This gets harder to do in rural areas, but most of the advice stands and with bravery and intuitiveness you can make something in this list work. Most services could be marketed to your neighbors with a handwritten sign in the yard (check local ordinances about signs).

Please see: “Safely meeting people from the internet” before proceeding with in-person meet ups.

1. Flip free furniture/items (often no car needed)
   – Sign up for apps like Offer Up, Facebook, Let it Go, etc. Not only can you find items outright labeled as “free,” but if you pay attention to how long listings have been up and whether they’re listed for way less than that item should be, you could also message and offer to take stale items off of people’s hands to “free up clutter and mind” for them.
   – You can also scout out yard/garage and especially estate sales at late hours (2-3pm) and offer to haul away anything leftover for free and resell it yourself. Don’t be choosy: only offer this if you can take everything, so it’s a genuinely mutually beneficial favor.
   
2. Offer writing, voice acting, art or coding review services on “freelance” websites (truly zero startup cost if you have a smart phone + skills already)
   – Google “sell (service you can offer) services” for websites that usually have free signup and start making money with nothing more than a device that has internet.
   
3. Scrap metal/cleanup services (car needed, preferably truck + trailer)
   – Similar to 1, some people need help cleaning up sometimes. Scrap yards will pay for the metal from appliances. Check how much metal you can pick up in one day. Oftentimes, unless you can get a large load of metal you won’t make enough money to justify spending a day out.
   
4. Do/Run Errands for people (car sometimes required)
   – Sometimes housebound people need grocery, medicine, or other pickups and will happily pay you to help out. Existing meal/delivery services are gradually increasing in price and becoming unaffordable to people who rely on others for deliveries.
   – You could also find people who need yard cleanup, trash delivery, or other garbage related services who are willing to pay someone to deliver their stuff to a dump because they don’t have trash service.
   
5. Rent out tools you own
   – Make up a list of items you’re willing to lend out. Many people don’t want to go out and buy a tool they’ll use once, like extra large ladders or impact drivers. Keep a clear and transparent agreement laid out with the person to protect yourself.
   
6. Organize estate sales + keep what doesn’t sell (just need transportation and a phone/laptop)
   – Put up signs and postings where applicable to offer hosting estate sales for families who just inherited a bunch of stuff or who need to sell off their estate to move. Learn more about this industry before diving in. Some clients may have unrealistic expectations about how much the stuff was worth, sometimes for sentimental reason. You need to be ready to set reality for someone who’s dealing with loss at the same time.
   
7. Start selling online (Startup cost = shipping)
   – Without realizing it, you may have already amassed a few things worth selling. Boxes from electronics, a phone case you got for free and never used, Christmas presents from Aunt Maggie that you throw in your closet every year because she thinks everyone wants to use the same perfume she does… List it online! It’s free to make accounts on almost all of your favorite online retailing platforms and post it.
   
8. Detail Cars (possibly no startup cost)
   – If it is safe and comfortable to do so, you can offer car detailing on your own property. Look up videos and guides for proper detailing and bare in mind that you are liable if you damage other people’s property. Take pictures and videos of every inch of the person’s car beforehand so you can’t be blamed for anything you didn’t actually cause, then clean the car inside + out. Look up local detailers for an idea of rates in your area.