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Part of me and my husband’s New Year’s Resolution this year is to add supplementary income into our lives. You can read more about those resolutions here. Peter does an awesome job providing for our bills every year. His income as a pilot has given us a good life.
There’s room for improvement, though. We don’t want to be a part of the middle class mindset of living in a home for 30 years before it’s paid for. We want a life where Peter’s income pays for our bills. Then, secondary income gives us cushions for hard times, fun times, and the ability to pay down debt in the middle.
I will say most of us, when we think we need more money, our mindset immediately shifts to “I’ve got to stop spending money”. There is some truth to this. The more money we stop spending, the more that money stays into our bank account. We’re all guilty of frivolous spending and impulse buys in one way or another. At some point, our lifestyle begins to suffer when all we do is focus on not spending.
Peter and I’s focus shifted this year as we are putting our effort in a different direction. Rather than limit our spending, we’re trying to build some supplementary or secondary income. After doing some research, I’ve compiled a list of new business ideas to start and wanted to share them with you:
1. Babysit for Secondary Income
Babysitting can be used as an opportunity to bring in that extra small bit each week. Recently, a friend expressed to me how her husband got a promotion at his job and is working longer hours. She’s had to take a cut in her job because she works 4 hours less each week due to the kiddos. Opportunities like this arise frequently.
If it’s in your ability to help someone out while making some income in the process, go for it! Obviously, this isn’t going to get you rich fast. I recently started taking two of my three boys to swim lessons. The small baby sitting money that comes in on the side covers those swim lessons. I see that as a win-win.
2. Write a Children’s Book
You may immediately think this is something you’re definitely not going to do. I wouldn’t discount it too much. If you have an idea of a story that might entertain your toddler, chances are others will think so too. This idea could be as simple as “take your child to work day” and written about you showing a child what it is that you do.
Is it going to get you rich fast? Probably not. Most children’s book authors make between $5-8,000. No, that’s not a huge amount. It does give you enough income to spend on that vacation you’ve always wanted to do.
3. Become a Transcriptionist
None of these business ideas are for everybody, including this one. If you excelled at grammar and composition in grade school and you know how to spell, this one is for you. You will need a laptop or computer, some good quality headphones, and time. I did this for about 1 year after my first child was born. It was a great way to bring in $50-100 a week, while only working 10 hours a week.
The best thing about this is you can work at your own pace. Some weeks I could take on more jobs because I had more free time available. Other times I only worked once for a few hours. I went through Rev.com. You literally can apply for it and get started this very minute.
4. Make Money Answering Surveys
Don’t underestimate the power of taking good surveys. In the middle of redoing my sons bedroom a few weeks back, I expressed to my husband how I could use a good bookshelf. I found one on Amazon for $60 that I really liked, but I didn’t want to spend extra money getting it. It for sure was a want, not a need.
Later on that evening, I pulled out my phone and started answering some surveys on swagbucks. I was given a survey opportunity to become a secret shopper at a nearby gas station. I completed it within 24 hours and the payout was $60.
I will say, this has not happened every time. I’ve been doing swagbucks for about 2 years and have consistently answered surveys and done the follow up surveys. They’re not always incredibly fun. But every now and then, an opportunity arises for me to be a part of a 1 hour zoom meeting about a new product or service and gathering our thoughts about it.
Typically I make around $25/month. It pays for some fun stuff on Amazon. I’ve tried other survey sites and found that my two favorites (and the ones I still do) are Swagbucks and Yougov. Both survey sites are simple, easy, and give consistent opportunities you can depend on. If you haven’t signed up for either, use my Swagbucks code to give you an extra $1.50 to get you started.
5. Blogging
This is something new I started doing this year (technically in December). Up until now, I haven’t made a single dime on it. I’ve put in probably around $200 for it so far. I know it is possible that long term, it’s going to pay off. Realistically, you have to be consistent with it (I try to post twice a week) and treat it more like a job than a hobby.
I’ve found that when I force myself to sit down and write a post (let’s face it, sometimes it’s the last thing I want to do that day), I quite enjoy it by the time I’ve got it written. Unfortunately, blogging is challenging, especially if you’re not familiar with setting up a website or SEO or anything like that.
I would never say it isn’t impossible. You can find an answer to practically everything on YouTube or Google Search Engine. There’s even skilled bloggers who are sharing their stories and advice on YouTube as well. If you like to write, ever kept a journal, or want a space to be able to share your thoughts with the world, this may be the perfect avenue for you and your new business.
6. Grow a Garden/Sell at a Farmer’s Market
Gardening is one of those hobbies that once you get started, you never want to stop. It brings so much pleasure to see the flowers you planted yourself start to bloom in the season. You get some great feelings of accomplishment whenever you and your family is eating something that you grew in your own backyard.
