Have any of you pursued options of earning money on the side besides your day job?

This could range from a side business, inventing and packaging a product that is doing well, constant yard sale treasure hunting, inventing an iPhone/iPod app, website design, etc

I'm really looking for a way to increase my income, and a statement in "What is your financial situation since graduation?" made me think about ways to do so.

What was your inspiration? Based on the path you took, how long of a process was it from conception to "sale"?

Motivation is not the problem, so much as every idea I think of, a simple google search usually produces at least 10 of the very thing I was thinking about.

3/24/2009 2:37:12 PM

I tutor math/science to kids of rich families (all the way from grade 7 to graduate students).

I charge anywhere from $50/hr to $125+/hr, depending on grade level and number of students (usually 1, but sometimes 2 or 3).

Depending on the month/season, I make an additional $1,000 to $1,500 per month. My record for 1 day is $337, and for one month $3,700.

I get calls from random students and mothers all the time. My methods deliver.

3/24/2009 7:09:07 PM

I, too, tutored for $50/hr.

My methods, too, delivered.

3/24/2009 8:48:37 PM

Lies!

3/24/2009 10:40:01 PM

I did ESL tutoring. You can make mad money. I was earning about $75/hour when I did it.

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3/24/2009 11:14:29 PM

Part-time computer messiah. _{OH THE TROUBLES MY CLIENTS HAVE WITH THEIR BROKEN WINDOWS!!!!!!!1}

3/25/2009 2:20:17 PM

I bartend on the side. I've done private parties for $500 a pop, weddings for around $200, trunk shows and fashion events for around $100 to $200 (plus tips on all of these). I also "fill-in" at various bars around town that have special events on the weekends or just need another drink-slinger on a busy holiday weekend.

I'm actually going to start a more consistent bartending gig for a friend of mine who is opening a bar in about a week.

The money is just too good in small amounts of time to give it up completely (and considering I'm not exactly "killing it" at the other job). Having the ability to jump behind a bar and earn some cash is one of my most prized possessions.

3/25/2009 4:55:01 PM

Can you program? People are making loads of money now creating iphone apps. Take this guy for example:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/18/iphone.game.developer/index.html#cnnSTCText

Crated a game similar to bejeweled and made 250k profit in the first two months.

3/26/2009 8:59:01 AM

I'm trying to get back into freelance web design/development.

however there's a lot of people doing that, so getting gigs can sometimes be tough.

3/26/2009 9:57:15 AM

yup....started a pet photography business. It hardly supplements my income though. Its more an opportunity to share what I love with others while making a few bucks. I'm limited in what I can do with respect to a second job so I had to get creative. Literally

As far as the process...

Come up with a name (Tail Waggin' Photography), design a website (though I used a customizable template, http://www.tailwagginphotography.com), research similar photographers and realistically compare technique/ability, come up with packages and prices, come up with a la carte prices, create business cards, and get out and advertise! For me, word of mouth has worked better than anything else.

If I did it again, I'd find a less flash-reliant website. Its hard to get found on the web when your whole site except for the splash page is flash! I'd also have shortened the site name. Its annoying to have to spell it out to people. I'd also have modified my cards. Right now I really focus on the tourists so that's what my cards are geared toward. However I've had interest in the Raleigh area too. It confuses people when I hand them a card with Outer Banks information.

There will always be competition out there...just find a way to set yourself apart.

3/26/2009 10:48:33 AM

^ I really like your photography!

I can't believe people actually pay money for professional photos of their pets though

3/27/2009 6:05:15 AM

I trade stocks (aside from regular long-term investing).

I've also made a little by buying/selling cars...more incidentally than anything else, just with my regular daily drivers. I've thought about buying and selling some cars/motorcycles for the specific purpose of making a dollar, but I don't know...maybe more trouble than it's worth.

3/27/2009 8:18:25 AM

Same here, i trade stocks.

And we get what basically translates to double time for working a saturday or sunday. There's pretty much nothing else i could do to make more on a per-hour basis than picking up a weekend or holiday shift.

3/27/2009 9:29:19 AM

wolfpackgrrr thanks and yes, they do. Sometimes a "sears" snapshot isn't good enough. That's where I come in

3/27/2009 3:30:16 PM

I can't even get your website to load.

Of course, my internet connection out here is pretty terrible.

3/28/2009 9:23:01 AM

Josh, it requires a high speed connection for all the flash to load properly. That's one thing I would change if I did it over again. I love the site, but its like 99% flash.

3/28/2009 9:32:53 AM

yeah, it's supposedly "high-speed", but in reality, not so much.

3/29/2009 3:50:18 AM

^^ Why not redo it?

3/29/2009 7:35:58 AM

well, mostly because I don't have the time to find a new template and redesign the site. It took me about a month before I was ready to go with the one I currently have. I also really like the owners of the template. They are super friendly and helpful and have answered any questions within an hour or two. Even on weekends. It says a lot about a company when its owners are that concerned about lil ol' me

3/29/2009 11:43:13 AM

Do they not have more than one template to choose from?

3/30/2009 3:37:27 AM

yes, but they are all flash

3/30/2009 6:15:47 AM

ahh that's lame.

3/30/2009 8:21:15 AM