Hairdressing and Beauty Therapists

Medical Professionals

Care and Support Staff

Construction and Trades

Theatre Staff

Performers and Performance Artists

Athletes and Fitness Instructors

Security Guards

Landscapers and Horticulturalists

Police and Support Staff

Hairdressing and Beauty Therapists

A hands-on job, people will always need to have their hair cut and seek out the latest styles. It’s hard to cut your own hair well, and many people enjoy the experience of going to the salon.

To become a hairdresser, you’ll need to take some qualifications. Many can be done as an apprenticeship, so you earn while you learn on the job. The minimum you’ll need is an NVQ Level 2.

When you’re qualified, there are further things you can specialise in to earn more money. You might specialise in hair extensions, for example, or hair dying techniques, for example.

Beauty specialists are in the same boat as hairdressers: their hands-on job can’t be replaced by a computer. People will always want to look their best! Again, the minimum qualification is usually a Beauty Therapist Level 2 Apprenticeship to get started, and then you can specialise in things like fillers, semi permanent makeup, or more advanced treatments to earn more.

Medical Professionals

Whether it is a nurse, doctor, surgeon, or clinical support staff considering locums tenens, the medical field is one of the few that will be integrating AI into various practices but cannot fully replace human jobs. AI can aid in the medical field with advanced technology for remote consultations or to map the body with scans, but the day-to-day healthcare and specialist areas such as surgery will always need staff.

How long it takes to qualify depends on what you want to do. Support staff may need GCSEs, right up to specialised surgeons who take over ten years of study to achieve their independent practice.

It helps to be good with people but being comfortable around bodily functions is probably the most important skill to get started!

Care and Support Staff

Another hands-on job, care staff will always be needed. Community carers who visit people in their homes to help with daily tasks are one example. Or care home staff or managerial positions, as well as live-in staff for residential homes to support those with physical and learning disabilities to live an independent life.

You don’t need qualifications to start out as care staff in many cases. Lots of roles will train you on the job. It helps to have first aid and health and safety certificates, to show you’re responsible and know what to do to work safely.

Some more specialised jobs will require more work experience with qualifications, such as live-in support staff. These can often be gained over a few years while you work.

Construction and Trades

Builders, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters will always be needed. AI might be helping in some area of construction but it will never fully replace people. Trades like plumbers and electricians will always be in demand, and as these areas are crying out for more people, now is a good time to consider switching careers.

You can learn on the job with apprenticeships with many roles. This is the best way to take practical skills and improve them while you train. When you’re qualified, you can then either be employed by a company or set up as a self employed tradesperson. Being self employed gives you more flexibility over when you work, the jobs you take, and what you charge. Employed roles are regular pay and you don’t have to find the work.

Theatre Staff

Here’s one that many people won’t think of. But theatres will carry on even as AI starts to take over the creative industries. More people are craving live performance, and there could be a boom in theatre attendance in coming years.

Theatre staff include front of house, such as ushers, creative roles like artistic director, and technical roles like lighting, sound, and costume.

Theatre is a tricky world to break into, and you may have to start off by volunteering with a local amateur dramatics group to get some experience. You can also study technical courses at college and university level, which opens doors for you in building networks to find work.

Performers and Performance Artists

This is a tricky one. AI is definitely encroaching on creative spaces – just look at Midjourney and DALI for the impact AI has had on digital art. However, live performance will always be something humans desire.

Musicians performing live will always beat a track made by a computer. Actors on stage (and on screen, if AI doesn’t take over totally) will always bring a more emotional performance than a computer-generated character. Artists who work across mediums will always have a space in creative places and on people’s walls at home.

You don’t need any qualifications to follow a creative endeavour. You might even want to learn more about AI to see how it can ethically be used in your art!

Athletes and Personal Trainers

There’s no way that competitions in how far the human body can be pushed will be replaced by AI! If you have a natural skill for a sport, keep going. Training to become an athlete requires total dedication and it is not for the faint of heart. But it can be highly rewarding (and when you reach the big time, sponsorships can bring in nice extra income).

If you’re not interested in becoming a competitive athlete but love health and fitness, consider personal training. While there are many ways people can get fit now such as apps and YouTube classes, some still need in-person training. This is true particularly for those new to getting fit and those specialising in improving in a sport like powerlifting or crossfit.

Security Guards

Yes, CCTV is everywhere now. Facial recognition software makes it easier to track suspects through crowds. But in-person security will always be an AI-proof job. At least in our lifetime – it’s going to be a while before robot sentinels become commonplace.

Guarding property is important for investors and for businesses. On-the-ground security staff can respond in real time to an incident rather than only reviewing CCTV after the fact. It’s not just about preventing crime, either: security staff can spot potential problems like fire hazards (or actual fire) for an immediate response that protects assets.

Landscapers and Horticulturalists

Whether you want to be a local gardener helping people with their lawns, or you want to design and maintain the greenery in public spaces, landscaping will always be required.

It’s another one of those hands-on jobs that could, in theory, be assisted with AI. But it’s an AI-proof job in real terms, as while jobs might be helped with robotic machinery to cut time or work in risky areas safely, there will always be a need for people to tackle the majority of the work.

If you’ve got a green thumb, becoming a horticultural specialist could also be your next career move. As global food supply chains change to tackle climate differences and population demand, there is also space for new jobs in advanced horticultural techniques like hydroponics.

Police and Support Staff

While some police work is computer based and will benefit from AI tools to be more efficient, it is still an AI-proof job. Unfortunately, crime will always happen. So, people will always need police officers. And police officers will always need support staff to help build a case, interview suspects and witnesses, and provide victim support.

You can become a police cadet during the ages 13 to 18, but after that will need some qualifications such as GCSEs or a Level 3 qualification. To be a police officer, you need to pass a fitness test, medical checks, and background security checks.

To become civil support staff, you will need a background check and some school qualifications. You may also be able to train on the job for more specialised work.

Some people start out as support staff by offering their services as an Appropriate Adult, too. This is a volunteer that sits in with interviews with children or vulnerable people to ensure due process is followed and that they have an advocate in the room. You don’t need a legal qualification to do this but you will need compassion and be able to support people who may have committed a crime through the interview process without judgement.

Can you think of more AI-proof jobs for the future? Comment below!

The post AI-Proof Jobs to Secure Your Financial Future appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

The General Election will be held on Thursday 4th July 2024. Many people don’t realise that elections are more than a chance to cast your vote — they are an opportunity to make money!

When you vote in any election, you’ll have noticed the poll clerks overseeing everything.

However, have you ever considered making a bit of extra cash as a poll clerk yourself? Can you make yourself free for the whole day?

If so, you can earn around £250 for a day’s work in a polling station. It’s a quick and easy money-making idea and ideal if you are retired or a student.

• Who Can Become a Poll Clerk?
• What’s Involved?
• How Much Can I Make?
• How Do I Apply?

Who Can Become a Poll Clerk?

