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With the economic crunch bearing down on us and making finances even tighter, it’s wise to be cautious about money. And, instead of spending your hard-earned salary, why not augment your cash inflow with a few rakets here and there? Here are some lucrative sidelines that you might want to consider:
Use your hands. The best thing about writing is that you don’t need much capital—just a computer, a printer, and an Internet connection. If you’ve got a talent for the written word, check out the web—it’s brimming with people looking for ghostwriters. A word of caution, though: Be careful when clicking on links, because some may come with a catch (say, you need to enroll for a certain fee before writing freelance). To be safe, ask friends working in the web industry if they need contributors so you’re guaranteed that you’ll be paid for your efforts. Another alternative is to write to magazines and show them some samples of your work; it won’t hurt to try.
If you’re still keen on writing for the web, start a blog. We found that pop-culture-centric blogs are most popular with online trawlers, and your blog can be a source of extra income—once the traffic or number of page views increases, you can place ads in your blog (not the pop-up ones, though, as they can be annoying) and each click on an ad will give you revenue. Google has come up with AdSense, which is hassle-free to set up and easy to navigate. To know more, check out https://www.google.com/adsense/login3.
Get crafty. If you’ve got a flair for arts and crafts, use it to your financial advantage. Knit simple scarves, make potholders, or design accessories. This endeavor doesn’t require much capital—you can get your supplies wholesale from Divisoria or Tabora. Then, you can sell your stuff through Multiply or word-of-mouth.
Put your laptop to good use instead of merely using it for “official” business. You can use your Photoshop skills to design invitations for a friend’s wedding or banners and other advertising material for another friend’s business. All it requires is good design skills (knowing HTML is a bonus, since the trend these days is to go online) and being reliable—missing deadlines is a huge no-no.
Show off your culinary skills. Food will always be a revenue generator, since Pinoys love to eat! Whip up pastries if you’re into desserts or make siopao or siomai. (Note: Viands are easier on the pocket as they require less expensive equipment.) To know if your Iron Chef skills are sellable, give a sample tasting to friends, colleagues, or relatives. If they react well, then why not give it a go? You can always operate on a made-to-order basis so as not to waste time and—most importantly—money.
Tip: It’s important to always network and increase your number of contacts. The more people you know, the more business opportunities can come your way.
