MONEY USA TODAY z THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 z 3B

The world is full of odd jobs, but
here’s what one of the most unusual:
scooter retriever.
During a recent show, I got a call from
Tiffany in Los Angeles. Her sidehustle is
to pick up electric scooters, recharge
them, and put them back on the street.
Companies including Bird and Lime
have become very popular, and the ser-
vices hire regular people to help out with
their stock.
Tiffany claims to earn between
$6,500 and $7,500 per month.
One thing is for sure. Technology has
opened up a lot of job opportunities.
Specialized apps and websites make
second jobs more accessible and more
flexible than ever – and some people are
making serious bank.

Here are some jobs that are in regular

demand, thanks to advances in con-

sumer tech.

zTranscription

If you have the time, typing skills,

and a pair of earphones, you can tran-

scribe for money. The best part about

transcribing is that you can often do it

from home on your schedule. Look for

work on such sites as Daily Transcrip-

tion. On job sites, search for medical

transcriptionist positions or run more of

a generic search.

zFreelance Writing

You can quickly start making money

as a freelance content creator. You can

check sites like JournalismJobs.com,

Indeed, WriterAccess, and others such

as Freelancer. You can also visit Upwork

to view listings for freelance writing

jobs, along with other options.

zBlogger

Similarly, you could start a blog and,

once you have a following of a few hun-

dred or thousand people, you can make

money with advertising. You can quick-

ly create a blog on Google’s Blogger, for

instance.

zSearch engine evaluation

One way companies find out how

well their websites are working is by hir-

ing evaluators to give them feedback. A

good place to start looking for evaluator

jobs is Appen, formerly known as Leap-

force. Another option is iSoftStone.

zVirtual assistant

You can make up to $30 an hour as a

virtual assistant, which is essentially a

secretary who works from home. You

can find employers on such sites as

Zirtual.com, FlexJobs, and Upwork.

zAnswering service

For the verbally adept, there are doc-

tors, dentists, and many other compa-

nies that will hire you to answer their

phone. Search for “remote answering

service positions” on job sites.

zOnline reseller

Perhaps you’ve sold items on such

sites as Facebook Marketplace and

eBay. Many people make a full-time liv-

ing (or side hustle) photographing

items, writing descriptions, and even

discussing products in person with po-

tential buyers.

zSecret shopper

Mystery shopping dates to before the

internet, and many “secret agents” still

make some money by posing as regular

customers. Secret shoppers help stores

assess stocked shelves, correct mark-

ings, and customer service. It won’t

make you a millionaire, but you can

quickly sign up through Field Agent.

zComplete everyday tasks

If you’re considered “handy” and

want to get out of the house, check out

TaskRabbit. There, you can find jobs for

furniture assembly, helping with mov-

ing and packing, cleaning, heavy lifting,

or as a general handyman.

zCall center rep

An army of customer reps are now

answering calls from the comfort of

their homes. Get started at such sites as

WorkingSolutions.comor run a search

for “work at home call center” at job

sites.

zRide-hailing driver

If you don’t have ride-hailing apps

such as Uber and Lyft on your smart-

phone, you should. Meanwhile, you

could be the driver who’s making money

by visiting Uber.com or Lyft.com.

zDog walker and petsitting

Love animals? Help fellow pet peo-

ple. You can become a dog walker to help

residents in your area by searchinglist-

ings at Wag! You can check for dog-

walking and pet-sitting jobs at other

sites like Rover.com.

zTech support rep

If you feel equipped helping people

with tasks, get paid for it. Search for

“work at home technical support posi-

tions” at the job sites.

On the Kim Komando Show, Kim

takes calls and dispenses advice on to-

day’s digital lifestyle.

If you're a pet lover, perhaps being a dog walker could help bring in extra
income.JULIO CORTEZ/AP

Side hustles abound:

Just search online

Tech Talk

Kim Komando

If you are looking for a side hustle,

running an answering service could be

the ticket.PEOPLEIMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

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