Anyone is eligible to act as a poll clerk, providing they are over 18, literate and numerate and not have worked for a candidate standing in the current election. You must also have the right to work in the UK. There are some things you need to declare on your application form too, including whether you are a member of a political party, you’re an active campaigner in the elections, and if you’re a close relative of a current candidate. This may not go against your application chances, but it must be declared.

The only other requirement is that applicants must be on the electoral roll – if you’re not, you really should be. Not being on the electoral roll can damage your credit rating!

If you’re not on the electoral roll you can register to vote on the Government’s official website. You can also find your local Electoral Registration Office by clicking here. Alternatively, give your local authority a call. 

What’s Involved?

As a poll clerk, you are there to set-up the polling station and make sure correct procedure is followed throughout the day, including after voting closes.

Your duties include checking people are eligible to vote, checking and marking electoral numbers, stamping and issuing ballot papers, and, crucially, making certain that votes are cast in secret and put into the ballot box. For the first time ever, all in-person voting requires photographic ID at all polling stations in the UK for Parliamentary elections – so you’ll need to have a good eye for faces, because you’ll be checking voters’ IDs to confirm their identity.

You answer to the  Presiding Officer, who is the official in charge of a polling station.

It’s a long day, usually from early morning (usually 6am) till at least 11pm when the voting finishes.

You can also apply to help count the ballot papers in the evening, but be aware that this is, as you can probably imagine, pretty frantic work. You’ll need to be able to work well under pressure and also focus in busy environments.

For more information on the duties of a poll clerk, and the requirements to become one, look at the Handbook for Polling Station Staff here.

How Much Can I Make?

The amount you earn varies from council to council so it depends on where you apply.

You should be getting at least £150 for the day and councils who pay the most will offer £250 or more.

To find out how much your local council pays, simply visit their website and search ‘poll clerk’. For a list of local authorities in England and Wales, click here.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you have worked at a polling station on at least two other occasions, you can apply to become a Presiding Officer, which means more money! (For example, a Presiding Officer in Herefordshire makes over £350 while in Merton, London, it is £430. 

There are other roles available which may not require you to be available for the full day. Bristol Council has some great videos and leaflets describing the different job roles and expectations.

How Do I Apply?

Usually, poll clerks have worked for their local council, but this experience is not a prerequisite. Most councils and local authorities have information on how to become a poll clerk on their website. Either visit their website and search ‘poll clerk’, or simply Google ‘become a poll clerk’ followed by your town, city, or council. For a list of council websites, click here. 

Alternatively, you can call your local authority and ask for the Elections and Registration Office, or send them an email telling them that you’re interested. They’ll send you a form if they need clerks. Don’t leave it until a week before an election to apply because the positions will probably already be filled – it’s better to apply sooner rather than later.

Some local authorities recruit all year round so you can keep applying and be put on a waiting list for the next election.

If you are selected as a poll clerk you will attend a training/briefing session and then be sworn in the day before the election.

On Election Day, a Presiding Officer oversees the whole station and will supervise and instruct you.

Have you ever made money as a polling clerk? Do you have any other good money making ideas? Let us know in the comments section below – we love to hear from you!

The post Make money from the General Election – be a poll clerk 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.

Recruitment Consultant

Estate Agent

Talent Agent

Airline Pilot

Personal Trainer

Train Driver

Life Coach

Social Media Influencer

Fisherman

Cyber Security Consultant

Recruitment Consultant

If you’re a people person with a knack for sales, this could be the job for you. Helping others find a job can be rewarding work, but you need to be tenacious and outgoing. There is a lot of outreach – contacting employers to see if they want to use your services and contacting jobseekers to match them to jobs – but once you establish a reputation and good employer client base, it’s a steady way to a salary over £50k.

Junior consultants will start on a low base salary, around £22,000 – but commission is added on top of that, with bonuses if you hit targets, too. There are different types of consultants – you might specialise in a certain field of work (like IT, marketing, manufacturing, human resources etc) for permanent jobs, or you could place ‘bank’ staff for medical and care settings. There are pros and cons to both – the first is a longer game, as the process for hiring is longer for each role so it can take some time to get the commission. However, commission is higher. With bank staff recruitment, you’ll build a relationship with jobseekers who regularly want extra shifts, as well as care homes or nursing departments that often need holiday cover etc. The turnover is very fast with this type of job, but the commission is much smaller. Both will net you around the same commission overall but require different skills. Long-term roles are about people skills while bank recruitment is about speed and network (who can you call to cover a shift right now, today?).

Estate Agent

Yes, estate agents might have a bit of a reputation but in reality it can be a highly rewarding job. You’ll work with lots of people and get to see a whole range of life – no day is the same. Some estate agents specialise in either rentals or sales, while others will do both.

An average starting salary is £25,000 plus commission on every sale or rental agreement. The average salary in the UK for an estate agent is around £35,000 plus commission which can easily take you above £50,000 a year. You don’t need a degree, but you can learn on the job with a trainee position.

You will need to have a good memory, as each property will have all sorts of information to remember. It’s also important that you understand people’s likes and dislikes easily – there is no point showing someone a 3 bed house on the outskirts of town when they want a three bed flat in the city centre!

Another type of estate agent is one that deals with commercial properties – this could be anything from a single office to a massive multi-storey building. Specialising in commercial tenancies can be very lucrative, especially in cities where space is at a premium for companies, so if you have hustle abilities it could be the best route to consider.

Talent Agent

Ever wondered how actors get cast? Talent agents are the people behind creative talent like actors, directors, writers and even producers. It’s their job to ‘sell’ their client to get them work, and then they receive a commission from that client’s pay for the job.

When you’re starting out, you’ll be a talent agent assistant for a few years on a lower salary between £21,000 – £27,000, so you can learn the trade and build a network of contacts. When you move up to becoming a talent agent with your own clients, your salary will be around £30,000 – £40,000 base before commission. It’s a lot of networking and outreach (if you like going to the theatre several nights a week to spot new talent this could be for you!).

You need to absolutely love theatre, TV, and film, and have a good eye for talent. You need to be a salesperson but, more importantly, a people person: these industries work very much on ‘who knows who’ so if you’re a fan of schmoozing at events it could be ideal for you. There are long hours and often nitty gritty contracts to sort out (with help of your business affairs team), and you’re often on-call seven days a week. But you’ll earn at least 10% of every paycheck of every client – so when you have one or two earning upwards of six figures, it’s easy to see how you can earn a lot as a talent agent.

Airline Pilot

This is a highly desirable job but you will need a head for numbers and be willing to work all kinds of shifts. Pilots start out on a salary around £25,000 but will very quickly rise once training is complete to well over £50,000. In fact, most airline pilots earn at least £80,000 a year with senior training captains earning in excess of £120,000 a year.

You don’t need a degree to become an airline pilot (although there are degrees you can take). You will need a high standard of A-Level education, be medically fit, and be prepared to either pay a lot for training for your commercial pilot’s licence or take on debt to do so. Some companies will offer a low starting salary to offset the training fees.

