This year has been summed up in many ways so far. I imagine there will be several new summaries in the coming days, weeks, and months. One summary I have been focused on is – the year of creative opportunities. So many people are making major decisions, both personally and professionally. I have updated numerous resumes, assisted with cover letter writing, conducted mock interviews with job seekers, and had several conversations with people wanting to start a part-time gig and/or a self-employment opportunity.
Some of my responses to these conversation topics include information from my BIP posts (Business Idea Prompts). I have several posts about business ideas and working on more! No matter the idea topic or extent of the conversation the common theme focuses on being creative and starting with what you know and resources you have.
Creative opportunities not only prove important when wanting to start your own business but being creative in general is a form of self-care, reduces stress, and is a catalyst for goal-setting. Starting a small business or planning a larger career change requires setting goals, an action plan, and creatively providing a service or product that can provide an income, whether a modest supplemental form of income or to replace your current one.
Current popular side gigs include:
- Personal shopper (providing this service on your own or through a professional company/retailer)
- Yard maintenance
- Almost any online service such as web designer, social media assistant, blogger, virtual tutor, etc.
- Delivery of almost anything from fast food to hardware store items. This is something you can start on your own or through a professional service or retailer.
- Baker and/or event planner (with more people celebrating family birthdays and events at home finding a creative way to provide assistance is a very popular choice…picking up bakery made desserts, party supplies, etc. and delivering them is one example or
- Something a bit more creative like writing letters or providing a personalized video message from a child’s favorite superhero or princess – since a lot of parties are not having in-person characters/clowns, at parties – dressing up for a video call could be a lot of fun for a child!
- Adapting what you already enjoy to fit into the changes of this year – for example, teaching your hobby/craft virtually or starting a vlog (instead of hosting in-person workshops) or focusing on selling your handmade craft (jewelry, 3-D printing items, lotions, etc.) online instead of at craft fairs/festivals, etc. that may be canceled this year. Get creative! 🙂
Or simply something fun that you find enjoyable and can develop into that perfect side-gig for you, your skills, your budget, and time.
I enjoy creating with my love of quotes, writing, and wax seals. Thankfully, I have a vintage typewriter that was stored for several years that I have been using to create small works of art with my favorite quotes & verses (and some new ones I have created) and adding a wax seal to the finished creation. I simply posted some that I created for myself and had sent a few to friends then I started getting requests for personalized orders and even a request to type up part of a couple’s wedding vows for an anniversary gift!
What is something you enjoy, could learn more about easily (or already feel qualified to do), have resources for, or can start with a limited budget almost immediately for a part-time income and/or possibly grow into a full-time one? Do you have questions about starting a side gig? Please email me or comment below!
Thank you for following and reading! I appreciate your time and comments!
This is a photo of my small inspiration board on the wall in front of my ‘inspirational space’. I put that in quotes because it’s simply a table in our what could be a dining room in our small apartment. It’s a bit chaotic, but so are my thoughts, so it works for me!
success encourager 