Los Angeles Times (Sunday)

Flex your muscles and bulk up your bank account too

- By Kathy Kristof It wasn’t just you. A recent survey suggests that during the pandemic, more Kids’ sports are also reviving, and that boosts the need for coaching. Kristof is the editor of SideHusl.com, an independen­t site that reviews hundreds of money-m

Got muscles? Some of the best-paying spring and summer side hustles are good matches for the strong, fit or athleticmi­nded. These jobs involve helping people move, coaching, personal training or constructi­on work.

Here’s a roundup of sites that offer these kinds of gigs.

Moving

Spring and summer are high season for moving, which has moving platforms seeking adults who can lift 50 to 100 pounds. You earn more money if you have a truck, but you don’t need one to participat­e.

GoShare, Truxx, Dolly, Laborjack and TaskRabbit all offer jobs for movers with or without a truck.

If you don’t have a truck, sign up as a “helper/courier” at GoShare and you’ll earn $33 to $47 per hour. With Truxx, helpers earn $30 per hour.

Dolly pays $15 per hour for “hands.” Laborjack pays $15 to $20 an hour.

With TaskRabbit, you set your own rates and terms. You can advertise your packing and organizing services or hire yourself out as muscle.

If you have a truck, you have more options. GoShare pays up to $66 per hour for movers who drive their own vehicles. Truxx pays $42 to $49 per hour.

In addition, Citizen Shipper and UShip let people with trucks and trailers set their own prices and book multiple “on the way” jobs. Both are go-to sites for longer-haul moves.

Training

than 2 in 5 Americans gained unwanted weight. Now, with summer coming, people who want to shed those pounds are returning to gyms and seeking help from online trainers.

If you’re a personal trainer looking for new clients, you can sign up in Fiverr’s “fitness lessons” and “health, nutrition & fitness” categories.

The site encourages you to create service “packages” that may include personal training sessions, taped lessons or written advice. Trainers already on the site advertise fitness services for $15 to more than $100 per package. You create and price your own service, paying a 20% fee to the site to market and collect for you.

Coaching

CoachUp connects athletes with trainers and coaches of virtually any type of sport. To list services on the site, you must be 18 or older and have some coaching experience. Coaches typically earn $40 to $75 an hour.

Another option for sports fans to consider: Sign up as a referee. Referees can earn $50 to $100 a game, and many officiate multiple games per weekend.

Constructi­on

Perhaps being stuck at home caused homeowners to find fault with their surroundin­gs. Or maybe the work-at-home trend necessitat­ed extra space for home offices.

Whatever the reason, building and constructi­on are going gangbuster­s, sparking demand for all types of constructi­on work.

There are many sites where you can find constructi­on-oriented jobs — from simple things such as assembling Ikea furniture to complex trades such as plumbing, electrical and framing. Some of the better options:

8 ToolBelt connects contractor­s and tradespeop­le with clients and with contractor­s who need help. The site offers both a free plan and a pro plan. The free plan provides as many as two leads a week. Those who want more can pay $99 a month for the pro plan.

8 TaskRabbit has an extensive listing of constructi­on-oriented services you can offer on the site, from hanging television sets to doing plumbing. You set your rates and detail what’s included in your price.

8 Jiffy finds clients for contractor­s who provide a wide array of services, from yard work to plumbing, at pay rates that range from about $40 to $85 per hour. The rates are set by the site, which takes a commission on each sale. Jiffy is available in only a few cities: Boston, Chicago, Toronto and Ottawa.

8 Nextdoor is a neighborho­od social media site that’s used for everything from trying to find your lost dog to reporting local crimes. It has become a great place for local contractor­s to post their availabili­ty for work and receive referrals from satisfied customers.

There’s no downside to introducin­g yourself here and letting your neighbors know that you’re the local framer, cabinet maker, plumber or electricia­n — or, say, that you’ve got muscles and, for a price, are willing to help people move.

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