In 2012, the number of people having a second job in Britain increased to 1.1 million, the highest level since 2002. This meant thatan extra 94,000 peopleneeded to earn more cash in the last twelve months. But why?
"Household debt" is defined as the amount of money that all adults in a household owe financial institutions. This includes recurring expenses, such as mortgage loans and rent payments, utility and telephone bills, car loans, student loans, credit cards, and other sorts of consumer dept. Your "disposable income" is anything that's left over for you to spend on "life's little luxuries".
Before the "Credit Crunch", the average household debt in the UK was 90 per cent of the disposable income, but since the crisis, instead of falling, it has steadily continued to rise and now remains above 150 per cent. The O.B.R. (Office for Budget Responsibility) figures show that household debt is expected to jump by a further 26 per cent, between now and the end of 2016. And so our dept problems continue.
In Britain today, thenumber of peoplein work may be up by 100,000 and unemployment down by 49,000, butunemployment is still 879,000 higherthan it was in the summer of 2007, when the financial crisis began. And when you consider that only half of the new jobs created last year were full time, and that many people already in work had to sacrificed wage increases, the situation becomes rather grim. Many households that were able to cope with their dept repayments before the "Crunch", now have to struggle to maintain their standard of living, or fall further into dept.
This may all sound very depressing news, but read on - there are ways to cope with this. We are all affected by this global crisis, and getting into dept has now become a national phenomenon, not just something that happens to a few people. If you are connected to the Internet and know your way round a keyboard, then there are plenty of ways to help you to regain control of your money, and reduce your dept.
cash in online
Why do it...
- Basically, the same skills that enable you to earn a living by day..... can be used to make extra cash at evenings and weekends.
- Working online can also increase your job opportunities, as you are not restricted by location. Your day-time job may be a 30 minute drive away, but your evening job could be in another county, or even country.
- If you already have a computer and an internet connection, then you shouldn't have huge start-up costs. Just find a quiet corner where you can work in peace without getting disturbed or distracted.
- Learn on the job..... as each new job will give you an opportunity to develop your existing skills, and perhaps learn new ones. As you gain in experience and confidence, your ability to take on more challenging projects will increase.
- Online work can be flexible..... you can set your own schedule, and only work the hours and days that suit you.
- Unlimited supply of tea and biscuits..... or whatever you fancy. Remember, you are your own boss now, so you don't have to wait for permission to take a break. These things matter!
But Remember.....
- Check there is no clash of interest between your day-time job and your part-time job. Your employment contract may have clauses that set out rules for extra work, while some employers may be concerned about you breaching confidentiality of company information.
- Be organized and manage your time. Only take on work that you know you can complete, and make sure you meet your deadlines.If your client is happy, then there is a better chance of repeat business or referrals.
- Being self-employed means that you are essentially running a business, so keep records and receipts of all income and spending.
- Remember theTaxman, or you might have less money than you’d hoped."Pay As You Earn" (PAYE) is designed for a person having one job only, so your tax-free allowance won’t apply to your second job.
- Set yourself a goal..... whether it's clearing one credit card at a time, or paying off the entire amount of your dept. Working two jobs can be tough on leisure time and personal relationships, and you don't want to "burn out" before you reach your goal.
Here are some ideas......
how to make money
1. Freelance Virtual Assistant
A freelance virtual assistant can do just about anything for a client.... that doesn’t require their physical presence. Whatever your skills, from book-keeping, telesales, foreign languages or graphic design, there are employers ready to out-source long-term jobs and urgent projects. You don't need a business coach or training program, as there are plenty of free resources and advise given on specialist websites and blogs.
Online Resources:creativeboom.co.uk
freelanceswitch.com
freelancefolder.com
- Office & Administration Jobs: Receptionist, P.A., Secretarial Services etc :
These jobs usually require skills ranging from; answering calls, transcribing messages, emailing customers, typing documents and managing diary entries. Specialist knowledge in a niche area can also help you find work, e.g. law companies may need the services of a legal secretary.
- Website and Social Media Jobs: Programming, SEO and Web Design etc :
Online visibility and a social media presence are vital for most businesses today. These clients may require skills such as: website design, computer programming, content creation, and search engine optimisation. Businesses may also need someone to set up and maintain social networking profiles such as: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube etc.
Finding Work:
- If you are already established and have a good professional network, then you could set up on your own. You could get clients through Twitter, Google, direct marketing and referrals etc.
- There are also specialist sites like"Freelancer","Elance"and"PeoplePerHour", which can help you find work. These websites allow you to submit a profile with details of your skills and work rates, and enables you to bid for projects.
"30 Best Sites To Find Freelance Jobs"
"20 Places to find a Top Notch Virtual Assistant"
2. Blogging
The word stands for ’web log’ and they’re effectively online diaries that use a conversational style of documentation. Blogs can range from personal diaries and hobbies, to political news and views, and can focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects.
So, What is a Blog?
- A blog features diary-type commentary, with links to articles on other Web sites.
- The articles can be written by a single author, but some will have multiple authors.
- Articles should be posted on a regular basis (monthly, weekly or daily), to ensure a constant stream of fresh information.
- A blog is normally a single page of entries, sometimes with archives of older entries.
- It is organized in reverse-chronological order - starting with the most recent entry and ending with the oldest.
