Editors at SideHusl.com reviewed four new side hustle platforms this week, uncovering new hustles for drivers, manicurists and more. However, only two of these hustles are available nationwide and both have some shortcomings.
The regional side hustles offer some nice opportunities but only for those who work in the right neighborhoods.
Here’s what we found, starting with the sites that are nationally available.
(This post may contain affiliate links. You can read our full affiliate policy here.)
Spark
Spark is a driving and delivery app that’s all about servicing customers of Walmart and Sam’s Club. The only requirements for driving for the site are that you’re over the age of 18, have a car, insurance, a smart phone and can pass a background check. Once accepted to the site, Spark will start sending you “offers.” These offers might entail a simple pick-up and delivery; shopping and delivering to a customer; or even returning merchandise on a customer’s behalf.
Each offer has an estimated pay, but it’s important to note that the estimates are not always accurate. The biggest problem? These estimates include customer tips and customers have the ability to take away those tips after you delivered their orders.
Notably, “tip-baiting” is not allowed with better delivery companies like Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash. (You can sign up with DoorDash here. And sign up with Uber Eats here.) And even Instacart, which was criticized for allowing tip-baiting during the pandemic, now provides $10 tips to drivers when customers rescind a tip without explanation.
If you like delivery jobs and live near a Walmart or Sam’s Club location, Spark may be worth considering. But don’t take jobs based on a big tip because you might not get it.
Those who don’t live in the shadow of a Walmart are likely to earn more with GrubHub and DoorDash. If you like shopping for groceries, we’d recommend Dumpling.
Opinion Inn
You’re never going to make a real living — or even minimum wage — by taking online surveys. But, survey sites offer one of the few money-making opportunities that you can do while watching t.v. or waiting for a flight.
Opinion Inn, one of the new hustles reviewed this week, has one advantage over most other survey sites. Specifically, it pays you something for taking or attempting to take any survey. This applies even if the survey takes no more than a second or when you’ve been disqualified after answering a few screening questions. Admittedly, the payment is small — usually just 10 cents. But, it’s better than nothing, which is what other sites pay when you get disqualified.
Additionally, if you are deemed qualified to complete a survey, you’ll usually earn between $2 and $5 for about 15 minutes of work. That, too, compares favorably to many other survey sites, where you get pennies for completed surveys.
And since Opinion Inn provides a $10 sign-up bonus and $5 referral payments when you get your friends to sign up, it’s not too tough to hit the site’s $25 cash-out threshold. Survey-takers are paid through PayPal.
That said, an even better option for people who like to take surveys is Prolific, a research firm that has you answer all the “screening” questions up front. Once you complete this screening, Prolific only sends you surveys that you qualify to take. So, you’ll take fewer surveys, but get paid every time. Prolific also pays through PayPal.
Cherry
One of the more attractive new hustles we reviewed this week is called Cherry.
This site enlists mobile manicurists to go to clients’ homes and offices to provide manicures and pedicures. The site sets rates; books customers; and sends offers to participating manicurists, who decide whether to accept or reject these requests. Cherry takes a 30.25% commission and passes the rest — including 100% of the tip — to the manicurist doing the work.
Given that services range from a “mini-manicure” for $30 to $130 mani-pedis, the site estimates that manicurists will earn between $30 and $90 an hour. That doesn’t include travel time or your expenses, but you’re certain to make more than minimum wage even after costs. And manicurists can often book back-to-back assignments for weddings and corporate events, which can be highly profitable.
The downside? Cherry is only available in Texas and even there it’s mainly just in Austin, Dallas and Houston.
Don’t live or work in those cities? Consider signing up with Priv, which offers a wide range of mobile cosmetology services, as well as massage and personal training sessions. Freelancers are expected to have appropriate licenses and pass a screening.
DittoTranscripts
DittoTranscripts enlists freelancers to transcribe a wide array of medical and legal audio and video tapes. Transcriptionists are paid between 80 cents and $5 by the audio/video minute. So the faster you type the more you earn per hour. That said, any given minute of audio or video can take two to 10 minutes to transcribe. So, hourly pay — even for the fastest transcriptionists — ranges from $5 to $30 per hour. The highest pay — $5 per audio minute — is reserved for rush jobs that need to be completed within 24 hours.
The site requires experience and excludes freelancers in states with restrictive freelance laws, including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
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