Airline pilots can be long haul (over 8 hour flights) or short haul, or even private charter jets (though this tends to be a route for experienced commercial pilots to move to after a few years on the airlines). The hours can be any time of day, any day of the week, but you shouldn’t do more than 60 hours in a working week. You can also often sell your time off to make extra money, as long as it doesn’t go over the maximum hours in the week. It’s a physically demanding job and can take a few years to pay off the training – BUT – the salary rises very quickly and you get to see the world!

Personal Trainer

You don’t HAVE to have qualifications as a personal trainer but it is definitely recommended to take some in your field of interest. This will help you advise clients on how to get fit safely and help you get a salaried role at a gym or wellness centre. The minimum qualification for this would be a CIMPSA approved Level Three Diploma in Personal Training.

A personal trainer helps other people get fit or achieve their athletic goals. Some will also be nutritionists and advise on their clients’ diet and lifestyle for a more holistic approach. Some will specialise, such as training powerlifters or working with people with medical conditions, while others are more general. Personal trainers are usually self-employed. Personal trainers in employed positions start at around £27,000 a year moving to £35,000 in the first few years and over £50,000 after that. Self employed trainers have more control over what they can charge, but will need to be more flexible and usually invest in some equipment too.

You will need to have an interest in health and fitness yourself, and be able to find ways to motivate people based on their needs. Some people prefer a ‘drill sergeant’ approach to motivate them while others like positive reinforcement.

Train Driver

Keep the country moving by becoming a train driver! Starting salaries during training are around £24,000 – £26,000 a year but the average salary for a train driver is £57,000 according to Glassdoor and you could earn beyond into around £70,000 after a number of years.

You don’t need a degree to become a train driver but you will need some GCSEs (or equivalent) of A-C grades for maths and  English. Many people start out as a train conductor and apply from there to become a driver. Training takes place on the job and will take between 12-24 months to complete.

When you have gained experience, you can also move into related careers such as training new drivers, train driver or staff management, or similar roles, which come with higher salaries.

Life Coach

A life coach is not a therapist or a counsellor. They use their skills to help people find their own strengths and weaknesses, and guide them through big decisions in their life such as changing careers or building their own business.

You don’t need to have any qualifications to set yourself up as a life coach, but you can charge more and also gain client trust in your service by having them. A qualification in counselling is helpful, and you can find other professionally-accredited courses through CIPD.

Some life coaches have a professional business-centred approach, while others are more holistic and focus on the individual’s personal goals. It’s a self-employed position, so how much you earn depends on how much you charge! You need to consider how many hours a week you can give to clients, how many hours a week you need to market your service, and what value you can bring to people. To earn over £50,000 a year (pre tax) as a self-employed life coach, you will need to earn an average of £1,000 a week, assuming you take a week off over Christmas and in the summer. That’s £200 a day – so if you charge £50 an hour, that’s four hours of contact time a day. Remember that, being self-employed, you’re not paid for the work you do behind the scenes, only for client time, so factor that in to your calculations. (So, for example, you could do four hours in the morning on building your coaching business and four hours of client time in the afternoon to reach your minimum daily target of £200).

Social Media Influencer

We couldn’t do a list of degree-less jobs without putting this on here! How much you can earn as a social media influencer is really a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ question. However, when you’ve built an audience and can start getting sponsors to pay for your posts, it can quickly rack up to thousands of pounds.

If you have 500,000 followers on Instagram (for a dream example), you can easily earn over £10,000 for one promotional post. That’s a couple of hours’ work!

Of course, it takes a lot of time to make money on social media, and you need to be able to have the confidence to host a channel as well as the time and creative energy to make new content every week. But, if it really appeals to you, you could earn literally millions of pounds.

Fisherman

Did you know there are 400 harbours in the UK that have fishing vessels sailing in and out of them every day? If you’re after a physical job that comes with some danger but high reward potential, a role as a fisherman might be for you. You’ll start out as a junior deckhand as you learn everything that’s needed to operate a safe environment on a vessel, and progress from there.

You don’t need a degree but you will need at least basic safety training. You’ll also need to have a good level of fitness as it is a very physically demanding job, and be prepared to work in all weathers (and not get seasick).

The average salary for a commercial fisherman in the UK is £52,000, but the starting salary for a deckhand will be lower at around £22,000. When you are an experienced fisherman, you can apply for your captain’s licence to run your own vessel and salaries then become much higher above £70,000 or more.

Cyber Security Consultant

As our world operates almost entirely online in some way or other these days, cyber security specialists are in high demand and £50k jobs are easy to find if you’re skilled at it. You don’t need a degree but you do need a solid understanding of computers, computer languages, and security issues. You can look for an apprenticeship to train on the job, with employers as varied as the British Army to BT to Microsoft and beyond. You can also take courses such as the Ethical Hacker course or become a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) to boost your career prospects.

Another benefit of training as a cyber security consultant is that computers are international – and so you could work internationally, too. This gives you access to working for some of the biggest names in IT such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, either at an international office or even remotely.

This is one of the roles with a high starting salary – around £40,000 – because of the highly technical nature of the work. You will quickly rise beyond that, with an average salary of £55,000 in a year or two and £80,000 or more with a few years’ experience.

The post Ten £50k+ Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree 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.

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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.

How to apply

For further information on the job add visit the Bensons website

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It definitely is the season to be earning so happy yuletide job hunting. 

• Christmas jobs with Royal Mail
• Work in retail – get paid to get discounts
• Deliver catalogues and brochures
• Christmas bar work
• Sell your stuff online
• More ways to make money at Christmas
• Find Christmas jobs available near you with our tool
• What are you doing to make money this Christmas?

Be a postie or sorter with Royal Mail

Millions of cards and presents will be winging their way across the world in the run up to Christmas Day so no surprise, it’s the busiest time of the year for the Royal Mail and that means that they need people like you. 

Take a look at jobs.royalmailgroup.com to check out what jobs they have in your area.  At the time of writing they were looking for mail sorters, parcel delivery drivers, LGV and MGV drivers and customer service staff in a variety of places across the country. 

work in retail: get paid and get discounts 

There’s an added bonus to getting a job in retail, not only do you get paid an hourly rate but often there’s a pretty good staff discount too.  And that surely will go some way to help get through those Christmas tunes playing on constant repeat. 

SUPERMARKETS

Lots of supermarkets need what they call Festive Colleagues. These jobs can be really fun as you get to work in a team with people in a similar situation to yourself. There’s also all that Christmas spirit to soak up and as long as you can cope with Christmas tunes on repeat, you’re onto a winner!

Here are all the seasonal roles still available (at the time of writing):

Lidl and Aldi

Lidl and Aldi were voted the most popular supermarkets in the UK in 2023 so no surprise Aldi is hiring more than 1,000 temporary store colleagues over the Christmas period.  They have an hourly rate of £9.40 or £10.90 if you live inside the M25.  www.aldirecruitment.co.uk for more information and to apply.   

