Many people dream of being able to quit the day job, open a laptop (or typewriter, if you’re old-school), and write a best-selling novel. But, to be honest, that’s a really tough ask. So, instead many aspiring novelists start writing short stories.

A recent 2023 survey revealed the average salary of a fiction author in the UK is just £7,000. Most people who are authors – even names you might recognise on the bookshelf – will have another job to supplement their income, or have a partner who can cover their expenses. However, with the rise of BookTok, Bookfluencers, and Bookstagram (yes, those are actual online things), and the massive success of huge books like the Fourth Wing series, being a reader is popular again. In fact, the printed book market grew in 2023 despite the same number of books being published!

However, writing a novel is a MASSIVE undertaking, and many of us don’t have the time to do it. It takes years of work before you can even think about finding a publisher or self-publishing it, and that means the return on your time investment is low. Short stories, on the other hand, can reap big rewards for less work.

In fact, there are competitions that pay out thousands of pounds to the best story!

To give you some help, here is our guide to making money writing short stories.

• Where do I begin with writing short stories?
• Places to sell your stories…
• How do I write a story that will bring in loads of money?
• Find peers to support you
• Tips from the professionals
• How much money can I make from my story-writing?

Where Do I Begin with Writing Short Stories?

Your first stop is to find out what opportunities are available.

Magazines are by far your best chance of finding a willing publisher for your short story. Places like Writers Online, the website for the largest UK writing publication, Writing Magazine, list competitions regularly.

Frankly, getting a book published has always been competitive, but submitting a short story to a print or online magazine is still one of the best entry points. You can make a career out of being a short story writer, or use your wins and accolades to build a writing CV and attract a literary agent for your novel.

If you’re hoping to make money at all from your stories, then fighting against the odds is something you’ll have to get used to – it’s one of the most competitive industries out there.

It’s for this reason that we should point out that you probably shouldn’t be writing short stories for the cash. Really, there are much easier ways to make money (just check out our make money section!) and if your heart isn’t in it, then it’s going to show in your writing.

You need to be passionate enough about writing that payment would be a nice bonus (rather than a necessity) to stand a chance of getting anywhere.

Places to Sell Your Stories…

Thankfully for those who do love writing, there are numerous magazines that accept submissions and run competitions.

Check out the Booktrust’s breakdown of magazines and this site for regular short story competitions.

Women’s magazines have a lot of short story opportunities. Magazines such as My Weekly, The People’s Friend, Woman’s Weekly, Prima, and Mslexia all accept submissions. If you’re a regular reader, then you’ll probably have a good idea of what they expect. The Moth magazine runs one of the biggest short story prizes each year, with a top prize of £3,000. Writing Magazine runs small contests each issue – some are open to anyone while others are for subscribers only, and the average prize is £200 with a Grand Prize contest once a year for £1,000.

Don’t worry if you don’t think the audience of women’s magazines will appreciate your fiction, as there are lots of other magazines that cater for plenty of genres.

Many on the list cater for a range of stories and others also specialise:

• Crimewave focuses on crime (you may have guessed!)
• and Albedo One focuses on sci-fi and horror.

It’s not a magazine, but the Bridport Prize is one of the most renowned and respected fiction competitions and runs each year with a top prize of £5,000!

You could also consider PenPee. Penpee.com is a platform like Netflix/Airbnb for readers and storytellers to read, write, and get paid for short stories.

Writers get paid for every qualified page of their stories read. With Penpee’s recent introduction of “Read and Rate”, storytellers want readers’ opinions and readers get paid when they write a review and rate stories they read at Penpee.com

How Do I Write a Good Short Story?

If you want to earn money for your stories, then you’re going to need to be a competent writer with a good understanding of narrative structure and characterisation.

• It can be hard getting an honest opinion, if you’re not sure how good you are at writing. Family and friends will almost certainly tell you you’re the next JK Rowling, so try and get impartial advice. Sign up to a writers’ forum and get feedback on your work.
• There are many good writers’ forums out there, but start by checking out writingforums.org or The Writer’s Digest forum.
• If you’re not good enough yet there’s a lot of information online that can provide a good foundation for improving your writing such as writersdigest.com and Creative Writing Now. You might also have some luck on forums like Reddit but it can be hit or miss.

There are also lots of useful videos on YouTube that can teach you how to write. If you have a bit of spare cash, the BBC Maestro and the Masterclass courses are led by household-name authors and writers with really interesting insights. Wait until they run offers, usually a few times a year – their January sales are usually the best time of year to nab a bargain. Or, if you’re one of those people who can never think of what to ask for as a birthday present, ask for a subscription!

If you’re really serious then you could take a writing course

…although you’ll probably have to pay for a good one. Still, if it’s a hobby and you can afford it, then why not?

Before you look at paid courses, learn the foundation skills with free courses. Udemy has some great basic classes, while the Open University has a useful course that’s free for anyone.

• There are many writing courses around and finding the right one for you will simply be a matter of searching for one that takes your fancy.
• Remember to research thoroughly before handing any money over. The Writers’ Academy is a good place to start because you can do online courses with top editors, bestselling authors and established tutors – although you will be looking at paying a few hundred pounds.
• For something a bit special, you could check out the Arvon residential creative writing courses. You get to surround yourself with beautiful countryside and get lost in your writing for a few days. It is open to people of all ages and of all ability, regardless of experience. As this is residential, there is a cost. However, the courses are supported by the Arts Council of England, and other donors,  so you can apply for a grant if you can’t afford the course. In some cases, all the course costs are covered and nine out of ten people get some grant support.

Find Peers to Support You

One thing any professional writer will tell you is to surround yourself with other writers. You probably have a local writing group near you – apps like NextDoor and Eventbrite are useful for finding events in your area.

If you prefer working online instead, Writers HQ and Jericho Writers are examples of online forums that build a support network of fellow writers. If you subscribe to writing magazines like MsLexia and Writing Magazine, they usually have an online forum to access, too. When you’re working in groups like this, remember it is as much about what you can give as what you can get. You’ll benefit the most from groups if you engage with them, voice your opinions, and try to help others as they try to help you.

Tips From Professionals

If you’re fairly confident that you can write, then there are things you can do to increase your chances of getting published and earn some cash.

• Write in a genre you’re comfortable with. If you usually write fantasy then you may struggle to write a romance story. Choose magazines to submit to that play to your strengths.
• But do compromise. While you should write for familiar genres, if you want to make money then you’re going to need to be flexible to appeal to a specific readership. Then, you can apply for more than one really niche magazine. Plus, there’ll be a lot of guidelines you need to follow, speaking of which…
• Stick to the guidelines. Make sure you follow the instructions provided by the site to the letter. Nothing will blow your chances of getting published faster than submitting a 4,000 word story for a competition that allows a maximum of 2,000 words. Some guidelines will specify what shouldn’t be in the story (e.g. explicit sex scenes), while others will go so far as to specify who the main character should be (for example, a women’s magazine may want a female character who their readers can relate to). Make sure you format correctly too. It is usually 12 point font with double-spacing on the lines, but check the entry terms for details.
• Do your research. Decide which magazine you’re going to submit to and read it regularly. See what sort of stories they usually publish and if there’s something similar between them, whether it be genre, tone or style, then you’d be wise to do the same (I know this might sound crushing to your creative and original mind but, as said above, you’ll need to compromise to make money. Save your genre defying masterpiece for when you’re a bit more established!). Make sure you have a good sense of the readership from the articles and adverts in the magazine, as they’re the people you need to be writing for!
• Don’t simultaneously submit. Your writing muscles are going to stay flexible with this: most competitions won’t let you submit a story if you’ve already submitted it elsewhere. Check the terms of entry to see if they allow ‘simultaneous submissions’ which means they will let you submit to other contests. However, if you place in one with that story, you need to withdraw from any contests you’ve entered it into unless they specifically allow previously published stories to be entered. This means it is better to submit single stories instead of one story to lots of contests. However, there is nothing stopping you from entering last year’s stories into different contests this year if they didn’t place! So after a year you can start cycling through the stories in your files to submit.

