Life and Work by Design Blog

I’ve been known to suggest some pretty silly small biz ideas just to get your creative juices going, but since some people need some really good practical ideas here are some more serious ideas.

Computer work at home:  Virtual Assistants, Transcribers and Survey Responders are some possibilities. All three offer flexible hours, stay-at-home perks and pay per project. For valid information check out these two sites - www.e-workingwomen.com and www. ivaa.org

Mystery Shopper:   Offers flexible hours, requires a car, and becomes more lucrative as you prove your ability to provide good, timely reports.  Some allow you meals and merchandise at free or reduced prices.  Check www.e-workingwomen.com and www.mysteryshopper.org and www.mystery-shoppers.com   (Don’t ever pay a fee to a company to provide this service!)

Cater Waiter:  Offers flexible hours, usually requires only black pants and a white shirt (and comfy black shoes), responsible for helping with event set-up, serving and clean-up. They keep lists of available people and you can choose to accept or decline an event as they call you.   Check your local yellow pages for Caterers and Party Planning Services.   (There will always be weddings!)

Pet Care, House Cleaning, Personal Companions, Tutoring:  These are all services that you can provide by posting flyers around condo and apartment communities and on public bulletin boards in coffee shops and grocery stores.

Newspaper Delivery:  This is Dave Ramsay’s (Financial Peace guru) favorite way to pay down debt.  Early morning hours allow you to make money and then get on with your day.  Don’t just think the big ones - many communities now have local papers that are delivered to stores and sidewalk boxes as well as home delivery.

While You’re Away Concierge:  Forward mail, water plants, check the lamp timers  - provide services to people away on long vacations.  I found out last summer that the post office is worthless at forwarding mail and that my house got too hot and humid while I was away causing some damage.  I will pay someone responsible to send me my mail once a week and keep my condo in working order whenever I am gone from now on.

Seasonal jobs:  think about what kinds of things happen seasonally in your area.  Grow vegetables, herbs or fresh cut flowers to sell at the Farmer’s Market; work as a tour guide at a local historical site; set up a street stall to sell your art, jewelry or hand-made items; be a “sandwich-board” for local businesses on the boardwalk at the shore ; offer lawn-cutting and trimming services; work as a life-guard at a pool.

I hope this gets you started.   The list of books in my February Workin’ My Way newsletter offer lots more ideas.   If you’re not already sign up, just Do It Now!   (Our official motto for this year.)

If you have other good ideas to offer or questions about any of these, please comment below.

When’s the last time you wanted to throw a temper tantrum? Have you wished you could smash plates or bash a pillow to death to work out your feelings?   While Sarah Lavely was going through a divorce she found that smashing her china in the driveway brought her some therapeutic benefit and Voila – a great idea was born.   Her new business is called Sarah’s Smash Shack.

Like all great small biz ideas, it’s simple.  A store-front, a supply of cheap china and glassware,  permanent markers for writing fateful messages on the back of the plates and some creative marketing are all it takes. Oh, and some safety goggles.  She says her clients range from 8 to 65+ and everyone leaves feeling much better.

As soon as I read about this my brain started racing.   Add a room full of big pillows for pounding, and maybe a Screaming room where someone could just let it all out.  Write a great, fun press release and send it to all the papers, tv and radio stations and I think you’d be good pretty much anywhere.

Sarah’s place has two Break Rooms  :)– one smaller one for loners or couples and a larger one for groups.  You can gather your friends for a party.  You can buy things to smash there or bring something that you just need to destroy along with it’s memories.

She was an emergency medicine veterinarian who has turned her compassion toward fellow humans a couple of days a week.  “When I see my clients smile, laugh, and cry, let loose and transform, I know I’ve done something incredible here.”

You can check out the web-site at http://www.smashshack.com - or read the article by Erin Bell  in the February issue of Psychology Today.