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The harrowing effects of the pandemic has led millions of people to look for different avenues to income, switch careers, and even pursue other passions and side projects. The ever-growing gig culture is now a $1.2 trillion economy, and it is projected that over 90 million people would be involved in some form of side gigs by 2028. An estimated 67.6 million people may be a part of the gig culture by the end of 2021.

While mass unemployment and business closures were prevalent drivers in the rapid growth of the gig economy, several underlying factors like flexible schedules, additional income, and finding jobs they actually love also played a significant role in encouraging people to look for freelancing opportunities.

Oftentimes, freelancing is associated with fluctuating income and lack of stability since many opportunities are on a contract basis. Although there are several freelancing platforms that offer a wide variety of legit gigs with transparent payment systems, only a few go the extra mile to promote job stability and overall financial well-being.

Shaquille O'Neal Invests in Ventures That Shapes People's Lives

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal is also known for his successful business ventures in real estate and retail that encompassed the ideas of community well-being and creating job opportunities. He empathizes well with the struggle of millions of Americans juggling multiple jobs to support a living, and strives to invest in opportunities that can change peoples' lives.

In 2018, O'Neal became an investor and a board member of the Steady app that was built around the vision of helping people get some extra income. Apart from a wide range of side gigs and full-time opportunities, the app offers several features to improve financial awareness with provisions for income boosters and emergency cash grants.

Steady even partnered with the Workers Fund, a non-profit organization backed by the Rockefeller Foundation, to identify members who require urgent cash during the pandemic, and offer them emergency cash grants. To date, Steady has distributed more than $4 million as emergency cash grants to its members in collaboration with the non-profit.

Another cool feature in the Steady app is the Income Booster section, which aims to help people earn and save money in multiple ways. Steady partners with several companies to offer services that could help you find affordable online insurance and no-fee checking accounts, and save money through accurate tax filing. You may also come across cash bonus options by installing apps or opening a trading account, as well as avail of discounts at many popular vendors.

When Steady partners with a company or an online bank, they earn a referral fee for every member sign-up, where a part of the fees is paid to the user. Steady members have cumulatively earned over $5 million through income boosters available on the app.

Job Categories on Steady

The Steady app is available on Android and iOS, and offers a multitude of gigs that range from freelance opportunities to full-time jobs. After downloading the app, you may sign up with your name, email address, and basic details like your zip code to quickly check out remote and nearby gigs.

Steady streamlines the job hunting process with a customized work profile that filters gigs according to your skills and interests. You can easily add attributes like your salary expectations, expected working hours, previous work experience, and preferred working location to find jobs that you want.

Freelancers may come across tons of job listings that revolve around creative interests, coding, and the media industry--content writing, voice acting, online surveys, tutoring, community moderating, graphic design, and more. Those who are looking for part-time and full-time jobs could also find opportunities in the hospitality sector like child care, customer service, and even in the retail market. If you are intrigued by a particular job listing, simply click on it for more information about job timings, compensation, and prerequisites.

Income Tracker and Financial Insights

When you find a job through Steady, you don't necessarily have to be associated with the app anymore. However, staying on the app also has other benefits beyond job searching. It could help you manage your finances, understand income trends, and prioritize gigs based on working hours through their income tracker, for example.

The income tracker dashboard may come in especially handy for freelancers who need to keep receipts of tax-deductible expenses and record accurate invoices for filing taxes without paying more what they owe. Filing taxes can oftentimes be confusing, and could become tedious if you have to do it on your own.

The income tracker requires you to link your bank account that you use to receive your income on their secure platform. Linking your bank account also helps Steady identify users who require emergency cash grants with more ease.

Steady was founded in 2017 and has listed over 19 million jobs on the app to date. They have also recorded that over 5.4 million jobs matched with members. With a community of over three million members, Steady helps freelancers find work that they love, compensate for insufficient income from their primary employers, and even augment their retirement savings to some extent.

Start looking for gigs on the Steady app today.