For parents and guardians, the challenge of balancing family, career and finances can be overwhelming. With the cost of living increasing and wages stagnant, finding time to pinch those pennies and look for ways to make extra money is becoming more of a necessity rather than a luxury. While it may not be possible to take on a second career, there are side jobs for parents and guardians that can help to supplement their income, provide additional flexibility and often engage in meaningful work that can bring long-term satisfaction.
The following are five side jobs for parents and guardians that can work around your already hectic schedule and help you to make that all important extra money.
1. Tutoring
Tutoring is an excellent side job for many parents and guardians, offering flexible hours and the potential to earn a healthy wage. Many parents have accumulated a great deal of knowledge over the years and can use that to start making extra money by helping others to prepare for exams, giving advice on school work, providing extra reading material or helping to improve grades. Tutoring also provides parents and guardians with the opportunity to grow their tutoring business and even employ and mentor other tutors to help out.
Tutors can either work directly with students or offer their services remotely via popular online video conferencing platforms like Skype, Google Hangouts and Zoom. Working with a student over the internet allows parents and guardians to offer their tutoring services to students from all over the world and can often provide more consistent work and more reliable payment.
2. Virtual Assistant
For parents and guardians looking to take advantage of their strong communication and organizational skills, becoming a virtual assistant could be the perfect side job. With the advances of the internet, there has become an increased need for virtual assistants – workers who are employed to complete administrative tasks remotely, from the comfort of their own home.
Tasks that virtual assistants can be asked to help with include customer service, emails, web design, social media management, data entry, research, PowerPoint and Excel presentation creation, video editing and more. Virtual assistants are hired to perform a wide variety of tasks and often work on a part-time or freelance basis.
Having a successful career as a virtual assistant requires good communication and technical skills. A proficiency in the English language is also necessary and the use of a laptop or computer is essential.
3. Freelance Writer
Freelance writing is a great side job for many parents and guardians. In this digital age, the demand for freelance writers across a wide range of niches has meant that it is relatively easy to find clients offering regular, paid work.
Freelance writing covers anything from short blog posts to long-form essays or even entire eBooks, depending on the skills of the writer. Writing can also be quite a flexible side job, as work can often be done around other commitments.
For parents and guardians considering a freelance writing career, there are a number of ways to find work, from cold emailing potential clients directly, to joining freelancing website marketplaces. Additionally, when starting out as a freelance writer, it can help to create a portfolio to showcase your skills and demonstrate to potential employers how you can help them.
4. Online Surveys
Another great side job for parents and guardians is taking online surveys. This type of work requires relatively little time, effort, and skill and you can often get paid for your opinion on a variety of topics. Additionally, online surveys are often created by brands to understand customer preferences, needs, and behaviours and generally, require participants to complete a survey on a particular topic. Depending on the topic and length of the survey, you can usually be compensated for your time.
Many companies offer online surveys as part of their market research, or to gain insight into products, services or advertising campaigns. To get started in taking surveys, simply perform a quick search online and sign up to as many survey sites as you wish. Many survey sites also have a referral scheme so you can earn even more money by referring your friends and family.
5. DIY Assistance
If you’re a parent or guardian with a knack for DIY, this could be a great way to make a little extra money. From painting the house, to fixing a broken plumbing pipe to even building a garden shed, there are plenty of opportunities to make some decent cash.
More and more people are starting to take on DIY tasks in hope of saving money, but may require a bit of help or an expert to ensure that things are done properly. To make a real impact with this side job, it’s best to specialize in one or two tasks that you’re comfortable and confident in. Advertising your services in local community forums and signing up for platforms such as ‘Task Rabbit’, can help to get your name out there and find potential customers.
Final Thought
Finding side jobs that fit around you and your family’s commitments can often be difficult, but there are a number of opportunities for parents and guardians to make some extra money on the side. From tutoring to taking online surveys, DIY assistance to becoming a virtual assistant, there are a range of side jobs that can serve as a great source of additional income and, in many cases, also provide invaluable career and networking opportunities.
No matter what side job parents and guardians choose, the most important thing is to find something that works with their current schedule and provides an extra source of income while still leaving plenty of time for family and other commitments.