If you follow those steps then you’re increasing your chances of getting published.

How Much Money Can I Make Writing Short Stories?

Each magazine offers different rates for contests.

• Usually £500 or so for a short story would be the top end, while a few will go into the thousands. The bigger the prize, the more competition you’ll face.

When it comes to payment for short stories in magazines that are not contest based, the fee can vary wildly. A 2000-word story might net you £500 or more, while other magazines don’t pay at all.

Some magazines pay per word

• For example, Fiction Desk Magazine pays £25 per 1,000 words (as well as a £100 bonus for the best story in each magazine). While this might not sound like a huge amount, if you’re getting paid anything to write fiction, then you’re doing something right. You also receive two copies of the paperback anthology. Many prizes and magazines offering anthologies will offer copies as part of your fee.

The Writers and Artists Yearbook is any writer’s go-to book for information about which magazines take short stories (and, if you’re feeling non-fiction inclined, other articles) and will list how much the fee is. The website also lists regular writing contests alongside tons of writing advice, so it’s a great one-stop shop.

Competitions tend to offer greater amounts

• For example, the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize offers £2,500 for their top prize.
• A runner up gets £200 and longlisted authors receive £50 book vouchers and a subscription.

We’ve mentioned the other big contests, like the Bridport Prize, in this article too. Writing contests change all the time, so make sure you Google ‘writing contest [YEAR]’ to make sure you’re not missing out.

A note on fees

There are some free entry writing contests and they are ALWAYS worth entering. However, most contests will need an entry fee which can be anything from a couple of quid to around £20. You need to weigh up your chances of winning, the confidence you have in your work, and whether you can write off that cash if you don’t place in the contest, before paying. Make sure the competition has an established track record, too: anyone can set up a writing competition, so make sure the judges are high quality, the prizes are decent (or if low that they have a low entry fee), and there are testimonials from previous years if it has run before.

One of the good things about submitting to magazines is you very rarely have to give up the copyright, so you’re usually free to resell any published stories to magazines in other countries. Imagine how good it would feel making money from the same story multiple times!

Sign Up – Newsletter

The post Make money writing short stories appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Win money online. At MoneyMagpie we have a strict no gambling policy – we won’t work with any gambling sites. Therefore, when we write about making money online, it’s strictly not going to be casinos or anything that is a risk to you spending more than you have.

You will be pleased to know that there are however lots of opportunities that we can suggest. So read on to find out our top 5 suggestions to help you win money. (NB. Some do have a small cost).

Sign up to Good Life+

Good Life+ are currently offering a one week trial FOR FREE to be entered into their incredible daily prize draws. Good Life+ also offer a whole host of perks – from monthly free movies, to incredible deals in thousands of restaurants (many of which are 2 for 1) – you not only never need to pay full price for a meal again, but you also get entered into the daily prize draw to win some absolutely amazing prizes. Plus, best of all – a portion of the money you pay for your subscription goes to an array of worthy causes.

To be a member of Good Life + you can get a 35% discount from their  Platinum package at 12.99 per month – but you can make that money back in food deals alone.

Sell competition prizes for cash

Online competitions are an easy way to earn money from home and win free prizes with very little effort. If you don’t want them, they are also a way you can technically “win” some cash – by simply selling them on. 

Entering can be fast and fun and your chances of winning big prizes are much higher than you’d imagine, especially when you subscribe to Good Life+. They offer an amazing array of competition prizes and they run daily giveaways: With prizes from cars to experiences to cash, there is a lot of opportunity to make a bit of money. 

If you do win, but don’t want the prize you win, you could always sell it on, making your prize a cash one. 

To do this, follow the best market for the prize, whether it be eBay, Facebook, private sale or auction – MoneyMagpie offers plenty of ways to help you sell absolutely anything. Obviously always check T&Cs of any competition to double check you are allowed. 

Cashback

Another oldie but a goodie is shopping through cashback sites. Most offer a small sign up fee and then you basically get a bit of money back, every time you spend some. Follow our guide to find out the best ones here.

Do Surveys and Win Cash

We are a big fan of doing surveys online at MoneyMagpie. 

If you have some free time in your lunch break or a spare half an hour in the evenings, why not fill in a few online surveys for money?

Paid surveys are simple, effective ways to make some cash, and some online surveys even let you win prizes.  

Whilst doing online surveys for money won’t provide you with a steady, substantial income, paid surveys are a great way to make cash for very little effort. Lots of our readers find the best paid online surveys are the ones they can put towards the bill for their summer holiday – not bad coming from the odd half an hour in front of a computer.

Many providers also enter you into a rolling prize draw for holidays, amenities or even cash. 

Check out our guide for the best free surveys here.

Charity Raffles

Lots of charities make your donations count. So if you are a fan of doing good and want to give back with your winning then charities often offer raffles and cash prizes for the price of a raffle ticket. Whilst this could be seen as gambling,  it is technically “giving to charity” and not purely about the prize. Two charities that do this regularly are British Heart Foundation and Age UK. 

However for this feel good factor Good Life+ also give back. Every month some of your sponsorship money goes to backing British athletes, so whilst you are doing good, you can also be winning prizes. 

This post is sponsored by Good Life+

You must be over 18 to enter. If you are under 18 your ticket will be void and refunded.

Their prize draws are in no way sponsored or endorsed by Facebook or Instagram.

Draws will be made using independent verification software, all ticket numbers will be entered and the number drawn will be matched with the numbers on the entries to determine the winner of each prize draw. In some draws where stated, an independent verification company will be used.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Top Ways to Win Money Online – That ARE NOT Gambling appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Online freelance writing is a great way to earn additional or full-time income, and you don’t even need to leave your home to do it.

There are countless opportunities out there, you can work as little or as much as you want and you can make in excess of £100,000 a year if you develop a good marketing strategy and work hard. The first few years will be tough as you find your feet, but the flexibility of online freelance writing and the higher fees you can charge when you’re established make the work worthwhile.

Here’s everything you need to know to make money online freelance writing.

• What is Freelance Writing?
• What Are Freelancing Platforms?
• What Do You Need to Get Started?
• What Will It Cost Me?
• What Can I Earn?
• Portfolio
• Finding Jobs
• Staying Employed
• Long-Term Clients and Long Term Success
• Alternative Income Streams

What is Freelance Writing?

Simply put, a freelance writer is someone who writes for money but isn’t tied to a single organisation. A freelance writer offers their services to anyone who needs some writing done, and will often work for several companies at a time.

It’s often said that freelancers are their own boss and that no one dictates what they do. This is true, to an extent. But freelancers actually have many different bosses. And they need to meet deadlines and to work to specifications just like any other employee.

Online freelance writing jobs come in a variety of forms. The most common job is content writing. There are are over a billion websites out there and they all need content. A freelance writer is often the one tasked with creating that content.

Other jobs include:

• Novel Writing: Ghost-writing personal memoirs, fiction/non-fiction for publishers.
• Script Writing: Everything from TV pilots and film scripts, to commercials and animations.
• Marketing (also called copywriting): Press releases, brand stories, slogans.
• Academic Writing: Academic non-fiction, peer reviewed study write-ups, essays.
• Technical Writing: Instruction manuals, how-to guides.
• Legal Writing: Terms and Conditions, privacy policies, long-form contract writing.
• Editing/Proofreading: Correcting all of the above.
• Critiquing: Providing advice on personal projects (novels, short stories).
• Consulting: Providing guidance on publishing, writing, SEO and more.

What Are Freelancing Platforms?

When it comes to the concept of online freelance writing, it usually revolves around something known as a “freelancing platform”. This is a service that acts as a bridge between the client and the freelancer. These sites include those like Upwork, Guru and Freelancer, but not all should be judged equally as many are hard work for little reward (and some are downright scams).