Tesco

Tesco are recruiting Festive Colleagues and hope to give applicants a bit of extra sparkle with their hourly rate of £11.02.  They have opportunities across the country and offer a variety of shift patterns.  You can sign up for job alerts or got to www.tesco-careers.com for more information.

 Sainsbury’s 

Sainsbury’s have announced 22,000 seasonal roles nationwide, including 2,000 at Argos to help them deliver a great Christmas to customers.  Temporary workers will be employed on fixed term contracts ranging from three to 12 weeks.  Visit sainsburys.jobs/christmas 

Morrisons

Morrisons too are hiring for retail, logistics and manufacturing roles across the UK.  www.morrisons.jobs 

John Lewis

Their Christmas advert has become one of the most anticipated on our TVs so perhaps not surprising for a company that puts so much into the festive period, their website www.jlpjobs.com says they are looking to recruit.  Whether you want to find something in sales, stock or catering, you only have to make one application on their site. 

Marks and Spencer

M&S has announced it will be recruiting 10,000 customer assistant roles in its stores over Christmas.  Successful applicants also get a 20% colleague discount in addition to the average hourly rate of £10.90.  jobs.marksandspencer.com 

Boots

Boots are quick to point out that while their Christmas recruitment drive may be temporary, it could lead to a permanent role later on depending on the opportunities in your area.  It’s a great confidence boost, helps you gain experience and some money in your pocket.  www.boots.jobs will help you find what roles are local to you. 

Amazon

Whether you are starting out in the job market or just looking to get out of the house, all of these retailers will provide training. 

With their massive warehouses a part of the UK landscape these days, Amazon are always on the lookout for staff in their distribution centres which pay, on average, £11.80 an hour or customer service roles which have an hourly rate of £12.70.  www.jobsatamazon.co.uk provides a handy search tool to see what is available in your area. 

Deliver catalogues and brochures

Yet another potential Christmas gig. If you don’t mind getting out and about, there’s definitely money to be made delivering catalogues and brochures over the festive season.

The great thing about this sort of work is that you can do it in your own time. Perhaps run some deliveries before going into your other job or when you have a spare moment from preparing for Christmas.

If that’s something you’d like to pursue, check out websites such as:

• Indeed
• Gumtree

And take a look at your local papers and newsagents for work opportunities.

One thing to note is that you should watch out for companies asking for cash deposits for the items you’re delivering. Avoid those because they’re likely to be scams.

Check out our article here which has a lot more information on how to get work delivering leaflets and catalogues in your area.

christmas Bar Work

Pubs and restaurants will be hoping for a bumper Christmas with office parties and celebrations and that means they need extra staff.  Check your local bars and eateries.  If you are willing to work Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve then you can expect to earn double the hourly rate of pay which will be a big boost to your finances. 

Find out how to get bar work and restaurant work in our article here.

Promote clubs at christmas

If you have a good network of friends and a wide social media presence, you could get paid to party by bringing in extra punters to clubs in cities all over the country.  Admittedly, they might not have too much trouble getting people through the doors at the weekend but what about those quieter Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights? 

And with added crowds they’ll need more doormen, bar staff and hosts and hostesses.  

For more tips, read our article here with info on how to make money by partying!

sell your stuff online

Now for some more home-based activities to help you make extra cash ahead of Christmas.

Start with selling. If you have a spare moment, why not upload all the things you don’t want to various online selling sites and use that money to buy presents. While it isn’t strictly a Christmas job, it’s a great way to make some money. You could even buy gifts on the same sites you’re selling your stuff. Very convenient!

Here on MoneyMagpie we have a whole section of our website dedicated to selling your stuff online. Just go to make money and then click on ‘sell your stuff’, you’ll be amazed at what you make money from!

ebay

If you really want a job that sticks closer to home then why not see what you could sell?  A good clear out could unearth loads of stuff you never use or have been meaning to get rid of. 

eBay is always a good place to start and you could even pick up some cheap gifts when you’re selling your own stuff. 

We have loads of tips on our site on how to sell your stuff so check it out and you could make a Christmas bundle.  

It’s simple to use.  Prepare your stuff, upload

More ways to make money at Christmas

make christmas hampers to sell

Hampers make for a thoughtful gift everyone loves but they can be pretty expensive.

That’s actually good news for you. If you’re creative, you could make hampers and sell them at car boot sales, markets and even through local independent shops. It’s something you can easily do in your spare time at home. Perhaps you could even get your kids involved in getting the hampers ready?

To help you out, we’ve put together a detailed guide including information and links to products in our article on how to make hampers to sell.

So, let your imagination run wild and make hampers using boxes, pots and even watering cans. Perhaps have a look around your house and you might find other creative containers.

So long as you know how to make things look pretty, you can use things such as:

• cosmetics and foods from pound shops
• home-made cakes and sweets
• artisan oils, spices and vinegars
• home-made cosmetics and toiletries (learn how to make them here)
• anything else that looks cool!

Get creative and whatever doesn’t sell, you can recycle as presents for your friends and family.

what are you doing to make money for christmas?

Christmas is known as a time you tend to spend more cash than usual but with a Christmas job sorted, you might just balance things out. So, make the most out of the festive season. Perhaps think of it as a great opportunity to bag yourself a great job so you really can have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Let us know in the comments below if you have come up with your own ideas for this season!

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The post Temp Jobs This Christmas: Christmas jobs are still available! appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Miles on set

“You may have seen the show Extras and thought, do all these people in the backgrounds of TV and films get paid to be there? The answer is yes they do. Then you might wonder, is the money good enough for me to consider trying this? 

Now, personally I’ve done a bit of extra work, and this was partly because I had nothing better to do one week a few years back, and also because I was interested – filmmaker that I am – to see what it was like from the other side of the camera: being turned into a period film extra. The fact that the TV show and film I signed up to extra in were about, respectively, a serial killer (I’d just made a movie about one) and the other one starred Alan Rickman, I thought why not? For me, being on a couple of film sets would be an invaluable experience.”

WHAT DO EXTRAS DO? 

Put simply, extras or SAs (Supporting Artists) are paid to fill out the backgrounds in TV shows or films that need crowd scenes, passers-by, pub regulars and so forth. Generally an SA won’t have a featured or speaking role: their job is to blend in and seem like they’re part of the scene unfolding in the foreground. That said, you can (and I have) gained the odd extra role with a speaking line, for which you get paid more – and more on that in a bit. 

MY EXPERIENCE 

Bear in mind I did both the extras jobs for a bit of fun, not because I particularly needed the money or want to be a professional SA or anything. I must say though, the respect I garnered for extras after being one skyrocketed immeasurably. 

For the first job, the TV one about the serial killer, I was required for a funeral scene in a graveyard in a pleasant Yorkshire field, so I was driven by my long-suffering partner (I don’t drive… yet) to set very early in the morning, where I was stuffed into the period suit I’d been fitted for a week earlier (you get paid for that, too). That was a pleasant enough day, a bit boring, with lots of standing around while the crew set up shots (something I’m more than familiar with, so I watched and waited patiently). 

