Hey, frens. I was talking to a relative I hadn't seen in a very long time. She is now retired but having worked mostly in sales doesn't have a good retirement scheme. She wants to continue working, but needs to do so from home and asked if I knew of anything she could do. I really don't. Do any of you have any suggestions for something a nice, reliable lady could do? She didn't finish college so she doesn't have a degree, but she's sharp and gets things done. With so many employers needing dependable help, surely there must be something for her. Please post any ideas you have. Thanks!
Comments (58)
sorted by:
Rat race rebellion site looks promising. Sign up for their emails
I just checked out the site. Looks interesting! Thanks again. I think she'll like that.
A friend posted it on FB and I just signed up for emails so I have no sauce on whether it's legit or what have you as of rn
That's alright. I still appreciate it and I'll help her look into it.
Ha I just posted about them. I do phone work and found my job using that site in 2018.
Never heard of it. Thank you. I'll tell her.
There are all sorts of opportunities, but most of those jobs have a swathe of people from all over the world competing for them, so immediately we run into the necessity of innovation, to stand out from the crowd.
You say she was into sales, and the 'working from home' directive suggests she wants to avoid actually handling packages and trips to the post-office, or meeting with couriers. If she doesn't mind the packaging part, try re-selling, so- source interesting or necessary things and re-sell them. You can do this by finding a bulk source, or gathering up a collection from other sites. I suggest being specific, so not just books, but crime novels, or, not just clothes, but women's luxury brands, etc. However, this will eventually take up a spare room > garage > rented premises. Also there is a lot of competition for this sort of thing. I am thinking of Ebay, Etsy etc. There are sellers out there that have 10s of thousands of listings. When we were running a business like that we had an average of 30 listings, but it only just broke even.
Then there is the option of drop shipping, or merchandise that is branded in her store ( as many Youtubers are now doing). I'd recommend Shopify for this, having had experience with their one-month free subscription. - this requires at least a month familiarising oneself with the coding (most of which is a copypasta, but requires research). Remember that this is not the only site, and one will need supporting blogs, forum activity, social media etc.
Does she have marketing skills?
Online marketing involves incorporating social media, video-making, white background photography, email lists etc. These days, people are rather immune to advertising, so one has to be more creative via product placement in videos that are genuinely interesting.
Perhaps she can team up with someone who is good at the video/social media aspect and handle the administrative side of things?
Thank you for all the suggestions! You know, she is a kindly person and I bet she would be great at having a YT discussion / advice channel. It's just that I/m sure she doesn't currently have the tech skills, but if she could team up with someone who has those skills, she would be good at the 'on camera' stuff, I think. I don't know if I could convince her of that though, lol. She's rather self effacing. The suggestion of resales is interesting because I bet she'd take to that. Finding that specific niche is good advice.
Thank you for all your input here.
If she is good at cooking, then maybe that is a way forward. Once she gets over the hurdle of camera shyness, which is easy if one is doing something, the real view into someone's kitchen is what Youtube is all about. There are some simple rules to get good lighting, and high-quality photography, but some peeps started with a cell-phone, so it can improve over time.
Also, youtube is pretty easy to use, just follow the instructions.
I imagine a cooking channel might well be fun, and can happen everyday.
Build furniture, sell her art, accounting, start and monetize a podcast, build computers, start a day care….. the point being there are tons of ways to make money at home. It starts with her taking stock of her talents, skills and desires. Work from there.
I think she's living in an HOA. They would have a fit with that. If not, that could work because she loves animals. Thanks.
Thanks. I think that might be the hard part for her. She's a very sweet and capable lady, but sort of old school and not very self confident. She DOES have some amazing skills though. (She's a fantastic cook, I remember, but I don't know if that is something she would want to do as work.) Anyway, thanks. You're right. She needs to identify her best assets. Appreciate it.
babysitting
I thought of that one right away because she loves little kids, but I think she might be too old at this point. Still, it's something to consider if nothing else works out. She would be great if she could do it.
www.ratracerebellion.com I am still working at the same company since I found a job 4-1/2 years ago through them.
Thank you so much. Good to know it's legit.
Indeed.com is a good source for legit teleworking jobs, from data entry to customer service. Travel companies (both corporate and leisure) may be willing to train the right person if they have the aptitude and a college degree is not required.
Thank you so much. I never heard of that website. Appreciate the info, fren.
