While the coronavirus pandemic persists, many Americans remain cautious and prefer to stay at home to keep safe. For those who are both staying away from others and looking for opportunities to fatten their wallets, there are plenty of side hustles you can do from bed and even in your pajamas.
"When you work from your bedroom, all you really need is your Wi-Fi, a computer, or a smartphone," says side hustle expert Daniella Flores, who keeps a blog about the topic. "There are days I do work for my blog solely from my smartphone."
If you're looking both to make some extra cash and remain safe, here are seven side hustles you can do right from your bedroom.
English teacher
Passionate about the English language? Kids worldwide begin learning English as early as elementary school and many parents invest in English lessons for their kids even after school hours. Sites like Magic Ears, VIPKid, and GoGoKid pair English-speaking teachers with Chinese students for 25-minute classes online.
Teachers pick time slots at their convenience and all three companies provide the lesson plans. The number of students per class varies: GoGoKid and VIPKid classes are taught one-on-one, while Magic Ears classes have four students per teacher.
GoGoKid teachers earn $14 to $25 per hour, VIPKid teachers earn an average of $22 per hour, and most Magic Ears teachers earn $17 to $26 per hour, according to their websites.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers keep track of financial records for businesses and organizations. They monitor and record expenditures and profits using various kinds of software and databases, produce income reports, and check to make sure records are accurate.
On average, bookkeepers earn $17 per hour, according to PayScale. Many bookkeeping jobs require some higher education in accounting.
Apply for part-time bookkeeping jobs on sites like FlexJobs and Indeed.
There are days I do work for my blog solely from my smartphone.Daniella FloresBlogger, I Like to Dabble
Virtual assistant
Businesses small and large need someone to take on administrative duties, from coordinating management's calendars to entering data into spreadsheets. That's where virtual assistants come in.
If you're organized, detail-oriented, good at communication, and like serving a team, virtual assisting might be for you. Part-time virtual assistant jobs can require anywhere from 5 to 30 hours of work per week. On average, virtual assistants make $19 per hour, according to ZipRecruiter.
You can find virtual assistant jobs on sites like Upwork, ZipRecruiter, or FlexJobs, or on the virtual assistant jobs group on Facebook.
Book reviewer
If you love reading and have a lot of opinions about the books you consume, many publishers are willing to pay for your honest feedback.
Try signing up to read and review books on sites like OnlineBookClub, which typically pays $5 to $60 per review. You could also search for book review jobs on sites like Bookjobs.com.
Video by Stephen Parkhurst
Editor
Do you enjoy proofreading, editing, or copy editing other people's work? There are multiple platforms on which you can advertise your skills and start picking up gigs from writers working on projects like essays or books.
Reedsy, for example, is a platform featuring editors, designers, ghostwriters, etc., who work with authors developing their manuscripts. On average, for a 60,000-word book, editors on the site make $1,400, copy editors make $1,000, and proofreaders make $700. Reedsy charges a 20% commission fee for collaborations made on its platform (10% for professionals and 10% for their clients).
Editors who post their profiles on creative professionals website Fiverr charge as much as $75 per document. Fiverr charges its sellers a 20% fee on each project plus an additional $1 to $3 fee to transfer money to their account, according to Sidehusl.com.
Resume writer
Millions of recently unemployment people are looking for work and many turn to resume writers to help them spruce up their CVs. If you have recruitment or human resources experience and know what employers are looking for, or if you're interested in taking a free course on resume writing on sites like Coursera, consider offering resume writing as a service.
Resume writers on Upwork charge as much as $150 per hour, and writers on Fiverr charge as much as $350 per resume.
Video by Stephen Parkhurst
Take surveys online or by phone
When a company brings a new product to market, it often wants to find out what potential customers think. Market research companies solicit the help of people to take surveys online or answer questions by phone about their clients' products. And they pay: Market research company Shifrin~Hayworth says its studies take 30 minutes to three hours and offers $50 to $250 for each one.
Sign up to get paid to take surveys on sites like Shifrin-Hayworth, Focus Group, or Find Focus Groups.
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