You can use a freelancing platform to showcase your abilities like you would on a CV, and you can also use them to find jobs.

Clients post job availabilities, writers apply to these, and the clients interview them. All of this is done through the platform, including the interview itself. And when the writer is hired, the platform continues to act as an intermediary.

If the freelancer and client agree a fee of $100, then the client must pay that $100 upfront. The platform will then hold that money in an escrow account, sitting on it until the job is finished. Upon release, the platform takes a small percentage as their fee and the writer gets the rest.

Watch out for red flags, which include: sites that ask you to write articles in the hope of selling them (ie they only pay you if it sells); sites that require a monthly fee; platforms which have negative reviews on sites such as Glassdoor; very low fees for writers (such as those offering just a couple of dollars for a hundred words).

What Do You Need to Get Started?

There is very little you need to get started as an online writer (apart from talent!). Basically you need:

• Computer: You don’t need anything flash. If it connects to the internet, it’s good enough.
• Word Processor: Clients will usually expect to receive work in .doc or .docx form. However, most word processors can convert, so you don’t need MS Word. There are free alternatives out there, like Google Docs. If you’re sharing a Google Doc with a client, always paste your work into a new document when you send it – that way, the client can’t see your edits and writing process while you work.
• Planner: When the jobs roll in, it’s easy to lose track. So, make sure you stay organised. A wall planner and a paper planner are both useful – carry one with you and keep the wall planner above your workspace at home to quickly refer to for deadlines.
• Bank Account/PayPal: You will need a bank account for clients to pay you, or sometimes a PayPal account to receive payments. Stripe is a useful payment platform if you want to write for international clients, as it gives you an IBAN number to take (for example) US payments as if it’s a US bank, which helps keep transfer and conversion fees down.
• Zoom: Many clients will want to connect with you via Zoom to talk through projects.

You’re also going to need to sign up to online freelance writing job platforms like UpWork. This will take a bit of time, especially as you create your sample articles or upload previous work to show clients your portfolio, so make sure you leave plenty of time for this as it will be what makes a client choose you over someone else.

What Will It Cost Me?

Online freelance writing job platforms like UpWork will take a percentage fee. This might be the same percentage for whatever you’re paid (5% whether you’re paid £5 or £5000) or it can vary by price brackets so the more you earn, the less you give the platform overall.

These platforms aren’t the only way to find work, either. You could invest some money in placing strategic advertisements in trade magazines if you specialise in copywriting for a particular industry, for example. You could also benefit from attending local Chamber of Commerce business networking meetings (or similar – most towns and cities have several business-to-business events you can attend to meet business owners) so set aside some money for these, too.

What Can I Earn?

When you’re starting out, you will find your rates start around £25-30 an hour. With even six months’ experience, you can rapidly increase your rates. The most senior freelance copywriters earn up to £2,000 a day. It is easier to get to these kinds of rates if you already have specialist knowledge in a particular industry, and you target specific niche clients in this area. Specialising is the quickest way to earn more, as people will value your experience and knowledge in the field.

Despite online freelance writing being remote and worked from anywhere in the world, you will have an advantage to increasing your daily rates if you can sometimes travel to meet a client. People who live in London, for example, can charge a higher rate (because London) and visit offices for in-person meetings, which helps clients feel like they’re getting more value from you. If you don’t usually travel to meet a client but one requires you to, make sure you have a stipulation in your contract that they will pay for travel and accommodation expenses on top of your daily rate.

When setting your rates, it’s really important to build in time around your quote. If you think writing a 500-word blog will take you three hours, assume it will take four. This is because, sometimes, you might only take a couple of hours and sometimes it will take you six – so it needs to average out to include the time it takes you over a number of projects rather than a specific one. Building in spare time into a rate quote also covers time you’re not writing – such as back and forths with the client about the project brief, which is easy to forget also counts as work.

Creating Your Freelance Writing Portfolio

Your online portfolio is your CV – it is what will make clients choose you over others, particularly if you’re using an online freelance writing job platform. Use articles, pamphlets, instruction guides or whatever else you’ve written for businesses to date (without including any confidential business information). If you have never written for businesses before, you can write sample articles ‘in the style of’ as examples of how you can change your tone and writing type for each different client.

However, strangely, you will also need to make sure your online portfolio is visual. Photos that represent your work (such as screenshots) can sometimes be required to create a visual portfolio that then leads a client to request your samples to read.

Your portfolio needs to be visual. You’ll be prompted to upload documents and writing samples, but no one pays attention to these. In fact, if a client wants to read a sample they will expect you to send them one during the interview.

Also, see our article on how to make money writing short stories here

Staying Employed

Freelancing will open a lot of doors. It will introduce you to publishers, publicists, web-masters and business owners. If you stay connected to all of these, using social media to keep them close, then a simple job could lead to something massive.

Work will dry up on occasion, but the good thing is that this rarely happens once you have an established profile. Until you get to that point, here’s what you can do to keep the work coming:

• Ask: If a client promised more work that they didn’t deliver on, ask them about it. If a client who gave you a lot of work in the past suddenly stops messaging you, email them. It’s best to give them a friendly nudge in the form of a catch-up message, following it up with a simple, “If you need anything done, you know where to find me”. You’d be surprised at how often this works.
• Focus on one site: It seems counterintuitive, but if you focus on one online freelance writing platform you’ll have more work. The effort you put into a single platform shows, and this is what prospective clients want to see.
• Keep applying: It doesn’t matter how many projects you have right now, you should always find time to send more proposals, apply for more jobs and sit through more interviews. You might be busy now, but soon you’ll meet those deadlines and collect your money, and then you’ll realise you have nothing else to do. Build time into your weekly schedule to do marketing outreach, both keeping in touch with previous clients and also finding new ones.
• Lower Your Rates: If you’re struggling to find work, reduce your rates slightly to get the ball rolling again. It’s better for work at a reduced rate than not to work at all. You can always kick that project to the curb when a better one comes along (just make sure you finish it first).

Long-Term Clients and Long-Term Success

Not only will a good client continue to provide, but they’ll introduce you to other clients and open many doors.

Whether you work on an online freelance writing platform like Upwork, or you do all of the legwork yourself, keep the following in mind:

1. Always go out of your way for a client you respect. Never take liberties and apologise profusely if you make a mistake.
2. Always be prepared to strike a deal. Offer cheaper rates for bulk jobs in the hope they will increase your workload.
3. If you haven’t heard anything for a few weeks, send a message to enquire if they have anything available. In a competitive marketplace, freelancers can be forgotten.
4. Give them advice. You’re the expert here, so if you notice an area of their site that could be improved or added to, tell them. They’ll appreciate it and you’ll get more work.

Alternative Income Streams

The work isn’t always going to be there. It’s important to keep trying, because it’ll get easier. But there are also other ways you can make money.

So, if you have the time but you don’t have the jobs, and if you’ve done all you can in terms of applying and being interviewed, you can try some of the following:

• Search “write for us”: More and more web-masters are turning to online freelance writing platforms to source content, but there are still sites that wait for the content to come to them. These sites typically pay well, and if you Google the phrase “Write for us”, you shouldn’t have an issue finding them.
• Websites/Blogs: If you don’t know anything about SEO now, take your downtime to learn all about it. It will add an extra string to your online writing bow, and help you produce content that delivers trackable results for clients when you get them.
• Flipping Sites: Flippa is basically eBay for websites. You can buy and sell all kinds of blogs, high-profile domains and established online businesses. You can buy poor-quality sites, rewrite the content, do some more and sell them on. It’s just like Homes Under The Hammer—if you have the capital and you can cut costs by doing the work yourself, you’ll turn a profit.
• Contribute: Contributors to sites like Huff Post do not get paid. However, they are allowed to write what they want (within reason) which gives them an opportunity to embed links in their articles. There are countless clients on online freelance writing platforms seeking freelancers who can get a single link on Huff Post. If you’re a contributor to this site, you can get anywhere from $200 to $500 for that link, and you only need to write a short article in order to post it. Forbes pays even more and works in much the same way.

