Eminently Eve
January 2021… WOW! What a year 2020 was. It caught a lot of us off guard and it certainly taught us a few life lessons. One of which is the importance of having as many side hustles as you can.
You know I love talking about nature-themed travel & help people travel by giving advice on affordable conservation oriented places one can visit in Zimbabwe. One issue that kept on coming up though is, “Yes, the places are relatively cheaper BUT how do we even make the $1 to manage to save up & visit these places??“.
Admittedly this is one of the hardest issues to deal with especially in Zimbabwe where there is over 95% unemployment rate in the formal sector. I sat down & did some brain storming on how you can make some extra money in Zimbabwe & be able to travel to some amazing Game parks and Nature reserves we have in this beautiful country of ours.
So this week I will give these 8 side hustles, and next week I will be talking about how to successfully save money for your trips after making it.
Without wasting much of your time, let’s just jump right into it:
One main tip I will give is that, you should not just copy what your friend is doing. Not every body is blessed with the ability to sell clothes and make up. Just because your friend is doing it and making a killing out of it does not mean you should follow suit. You need to think about your personal skills and then figure out a way to make money using those set of skills. So here goes…
- Academic exam preparations for candidates
Since 2008 when we got hit by that hyper inflation & there was no school, lessons outside of school became the norm. That year I was in form 3 & everything I wrote in the exam 2009 was literally thanks to those lessons. What I am trying to say is that, in every negative situation lies some opportunities for those who are willing to see them. One opportunity that has risen now is that of preparing candidates for their final exams. A lot of candidates are anxious right now because ZIMSEC exams are still coming in May and a lot of students feel that they are ill prepared. If some miracle comes their way, they will only be relieved & most definitely jump on it. Guess what – that miracle could be you. If you know that there is an O ‘level subject or A’ level subject that you are really good at and you are also comfortable explaining to a candidate particularly exam tips, exam types of questions etc this is for you. It doesn’t matter that the subject is Fashion & Fabrics, Wood work, Food & Nutrition, Shona, History etc. Every candidate is aiming to pass at least 5 subjects so it’s not English & Maths only that candidates are needing help with. This, however, is not to say start a whole class and ignore COVID 19 restrictions. I would actually recommend that you deal with one student per time to make sure that they get the maximum help they need & also take advantage of technology (i.e. virtual learning).
2. Dog walking
This may seem a bit weird but believe it’s actually a service I am sure a number of people would be interested in. At my parents house, they have 2 huge dogs, a German Shepherd and a Boerboel. These dogs have to be walked every single day. The challenge however, with people who have these amazing dogs, is that, sometimes they are not available to walk with them due to other life demands. At some point they definitely think, “if only there was someone who could just walk our dog even if it’s just a few times a week and then we take over“. The main thing though is that you have to be REALLY good with dogs. No one is going to trust you with their dog if you haven’t proven yourself to be worth it. This also works well if it’s based on referrals. So you could find one client whom you could start with, make sure you perform beyond their expectation. And from there, they will start referring you to their neighbors and friends. Don’t just be stuck in your neighborhood if the opportunities aren’t there. Look else where.
3. Helping people with their shopping
If I hadn’t witnessed this with my own 2 eyes, I would have swore it does not exist. But it actually does. It is a service particularly needed by the elderly people. I will admit though, mostly white people. I guess this is because in our culture it is rare to find elderly people staying alone. Among white people though, you will find that the rest of their family members may be staying over seas and they are the only one here. Usually they only need you to drive them to the supermarket, help them push the trolley and bring them home safe. This job relies a lot on trust so to get the job you would have to have been referred to them by a very close friend or family member. This person that I know of made a decent amount of money by helping this elderly lady to do her shopping every Friday. This could be you.
