One of the best things you could do for your career is to start a side gig. That requires time, hard work and sometimes a bit of money, but it’s the right move in the long-run. Regardless of how good your job is, there must some projects beyond it that you’re passionate about. These could quickly turn into side gigs and then maybe even a company of your own.
The main goal is to find a gig that can be done efficiently on your own time. With the changes in technology and communication, there are a lot of these, which require nothing but your own computer.
City guide writer
Tourist’s guides aren’t really practical because they are often written with an agenda and with something to sell. They are also often written by professional writers that don’t necessarily live in or know the area they are writing about.
Writing city guides about your own city can be rather useful, because it offers an insider’s perspective on the sights. It can also be quite lucrative if you have some talent for writing and are fortunate enough to live in a city that attracts tourists.
App development
A lot of businesses are turning their attention to using apps to market their products and create a direct line with the customers. Mobile devices are quite personal and provide the company with the ability to understand and keep track of their customers, thus making its products and its customer services more efficient.
App development is something you can learn from home. It takes time and real effort, but once you do, there are a lot of job opportunities out there even working with small and family-owned businesses.
Dog grooming
Dog grooming services could be a rather profitable business if you find the right area to focus on. There’s a great demand for this type of service and customers rarely change their groomer once they are used to it.
In order to start this business, you need to spend some time training for it, since it’s a skill that can be taught. It can take a while depending on your talent. It’s also an endeavor that requires adequate space and quite a lot of equipment. That’s the biggest obstacle for a small business owner and that’s what most of your loans or savings will be spent on.
Delivery
Same-day delivery has now become a service that every company and every customer expects. There are a lot of clients that need someone to do their daily chores for them. This is a simple job, but it requires you to be organized and punctual.
All you need in order to start such a business is a delivery vehicle of some kind (that can even be a bike) and the system with which you’ll take orders. This could easily be done via an app and you’re good to go.
Digital assistant
A lot of companies have decided to work without a proper office. That’s a good way to save money and it allows businesses to use the talent from all over the world.
Digital assistants run these virtual offices in the same way they would run a real one. It’s a job you can do from home and on your own time, but it requires people skills and the ability to plan and stick to a schedule.
These side gigs could be used as an additional source of income, but they could also become an alternative career after a while. It’s important to treat this jobs like any other and to work on them as diligently as you can.