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With small exceptions, thats pretty much a list of 10 things I don't want to have to do.
2 replies
With small exceptions, thats pretty much a list of 10 things I don't want to have to do.
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Isn't being a secret shopper one of the biggest scams out there. Especially with the \"check your email often\" part?
In keeping with that, here are two more:
Buy a squeegie and a bucket. There is money to made at intersections washing wind shields
Invest in Nigerian liquidity markets. There are dozens of diplomat's widows and extended royalty looking to get funds out of the country. Just check your email often.
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@rickinsthelens: Buy a squeegie & a bucket & head over to my house. I'll pay you to do my windows. Come back in 8 weeks, I'll pay you again.
@rickinsthelens: As folks said, there are legitimate mystery shop programs. Some companies administer their own mystery shop programs, and some use one of a few larger mystery shop companies.
I mystery shop restaurants. I don't really make a great deal per shop once the meal is taken into account, but it's a good way to be able to go out without dipping into my woefully small entertainment budget. My mother, however, used to mystery shop more seriously as a side job when I was younger, and would be able to supplement her income to the tune of a couple hundred dollars each month.
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@rickinsthelens: Funny that you mention that. I think Laura Northrup was a mystery shopper once.
As Pecan said, there are the legit kinds, and then there are the scams.
@rickinsthelens: Mystery shopping itself is not a scam - but it's certainly not a get-rich-quick opportunity. There are, however, many scams based around Mystery Shopping, that try to suck people in with promises of free hotels, shopping sprees and money to burn. I do it as a sideline to FT office work and I make between $20 and $100 a month depending on how ambitious I am. People who do it FT can make much more.
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@rickinsthelens: There are two kinds of secret shopping organizations. There's the scammy kind and the legit kind. The scam places will give you a check or money order and have you wire part of it to a third party. Real secret shopper groups don't do that. They're very much a real business, and you should never have to pay to work with them.
\"Check your email often\" is advisable because if you sign up for three legitimate companies, you're going to get a lot of email and you have to stay organized.
You can add another to the list: Residential PC Repair.
Of course, just like a lot of occupations on the list, don't expect to end up with more than $40 in your pocket once you're done the day.
@shepd: A quick look at Craigslist will show you how far down in the toilet that whole market has become. The market is flooded with the types. I've been seeing \"$20, any PC problem\" ads. And there are dozens upon dozens of them.
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@shepd: A buddy of mine opened up his own little mobile repair business. People call and he drives over and fixes their computers. He's doing pretty well for himself, aside from it not being a real business with paperwork and taxes and such. He charges something like $40/hour + whatever parts he buys. He started in college doing it on the side then dropped out and is doing it full time.
He's lucky. 'round these parts, most shops charge $30 - $40 flat rate for labour, and make a 5% margin on parts. House calls cost more, but nobody gets that done here.
Considering most PC repairs require at least 1 hour of labour, and, if done \"right\", 3 or 4, we're barely talking minimum wage ($10.25/hr here, IIRC).
I suppose it has something to do with the cost of the repair vs. the cost of a totally new PC. Too bad the recycling fees aren't higher, because they will increase the margins on PC repair.
@shepd: weird...most mobile guys charge somewhere around 60-70 per hour, shops are closer to 80, both with a half hour minimum. It's a total scam. Memory is dead? They charge you for new memory, pop the case, replace it, put it back together...takes 2 minutes. Markup is higher on hardware too, especially the mobile guys because they know you're probably in a bind and need it fixed no matter what.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-414437-100x100.png\")
@shepd: If you want a really successful PC repair business, you have to do it for commercial organizations. No way around it.
@shepd: I kinda did that once unwittingly. I bought a slightly hosed up netbook for cheap - mostly so I could fix it and use it myself. So I go about fixing it - clean format and configuring Ubuntu and the like. In a month I realized I would be much better served with a laptop and a desktop instead of two laptops, so I put it up on sale for 50 bucks more than what I bought it for. After some last minute bargaining, made $40 profit on it :)
@MostlyHarmless: I've thought of doing something similar, but more the way of custom PC building and repair. I suppose it would be like having an independent automotive customizing/repair garage, but *with computers*. (*nasally nerd voice*)
I would not want to make house calls though. The general public is annoying enough as it is to deal with in a retail environment, let alone dealing with them inside their own homes!
With the artwork/craftwork item....it really depends what you're going to do. If you're going to make animals out of popsicle sticks or cut up some fleece and sew on a border to call it a scarf, ok, it's not that expensive.
