Online working?

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Online working?
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Daft Kate

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 23

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 12:02 pm Post subject: Online working?

I'm currently doing my degree and have another year to go before I'm qualified (I'm teacher training) - with the summer holidays coming up, I will have some time and would like to find a way of getting an income. However, it's not absolutely essential and it has to be said that I'm more than a tad picky about what I do. The whole idea of working in a supermarket is totally out of the question as I can't stand the places. Working in the evenings doing bar work etc. is also out of the question for other reasons. I would love to work from home doing something or the other, just not quite sure what. I'm a fairly creative person - I can cook, sew, knit etc. and am trying to think about things down this avenue but after just having a quick look on moneysavingexpert.com, a few of these 'online work from home' type things caught my eye - I'm sure they are all cons and a waste of time, but I'm just wondering if anyone has ever done anything similar? I don't mind doing incredibly boring things providing I can do them from the comfort of my own home!

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 12:12 pm Post subject:
Hello Kate - a warm welcome to Downsizer - I am pretty sure there was a thread about this a while back now - can anyone remember?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 12:14 pm Post subject:

Lozzie wrote:

can anyone remember?

Not me, they call me sievehead.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 12:14 pm Post subject:

If you are creative, why not tentatively try putting a few items on ebay? Do a few now and you'll know what sells by the time the summer comes and could maybe even do a couple of soecialist craft fairs. I've had very good results with hand made items, the trick is to start the auction at a price you can live with if thats all it goes for and recognise that the prices balance out over several auctions (some you get the best end of the deal, others its the buyer). What do you make? What do you most enjoy making?

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 12:17 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Lozzie wrote:

can anyone remember?

Not me, they call me sievehead.

That's not what *I* call you

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 12:19 pm Post subject:

Lozzie wrote:

That's not what *I* call you

I don't think people need to know what you call me...

Daft Kate

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 23

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 1:14 pm Post subject:

I really enjoy cooking and was looking into baking (cakes, biscuits, muffins, dog biscuits etc.) for farmer's markets but in order to get my kitchen registered with the environmental health, I need to put another sink in to wash my hands in and that's just not going to happen because of space and money constraints. I would also need to put fly screens over the door and window - I can't believe it can be this difficult - I've never managed to poision anyone yet! Anyway, unless I can think of a way around this problem, I think I'm currently stuck in that department. I'm a pretty novice knitter but enjoy making clothes and have the odd blank canvas lying about that I could try my luck with I suppose - might look into making some cards too...

Most of the things I would love to do I think have been done a thousand times before or just aren't very realistic - I would love to write a cookery book but know that the chances of ever getting it published are remote so for now I have my magic recipe collection for just my own viewing!

I'll have to keep that thinking cap on for a while longer and in the mean time will try and find that previous thread you mentioned!

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 1:29 pm Post subject:
Nothing to stop you self publishing. My first five or six books were self published, and they do steadily well. If its a big enough book a print on demand service like lulu.com might be the way forwards too

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 06 9:59 pm Post subject:
Kate have you thought of selling via the WI - I don't know if that is possible but surely they don't have so many H&S regs?

Daft Kate

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 23

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 06 8:02 am Post subject:
I hadn't, no but I may well start to look into it! Thank you....

sneeuwklokje

Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 277

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 12:34 am Post subject:

>>>"Most of the things I would love to do I think have been done a thousand times before or just aren't very realistic - I would love to write a cookery book but know that the chances of ever getting it published are remote so for now I have my magic recipe collection for just my own viewing! ...">>>

and quite a lot of the cook books currently "out there" so to speak, are rubbish. It boggles me how they ever manage to be published! If you were working on a vegan, gluten/wheat free book, I'd buy it!

Also: many people think they have a book in them, but, not that many actually sit down and write one to completion? Right now, I'm currently working on one as well, so I can sort of understand a little of how you feel. Sometimes, especially with a really good idea, I think people can self sabotage themselves so they never actually start the process? Great success can be just as scary as failing. At the end of the day, I think if that is your dream, then you should follow it because otherwise, you will always wonder "what if."

As for the work side of things: maybe you could offer to go to people's houses and cook a dinner party meal for their guests or something? Not sure about the insurance side of things, but I would imagine some people would find such a service very useful? It might not even be something as formal as that? Just an idea.

Good luck!

oddballdave

Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 259
Location: Telford, Shropshire

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 8:40 am Post subject:

Daft Kate wrote:

Most of the things I would love to do I think have been done a thousand times before or just aren't very realistic - I would love to write a cookery book but know that the chances of ever getting it published are remote so for now I have my magic recipe collection for just my own viewing!

Cookbook? Recipes?
Ok here is an idea, been done before, but it still works.
Write an eBook
Find a host on the internet to hold it for you.
Sell it on eBay.
There are marketing tricks^H^H^H^H^H^H skills to ensure you get a steady (small) income.

Write another book.
sell it alongside the first.

When you have a lot of books each bringing in �10 per month....

There are easy ways to do this automatically. Once you have put the effort in, the money just happens.

Dave
currently settling in to a niche on eBAy

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:14 am Post subject:
Good idea Dave, have you tried something similar?

oddballdave

Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 259
Location: Telford, Shropshire

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 2:28 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Good idea Dave, have you tried something similar?

Trying it now.
Having suffered a trapped nerve in my elbow (RSI) I have had surgery to clean it up so I am currently on a 'sick note' and sitting at home instead of working in the factory for 8 hours a day.

Inspired by the 'pay off your mortgage' program on TV, I am looking to reduce the debts accrued over the last ten years.

One suggestion from the program is take something you can do, something you enjoy and get someone else to pay for you to do it.

I enjoy working with computers, my allotment, cycling and Motorbikes.

From an online eBay selling program I discovered some of the tricks to making money on eBay. ie rule one - buy cheap, sell high!
rule two - always follow rule 1!

So I currently sell via eBay - Old Time Radio Series, eBooks on Gardening and shortly home made videos of Motorbikes in action.

I am in the process of automating the process, so that when I return to work, the money can keep coming in.

Requires a lot of effort to start, bit of computer knowledge (hey you are reading this aren't you!) and some luck. But two million Americans cite eBay as either their Primary or Secondary income.

Dave

Helen_A

Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 06 10:43 pm Post subject:

sneeuwklokje wrote:

If you were working on a vegan, gluten/wheat free book, I'd buy it!

Well for the moment you could have a look at www.readingandrecipes.blogspot.com

Ignore all the rambling bits, but some of the recipes might be useful to you.

(note to self, must go and add lots more to said blog, lol, but the garden is calling.....)

Helen_A

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