Side Gig Wire staff
Articles credited to Side Gig Wire staff are researched and written by our editors and checked against primary sources: the platforms' own fee and help pages, IRS and FTC guidance, and government data. When we can't verify a number, we say so or leave it out.
7 things every side gig needs online (most of them free)
A checklist for getting a side gig found, trusted and booked: from a searchable name to a newsletter, with the free option for each and when it's worth paying.
Your customers are already online. Here's how to make sure they find you
Even a dog walker or a handyman gets found through a search, a map or a post. Five free or cheap steps that make a side gig easy to find and easy to trust.
Why the money is in the list (and your followers aren't really yours)
Followers belong to the platform. Subscribers belong to you. Here's why an email list is the most valuable thing a side gig can build, and how to start one properly.
SponsoredStart a newsletter you actually own
SendingRight is the email platform Side Gig Wire runs on. Here's what it does, who it's for, and what it costs.
ProThe first 100 subscribers: a 30-day playbook for a side gig's email list
A day-by-day plan to go from zero to your first hundred real subscribers, with the exact asks, signup copy and first three emails to send.
Side income and taxes: the basics before your first payout
Gig apps and clients usually don't withhold tax. Here's what that means: self-employment tax, quarterly payments, the forms you might receive, and the records that save you money.
Pet sitting and dog walking: start on an app, grow your own clients
The apps make it easy to get your first bookings, and they keep a share of every one. Here's how to start safely, what to sort out before the first key handover, and how sitters build a client list of their own.
Online tutoring as a side gig: how the marketplaces take their cut
Tutoring marketplaces bring you students, and they keep a share of every lesson for it. Here's how one of the biggest works, how to set a rate, and when to find students yourself.
Delivery driving: how to work out what you really earn per hour
The number in the app isn't your hourly pay. Count your waiting time and your miles, and the answer can be very different. Here's a simple way to work it out for yourself.
What Etsy actually takes from a sale, and how to price for it
Listing, transaction and payment fees add up to roughly 10% of a typical order before ads. Here's the math on a real example, and a pricing formula that leaves room for your time.
Nine red flags that a side gig is a scam
Real gigs pay you. Scams find a way to make you pay them first. Here's how to tell the difference before you lose money or your identity.