But if you get into something more intensive it does get pricey. Painters need paint, brushes, canvas and some consumables like cleaners, gesso, etc. Potters need clay, but also a wheel, kiln, glazes, brushes, etc. If you get into lampworking glass like I did, you need glass, a torch, ventilation, safety glasses with the appropriate filters, a kiln, a more or less dedicated place to work, and depending on the glass and torch...oxygen, propane, regulators and inspections. Woodworkers will need wood (can be scavenged) but also tools, and all the fun stuff used to fasten it all together. And don't get me started on packing materials and customer consumables like business cards, boxes, and bags. In this economy it's been god awful out there for sales.
However some cotton balls, a box of pencils, a sharpie, and some string, and a ripped up t-shirt is a good way to make ghost pencil toppers. Maybe you can sell them to school kids. Oh wait, that would put you afoul of the new consumer protection regulations unless you pay for lead testing on each component of your creation.
Ok, off to find out who pee'd in my corn flakes this morning.
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@menty666: Bingo. I get offered money for my crafts all the time, and it's pretty damned rare that the offer covers materials, let alone anything close to a livable wage.
Hell, I now get to call myself an award-winning cake decorator and still hardly anybody wants to pay for the hours and hours an award-worthy cake takes.
The best money I've made from crafts is by selling one of my knit patterns, but it's a high-quality, well-researched, intensively-tested/calculated pattern. I see people throw together trashy patterns all the time and hardly make a dime. And even then, I've made just over $800 in two years. Ooo, call me Ms. Moneybanks!
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@menty666: You and I must have the same bowl of cornflakes! The pre-holiday show season is starting up here, and I can already hear the cries of 'But I can get this cheaper at Wal-Mart!'. *twitch*
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@menty666: My wife started crafting this year and I agree. It's been pretty much a disaster. Her startup costs are in the thousands and she's been losing money at most shows. She's definitely not making ANYTHING for labor. I mean, you can sit at a booth for 20 hours a weekend and sell $200 of product that cost $100 in materials, $100 booth fee and $50 in gas to sell.
The economy peed in your corn flakes, and mine too.
It absolutely feels that nowadays people value \"handcrafted\" a lot lower than they value \"mass-produced.\" At the very least, people seem to expect to pay mass-produced prices to hand-crafted artwork. They don't really consider how much work is behind something that's only made once.
@bombhand: Yup, take for instance the glass rings I make. I price the simple ones at 10.00 and the more sculpted ones at 15. Still a horribly low price for something carefully handmade, but people still balk and drop it like a hot potato when they hear the price.
Last weekend I saw a customer go back and forth for 10 minutes on whether or not she wanted to buy a 10.00 marble I made. The 'wants' crafts people are going to be hurting this year, but the folks with a craft that fills a need (e.g. jams, scarves, harakiri daggers) will be doing slightly better, but not by much.
@bombhand: Well, there's handcrafted and then there's crap your neighbor makes. I'll gladly pay more for handpainted, glass or ceramic Christmas ornaments. I love the detail and the craftsmanship that goes into things like that. I won't buy an ornament that is made of felt glued to popsicle sticks, no matter how cheap.
@pecan 3.14159265: Sorry, I was referring to actual artisan stuff, like pottery and paintings. From the behaviour I've seen at the local markets, people are more than willing to browse and coo over the detail and quality of the works for sale, but when it comes down to forking over $200 for a painting, they'll balk and head down to the overstock store for a canvas print of something famous. The whole art industry locally is propped up by a few wealthy people and an even fewer people who just genuinely appreciate quality.
@bombhand: Yeah, and the economy has made that worse. People go to places like that for cheap entertainment now, not to actually buy stuff.
@JohnQPublic: I know what you mean. In college, my roommate and I painted pitchers and flower pots as a hobby and we thought about trying to sell them. They were good quality and we did a good job painting them and weaterproofing them - but the booth fees were ridiculous, more than our cost of materials! We were never going to make enough to break even, let alone make a profit.
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@menty666: I know who pee'd in your cornflakes. It was the same one who pee'd in mine; the writer of that article.
The ideas are OK but far too simplistic. I've done the Etsy (and still do) thing, there's a WHOLE lot more involved than simply: Make nice thing + Sell nice thing = Get nice money.
Also, only someone who has never braved the terrifying waters that are the Craigslist \"writer's wanted\" postings would suggest going there for freelance work. Those listings are what my friends and I (writers all) use for a good laugh. But we certainly don't go there for work.
