101 ways to make a buck or two

Intro: I know, it’s tough when you are laid off, discharged – or just plain under-employed…

With that in mind, here are a number of ways and suggestions to build/re-build your economic foundation. Perhaps with several (or more) of these ideas (and others), you could build your “patchwork” of micro-enterprises to have a more stable income. With several — up to a dozen or so — “multiple sources of income,” the loss of one or two could be easily and quickly be replaced with another “needed” enterprise, leaving your income at a reasonably constant and stable level.

Without further ado…. here are those ideas:

Many different companies have large outstanding debtors of which most are just slow payers and some bad. Your job will be to chase up all the debtors. You will charge a commission of between 15 and 30 % of all debtors who pay as a result of your efforts. Furniture retailers and such like are good places to start offering your services.

Offer yourself to virtually any company to research a given product or idea. Companies are always trying to establish whether their product has a market. Also offer to test different household products on your friends and family on behalf of a company.

There is a continuous need for documents, letters, thesis, etc. to be typed for lawyers, students and small companies. Advertise yourself at universities and in your own area.

Set yourself up in an area not close to food services or retail shops. You can work out of your car or out of your garage. Even put up a stand or umbrella to sell basic goods like candy/chips/snacks/cold drinks, etc. Firstly, check out the local regulations.

Many people who are not mechanically minded will be happy to pay for this essential yet simple job on their car. They save by not having to take their car to a garage and you can charge a small fee to do this oil change for them. You can offer to do it at their place of work or come right to their home.

This is probably the least attractive part time alternative and yet many people make good money from this. There are many companies offering commission based direct selling. Mostly household products which are in daily use and therefore have to be re-ordered regularly. The best here is to concentrate on small areas around where you live and slowly expand as you gain confidence in direct selling. Aim small to start and you wont be disappointed.

This involves much the same as item 2 but you work at home using your own telephone. Many companies require their marketing to be done by phone at night between 6 pm and 9 pm. The main purpose of this is to get leads for their sales people to follow up.

This is so obvious it is often overlooked. Car dealers, etc. are always moving cars from one area or even from state to state and require drivers to do this. Even local companies need extra or standby drivers at odd times.

This is easy! Every family has posters/awards/certificates that need a simple and cheap frame. A simple hardboard or masonite backing and possibly glass on the front makes an affordable and attractive frame. Keep your prices low and you will get plenty of business.

With the necessity of both parents working these days, school going children need supervision in the afternoons to do homework and stay out of trouble. Use your house or apartment and create a safe environment and make it affordable for the parents. Check out the regulations.

Every household has the odd table or chair or bed with wobbly legs or broken spokes etc. etc. You don’t have to be a carpenter to make these basic repairs. Start in your immediate neighborhood and make a name for yourself.

If you enjoy gardening than this is for you. Keep lawns neat and flower beds weed free. Do a budget service and charge budget prices. Most people cannot afford the established garden services so keep this in mind when quoting prices.

With all the single-mother families around it is very expensive to call a builder just to fix a few wall tiles or fix a leaking tap or gutter or lay a brick pathway and so on. Use your most basic skills and offer your services around.

This does require your own transporter to remove from most properties some form of rubble/junk/scrap, etc. Do not ignore business properties while looking for business.

If you have a computer at home you can offer training on a one on one basis to people who want to become computer literate or be trained on a specific software package. Going training rates start at $20.00 per hour and up.

At every event, and in fact any gathering of people their is always tons of litter and trash to be picked up. Offer your services to the organizers at these events. Keep an eye on news, etc. to locate forthcoming events.

Taking care of somebody’s house or apartment while they are away and looking after the pool/pets/mail, etc.

Lots of children battle with math and second languages and need extra tutorial help in this regard. No special skill is needed to supply this valuable service. Charge low rates and enjoy busy afternoons.

Brighten up your suburb by painting colorful murals on the walls instead of all the ugly graffiti. Get together with individual streets and discuss what murals are wanted and charge for the paintings. Remember all members of the suburb should contribute as they will benefit directly and indirectly.

Help various people in developing their physique with regular training programs and ongoing support to keep them fit, especially good for those who lack motivation to keep fit.

Collect cans/bottles etc. especially after a function and sell them to recycling businesses. This can be done in conjunction with job 16.

This is a very popular item as few people really like to make compost heaps. Get your ingredients free from local supermarkets or from the local wholesale fruit & vegetable market (dumpsters). Sell the compost in used supermarket bags to further save money.

