Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Flexible jobs to make extra money in S. Fla.
Between dropping off and picking up her 7-year-old son at school, Erin Davenport shops for groceries for other people.
The Fort Lauderdale mom works for Shipt, where consumers can order groceries online to be delivered to their home from stores including Target, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Costco and ABC Liquors.
For parents, retirees, college students and those between fulltime jobs, flexible-work gigs such as Shipt Shopper can help pay the bills or provide extra cash. And there are plenty of such opportunities in a service industry that is now fueled by mobile phones and the internet.
Two of the most well-known independent contractor jobs are with ride-share companies, Uber and Lyft, where people use their own or a rented car to make money. But not everyone wants to drive around strangers. So what are some other flexiblework jobs?
Here are five “gig” jobs in South Florida for adult workers:
Shipt shoppers
Shipt shoppers can make up to $22 an hour, based on the amount of an order and how many orders they opt to do, said Julie Coop, spokeswoman for Shipt. They also can accept tips.
Once hired, a Shipt shopper can accept as many or as few orders as they want to handle, Coop said. “You control your own destiny,” she said.
Davenport says she usually works about 30 hours a week. She began delivering for Shipt three years ago when her son was in preschool.
“I wanted something where I could grab a couple hours. Shipt was a perfect way to make some extra money and not have to worry about paying for day care,” she said.
When she started the job, she made a couple hundred dollars a month. Now that she has regular customers, Davenport says she makes nearly as much as she would in a full-time job.
Shipt shoppers use their personal vehicles to make deliveries, pay for their own gas and vehicle maintenance, and must carry their own auto insurance.
Shipt shoppers get ongoing support through the Shipt Shopper Lounge, a closed Facebook group , as well as local happy hours to get to know other shoppers. There’s also a 24-hour/7-day-a-week team to help shoppers with best practices.
To apply to be a Shipt Shopper, go to shipt.com/be-a-shopper.
E-scooter chargers
In Fort Lauderdale, there are six companies that rent electronic scooters and they all need people to pick up the scooters and charge them at night, taking them to a designated location for use by early the next morning.
Lime’s battery chargers, called “juicers,” make between $3 and $10 per scooter, depending on the amount of time it takes to retrieve an e-scooter for charging, according to a spokeswoman. Juicers must be at least 18 years old and own a smartphone.
Those interested can apply at web.limebike.com/juicer.
At e-mobility company Gotcha, a fleet technician’s responsibilities are broader than battery charging. They also include rebalancing, scooter maintenance and deploying scooters, according to Gotcha spokeswoman Caroline Passe. The pay is $12 an hour.
Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive a cargo van. The job requires bending, stooping, lifting up to 35 pounds.
Openings are available on ridegotcha.com.
Meal-delivery drivers
There are plenty of meal-delivery services in South Florida that need people willing to pick up meals at restaurants during the lunch and dinner hours and deliver them to customers.
Delray Beach-based Delivery Dudes, founded by Jayson Koss in 2009, has been expanding rapidly throughout South Florida.
Delivery drivers are paid $14 to $18 an hour, plus tips, depending on the city or cities where they work, Koss said. Customers can choose to pay a 15 percent, 20 percent or 25 percent tip as they sign for the meal, or do a custom tip.
Koss says Delivery Dudes “subsidizes” the pay of new drivers and those whose territory have longer distances to drive and fewer pickups. “In some territories, drivers drive small distances and do a lot of drops. In those cases, there’s more volume, tipping is better and average ticket is higher,” he said.
There are no vehicle requirements, although drivers must have a valid driver’s license, insurance and a registered car. Drivers must also have an Android or iPhone that is less than two years old.
A Delivery Dudes job works for Delray Beach resident Orchid Divine, 25, who works several jobs to support her 1-½ year old daughter. “I’m the queen of side jobs,” says Divine, who also house- and pet-sits, nannies on weekends and organizes peo-
ple’s houses.
She likes the flexibility of working for Delivery Dudes, since her daughter was born with a health condition that affects her muscles and joints. “If there’s an emergency, I can be free to take care of her,” Divine says.
She makes $250 to as much as $1,000 a week, she said, depending on how much she wants to work.
For information, go to deliverydudes.com/drive.
Package-delivery drivers
Rather deal with packages than people? Amazon Flex offers the ability to “be your own boss” as an independent contractor with pay from $18 to $25 an hour for delivering Amazon packages.
Drivers must be at least 21 years old and have a midsized vehicle or truck that’s enclosed and protected from weather, according to Amazon Flex’s site. Applicants must pass a comprehensive multi-state background check and vehicle check; show proof of insurance; and have a valid driver’s license. Delivery drivers have to be able to lift 50 pounds.
The drivers can sign up for blocks of delivery time, such as two to four hours, on dates they want to work.
Workers pick up packages for delivery at an Amazon delivery station or a designated store. In areas such as Miami that offer Amazon Prime Now delivery — twohour delivery — there also are opportunities for Amazon Flex drivers to also earn tips for deliveries, said an Amazon spokeswoman.
For information, go to flex.amazon.com.
Senior companions
Miami-based Papa, which matches college students with seniors to be companions and take them places, hires independent contractors called “Papa Pals” who are paid an average of $10.50 an hour.
Papa particularly looks to hire college students interested in the health-care field — those who are studying to be nurses, doctors or social workers — the company is mostly looking for students who exhibit “empathy, trust and compassion,” says company founder Andrew Parker.
Papa Pals should be available to work at least five hours a week, according to the company’s recruitment site. They can earn a $100 bonus if they complete 50 hours of work in their first month. There also are weekly bonuses of $25 to $50 a week, depending visits made and hours worked.
Applicants must be enrolled in college and have a vehicle available. Papa Pals does a background check and reviews driving history.
Applicants can apply online at joinpapa.com, or call 800-348-7951.