Skills and Crafts that could Earn You Money
As Bob Dylan sang... The times they are a changin', and now might be a good time to look at how your skills and crafts can earn money.
20/03/2020
With the Covid virus forcing many people to work at home, sending children home from school, and possibly closing down a lot of small business, now might be a good time to take a look at your skills to see what else you can do to make a bit of extra cash. Or it could be that you just need a change, and 'the times they are a changin'!
Turning your skills into a way to make money is a great way to start working at a job you love, and it might just be a skill that people want to know more about and that might just change your life.
Whether your talent is baking goodies, crafting with wood, or arranging flowers, you have a unique talent that could provide you with a way to make money on a full-time or part-time basis.
Sew your way to cash in the bank
If you love sitting down in front of your sewing machine making your own creations, there is a definite lack of artisans that do this type of work. Almost every woman loves shopping for new clothes, but there are times when clothes don't quite fit like a glove and they require the services of a seamstress or someone to make alterations. I don't know of anyone in my area, or anywhere close to me that does this type of work.
Or what about a new mother who wants to decorate a nursery with something different - something that can't be found in the store. The ideas for sewing to make money are mind-boggling and you just need to put your thinking cap on and give it some consideration to see how best you can use your sewing skills to make money.
Upcycling furniture in line with current trends
In many other countries around the globe, upcycling secondhand or vintage furniture is big business. Here in South Africa, there are still only a few people that do this to make extra money. I am often asked if I will take on projects to revamp a dining table or bookcase or give children's furniture a custom finish.
If your skill is being able to transform old furniture to give it a new lease on life or a new purpose, you need to look at tapping into this potential.
Cooking your way to a profit
For the talented cooks who love to treat family and friends to their unique creations, perhaps there's a way to turn this into a money-making business. I know of a couple of people who make children's cakes and party supplies for a living, and they are doing very well. But there's more to it than making the occasional birthday cake. Who remembers meals-on-wheels, or catering companies that offer family meals for a week in advance that is popped into the freezer ready for you to heat-and-eat.
With the extra hours everyone is putting in these days, and the stress that a full-time job places on mom and dad, heat-and-eat meals might just be the ticket to a new career.
DIY your way to a job you love
With close to 10,000 wanna-be DIY enthusiasts attending our workshops to date, DIY Divas goes to show that there are more and more people interesting in empowering themselves with the skill to do it themselves. It might not be to take on the project of making their own dining table, but there is a market for made-with-love or custom items that can't be bought in the furniture store or are built to specific client requirements.
You only have to take a look at what's on Etsy to see the number of items that are made and sold to see that there is huge potential for something like this on a local scale. Or you could set up a page on Gumtree or Bid or Buy to sell you made items for extra cash.
Mass production rules the market and creating your own items offers buyers something unique - one-of-a-kind pieces that can be displayed in a home. Whether your talent is making pieces with wood or board or working with metals, do some research into what might sell and set up an online boutique page or website.
Gardening with your green thumb
If you have a talent for gardening and often receive praise on the work that you have done, this is a marketable skill that can be shared with those who don't have a green thumb. New homeowners or those moving to a new house, may not have the same skill as you and would gladly hire someone to landscape their new garden. I know there are landscape designers that offer the same service, but yours could be on a smaller scale, for those with smaller gardens or even balconies that they want to be landscaped or set up.
Interior decorating for dummies
Painting and decorating is not fun for everyone, and those that have an innate skill for decorating or interior design, even without the degrees and diplomas, have an opportunity to turn this into a business. This is another sought-after market that is sadly lacking locally, yet offers potential. Offer to decorate rooms for family and friends, or friends of friends, so that you can put together a comprehensive portfolio of what you can do.
If you also have some DIY skills up your sleeve, you can combine this with you decorating talent to offer clients a unique service that covers interior design with pieces that you have made.
Conclusion
South Africa offers plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs and there is no time like to present to establish yourself. A simple webpage or website that provides all the information on your particular skills is easy to set up with a ready-made template, and then it's just a case of using social media to advertise your services.