Weekend Work & Part-Time Businesses
Weekend Work: Part-Time, Extra Cash Ideas
I just read a great article about teens getting creative and making their own "jobs" - essentially starting their own businesses by working for themselves.
The different scenarios get me thinking about how starting a simple business is really not that hard, and often we over-analyze the phrase "Start a Business", and make it more difficult than it really is... and the idea never gets off the ground.
Take - for example - errand running, babysitting, lawn care services, running a coupon business or a dog walking or pet care business. No specialized skills are needed, and you can start with almost no money. Work a little or a lot - weekends, holidays, evenings. It's a great way to make some extra cash even if you're already working full-time. I've even had friends who have made good money doing stuff they love as a "side job" - detailing cars or buying items at garage sales for pennies and turning around to sell them on eBay for 10x more!
Many businesses started as casual part-time hobbies, so you never know where a weekend business might take you. So, if you're interested in starting your own small business, go ahead and start part-time to see how you like it. With this strategy, you generally have less risk than starting a full-time venture, and you don't waste time waiting for the "perfect moment" to start (is there really such a thing?).
Not sure what type of business you should start? Check out the free small business finder.
Finding customers? You may be surprised at how many people need that extra help (and are willing to pay for it), but don't know where to get it. In addition, you may be able to actually save people money on services they are already using - getting customers may be easier than you think. Read this article, you may get some ideas....
The different scenarios get me thinking about how starting a simple business is really not that hard, and often we over-analyze the phrase "Start a Business", and make it more difficult than it really is... and the idea never gets off the ground.
Take - for example - errand running, babysitting, lawn care services, running a coupon business or a dog walking or pet care business. No specialized skills are needed, and you can start with almost no money. Work a little or a lot - weekends, holidays, evenings. It's a great way to make some extra cash even if you're already working full-time. I've even had friends who have made good money doing stuff they love as a "side job" - detailing cars or buying items at garage sales for pennies and turning around to sell them on eBay for 10x more!
Many businesses started as casual part-time hobbies, so you never know where a weekend business might take you. So, if you're interested in starting your own small business, go ahead and start part-time to see how you like it. With this strategy, you generally have less risk than starting a full-time venture, and you don't waste time waiting for the "perfect moment" to start (is there really such a thing?).
Not sure what type of business you should start? Check out the free small business finder.
Finding customers? You may be surprised at how many people need that extra help (and are willing to pay for it), but don't know where to get it. In addition, you may be able to actually save people money on services they are already using - getting customers may be easier than you think. Read this article, you may get some ideas....
Make and Sell Soap
Imagine working at home in your own comfortable artist studio making soaps for almost any occasion. This craft business has really taken off with the growing popularity of natural, organic and herbal soaps with therapeutic qualities.Unique soaps are a popular gift item, and since soaps get used up, you have the opportunity to build a stable source of residual income from satisfied customers. Plus - you can sell soaps year round, another nice benefit.
If you enjoy making soap as a hobby, you can start selling soaps part-time, on consignment to local gift shops and beauty salons. You can also launch an online store for very little money. Offering free samples at local events like farmers markets can get customers hooked on your product. See what techniques work best for you, and then run with it!
More information: Start a Part-Time Soap Making Business
Walk Dogs - Make Money
Dog walking or other types of pet care can be higher-paying weekend work than you may think. For weekend travelers, kennels don't come cheap, and they'd rather have their pet happy and cared-for at home. If you enjoy being around animals, a dog walking service is one that is easy to start - requiring virtually no skill or start-up cost.As dog walking is a service needed on a regular basis, this work can conveniently provide a consistent form of income. A dog walking business also allows you to schedule your work hours when you want, not to mention the added benefit of a regular workout routine without having to set aside extra time or pay for a gym membership.
You can start by visiting your local bookstore or library and check out some pet business start-up guides. Then see how much kennels and pet care services in your area charge, so you can be prepared to offer a competitive rate.
