Monthly Archives: July 2021
Three Ways to Make Money When You’re in Between Jobs
If you’ve lost your job recently as a result of a substance abuse addiction, the pandemic, or other factors, then chances are you’re experiencing a lot of stress right now. One factor that can ease stress is finding more financial security. Courtesy of Just Pray NO!, here are a few ways you can create your own small business or side gig and use it to better your financial situation and remove at least one worry during these challenging times
First, Make it Official
Whatever caused you to become unemployed, making ends meet can be difficult. But it’s not impossible. The key is to regroup and start seeking new opportunities. Starting your own small business is a fulfilling and lucrative way of doing so.
Remember, you’ll need to pay taxes on your income, so it makes sense to choose a business structure and register with your state before you go too far. Many solo entrepreneurs like the advantages an LLC brings, namely the personal asset protection. It’s easy to register when you use a formation service. And don’t forget to pay yourself. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or hiring staff, a program like Quickbooks is a great tool for processing payroll for small business owners. Just add it to your toolkit so that you can set up auto payments, direct deposit and auto tax filing. In just a couple of quick hours, you’ll be official and ready to go to work!
Become a Pet Sitter
Pet sitters are on the rise across the United States. Fifty years ago, pet sitters hardly existed. Today, though, they have become many pet owners’ go-to if they are planning on leaving their pet alone for an extended period of time. One of the best parts of becoming a pet sitter is that the startup cost is extremely inexpensive. As long as you have reliable transportation, you can become a pet sitter. This makes it extremely easy to get started.
Of course, not everyone has the personality needed to be a pet sitter. You must be responsible and organized enough to handle juggling multiple clients at a time, but also flexible enough that you can change your schedule if something comes up. Obviously, you should also love dogs and other animals. If you have experience with exotic animals, you can draw in even more customers with your unique experience and know-how.
Take Up a Craft
Craftsmen are hard to come by these days. With a growing number of people taking office jobs or deciding that college is the best path, fewer and fewer people are creating things with their hands. Yet the demand for skilled craftsmen has never decreased. This has led to an extreme skilled labor shortage. It can be difficult to find someone who is qualified to renovate your house or fix electrical issues, so if you have ever wanted to get involved in a trade, now is the time to start.
Of course, there are other ways to make or fix things with your hands that don’t involve building houses or becoming an electrician. The rise of online shopping has made it particularly easy to make things and sell them to a wide variety of customers around the world. Sales platforms like Etsy make it incredibly easy to set up your own online business and use your skills to make a living.
Teach an Instrument
Now is a great time for those lifelong piano lessons to pay off. If you can play an instrument, it’s very possible that you’ll find a market of local people who are willing to pay you to teach them or their children. You don’t have to be a prodigy to teach children to play instruments; you just need to be better than those you’re teaching. Instruments including the piano and violin are the most popular, but it is likely that any instrument you know how to play will draw the interest of others.
Making ends meet while you’re in between jobs can be difficult at best. However, it is absolutely possible to leverage the skills and passions you currently have to get by while you look for full-time work.
June Lawrence is a recovering alcoholic. She’s proud of her journey and knows the incredible amount of work that goes into sobriety every single day, and she’s on a mission to support others find their way to a happy, healthy life through her site, Recovery Island.
Photo credit: Pexels
Helping Someone You Love Through Challenging Times
Support from family and friends is an indispensable component of success when recovering from tough times. Alone, those suffering with stress are more vulnerable to a cascade of issues, even when appearing to have their concerns under control.
Anyone who has someone in their life struggling with major life issues may wonder what role they can play in their loved one’s recovery. One way family and friends can support someone they care about in an impactful way is by helping them to get their lives back on track.
Whether you or someone you love is trying to regain their stride following a divorce, job loss, health event, or other trauma, there is hope. Read on for tips to help them get started.
Defining Recovery
Recovery is a word tossed around relating to various types of mental and physical health concerns. It is also an important concept relating to overcoming challenging times. As Psychology Today explains, recovery is a way to summarize all of the benefits of positive self-care management and maintenance. All aspects of personal health — physical, mental, emotional and social wellness — are included in recovery.
Tools for Recovery
Recovery varies from individual to individual, but finding positive coping strategies is typically at the core. Actions like meditation, time in nature, exercise and de-cluttering can become tools in decreasing daily stress loads and increasing emotional resilience. They can be incorporated into your loved one’s self-care program, bringing balance and well-being into the forefront of life.
It can sound like a lifestyle-overhaul, but a few minutes here and there can make a world of difference. Taking a break before breakfast for meditating on God’s Word going for a walk with the family dog, and spending ten minutes or so doing housework can be enough to breathe new energy into the day. The key is to avoid over thinking it. Look for opportunities that are enjoyable, and make them convenient, rather than a chore.
Rethinking Finances
Tight funds are a common cause of stress, as Financial Web explains. If your loved one is currently struggling because of a rocky financial situation, a balanced budget can bring stability and peace of mind. It’s important to identify where each dollar is going, get spending under control, and ensure basic necessities are covered. A budgeting app like Mint or PocketGuard can help tremendously.
You or your loved one may be trying to come up with ways to earn more money. Looking for a job with a higher salary is one possibility, but what if someone is more interested in striking out on their own? If this is the case, it might be time to think about starting a side hustle or even working to launch a small business.
Whether growing a business while working at another job or focusing on this endeavor as a full-time project, it’s important to think about filing an LLC for the new company to keep personal assets protected. Just make sure that the name selected for the business is truly unique! For example, if you registered your business under your name, you may want to register for a DBA, which allows you to operate under a separate name. Learn more about DBAs here.
Family and friends are a crucial part of recovering from stressful times. Often, the greatest impact a friend or family member can make in someone’s life is to remind them they care. Listening, supporting, and offering assistance when asked can make the difference between feeling supported and feeling alone. Offer love, positivity and tools when appropriate, and eventually tough times can become a distant memory, leaving resilience in their wake.
Article submitted by June Lawrence
"Just Pray NO!" Ltd. 