The post Online Freelance Writing: Make £100+ An Hour Writing for a Living appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Making money house sitting is an increasingly popular way for people who spend long periods of time away to manage their households.

If you’re lucky enough to secure a long-term house-sitting contract, you could use that money to pay your rent and bills, and if you work from home then this provides a particularly lucrative way of combining the two – work from home while you’re house sitting.

There’s particularly a lot of work for house sitters over the summer holidays, with assignments all around the UK, and now is a good time to start looking to set up your summer house sitting plans.

There’s quite a demand for those who are good with dogs, so if you’re comfortable with a pooch then you’ll be ideal – in fact if you’d particularly like to be a pet sitter then read our article on pet sitting.

• What’s Involved?
• Working With an Agency
• Become a Self-Employed House Sitter 
• Could You Be a Home Sitter?
• How Much Could I Earn?
• Additional costs

What Does House Sitting Involve?

House sitting involves living in someone’s home whilst they’re away. Your job is to keep things clean and tidy, maybe look after a pet and by your presence deter burglars.

Some agencies also specialise in short-term sitting. They provide people who’ll stay in your home all day waiting for the plumber or an elusive furniture delivery (we all know how annoying having to stay in can be!). This is a particularly good job to look for if you already work part-time or from home, and live in a highly populated area – as that’ll mean more customers near to you.

House minding is when you don’t stay at the house but keep an eye on an empty home with daily visits to water the plants, pick up the post and have a quick tidy. The movement in the house, changing of curtains opening/closing, lights going on and off etc can help deter burglars, while people with precious plants won’t have to worry about them wilting in their absence. House minding is also often used by home owners who have cats – you can pop in each day to feed them, change the litter tray when needed, and make sure they’re in good health, but they don’t need 24/7 minding the way dogs do.

As both a house sitter and house minder you can look after the houses of family and friends, but for regular work register with a reputable agency like Trustedhousesitters.

If you’re doing this independently, the owners should provide a written contract with instructions of what to do if specific situations arise so that you’re completely sure of the right action to take.

Also, make sure you provide the homeowners with references from a previous landlord and employer.

How to Work With a House and Pet-sitting Agency

It’s best if you can present an agency with a police check and you’ll need references from professional people. The agency will interview you in your own home to make sure you’re suitable for the job.

Some house and pet-sitting agencies take on people as their employees and therefore they’re responsible, not you. They’ll have insurance to protect you throughout the job. This is particularly important if you’re a pet sitter, as animals can cause injury to yourself or others (such as an escaped dog running into the road causing an accident).

House sitters aren’t expected to work all day; usually the duties will require a couple of hours and the rest of your time is your own.

However, clearly the whole point of a house sit is that you’re there to protect it, so usually an agency, like Trustedhousesitters, will expect you to leave the property for no longer than three hours at a time in the day and one hour at night.

Another benefit of using an agency is that you’ll be given support throughout the process.

They’ll arrange a meeting between you and the client so that you know exactly what the client expects of you as a house sitter. A checklist will be drawn up to ensure that both you and the client know exactly where you stand. You’ll be able to contact the agency at any point during the house sit and they’ll help you if anything goes wrong.

You’ll probably find you get more work through an agency. Their clients will want to know that house minders have been vetted thoroughly and matched to suit their particular needs so they’ll be more inclined to use an agency that does both these things.

A good agency will interview you thoroughly to determine your interests, skills and preferences. This will then help them to match you to appropriate clients so that the sit is more fun for you and beneficial to the client. For example, a client with a cat can be matched to a house sitter who has had experience looking after cats and would enjoy it.

Generally, an agency will match you to a client that lives near your own home, usually within the same county. House sitting in London, for example, can be very profitable due to the sheer number of people in the city.

If you want to travel, agencies may be able to help to you find a house sit further away. You could always use the opportunity to visit family and friends in other locations. You could even plan a holiday abroad if you find someone who needs a house sitter for a month or two – you’ll need to pay your own travel and sort your visas, but it’s a great way to spend some time in another country without going broke on accommodation.

A good house-sitting agency will give you health and safety training, personal safety training, animal welfare guidance and details of their own regulations and rules.

The only experience you need is of running your own home. Clients just want to be sure that you can do all the domestic tasks and keep their home running smoothly.

Become a Self-Employed Home Sitter and Pet Minder

If you’re an entrepreneurial sort, you could become self-employed and advertise your home-sitter services directly to potential clients.

One lady we know of regularly makes £50 a day as a home sitter. She only spends the evenings and overnights in the house, before going to work the next day. The reason for this high rate of pay is the fact that the owner of the house has seven dogs! If the house is large, and if there are a lot of pets, pet minding services can charge up to £90 a day.

A good way to know how to set competitive rates is to look at what an agency would pay you:

• Pay for long-term house sitters starts at £10 a day with Housesitters. Plus, £7 food allowance and 40p per mile for fuel – both of which are non-taxable.
• Small additional amounts are available if you care for a dog or cat while house sitting. Homesitters pays an extra 33p a day for dog care.
• With some private agencies, we’ve heard that short-term house sitters can earn between £8 and £10 an hour.

One potential drawback to being self-employed is the fact that you’ll have to take responsibility for many things that an agency would otherwise do for you.

For example, you’ll have to:

• Advertise your services and find clients
• Manage your time
• Register as self-employed with HMRC and complete an annual tax return
• Draw up contracts with your house-sitting clients
• Arrange your own public liability insurance

It’s a good idea if the house owners let their insurance company know that someone else is house sitting their property while they’re away.

Self-employed house sitters also have public liability insurance. This type of insurance will cover you if something goes wrong and it’s not the house owner’s responsibility to pay for it (e.g.  you lock yourself out of the house and have to pay for a locksmith). It also covers you if, for example, their dog gets injured while you’re out on a walk.

Would House Sitting Suit Me?

House sitting tends to be suited to people who have retired and are fit and active enough to maintain a house and look after pets. Short-term house sitting can also be useful for students who are flexible and have time to look after other people’s places.

As long as clients are confident that you’re looking after their house properly you may be able to house sit if you work from home.

You have to be sure that you’ll be comfortable in someone else’s house, and away from your own home and social circle. You’re unlikely to be able to invite other people to the client’s home.

However, if agreed in advance, your partner may be able to accompany you whilst housesitting! This can be useful if one of you needs to leave the house for longer than the agreed maximum (such as doing the grocery shopping or running errands) as the other can stay behind to make sure there is always someone in the house.

Many agencies will want someone available throughout the year so that if a client needs a house minder more than once they can use the same person again and again.

Making Money House Sitting: Additional Costs

If you work through an agency your costs will be minimal, including things like personal phone calls. The owners should provide everything necessary on a day-to-day basis. Plus a float to cover anything you need as you go along (cat food etc).

If you’re house sitting independently, an owner could initially request a deposit from you. It’s best to go over the house together on your arrival to make a note of any damage.

You may also have to pay for the utilities you use when house minding. Make sure this is clearly stated in the checklist/contract before you start.

The post Make Money House Sitting appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

With recovery slow after the huge economic impact of the pandemic, and current global upheaval disturbing markets, PLUS the cost of living crisis, it’s easy to see why many people are worried about their jobs, while others know it could be time to change careers to secure their future.

Here are some professions you should consider if you’re looking for a change:

• Adult Social Care
• Architects
• Programmers and Developers
• Plumbers 
• Drivers
• Got a question about employment?

1. Adult Social Care

Adult social care is a bigger employment sector than the NHS – and yet there are around 152,000 open vacancies. This number reduced slightly when the Government introduced the Health and Care Worker Visa, but with strict immigration laws in place now, the number of open vacancies remain open as retirement living centres, residential carers, and those working with adults with learning or physical disabilities in independent living homes cry out for support workers.

