There are various reasons that a business would experience slow periods. Unfortunately, the bills don’t stop coming just because someone’s income decreases. People who are determined to stay self employed will often wait until it’s too late to do something about the problem. By then, money is so tight that they end up having to go back to working a day job. Here are some ideas to for anyone who wants to avoid that situation.
Mystery Shopping
Contrary to popular belief, mystery shopping is not a scam. While one should be careful when searching for mystery shopping opportunities, there are plenty of legitimate companies that pay people to perform customer service audits.
Restaurants, movie theatres, hotels, and retail stores all use mystery shoppers. A mystery shopper can expect to earn anywhere from $10 and up for each completed assignment. It takes anywhere from 30-90 days to receive payments.
To get started, mystery shoppers apply with companies who provided evaluation services. A potential shopper should be prepared to write a few essays with the application process. Once approved, the shopper has access to the shops in his or her area. He or she can read the requirements for a mystery shopping assignment and then apply for the shop if they are interested. If selected he or she performs the assignment then returns home and submits the paperwork.
It should be noted that mystery shopping assignments require the shopper to pay a great deal of attention to detail. Also, one must like to write as the assignment forms are quite lengthy.
One-Time Gigs
One-time gigs only require a short commitment. Some examples would be doing store demonstrations, event promotions, or event modeling. Additionally, credit card and finance companies often hire people to pass out information and collect applications. Legitimate gigs can sometimes be found on Craigslist but they can also be found on regular job searching sites.
Freelancing
Freelancing doesn’t just include writing. There are a variety of professions which use freelancers. Graphic artists, photographers, accountants and editors can find freelance work to supplement their income. But freelancing surely isn’t limited to those fields. A great place to look is within one’s current industry. Anyone can call around to small businesses and see do they need any help within a special area. Small business owners often outsource projects that they do not have time to do.
Selling Used Items
Everyone has items that are in their basement, clogging up storage, or in plain view that they can sell to make extra money. Holding a garage sale, getting on Craigslist, and selling on eBay are all ways to get rid of these items.
Used books can also be a good way to start selling used items. Amazon has a program for people to list their books for sale. It’s free, and if one has enough books that are in good condition it can be a nice supplemental income.
These ideas can help anyone who needs to make extra money when business is slow. They are flexible enough for one to continue running their business, and profitable enough to take the sting away from having a decreased income.
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