There’s More Than Uber Out There To Upgrade Your Life

When people think of the gig economy, they immediately think of Uber and Lyft, the rideshare applications that revolutionized how people could make a living. But, once developers saw that almost anything could be broken down into an on-demand way to monetize the simplest of tasks, the application culture was off to the races.

 

Life accomplished with a swipe

There are a lot of services out there right now, and the list is only growing. The gig economy is thriving because so many walls are being broken down, people are thinking of new ways to make money while finding work on their own terms. This is a powerful lesson in people’s ingenuity, but also working alongside a desire for flexibility. For some, the idea of being able to work from anywhere in the world is beautiful, which is why freelancing has become a big industry over the last few years. Not everyone was meant to punch a time clock.

But what are the services that are out there? There are a lot of ways to streamline your day and most of them are available in your phone’s app store right now. So what ones are out there? Let’s dig in.

Bellhops

If you’re moving but the local crews are just too expensive, give Bellhops a look. Bellhops specialize in fast, transparent pricing, and will move anything and any size. You can book one person or ten to get a job done; whatever you need, they can help.

If that couch just won’t sell on Craigslist and you can’t leave it out by the curb, this might be the service you’ve been looking for.

Favor

Our friends headquartered down here in Austin, Texas. Favor is a service where they can help you pick up and deliver really anything. Need something from Target or a burrito delivered? They can do both. Need some wine for a party or a new black XXL tee shirt? They can do both. Whatever a store sells, Favor will grab it for you – even if it’s not listed on the app.

 

A service for everything, like, literally, everything

 

Care.com

Do you need someone to watch your kids? Is your mom getting older and needs an extra hand? Care.com has a ton of qualified professionals that offer flexible schedules, depending on the client’s need. If you prefer 1-1 care vs. your kids going to daycare, this is a solid option.

When it comes to ridesharing, there’s the obvious Uber and Lyft. If you’re a pilot, there’s OpenAirplane which allows for plane rental. Just in case you needed to zoom over to the Florida Keys. Turo lets you straight up rent your car to people who are in town.

Wingz offers a closer relationship for people who want to ride with the same driver, every time. Both rider and driver can form a bond which helps set schedules and help people get around town with a lot less guesswork.

Instacart

Some people hate grocery shopping. If you’d rather swipe for dinner than hit the aisles, Instacart is probably for you. Working with some stores locally, all you’ve gotta do is install the app and plug away what you need. Doesn’t matter if you just need the ingredients for Taco Tuesday or a full basket. And then there are the food delivery apps. If you’re looking for something to eat, there are A LOT of apps out there. They’re all pretty similar in that some partner with certain restaurants, and other providers of vittles.

To name a few:

 
And then there’s Feastly.

Feastly is a whole different gastronomic animal. The app is designed to connect all-star chefs with foodies looking for a unique dining experience in their homes. Sometimes you can eat in the chef’s house, or have an intimate meal with strangers while the chef prepares a special menu just for you.

Etsy

Etsy is the home for artists and designers who make their art their lives. From Pulp Fiction wall art to a 3D printed Calvin and Hobbes knick knack for your desk, you can find anything on Etsy with so many niche communities represented. Over 30M people shop annually on Etsy totaling over $3B.

Closet Collective & Poshmark

If you’re a fashionista who’s always changing up style, there are apps out there for you, too. With Poshmark, you can sell your fancy jeans or that expensive dress you never wear.

Closet Collective, on the other hand, lets people rent designer pieces just for the night. Because really, what guy owns a tux? What about needing a hand around the house? We already talked about Bellhops. But, there are so many home services; it’s crazy. Pretty much whatever you need, there’s a handyman an app away and ready to help.

Dolly

Need something hauled away? Dolly can help. Doesn’t matter if it’s a couch or a monster truck, Dolly has a crew ready to move anything.

If you’re a cleaner or handyman, Handy is an excellent way to make extra cash. Fix a few sinks, hang some drywall, this is a killer way for the homeowner to save money rather than calling an expensive contractor.  There’s Takl which combines, hauling, cleaning, or really, anything. TaskEasy helps get the grass cut, the weeds pulled or those piles of leaves picked up. TaskRabbit is another option if you need something installed, torn down, delivered, or the back of the toilet finally fixed.

Rentah is an app that lets you offer services or just rent your stuff. If you’ve got a pair of size 5 women’s hockey skates, there might be someone out there looking to borrow them for the afternoon.

 

Change up the service game

If you’re stuck at work and the car dies, there’s even an app for that, too.

YourMechanic hooks you up with expert automotive technicians. Instead of dealing with the hoops at the local shop or the dealership, YourMechanic could be a major money-saver. Are you looking for some quick design or copy help? Do you need a big banner designed or need help with building a new site for your company? There are a lot of services out there with a range of expertise levels available.

Fiverr is the place to go if you’re on a tight budget. Every interaction starts at $5 and goes up from there, depending on the ask. Freelancer is the go-to social network for freelancers and clients alike. There are jobs around the world, and many of them can range from one-time to short-term. Over 25M people use Freelancer every day.

There’s also Upwork, which is another massive freelancing community.

 

Thinking about a vacation?

Need somewhere to stay? People are renting out rooms in their homes, renting out their whole residences, or buying properties to manage for upcoming guests. Headquartered in Austin, we know these companies well considering we’re the home of SXSW and a bazillion other festivals.

When it comes to property rental apps, there’s:

All are pretty similar in their execution, it’s probably best to experiment and check out which service you like the best.

What about those tasks that leaving you asking “does this even exist?” It probably does. Need a dog sitter? Try Rover. They walk, feed, and hang out with your pup if you’re stuck at work. But, maybe because you’re so busy you could use some administrative help, Fancy Hands provides virtual assistants that can help you schedule and keep track of a busy life.

There’s so much out there, it’s kind of crazy what we can do with the power of our phones. What’s your favorite app? What saves your bacon daily? We’d love to know, and if we get some comments, maybe we’ll do a follow-up post.

But, for some more gig economy wisdom, fresh content or just something to read on the plane, check out the Adia blog.

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