Making money when you cant find a job -

However the reality is that for most of us there is stiff competition for any job, never mind the good ones! And what happens to you, the day you land up stuck at home because your employer went bankrupt overnight and suddenly there are another 500 people out there competing against you in an ever shrinking job market.

I tend to balk when I hear people ask me if I don't miss having a stable steady job. Look at it this way. If you have a "stable steady job" and you didn't get up for work every day, would it be a stable steady job? What if you got ill and couldn't work for several weeks?  How much do you do know about your employers financial health? how much control do you have over the growth of your income proportionate to the effort you put into it?

Most self employed people will tell you that by putting the same amount of time and effort into self employment as a regular job they may not initially earn the equivalent income, yet the control they have over their lives is exponentially greater and they can make long term decisions for themselves. No more asking permission to go on holiday or take a day off.

But what can you do, if you suddenly find yourself without an income and bills to pay. Here are a few simple steps:

1. Assess your resources. Can you work from home? Do you have a vehicle? What are your skills? What equipment and tools do you have?

2. If you are reading this you either have a computer or at the very least have access to one. And furthermore you are able to access the internet. This is a valuable skill and tool in developing an income source.

3. Provided that you can use the English language (or your home language elsewhere) in a skilled and sufficiently proficient manner, you can get work online. This is particularly valuable for individuals who suddenly find themselves stuck at home (possibly on long term sick leave) and unable to commute to gainful employment. using your command of good language and grammar there are plenty of agents outsourcing written work in all shapes and forms. e.g. I outsource review writing. I get to read lots and lots of books and then to write about them as well, all from the comfort of my bed. As a person with a lifelong chronic condition, this means that I can do something that I love and be paid for it too.

4. Turn a hobby or pastime into money. Do you love woodworking/carving, papier mache, knitting, or craft. One of the best things my partner ever did was take over my kiln (I was a craftsman in another life) and use it to manufacture clocks from recycled bottles. The cash generated from the small online business saved us from homelessness and set us off to realise dreams.

5. Learn a simple craft. Read my small booklet on making money from nothing. This booklet is aimed at those who have really landed so deep in trouble that they need to seek resources that cost them nothing to lift them out of the financial mire they find themselves in. This booklet covers everything from making everyday household items from old newspapers, empty plastic bottles and the things that everyone else throws away.

6.Sharing a skill. Can you ride horses? Ride a bicycle? Or do you love children? Offer a service in the local free classifieds, youd be surprised how many liveries will look for someone merely to excercise a horse or even to help out with a large class in horse riding lessons. There are very busy parents, who dont have the time to teach their kids to ride bikes, and then there are even those who just need a break for a few hours.