Freelance Writing - Not Just for Writers
All sorts of companies need writers, but often they want to outsource the work rather than pay the high costs of hiring a full-time employee. And, with the rise of the internet, content development is becoming even more in demand.
The funny thing is, you don't have to be an expert writer. If you can form complete sentences and conduct a little research, you can many times get a freelance writing job done - no problem. Have a little humor or writing experience? Even better.
Whatever your skill level, there are weekend work opportunities to be had where you can commit on a part-time basis, completing small projects one at a time. GoFreelance
The funny thing is, you don't have to be an expert writer. If you can form complete sentences and conduct a little research, you can many times get a freelance writing job done - no problem. Have a little humor or writing experience? Even better.
Whatever your skill level, there are weekend work opportunities to be had where you can commit on a part-time basis, completing small projects one at a time. GoFreelance
Get Paid Cash for Your Gadgets
Here's a quick and easy way to make some extra cash!
Get rid of all of your old cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, MP3 players, movies, camcorders, satellite radios, GPS devices, video games, LCD monitors, external drives, PDAs and more. A company called Gazelle will take them - and they'll even pay for shipping!
If you don't have one of these items, you have more than one. Stuff you don't use because you got a newer model, a larger drive, or a better-working gadget (I can think of 4 I personally have right now that are waiting to be disposed- I'm sure GLAD I waited!)
An interesting tidbit I noticed on their website: they pay their customers an average of $115. Not bad for the amount of time it takes to find your stuff and stick it in a box (which they provide for free, by the way).
Get rid of all of your old cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, MP3 players, movies, camcorders, satellite radios, GPS devices, video games, LCD monitors, external drives, PDAs and more. A company called Gazelle will take them - and they'll even pay for shipping!
If you don't have one of these items, you have more than one. Stuff you don't use because you got a newer model, a larger drive, or a better-working gadget (I can think of 4 I personally have right now that are waiting to be disposed- I'm sure GLAD I waited!)
An interesting tidbit I noticed on their website: they pay their customers an average of $115. Not bad for the amount of time it takes to find your stuff and stick it in a box (which they provide for free, by the way).
Auto Detailing Weekend Work
If you want to earn extra money on weekends and enjoy working on cars, auto detailing may be the ideal weekend work for you - all year round.It's generally pretty inexpensive to start an auto detail service, while at the same time, it can pay well. In fact, if you enjoy working on cars, you may not even consider this task "work".
And with just a few regular paying customers, you can have a stable, consistent side-job. See some expert advice and creative tips on how to successfully start your detailing business, (while saving time and money).
Decorate Cakes on Weekends
If you can bake and have some creativity, you can thrive in your own cake decorating business. Anyone can buy a cake at a grocery store, but if you have a creative flair, you'll attract customers who want your unique creations (that they can't get anywhere else).
I personally have paid massive amounts of money (good heavens!)for a basic cake with unique decorations - simply because I could only find one company who specialized in the type of cake I wanted. (Keep in mind that people who are usually frugal will spend extra money for a special occasion... for someone else - maybe that's why this is such a profitable business!)
If you're starting out, make life easier on yourself and take a cake decorating class. Invest in a simple cake decorating guide (or visit your local library) to guide you in the right direction, give you creative ideas and get your business off the ground. (i.e professional cake decorating business start-up guide).
I personally have paid massive amounts of money (good heavens!)for a basic cake with unique decorations - simply because I could only find one company who specialized in the type of cake I wanted. (Keep in mind that people who are usually frugal will spend extra money for a special occasion... for someone else - maybe that's why this is such a profitable business!)
If you're starting out, make life easier on yourself and take a cake decorating class. Invest in a simple cake decorating guide (or visit your local library) to guide you in the right direction, give you creative ideas and get your business off the ground. (i.e professional cake decorating business start-up guide).
Survey Taking - NO FEE!
You've probably heard of online opportunities where you can get paid to complete surveys right from home. Problem is - there's usually some sort of a membership fee to start, and that usually sets off a red flag.So I was pleasantly surprised to find a company that pays you to fill out online surveys - without a membership fee. The company is called Survey Adventure - I'm not sure how taking a survey can be an adventure, but in any case, it's easy weekend work that you can do at your convenience. Not a bad deal.