The scene involved me ushering mourners out of the church, nodding at the actor playing the vicar, who’d worked with Johnny Depp and on just about every TV show and film I’d ever seen, and shutting the door. I did that about ten times. The shot didn’t make it into the movie, presumably not because I was so awful in it but probably because the scene was too long. The camera crew will get a lot of what they call ‘coverage’, most of which they don’t need but which covers them in the edit. Come to think of it, that’s probably one of the reasons it’s called coverage. 

THE FILM 

My second extras job, with the same agency, was not as pleasant because it was in a dank, dark, cold, crumbling building, and I was a semi-featured extra (I didn’t have a speaking role but I had to tip my hat at the only other extra in the scene.) The main actor in the scene was a now-very famous British actor from TV and film (including a Spielberg movie) and she was nothing but friendly and courteous as we blocked out the scene and she ran her lines again and again.  

After a few goes through the blocking – which is where the actors and extras work out who’s standing and walking where – it was relayed to me that I wasn’t moving fast enough through the scene, then too fast, then not tipping my hat correctly, and then they gave up the idea of me doing any of the above, and made me sit in a quiet room in the dark next to a heat lamp, presumably to think about what I’d done. Or hadn’t done.

It then took about five hours for them to escort me from the set (you can’t just leave when you want), remove my itchy fake beard and set me free into the wild, where I met with my partner to enjoy a nice cold beer. Oh and Alan Rickman didn’t show up, and then later I found out the reason was that sadly, he’d succumbed to cancer. But, it was an experience, I will say that. 

THE PAY 

I did of course get paid for all of the above: for my costume fittings and for my extra time on set, and it was paid when they said it would be. But I wouldn’t say it was an easy couple of days: early starts, random locations, uncomfortable clothes… however, we did get some nice food and drink during the breaks. 

So, if you fancy having a go at being an extra (and I’ve had many offers since), here’s what to look out for. 

TALENT AGENCIES 

First off, you need to sign up with an agency, who will require photos of you and a biography, with front, side and back pictures of you with no makeup, plain enough clothes and a clear expression: sort of like taking a passport photo. This way, the talent agency will be able to see what you look like. Be honest with your photos, because you may just have the exact look they’re going for depending on the project: being the size and figure you are with the hairstyle you have (although sometimes you may be asked if you’re amenable to changing your appearance) could be exactly what they need, so don’t go changing.

Do some research into the best UK talent agencies. Some of these include: 

• Andrea Casting 
• The Casting Collective 
• The Casting Network 
• Catnap Casting 
• Euro Kids & Adults (EKA) 
• Extra People (this is the one I’m a member of) 
• The Extras Dept. 
• Greenlight Casting 

Google around and make sure the agency you apply to is legit, and adheres to the laws of talent work in the UK. As an agency worker, you have the same rights as other employees and workers to: be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, to not have any deductions from your pay that are not legal. To be paid on time and by the agreed method. 

Once you’re signed up to the agency, you’ll have to wait for opportunities to come your way, which is the shaky part of being an SA. I stayed signed on with my talent agency, mostly to keep track of the productions happening in my area, and in the past six months for example, I’ve had several emails a week asking me to try out for several big productions – we’re talking BIG Hollywood films with huge stars, and new TV shows for Netflix and the BBC.  

THE MONEY 

The money is pretty good for a side job, as I say, but not as a main career, as you’re at the mercy of whatever productions are running. Covid was disastrous for the film and TV industry but it’s slowly coming back: these days you’ll HAVE to be Covid-compliant on set, so that means masks and hand san as well as social distancing: it’s the law! 

You could make as much as £100 a day being an extra, but as mentioned before, half of that could potentially be spent on your travel costs. Plus, the schedules are often mercilessly last-minute and inflexible, so if you have a regular job or family commitments, it’s very hard to fit SA work into your monthly schedule. If you fancy it though, and you ideally have your own car, you may want to look into it.  

ESSENTIALS 

Ideally you’ll need to drive to the locations, which are usually near-ish where you live but frequently in the middle of nowhere, and the start and finish times often leave a lot to be desired. The longest extras day I did myself started at 5am and ended at 3am, for which I was paid overtime, but it was a long, uncomfortable day where I had to wear a false beard and tight suit. You’re not allowed to have your phone on set so you can’t sit around texting, and there’ll often be long periods of time where you’re sitting on set or in a trailer with nothing to do. So for God’s sake take a small book to have handy, or strike up chats with other SAs: that’ll get you through the day. Lots of interesting people work as SAs!

You’ll be answerable to firstly the Costume and Makeup Departments, where you’ll be tousled and buttoned into your outfit, then to an Assistant Director who’ll spend a lot of time speaking into a radio and ushering you back and forth from set to make sure you don’t wander off. And you can’t make a lot of noise on set between takes either, or you’ll incur the wrath of the 1st AD, who are scary by nature as theirs is one of the hardest jobs on set. 

There is the camaraderie of the other SAs however, and I made some good pals on set. I was nipped and tucked and combed and glued into my costume all day long, and my legs were killing me by the end of the day – and all for often not making it into the final cut.  

And you do get paid on time, more if you worked overtime, and it’s a reliable payment system, if not a reliable career

Did you Get any Further Offers to be a Film or TV Extra?

“Yes, after a silent patch due to the pandemic, I now get almost daily offers of work at the moment, and over the past few months I’ve had multiple opportunities to become involved at various levels of SA work on some major TV and film productions: not all of them fit around my other work, but every week my inbox buzzes with notifications about productions in or near where I live.”

The post An Extra’s Story: Can you Really Make Money Being a Film and TV Extra? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

LEGO enthusiasts now have the chance to make their dream job a reality and get paid for it!

LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester is on the hunt for a talented individual to become their new Master Model Builder – a coveted role that aims to inspire the next generation of builders while creating showstopping LEGO sculptures.

Potential candidates for the dream role will compete in an elite competition to determine Manchester’s best builder, held at The Trafford Palazzo, on Saturday 23^rd September.

 What’s the job?

Participants will engage in a series of exciting speed builds and challenges to flaunt their skills set by Luke, the UK’s Mini Master Model Builder. The challenges will allow them to flex their LEGO abilities when constructing intricate structures under pressure.

The successful candidate will join the exclusive ranks, becoming the 35^th Master Model Builder – making it one of the rarest jobs in the world.

They will continue crafting brick-tastic displays in the attraction’s Miniland, with their creations sitting alongside the cobbles of Coronation Street and the Old Trafford stadium among many other LEGO masterpieces.

When they’re not crafting LEGO displays that wow visitors, the Master Model Builder will also be responsible for maintaining the existing awe-inspiring models, igniting imaginations through creative workshops and teaching visitors how to build their own wonderful creations.

