As we discussed in part one, having a great work history and ethic does not guarantee that you will keep your job.
There are many reasons why this may happen.
Reasons such as a change in economic fortunes.
Technology may have replaced, or made more efficient the work you do.
Or your employer may have outsourced your job to a cheaper, overseas alternative.
The only real way that you can be sure of keeping your job is not put yourself in the position to get fired.
This may seem impossible, but it is quite simple.
You have to become your own boss.
Perhaps it is not losing your job which worries you?
Maybe you’ve realised you won’t have the opportunity to advance in your current job?
Your are at the top of your pay scale so you won’t be able to improve your lifestyle unless your pay increases.
Again, the only way you will be in total control of your finances is to become your own boss.
The only real way to be the boss is to buy or start your own business.
“But I do not have very much money, if any at all”. you say.
Fortunately we live in a time of great opportunity.
There are plenty of businesses you can start for little or no money at all.
None of the suggestions we have covered in this series are get rich quick schemes.
There’s no guarantee you will replace your current income from the very beginning.
But no matter the amount of money you have right now, you should still be able to start a business without much fuss.
Here are some more examples of businesses that need little or no money up front:
Book Keeping
Are you good with numbers and organization?
If you are, you may want to think about starting a book keeping business.
A book keeping business is pretty easy to market since every type of person, and business needs to handle their finances. Those who struggle may need someone to update their manage their books.
The only tools needed for this job are a computer and the necessary paperwork.
If you are an expert you can use specialist software, but a basic spreadsheet tool is good enough to get started. Try Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers.
If you have to supply paperwork, you can charge additionally for this.
You will want to advertise your services at local tax places or office stores.
If you want to target businesses you may want to look into local business directories.
If nothing else, you can put an ad in your local newspaper, on Craigslist & Gumtree and go from there.
Home Organization
Many people have an untidy garage, office or spare room in their house.
Tidying and organising their stuff is a job which they never quite get round to doing.
If you good are at organisation, then you may want to consider starting a home organization business.
Offer your services to sort, catalog, and store their “stuff” in a way which is both tidy, and easy to find.
As well as selling your time to provide these services, you can also supply the materials needed. Materials include boxes, labels, shelves, and so on.
Home organization is best advertised at home stores, in your local newspaper, and all the online Classified ad services.
Language Translation
Thanks to the internet, the world is becoming more open to international trade.
Businesses of all size are attracting customers from all around the world. To conduct business with foreign language customers, many firms find they need a translator.
If you are fluent in more than two languages, you can be a translator.
Start off by contacting local business, doctor’s offices, and government agencies.
Ask if they are in need of translation services.
Remember, translators do more than interpret conversation and correspondence.
Written documents such as business forms, agreements, and advertising, all work better when customers can read them in their native language. Even websites
Even if your local organisations don’t have an immediate need, make sure they have your contact details so they can call you in future.
Translation of written materials is a task which you can do at home for clients anywhere in the world. So look beyond your local business community and sell using online services such as Fiverr, Guru, Freelancer etc…
Scale your charges depending on the task and the turn-around time.
For documents this could be by pages or words.
For conversations it could be time or the number of people you will have to translate for.
You may get called to translate in an emergency situation. So, just like a plumber, remember to charge a premium for immediate or out-of-hours availability.
