by Homerun Nievera, World Executives Digest |
No matter how rewarding or lucrative your job is, everyone has a dream project they want to work on. For many professionals, this is starting their own business. A full-time job can make fulfilling this dream more difficult, but definitely not impossible. If you choose the right career path and efficiently organize your time, it’s perfectly possible to work on both simultaneously and with the same level of dedication and professionalism.
The key, however, is finding a side gig that won’t interfere with the rest of your life.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a great choice for a side gig because you can choose how much time and effort you want to dedicate to it. That way, you can gradually switch careers. The job consists of writing blogs or creating other web content that promotes certain products or businesses. You get paid based on the number of sales that come from your website or blog. It takes a bit of time to develop an audience and become a trusted source, but once you do, you’ll have a steady stream of income from new visitors.
Pet care
There’s nothing like turning a hobby into a job. Taking care of pets doesn’t require any investment (besides time) and it’s a pretty fun way to make a living. At first, offer simple services like dog walking or house sitting for the families with pets. Use the experience and the extra money to get educated in dog training. Later, you can expand the business significantly. All of this can be done in your own time or on weekends and with almost no marketing, especially if you live in a small community.
Tour guide
This is obviously not an option available to everyone, but if your city is a tourist attraction, being a tour guide is an easy and fun way to earn some money on the side. With all the information available online, there’s really no need for professional training in this field. All you have to do is know your area and be able to convey the information about it in an interesting and concise manner. There could be some expenses when it comes to marketing, but most of it could be done through social media.
Comedian
There is an interesting and growing scene of stand-up comedians. Most start off at bars or during talent nights in clubs, but if you have what it takes, it can quickly evolve into an extra career. Australian comedians are booked for a variety of gigs, from private parties and corporate events to weekly pub appearances. If you’re the funny one in your group of friends, take a leap and try making a job out of it. The worst thing that can happen is that you have a lot of fun doing it.
App developer
It seems like there’s an app for everything these days and the trend is only going to grow because almost all work is done on mobile devices. Programming skills can be easily picked up online, with courses designed for beginners and after that, it’s all up to your aptitude. It takes a while to get started, but you can learn at your own pace and start working on apps whenever you feel you’re ready. With a little bit of luck and some hard work, this one can easily become your main source of income.
There’s no reason to limit yourself to just one career. With good management skills, you can start working on an alternative career path and keep a day job, just pick a professional that will motivate you to go the extra mile.
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Homerun Nievera is the publisher of WorldExecutivesDigest.com. He has interests in several tech and digital businesses as director and chief strategist.
Homerun is a digital evangelist, content marketer and lifelong learning advocate. Homerun is the “He Said” in the popular Facebook Page He Said, She Said.