 How to Apply to get paid to play with lego

To become Manchester’s Master Model Builder and join the growing team, apply by Saturday 16^th September via this form here. 

Potential candidates will be asked to submit a photo of their best LEGO build yet, before showcasing their skills in the competition at The Trafford Palazzo on Saturday 23^rd September, followed by a face-to-face interview.

The UK’s Mini Master Model Builder Luke, Operations Manager Matthew O’Connell, Marketing Manager Nathalie Eady, and the site’s General Manager Jenn McDonough will act as judges to decide which contestants will take on the job. 

Jenn McDonough, General Manager at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester said: “If you live and breathe LEGO, our Master Model Builder role will be your dream job! It’s a chance to get creative and play with LEGO all day and create showstopping structures, all while being paid!

“The right candidate will be passionate about all things LEGO and ready to take their building skills to the next level, with flair and a creative spark. They will also have impeccable attention to detail and a love for inspiring others through hosting creative workshops and advising guests.

“At LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester, our mission is to create unforgettable experiences for LEGO enthusiasts, and we want you to be a part of it. Don’t miss your opportunity to apply to be a Master Model Builder, submit your application and get practicing your brick building skills!”

 If this appeals then read our guide on making money buying and selling lego here.

The post Get Paid to Play with Lego appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Take a look at our guide for starting up a baking business below:

• Make money from cakes
• Where to sell your cakes
• Devising a business plan
• Equipment you need
• Getting inspiration 
• Creating hampers
• How much should you charge?
• Seasonal baking
• Have fun with it!
• Case study: Lazy Day Cakes
• Case study: Hummingbird Bakery

How to make money from cakes

Home cooking, especially baking cakes and cupcakes, is very fashionable right now. This is thanks to celebrity chefs and cooking programmes like the Great British Bake Off. People will pay good money for high quality baking. You can sell your food at parties, fairs, and even at local food markets.

The beautiful thing about earning by baking is that it’s straightforward, flexible and enjoyable. It isn’t something that you necessarily have to do on a regular basis if you don’t want to. But if you’re ever short on cash, the option is there. All you’ll really need is a few good recipes and a reasonable idea of what people want to buy.

Getting started: Where to sell?

There are many places that you can sell cakes and other sweet products.

• Car boot sale
• School fairs
• Online shop
• Selling to local stores
• Setting up your own shop

Remember location is important. Before you decide to make a real go of baking, first find out what sells and where.

Working out a business plan

Working out the basics of your business first will hopefully help you keep on track with your budget. Running your own business can be exciting and rewarding but also stressful and taxing. But if you follow our tips, you’ll find your baking life will be made much easier.

Start small and keep costs low

Don’t spend any more than you have to on your start-up. Lots of big businesses start small, for example Laura Ashley began at her kitchen table. M&S started with a market stall, and Tesco was just a couple of local grocer’s shops at the beginning. Consider using your kitchen as your workplace before moving somewhere bigger.

Don’t forget insurance, as your household insurance may no longer be valid if you’re working from home. This is something you’ll need to check with your current broker. You may need to upgrade your insurance.

Set up a separate bank account for your business. It doesn’t need to be an expensive ‘business’ account, it can be an ordinary current account. Either with your current bank or with a different provider.

Pay attention to cashflow

Starting up a new business can be hard, so any help financially can really make the difference. Don’t assume that people will pay on time every time.

• Cut down your waiting time for payments by getting clients to agree payment terms at the start.
• Don’t spend money now assuming that you’ll receive payment from your clients.
• Plan your business expenditure so that you are not creating debt. And therefore not dependent upon customers paying on time.
• Have more than one income stream – even if that means doing a part-time job while you get established.
• If you’re having consistent problems with unpaid bills then consider joining the Federation of Small Businesses (around £200 a year) so that you can use their legal assistance to chase your debtors.

Create a realistic business plan

As the saying goes: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Therefore, even if you’re just setting up as a part-timer you need to give yourself a clear idea of your monthly costs and how much profit (or other income) you must generate to keep going.

Work out what your monthly sales need to be, factoring in costs like baking equipment, ingredients, delivery etc. Make yourself a chart for the next 12 months showing the growth in sales you can realistically generate and be clear on how you’ll generate those new customers.

It’s a tough thing to guess but just the action of thinking it through will provide you with earnings goals and points to consider as you run your business.

Networking is vital

The more you’re out touting for work, the more work you’re likely get. With the internet it’s possible to meet people without leaving your home.

Join online networking groups and forums and start giving useful advice on areas directly relevant to your business. This raises your profile in a positive way. But don’t spend too much time on it, allocate a certain amount of time a week and stick to that.

A simple way to get some repeat business is to get some business cards printed. If you’re making cakes, you could then advertise the fact that you bake to order for parties and events. Pop into local cafes and coffee shops (not the chain outlets), hand them your card and make your services known. Maybe even provide them with a few samples. Make sure you take your business cards wherever you go. You can meet interesting and potentially useful people anywhere.

Give people what they want

Don’t make the mistake of being blinkered about what you want to produce and sell. You have to be very aware of what your potential and existing customers want to spend money on. Not just what you think they want because it’s easier for you.

Speak to potential customers, both before you start up the business and as an ongoing habit. Take them to lunch, pick their brains, ask them what they want and enjoy.

Keep a realistic perspective of what’s selling as your business develops. Is there a sideline product or service that’s very popular and takes less effort than the main offering? If so, focus more effort on it. Be honest with yourself about what works, what doesn’t. If you have to make enough to pay the rent, then you need to be brutally honest about the success or failure of products pretty quickly.

What do you need to start

Food safety and hygiene

The first thing you should do is research the food safety standards. Legislation says that all food businesses must register their kitchens with their local authority unless they operate on a “casual and limited” basis.

If you’re simply selling once in a blue moon at a car boot sale or market then you don’t need to worry. However, if you are planning on making an income in this way, contact your local council and ask them what the rules are in your area. Laws vary depending on where you live. For example, in some places you will need to become a registered trader, even if you only sell your food once every couple of months.

Be aware that if you’re regularly selling food produce, you may need to need to take a course in food hygiene. You can do this over the internet and it’ll cost you around £15. The course is mostly just common sense so it’s reasonably easy to complete.

Work out your costs

If you want to make money baking, you need to do some basic costings. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ll need to take into consideration:

• How much ingredients cost
• Cost of the sale location fee (car boot sale/farmers market fee) if there is one
• Average cost of travel to the location
• Cost of the food packaging (keep it simple to start with, clingfilm will do in most cases)
• Initial cost of food hygiene training (if you’re planning on regular sales)
• Cost of labels/general stationery/invoicing pads
• Extra cost of gas or electricity for your oven

Once you’ve worked out how much all of this is, you should be able to work out how much you’ll need to sell to make a profit.

While you do your research, you should be taking note of how much other stallholders sell their cakes and foods for. This gives you a rough idea of how much you can reasonably expect to charge.