If I was talking to her in person I’d ask about her skill sets and computer literacy. I’ve even had at home job offers for making Minecraft mod assets despite just being a graphic designer, so you really can do a lot of unexpected tasks for a full time job. Thus, picking based on existing skills or interests is likely to bear fruit.
A ton of home jobs revolve around having one or two computer skills you are exceptional at. For example: Knowing Quick Books Online can get you into at home VA work for small businesses because they need help imputing information for the actual accountants to make use of.
I also know a woman who bakes sourdough bread for an at home income, small southern town so you’d think there wouldn’t be enough demand. But frankly, it seems a lot of people agree grocery store bread sucks and local bakeries only do sweets anywhere near us.
You can make great wages during election season if you’re willing to cold call for any major organization, ones with good software can help a caller be hyper efficient and making great money per hour is doable.
Thank you! I don't think she's all that computer proficient (she's older and didn't grow up with it) but she's smart and I think she could learn any program she put her mind to, so I will tell her about the Quick books gig. I appreciate all the ideas. She is so lovable, I really want to help her if I can. Thanks.
Laundry, cook'n and yardwork
Haha, she'd probably say she does all that now, for free. Might as well get paid. Thanks.
Telephone customer support is a good one, lots of companies have that, and if she can leverage her experience for the right company, I bet she will do great.
flexjobs.com is a good job site, they vet the jobs so little chance of WFH scams, although you do need to purchase a membership to see all the details.
I was thinking the same thing, because of her background in sales. In understand many of these jobs are home-based nowadays.
Alright, thanks! I've not heard of that site. Sounds like another good one. I appreciate the info, fren.
Of course - good luck to your relative!
Sell stuff on eBay, it’s easy, been doing it since 1998.
Did you have something specific that you started out selling, or just ride it and see where it took you? I have long been curious about ebaying.
I’ve sold a little of everything: sterling silver jewelry, scrap gold, guitars 🎸vintage fur coats, vintage bedding and other antique linens, cars, motorcycles, drag race gear, designer label clothing, lamps, books, perfume, pottery, barware, primitive antiques, glassware, dishes, flatware, serving pieces, ammo (those were the good old days 😂) golf gear, car parts, collectibles etc etc etc. Literally anything that strikes my fancy or things that I think someone else might want/need.
I scour thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, pawn shops and estate sales. The thrill of the hunt has never worn thin and a person can make GREAT money or use it to just get rid of some household crap. Once an account is open you can search to eBay to see what’s selling. The key is taking great pictures, writing accurate descriptions, use key words in titles and mail out sold items safely and in a timely fashion. I find free packing material everywhere. You don’t need a computer if you have a good phone.
Thank you. I asked some follow up questions before I saw this. Very interesting. Your interests fun the gamut! Haha. Some of those things seem very hard to pack and ship, like guitars and fur coats! But if it's worth the profit, I can understand why. Great post. Thanks.
Fur coats are super easy because they aren’t fragile, just throw in a box and mail out. Shipping a Gretsch White Falcon is a little more detailed.😂
HOT TIP: Lots of crafty folks are repurposing fur coats (making hats, mittens, vests, bags, pillows etc) so even a coat with splitting pelts due to improper storage has some value for the right buyer. Beaver (shorn and unshorn) is a fave as well as mink.
Oh wow. How did you get your hands on the Falcon? Was it an estate sale or something? And I suppose it depends on each item AND what you paid for it yourself, but what would you say is your average markup / profit? Actually, I'm sure ebay takes a cut so after you pay whatever they get, what would be a fair % that you would expect to make on an item?
Thanks for the depth of answer. My wife was just moved to part time as a dyslexia specialist. It's just as well with what they are doing to the last of the teachers with brains and experience, but I would like to supplement her income. I don't necessarily have to, but we were at a place after a great number of years where we could begin to put money away. We are both, and have always been, hard workers. I have a small aluminum construction business which I have not yet optimized. I preferred the time at my kids games and being an active part of his life as he grew. Money don't buy happiness, but having a car in the driveway certainly contributes to my happiness. Oops tangent. Point is I want to supplement her income with something we can share and that sounds perfect.
Family comes FIRST, for sure.
Selling stuff online is immensely rewarding, and not just financially. I’ve met the nicest people telling me their stories of why a certain teapot or belt buckle they bought from me had very special meaning for them, so much gratitude. Plus I LOVE the idea of recycling/repurposing, it’s always such a win/win for me as well as my buyers. There’s literally a never-ending list of things to learn about.
