Many people are blessed with free time after their main occupation has ceased for the day. Whilst some choose to sit down and watch the television, others involve themselves with their hobbies.
The exciting thing about pastimes is that people can frequently turn these into money generators. One online writer says people should consider freelancing if they have a day job, are a student or a stay at home parent. The possibility is to supplement your income and even grow the side hustle into a full time business.
This article will take a close look at six of the best and easiest freelancing options.
- Rent out an empty room
Online companies like Airbnb enable people to rent out rooms across the world at rates that can be cheaper than hotel accommodation.
Some people are blessed to have a spare room at home, perhaps because the kids have gone to university or left home. This presents a good opportunity for earning some extra income.
Whilst some people would hate to lose their personal privacy by having guests, others enjoy the company and the opportunity to meet new folk.
- Be an ESL teacher
There is a global need for people to teach English as a second language to anyone from children to adults. This is ideal for someone who is a qualified teacher or who possesses a degree in English, but there are ESL qualifications that can be obtained.
As the teaching may be done online most of the time, people need to have a decent computer, high-speed internet connection and a Skype account. It’s a great job for anyone who is good at communication and possesses patience.
- Be a virtual bookkeeper
Most small businesses are made of individuals who need to devote their time to their work and not spending extra hours struggling to do their accounts. As a result, it is possible to become a virtual bookkeeper. There is a lot of excellent accounting software people can use, and much of the information is held online. This reduces the need for wading through loads of paper records.
One estimate was that if a person did the accounts for four small businesses they could make as much as $10k a year. Anyone who is good with numbers and looking at company expenses could consider this a viable option.
- Self-publish books
The exciting news here is that people can publish their own book for free on such sites as Amazon KDP. There is no need to find an interested publisher and then to wait for them to do all the work. Self publishing can be a fulfilling occupation and dream-fulfiller.
It’s possible to create the book as a paperback and also an ebook for Kindle. The Kindle Unlimited scheme is free to join, and provides authors with money each time part or all of the book is read this way.
Self-publishers will need to learn advertising and marketing in order to promote their book. On Amazon KDP, for example, there is the opportunity to run campaigns, such as offering an ebook for 99c for a limited time. There are also countdown deals. If a book shoots up the charts, Amazon gets behind it and promotes it for free.
- Do dog walking
This job is great for lovers of exercise and pets. If you already take your dog for walks, why not take another and get paid for it? The more dogs people take at a time, the more income can be generated. The business can begin through word of mouth and social media, and notes placed in shop windows.
Some people also pay to use dog sitters when they are away from home for long amounts of time, or if the dog experiences separation anxiety.
- Try affiliate marketing
What people do is promote other peoples’ products by inserting a link into their own blogs or websites. Each time a person buys a product using that link, they will receive a commission. Whilst many online entrepreneurs promise the world using this technique, it’s usually necessary to sell many products because the commission can be small.
From an ethical standpoint people need to state that the links supplied are affiliate marketing links, and that a small amount of commission is paid with each sale. The exciting thing is that sales can occur night and day, presenting a genuine passive income.
There’s nothing more fulfilling than having a great time and making money simultaneously. There are scores of side hustles besides renting out rooms, teaching English, doing bookkeeping, self-publishing, dog walking and affiliate marketing. Find one that appeals and go for it. People are often amazed at the results and the income obtained.