4. Baby sitting
A lot of the times people who need this service have nannies/maids. However, these helpers have their off days every weekend, which may still not be convenient for the parents/guardians as they may still have other businesses to attend to during the weekends. Sometimes they may also need to travel and not know whom to leave the children with. So if you are trustworthy, reliable and good with children, you could put out some feelers that you are available for baby sitting on such & such days and times and I am sure you will again make some decent extra income. This opportunity may not be within your circle or immediate community so you may need to link up with people from different walks of life.You will still though have to be referred to the parent/guardian by their close family member or friend because of course no one should trust a random stranger with their child. You can also look for organizations that sign up baby sitters & are contacted by the parents/guardians who need the baby sitters. This will increase your chances of getting the opportunities.
5. Helping people with their resume
If you ever worked at a company where you were part of the team that hired people or you just have good knowledge on how to write a “job winning” CV, then this is something you could venture into. At first glance, writing CVs may sound like an easy task, however, after trying so hard to apply for jobs and not get called for even a single interview, a lot of people start realizing that it is not as easy as they thought it was. If someone offered those services I am pretty sure there would be a number of people interested in getting help with that. They know they are qualified for the job, but they just never get called for an interview. You will be their miracle. The key is not to rip them off too much with your charges. Remember they do not have a job, they are looking for one, so keep it reasonable. The best place to find these people is of course through word of mouth but also on social media. Once you manage to help at least 3 people to get called for interviews after submitting CVs that you prepared, you know you’re in business.
6. Teach people who already have licenses how to drive
Yes, you read that right. A lot of people have things about driving that they are not so comfortable with, for example, driving in a busy town like Harare; doing real life parallel parking; doing too much maneuvering which involves reversing especially in busy spaces; driving at night; driving when it’s raining etc… If you are comfortable with your driving and you have some tips and tricks on how to master some of these things then get ready to start collecting some extra coins. I promise you, if you are really good you may end up opening a big company to just offer people these services.
7. Hiring your garden out for photo shoots
Nowadays, especially because of social media, particularly Instagram, a lot of people are constantly looking for nice places to have as backgrounds in their picture. If you have a beautiful yard, you must have already seen people stopping in front of your gate to take pictures there because of how pleasing it looks. So instead of chasing them but they still do it anyway & for free, you just allow them to do it but pay for it. If your charges are reasonable, you are going to be surprised by how many people will come for those services. Of course you have to be really careful that you are not inviting thieves into your yard. So if you choose to make some money this way, then do it safely.
8. Hiring out your vehicle for specific occasions
If you have a vehicle, why not hire it out for specific occasions like weddings, parties, graduation etc. The good thing about this hustle is that you get to drive your own vehicle making sure that it is being well taken care of. Most of these occasions also happen during weekends so depending on your other job, chances are that you are going to be available. It also doesn’t matter the type of vehicle you have, for people who do not have a vehicle they will be very happy to have your vehicle on their special day. It does have to be in good nick though regardless of the make.
This is not an extensive list, but hopefully it will jog your mind to think of other things that you could do this 2021 to make some extra money and be able to save up for your Nature- themed trips. Travelling is most definitely not for the rich only but for every one who has the will. And like they say, where there is a will, there always is a way 🙂
Happy 2021 & Happy travels my #ConservingByTouring Kings & Queens!
Remember to always have a little intimacy in your life and as always I’m talking about intimacy with nature.
Liked the article so I need assistance
…that makes the 2 of us 😊
I love animals….
@HER Brother thank you so much for the love, support & words of encouragement through & through. The shoes you are referring to feel too big but we walk by faith always, God leading the way. Thank you so much 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
I still maintain my word. YOU WILL BE KNOWN FARVAND BEYOND …It is my prayer point . May you walk in the scenario that God wrote for you . Zimbabwe will feel your contribution and presence …far beyond they will have your name in their VIP contact lists
@mel 😂😂😂 hatisati tanyatsochemberaba, nchimbotimirirai mbijana
Hamudi kuperekedzwa ku shopping here ndawana pangu lol
@sharline My pleasure hun. Thanks ❤
I loved the article. Thank you