If you love spending your time around people already, there’s good news for you – you can make money by doing just that! It may seem a bit skeevy to suggest charging people for spending time with you, but these are legitimate jobs that just come with the perk of doing what you love, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
If you’re a nurturing person who enjoys taking care of others, these side gigs are a win-win situation.
Babysitting
The classic first job is no longer just for teens in high school, but a thriving industry with lots of ways to connect with potential customers. Websites like Sittercity and Care.com offer free memberships and allow you to do so easily. Adults who offer babysitting services are being paid more for added services such as picking and dropping kids at school, watching them in their own homes, or providing help with homework.
The best place to start may be through personal contacts because parents would want to leave their children with someone they know and trust. From there on, you can expand your network through referrals.
Doula
If you love being a part of the “miracle of birth”, but don’t have medical qualifications to become a doctor or nurse, you can still become a doula! The difference between a midwife and a doula is that while the former provides medical assistance during labor and postpartum care, the latter provides emotional, informational, and physical support throughout the entire pregnancy, birth, and post-birth periods.
Becoming a doula is pretty easy. Chances are if you are interested in the job, you already have some knowledge about pregnancy and birth. Furthermore, you are required to attend training regarding childbirth and postpartum, all-in-all coming to around 50-60 hours total.
Customer Care
The term customer care sounds a bit dull and you’re probably imagining sitting at a desk in a boring office somewhere with a headset on, but we’re not talking about that kind of customer care. Although, you can still have a great time talking to people over the phone if you’re that kind of person.
But for someone who loves being around people, the best kind of customer care is where you spend time on the ground assisting shoppers, talking to them, and helping them pick out what they want. Now, this could be working as a sales assistant at a store or as a vendor helper at markets and carnivals – although the latter of those does sound like much more fun!
Professional Cuddling
Yes, professional cuddling is a real thing. Get with it. It is exactly what it sounds like – you get paid to snuggle or cuddle with someone, and there may be some holding hands and heart-to-hearts involved as well! You’ve already got all the tools you need to give a good hug, so the only other thing you need to take this on as a side gig is an open mind and a fondness for people.
If you’re still not convinced, maybe you will be after hearing about Samantha Vernin, a professional snuggler who charges up to $60 an hour for it.
Baby/Family Photographer
If you’re good with a camera and love playing around with it, you can become a baby or family photographer. This is a great side gig because you can schedule shoots to fit in whenever you have some free time and you can charge quite a bit as it is a lucrative business.
Apart from that, this is such a fun gig! Family or baby shoots often involve beautiful locations or sets, fun props, and costumes, and not to mention the cuties that are the focus of it all. And getting to witness such a special moment in someone’s life is truly something money cannot buy.
ElderCare
Missing your grandparents and having no way of seeing them? How about taking care of someone else’s grandparents?
Since the modern world requires people to constantly move around, the poor seniors are left on their own without any help from their children or grandchildren. This is what makes the eldercare industry a lucrative deal for those looking to make a little money on the side. You can get hired to assist elders in jobs such as grocery shopping, chores, tech help, or just to spend some time with them!
The Papa App does just this by connecting younger people who are looking to make some extra money with seniors who are in need of assistance. They call their service “grandkids on-demand”.
