Finance

4 Things To Keep in Mind With a Side Gig

Things To Keep In Mind With A Side Gig
Main job vs. side job. Image credit: Adobe Stock.

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to add money to your bank account with a side gig. You can acquire these simple jobs by starting up your own business or signing up with a company that offers services through an app. Before devoting your off-hours to a side hustle, you should know what you’re getting into and what you’ll need to do the job right. Here are four things to keep in mind with a side gig.

Most Companies Require Background Checks.

Ridesharing and delivery service apps are amazing. You put in a request for the product or service you need, and within a few minutes, a driver is there for you. Platforms like DoorDash, GrubHub, Lyft, Uber, and others don’t accept just anyone. When you apply for one of these jobs, you should know how background checks work for drivers. If you have a criminal, substance abuse, or bad driving record, employers are less likely to look favorably on your application.

Make Sure You Have the Time

Having a few hours here and there after your day job may be enough time for a side hustle, but then again it may not. Find out what sort of time commitment the job requires. If you’re working for yourself, you may have greater flexibility, but your customers will still expect a certain level of service. Outside employers will require you to drop everything to fulfill your duties. Don’t forget to take care of yourself so you can do the job, or rather jobs, correctly and safely. You shouldn’t operate a vehicle if you’re working on five hours of sleep. Evaluate the time you have and the time the job requires before taking on a side gig.

Pick Something You Like

We all must do certain things to put food on the table and a roof over our heads, but that doesn’t mean indiscriminately taking any job that comes our way. Side gigs use up after-hours you could be using to relax and recharge. Pick a gig that allows you to be at ease. If you aren’t comfortable working directly with people, a ridesharing job may not be best for you. If you enjoy working alone, copywriting and editing are the perfect jobs for you! Look around, consider your options, and choose something that’s more “you.”

Stay Organized

This thing to keep in mind with a side gig is a biggie. Always be organized in your duties. Invest in a scheduler to stay on track, mind your finances, and gather the supplies and resources you need to perform your job efficiently. Even if the app you work with tracks your hours, income, and so forth, have backup records just in case. They are especially vital when preparing your taxes and accounting for expenses. The point of a side gig is to make more money, after all!

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Paul Tomaszewski is a science & tech writer as well as a programmer and entrepreneur. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of CosmoBC. He has a degree in computer science from John Abbott College, a bachelor's degree in technology from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed some business and economics classes at Concordia University in Montreal. While in college he was the vice-president of the Astronomy Club. In his spare time he is an amateur astronomer and enjoys reading or watching science-fiction. You can follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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