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@ArcanaJ: LOL there's an article in the new issue of Writer's Digest about the online freelance stuff, and it mentions \"click revenue,\" which is a joke. I've been getting emails (not from them) with listings. Most of them are from Craigslist and they are pretty lame.
As for the crafty ideas, you're right; it takes more than just throwing together a saleable item. Doing that involves TIME as well as skill.
I love how the article gives the impression that it's all so easy (and seemingly competition free.) No business plan! No materials cost! No listing costs! No advertising costs! No storage or shipping logistics! The author's advice reads like a movie from the 40s:
\"Gosh, Judy, we need to raise money for the orphans!\"
\"I know, Mickey! We'll put on a show in the barn!\"
\"That's a well idea! Gosh you're smart for a girl!\"
@ArcanaJ: Yaah ha ha ha ha!
That's why I don't like those old movies. They make me want to puke my guts up!
@ArcanaJ:
Oh! And add to that:
-Doing your own books.
-The time it takes to get your business off the ground before you can even hope to make a profit.
-Difficult (or weird, or creepy) clients.
-Bill collecting from difficult clients.
-Scam artists who complain about \"flaws\" in your work, no matter how good, and then use threats to get you to let them have it for free.
The list goes on.
@ArcanaJ: WD had a whole issue about self-publishing your book. HA! Just what I want - a garage full of books I have no time to peddle! What should I do, get a flea market booth?! That might work if I were only targeting flea marketers. Or a very small demographic and was set up for online orders/shipping/etc. No, not doing that. I already have a full time job. I'll go the traditional route first.
Creepy clients can give you new material, however. ;) \"Coming soon from ArcanaJ: 'The Dumbshit Horror', a Lovecraftian story about the most frightening client ever!\"
@HogwartsAlum: Instead of self-publishing I'd recommend using an online print-on-demand publisher. I know some people who use Lulu and have been mostly happy (although the downturn in the economy seems to have hurt their customer service department somewhat, lately.) It certainly beats filling your garage with books that may or may not sell.
@HogwartsAlum: \"'The Dumbshit Horror', a Lovecraftian story about the most frightening client ever!\"
AAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I smell Blog/Book/Showtime series!
@ArcanaJ: Like every Lifetime or Hallmark movie, all you need is perseverance, some tears, a moment of vulnerability, and the support of (circle one) family/friends/a man/a woman to be successful. This is all regardless of real-world factors such as skill and the state of the job market.
HA! Time to get my newsboy cap and pose dramatically with my wares! I'll be rich in no time!
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11. Amateur pornography.
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@Cool story bro: Well I would have never thought of it....
Just don't show your face. OR can you make more money if you show your face.
A lot of people are artists on the side. Etsy is a great website for them to show their wares. For a really small portion of the sale price and a small initial fee ($0.20 + 3.5% of sale), you can list your items on Etsy with tagging and easy sales interface. Easier than setting up your own website.
@mistifi: Too many people out there are already producing really bad art. Lets not encourage more of it, hmm?
Here in Florida you can become a Notary Public for about $70 and perform weddings. By law, you can only charge $20 for the wedding itself, but can add on additional charges such as travel, so it might be a money making venture especially with the regular notary duties.
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@fs2k2isfun: In IL I can only charge like a buck per notarization. And you can't marry people. Most everyone notarizes free here.
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@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): Then why are notaries so hard to come by in IL? I had to go to a specific branch of my bank to where the one notary they had on staff worked so I could get it done for free. And she even made me prove I was a customer of the bank before she signed away! Hrmph!
@bornonbord: What you say is true: I'm not sure the one is particularly connected to the other, but possibly since you can only charge $1 to notarize, but it costs $40 to become a Notary, around $35 for the bond when I last bonded, plus $10 for the stamp, etc., people don't want to because there's nothing in it for them. People in Illinois typically become notaries for the convenience of their employers, not because being a notary is any kind of a way to make money. Most notaries work at banks or law firms.
(I became a notary because lawyers are allowed to notarize documents they create; it makes will signings with self-proving affidavits a lot more convenient when I can notarize.)
@SexCpotatoes: Actually, the legal profession is hurting really bad these days. The lawyers who DO have work are still making bank, but a lot of lawyers are high and dry and there are still more pouring into the workforce. With hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to pay back.
@bombhand: There's ALWAYS work in family law, it's just that it's messy, not at all glamorous, and it can pay alot less than other fields (enough to make a good living, but not necessarily enough to get stinking rich). Ditto for Criminal law.
