Wouldn’t you like to make more money or have extra cash in your pocket? What’s holding you back? With a changing economy, more and more people are opting to work for themselves. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 40% of the country’s workforce is expected to be self-employed by the end of the decade. Here are five ways to turn your experience, skills, hobbies, and interests into a cash-generating machine.
1. Do you have the gift of gab?
Turn your home into a virtual call center. If you are good on the phone and know how to provide great customer service, there are companies that hire home-based service agents. Check out Alpine Access®, Convergys Work at Home and LiveOps for customer service opportunities. Arise is another option, and you would just have additional tasks like answering emails and chatting online. Being bilingual is always a plus. Make sure to mention your ability when you inquire.
2. Are you the caring type?
If you do well with seniors, consider looking into ElderCare.com or Home Instead.You can take an elderly person grocery shopping, prepare meals for them, transport them to doctor’s appointments, or just provide companionship. If you prefer to care for kids rather than seniors, provide childcare out of your house. Think of it as a paid playdate for your children. You get some cash and your child gets to socialize. If you don’t want to watch children all day, maybe you can provide after-school care for kids in your neighborhood. Many times teachers will hire trusted parents of students in the school to watch their own kids. This can be a great option because you can still get the school breaks off.
3. Go back to school with your kids.
Substitute teaching can be another way to make some extra money during the school year. Look into the requirements for your local area. Many times a college degree is required. Teacher assistants and lunch aides need substitutes as well and do not necessarily require a degree. I subbed for many years when my children were younger. It provided me the flexibility I needed for our schedule. It was also nice to not take assignments when my kids were sick. You knew that another substitute would just fill the position. Most times you can work as often or as little as you like. If working with students one on one is more your speed, try out Tutor.com. You can earn between $10-14 an hour. Those qualified to tutor math and science are paid more.
4. Be a party animal.
Do you make the best flan or arroz con pollo? One of the moms at my husband’s school sold food on the side while she was home with her children. We knew who our go-to person was for pasteles whenever we had the craving or needed a party catered. So convenient!
Why not make money as a party host? Promote yourself as a party helper and offer to help set up, face paint, cut the cake or just oversee children on the bouncy during the party. Put out flyers in your community. Let friends and neighbors know too.
Are you good with a camera? It’s helpful to have someone else taking photographs without having to pay a professional photographer. Try to get hired for all types of events. Set up a free website or make a free profile on Flicker to showcase your work.
5. Give me five.
Have you always dreamed of owning your own business, but didn’t know where to start? Fiverr® can be a wonderful starting point. I know what you’re thinking…work for five dollars? This is a wonderful place to showcase your talent and build up a potential client base by providing an inexpensive service. Establish credibility by gaining experience in the field you’re interested in. It’s a way to stick your toe into a new endeavor without fully committing to running a full fledged business. I hired this man to make a video for my website. I liked his Australian accent. I would gladly pay him more to use his service again. Learn more about this topic here.