You don’t have to be qualified to sell cakes, but there are hundreds of baking/cake decorating courses you can go on which are likely to benefit the quality of your products.

Here are a few we recommend:

• Annabelle Jane Cake School
• Blue Door Bakery (email bluedoorbakery@hotmail.com)

Finding the right location

Try out a stall at a car boot sale first, because it won’t cost much to set up. You can find your nearest car boot sale on Carbootjunction. Once you’re more established, you might consider going a little more upmarket. Although if you have cracked the car boot market, you could also simply increase the number of cakes you take with you. Letting your business grow that way.

To set up a stall at a farmers’ market, you need to find one local to you. You can do this by searching Facebook or the Local Foods website for your nearest market.

Keep on top of your finances

• Put money aside for your forthcoming tax bill.
• If you can, speak to an accountant about how much you should put aside for tax.
• However if you’re just starting up, you probably won’t have to pay VAT.
• Keep good records of your incoming and outgoing revenues, your receipts and other related information. Again if you speak to an accountant they will give you guidance on what files to keep, how to organise them and what to do to keep your accountancy bills down.
• Accountants too expensive? Though a good accountant is invaluable, you don’t necessarily need one when you’re first starting out. Plenty of people do their own accounts on paper or using an Excel spreadsheet.

How to come up with ideas

It’s a crowded market so how do you make sure people want your cakes?

The cake business has been around for longer than anyone can remember and in recent years the market has become very crowded. It’s important that you create and sell things people will want to buy. Chances are somebody will already have the best butter cream filling or the tastiest frosted cupcakes. How are you going to make sure you stand out from your competitors?  Think outside the box. Take a trip to your local car boot sale or farmers’ market and look for which food stalls are the busiest. If it seems like jam is the ‘in-thing’ and there aren’t that many stalls that sell it, you’ve found your product: jam filled cakes.

If you’re at a car boot and there aren’t any stalls selling food then it’s a good idea to take a look at the people that are there. Are they the sort who would prefer to buy upmarket, fancy, homemade produce or a couple of 20p fairy buns to nibble on? Make the kind of cakes and sweets you think you could sell easily.

You can also ask your family and friends what they’d like. Try to ask a wide range of people and see if you come out with any unanimous decisions. Also, speak to any cake sellers you see at fairs and markets and ask them which cakes sell best.

Experiment

Once you’ve got a good idea of the kind of people you’re going to be selling to, it’s time to get your product sorted. You’ll need to come up with a range of different products to make this work. If you’re selling cake, try out different methods, ingredients, flavours and fillings. With sweets, test out different recipes. You could try focusing on one area, like chocolate, fudge or maybe even health food.

Get your friends and family to try all your samples out and find out which are the most popular choices. They’ll likely be more than willing to help. It’s worth knowing that at farmers’ markets, you’re not likely to sell much unless you use local, organic ingredients. People who go to these events look for traditional homemade foods and one of the pros of shopping for food at a farmers’ market is that you’re able to ask the stallholder precisely where the food is from and how it was made.

Stallholders at farmers’ markets should be prepared to give honest, credible answers to customers. So factor these more expensive ingredients into your budget. Remember that people are usually willing to pay for high quality.

Presentation

Presentation is important, particularly if you sell at an upmarket venue. Consider your customers: are they going to want something ‘cheap and cheerful’, or posh-looking homemade produce? Funnily enough, some of the more expensive jams and cakes have ‘the rustic look’: you could find yourself charging a lot for produce which looks especially homely.

Packaging can affect your sales in a big way. Ribbon is cheap if you buy in bulk from a haberdashery store, and can neaten up any edges around your cakes. If you’re selling jams it’s worth getting some fancy labels printed, or spending some time decorating your own. You could experiment with themed packaging around holidays like Easter and Christmas, and for days like Valentine’s Day and Halloween

Whatever you use to package your products, it’s important to remember that you’re dealing with food. This means that you are limited to certain types of packaging depending on what food you’re selling.

Creating hampers

Everyone loves hampers – particularly at special seasons or occasions like birthdays. Big stores like Harrods and M&S do a roaring trade in them – have a look at their hampers to give yourself ideas of what to put in yours. Actually making the hamper can cost very little and the goodies inside can be made at home to bring down costs. However, the selling price can be as high as you like, so this is an amazing potential earner if you get it right.

Seasonal hampers

Seasonal hampers can be best sellers if you do them right. Easter and Christmas will be the best time to make seasonal hampers. Everyone likes a Santa-shaped cake or Easter bunny cookie.

Hamper presentation

It’s important to remember that these hampers or baskets are meant as gifts. So they should look as gorgeous as possible. If a customer is not wowed by the first hamper you supply, they are far less likely to buy from you again.

The key to decorating baskets effectively and cheaply is to keep it simple. Place some shredded paper in the bottom of the hamper to protect your goods. Then arrange your items so they’re all facing the same way, looking up at the buyer.

If you want to add a little more luxury you could tie a ribbon around the hamper. Or you could drop a few foiled chocolates to cover empty space. Simplicity is the key for decoration of hampers.

To add touches of Easter arrange a few decoration chicks in the hamper or a few false flowers. You could also paint eggs and use them to add colour to your basket. At Christmas add some tinsel and a few red or green bow.

How much should you charge?

To work out how to price your hamper, there are a few things you need to take into consideration.

The first and most obvious is how much it costs to make. This includes the items inside the hamper, the basket itself, the decorations. And finally the costs for the delivery, if relevant.

The second cost is your time: how long does it take to make a hamper? Consider how much you would like to pay yourself an hour and incorporate this into the costs.

Once you have a good idea of how much each hamper costs to make and distribute in total, you can decide how much you are going to mark the price up. Other factors to consider are the quality of your hamper, and what you think the market will bear. Remember that if the price is too high then customers will use one of your rivals, so be competitive without selling yourself short.

For more ideas about how to present and sell hampers see our article here.

Seasonal baking

Seasonal cakes and cupcakes are also very popular. The safest thing is to go for very simple, cheap cake and biscuit recipes that you can decorate to look really special. Think about sponge cakes, madeiras, shortbread biscuits, gingerbread etc. None of these cost too much to make. With a little extra spent on the icing and decoration, though, you could charge three or four times the cost of making them.

Easter cakes

At Easter you can offer baskets with cakes such as simnel cake, hot cross buns, nest cakes or Easter biscuits. There are many recipes on the internet and in cook books available at your local book store. The BBC Food website has easy-to-follow hot cross bun, Easter biscuit and simnel cake recipes.

To find out how to make chocolate nest cakes visit cakebaker.co.uk. Another particularly good collection of Easter cake recipes can be found here.

Christmas baking ideas

Christmas cakes can come in all different shapes and sizes. A Snowman topped with a delicious layer of snowy buttercream icing. A Christmas tree with green icing and hundred and thousands for decorations. Or something more traditional like a rounded fruit cake. Fruit cakes are very seasonal but they cost a lot to make. Will you be able to make enough of a profit on them?  Whichever way you choose to go, make sure you’re original.