Their are always disputes in a suburb such as the neighbors dogs or the teenagers loud music and so on. Your function will be to step in and mediate between arguing neighbors or friends. Charge a commission to amicably solve these disputes which are generally too small to take to court.

All families have a crisis at some time or another, whether it is a teenager problem or a struggling marriage. It really helps if an outsider can come in and talk to the parties involved and offer solutions and advice for a small fee.

This is a tried and trusted method of bringing in some money. Every family has a few old clothes lying around to start you off selling out of your garage and at flea markets and any place you can think of.

Teach basic musical instruments such as saxophone piano/guitar/flute/violin/drums, etc. Obviously you should have at least some skills in this regard.

Make delicious sandwiches and rolls and sell them at nearby office blocks. Keep your prices fair and your quality high and you will soon have a loyal following. Also make sure your food is clean, fresh and interesting.

Only the brave should attempt this. Make sure you wear protective clothing. Other unwanted animals can also be removed at a price.

Take kids on outings that kids love but parents are tired of. For example, zoos/bunny parks/beaches, etc. This requires a lot of responsibility but you can charge accordingly and parents love to have a break from the kids on a weekend.

For a nominal fee offer to do all the many detailed work needed to get a wedding to run smoothly both before during and after the big event.

This will take time to get going, but once established you will always have a ready market to sell fresh vegetables. Concentrate on a small variety and high quality. You will only need a small area to grow an amazing amount. You can even grow them in pot plant holders if you are short of space. Do this in conjunction with job 22.

This is an amazing money maker. Tons of fruit go to waste in private home gardens. Arrange with the owners to pick and sell lemons/plums/apples/peaches/pears/nuts and many others are just waiting to be picked by you to the benefit of both parties.

A huge demand exists to take the elderly out to movies, shopping and so on. Many elderly have no way of getting around as they are no longer able to drive or to walk. Also, many of these senior citizens are not in nursing homes. but still need some outside help to do everyday type of tasks.

More suited to females, this everyday kind of job to repair clothes and knitted garments especially for bachelors and others who cannot sew. An obvious thing to do is make fancy Barbie doll clothes as these are very expensive to buy in shops.

If you have a second or third language especially an Arabic language, you can sell your services to the many that require this. I.e.; the courts/attorneys/government, etc.

Use your telephone as an answering service for anyone who may require it. All you have to do is take messages and pass them on to the person that wants them.

There is always a need for the odd paint job in the average household or small business that nobody likes to do. Keep your prices low and you will get a steady stream of work.

This is becoming an essential service as the amount of crime increases. Get your immediate suburb to club in less than $10.00 per family per month and this will pay you to do night-watch duty in your area and keep it free of crime.

Remind people to pay essential bills on time like telephone/electricity/rent, etc. Also for people who need to be woken up a certain time or people who need to be reminded to do a certain thing at a given time.

Especially for the elderly who can’t get to stores and also those parents who work full days and don’t have time to run around and pay bills.

This is not to replace a plumber but just to do simple things like unblocking drains, changing faucet washers, etc. This can be particularly useful to the elderly.

This is not to replace an electrician but you can do simple things like fix light switches, replace bulbs, fit plugs, etc.

Keep your suburb pools sparkling by providing basic cleaning and monitoring of PH levels. Also leaf skimming and backwashing. Not only the wealthy have swimming pools!

Hire yourself out at municipal pools and local swimming pools and beaches to prevent any possible drowning’s which are quite frequent in summer.

With more and more working parents a lift to school for school kids becomes a valuable service for those parents who simply do not have the time.

Most families have a surprising amount of saleable junk in their basements and garages. Work with them and make a commission to hold sales for them.

This is a tedious job for many people and so leaves a gap for you to step in and do houses, apartments and small shops. Using the right equipment you can clean an average size house windows in less than an hour.

This is another time consuming job but also a necessary one to avoid rust on the coast and in the rust belt. You would be surprised as to how few people enjoy wasting their precious leisure time washing their car.

The cold and wet winters certainly require tons of firewood to be made available at cheap prices and preferably delivered as well.

Not many dog owners actually bother to walk their dogs, or wash them very often either. Step in and offer to walk/wash dogs on a regular basis for a small fee. Only do this if you are totally unafraid of dogs.

This is particularly valuable over weekends. Start by doing it for friends and family and soon you will have more than you can handle.

Ladies this is for you! Offer manicures/face packs/pedicures/leg waxing/makeup and all the many different options you have to make your customer look and feel good.