If you want to set up your own blog, then there are a range of sites that offer free blogging, such as "WordPress", "LiveJournal"and"Blogger" .
However, some established blogs can afford to pay freelance writers for quality articles. This could be an option if you need cash quickly, or if you want to build your confidence before starting a blog of your own. Contact established bloggers or websites with blogs, and ask if they want articles.
How to make money from a Blog:
1. Advertising: You can make money by placing adverts on your pages, that are targeted toward your topic. In return, you could earn a small fee for each visitor who clicks through to the advertiser's site. "Google AdSense" is the biggest and most popular ad network for advertisers.
2. Affiliate Programs: Affiliate Marketing is sales oriented, and generally pays you a commission, based on sales resulting from a click from your website. Examples :Amazon Associates,Clickbank, andCommission Junction.
3. Subscription: It is possible to earn a monthly income from people who subscribe to a service you offer.
Of further interest....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carrie-smith/getting-out-of-debt-_b_1581507.html
http://manvsdebt.com/about
htt://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/14/blogging-for-beginners-2/
3. Websites
This is more of a long term option for making money, as any new website will need time to establish itself before it generates cash.Focus on finding a potentially profitable niche. It's better to have a small part of a well-established and lucrative market, rather than try and compete against the big sites. You will first need to do some market research to identify your target market, assess demand, competition etc.
How to make money from a website:
1. Selling goods or services
2. Advertising
3. Affiliate Programs
4. Subscriptions
Basically, all you need to set up a website are:
- Domain Name
A domain name is usually a .com, .net, or .org address that visitors use to view your website on the web. It's important to find a good domain name that represents your brand or business. Domain names are usually sold annually, so when you register a domain name, you have it for one year with the first option to renew it - unless you purchase multiple years up front.
- Web Hosting
This is a service that makes your website available to your users, by providing high-powered computers (web servers) with a network for your website to live on. Check the company has a good reputation, has UK-based servers, is a solvent business, and comes with technical support.... just incase you need to fix any problems.
- Website Code / Design
A website should be attractive, cleanly designed, and functional - this will help both in terms of appearance to potential customers and search engine optimisation. It should contain multiple pages; "home" page, an "about" page, a site map, contact details, privacy policy, terms and conditions, etc. Other aspects to consider are; shopping cart facility, payment systems, exchange and refund policy, etc.
(i) If you already know how to build a wedsite, then you could easily do this yourself, at very little cost.
(ii) However, if you have limited experience.... there are DIY website-creation sites that enable you to put together your own website; register a domain name, get email addresses, even set up online shopping and payment facilities.
(iii) If you employed a professional web designer, they could build you a custom-made website for around £300-£2,000, depending on what you want (and how much money you have to spend). This usually includes; design, domain name registration and arranging hosting.
Driving Traffic and Social Media Presence:
Links are considered currency on the web. They tell the search engines that your website is trusted by the online community, which makes them more likely to push you up the search rankings. Providing good quality content will encourage other websites to link to your articles, thus adding links to your site. You can also increase awareness by promoting your articles using social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, Reddit etc.
For more information:
"Getting British Business Online" is a joint initiative by Google, Enterprise UK, BT, e-skills UK and others that aims to help small businesses understand the opportunities offered by the Internet and create their first website... and it's free.
4. "YouTube" Videos
As long as you own all the rights to your videos, and don't violate any of "YouTube's" guidelines, you can make money off "Youtube". In fact, the company claims it has seen a "seven-times increase" in the number of UK partners earning more than$10,000 (around £6,460) a year, plus a 154% increase in revenues received.
Do you remember "Charlie bit my finger – again!", and "Fenton the Dog"..... how about "Gangnam Style" by the South Korean musician PSY. All of these "Youtube" videos went viral, and earned their makers loads of money. In fact, Charlie and his brother have both been able to afford a private school education from their proceeds.
To start making money, you must first become a "YouTube partner". This means you must set up an account which allows "Youtube" to place "overlay" or "pre-roll" adverts on your videos. You will then earn a percentage of the revenues, based on the number of "impressions" (views) and "clicks" (how many people click on the ad) those adverts receive. The exact rate is a closely guarded secret, but it is estimated that you could earn anywhere from$3 up to $10 per 1,000 video views.
But remember..... make sure you have all of the necessary rights to use the content commercially - that includes images, graphics, logos, audio, video clips and even the background music.
For further information:"How to Make Money From YouTube"
"How to make money online with YouTube: a comprehensive guide"
5. Market Research
You don't need any special skills or talents to help with market research..... just be yourself. You can earn extra cash or vouchers within minutes, simply by telling research companies what you think.
You must first register with a research agency and provide some details, and they will contact you when a survey fitting your profile is available. Depending on the site, you can convert your points into vouchers or cash. You may not earn much from an individual survey, but if you join a number of agencies and complete enough surveys, then it's possible to earn hundreds of pounds a year.
Surveys & Polls: You could be paid as little as50p for a text poll, to £5.00 for a survey. Paid surveys can be done online, and usually take 10 to 45 minutes to complete.
Focus Groups:This involves giving your opinion on a chosen subject or specific product. A focus group could take place at a pre-organised address, in your own home, on the phone, or online in a designated chat forum. This may take more of your time, but you will generally be rewarded for your efforts, asthey usually pay £30.00 to £150.00.
