• Out and about
• Working with people
• Providing a service

Out and about

Market research

Do you get irritated by smiling people with clipboards stopping you in the shopping centre and asking you your opinions on mayonnaise? If you were paid to talk about it, in a pleasant room with food and drink laid on, would you be more willing to share?

Lots of companies do market research to find out who is buying (or not buying) their products and why. To find out, they need to get out there and talk to the public (that’s you!).

Mystery shopping

You may see excitable adverts on the net about making money and getting freebies just for shopping. There are lots of opportunities to make some money in your own time through mystery shopping, but it’s not necessarily the big shop-fest they like to make out!

Dog-walking and pet-minding

If you hate the gym but want to get out and about then dog walking is an excellent idea. Full-time jobs and busy lives mean that many people don’t have all the time they need to look after their pets.

Gift fundraising

Be a face-to-face fundraiser. Raise money for charity and get paid for it. Just a few of the organisations looking for fundraisers directly are Shelter, Concern and Everychild.

Delivering leaflets

There are all sorts of leaflet and forms that need to be delivered to homes in your area. Local papers, leaflets, forms for compiling the Electoral Roll and so on all have to be delivered by someone. Try Gumtree to find a job as a leaflet distributor and earn extra money now!

House-sitting and house-minding

Looking after a house or flat whilst the owner is away is a good way of getting a break from your own home and routine. More and more people own more than one property or spend time away on business as well as having a summer holiday.

Working with people

Babysitting

Anyone can babysit but if you want to do it through an agency you will need a proven background in childcare or teaching. Babysitting is best suited to women because most parents prefer the idea of a female caring for their children rather than a man. Don’t let that put you off if you’re a man though – there are some parents who are flexible.

Be a doula

If you’re a mother you are pretty much qualified to be a doula. Doulas are birth partners and post-birth partners – like surrogate mothers to new mums. Any woman who has had a baby and wants to help other women get through it happily could become a doula.

Exam invigilation

Lots of organisations need invigilators – people who keep watch of students at an examination. Your local education authority often needs invigilators for GCSE & A level exams, plus local colleges, universities and adult education authorities need outside invigilators for their exams too.

Bar and restaurant work

This is one of the easiest kinds of evening or day work you can get. Pretty much anyone can do bar work and many can work in restaurants and cafes so long as their English is good enough and they can do basic maths.

Weekend shop work

This can also be easy work to get if you live near a town with lots of shops or an out-of-town retail park. If the weekends are your only time off, this can be a good solution.

Poll clerk

This is an important job which many people don’t think about. Election day polling stations have to be staffed in order for a Government to be elected!

Providing a service

Cleaning

If you know how to dust, wash up, vacuum and polish, there is a huge demand for cleaners all round Britain, particularly in big cities.

Ironing/laundry

There is a big demand for people who can iron and do laundry as it is a particular pet hate of many professional men and women. Working and having a family means some people simply don’t have the time, whilst others prefer to be doing something they find more relaxing.

Plant care and hire

If you have green fingers and some time on your hands, you could help others in your area have healthy, happy plants all year round.

Useful links

• Gumtree
• Shelter
• Concern