TaskRabbit and other gig sites that match eager workers with people who need odd jobs performed are often criticized as a difficult way for people to earn a decent living. Many of the independent contractors who complete tasks through these sites end up racing between different low-paying gigs, with long, unpaid commutes in between.
But that doesn’t have to be the case. If you’re strategic, you can use these gig sites to make a full-time living. In fact, some people make up to $2,000 a week on TaskRabbit.
Want to know how they do it? Here’s how to make more money on TaskRabbit.
What is TaskRabbit?
First, a little background. TaskRabbit connects you with people who need help with jobs like cleaning houses, making deliveries or completing “around the house” tasks, such as installing a new faucet or putting together a bookshelf.
The site works as a middleman to let clients post the work they need help with. As a “Tasker,” you can use the site to find jobs, contact potential clients and collect payment for your work (minus TaskRabbit’s 20% service fee). Using the site, as opposed to working through an avenue like Craigslist, helps make sure you actually get paid for your work, and reassures clients that you are who you say you are and don’t have a criminal record.
How Do $2,000-a-Week TaskRabbits Cash In?
While doing odd jobs has always been a popular way to earn extra cash, some Taskers turn them into full-time jobs and earn up to $2,000 per week. TaskRabbit’s vice president of marketing, Jamie Viggiano, boasts that 10 to 15% of TaskRabbit contractors earn up to $7,000 per month, reports Time.
Brian Schrier is one such Tasker. He charges $150 an hour for the broad array of services he offers, ranging from performing shopping duties to construction jobs, he explained to Time. He earns up to $2,000 a week on the site, spending half his time in San Francisco working on tasks and the other half of his time living on his boat in Napa, California.
While not everyone earns such high wages from the site, ambitious entrepreneurs can learn from Schrier’s and other high-earning Taskers’ success.
How to Bring in the Big Bucks on TaskRabbit
To make more money as a Tasker, follow these strategies.
Be Flexible
Schrier charges $150 per hour for most jobs and, for that fee, he’s willing to take on a wide variety of tasks, from shopping to construction. Flexibility is key to his winning strategy.
Once, he took a last-minute gig folding T-shirts for $70 per hour for a client who was in a serious time crunch. Being flexible, ready to pick up last-minute jobs and willing to take on just about any job is key to your success as a Tasker.
Be Versatile
Tasker David Cordova charges between $25 and $80 an hour for his services, depending on what’s required. He told Time he was once hired to help people park their strollers outside a preschool for eight days. He happily parked strollers and directed traffic during this most unusual task — he said he felt like a bouncer at a club!
Another time, Cordova found himself working as a “shadow administrative assistant.” This gig required sitting in an office to make it look busy when clients walked through. Other days, he helps people move or performs a wide variety of other odd jobs. This versatility helps him balance his workload and pick up more tasks.
Be Skilled
Top-dollar Taskers earn their cash by having top-notch skills. While Schrier is happy to take on an occasional T-shirt-folding gig, he earns a good portion of his $150-per-hour income performing carpentry, construction and handyman tasks — skills he’s honed through years of being his family’s go-to handyman.
Having top-notch, in-demand skills help you rise to the top of the pack. Figure out your strengths — you have a big truck for moving jobs, you’re a neat freak, you’re an expert IKEA furniture assembler or you run a handyman business — and focus on gigs that showcase your skills.
Invest in Your Business
Cordova told Time he found so much success performing odd jobs and services that he decided to invest in his business by purchasing a van. He’s based in New York City, where hardly anyone has a vehicle of their own, so his van helped him raise his rate to $80 per hour for moving-related tasks.
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