If you don’t mind the sweat and the bugs and the dirt and enjoy working with your own hands, this idea is for you! Inevitably any sort of surplus of food you grow can be turned into some extra income. You’re not going to get rich quick, but you can easily sell your food at a farmer’s market or online in a local Facebook group or page.
Don’t limit yourself on just selling vegetables. If you really want to get creative, you can even try growing your own plants from seeds and sell them in the spring. Furthermore, there’s a friend at our local farmer’s market who strictly plants flowers and sells flower arrangements from her own backyard every week. Talk about a unique way to make some cash flow.
7. Start Reselling Items for Secondary Income
If you love shopping, this is right up your alley. My favorite past time is to find bargain deals at Goodwill, consignment stores, and discount racks of my favorite department stores. I love finding unique household items at flea markets, and going to an estate sale or garage sale is a perfect Saturday afternoon in my book.
My friend sent me this Instagram reel of a girl finding items she could resell in dumpsters behind department stores like Apple, Ulta, and even Hobby Lobby. Some people even find great items to resell by purchasing storage sheds that people haven’t paid for/were abandoned.
On the other hand, the downside of this is you certainly have to be willing to put in some cash up front before you see a return on investment. You’re going to want to sell your items at flea markets that get a significant amount of traffic. Adding online selling through Amazon, Ebay, Poshmark and Etsy can help as well.
8. Never Underestimate the Power of Couponing
Obviously, this not a business you’re creating yourself. Rather, this is a way to save money on those dreaded skyrocketing grocery bills and give you extra money on the side. Ibotta is great if you buy most or all of your groceries at big stores like Walmart, Target or Kroger. I’ve learned to make a list first, and then go through Ibotta to see if any brands are on sale. If I do Ibotta first, I’m bound to buy something I don’t really need.
I think Kroger does the best with couponing through their online website/mobile app. You can save coupons through the mobile app that links right to your store cash saving card. Just by scanning it, you have all coupons in one place that come off your grocery receipt right in the store. Combine that with fuel points, and you really save big.
Lastly, I highly encourage you to sign up for Fetch. You can upload any receipt (think car wash, gas, groceries, restaurants, small business shops and more) and get points each time. You’ll make better points by referring friends and family.
Strategically, I save my points until I get a significant amount to redeem for gift cards. I’ve boughten a few last minute gifts over the Christmas season with these gift cards, and paid for restaurant food on road trips over Christmas as well. Every little bit of side income helps!
9. Online Bake Sales
Realistically, your startup costs would be significant if you started a brick and mortar bakery shop. Add on top of that the fact that no one has heard of you and you need to do some serious marketing to get some income. Lastly, you’re now working away from home so you have gas costs, babysitting to pay for, and early working hours. It would be much easier to start baking out of your home and sell your goods online.
Don’t limit yourself to cake or cookie decorating. Baked goods could be breads, muffins, croissants, cakes, brownies, and anything in between. Selling online locally through a Facebook page or Facebook marketplace or your own website would be just the thing to get your name out there.
This can provide some income while keeping your start up costs down. If your business takes off, you can think about opening up that dream bakery shop you’ve always thought about down the road.
10. Turn Your Craft Hobby into Secondary Income
Many of us aren’t artistic or creative. Possibly, some of us are and just haven’t realized it. Is there a skill or craft you’ve always wanted to learn but have never taken the time to do it? Is there a hobby you like to do in your spare time while watching your favorite TV show?
Consequently, you’re not going excel at this overnight. With some time, dedication, and practice, eventually you can turn your hobby into something you can sell online or in person at craft fairs, flea markets, and anything in between. Put in the extra effort during your free time (we all have free time, we just spend a lot of it on our phone) and see where it takes you!
11. Expand a Talent Into a Business
Sometimes we have skills we already know how to do, we just haven’t turned it into a money making venture. My brother in law could make practically anything out of wood and nails. There was a college student playing his saxophone in downtown Kansas City on my husband and I’s anniversary date night last year. He had a sign up with contact information, social media pages, and pricing information for private lessons.
Additionally, a college harpist advertised herself on the side to play at weddings and special events on the weekend. A local dog trainer started out posting videos of himself with his dog and selling lessons locally in his backyard. Get creative with yourself and your talent and see what ideas come up for you!
12. Start an MLM to Get that Secondary Income Stream
This, in my opinion, is a hated one for me. I don’t like being sold to. I hate it when the next person I follow on social media starts announcing she’s selling for some multi-level marketing company. I’m certainly not a fan of being pressured to sell, invited to “parties” where I’m expected to sell, or I’ve told them “No” and they keep pressuring me to sell.
I can’t, however, complain too much about the person selling it, though. What’s wrong about someone finding a product they truly like, sharing about it with people in their network, and making money doing so in order to improve their financial situation? Absolutely nothing. In fact, it’s commendable. More of us should take that initiative.
