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Ironing
Everyone hates ironing - except you?
If you can watch tv or listen to music and iron while
you do it, then you could offer an ironing service.
Most ironers charge by either the black bag full, hourly
or per garment with extra for collection and delivery.
You should be a non-smoking home.
If you are getting a lot of work consider Investing in
semi-professional equipment to speed your work rate up.
You could also look at delivering and collecting dry cleaning
etc as part of the service. |
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Administration
Acting as an adminstrator for a small business or self-employed
businessperson. This can encompass a wide variety of duties including
call handling, message taking, typing letters and emails and generally
acting the part of a virtual assistant.
Need: PC, Broadband Internet, Phone, Good spoken and written
language skills.
more
about earning money from home with a computer
Baby Sitting and
Childminding
Babysitting or looking after kids in their
own home is less tightly regulated than childminding but the regulations
vary depending on what part of the world you're in. In the UK,
it's recommended that you should be at least 16. Most baby sitters
find work by word-of-mouth and personal recommendation but there
are also agencies you can register with. Try a search for 'babysitter'
to check out what's available.
Advice
on babysitting from ROSPA
Childminding can be a great option if you
have kids of your own and you're at home all day anyway. To become
a childminder in the UK you must register with OFSTED and your
home will be inspected to ensure that it meets the required standards.
You'll also be interviewed to ensure that you are a suitable person
to look after children. You can find out how to get started at
the National
Child Minders Association.
Car
Valeting
This is a good example of a business which
you can grow organically.
Most part-timers start by travelling to
the customers home or place of work. You'll need a vacuum cleaner
and all the usual cleaning products for inside and outside the
vehicle. The advantage of working at the customers home or work
is that you'll get more business from passers by and colleagues.
You can find work initially by leaflet
drops, placing cards in newsagents and post offices and visiting
likely businesses.
Cleaning
Domestic cleaners are always in demand
and you can find work by the usual methods of placing cards and
leafletting. People also place adverts for cleaners so look out
in shop windows and your local press. You could also apply to
an agency if you live in a larger town or city.
You could also try local businesses or
maybe even specialise in something like cleaning cookers or deep-cleaning
commercial and home kitchens. Don't forget too, that there's a
steady demand for window cleaners for both domestic and commercial
premises.
Carpet and upholstery cleaning can be a
good earner and the equipment is a lot more affordable than it
used to be.
Delivering
Covers a multitude of things from newspapers to catalogues and
phone directories. You'll need to be reasonably fit and have your
own transport. Try contacting your local free press and searching
for leaflet distributors or directory distributors in your area.
Jobs for animal lovers
- Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, Grooming, Pet accessories and food
If you're an animal lover, and enjoy keeping fit, then this could
be a good way to combine the two. Try asking or placing cards
at local vets, kennels and pet shops. You could also consider
offering to look after pets for a longer period such as holidays.
It's also less stressful on the animals and cheaper than kennels!
If you have the skills and a good way with animals, then you
could offer dog grooming services either as a stand-alone service
or in conjunction with dog walking or pet sitting. If you can
offer to collect and deliver the dog, this can add more value
to your services as busy customers appreciate the convenience.
You could offer to combine pet sitting with looking after a
house - see below. Remember, it's not just cats and dogs, people
have all kinds of pets from fish to parrots which need to be cared
for during the holidays so if you have experience with a particular
animal or breed you could be in demand. You can either look after
the pets in their own home or board them at yours.
As an adjunct to all the above, you could supply pet food and
accessories.
Gardening
and Lawn Care
If you're green-fingered and enjoy out door work then gardening
and lawn care present a good opportunity for regular work throughout
the growing season.
You'll need a suitable van or pick-up to move equipment such
as mowers around and carry away waste.
The best way to get work in this area is to drive around and
leaflet likely areas with particular attention to larger and more
prosperous properties and those that look like they could do with
mowing or tidying.
The ongoing nature of gardening means that if you do a good job,
you'll keep going back to mow, prune, plant and fertilise as necessary.
Handyman and maintenance
/ painting and decorating
If you're the practical type who enjoys DIY and can turn your
hand to most things, you might like to consider offering a handyman
and maintenance service. People need help with all kinds of small
jobs from clearing out gutters to putting up shelves and assembling
flat-pack furniture.
Don't be tempted to take on jobs that are outside your capabilities
and skill level and bear in mind that certain types of paid work,
for example gas appliance repairs and installation and electrical
work can only be carried out by persons holding the correct registration/qualifications/licence.
Check if you're not sure!
It's also important that you arrange adequate insurance cover
for both property damage and personal injury. A good broker will
be able to advise you on the type of cover and costs.
House Sitting
Many people get nervous about leaving their house empty when
they are away. Offer your services as a house and/or pet sitter
to check on security and water plants, feed and exercise pets,
collect mail, mow lawns etc. You could live-in or visit every
day as required. For obvious reasons you'd need personal recommendation
for this job and/or great references so start by asking friends
and relatives or contact a house sitting agency.
Network Sales and Party Planning
Direct selling and party planning have had a bad press in the
past but if you do a little research, you can still make money
at it. If you are the gregarious and outgoing type, organising
and holding a party can be great fun as well as a source of income.
It will soak up a lot of time, usually in the evenings but for
that reason, it can work well if you have a full-time job or childcare
commitments in the day.
The commission levels and start up costs vary but these days
the range of products sold directly to the end-user stretches
far beyond cleaning products and storage containers. See also
Catalogue Delivery
Plumbing
You don't even have to be Polish to plumb!
If you are a practical type, plumbing is pretty straightforward.
With modern materials, making a watertight joint is a lot more
straightforward than it used to be. Lots of people want showers
and sinks fitted, leaks fixed and washing machines or dishwashers
plumbed in. Stay away from gas appliances and electrical work
though unless you have the appropriate skills and registration.
If you want to improve your skills, there are many courses available.
Repairs
If you are mechanically and electrically savvy, you're already
way ahead of the majority of people! Even in todays 'throwaway'
culture there is still a demand for repairs on everything from
bicycles to lawnmowers and a whole raft of domestic appliances
such as vacuum cleaners and washing machines. Stay
away from gas appliances and electrical work unless you have the
appropriate skills and registration.
Writing
If you can string a phrase together you could turn your ability
to profitable use by writing. There is a huge demand for articles
and text both on and off-line particularly if you have specialist
or technical knowledge - just take a look around any large newsagent
to see the sheer volume that's publised on a daily basis. For
specific advice on copywriting try freelance
uk
The first port of call for any budding writer should be the writer's
and artist's yearbook which contains a wealth of
information on how to get your work published, lists of magazines
and periodicals, the type and length of the articles they are
looking for and the rates they pay.
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