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@SexCpotatoes: oh, that wouldn't be cheap or easy of course, but for return on investment, it's the way to go.
This really isn't a list of inexpensive businesses to start. It's more a list of freelance things you can do; of course they can be your fulltime business if you so choose. But if you get a waiter or a bartending job you'll have cash in your pocket at the end of the same day. And it's also easy to start. And this left out the world's oldest profession.
1-4 all are specialty skills. To think that any joe-shmo can call himself a 'graphic designer' or 'writer' is bullshit.
Just because I have a stove and a frying pan - that does not mean I can be a chef.
No kidding.
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@bornonbord: What you say is true:
The article is about businesses that cost little to start--nowhere does it say, \"here's a list of businesses anyone can start.\" It's a list of businesses where capital is not much of a barrier.
@treimel:
Uh huh. And if you want to be a serious stock photographer, you're going to need a camera (a real camera, not your cell phone or a Coolpix) and several lenses, lights, gells, scrims, flashes, batteries, gear cases, and photoshop. You'll be well into 5 figures if you equip yourself correctly.
@treimel: You're right. That's my bad for not taking that into account. However, the way it's worded makes it sound like just anybody can do it.
For little to no start-up costs, you, too, can be your own boss and have the option of working in your pajamas! Here's how someone with no capital can create their own schedule and run a successful business venture in their living room.
@shadowkahn: Same with graphic design. Writing is essentially the only thing you can do with just your brain and TextEdit. Even then... a computer is necessary.
@bornonbord What you say is true: But, if you're reading the consumerist you most likely have access to a computer. Also, anyone can write. But writing something other people want to read is another matter altogether...
@secret_curse: Anyone can write...but not everyone writes well. This is what frustrates me when people malign writers because they think everyone can do it! What's so difficult about your job?! Arrrrrgh. What's difficult about my job is encountering the same grammatical errors, the same misspellings, the same people who don't understand paragraph returns, and the same people who think they're awesome even though they can't be bothered to proofread anything they write.
@pecan 3.14159265: I do freelance writing, and it frustrates me when someone thinks that good writing consists of not making spelling and 'grammatical' errors.
Depending on the type of writing you're doing, it takes a whole lot more than mastery of grade school Language Arts.
On the general topic, my real job involves a lot of web design, and there are also plenty of hacks out there who think they can do it because they know HTML or, worse, because they know how to use Dreamweaver or something.
In fact, I wouldn't recommend anyone BUT hacks freelance in either field at this point. There's way too much lowballing going on, and too many jobs that pay in 'exposure' and 'experience.'
@pecan 3.14159265: \"What's difficult about my job is encountering the same grammatical errors, the same misspellings...\"
God, yes.
-\"Then\" and \"than\" are not interchangeable.
-The apostrophe is NOT to be randomly sprinkled about like a dog marking its territory.
-A point can be \"moot\" but not \"mute\".
-\"Taut\" and \"taunt\" do not not the same thing.
On the internet, no one can hear your head smack your desk.
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@ArcanaJ: Don't forget your vs. you're. AAAARRRGGGGHHH!!!
And if the original writer gets to see it again after you fix it, they'll whine that you \"changed their meaning\" or some such crap. Yeah, I did. And you're welcome.
I miss editing like I miss a toothache.
(sounds like somebody pissed on my cornflakes too!)
oh oh i know i know... \"entertainer\"... and you technically wouldnt even be lying!
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@MostlyHarmless: My colleague here is my main dependent, don't mind her see through mini-skirt, 3\" platform heels, glittery fairy dust make up, and smell.
Oh and pay no attention to that little blinking camera and microphone on her shirt!
Freelance writing isn't all roses. It's sporadic for most people and the money doesn't always match the amount of work you have to do.
Freelancing is easier if you're working part-time. I spent many moons trying to freelance to supplement a full-time job, and it's grueling. I stopped almost entirely because there just wasn't time. Most people think that if they choose something \"simple\" like movie reviews or opinion, that they'll be so good at it because it's all opinion anyway - well, the really good movie critics have a lot of knowledge and context for film. They've honed that. They're not the guy who posts \"OMG The Dark Knight was the best movie EVAR!\" on IMDB at 3 am.
And people who write opinion professionally usually have some authority - academic background in the subject, real world experience, and something that makes them reputable. Paying taxes does not make you qualified to talk tax reform.
Why do you think there are a billion blogs? Those who can't write professionally, blog. Granted, a great deal of bloggers are professional writers, but that's an extension of skills and talent to another medium. For every Smitten Kitchen or Cute Overload, there's a guy who thinks The Dark Knight was the best movie of all time.
