Many people are now considering starting a second job, or as some people call it a “side hustle” in order to raise extra money. In financially uncertain times, many struggle to get to payday without heavily relying on bank overdrafts. Unfortunately overdrafts are not free, so then you end up paying extra fees and interest which is counter productive in the long run. There are many ways of earning extra money, you could even end up starting a new career in your new venture. This article aims to highlight tried and trusted ways of making extra cash. Remember wherever in the world you live there are likely to be tax implications on your extra income, so research carefully.
Apart from financial benefits, having a second job an enable you to follow your passion. Many people create extra money from their hobby. Perhaps you’re a talented florist, writer or web designer? Maybe you’re doing these things in your spare time anyway, so you just need to develop the art of selling your talent.
Often the reasons why you’re are wanting to save money can be your motivation to get started. Saving a deposit for a new house is difficult as the money you need to invest is high, so earning solely for this purpose could be the reason to start a second job. In some parts of the world such as Singapore, housing can be built to order using HDB BTO, a financial investment is required to embark on the process. Other reasons for getting a second job is to save for the holiday of a lifetime, fund your child’s college fees, save for retirement or purchase a new car.
If you are following a second career in an area that you enjoy you will meet like minded individuals and update your skills in the process, as well as make some much needed extra cash!
Here a some second jobs you could consider, most with the potential to turn into lucrative primary careers in the future.
Work from home
Often it’s simply not feasible to get a second job away from home, especially if you are out all day in your primary role. Family commitments and time issues mean that jobs capable of being done from home would be the best option. Thankfully due to the internet you have many options available.
Freelance writer
There is an abundance of freelance writing jobs available, and as the main amount of work only requires an internet connection and a laptop, it lends itself to home working very well. In fact you could write freelance from anywhere in the world and at anytime of the day. To freelance jobs, consider gathering a portfolio of evidence, linking to previous work.
Online tutor
Many parents are discovering the benefits of hiring a tutor for their child, who teaches online via skype. Normally tutoring of this kind is cheaper than the traditional way, so is more accessible. For yourself as an online tutor, this is fantastic news as there is an abundance of work available. It is possible to teach online to children all over the world such as China, this means your work is interesting as you become immersed in different cultures.
Arts and crafts
Lots of people pursue hobbies in their spare time, often the results of their creations are stashed in cupboards or gifted to friends and family. If the items you produce are of a high quality saleable standard you could consider selling them to make money. Outlets for selling your creations could be online market places such as ebay, and etsy. You could create your own website with a shopping cart and link it to social media channels such as instagram, twitter and facebook.
Potential customer love to see handmade products firsthand, so that they can truly appreciate the workmanship. You could consider selling your crafts at craft fayres or exhibit them in a gallery.
Become a reseller
Have a clear out by selling any unwanted books, clothes, kids toys, furniture, old gaming consoles – anything really. It is surprising what people will buy. By using websites such as ebay your items will have a huge audience of buyers. Facebook has also become a good selling platform and has the convenience of buyers usually being local, therefore reducing the cost of postage.
Once you have become confident in selling your own unwanted items online you could actually create a lucrative business reselling . Reselling means buying goods at a low price and selling them on at a profit. Places to find stock include car boot sales, charity shops and thrift stores.
Become an online trader
Trading on the financial market used to be solely the domain of stock brokers in the city, however anyone with a computer and a small amount of capital can invest and trade in the global market.
Financial trading is not without risk, however it has the potential to be lucrative. There are many learning resources online that can help you trade and most trading platforms allow you to practice trading using “monopoly” money until you are familiar with how the markets work.
Work outside the home
Become a dog walker or babysitter
There is lots of work available for well trained and reliable babysitters and dog walkers. Start by word of mouth to build up your reputation and then consider advertising in local shops, leaflet drops and community magazines.
For babysitting it would be helpful to undertake a course in first aid and have a DBS check.
For dog walking you need to have some previous experience of handling dogs.
Bar and restaurant work
It sounds obvious, but there are plenty of jobs you could work in the evenings such as in your local bar or restaurant, although initially the pay may seem low, often tips can contribute a large chunk to your wage.
Musician
If you are a musician you could earn a second income during the evenings and weekends, in the entertainment industry. The work could include playing in a band at local venues. Providing the music for weddings and other celebrations or you could consider music tuition.
This is just a small selection of second career options available there are many more.