If you’ve found a product through an MLM that actually really works, and you’re amazed by the results, by all means, join an MLM. I wouldn’t suggest trying to sell something your heart is not in, though. Eventually you’re going to reach burn-out, regardless of what business idea you run with. You want to be able to motivate yourself when those tough days start, and if your heart isn’t in it, that’s a problem.
13. Become an Amazon Affiliate Marketer
I joined the Amazon program recently this year, as a part of a way to help pay for my blog. I find myself on Amazon frequently, finding the newest product that can make my life easier. Usually they hang out in my wishlist for forever because I can’t bring myself to spend money on them (or I find something more important that I need first). However, it’s fun to share your finds with friends and family. Whenever I find a product that I think works great, telling others about it is a fun way to collaborate! The tiny bit of commission you get can help pay for the next Amazon purchase you make too.
14. Earn Secondary Income by Freelance Book Editing
If you love to read and did pretty well in Grammar growing up, this may be right up your alley. You don’t necessarily have to have a bachelor’s degree in order to be a book editor. Certainly, be an avid reader and figure out which type of books it is that you want to edit. Once you begin, you can use sites like Hemingway or Grammarly to help you figure out what to look out for (think passive voice, awkward sentences, adverbs, etc.).
You can reach out to authors you know and build your experience through freelance sites like Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, and Freelancer. Lastly, look for entry-level positions or internships that help you gain experience, and reach out to other editors that are where you want to be.
15. Pet Walking/Sitting
If you love being around animals, pet walking or pet sitting could be a fun way for you to bring in some extra income. People have lives that have to work around the pets that they have. Many choose to go on holidays without their pets, or they work long hours during the week that gets them unable to spend that one on one time with a dog that’s so needed. Here’s where you come in.
Start small and work in your surrounding neighborhood or town. You can keep it simple by offering 30 minute, 45 minute, and 60 minute walks at a fee, and tackle on house visits for the same length of time and same price. Something you’ll need to think about is getting pet walking insurance to cover you in case anything bad happens on your walk. Learning pet first aid wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Once you’re ready to get started, you can reach out to your local community and start marketing yourself!
16. Start Housecleaning for some Secondary Income
Most people hate cleaning their houses. Almost 60% of households in the US are families where both parents work. That’s 60% of households that could use a good cleaner to stop in once or twice a month and do the deep cleaning tasks that are often neglected. Again, starting small in your local community keeps your travel cost/time minimal. You can land your first few clients by asking friends and family for references or to clean their houses, and grow from there.
17. Learn Web Design and Sell Your Skill
This century is swiftly switching to online commerce. You may not be good at coming up with products or services to sell. You might, though, be able to help sell those products for the person who makes them by building a website for them.
Go to any local craft fair in the fall and you’ll notice a lot of them are older generation crafters who have turned their hobby into a successful business. Or, almost successful. Unfortunately, they don’t have an online presence and are unable to put the time in to build one.
Here’s where you come in. You can learn basic web designs through Youtube, online courses, and even books at your library, local bookstore, or Amazon. The nice thing about this is there’s always opportunity for growth and the ability to succeed in your niche.
18. Expound on Your Photography
Having a good camera and taking pictures in your free time can turn into an excellent business eventually. Even if you never want to create a small business and take photo shoots, you can sell your shots online through shutterstock, pond5, and more.
Photography is one of those arts where again, you have tons of room for growth, there’s always new things to learn, and you can really explore and expand your niche. Online courses are offered at reasonable prices, and there’s likely to be photography classes and clubs near you as well.
19. Become a Personal Trainer
If you enjoy going to the gym and getting in some good exercise, why not turn it into a fun way to make money? You’ll be able to come in contact with persons all over the world and help them get to a healthy standard of living. It’s a win-win. You can get started obtaining your personal training certificate online and then market yourself through friends, family, and social media.
20. Give Music Lessons In Person and Online
I definitely would not be able to make money this way. However, I know several people who have been able to pull in some extra income by giving music lessons weekly. Likewise, you can create courses online for some additional income each month. If you’re skilled when it comes to piano, guitar, or practically any other instrument, it’s a good idea to maximize off of it and pull in some additional income.
Something I think is important to remember: don’t focus on what you can’t do. Stop thinking “I’m not talented enough, good enough, or have nothing to bring to the table”. You do and you can. Start to think outside of the box, look at potential and do your own research. I would caution that it’s important not to try to fit a square peg into a round hole. Most of the items on this list are probably not going to work for you.
All you need is one or two to get started. Lots of prayer and discussion with your spouse and adjustments to your schedule can allow for some shifting into some secondary income opportunities. Let’s make 2023 the year we break the middle class income mold and start to live the life we want to.
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