Sometimes before you can make it big in business you have to bring home the bacon until you’re back in the black. But the need to make extra money to make ends meet in the present doesn’t have to mean subduing your entrepreneurial spirit. There are plenty of solid ways to earn cash while honing your business acumen and the skills you need to make it big in the not so distant future. Here are just few:
Sell your art. If you have solid photography or painting skills, set yourself up a business. It’s easy to put up prints for sale on Etsy or you could build a personal website and try working on a commission basis. Shutterbugs with thousands of snapshots may be able to make some no-effort extra cash (and potentially get a little recognition) on stock photography sites like Shutterstock.
Start a company. Satisfy your entrepreneurial urges and earn income by looking for opportunities with low or no startup costs. Plenty of enterprising college students have made bank painting or cleaning houses in the summertime – there’s no reason grownups can’t do the same. Set yourself up as a content marketing firm and outsource the work using Craigslist. Or try your hand at sales with an already established company like Amway or Mary Kay.
Become a driver. As long as you have a car you can set your own hours and work as much or as little as you want with companies like Uber and Lyft – essentially, you’re the boss. But that means it’s up to you to figure out how to balance fuel costs and vehicle expenses against fares. It’s actually a great way to decide whether you’re up for the challenge of DIY accounting if you ever decide to open your own business.
Teach or tutor independently, online or off. You get the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing something good for someone else and you can hang out your shingle as an independent professional. As long as you can attract clients, no experience is necessary. Knowledge is all you need to get this business off the ground.
Be someone’s apprentice. It sounds old fashioned, but becoming an assistant to someone who is currently working your dream job is a solid way to pick up the skills you want to acquire. Look for opportunities to help out in the industries that interest you, like doing odd jobs in a veterinary practice if your dream is to become a vet or doing set up and breakdown at a recording studio if you want to work in the music industry. Just make sure you’re clear with your boss about what you want to get out of the job other than money.
Organize for others. If you’re super on point when it comes to life, you can earn spending money or more as a virtual assistant or personal organizer. Helping others get organized doesn’t require much more than a phone and while it’s the kind of job you can do in your spare time, it’s also one that has the potential to grow into something more.
Whatever you do to bring in cash, never lose sight of your bigger financial goals! Always look for ways to learn while you earn and never pass up an opportunity to grow.
