# Work from home ??



## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Anyone got any ideas?

I am not looking to make my millions, or even for it to be an only income, but I AM in need of a second income which would preferably be from home.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

TIA

hoggie


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## Flwrbrd (Jan 14, 2007)

I'm still trying to figure out what I wanna do when I grow up too, hon.....
I wish you luck.....!


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

LOL - thanks.

It's not so much what I want to do - I have the life I want. I have my smallholding, and a job I love where I am learning extra skills to use in my self sufficiency plans whilst being paid for it. I also babysit a friend's business while he is away which, while it contributes to my phone/electric bills, doesn't pay me a wage as such. But I really NEED another income. Right now, I am just about making ends meeet, and there are improvements/ capital exenditures which need to be met soon, and i really need another income to make things happen. Can't work more hours at the regular job becaues of DD's school hours. But I could find extra hours at home :help: 

hoggie


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Could you do pet sitting or a dog walking services? House sitting too! Then there is always house cleaning. At one point I made one dish meals for families and they would pick them up on their way home.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Hhmmm - pet sitting/dog walking might work. Cooking has possibilities - we have quite a large elderly population so I can imagine some of them might want ready meals.

House cleaning charges are HIGH around here - that might be an idea too

Thanks

hoggie


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Another idea is doggie daycare for working people. Especially good for people who work and have a puppy. I did this for friends who had puppies and wanted them socialized but didnt have the time because they had to work. Keeping a puppy in a kennel/crate all day is hard on the puppy. This is also good for elderly dogs who would need to go out to potty more often.


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

oohh - all the fun of a puppy and you get to hand them back in the evening - a bit like having nephews and nieces really LOL

and older dogs can always do with a bit of extra loving 

hoggie


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## Simpler Times (Nov 4, 2002)

There is a great website called WAHM.com Although the site is designed for work at home moms, there are grandmothers, single women and even men that use the site. It has work at home leads of all types and they are legitimate leads. There is also advise on how to not get scammed (because there are a lot of scams out there wanting you to pay money to "work" for them...obviously don't ever pay anyone to work for them). Anyhow, check out the site and see if there is anything you are interested in. There are things like medical transcription, writing, even crafting available but you just have to really search to find what is right for you. Good luck!


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## longearsfarm (Oct 30, 2003)

Your mileage may vary of course ...but after trying a bunch of different options -- vet tech, working at the LYS, subbing at the school, delivering newspapers, ebay, teaching craft/fiber classes, selling crafts I've made, including soap -- I've settled on dog walking. I live in a pretty rural area, but you'd be surprised. People without kids, but with dogs, will pay for someone to walk them/play with them/love on them, and even people with kids will pay, assuming they have money left after daycare LOL.

I get $15 (US) a walk, or effectively $30 an hour...I walk them for between 20 and 25 minutes, then give fresh water and a treat or whatever, then head off for the next one. I'm lucky that my primary clients are geographically very very close. Not bragging, at all , but I work 6.5 hours a week and make $195 for that time, cash. It's a ridiculous amount of money for hanging out with dogs and I think of it as getting paid to exercise. LOL

I occasionally will take on an "owner out of town" job...essentially boarding, but not here, so I charge $15 a visit for that, or sometimes negotiate a flat rate, like $35 a day, for 2-3 visits. I very very rarely will board a dog here...I'm on 6 acres, no fences, and have two of my own, one, a corgi, pretty feisty, so I have to have the right client. In that case I charge $25 a day.

I say all this to give you some ideas...I'm a 20 year veteran journalist who gave it all up when we adopted from China 9 plus years ago. No regrets, but my almost 10yo still needs me, my farm needs me, and DH works over an hour from home, and no family close by, so...we need me to be ultimately flexible. Dog walking is just that because really, your work is in the middle of the day only...if DD is sick I can park her in the car with books, my ipod, a nintendo, etc...or for a quickie very local she can stay home. If I'm going to be away I can plan in advance, and in the worst case, I have a network of friends who dog walk too, so they can sub for me. And in the summer, I have fewer clients, so it's easier, I have more time, and if I have to drag DD along, I pay her a small bit for helping.

It's been a boon to our family, and helped enable my fiber addiction. LOL

Val
longearsfarm...here, and in real life


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## Chixarecute (Nov 19, 2004)

Ditto the dogwalking! DS has one he does primarily during Hockey season, owners out of town for weekend, they are only a few miles away & he receives $5.00 for each 20-25 min walk, usually they want 4x per day. The owners also have the advantage of having their home "look lived in" while they are gone, lights on & off, blinds open & closed. He wanted to give it up after the first year (dog is a wee bit SPOILED), so I explained to him that this was the easiest money he would ever make in his life! He's on hockey season 3 now. You may be able to post your services at Veterinarians' offices for free...


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Thank you folks. Some good ideas there - I may put up an advert for dog-walking and see what comes of it. And advert in a couple of windows doesn't cost a lot. I have another idea too, but I am still looking into practicalities at the moment, but I COULD do both 

I liked the WAHM site - lots and lots on there - I can see me spending quite a bit of time hunting that site 

Thanks again

hoggie


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

If you have room to garden, my friend raises Mums every year and doesn't do too badly when she sells them in the fall. She buys little starts, pots and soil, plants and waters, fertilizer and such (she has an automatic waterer now). Sells these really nice, bit MUMS in the fall. It's surprising how much she makes.


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## hanlonfive (Jun 20, 2003)

Here is a link for telecommuting job. You pay $15.00 to get the password to the site which isn't bad. 

http://www.tjobs.com/

Look, seriously at what you like to do because if you love what you are doing the rest will fall into place..........

Good luck!


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## hoggie (Feb 11, 2007)

Now mums sound like a good idea. I have plenty of room for gardening (and it's what I do for a living LOL), maybe I could start off veg plants as well. Stuff like tomatoes and brassicas.

hanlonfive - thank you for that link. Lots of inofo on there as well - I hear what you are saying about doing what you love. Trouble is, being on an island, I have loads of good ideas but 70 miles of sea makes them not so good ideas if you know what I mean. 

Thanks again

hoggie


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Hoggie, for the last 5-6 years I've grown nursery seedlings on a small scale for a woman who has a small nursery. It's been a good arrangement because she'll take almost anything I grow, so I usually just grow more of what I was going to grow myself. But in the end I don't make much more than pocket change for the effort. In fact, I'm trying to stop this year--just do a few things and write off the costs on my farm income. It sounds like dog walking is far more lucrative!


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