How can people fight recession and unemployment? Easy - Sell themselves. Now, before thinking unclean thoughts, it is actually a good idea to sell services instead of a product. It cost less and requires minimal or even no start-up capital.
Like this enterprisingly creative man who posted himself as “Employee for a Month” on eBay, a popular product website. Having been without a job for a year, Andy Palmer, a Brit, decided to try a different approach to fight the effects of recession in his life and career. Since he was a mortgage adviser before he lost his regular job, Palmer began offering his services for £2,000 for a 35 hour week. A decent chap, Palmer promised to donate 25 percent of that amount to charity. Not bad for a struggling former employee.
Extreme conditions require extreme actions and Andy Palmer is a great example of how despair can inspire creativity. In fact, creativity is probably the one thing a recession is good for. Not only do people have to make an extra effort to get a job or keep the one they have, they also have to get more out of the money they earn. Some companies have asked their employees to accept lower wages in order to keep everybody in their jobs. That seems like a fair way to do it, but obviously some will struggle to keep their budget.
For these employees and workers replacing the nights on the couch with a few hours of work is a great way to add a little extra to their
payday cash. People who opt to offer their services outside of their regular job are better off starting small, by providing a service they are good at and preferably one that doesn’t involve big investments. However, sometimes a small amount of capital is needed to get it all together. For skilled workers, they may need to buy their own tools for the particular job. For others, they need to get equipment such as a computer or broadband internet connection. For this, many choose to take out a
small personal loan. There are plenty of options out there through
online money services that offer terms that easily fits the budget of the employee-turned-entrepreneur.
Once people figure out what service they want to sell and they’ve got the tools they need, it’s time to market themselves. Depending on the service they’ve chosen, there are numerous ways to do this. If people are not as creative as Andy Palmer, a good place to start is in the local neighbourhood. Put up a note at the local supermarket and print out some flyers and go door to door. It’s surprising how word of mouth and personal contacts can help if people show some enthusiasm and will power. All it takes is a little planning, a bit of research, and aggressive networking to sell one’s services and make it a success.