@pecan 3.14159265: I dare say the issues of spec work and being horribly underpaid are just as much a concern as a writer's talent at this point. Or perhaps it's because of the unqualified that the market is so bad. I routinely see ads looking to pay $5.00 for a 500 word article, or that are pure spec. With so many willing to take the jobs that don't pay or are effectively below minimum wage (because they don't realize the problem is they need to refine their own abilities rather than saturate the market I suspect), it's an absolutely terrible time to be a serious freelancer.
@pecan 3.14159265: It WAS the best movie of all time. To me and I don't care what anyone else thinks. PHHHTT!!!!!
:)
All kidding aside, to extend your point, there are a lot of people who THINK they can write, or want to, and don't give it the time and energy and humility necessary to hone their craft, or they write and are too scared to put it out there. Not to mention people who can't take any editorial suggestions whatsoever. They, like American Idol hopefuls who think they are the best singers in the world and need no further instruction, will never get anywhere. If you're going to make money doing ANYTHING you must be as polished and professional as possible, or you are wasting your time. You must update your skills and make sure they are the best they can be.
The article doesn't mention that writing is HIGHLY competitive. That's something my family doesn't understand. They think that because I write that I should just be able to stick it out there and it will be the toast of the town. Not without a lot of work , and luck to boot.
@HogwartsAlum: '
NAILED IT!!!
Especially the part about people who think they are THE BEST at *|SOME SKILL|* and that they don't need any further improvements.
Which is funny, because most of the time, the people I know to be the best in the business are either humble folks who are always working to improve their skills/technique, or people who have reached the top AFTER years of improving their technique.
BTW, being someone who thinks he can write, can you give me some tips on how to identify areas that need improvement and how to improve them?
@MostlyHarmless: Me? Help you? You're the one with the star, my dear!!!! :)
The best things of all that have helped me are three books that are helping me edit:
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Write Tight by William Brohaugh (this one ROCKS and is good for nonfiction as well)
Don't Sabotage Your Submission! by Chris Roerden
My copies have 9000 stickies and I made lists also. Now; if only I could FINISH EDITING OH MY GOD THE STREEESSSS!!
I have cut down from 125,000 words to around 117,000. :)
All good! I'd also add How Not To Write A Novel to that list: [www.hownottowriteanovel.com] There's a lot of solid information amidst the ha-ha.
Also, should I even note that all too many people don't seem to understand the difference between different kinds of writing? For example, writing literary fiction is not the same as writing speculative fiction, which is not the same as writing historical fiction, etc.. Each requires its own approach and skill set.
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@pecan 3.14159265: Here, here! I got laid off from the news biz a year ago and landed in the marketing/tech writing field. Friends, family, and former colleagues encourage me to freelance, and I feel like a broken record explaining to people that it is damn near impossible to freelance and work full-time. I'd love to be in a financial position to drop to part-time hours and build a freelance business within the next few years.
One thing you didn't mention is how competitive freelance writing has gotten. With so many shuttered newspapers and magazines, there are thousands of out-of-work journalists--many with 20+ years of experience.
Want to go the marketing route and create article content for blogs or websites? Well, you're going to be outbid by amateurs who will write for pennies on the dollar. It is ridiculous.
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@pecan 3.14159265: Your point is kind of spoiled by the fact that the people who right on this blog are paid to do so.
Freelance writing is hard...especially when you spend a week or more working on an article without knowing if anyone is actually going to buy it. Getting interviews is a lot easier if you have a newspaper or magazine name to tag onto it.
@Smashville_makes his own comments at home: She specifically mentioned, that there are professional bloggers who are good at what they do, and there are people like me who blog simply to troll the interbwebs.
And yes, you dont HAVE to be a professional to make a successful blog, but you still need to have that X factor. Neither xkcd nor GRS - both of which are right there on top in my faves list - are drawn or written by professionals, but they have that X factor. The ability to connect with their readers. If you have that, great - if you don't, you'll kind of suck.
Moreover, afaik, all the consumerist writers have some background in the field of either writing or consumer issues, so they DO have a context from which they can speak to us uneducated masses.
Also, you mean \"write\".
@MostlyHarmless: \"right\" was for the ironing :) I can't make a fully serious comment to my hearted folks.