I wish you and your wife MUCH LUCK, BLESSINGS & PROSPERITY in your new journey 💕
Thanks for taking your time. Appreciated.
Wow! That's a long time. Is it easy to learn how to do it? There's probably a book somewhere she could get. I'm not sure she's even got an ebay account, lol. But she could learn. Do you sell new or used stuff?
I sell both new and used. Yes, it’s very easy. Lots of little old ladies sell on eBay. My aunt is in her 70’s and she started selling to make a little extra side money. There are How To tutorials on the website. It’s been a God-send for me. I was able to stay home with my kids and homeschool them even as a single parent.
Thank you so much for this info! I'm sure her first question would be, what would I sell? Then, how much can I make? If you're able to actually support your family with the income, it must be pretty good. So glad you found a solution that allows you to be with your kids and raise them as you see fit (home-school). That's fantastic. I have even thought of selling off a few things I no longer need, but to be honest, the thought of figuring out things like how much to charge for shipping and doing all the packing up and lugging down to the post-office has stopped me. (I don't have that much around the house to sell, lol)
You can use the search feature on eBay to see what similar items have sold for in the past and you can use their “Sell One Like This” link as a template to sell your own item. ALWAYS use your own pictures and descriptions though, never copy someone else’s listing.
These templates help with the learning curve on shipping charges and categories etc. It’s best to start off selling small items and non-fragile items until you get the hang of it. I’ll never forget my first sale, I was THRILLED and have been addicted ever since.
Lol, yeah, I can see where it would be fun and addictive IF you were actually selling stuff at a good profit and often enough to be making some decent money. Thanks for explaining about the templates and so forth. I could see the benefit of having a niche, but if you do well in your niche, it would probably be tempting to expand out as well.
If you sell used, where do you find stuff, if you don't mind me asking? Garage and estate sales? Do you sell anything and everything or do you have a niche? Does stuff stay around for a long time? I'm asking because when I used ebay as a buyer, I remember putting stuff on my watch list and coming back a year later and the stuff was still available!
I have sold literally everything except real estate on eBay. I’ve shipped items all over the world. Japanese folks LOVE anything American from Civil War era carpet bags, to jadeite dishes to old Levi’s. And they’ll pay almost anything for saphiret pieces.
I guess if I had to pick one niche Item that I sell the most of it would be sterling silver charms. You can buy sterling jewelry at pawn shops and thrift stores at the spot price for scrap silver. But the charms are highly collectible and are worth FAR MORE than sterling scrap. For instance I buy a charm bracelet at a pawn shop and then I take it all apart with needle nose pliers and sell each individual charm and the bracelet separately. Super easy to ship in a padded bubble envelope mailer. I did spend time learning which charms were the most valued.
Vintage costume jewelry in general is insanely collectible. There are many books on the subject.
That's interesting about the Japanese! Who woulda thunk it? Not me, lol. I had to look up saphiret. I am not familiar with that at all. Interesting.
Your idea about the charm bracelets makes a lot of sense! When you buy something like that at a pawn shop, do you pay the asking price or do you bargain with them? As an example, if you paid $50 for the entire bracelet, what would you expect to sell all the pieces for, total? $100, or double what you paid, or would you expect to sell it all for even more?
This is really interesting, lol. Thanks for answering and all your help. You're kind of making ME interested in selling a little on the side, and I'm supposed to be helping my relative, lol!
Saphiret is breathtaking to behold in person, absolutely glorious and very difficult to part with 😂 I always feel fortunate to find and own a piece even though it’s just for for a little while.
Charms are wildly collectible, especially the enameled and mechanical ones if they’re in good shape. As with any field, there are books and websites devoted to the subject. eBay has a charm collectors group with tons of information. As a general rule I don’t like to pay more than $2 for a “run-of-the-mill charm which I’ll sell for $12 or $15, but many times a loaded bracelet will have rare treasures tucked among the commoners that are worth much MUCH more, like hundreds.
