With the global economy in freefall, seems time well spent fine-tuning a lockdown side hustle could very easily set you up for life post-lockdown. Here are six key ones - so take your pick
Side hustles can make for lucrative ventures alongside your main source of income, or they can become the basis of your entire career. If it was time you were lacking before, the extra hours at home could do wonders for perfecting your craft. Matt Dowling, CEO & Founder of the Freelancer Club, reveals the best side hustles to take with you as we ease out of lockdown.
Post-lockdown side-hustle: Coder
There’s serious money to be made in code and it’s likely that software jobs will be more protected than others during the much predicted economic downturn. We’re not suggesting you come up with the next TikTok, but you might consider an online course in coding if you want to pick up an invaluable skill. You could also play around with some basic content management or HTML coding on a site like Wordpress. All you need is a laptop and at the end of it you might even be able to build a shiny website to promote your brand-new fully-remote side hustle.
Post-lockdown side-hustle: Blogger
The age of the influencer has been a lesson to us all - and even in our new normal blogging is not to be underestimated. What started as product reviews or life journals have become full-time careers. Sponsored posts and affiliate links alone have serious earning power. The most successful names streamline their presence across all platforms, but any one of them is a good way to get started. Write a blog, film and edit YouTube videos or curate an Instagram feed. Granted, the content might be slightly samey within the same four walls, but it shouldn’t be a problem, if you remember these four key words: creativity, honesty, humour and authenticity.
Post-lockdown side-hustle: Community manager
Perhaps you have all the social skills of a blogger/influencer, but would rather be behind the scenes. A community manager is responsible for managing the content and communications behind a company’s media outlets. Engaging online audiences is a valued skill.
The drawback is having to appease customers who have complaints. But if you think you could talk down a follower on a Twitter warpath, this is one job that can be done entirely remotely. All you need to start scheduling posts and writing captions professionally is a phone and a laptop.
Post-lockdown side-hustle: Translator
Speaking a foreign language is a good way to keep in touch with the wider world whilst stuck at home. Don’t let the travel bans put you off - we’re more connected online than ever so there’s still a need for remote translators. If you’re fluent you might be ready to offer your services for any number of professional projects. Or, if this particular side hustle is still in its hobby phase, apps like Duolingo are a popular way of brushing up. Even if all that comes of it are some less awkward interactions on the next business trip with your full-time job, foreign languages are well-worth having up your sleeve.
Post-lockdown side-hustle: Fitness Instructor
Whilst we’re all still spending more time at home than usual, our need for exercise has only increased. If you have a qualification, you might consider joining the many yoga, pilates and fitness instructors that have started teaching online. Many instructors ask for a set fee or donation in exchange for the link to join zoom classes, whilst studios are streaming free Instagram live workouts. So now is a good time to get certified. You can become a qualified personal trainer entirely online. Most instructors are freelance, making this a prefect side hustle to your day job post-lockdown.
Post-lockdown side-hustle: Tutor
If you have a particular skill you can pass on, you can bet there’s a market for it. Even if it’s just a knack for teaching - if you have a decent academic track record (and a CRB check), there will be plenty of parents that would thank (and pay) you for giving some extra school lessons. If you have time to do a good deed, you could even start now. Plenty of parents struggling to juggle homeschooling with full-time jobs would welcome an online class from a trusted friend or neighbour.
* If you’re already professional for any one of the side hustles suggested, sites like Teachable will help you to build and offer online courses of your own.