Pet Photography
OK, so this may sound way "out-of-the-box", but hear me out. Photography is a profitable business, and pet photography is simply a niche. If you have some camera skills and a little creativity, you may be surprised at how a "little business idea" like this could take off.
Set up a basic website and post some sample photos of your "pet photography" work so people can see what you do. Keep in mind that pet owners love their pets - to have a pet/owner photo is pretty cool. A unique birthday gift, holiday cards, you could even create a photo calendar of someone's pet.
Start by creating a portfolio of your work. Use family, friends and neighbors with pets to help you build a showcase that you can show to others (an effective marketing tool).
Set up a basic website and post some sample photos of your "pet photography" work so people can see what you do. Keep in mind that pet owners love their pets - to have a pet/owner photo is pretty cool. A unique birthday gift, holiday cards, you could even create a photo calendar of someone's pet.
Start by creating a portfolio of your work. Use family, friends and neighbors with pets to help you build a showcase that you can show to others (an effective marketing tool).
Start a Lawn or Yard Maintenance Business
Drive around most neighborhoods, and you'll see a lot of lawns. Many people have then, but most don't want to take care of them. There is lot of opportunity, but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about starting your business.Mowing grass is one thing, but maintaining a beautiful, lush lawn is something people will pay money for. That's where you come in... as a Lawn Care Professional.
With a lawn care business, you don't have to develop a complicated business plan or hire an expensive business plan writer to compile a plan for you. If you are starting a lawn service business as a one-person operation, a simple plan will suffice, and there are free tools online that will help you.
Get Kevin Whiteside's free business tips on starting your own successful lawn care business from home.
Write Children's Books
Why not start writing a book in your spare time?You may have a great talent for writing entertaining stories for children - but how do you get your creation into print and your works published and into the hands of children? If you don't know where to start, don't worry - the booking writing and publishing business may be easier than you think.
How to Write a Children's Book in 14 Days
Children's Book Author Mel McIntyre has been a professional writer for past 20 years - and knows how to write, publish and sell books on Amazon (and more) because he's done it. Now he's got a course that shows you how to do the same - how to complete books in record time and get a publishing deal.
* Designed for new authors.
Start Your Own Delivery Business
A delivery business can be a great side business if you can set up a regular schedule that meets your clients needs. Both businesses and busy individuals need this service, so you have a variety of markets to pull from. You want to establish yourself as providing reliable and dependable service, so make sure that you keep a list of references on hand for new customers.Spend your time and money on a memorable business name and classy logo that will grab people's attention. Keep your costs low in the beginning by accepting and and checks rather than opening an expensive merchant account (unless you use PayPal, where you can open an account for free) and distributing flyers and postcards rather than placing expensive ads. Putting your money in the right places can help your business turn into a success. Delivery - Courier Business Start-Up Guide
Earn Extra Money Cleaning Pools
Summer's here, and what a great way to get paid while working outdoors - cleaning swimming pools! Whether you're looking for extra income, summertime work, or a consistent cash flow after a layoff, providing pool service can be a great way to make ends meet.Having experience with swimming pools is ideal, but you can start a basic pool cleaning business by learning general pool maintenance first (pick up a book at your local library, ask someone in the pool business or a friend who has a swimming pool.
If you enjoy working independently and out-of-doors, this side job can give you a good amount of freedom, sunshine and fresh air.
Experts Craig Howard and Samuel Franco take their years of experience and show you how to start your pool service business, how to develop customer accounts, how to decide which services to offer and much more. You may find it worth your while to increase your income from your "weekend working" project - and download their step-by-step pool service business outline now and start accumulating paying clients as early as this week - simply by cleaning pools!
See also: Start a Part-Time Window Cleaning Service
Start-up Guides for Part-Time Businesses
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Sue Barrett has worked in the home business industry for 10 years. She has extensive and diverse experience in both online and offline home-based... more »
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