Image by: Jackie M Barr
By Giovanni Fields
So I here you’re short on this months’ rent and are considering robbing the local convenient store to make it into October without getting evicted? Well, before you do anything rash that may leave you or somebody else in the hospital, put some consideration into perhaps attaining your much needed revenue by constructing and operating a small business.
It may sound nearly impossible to make instant money without signing any W-2 forms, but one thing many fail to realize is that we live in a very populated world (There are over 7 billion of us!). Think about how many people need their lawns mowed, their dogs walked, their cars washed, and food delivered. If you put your time and energy into discovering these common needs and offering them to the public with a friendly smile, you may even become a millionaire (after years of hard work and dedication of course.)
If you’re struggling financially, become an entrepreneur. Get out there and go door to door offering to clean houses, shovel snow, whatever. You haven’t realized it yet but the world is a big green oyster filled with cash! The money is there, all you have to get out there and take it—by legal means of course (Wink wink).
#1) Dog Sitting/Walking
Are you dead broke and just happen to have a passion for everything dog related? That’s fantastic! Start littering the streets with flyers advertising what you have to offer busy dog owners.
The best part about this particular side hustle is the fact that it requires virtually no money to up-start. Typically, when starting a business you have to invest money into transportation, equipment and employees, and it can take forever for you to see a turn of profit. That problem becomes eliminated when you indulge in this particular side venture, as all you need to operate it is two healthy legs–and perhaps a clean home if you plan on dog sitting.
Although this job may be fun and easy, you may receive a few blank stairs if you go around bragging about how you’re a professional dog-handler, but hey, I’d much rather clean up after mangy mutts than spend a few years in jail over a failed attempt at robbing a grocery store.
#2) Gardening
Of all potential side jobs I’d have to assuming that gardening is the most popular and easy to establish. It requires no paperwork, no diploma and no tax forms. All it takes is a simple truck, a lawnmower or two, and there you go, you’ve got yourself a functional business. I’ve heard stories of Mexican immigrants who came to America with absolutely nothing and started out plucking weeds and laying down seed before they could afford their first lawnmower. Quite inspirational, huh? If they can do it, then I’m sure you can dislodge yourself from the couch and do it as well.
The reason why gardening is so lucrative is because its reliable. While you may find new customers from any advertising you may do, you will also-more than likely–keep the same clients over long periods of time. That means if Peggy Sue gives you $100 every week to manage her lawn, and if you do your job as intended, you can bet that’s going to be a consistent $400 a month. More customers more money. In a few years, with consistency and word of mouth, you may eventually find yourself behind a desk with a cigar in your hand.
#3) Craigslist/eBay Seller
It probably sounds like a dangerous hassle to make a living off of traveling back and forth to strangers’ houses to spend hard earned cash on an item that may or may not work. But that’s what craigslist is; its a place where people want to buy and sell. Now why is this website so popular you ask? Because they offer virtually anything and everything at insanely low prices.
The very laptop I’m typing this article on retails for about $700 dollars and I happened to find one from an eager seller brand new for only $350. Now imagine if I were to post it on an online auction site and achieve retail price, that would be nearly a $300 dollar profit! Sounds good, huh? Well imagine if you were to buy two of those laptops for $700, resale it, and receive a $600 profit? That would be the entire paycheck of a full-time minimum wage worker made in only two transactions.
To good to be true? Partially. One reason why this method of entrepreneurship is relatively uncommon is due to the danger that is involved with regularly interacting with a person that knows you’re loaded with hundreds of dollars. I’m sure I don’t have to explain in this article why doing such a thing on a regular basis can be extremely risky, but I will add that if you consider this you may want to check into your states concealed carry laws. Oh yea, and stay far far away from a movie called the “craigslist killer.”
It’s time for you to tell us the secret to becoming your own boss. Share your tales of working through hell and back, until you came out the other side smelling like a millions bucks. Some of us would really like to know!