@Smashville_makes his own comments at home: You mean Chris, Ben, Meg, Phil and Laura? Presumably, Ben and Meg run the site full time. Everyone else may have part-time or full-time jobs and Consumerist may be a freelance gig - that's my point though. The people who run Consumerist know what they're doing, and have made it into a real venture. My point is that you really need to know what you're talking about before you even try to attempt freelancing for money. And then you have to make sure there's a market for it, and people who will read what you're writing.
@Smashville_makes his own comments at home: Also...massive reading comprehension FAIL and troutslap to me.
@pecan 3.14159265: It's interesting that people are so down on freelancing. I was working in a fairly lucrative field after college. Started brainstorming ways to make extra money to pay of my student loans, and came across a \"content mill\" type of site. I made $8 or so my first month, but kept researching better gigs. Just over a year later I was making substantially more freelance writing than I was at work, so I quit my day job. Now I work at home, or Starbucks, or the library and I make more money than I ever did at a \"real job.\" I have yet to be scammed or have anything stolen from me that actually affected my bottom line. If I can do this, anyone can, because I'm definitely not an amazing writer or anything.
@pecan 3.14159265: Wow...one would figure someone that fancies themselves a writer would realize that individuality beckons preference.
Who's to say the dark knight isn't the best movie of all time to Bob A Everyman in Seaford NY? And who's to say that's wrong?!?
Besides...if the mainstream and freelance media were doing their jobs properly and untainted the blogger might never have existed, except to post stories about dressing up animals.
@nstonep: You missed my point. My point was that Bob A. Everyman in Seaford, NY can have his opinion all he wants. But saying something is so is not the same as offering a reasoned opinion as to why it is so. Being a fan does not necessarily make you qualified to be an authority on the topic. You actually have to know what you're talking about. And this is at the core of being successful at freelance writing for money. That's what will get you in the door.
Besides, everyone knows the best movie ever is either Citizen Kane (according to AFI) or Star Wars (according to geeks).
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-74896-100x100.png\")
Been a computer tech support guy for a while. I secure home WiFi for $25 a pop.
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@mianne: Only if he wants to get fired. Most companies don't like it when you steal their customers for yourself when you're working for them.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-87429-100x100.png\")
@donnie5:
Isn't that just logging into the router and creating a password and enabling the WEP or whatever is strongest basically?
@Saboth: Exactly. Howevere, our two local providers (cincinnati bell and time warner) do not set this up and people often ask me to do it for them.
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@Saboth: Honestly, I saw at Walmart last night that they're selling a router installation support service by Cisco/Linksys for $47. I commented to the cashier that one could wait around until someone wanted to buy that and offer to do it for them for $25. He seemed to think that was a worthy idea. I wonder if he'll try that?
@mianne: Cox will charge $45 a month (IIRC) for wireless interent, security, and support. I laughed out loud when the rep tried to pitch it to me.
@Saboth: $25 is a good price for someone who is not computer literate enough to do it themselves. I run a Wifi network in my house and I always see one or two unsecured signals broadcasting around me.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-6536-100x100.png\")
@henrygates: Indeed. At least the people paying someone to do it for them know enough to protect their stuff.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-212453-100x100.png\")
@Saboth: Yep, that's it. Most people can't be bothered to read the instructions that come with their router/cable mode/DSL modem.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-580579-100x100.png\")
@acarr260: If they do manage to read them, they barely manage to understand them.
I used to work tech support. It is astonishing how many people do not know what a router looks like, even if they just received a package that included a giant box labeled ROUTER.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-332258-100x100.png\")
@h3llc4t has a slow work day: Mine has a bit, a collar, and an adapter for a dust collection system.
@Saboth: Try explaining that to people who think clicking on the IE icon gives them the internet or who think Yahoo is a browser.
This is like the scammers list of super scams. When I was freelance people stole my crap all the time (and I mean ALL the time)...in most cases they didn't even bother to edit it so I intentionally put in crapulous words to id my stuff so I knew who wasn't paying their bills.
And no...I did not use crapulous...but it SHOULD be a word.
@HogwartsAlum: So is craptacular, craptitous (as in fictitious crap), and craptitude (crappy atitude or crappy aptitude).
I love word mash-ups. It drives my parents and my in-laws nuts when we start talking about someone's craptitude.
@nstonep: You weren't doing freelance properly then. The freelance work described here involves reputable organizations. Many magazines and newspapers solicit freelance writing to supplement their publications. It's a business transaction. They pay you to write. Who owns the first run rights is always discussed, whether you're able to market the piece to other organizations is always discussed.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-20312-100x100.png\")
Stock photography is inexpensive to start up and almost impossible to make decent money at without devoting significant time and effort to it. It's a go big or go home industry.
