There are other ways to make money besides babysitting. Here is one of those ways.
You already do jobs around your home like clean, run errands, buy groceries, cook, etc. Why can’t you do it for other people who will pay you to do it?
Rent yourself out to do odd jobs.
This is not a new idea. If you do a Google search on “rent a husband”, “rent a daughter”, “rent a son” or “rent a helper”, you’ll get lots of hits.
Everyone has things they don’t like doing, don’t have time to do, or just plain don’t know how to do. There is a market out there for doing odd jobs, and people tend to feel safer hiring someone who lives nearby.
List of Odd Jobs
Here is a list of odd jobs to start you thinking about what you can do to help someone:
- Yard work – mow grass, water the grass, pull weeds, fertilize the grass, trim bushes, paint fence, rake leaves, degrease driveway or garage floor, clean up dog poop
- Light house work – vacuum, dust, change light bulbs, wash windows, make beds, scour bathroom, wash laundry, fold laundry, iron, sweep, mop, clean bathtub and sink
- Paint a room
- Pet sitting
- Walk the dog
- Mother’s helper
- Run errands
- Pick up or drop off children
- Help with meals – plan a menu, buy groceries, cook meals, clean up after meals
- Tutor
- Give lessons – piano, swimming, bread-making, social media like Facebook and Twitter, etc.
- Wash the car
- Snow removal – shovel walks and driveways
- Clean and organize garages
- Clean and maintain swimming pools
- Fix a leaking faucet
- Help sell stuff on eBay
Create a Flier
Now create a flyer, listing all the odd jobs you are capable and willing to do. Include your contact information. Then give them out.
Start with people you know: friends, family, neighbors. Then market yourself to the elderly, single mothers and busy couples. Then canvas your neighborhood, going door to door leaving your flyers.
A Story of Two Girls
Charlotte Edson and Margaret Taggart, both 19, could have returned to summer jobs where they worked the previous summer. But Edson found herself hoping for an experience that offered more than folding clothes.
During their first month home from freshman year at college, the young women mostly stayed at home helping their mothers, until they had a revelation.
“If we can do this for our moms, then why can’t we do it for everyone?” Edson said.
The duo quickly drew together a flier offering their services: babysitting, running errands, picking up and dropping off children, buying groceries, organizing, even going on runs to the dump, all for a flat rate of $15 per hour. They posted fliers around town and sent out emails about their venture.
Their idea “spread like wildfire,” Edson said. Soon after posting the fliers, Edson and Taggart were receiving a steady stream of job offers. Currently, they have a healthy list of clients.
The pair hope to continue the business on breaks from school and are considering moving to Martha’s Vineyard next summer, taking with their business plan with them.
To read the original article, go to http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/A-summer-to-remember-Greenwich-students-bulk-up-1646261.php#ixzz1TzZbhWCy
How Much to Charge
How much you charge is up to you. You can charge by the hour or by the job. You need to decide before people call you. You might charge for a minimum of 1 hour and then in 15 minute increments. The girls in the story charged $15 per hour.
Make Sure You Understand the Customer
Make sure you know the scope of the project before accepting the job. That is, make sure you are clear about everything your customer expects you to do, and what your customer does not want you to do.
If someone hires you to drive their child to piano lessons, do they expect you to wait for the child for a half hour and then drive the child home? Do they intend to pay you for the time you wait?
If someone hires you to clean their car, are they expecting just a wash, or for you to clean the inside of the car too.
Don’t assume anything. Ask all the questions you need to understand the customer’s expectations.
Make Sure the Customer Understands You
Make sure your customer is clear about everything you expect before accepting the job:
- How you charge (by the hour or by the job)
- How much you charge
- When you expect to be paid (Yes. This is important)
Be Safe
Don’t give fliers to people for whom you would not feel comfortable working. Always let your parents know where you will be working and how they can call you.
Just be careful. If a man wants you to work inside his home, and he is the only one there, say, “My parents won’t let me work in a home alone with a man”. The best time to do this is before you agree to do the work.