Ideas needed!

[Mrs H]

As most of you are aware my hubbie was made redundant, well nearly 4 months in and jobs are a rare commodity over here. We are claiming benefits and have adapted many aspects of our lives so are surviving but we want to work!!! Its very important to us that our kids are brought up seeing that you have to work for what you want and can't just sit back and have it handed to you so we are looking business ideas. We have decided that somehow we will make our own jobs! I appreciate that this is easier said than done and the fact that we havnt got any financial backing could be a major stalling point but hey if we could start small and build up.
So any ideas? We can turn our hands to most things!!

[Archanejil]

Well, if you're artsy and craftsy, it's not a bad place to start. I made a little money here and there through eBay and etsy doing leatherwork when I was doing my MSc last year. Not enough to live offa completely, but I wasn't making a concerted effort for that -- it was about having money to have for hobbies and trips and such (plus the MSc was really intensive, so I only made stuff when I felt like it).

I bought most of my materials from eBay, dirt cheap, or upcycled from charity shops and reused beads and such from there. I mostly made medieval & historically accurate bags which sold well on eBay, although some of my more fashionable steampunky ones sold better on etsy. Knitting is one of those things that goes down well on etsy, as does selling component parts for crafts, cosmetics and the like (soap, ethically sourced stuff, etc). People do make a living off of it -- I don't and wouldn't know how to entirely go about that other than have/make more stuff than I do and market it well with blogs and such. I was toying with hitting various faires if I ever got serious about it, as my ex's dad ran a market stall and I got a pretty good idea of how to go about things. Depending on what you're selling, fests and markets aren't a bad place to start. I know that a few in my area were free/minimum fee to have a stall at earlier this year (like, £10 - £30).

It can feel like a gamble and no, sometimes the stuff doesn't sell on first listing. But it will eventually.

[oldjerry]

Huge subject here Mrs.H,a few outline ideas(if I remember correctly,you've got a fair old spread,and maybe that's a good place to start).We've always grubbed along with a variety of little enterprises,some will work ,some won't,the only overiding rule has been that your time is cheap,at least compared to bought stuff,so MAKE whatever you can.Alot will depend upon how you sell what you produce,and while you are selling,you're not producing,so either sell wholesale,not so much return but you get rid of everything,or to the public,more money more time,but excellent if you can have people come to you.......anyhow......

Its difficult to grow common veg for sale ,timing ,regular supply etc,but the following sell well: Runners,Early Rhubarb,soft fruit,top fruit,asparagus,tomatoes,
If you have a tunnel,veg plants,bedding plants(use up left overs in baskets,tubs etc.)
Cut flowers are excellent sellers ,could expand later if your interested.

A small laying flock (2-3 hundred can be a good earner) if your in the right area ducks can be excellent.
Bees seem to be quite profitable,I've never kept them a big void in my life.
I've always kept a herd of goats,and a load of pigs,but you need a fair bit of experience (and good fortune)to make real money from them(acouple for yourselves is great though).
There are loads of other things we've done.................hope that's a bit of a start. OJ

[MuddyWitch]

How about a card in a local shop window adverting yourselves as gardeners? Or offer to do people's iroing? Or dog walking?

These are just the ones I seen 'round here recently, I'm sure you could think of other ideas.

Good Luck

MW

[snapdragon]

How about a card in a local shop window adverting yourselves as gardeners? Or offer to do people's iroing? Or dog walking?

These are just the ones I seen 'round here recently, I'm sure you could think of other ideas.

Good Luck

MW

nod nod, a service can be done for little or no outlay, making and selling generally needs a cash outlay - and then marketing

[frozenthunderbolt]

Watch out with soap making (cold process with lye at least) It is often regulated - for good reason lye is a harsh mistress, all other ideas are good though.
What about bike repair/design/hire - got a welder?

[123sologne]

If you consider using Ebay, just start by doing some de-cluttering, sell what you do not need anymore, kids old toys etc. It will give you the experience of the place and give you the starting money to do something else.
I would nearly suggest you work on more than one idea at the same time, like Ebay, dog walking, gardening, making things to sell etc... Then you see what you are best at and concentrate on one or 2 things.

[homegrown]

How about a card in a local shop window adverting yourselves as gardeners? Or offer to do people's iroing? Or dog walking?

These are just the ones I seen 'round here recently, I'm sure you could think of other ideas.

Good Luck

MW

I concur about gardening or even take it a step further if you have been able to trim things down and be sustainable, what about teaching others to do the same set up a home sustainability education business (help them start their own gardens, show them what and how to reuse recycle and declutter, reduce their bills etc)

[bonniethomas06]

I second dog walking -or rather dog sitting.

When we were toying with the idea of getting a dog, we looked in to dog walking services. It is when dogsitters come to your house once or twice a day, and take your dog for a walk/feed it/make sure it is OK.

There were only a couple in our area, and they charged £8 per visit (1/2 hour) - that is £16 a day (we were going to have two) which is £80 per week! (hence why we didn't get a dog). But I have friends who use these people year in year out. I nearly did it myself! If you could fit say, three or four dogs into your daily rota, you have a full time job that pays better than mine.

We have another friend, a farmer with lots of land and a huge stone farmhouse, who does dog holiday sitting. They charge £20 a day - that is £140 a week. When I went over once they had ten dogs...that is a lot of dosh.

All very easy to start up, I guess you would only need a small brief website and an entry in the yellow pages - plus transport to get to the dogs houses? Not good if you hate dogs though.

I have talked myself into it. Stuff the law, I am going to be a dogsitter!

[MandyWB]

How about getting involved in setting up a Timebank (http://www.timebanking.org/) for your local community. It is a fantastic resource for the community and it won't affect any benefits you currently need to survive but once it is up and running (and you've managed to attract funding - not always easy in these cost-cutting times ) a paid position is often created for the timebroker.

[TheGoodEarth]

What skills do you and your OH already have Mrs H?

[Susie]

Do you have computer skills? Web design/ blog makeovers would bring in money with no initial outlay.

[spider8]

A friend of mine set up her own business as a general gardener. She had a great response from older single ladies who felt happier dealing with a woman (no offence chaps) and she advertised in hairdressers etc. Perhaps you two could work together as a gardening service, hubby for the men and yourself for the ladies?

[Green Aura]

Mrs H, from what you've told us while you've been here you are a highly skilled, resourceful and talented woman. You've mentioned very little about OHs skills though so it's difficult to offer suggestions.

I'd go along with oldjerry's suggestions about utilising your land, after you've fed you and yours of course.

What I would suggest though is remember the "value added" rule - for example just selling rhubarb won't bring in much money, but selling rhubarb jam/chutney/cake etc will bring in much more - especially if can grow as many of the ingredients as possible.

Homemade is extremely trendy at the moment, but it doesn't alter the fact that most people would still prefer someone else to home make it for them! You almost certainly already have all the equipment etc that you'd need to start small and let it grow over time. And maybe you could add extra, extra value from doing home delivery etc.

So I don't know what your old man does - but get him cooking/baking/delivering while you do the growing/raising/butchering and you could be on to a serious little earner.

[pelmetman]

Put a card in local shop or do a leaflet drop advertising house cleaning. Cleaners round here seem to charge on average £8 an hour.

Sue