@jessedybka: Yeah, it seems to me at this point that if you're a small-time stock photographer you're competing with a lot of people who do the same thing for free.
@Orv: The money in stock photography is all about broad appeal, which means variety of pictures and consistent high quality. These both mean money in gear, props, and models to be churning out the hundreds to thousands of pictures a day you need.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-132151-100x100.png\")
I've been making extra money selling homemade bird toys. I buy parts in mass quanities to make toys for my own bird, but seeing the huge markup that big companies place on bird toys I thought I'd give it a shot. So far, so good.
Parrot parents are fiercely loyal to brands that takes extra precautions with safety. Plus you average about 10-15 toys a week for the medium to large birds because of their search and destroy tendencies. That figure doesn't include all the stuff around the house you convert to toys (water bottles, pen caps, newspaper etc). Now imagine doing this for 50+ years!
The only downside is how pissy my conure gets when I make toys he can't play with.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-545648-100x100.png\")
@TinkishDelight: Your poor critter.
I wish I liked to sew, because my pet rats always need hammocks and tubes to play in, and they also love to destroy things. There are people like you, with cottage businesses making rat accessories, but most of them use the most heinous fabric. Even for stuff that's going to be destroyed, I don't want what looks like a 20yo vet tech's cartoon scrubs dangling in my home.
@kateblack: I don't know much about rats, but I imagine you could use a crocheting technique such as this one
[www.cheepparrottoysntips.com]
You could use \"super cotton rope\" or Polly/Paulie rope for construction rather than sisal if that. They have a lot of great ideas on that site, I'm sure at least some can be modified.
I get a lot of my parts from eBay, but
is pretty popular and cheap amongst bird owners and I've used them more than a few times.
This place has foot toys that my bird loves, that I'm sure could be modified for rat toys to change things up a bit. They're simple to make as well
Gawker has had a lot of articles recently about freelancers writing for reputable magazines who are having a lot of trouble getting paid. One of my good friends does a lot of freelance work, and he's having the same problem.
@pecan 3.14159265: Those sounds nice =) I forgot another cost of doing business. People that break your stuff because they just *have* to touch it.
Common exchange:
Lookiloo: \"Is this glass\" *digs fingernail into candle*
Me: No, it's wax.
Lookiloo happily walks away after successfully damaging product
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-581631-100x100.png\")
The one about graphic design is entirely too true. It's really hard to make a decent living when you have student graphic designers doing stuff for free or for unbelievably little money. I've had so many offers to \"do this design for us so we can see what kind of work you do, then in the future we will pay you\", which of course, there will be no future offers.
Of course, when you find a job that actually pays you well for your work it's absolutely amazing. It's just that these jobs rarely show up.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-443428-100x100.png\")
@korybing: When I cleaned homes someone tried that when I came to give them a free estimate for the whole house; \"Let's see how well you clean my kitchen & I'll decide whether I want to hire you to clean the whole house.\" Um, no.
@korybing:
This is true of all the freelance jobs in the list. There's always some idiot out there who will underbid you for a price that he can't live on, but he's so desperate to \"make it\" in the industry that he'll eat Ramen and sleep under a bridge for a year in order to be able to attract clients with his low-low prices.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1362890-100x100.png\")
Word of mouth has been more useful for me getting graphic design work than any of the freelance sites. I signed up for oDesk and saw that many companies were requesting graphic design for cents on the hour and were successfully finding people in countries who will work for that little to do their jobs.
You can get ordained by the Universal Life Church online for free and marry people in most states. They charge for a letter but you can print your own ordination for free. Then you can set your own costs to marry folks anywhere they want.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-550329-100x100.png\")
@h3llc4t has a slow work day: \"If they do manage to read them, they barely manage to understand them.\"
You say that like it's a bad thing, isn't that why you were called \"tech support?\"
@CFinWV: It is a bad thing if the instructions clearly state to not hit the \"reset\" button, and some jackass calls you up and goes \"My Internet didn't work, so I hit the reset button and it still doesn't work and your company sucks.\"
There is tech support, and then there is idiot support, and I did not enjoy providing the latter.
Graphic Design is not such a cheap start up unless they are encouraging people to pirate all the software. The Adobe Suite is expensive.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-255368-100x100.png\")
@thoreau2: GIMP for raster and Inkscape for vector. Free and I've done lots of cool graphics stuff with it.
