etsy shop, drive for Uber or start a blog. Fine ideas indeed, but there are several roads less traveled that are just as good or better, but not nearly as well known — therefore, not as crowded or competitive. Consider these six unheralded, but potentially lucrative, side gigs:
- Become a Medical Detective
- Teach English Online
- Corral Wayward Scooters
- Shop and Deliver, or Just Shop
- Go Into the Car Rental Business
- Sell Your Smartphone Photos