Fiverr

What: Fiverr allows you to advertise your services for just about anything –write, edit, design logos, do voice-over work, provide digital marketing, animation, advice. 

Expected pay: variable

Husl$core: $$$

Commissions & Fees: 20% 

Where: Nationwide

Requirements: Be over the age of 13; have an email address and a computer

Review:

Fiverr is a freelance marketplace that allows you to advertise pretty much any legal service. There are web designers; graphic designers; actors; animators and editors — not to mention kids willing to endorse your product or make silly videos. 

The challenge for side hustlers who list here is that the site started out with the concept that any job would be done for $5. And most gigs are still listed at $5 or $10. So if what you’re selling is going to take more than a half-hour of your time, you’re working for peanuts.

The site also takes 20% of what you make and charges a fee to transfer your pay to your PayPal account or bank. This money transfer fee ranges from $1 to $3. 

Smart strategies

That said, if you frame your offer right, you could make a decent living. For instance, one voice-over artist offers 100 words for $10. But, if you want worldwide rights to that recording, she charges another $40. Need more words? Buy multiple “gigs” to accommodate the number of words you want. For 500 words, you’d buy 5 gigs at $10 each. This is the type of strategy that works to make decent money on Fiverr. 

Fiverr is a good place try out your own business, adds Cecily Jamila, who launched her website consulting business — WordPress Queen — by offering to answer Word Press questions for $5.

It’s fairly rare to make a fortune on Fiverr. But other general job sites, such as Remote and Upwork, have shortcomings too — such as the need to bid against other freelancers. And if you want to list your availability for a quirky service — like reading Tarot cards over the phone; or putting a curse on your ex — Fiverr is the go-to resource.

But, if you have a high-end skill — web design or comedy writing, for example — you are likely to find better opportunities in your specific niche. SideHusl has dozens of job categories, the more specific you are, the more likely you are to find highly-paid work. 

What their workers say: 

“You have to really figure out what you are going to do for $5. And realize that you are really not getting $5. You get $3 something after their commission. If you can do it quickly, it really does add up. But you have to have a strategy. It’s a good place to get started, but when you have a regular clientele, you’re better off going out on your own where you can get to keep 100% of what you earn.”     –interview with Cecily Jamila, WordPress Queen

These reviews from SiteJabber are edited for space and grammar.

For 2018 they’ve started a new MONTHLY REVIEW of your account activity and they check everything from sales, response time, reviews, income etc. So if you’re not making up to the standard they set in sales your account would be automatically demoted and subsequently have to remove any gigs to fit into the new lower category. 

Sellers can still contact you when you are on vacation, if they are past clients. And if you don’t respond, your response time gets lowered and buyers are less likely to choose your services. Fiverr can also delete your gigs without even discussing it with you first. I had a gig up for 1 whole year, received a fair amount of work and a large amount of money from it. All 5 star reviews, and Fiverr removed the gig without any warning, saying it was a violation. 

I was with Fiverr since the very beginning (where it was still cool) until my account was disabled for no reason a couple of weeks ago. To make things even better, all funds on your disabled account are frozen for 90 days and I highly doubt I will see any of that money ever again. Fiverr is swamped with sellers from 3rd world countries who can throw parties for their whole village once they earn five bucks (four after 20% fees). If you are in a Western country, you do not want to compete against them. Trust me. You’re better off working minimum wage for McDonalds.

Try Fiverr