@SacraBos: You can do all the cool stuff with it that you want, but that doesn't alter the fact that Adobe is the industry standard, and nothing else is 100% compatible with it. Using free or low-cost alternatives is great right up until The GIMP doesn't save the proper alpha values for that 72-layer website mockup, and you send your unimpressed client what looks like a solid black box.
My fiance is a freelance web designer, and every year he grumbles and laments the cost of upgrading all his software, but he has *no choice* if he wants to work professionally in the industry.
@Lokys: I doubt most print houses would take GIMP files.
It's either InDesign or Quark for print publishing.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-435267-100x100.png\")
I have a BS degree in writing and I've been in technical writing for five years now. I don't freelance at all. Why?
It's not worth it. I don't know of anyone that has not gone through what Pecan 3.14 has gone through. It's tough, customers are hard to come by, the money's not good and you frequently have trouble collecting. It's running a small business in a very tough market. You'll be lucky to break even, much less profit from it.
@Urgleglurk: May I copy and forward your comment to my sister, who thinks I should just be able to throw it out there and rake it in? She is DELUSIONAL. And she's in healthcare marketing and hires writers for projects sometimes!
She also thinks I should get editing jobs. With no experience? Yeah, right.
For stock photography, consider iStockPhoto.com as a way to market your photos. Be advised that they only accept very good quality images and pay royalties depending on your volume and whether or not you are exclusive to this service. Note that they have very precise rules about images you submit and releases you need from people in your pictures.
Nonetheless, there are numerous examples of people from all over the world who make a very handy living from this service. Take a close look at this resource to get an excellent idea about how to make money from stock photography.
Fix computers=get blamed for everything that goes wrong the next 6 mos after you touched their computer. Not much fun as a freelance job.
Anyhow, if crap lists like this is \"freelance writing\" then how would anyone ever get paid? Stock photography? Come on, visit 1 stock photo site before you write such nonsense - there's a glut of stock photography.
I take issue with #4; depending on what you make, it isn't a cheap business. I work in metal and enamel -- seen the prices on precious metals lately? Enamelling kilns aren't exactly inexpensive, nor is a proper ventilation system. Of course, people still think it's outrageous to charge more than five dollars for a hand-forged sterling silver ring, since they can get a silver-coloured ring for less than that at Wal-Mart.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-136125-100x100.png\")
These aren't businesses... they are jobs.
If you have a great blog, you can sell ad space on it. It isn't alot of money but it might make you some depending on your traffic.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-117321-100x100.png\")
Love this. \"Freelance writer.\" Are they suggesting one moonlights as an editorial writer, technical writer or creative copywriter? I can guarantee you (the collective you) that making a living as a freelance copywriter is spotty. I cannot speak for technical or editorial writers. Of course, working as a creative copywriter is more lucrative than attempting to make a living as a poet. Oh, and Consumerist you missed a couple of professions: editor and proofreader-anyone can hop on that bandwagon as well.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-298828-100x100.png\")
Prostitution. All you need is genitals and a street corner.
This is kind of a sad list. Sad because, from what I've seen, these occupations on average pay less than pizza delivery.
The first three are especially bad because, with the advent of the Internet, everyone thinks they can do them. They're massively overcrowded fields where a lot of people are doing the same work for free.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-116599-100x100.png\")
10 Inexpensive To Start Small Businesses?
I do freelance writing as well. There are a ton of niche fan sites that write about music for free (live reports, album reviews, etc), simply because they want to give their favorite artists some cover (often international). This sucks though because if you approach any semi-official company to write for them about your niche topic, for them, they just say they don't have any money (which is likely true) and ask you to write for free. The writers get excited and don't mind doing it for volunteer, and so the companies get used to having free work. If you demand money, they'll just let you go and hire another happy volunteer. It's a vicious trap, no one ever gets paid and no one budgets to pay the writers.
The other thing is that in the music industry, filtering between the dozens of \"writers\" who just care about meeting the artist, and the actual knowledgeable writers who are good at their craft is a really difficult thing. Any person can swear up and down their professional and then lose it in front of a musician. It's really hard to be make someone trust you, and it takes a lot of free work, lost money, and networking to build a reputation.
Graphic Design?
$1,700.00 for Creative Suite 4 is inexpensive?
$3,000.00 Mac Pro (I know, you can do GD on a PC now too.)
$300.00-$2,000.00 Monitor
$800.00 QuarkXPress
Then the extras.
Expensive yet I love the field.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-53248-100x100.png\")
I started recording local bands while they play live. It's a cheap way for them to get a decent demo, and I make some extra cash.