How-to Guides » OLD GUIDE Make some extra money

Make money from your hobby

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1) Sell your photos

Stock photography websites will pay both amateur and professional snappers for their shots, usually on a per-download/per-sale basis. To get started, have a browse on Alamy, Fotolia, iStockPhoto, PictureNation or 123RF.

2) Get paid to write

If you love a good rant or just enjoy writing, setting up your own blog can also be a good way to make some money. If you join a free programme such as Google Adsense, you can earn commission from advertising banners on the side of your blog. Every time a user clicks on one of these adverts, you’ll earn some cash!

If you're an aspiring travel writer, or just wish to share your travel experiences, SimonSeeks will pay to hear from you.

Write a concise, structured guide or review of somewhere you've been on holiday, preferably supplement it with a few photos and upload it. If it's accepted, they'll post it to the site for users to review.

The more people who read it, the higher its rating will be. And the more people who read the article and click on the advertising links, the more you're likely to earn. Make your reviews interesting, informative and pack them with tips and you could make a tidy sum.

3) Social networking

Addicted to Facebook? Then why not switch to Yuwie - a social networking site that pays you! The site allows you to do whatever you do with all other networking sites, but you’ll earn money at the same time through a share of the advertising revenue. Find out more in Ten ways to make money in your lunch hour.

4) Walk other people's dogs

If you love animals - particularly dogs, why not offer to walk other people's dogs for them and charge a small fee? This works best if you already walk your own dog. You’re spending that time with your pooch anyway, and if you’re confident in handling more than one dog at a time, it could be a nice little earner. Just make sure the other people are happy for their dogs to be walked together!

5) Become a mystery shopper

If shopping’s your thing, there are companies that will pay you to be their mystery shopper - you simply pop into the retailer and then provide the company with details of your experience. You could make between £20 and £100 for your time. Check out UKIMS and RetailEyes to get started.

6) Grow your own fruit and vegetables

If you're a keen gardener, consider making a bit more room for fruit and vegetables. Your friends and neighbours may well be happy to part with a few quid in return for really fresh, local produce.

If growing your own is just a hobby, it's probably not worth negotiating a supply deal with a retailer. But you could stick an ad up in your local shop (providing it isn't a grocer!).

As with most money making hobbies, the most valuable promotion is by word-of-mouth. Many people would much rather help out a friend than buy enormous mutant vegetables from the supermarket.

Recession or not, there are still rich people out there. If you're a really accomplished cook and love all things culinary, hunt those wealthy folk down and offer your services as an occasional personal chef.

You could offer a complete package for posh dinner parties: Menu planning, food purchasing (on their card, not yours) and full meal preparation.

You might have to offer a 'freebie' session initially to help word spread. And as usual when advertising, target the right market. Where do the rich people in your area shop, relax and get together?

8) Have a party

If you've ever hosted/been invited to a Body Shop/Tupperware party you'll know what it's all about.

Essentially, a consultant comes to your home with samples of the product in question. You, as party host invite your friends, provide drinks and nibbles and let the consultant demonstrate the items being sold, which people can then choose to buy.

Depending on the total value of sales for the evening the host will receive some products free/get a discount on what they buy. And the consultant gets a percentage of what is sold in commission.

There are currently 400,000 people in the UK selling goods and services to friends, family and other contacts via direct selling and depending on how much they work, earn anything from £1,000 per year to tens of thousands.

Companies that employ consultants to sell their products this way include Pampered Chef, Body Shop, Mini IQ books, Ann Summers and Avon, as well as baby specific firms such as Bebeco, Mamatoto and Arabella Miller. There's also the Usborne Books at home scheme and the Body Shop scheme.

Commission can be anything up to 60% of what you sell and many companies offer the chance to train others to sell (you then claim a percentage of what they sell too!). Just be aware that you will usually encounter some set up costs, so don't fork out anything unless you're sure it's something you could make some serious money out of.

Read Make money in the evening and Make money from your hobby for more inspiration.

Have you ever felt like all the problems of the world could be solved if someone just bothered to ask you?

OK, so maybe not all the problems of the world. But I'm sure most of you know a thing or two about a thing or two. Why not put your knowledge to good use solving the problems of some of the world's largest organisations, for cash?

Take a look at Innocentive.com, a "global, online marketplace where organisations in need of innovation - companies, academic institutions, public sector, and non-profit organisations - can utilise a global network of over 160,000 of the world's brightest problem solvers". IdeaConnection.com and EdisonNation.com are also worth a visit.

10) Take a survey

Many marketing firms will pay you to complete surveys for them. Sign up to Yougov or Panelbase - you can complete a survey in as little as ten minutes and each one pays between 50p and £10.

And, while you're at it, get paid to listen to music by signing up to SliceThePie. You'll have to review random anonymous tracks you are given, and the pay is low (typically 5p to 25p per song) but if you're a music buff, it might appeal!

11) Make money from your creative talents

All over the UK, home-based crafters are busy wielding knitting needles, whipping up pieces of jewellery, drawing fantastic pictures, fashioning beautiful ceramic objects and making all sorts of exciting things with felt.

As a result, there are various different online marketplaces now dedicated to helping you sell your handmade goods.

For example, Etsy is the biggest player in the market. Based in the US, it allows you to sell commercial and handmade crafting supplies (like material and buttons). You can also sell vintage items (which need to be more than 20 years old, and have 'vintage appeal').

You also need to be aware that the majority of Etsy buyers are still US-based; how many would be willing to pay the extra postage costs involved in shipping you item from the UK? And of course, the whole site operates in US dollars, which can be slightly confusing.

The alternative is to use Folksy - a growing handmade marketplace based right here in the UK.

Folksy is much younger and smaller than Etsy, but this could work to your advantage, as you'll almost certainly face less competition in your chosen field.

The process to setting up shop is very similar to that on Etsy - you register, get your own personal web address, build your profile, customise your 'shop window' and start listing your items. Here's an example of a Folksy shop that sells knitted meercats!

UIt's free to register on both Etsy and Folksy but there are further costs down the line. On Folksy, you'll pay 20p to list an item for six months (after which time it is de-listed). If and when you make a sale, you'll pay Folksy 5% in commission. On Etsy, it costs 20 cents to list an item for four months. After this period it is de-listed, and you have to pay to list it again. If and when your item sells, you'll also pay a 3.5% transaction fee.

Other sites include:

• Coriandr - based in the UK, allows you to sell anything creative and handmade.

• DaWanda - based in Germany, this is another (European) equivalent to Etsy and Folksy.

• Misi - based in the UK, a marketplace and community designed to showcase creative talent.

• Not On The High Street - based in the UK, this site is designed to promote high-quality, original products and personal service.

• All Things Original - stocks a range of creative gifts from independent British designers.

• Not Mass Produced - based in the UK and designed to promote the work of eco-friendly British and European artisans.

Keen to make money from your hobby? Find out which strategies have worked best for lovemoney.com members by asking a question on Q&A.

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