As long as there are strikers, there will be casual work available. Put your name down at supermarkets/airports/municipalities, etc. and all the places that seem to be always striking. Or… when you hear of a strike on the news, make yourself immediately available to step in even for the most basic of labor.

Some suburbs somehow always look scruffy or have litter all over the place. Offer yourself to a suburb to clean and neaten up the place for a nominal monthly fee per family. This should be less then $5.00 per month per household.

Form a fitness club to motivate people to get fit/lose weight, etc. Charge a small monthly subscription and accumulate members young and old, fat and thin.

Canvass the stores in your area for their specials and discounts. Make a small newsletter with this weekly information and get either weekly subscribers or sell your newsletters individually.

You do not need a fancy camera to do this. Do keep your prices low. Combine this activity with job 9. Remember when taking a picture of something, take at least 3 or more of the same to be sure you get a good result. If you are using a cheapish camera, take special notice of the lighting.

Magazines are so expensive these days, especially the imported ones. Every household has a stack of different magazines lying around just waiting to be swapped for something else. Charge a small subscription fee to join your newsletter which will list all the different secondhand magazines available via your subscribers. (Add paperback books for even more fun.) Doctors and others with waiting rooms love this service!

Junk mail can be a real nuisance. However you can have your name removed from the mailing lists but few people ever do so. Charge a small fee to remove names from mail lists for other people??

Everybody likes to have customized rubber stamps. Make up these rubber stamps for others and sell them for a modest profit. A stamp making kit costs approx $200.00. The yellow pages have various suppliers of the kits.

This is an old favorite and always has buyers – especially if you make different and interesting shapes and colors. No special equipment is needed other then a supply of wax and coloring to mix into the wax. Sell at flea markets or to gift shops, etc.

The most beautiful shapes can be created from driftwood found on beaches and riversides. This wood can be polished and made into lamps, ornaments, or any other decoration you can think of.

This garden decoration is very popular as it really adds beauty and order to the average garden. Fancy paving can also be done using pebble stone. You do not have to be an artist for this just use your common sense.

This a fairly long term project, but once up and running will bring in a very healthy income as high prices are paid for these plants. Start off with fast growing varieties and also young plants to minimize any capital outlay. The local library has lots of specific information as to how to grow and trim the plants.

Herb plants, especially fresh herbs are expensive to buy and difficult to get hold of. Grow and sell your own herbs. very little space is needed to grow them. They are usually grown in seed trays which are very cheap. Buy your seeds direct from a seed supplier. Some typical in herbs in demand are: Ginseng, Caraway, Rosemary, Calendula, Marjoram, Fennel and many others. Health shops in particular will buy from you.

Many housekeepers battles to find new recipes to keep their family happy at night. Supply a recipe newsletter with simple and cheap recipes. Have your house-mouse’s subscribe for a weekly newsletter where you list the various recipes for that week. Recipes can be found in many places including the local library. Make sure you only provide tried and tested recipes.

Some of the loneliest people are senior citizens. Form a social club to get them together to play cards, have tea parties, debates, etc. Charge a small membership fee to organize these events.

68. Lawnmower and knife sharpening service.
Some years ago gents used to come around to suburbs an sharpen knives, scissors and so on. These gents have disappeared, but the need still exists. A few simple tools is all you need to offer this service.

Run small raffles and competitions asking for small entry fees ($5.00 or less) and have interesting prizes. Sometimes businesses will sponsor a prize – if you use their name for publicity.Look at entering competitions in the newspapers and local radio stations.

Most small businesses cannot afford to do their own advertising or promotional work. Offer your low cost part time help in many ways including delivery of pamphlets and generally promoting a given business.

This is an often overlooked area of income. You must have been trained in something no matter how insignificant it may seem. That knowledge can now be sold to other persons in the form of training. Use your experience now to teach others… English, writing, Ethnic cooking. Anything at all!

Most men have a surprising variety of special tools depending on their interests. Put this investment to good use by making them available for rent. Easy to rent out are things like welders/torque wrenches/socket sets/grinders, and many others. Check the prices at the local tool rental shops, and you can slash them by half.

Yes, you can build simple and surprisingly attractive tables, chairs, benches, and so on. Collect any scrap wood you can, especially old pallets and packing crates. Make the furniture simply but sturdy and you can obviously sell for way below the price of normal furniture.

