Roll Up Your Sleeves, It's Time To Get To Work

There will come a time in the great expanse of your infant business when you will realise that as much as you are ploughing away at your ideas for what seems like 24 hours a day, you will not be making any money.

Now I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you are fortunate to have a substantial income from another means, you will find yourself slightly short of cash. I know that in the humble beginnings of a business, you tend to lose sight of all that's real and suddenly find yourself surrounded by these magnificent ideas but yet with no profit for show for them. Even entrepreneurs have to start somewhere and it usually at the bottom. After all, we don't tread daintily into this business blinkered, we usually come striding in or in full gallop, fuelled with either anger or some some of loathing from the employment we have recently left behind.

The true lesson of today is (and here now comes the reason why yesterday's date showed a lack of blog posting) to put your wildly passionate business aside and think of ways to fuel it with finance. There are a number of ways you can put yourself to good temporary employment which won't need too much hard effort, however, these ways tend to be scams or the like and are best avoided at all costs. To find oneself a small temporary job which does not include the handing over of P45's to yet more dissatisfied employers, is, as they say, not bloomin' easy...

Nevertheless, please feel free to browse the tried and tested forms of employment which you might like to consider for earning the odd bit of cash during the darker, younger days of your business...

1. Cleaning: Not every one's cup of tea and judging by the foul looks on your faces, I see this first example hasn't gone down too well. There are worse jobs, and please don't shake your head like that. You have to remember one thing - stay focused on your business and whilst you scrub, think hard about your business and use the brain 'down time' to mentally exercise your plans, ideas and goals. After all, cleaning is not rocket science and if you think about it, you will be getting paid for just that - thinking, so consider it. You need a job you can drop at the drop of a hat when your business picks up, and trust me, that will happen, so cleaning offices or homes might just be ideal. The pay is usually quick good and far greater than the minimum wage.


2. Paper Round: It's thinking time again and it will get you away from your stuffy office/kitchen worktop. The pay will be pretty naff since you might only be doing a couple of streets once or twice a week. If you just want some pin money, it might be good for you. Have a look on the notice boards at your local newsagent or ask inside if you are feeling bold and want to elbow the rest of the students away to get the job.


3. Leaflet Dropping: This is a challenge and must be approached with some caution. The money can be good, particularly if you get a town to cover and a mountain of leaflets or brochures to get rid of to the local residents. Mailbox Nationwide are a good place to start. They can ring you within a hour and offer you work for the following day. You will get your leaflets delivered to you in boxes and your paperwork can be emailed for speed. However, a word of warning, when they call you and offer a drop to do, ask how many leaflets will needed to be dropped from door to door. If you are going to work on your own, be careful about the size of the job they want you to take on. Be realistic if you can, but unfortunately this wisdom will only come after to have had some experience of doing this sort of work. but here are a few do's and don't's: DO ask how many leaflets the client wants dropped. DON'T take more than around 1300, particularly if they want the job turned around in 2 days. 2600 should take you 6 days depending on the area you are asked to cover. DO make sure you have your paperwork and be clear as to when they need the filled in paperwork back. DON'T leave it to chance and deliver at the last minute before the paperwork needs to go back to the office. These companies are firm and usually hundreds of miles away from you. If they don't think you have done the job properly or you're late, they won't pay you a penny so watch out and make sure you get the job done. DO enlist the help of friends and family if you think you have taken on a job that's too big. Better to get it done on time than to panic and not get paid. DO keep in touch with your company. They will have given you a list of their own rules and regulations so please stick to them and DON'T cheat and dump the stuff in a bin or drop a load at a block of flats in order to get rid of them quickly. You will be found out and won't be paid.

You may find a quick chat with your local Job Centre or Citizens Advice Bureau might also be of help. Tell them exactly the sort of work you are looking for. Don't worry and think that what you are doing is taking a step backwards or even failing at your business.

Your business is like a small child: it needs to be looked after and fed if it is to grow tall and strong - by doing some odd job, you are doing just that - you are giving it the air to breathe and grow...

onemum 2009