Earning Good Money With Gigs
A 30 year veteran of the "Gig Economy" Explains How
Everyone is talking about the "Gig Economy" as if the idea of individuals contracting personally with businesses to provide a service was something new. I've spent the past 30 years of my life doing just that. In the following article I will provide some basic tips and advice on how to establish a territory, give you insight into different aspects of the Gig life I have experienced, provide links to companies you can start working with...tomorrow, and give some additional tips and resources to increase your earnings and stretch your budget. Let's go!
WHAT IS THE GIG ECONOMY?
The Gig Economy consists of Independent Contractors (IC) and freelancers performing everything from property insurance inspections to retail data collection to delivering food or writing articles. As a 30 year veteran of this industry, I've come to enjoy the flexibility and freedom it offers.
While few companies offer "full-time" work, it is possible to string together a lucrative route by working with several. As an IC, you will be responsible for your own taxes and insurance. To address the former, I suggest you obtain a copy of Cracking the Code The Fascinating Truth About Taxation in America by Peter Eric Hendrickson. I am an informed filer myself. As to the insurance, there are plans available for ICs. I prefer taking personal responsibility for my own health by maintaining proper nutrition and exercise, and eliminating stress from my life through meditation and the practice of Magick.
MY EXPERIENCE
I began my IC work doing Mystery Shops. This eventually led to business and property inspections (mainly snapping pics and gathering information). Registering on property inspection job boards then netted me work conducting residential and commercial insurance inspections. During this time, I came up with a simple plan for developing an area or territory to work in. Find a nearby area a company has a hard time filling jobs in, then contact other companies within the same scope to see if they have work in that area. Generally, you will find that if one company has needs in an area all will. Of course, this is a generalization based on my experiences in merchandising and property inspections. Companies (merchandising and inspection) tend to only take as much work in an area as they believe they can handle. Their contracts are usually incentive laden, with penalties for not fulfilling the orders. When a company finds a reliable contractor in an area, they often take on more work in that area.
TYPES OF WORK
I just realized that I actually started my IC career at about the age of 7. During the summers, I would be paid "piece work" for putting packages of drink mix into bags. My first newspaper delivery route, at age 16, led to a contract to deliver and collect from retail outlets (back when there actually WERE newspapers). I also delivered and collected for a couple of local publications. It was during this time that I first found Mystery Shopping.
When I first started Mystery Shopping, I had no computer. I would visit the library once to find shops and print the paperwork, and return to enter the job. Checks would arrive within 30-90 days. One Mystery Shopping company also conducted on-site business verifications. This led me into the field of property inspections and eventually insurance inspections. Following is a list of companies I have or continue to work with. Some of the links are referral links that reward me for introducing ICs. I will begin with Mystery Shopping, continue with merchandising, and move to property and insurance inspections.
MYSTERY SHOPPING COMPANIES
A Closer Link - https://clarity.a-closer-look.com/. This company used to offer a lot of mid-range dining shops and gym visits. The latest are furniture store shops paying $20 a pop.
Gigspot - gigspot.com. This is a scheduling consolidation site representing about 23 companies (not all will have work in your area). Current listings, near me, run from $5 phone shops to $50 apartment shops.
Trendsource - www.thesourceagents.com. Yeah, Mystery Shoppers are known as "agents"....This company should be high on your list. They have great shops, pay quickly, and offer business and property inspection work. A search of jobs within a 50 mile radius of my home yielded mostly grocery store shops (easy $5 plus $9 reimbursement). There is an on-site business inspection near me that pays $17. On-site business inspections do require passing a basic background check and passing a simple test.
MERCHANDISING
Merchandising consists of anything from tearing down and building heavy displays to counting "facings" and taking a few pics on your smart phone. I've done the latter, and do the former when I want some extra $$$ to spend on The Farm (www.BuckwheatFarmsMagick.com). The retail newspaper route was my first and hardest foray into merchandising. It would take two trips, with my Isuzu Rodeo loaded to the roof with newspapers, to deliver all of my Sunday route. The most lucrative work in this area is for those with some building skills. On to the companies, starting with ones I currently work with.
Market Survey - Look for them in the Google App store. Please use my referral code - mitchellcJ9PU. Everything is app based. Work generally consists of gathering information on products, straightening and re-stocking shelves, and placing coupons. They often have product "buy backs"....recently I was reimbursed for purchasing several containers of salsa simply because the company had changed packaging. I was paid for the job, reimbursed for the salsa...AND...have a lot of salsa to share and enjoy. This company often offers routes with bonuses to reliable contractors. Pay is usually by the project. Be sure to share your referral code with your friends, as you are paid a small fee for every job they complete. They pay pretty quickly, usually within a week. It's easy for me to generate a few hundred dollars a week with Market Survey (and the following company), working about 10 hours...if you call walking around and taking pictures "work".
Easy Shift - Another phone based app. All of the work I have completed with Easy Shift (careful how you say that) have consisted of product audits. 10-30 minutes in a store can net from $12-$40, depending on the job. The best part is how quickly they pay. Easy Shift (and the next app on my list) pay within a few days.
Field Agent - Referral code - mbdkj30. FA offers "Buy and Try" shops and general information and picture gathering. I don't do a lot of work with this company, but they pay quickly. Expect to make about $5-$7 for a 5 minute "job".
Observa - Another app. The work is easy and pay is in line with others. Observa simply doesn't have a lot of work in my area.
Gigwalk - The first phone based gig app I used. They have sparse work in my area. Pay is fast and reasonable.
PROPERTY INSPECTIONS
Millennium Information Services - www.millinfo.com. This is the largest residential inspection provider, representing major companies. Millennium pays twice a month for approved inspections. The pay for residential inspections is about $12 per in my area, but a new phone app makes input easier.
JMI Reports - jmireports.com - One of the top residential inspection providers, they also do a good bit of commercial work. Pay ranges from $5 "drive by" inspections to $200+ for extreme high value residential and some commercial projects.
Alexander and Schmidt - www.alexanderschmidt.com. A family run commercial lines operation, A&S conducts detailed inspections paying from $50 to $100.
SEER Insurance Inspections - www.seerinspections.net. Commercial inspections. $20-$50
BFS - bfsinspections.com. Commercial $20-$50
Research Specialists, Inc. LLC - rsireports.com. Commercial $20-$50
There have been, and may be, opportunities in the mortgage inspection field. The moratorium on foreclosures and evictions has really slowed this industry.
OTHER WAYS TO EARN MONEY
Set up an investment account..
Robinhood - join.robinhood.com/mitchec516
Stash
Voyager
Acorns
Write articles for Vocal....If you have read this far, I hope you have found the information useful. Please feel free to show your appreciation with a kind and generous tip below.
Namaste
About the Creator
RavensCraft 9
Sustainable permaculture, agorism, and Magick are my favorite endeavors. Writing about them is not far behind.
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