Sandy Smith, the owner of Yes, I Am Cheap, is the queen of home-based businesses. Even when she had a full-time job, she was able to pull in $80k on the side in one year.  Impressive.

Now that we are in the era of coronavirus and many of us are experiencing financial anxiety about our portfolios and our bank accounts, we have to focus on what we CAN control. We can control putting in the effort to create an additional stream of income to either keep us afloat or to replace our full-time income with time.

I had the chance to connect with Sandy to find out some of her work-from-home ideas. 

Here are four that you can begin to move forward with so you won’t have to worry (as much) about money the next time we are faced with uncertain times.

1. Virtual Assistant. This is relatively easy to start and generally only needs a minimal website and Facebook page for promotions. Individuals who should consider this as a career are those who can pay keen attention to detail; are able to multi-task; and, depending on whether they want to specialize, can bring additional skills with them for client use. They should also be willing to pitch themselves and their skills because sales is a required element of this business.  Actively looking for clients on sites such as Upwork and Freelancer will help find continuous revenue streams for this business.
2. Notary Signing Agent.  With everyone rushing to refinance their mortgage, banks will need assistance closing out those mortgages.  A notary signing agent can close mortgages on behalf of the banks. You will need to first become a notary agent before becoming a notary signing agent. Start-up costs depend on your state but can be up to $350 to get certified as a National Notary Association Notary Signing Agent.
3. Mobile Laundry Service.  Let’s be honest, no one likes doing laundry.  Cue mobile laundry service which someone else doing your laundry for you, with the added convenience of the pickup up and dropping your clothing off. Start-up costs can vary but go from a minimum of business registration and licensing fees plus the laundry supplies and quarters that you’ll need to wash the clothes in your state to $405 per year as a licensee fee (plus 30% of sales) of a franchise like Laundry Ladies.    
4. Furniture Remodeler. What’s old is new again. Or what’s IKEA gets upgraded! Furniture remodeling can be incredibly lucrative and have super low overheads. Friends like Tai and Talaat McNeeley from His & Her Money would get furniture from flea markets, estate sales or even just curbsides and remodel the furniture for modern use. Furniture can be marketed quickly for free on Facebook marketplace and on Facebook home remodeling groups. Start-up costs can be limited to the cost of your first item.

Whether you start this business or another, please make sure you follow through with what you start. This could mean the difference between sleepless and restful nights, paid and unpaid bills, and financial victory and financial brokenness. 

Which of these businesses resonate with you the most?

If you enjoyed learning about how to make some quick cash, then you’ll love learning how to make $1K every month as a side hustle.