Biscuits are also great for Christmas. Buy a cutter set and make biscuits in the shape of trees and snowflakes, then add some colourful icing and a few silver balls. You could put your biscuits in a simple see through bags with a nice ribbon so they can hang from the tree. This way they can act as a decoration as well as a tasty Christmas treat.

Birthday cakes

Birthday cakes are great because people have birthdays all year round so there is sure to be a demand for your services if your price is right. With birthday cakes people will usually ask for a specific cake, maybe a Spider-Man cake or in the shape of a number.

This is a great time to experiment with food colouring, icing options and build up your portfolio. If someone asks for something you don’t think you can handle, though, don’t take it on just because they are offering you their money. Make sure you have the skills to create what your customer is asking for.

Special occasions

There are so many special occasions that could be used as an opportunity to offer your baking services, including baby showers, retirement parties, graduations, weddings and many more.

Finally, remember to have fun…

Running a business should be creative, satisfying and enjoyable. It’s a chance to express yourself, meet interesting and creative people, and potentially make a lot of money. So enjoy the process of being in business. And make the most of the good times.

When you get a big contract or when you complete a difficult task remember to celebrate!

To inspire you to get started with your baking business we have two real life case studies of how you can turn your hobby into a fully functioning money-making business. Both case studies were self-taught bakers! See below:

Case study: Whitney Hurst – Lazy Day Cakes

Whitney Hurst started selling cakes from her kitchen in 2012. Before she knew it she had a load of orders and decided to set up her own shop, Lazy Day Cakes. Recently she decided to sell up to pursue her dream of becoming a midwife. Below Whitney tells us about her success and experience of selling cakes.

When and why did you start selling cakes?

“In 2012 I fractured my spine in a gym accident. After months being bedbound and unable to work I was finally able to shuffle round my kitchen and that’s when I started baking. I had made my kids birthday cakes in the past but I got started on cupcakes. I was making 30+ a day and that’s when I decided to make a website to see what happened. Amazingly within a few days I had orders.”

What was your first professional baking job?

“I started by going to craft fairs and ladies’ nights. It didn’t take long to realise that ladies love cakes but also are very conscious of them being a treat so I came up with a new recipe that reduced the fat content if the cakes by 50% that’s when things started to go mental.”

How did you go about promoting yourself in the wider community?

“My only form of advertising was Facebook. I just put up lots and lots of pictures and that’s when the word started to spread. I was very lucky because people not only liked the look of the cakes but the taste was a win too. Quite often with cupcakes they look great but the taste isn’t always up to scratch.”

How long did it take to get you established?

“It took probably six months of events such as craft fairs before we started getting recognised.”

Did you initially work from home and then go on to get a shop?

“I did the cakes from home for 12 months doing the craft fairs, farmers’ markets and ladies’ nights. In June 2013, I opened the first shop where I had just four tables and a serving counter.  I was still baking everything at home and transporting the cakes to the shop daily. In October 2013, I moved into a shop three times the size where I had a full bakery and a much larger cafe area.”

Did you have any professional training?

“No. I am totally self-taught.”

How did you set yourself apart from similar businesses around your area?

“There were two other local business that were similar. What made us different was that having four kids we were so child-friendly that people with kids wanted to come just so that they didn’t have to worry about messy children. Our workshops and parties were priced reasonably because the rent overheads were relatively low. The other business that offered just workshops was really expensive because of its city centre location, and the other just did parties whereas we did both and had a tearoom.”

Why did you end up selling?

“I wanted to pursue my passion of becoming a midwife and now that I have the support from my fiancé Ian, to go back to university I decided to enroll. I decided juggling the business and my studies wasn’t a possibility and closing the shop wasn’t really an option – considering how successful it was – so I decided to sell.”

Whitney’s advice to those wanting to make baking a full time career…

“My advice to anyone wanting to set up a cake business is trust your abilities. It’s very difficult to compete with supermarket prices but they’re full of chemicals and made in machines. Don’t sell yourself short, work out how much the ingredients cost, how long it’ll take you to make the cake and add your time and at least minimum wage.”

Case study: Tarek Malouf –  The Hummingbird Bakery

Tarek Malouf was working at ABC News in London before he decided to start a bakery business in 2002. Following two years of researching and testing recipes, his first bakery opened its doors for business in early 2004. Below Tarek tells us about his journey to success and future plans for expansion.

When and why did you start selling cakes? 

“The idea of setting up a bakery came to me in early 2002. I was visiting a relative in North Carolina who took me to several traditional American bakeries that served pies and homemade cakes. The smell of fresh baking in these places was amazing. During that time, my sister was living in New York, and we used to go and eat lots of cupcakes and traditional American goodies every time I’d visit her. Taste buds awoken, it was then that I realised I wanted to open my own bakery in London so that people here could enjoy the authentic taste of American baking.”

How did you go about promoting yourself in the wider community?

“Our launch was not promoted in any way. I tried to choose a location for my first branch that had plenty of American expats living close by, as well as a lot of passing foot-traffic. I thought that if we could attract the Americans wanting a taste of home, then we’d start off with a decent customer base. This worked – a very large proportion of our initial customers were American. And after we opened the doors and let the smells of fresh baking waft out onto the street we soon started selling cupcakes to everyone who walked by.”

What was your first professional baking job?

“Prior to first opening The Hummingbird Bakery, I spent two years testing and refining countless recipes in my kitchen at home. Other than this, however, I had no real baking experience. I’d grown up with a great appreciation for the delights of American baking so I did at least have a very clear idea of how I wanted The Hummingbird Bakery’s products to taste. So really, my first professional baking job was in my Notting Hill branch.”

How long did it take to get you established?

“Prior to opening my first bakery, I did do a couple of private cake commissions for friends but this was in no way how I launched. Having fitted out, equipped and opened the doors to my first branch, the business got itself established very quickly. Within a few weeks of launching, word quickly got around that we were baking delicious cakes and business began to grow rapidly.”

Did you have any professional training?

“I have no professional training in baking other than that which I’ve gained from working in my own bakery.”

How did you set yourself apart from similar businesses around your area?

“Initially, we were in the fortunate position of being able to get the business off the ground with no real competitors – there certainly wasn’t anywhere else in London that specialised in quality American baking. Of course, as soon as cupcakes caught on, other cupcake bakeries did quickly pop-up. We have always differentiated ourselves on the quality and authenticity of our products. Another thing we do is bake on site at each of our branches throughout the day to ensure the complete freshness of our products. We also only source quality ingredients – real butter, jams and preserves from Tiptree, free range British eggs, cream cheese from Philadelphia and so on.”

What does the future hold?

“I plan to grow the business here in UK by opening further branches within and around London. I’m also looking at opportunities to open branches in other UK cities. We have franchise partners in the Middle East who have already launched three Hummingbird Bakery branches in Dubai.”

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