You don’t need qualifications to get started in many adult social care professions, as training will be provided. Hours can also be more flexible if you want a part-time job, and others might offer accommodation with the role as a live-in carer. If you’re compassionate and like people, adult social work could be for you. Most jobs will require a DBS check – it is worth registering for the annual check update to ensure your DBS is always up to date which makes moving jobs much easier.

2. Architects

This is one of those long-game professions that will pay off big time. Training to be an architect takes seven years – but the end result can be a healthy salary of £80,000 or more.

You can train solely on a university course, or take an architect apprenticeship which gives you work experience and a salary to learn ‘on the job’. Starting salaries for fully qualified architects are around £30,000 quickly rising to £75,000 or above, particularly in London and other metropolitan areas.

Architects are in demand as the UK tries to keep up with the need for more housing as well as improving city centres with public architecture that is accessible and provides pleasant surroundings. It is the type of job that will always be needed, even as we move into a digital age – computers can do the drawings, perhaps, but the vision and skill required will always be human-focused.

3.Programmers and Developers

Software developers and computer programmers are in increasingly high demand as world digitisation shows no sign of slowing down. Companies that previously had openly spoken against tech developments like AI are now investing in the UK and crying out for staff – such as Microsoft’s new centre for AI, which is opening in London soon.

It might seem that getting a computer job while we’re teaching computers how to run without our input is putting yourself out of a future job, but that won’t be the case. AI is a tool that will always need human input at some stage – and we’re still very early stages in the technology development. A software developer starting salary is around £26,000 but can quickly and easily rise to well into six figures for those who show they can handle complex scripts and have good problem solving skills.

Sign Up – Newsletter

4. Plumbers, Bricklayers, Construction Workers

Professions that can’t be automated, like plumbers and construction workers, are in dire need of new recruits. A recent study by Checkatrade revealed over a million new recruits are needed in the trades to fill the huge skills gap the industry currently faces.

Some of the problem is recent changes to UK immigration law, which has eliminated a large portion of the potential workforce from qualifying and taking up vacancies. Schools are also not promoting the possibilities of apprenticeships to their students, while parents are worried about the stigma of taking an apprenticeship instead of following a university-based further career path and that it might limit their child’s financial opportunities.

These fears are unfounded: the average salary for a qualified contract plumber in the UK is £31,000 – and self-employed plumbers earn around 8% more. Bricklayers can expect to start on around £20,000 rising quickly to an average £46,000. Carpenters and joiners earn an average of £37,000 a year rising to over £50,000 with experience. These salaries also rise considerably if you take further qualifications and specifications, such as being able to operate heavy machinery.

5. Drivers

Logistics companies and local courier services are crying out for drivers. The pandemic saw so many businesses turn to online ordering and delivery – and most have kept it in the years since. Food delivery, for example, is a popular way for many people to earn some extra money on the side a few nights a week – and there are always vacancies because it’s a service that is in constant demand.

There is a national shortage of bus and coach drivers, which impacts travel infrastructure. Since the pandemic, there has also been a shortage of national and international HGV drivers. In response to this, the Government is considering relaxing the age rules from the current minimum age of 21, to allow for recruiting drivers from a wider age range.

Professions in driving don’t have to be something that takes you away from home for a long time – such as bus and coach drivers working relatively regular shifts in a local area on a salary around £30,000 a year. However, if you are prepared to drive longer distances, the salary can be significantly higher: an HGV driver can earn upwards of £50,000 a year.

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post 5 Professions Desperate for Workers appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Going it alone as a freelancer is a brilliant feeling… until the work seems to dry up or get repetitive. Staying motivated as a freelancer is essential for your business success – but it can take a bit of tough love and discipline to keep going!

Use these strategies to stay motivated and keep pushing your business forward, even when you’re in a bit of a slump. You’ll feel productive even on days without client work AND you’ll get out of the doldrums, too!

• Join a Virtual Networking Group
• Diarise Your Day
• Set Goals
• Change Your Workspace
• Exercise Daily
• Get Dressed
• Make an Appointment Every Day
• Take Regular Breaks
• Use Apps to Improve Your Focus
• Arrange Social Engagements
• More Freelance Tips

Join a Virtual Networking Group

One of the most effective ways to find work is through your network. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been freelancing for years or you’re just starting out! Finding an industry group to join will make a difference to your work.

Not only will you earn referrals and hear of job opportunities through your group, but you’ll benefit from ‘shop talk’ with a wide range of people. Freelancers aren’t as competitive with each other as you may initially believe. In fact, they’re a supportive group of people who champion others who’ve taken the freelance leap!

Look for Slack communities, Facebook groups, or LinkedIn groups to start with. Look at your local Chamber of Commerce to find out what they’re doing in terms of virtual meetings. They’re a great way to meet other local business people AND promote your work without being too salesy.

Some groups run webinars, others like a Zoom meeting. Some are continuous chat channels like Slack, that you can dip in and out of depending on how much time you’ve got. Keep regular contact and answer questions as well as asking them. Giving back to the community makes others more receptive to helping you out, too.

Diarise Your Day

Even if your books are bare and there’s no work coming in, spend time planning your day or week in a diary. Stick to your appointments!

Block out times for research, cold pitching, or training webinars. Use the time you’ve got spare to learn more about your industry or how to run your business. These skills come in handy later on, so it all counts as business-related activity even if you feel it’s not earning you money right this moment.

When you’ve got a lot of clients on your plate and you’re juggling tasks, a diary plan helps to break your workload into manageable chunks. Set out blocks of time – say every 60 minutes – and write a schedule for your work. Include time for social media and emails, too! Often, block-checking emails then ignoring them for an hour or two is a great way to improve focus and productivity.

Set Goals

As part of your diary planning, or a larger project, make a list of goals. These could be short-term business goals for the week or month, or longer goals such as what you want to achieve by the end of your first year freelancing.

Having something to focus on and work towards keeps you focused on work and reminds you why you went freelance in the first place. When work is slow, these goals help you decide what you need to do next to get where you want to be – such as taking extra training courses or increasing the number of cold pitches you do each week.

Change Your Workspace

Working as a freelancer at home means you can go a little la-la from staring at the same four walls.

If you’re stuck in a rut, change your workspace. This could mean any number of things: rearrange the furniture in your home office, or move from the sofa to the kitchen table. Perhaps you can take your laptop to the local park for an afternoon of work in the sunshine, or maybe you can visit a friend to work together at their place.

Regular freelancers who don’t have a home office, or like the differentiation of work/home space, find co-working spaces revive their motivation. You get the benefits of going to an office, but for your own business. Look for local workspaces in your area – you can often rent a hotdesk space by the day or week, and some offer free trials to get you started.

And remember one of the best, free, places to work: your local library. Many now have cafes too, and lots of useful resources – even things like business networking events sometimes – so make sure you check out your local library. It’s warm and dry, friendly, quiet, and FREE. Sounds perfect to us!

Exercise Daily

There’ll be days when you feel like you’re too busy to get some exercise, and other days when your motivation for doing anything except watch Netflix is nil. Don’t let it get to you!

Take time for at least 15 minutes of exercise – even on the days you don’t feel like it. Not only does it get you away from your desk/bed/sofa, but exercise also stimulates mental ability and can help you find inspiration. It also staves off depression – and is something you can do with a friend, to boost your social interactions, too.

Try the NHS quick workouts, pop to the gym to lift some weights, or get out for a brisk walk around the block. Alternatively, start your day with a yoga routine to feel invigorated, or arrange to meet a friend for some tennis or a kickabout in the evening after work.

Exercise doesn’t have to cost you a penny, but it’s essential for keeping you motivated as a freelancer. It helps you find mental clarity, boosts your health so you’re not at risk of taking (unpaid) sick days, and helps relieve strains from poor posture sat at a desk all day.