Loneliness is the biggest curse of modern society. Make a business out of helping people to meet each other. Not just people from opposite sexes, but families and same sexes with similar interests. Organize get togethers, outings, barbeques, etc. Ask for a small subscription and connect people to each other for the purpose of making friends.

Building sites always have problems with petty theft of bricks, sand, stone and other items. Offer your services at the smaller building sites to look after them over weekends and at night.

If you live near the coast or in the Midwest, rust is a silent destroyer of any metal object. Offer a repair service using easily obtainable rust retarding products. This is perfect to use on cars which are particularly susceptible to rust.

All families enjoy riding bicycles and it is especially fun when the whole family do it together. However the usual clubs cater more for races and long distance which is unsuitable for the average family. Set up a club and organize short safe fun rides and special events and prizes. Remember you are catering for ages from 3 to 90 years of age.

Set up and run a tea garden at your local park. Serve tea, coffee and light snacks. Do get permission from the city council.

At any large event or place their is always a need for food and drink. Take a cart or similar and sell sweets, cold drinks, homemade goodies, or anything that is edible. You can diversify, but try and stick to just a handful of products to make it simpler and more successful.

Children just love grab bags, probably because they can always expect a pleasant surprise. Make homemade bags and sell them to your local school, convenience shops, dairy bars, and such-like.

Great for the older set to keep mentally active. Organize round robins and tournaments and have special poker gambling nights with prizes.

What a pleasure it is to see a child listening in fascination to a story. Record stories onto a CD and supply them to everybody who cannot read, not just small children but elderly or blind people. Also create a library where the CD s can be borrowed for a fee.

Not all PI work involves chasing other cars at high speed. The kind we recommend simply involves tracing the whereabouts of people or equipment that has gone missing, or research on a family tree, and similar work.

Make it known that you can do research for information to go into speeches. Your local politico can advise you on who you can offer your research to. They are always looking for facts to run down other politicos.

Do basic pest control in gardens and in houses. The most common are snails, mosquitoes, and flies outside, while inside the tiny ants, cockroaches and mice need control. Try and use environment friendly methods of pest control.

Nobody likes to change the cat litter. This is a popular service in apartment complexes. Charge a weekly fee for removing and replacing the cat litter.

Have you seen the price of birthday cards from your local stationer store? Use old cards and make them reusable and sell them off at a much cheaper price.

Clean out that back room or garage and rent it out for storage space, or for a tenant to live in it. Be selective as to whom you allow to live on your property.

What garage or shed is neat and tidy. For a modest fee, offer to clean up your neighbors garages and sheds, and even basements.

This is an old standby, yet ever popular. Make up your own recipe of jams, etc. to sell and at flea markets, home produce shops and even your local supermarkets.

Nobody likes to do this job at parties; so step in and charge to deliver the ‘not so sober’ safely back to their homes.

Everyone needs lifting- especially the elderly and lonely. Set them out attractively and sell door-to-door.

Especially a useful service in apartment complexes. Take away the dirty diapers and exchange them for clean ones.

Not often required, but nevertheless a very useful service when tickets are required for popular shows or sporting events. Negotiate with people who want tickets and then stand in line (often right through the night) to get the best seats.

As with job 90, supply unusual chocolate shapes and make interesting sweets like toffee apples, fudge, etc. Take a basket of fudge out one late afternoon and take them door to door. It will be a pleasant surprise to see how quickly they sell.

It has always been a problem for the sick and elderly to cook or make healthy meals for themselves. Supply them with pre-cooked meals at a reasonable price.

A lot of people really enjoy doing small plays in their immediate community. Set up a drama group and perform at the local school and charge a small entrance fee as well as for drinks and snacks at intervals.

Supply a fetch n’ carry and wash service for the local restaurants, retirement homes, small hotels and similar places. Do not ignore the possibility of washing curtains which are always difficult to do by the average homeowner. Apartments are also a source of business to fetch and carry and wash other people’s laundry.

You can be a ‘fill in’ here for those places of business which always seem to be overcome with litter and other cleanliness problems. You can also offer a night office cleaning service for businesses.

See “direct selling” above.

and finally…

Type and print them on a sheet of paper. You can sell them to neighbors or door-to-door. You can decorate them by turning them into posters with pretty pictures. Some people have said, “what a good idea!” and the words served to encourage some when they were down.

Oh, what the heck, here’s one more.

A jar of multi-purpose cleaner, a jar of clean water and some cotton rags are all you need to get started. After you’re making a few dollars, get some basic jewelers tools and do simple, easy repairs.