While NextDoor is often dismissed as an “old person’s” app, it is quite useful when looking for Side Hustle work. For example, I am currently looking at a post from a local dog walker that has received twenty-five comments so far. I’m also looking at a few dog walker posts that have only three or four comments. The difference? The active post was free of grammatical errors, easy to read, and the poster’s profile had a real picture and real details about them. The others were riddled with misspellings, run-on paragraphs, and looked fishy.
There are countless other posts by people who offer a myriad of services such as cleaning, yard work, drywall, and more. If you’re looking to earn extra cash in 2025, don’t sleep on NextDoor.
Sign up
NextDoor works best for service-based side hustles such as dog walking, cleaning, landscaping, home repairs, auto detailing, and more. You get the picture. You can find side hustle work on NextDoor pretty quickly upon registration.
You can post as an individual or you can create a business page for free. I recommend creating a business page, as your posts will be more visible to the community. Additionally, business pages are available for NextDoor community awards and recommendations.
When registering a business page, be sure to enter all relevant categories so that potential customers can find you:
Once registered, you’ll be able to make posts and interact with the community!
Interact consistently
Once registered, be sure to post consistently. Make general posts about your services offered at least once a week. Also, be on the lookout for posts seeking recommendations for the services that you provide.
When responding, be sure you offer potential customers multiple ways of reaching you. Many service providers only offer up a phone number, and they do not specify if texting is okay. As more people become resistant to making phone calls, it is important to give them multiple ways of reaching you.
Respond to old posts
Another way to gain visibility on NextDoor is to respond to old posts. When seeking services, many people will look up old posts instead of making a new one. They will use the list of recommendations from said posts to try to find the right person for a given job.
Even is a post is a year older or more, you can respond with something to the effect of “not sure if you are still seeking a [insert service here], but please let me know if I can help.
Always list credentials
Are you licensed, bonded, or have you received specific training for the service that you are offering? Have you received any certifications? If yes, be sure to tell people on your page and in your posts! Doing so gives you an edge over others who lack these things.
For example, I was seeking a quote for a small electrical job last year. One provider responded, but they did not have any insurance whatsoever. It was simply too risky to hire them.
Utilize direct messaging
NextDoor offers a private messaging feature. Use it! If you’ve responded to a post and have not heard anything after a few days, simply send a courtesy follow up via private message. There’s no need to be pushy and keeping it short and simple will suffice.
Good luck!
Good luck utilizing NextDoor to find side hustle work! Remember, be consistent, friendly, and professional. The results will follow.