Get Dressed

Your pyjamas might be the comfiest clothes you own – but it’s not going to put you in a work state of mind!

Every day, get up and get dressed. Even if you’re changing from ‘sleeping PJs’ into what’s officially known as ‘lounge wear’, that act of getting changed into something different helps change your mindset into work mode.

Some people find the simple act of putting shoes on is all it takes to give them confidence for that all-important client call! It can help you feel like you’re a professional at the office (which you are, just at home), and resets your thinking into a business-like attitude.

At the end of the working day, change back into your PJs! This helps signify the end of your work time and start of your wind down evening time.

Make an Appointment Every Day

Treat your working week as if you’re going to the office. Even if you’re a part-time freelancer, use your working days as efficiently as possible.

Avoid losing focus by making sure each work day has at least one appointment in it. This might be calling a potential new client, catching up with an existing one, or attending a training webinar. Just pick something that forces you to get your business head on!

It’s also a good way of making sure you’re moving towards the goals you set. An appointment doesn’t have to be with a client or potential customer. It can be an appointment with yourself! Promise yourself you’ll spend one hour reading about a topic, or that you’ll spend two hours developing your business plan. It puts your business at the forefront of your daily routine – and helps you stay motivated as a freelancer.

Take Regular Breaks

On the flip side, don’t stuff your day with back-to-back calls if you can avoid it! The likelihood is, you chose freelancing to get away from the 9-5 grind and find a flexible way of working that suits you.

The trouble with that – plus the knowledge that you’re responsible for every penny that goes into (or out of) your pocket – it it’s easy to get carried away. You’ll realise you’ve been sat in the same position for hours on end, trying to finish your latest project or sending off ‘just one more pitch’.

Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour. Get up, stretch, make a cup of tea. Spend at least five minutes away from screens in each hour and revive yourself! Take a lunch break, too. Going full force all day long is the guaranteed route to burnout – and no freelancer stayed motivated when that happens!

Use Apps to Improve Your Focus

Sometimes, you can do everything right and yet still find it hard to stay motivated as a freelancer. The world in 2020 is a particularly big challenge: there are many, MANY distractions going on around us and it’s easy to get sucked into a mental wormhole about it all.

If you struggle to stay focused on your work during the day, consider using apps to help. For example, if you know that social media drains your time AND energy, use a blocking app on your computer. Apps like AppBlock let you set the times you are – and aren’t – allowed to access other apps on your phone or desktop.

It means that, even if you’re tempted to check Facebook instead of write that proposal, you physically can’t! You can go one step further with similar apps for things like writing, too: Cold Turkey Writer blocks EVERYTHING until you reach a set goal!

Many freelancers struggle with their focus overall. Staying motivated as a freelancer involves an ability to cut out the distractions – which are often caused by a busy mind and that leads to a lack of sleep! Try apps like Flipd or Calm to help you learn techniques for coping with a busy head. Meditation strategies and even the sound of a crackling fire to lull you to sleep at night can all help you manage your mental focus.

Arrange Social Engagements

Don’t forget to have a life, too! Staying motivated as a freelancer is nigh on impossible if you’re all work and no play. It’s so easy to keep cancelling plans because you want to work on your next pitch, or you’ve got client work you really want to get finished (even if the deadline isn’t until later in the week).

Taking time for yourself to have social interaction is vital to maintaining your motivation during your working day. Set time aside to spend time with your family, and make sure you have at least one full day off every week to do things with your friends, family, or even just some ‘me-time’ that’s away from your desk.

Social interaction is important for your mental health and maintaining your relationships. However, it can also boost your enthusiasm for your freelance work. Taking time away from your computer to do something entirely different gives your brain time to percolate ideas in the background. You’ll return to work revived! Going out to do things, like taking a walk with your family or watching a film with friends, also brings inspiration from other places that you can introduce to your work.

The post 10 Ways to Stay Motivated as a Freelancer appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

We appreciate that flea markets and charity shops are not exactly as glamorous as London’s Oxford Street, yet the shopping experience can be even more rewarding when you find the perfect pieces. All it takes is an eye for good brands a little entrepreneurial flair and you can make some great profit on the resell value of each item.

• Before You Start
• Collectable Items
• Designer Brands
• Books
• Sports Equipment
• Cookware
• Old Tech
• Furniture
• How to Flip Thrift Items
• More Ways to Make Money

Before You Start Flipping Thrift Items

Before you start buying thrift products there are a few things you should consider. Firstly, check on websites like eBay to see for what value a similar item sells in that condition. This way you can decide whether it’s worthwhile buying it in the first place.

Secondly, check for irremovable marks or sensitive materials that require dry cleaning; this will only use up more of your profits. Finally, work out any additional expenses of that product including shipping fees and what platforms to use for reselling it.

One of the most difficult parts of flipping thrift items is finding the right items that have a strong demand. To help you out with this, we’ve created a short list with some of the most profitable thrift pieces:

Collectable items

Be it an old branded toy that is no longer manufactured or a limited-edition comic book, there will always be a market for collectible items.

In some cases, passionate collectors are willing to pay large amounts of money for a special item. Other collectables to look out for include rare vinyl records, like Beatle’s 1968 White Album or vintage board games. It doesn’t have to be very old, either – think of limited edition themed Monopoly games, for example. The rarer an item is, the more valuable. As long as you do your homework on some of these categories, you might be able to make some big bucks

Designer brands

Although not always an easy find, designer items are most likely to sell quickly and for good profits, particularly if found in pristine conditions.

When it comes to aspirational lifestyles, there is a huge demand for pre-owned items that show a certain status or belonging to a group. So, if you find any type of designer bag or attire that has a decent condition or can be improved, it will most likely be worth purchasing.

High-end designer bags such as Chanel, Hermes or Dior might be difficult to find, but be on the lookout also for mid-range designer items, such as Kate Spade or Kurt Geiger.

Books

When it comes to books, other than the collectable first editions, there are two main types that it’s worth keeping an eye out for – popular book sets and university textbooks. The Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Lord of the Rings book sets sell on eBay for around £50 depending on the condition. Also try to find a bargain price on one of the classic and timeless book sets, like Little House on the Prairie, they can be a great investment.

Although most university textbooks update their editions each year, most changes are only minor, while the structure and main content stay the same. While lecturers use the latest editions, they often encourage students to buy the older versions due to their smaller prices and almost identical content. However, even second-hand textbooks can sell for £30 a piece depending on the edition.

Sports equipment

When people take up a sport, it oftens feel like breaking the bank. Most professional sports equipment is quite expensive. For example, a new pair of Latin dance shoes for women sells for over £100 in stores!

As long as the item is in good condition and can be re-used, you may find a lot of eager buyers for pre-loved sports equipment. You can even sell it in sets – a football, trainers, and uniform for example – ideal for new sports enthusiasts. These can be great items to sell, just make sure that the shoes and clothes don’t have unpleasant smells that cannot be removed from a wash.

Cookware

Many charity shops sell cooking equipment. Have a good rummage and do your research – you’ll find things like iron pans, Pyrex, or even a rare vintage pottery find will fetch a pretty penny!

Cast iron cookware, for example, can be bought from thrift shops for a fiver and sold on websites like eBay for £20-£30. Vintage retro designs are increasingly popular, too – and often end up in charity shop piles.

Old Tech

Another category that might have not crossed your mind is old tech equipment – old laptops, iPads, iPods, old play station consoles, etc.

You’ve got two choices here: buy broken items and break them up, to sell for the different components. Or, you can repair them yourself and sell as a complete product. It all depends on your skill level and time availability.

Start by looking around the house! We all have old phones or broken tech we’ve stashed in a drawer somewhere. Make sure you wipe any hard drives and put things back to factory settings before selling.

Vintage games consoles

Look for vintage computers and games consoles, too. You’ll be surprised how much these can fetch! A pristine, working-order Nintendo 64 could easily fetch you upwards of £50, more if you have games, too. Other tech, like Super 8 camcorders, can also be picked up for next to nothing and sold to collectors for a LOT.