When out shopping I usually try to haggle for a better price, but sometimes it’s not necessary cuz it’s already a great deal. Every item is different, but generally speaking I try to triple or quadruple my money at the very minimum because I have to pay fees/shipping/gas etc...more often than not that I make a lot more than 3 or 4 times, it just depends. And there have been plenty of times that I gambled. Like I bought a Hohner squeezebox at a garage sale and the guy would not budge on his $50 price tag. It was so cool looking, but I had NO IDEA what that contraption was worth, so I bought it and took it to Hugo Helmer Music. They offered me $400 on the spot. I was thrilled and I’m pretty sure they tripled their money. Win/Win 🥳
Wow! That's exciting about the squeezebox. Stuff like that would be so fun. Sort of like a treasure hunt. I could see getting into it. I can see why people do. Thanks for all the good info. If you wouldn't mind, maybe I'll keep you in mind if I do have any further questions. I might try selling a few items from around the house, just to see what it's like to be on the selling side and get a feel for it. Oh, btw, did you see what Paypal just did? How if they think you've put out misinfo, they can TAKE $2,500 from you account?!! Unbelievable that anybody would think that's acceptable. It's just plain theft. I mentioned that because I know a lot of ebay people use paypal, but if I do it, I sure won't be using it.
How about being a wedding organiser?
A background in sales would be a help. She could visit prospective couples at their homes then arrange the venues/food/invitations/drinks/transport/photographer etc.
That's something I never would have thought of. Thanks!
When I left work I set up a website to sell stuff and got the warehouse (where I'd been employed) to drop ship for me. Customers paid me retail price direct and I paid the warehouse at the end of each month (trade price). I also visited other warehouses and got them to drop-ship for me. These were companies that were geared up for shipping but not drop-shipping, so it took a bit of persuasion.
I had zero inventory and a decent profit margin.
The stalling point for your friend would probably be the website with shopping cart, however. I paid a guy to create it initially but I updated it with new products myself.
Thank you! Very interesting and also quite smart of you to get the warehouse to handle the drop shipping for you, lol.
A couple of questions, if you don't mind. Apparently you started your own full-fledged business (as opposed to selling on ebay). Without giving too much away that you don't want known, can you tell me how you decided to sell whatever you sell? And is it a specific type of thing or do you sell all kinds of things? Where do you get the things you sell? (Alibaba?)
Were you able to earn what you'd consider a full-time income or more of a part-time income? How did you know what to do to get the business up and running - did you read a book or something? I have a vague idea of what drop shipping is, and I can look that up, but I'm wondering if there was a book you read that helped you learn all the steps. One that you could recommend.
Like you, she could have the web site built. She could probably find someone to do that inexpensively on Upwork, even. And I know she's smart enough to learn how to add new products, though it might take a little time. She could do it.
Here's the important question -- how did you get people to find your website? That in itself seems like a big deal, making people aware that you exist. Thanks!
I was a medical transcriptionist for many years. At home after a few weeks of training just learning their computer program. These days its mostly editing reports that come up instead of typing them all out.
My favorite benefit was volunteering for overtime.
Best benefits if your employer is a medical school university.
Thank you. I think she might like that, although I would imagine learning the medical terminology could be an issue. I don't understand what you mean about editing reports. How would you know how / what to edit? lol. Yeah, the overtime would be nice, especially if they are looking for volunteers! Thank you. I'll put this on the suggestion list for her.
In the old days when doing a report you had a blank screen and would type out what you hear. Nowadays you get a report before you on the screen and you correct (edit) what might be the wrong word. All systems have spell check and medical dictionaries.
Employers would usually start you out on something easy like just editing chest xrays. I learned terminology on the job.
As for OT, larger institutes have bigger OT payments depending on the shift worked. For example I worked 9 - 5, then volunteer for a 4 hour shift from 11 pm - 3 am which came to more than a regular full 8 hr shift. Came in very handy for a single mom not getting child support or govt aid.
Once you get your foot in the door there is nothing stopping you from doing the same on the side for doctors in your neighborhood who might need a transcriptionist to cover for theirs on vacation, maternity leave, or quitting.
Thank you! One last question, if I may. Are you paid by the hour or by another metric, like, how many pages you complete? I'm so happy to hear you were able to support yourself and your children doing this. Thanks for your help.
The bigger employers usually pay by the hour but computer tracks your progress (counts # of lines) as you work. But dont worry about that at the beginning because they all know you are becoming familiar with the terminology.
If a small company like a private doctor's office it depends on what you negotiate. It is much easier by the hour for both parties. They dont count pages anymore because both sides can dispute the amount of text per page, eg is this 1/2 page or 3/4 page or full page of type. Or how would you determine payment on a 2-page letter, 1st page full and 2nd page the closing sentence.
I loved this work. I stepped down from the headaches of a managerial position to the flexibility and quiet of transcription.
Nice. I'm glad it was a big improvement for you. Thanks for explaining. That makes sense.