Furniture

Some of the furniture from thrift shops are made out of high-quality materials and some can even be classed as vintage pieces. With those items, you can just try to resell them as they are because there are a lot of people that refuse to pay large amounts of money for new furniture.

For more basic furniture pieces, if you are a creative individual and enjoy DIY projects, you can get inspiration from platforms like Pinterest and redesign the entire piece. That new and unique item can be the exact missing element for someone’s room, and they might be willing to pay hundreds for it!

How to Flip for Cash

When you’ve decided what you want to flip, it’s time to get started! Trawl your local charity shops – and online shops like Oxfam – to find bargains. Sometimes, you’ll need to go back to the same shop a few times before you find a gem.

Visit car boot sales, antiques fairs, and flea markets, too. Here, you can haggle on the price even more so be ready to go in on a low offer and negotiate to an agreed price. Never feel swayed to pay more than you think something is worth – be ready to walk away!

Prepare your item for sale

Clean the item up – you might need to make minor repairs, too. Take great photos: use natural light wherever possible, or for smaller items set up your own light box. The difference between a good and an average photo is reflected in the final price you get!

Consider upcycling

Some items, like furniture or clothes, need more than a basic clean up. However, this is where the real profits can be made! Turn something into another – such as an old and broken chest of drawers into a garden planter, or a large old shirt into a dress. This increases the appeal and means you can charge a lot more for it, too.

Set clear terms

Whether you’re selling on eBay, local Facebook groups, the NextDoor app, or Gumtree, set out the condition of the item very clearly. Be honest! You’ll come across ‘tyre kickers’ who want to view a product then try to knock the price down. Don’t let them waste your time: lay out the condition of the item and the terms of the sale (such as ‘buyer must collect’) in the product description.

Promote your items

When you’ve got a few items to sell, consider creating a brand for yourself. This will help you market your items across social media channels and online. You can even create your own website using something like Wix or WordPress if you want to turn this hobby into a full-time career!

Register with HMRC

If you’re making consistent profit from flipping thrift items, this counts as a business. Anyone earning over £1,000 a year from hobbies like this must register as self-employed with HMRC and file a Self Assessment tax return by January 31st every year.

More Ways to Make Money

Flipping thrift items is just one way to make money in your spare time. Check out these articles next for more ideas!

• Have a Tech Spring Clean and Sell Your Stuff for Cash
• 7 Crazy Money-Making Schemes That Could Actually Work
• EBay Selling: 20 Handy Tips to Make More Money
• How to Make and Sell Online Courses for a Passive Income
• 6 Ways to Make Money From Your Postcode

The post How to Make Money Flipping Thrift Items appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

There are times in our life when we wish we could make money through some of life’s simple pleasures… like walking! Whether it is a passive income, or a main source, there are many ways you can make money walking.

We take a look at some of the ways you can go about this.

• Walking apps
• Task work
• The human sandwich
• Tour guides
• Dog walking
• Walking clubs

Walking Apps

An easy way to earn money by walking is to get one of these free apps – all have some decent rewards. These, you can add to your phone and earn while going about your daily business. Getting to the rewards really takes some mileage mind, so this is in no way a primary income source.

• Charity Miles
• Sweatcoin
• BetterPoints
• Winwalk

The post Get Paid to Walk appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

We have been talking about cashback sites for years. Often a useful way to make some extra money, we are shocked by how many of our readers still don’t use them. One of our team uses them to do her full Christmas shop and the credit she uses to buy gifts. So this is real money.

The idea of a cashback site, is to get cash reward when you click through from them to buy goods or financial products. 

Websites such as HyperJar, Quidco and  Curve offer cashback on a variety of goods and services, from mobile phones to car insurance and bank accounts to broadband. 

You can be paid cash from some websites when you spend with them, and potentially make £100s a year. They work by sending you to the company through a cashback site, which you then get paid for. You can make as little as sums range from pennies for groceries and small purchases to over £100 for some mobile and broadband contracts. 

SOME EXAMPLES OF CASHBACK SITES we can personally vouch for 

Curve are one of the easiest cashback services. Firstly you get £5 simply for joining up and secondly it is so easy to use.

HyperJar are one of our personal favourites as offer Cash-back on any spend made on the card. Whether it is groceries, clothing, housewares, restaurants, travel, DIY, cinema tickets… they have gift cards for just about everything, everytime you purchase one HyperJar will put some cash back into your HyperJar Wallet (up to 20% of the cost of your gift card) instantly after your purchase. You need to very slightly alter how you shop, but the rewards are worth it.

Top Cashback is free to use: it also offers a premium version which, if you sign up, will charge up to £5 of what you earn each year and boasts thousands of high street names as well as smaller online sellers. They say you can earn up to £345 cashback per year, which you can withdraw straight into your bank account, Paypal or load up onto gift cards.  

Quidco is also a free service, this time offering a premium version which costs £1 of your monthly earnings: again, it offers work with thousands of popular and lesser-known retailers. As with Top Cashback, you can withdraw the money into your bank account, Paypal or convert it into gift cards, and the average earning reported is £300 a year. 

Rakuten is a newer cashback site. They have 500 retail partners and offer a free service where you can again transfer your cashback into your bank account. They also offer ‘Rakuten Points’ instead of cash back, which has extra value when buying items on their site. £1 of cashback coverts to £1.20 worth of points which you can spend on gift vouchers, movies, Rakuten TV, eBooks and audiobooks.  

CHOOSE A CASHBACK WEBSITE 

Register with one or more cashback sites. As we’ve detailed above, many sites are free to join but some charge an annual fee, sometimes for a premium version of the account which affords you more opportunities to earn cash back. 

LOOK FOR DEALS 

Search the website to see if your favourite retailers/financial services firms are offering deals on the products and services that would suit you personally. 

CLICK THROUGH 

Click the link provided by the cashback site instead of going direct: this way, you are using the cash back site as the referral source, and can earn cash back from the click. Oh, and if you’ve used the site before, make sure you DELETE YOUR INTERNET COOKIES before clicking through, so the cash back site will see that your click comes from their source. 

COMPLETE PURCHASE 

The retailer will then send the commission to your cashback site and pay a percentage of the money into your bank or PayPal account. With many of these sites, you could need to reach a cashback threshold before you can withdraw funds: each site has their own rules, so check before you use them. 

MAXIMISING CASHBACK SITES 

CASHBACK FREEBIES 

TopCashback and Quidco, as we’ve said, have offers that make you free money for completing surveys, entering prize draws or even obtaining price quotes from comparison websites. 

RECOMMEND A MATE 

A lot of cashback sites offer you a bonus if you recommend a friend by sending an email using the website’s dedicated referrals page. The email will contain a link to the cashback site with a code to confirm it was you who gave the recommendation. Remember, you won’t be rewarded yourself until the referred friend earns a certain amount of cashback themselves, so make sure to let them know they need to shop once they’ve signed up. 

LONGEVITY 

There are long-term benefits of signing up to a cash back site, for services such as internet and car insurance. The following sites for example, offer these rewards: 

• AA car insurance £15-£20 per policy 
• Asos 1.3%-6.8% of purchase’s cost 
• BT broadband £34-£97.75 per package 
• Currys 0.75%-18.75% of purchase’s cost 
• JD Sports 1.3%-17% of purchase’s cost 
• O2 mobile £5-£85 per contract 

Do check whether credit card, mobile phone or insurance providers are registered on cashback sites before entering into a contract with them.   

HOLIDAY CASHBACK 

This is a nice one: you can book your holiday through a cashback site, and there are some great deals available on flights and hotels, and then car hire, travel insurance and airport car parking.  

GIFT CARDS 

If you want to withdraw funds as a gift card with a specific retailer rather than have it put into your bank account, you will get a top-up on your cashback: there is a large list of retailers that offer gift cards. 

HIGH STREET CASHBACK 

Quidco’s ClickSnap app has a wide range of offline cashback deals, which are pretty simple: buy the product first, then upload a photo of the receipt. You can also earn offline cashback via TopCashback’s in-store cashback scheme. The cashback will automatically appear in your account whenever you buy something with the card you registered.  

CASHBACK CREDIT CARDS 

You can earn extra cashback on your online purchases by paying for your goods with a cashback credit card, which pays you back a percentage of what you spend on them. As with all credit cards, do try and pay off your balance in full at the end of the month in order to avoid interest.  

WATCH OUT FOR… 

CASHBACK WEBSITE FEES 

Some sites offer free signup or a premium site and don’t require upfront payment, but some of the lesser-known websites might charge you a fee to sign up, or require you to clock up a certain amount of cashback before you can withdraw your funds 

COOKIES 

Whenever you surf the internet, a cookie (information about the sites you visit) trail begins, so you have to make a new cookie trail between the cashback site and online retailer in order to earn the money: do this by deleting your internet cookies BUT make sure you’ve saved any important information you have stored on your computer that would normally be autofilled for you: passwords and logins, for example. 

SHOP AROUND 

Cashback sites CAN offer you better deals than elsewhere, but make sure before you sign up, because it isn’t always the case. You may get the same or an even better deal from non-cash back sites, so compare prices before you use the service. 

LATE PAYMENTS 

All of the above can mean it takes time for the money to appear in your account: it’s not always instantaneous. So if payment just isn’t turning up when you think it should, use the site’s official cashback claim link.  

A final note: if you’re starting out, Quidco or TopCashback are two of the bigger sites and are a great start if you’re thinking of getting into these cash back sites. Good luck! 

The post Make Money From Cashback Sites This Christmas appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Let’s just say, better you than us!

Since that’s what most people think, there’s an extremely high demand for efficient ironing services that do quality work. People will rather pay extra to outsource their laundry than iron it themselves and that’s where you come in.

If you can get your hands on some coat hangers and know your way round an ironing board, this may well be the money-maker you’ve been looking for.

Read MoneyMagpie’s quick guide to starting your own ironing business below:

• What’s involved in an ironing business?
• How do I start my own ironing service?
• Top tips for making money with ironing

What’s involved in an ironing business?

In order to offer a high quality ironing service, you will need the essentials: a good iron and ironing board. It’s worth investing in good quality tools – it’ll make the labour easier and there’ll be less of a chance they damage your customers’ clothes. You should also have experience ironing, even if it’s just your own garments, and know the basics, for example, different heat settings for various types of fabrics. You’ll probably want to offer your clients higher ironing standards than you do for your own clothes.

There may already be an ironing service in your vicinity with plenty of customers, so delivering the best possible results is of the utmost importance. Do some market research to check what others offer in terms of pricing, services and delivery options. Then have a think about how you can top their offer.

Starting out ironing for cash

You basically have two options:

1. Sign up with an agency,
2. Or start your own ironing business.

ironing agencies

With the first option, it’s as simple as finding the closest agency and convincing them that you’re good at ironing. You can find it online through a quick search for iron agency and the name of your area.

Different agencies provide different services – some include alterations and repairs – so find one that best suits your skills.

When you sign up with an agency, they deal with administrative aspects such as insurance, however, if you must be registered as self-employed (and the agency should tell you this), you will have to consider some income tax issues which you can read about in this article on paying tax on your extra income.

Some agencies simply put you in touch with a local customer and leave you to arrange payments yourself.

Others have clients who typically need housekeeping, cleaning and ironing work. So, they match an ironer to their client’s needs and allow the two parties to agree a price.

If you decide to  collaborate with an agency, the work is normally part-time and often flexible.

Payment ranges from hourly rates to a fee per item or a fee per pound.

In general, you can expect to earn between:

• £8 and £12 per hour
• 50p and £1 per item
• 50p and £1 per pound

Although some agencies won’t require you to drive, having wheels definitely makes your job easier. If you don’t already have a vehicle, read our article on car leasing.

starting your own business

The big advantage of running your own operation is that you get to keep all of the money! You also get to work whenever you want and pick your clients.

The downside is that you have to do all the work of advertising, invoicing, dealing with customers and so on.

However, if this doesn’t put you off, read on to see how you can get all of this going.

How do I start my own ironing service?

Research

Start by scouring your local paper and in-shop windows to find out how stiff the competition is. Have a quick search online too and check any local Facebook sites – people often advertise on community or neighbourhood pages.

If there’re lots of ironing services available already, there probably won’t be room for any more.

If, however, you don’t notice any, great start. There may actually be demand for your services. A good way to get your business off the ground is to start small and gradually build it as you gain more clients.

For tax purposes, it’s important that you register as self-employed within three months of working for yourself. Visit Gov.uk to find out more.

Services

Start by offering a simple ironing service and then take things from there. You can also offer seasonal services, such as special offers for school uniforms in September or polishing up people’s outfits for the wedding season.

And you can branch out. If you’re a confident sewer, for instance, your talents will definitely come in handy. You can offer mending and even washing services too.

But it’s not just about getting stuff ironed. Remember – presentation is everything. It’s common practice to return a customer’s ironing in a clear plastic bag or on hangers, so be sure to have a constant supply of these. You can ask your clients to include their own hangers when you pick up their order but make sure you have some extras on hand.

A major service that most customers appreciate, is collection and delivery. It’s acceptable to charge a small fee for this, based on the cost of fuel and time spent driving.

On the plus side, when you register as self-employed, you can claim the tax back for the costs incurred when driving to and from the customer – so keep all your petrol receipts.

Costings

The starting-out cost of an ironing gig is low but setting up a budget is an essential part of any business – and it shouldn’t take too long.

All you have to do is draw up a list of expenses – including supplies, fuel, advertising, rent etc – and work out their total. When you quote customers, ensure that you cover all these bases and also add an amount for labour. It’s a good idea to compare your prices with other businesses offering ironing services. Many people in the ironing business admit they started out charging way too little and found it hard to increase their prices later as it posed the risk of losing good clients. Make sure you’re confident your fees reflect the work you put into your business.

Advertising

There’s lots of different ways in which you can advertise your ironing business but word of mouth remains the best. So, let all your friends, family and work colleagues know that you do this and ask them to help you spread the word.

It will also help to set up a Facebook page for your business. You  can use it to post regular updates and it’s a place where your customers can share their reviews. If they’re positive, it’ll encourage others to use your services.

You can also consider advertising in shop windows, libraries, your local paper, the Yellow Pages and, eventually, even setting up your own website.

Top tips for making money with ironing

Running an ironing business doesn’t have to be complicated but there are a few things you should keep in mind:

• Get some business cards printed cheaply with Vistaprint and hand them out at every opportunity. You could also design some simple leaflets and deliver them to houses in your neighbourhood.
• Smokers need not apply. If your customers get a whiff of cigarette smoke on their clothes you won’t be expecting any repeat business. It’s also a good idea to work away from strong cooking smells and pets (allergies).
• Ironing in the summer can be hot work so pick up a cheap fan to keep you cool while you’re working.
• Good professional indemnity insurance is a must in case you iron a hole in anyone’s designer suit. Accidents happen!
• Advertise your services on free local sites like Facebook groups, local supermarket notice boards and cheaper places like Gumtree.
• Websites such as Indeed or Totaljobs also post ironing jobs every so often so make sure you set up job alerts. Freelance sites like PeoplePerHour could also be a good way to find new clients.

Hopefully you now know everything you need to start ironing to ramp up your income. The beauty of this money making strategy is how easy and flexible it is to set up. Your ironing gig can be as small as only doing a few shirts for someone you know or it could be a proper full-time job. You can iron when kids are in bed or while watching TV. Happy ironing!

The post How to make money ironing appeared first on MoneyMagpie.