Are you an undergraduate? A high schooler or a high school graduate? Have you considered simple ways you can drive income into your pouch? Ride with me let’s search for money!

Generally, students do not think outside their field of study. They forget that most companies we admire are the result of a person’s ideas that were developed over time.

Most of the time, students leave their skills to chase employment that may be nonexistent. This attitude kills initiative.

I have met students who would not explore their skills because their parents would not let them even though they have the desire to try. Others are grade/certificate conscious and would not want to explore anything apart from their course of study. Still, some desire to explore but do not know what to do or how to go about it. In this post, we are going to look at ideas that work.

What trends can you pursue?

Make a business out of your hobby

What are some hobbies that pay?

Do you enjoy the company of kids? Try babysitting some kids when you are less busy. If you do it well, in time, you’ll get many more kids. You can end up starting a school.

Cooking is one easy way of setting up a regular income stream. Start with something that people around need most. Advertise it sufficiently. Soon you will be managing a big brand like KFC.

If you draw, design, decorate, and paint take contracts by asking around for those who may need your services, teach others how to do it, produce artifacts for sale, design things and sell, and be a consultant in anything you’re good at. Start an online store.That will be your brand.

Are you interested in physical training? Then use the internet to your advantage. Or, why not create your course and promote it. Better yet start your blog or youtube channel. Offer to train children or groups. Perhaps you may not be in a position to start a physical gym but you can start an online gym with social media presence. In time it can happen.

What about selling photos you take on websites like Shutterstock, Adobe stock, Etsy, Getty Images, Stocksy, and a host of others.If you like photography, have you considered drone photography/videos, freelancing, or starting a photo book for sale. Building a personal brand as a photographer can be interesting if you showcase your work on social media platforms to build strong traffic.

Do you like writing? Contemplate starting an ebook. You can sell on sites, like Amazon KDP, and other sites or you can create an online store to sell. If starting a store is too big an idea, start a social media page where excerpts of your work will be featured regularly to draw a following for your next ideas. What about taking a skill improvement course in content writing after which you can be a freelance writer. Starting a blog to express yourself is a good way to sell your brand.

Public speaking is an interesting way of creating a brand. Opt to be an MC for programs, lead discussions, and ceremonies. Get an online presence, engage with others, and get to where you want to get to.

Oh, what about becoming a social media influencer. You can become one in the comfort of your own home and make a passive income. So select a niche, improve your social media profiles, generate valuable content and post regularly, connect with your followers and collaborate with other brands. In time you’ll love your brand.

Do you enjoy fashion trends in any way? Perhaps you like to sew, do makeup, fix hair or nails, decorate, or do anything gorgeous. Don’t waste time, take your signature to another level just by letting others know.

There are other awesome hobbies that one can tap into. So commence by honing your skills, then optimize your social media profiles and enhance your following.

How to do it?

Just do what you love doing.

Take risks. Looking at the world currently, things are changing rapidly. Follow business trends that function. Avoid lazy get-rich-quick schemes that waste time as well as addictive enticements that waste resources.

Always have business cards or flyers handy to give out, you might never know your next client.

These are common things around us but our passion and how we deliver our services will always make us stand out from the rest.

So start by doing any one of the following.

Rent out things you possess- old books, and other items you do not use anymore

Invest your resources in creative skills. You can get some of these courses on Udemy and Cousera

https://alison.com/affiliates/success?utm_source=alison_user&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=25999796

Join that extracurricular group that exposes you to problems that need immediate attention, that’s a good start.

Learn more about social media tools and invest in technology.

Benefits of starting now and not later

You stand to have gained experience in that skilled activity before you are out of school, therefore creating job opportunities for yourself.

https://kol.jumia.com/api/feeds/81da9e22-3dae-4528-b232-ca62de5830da/conversions/download/7371c72e00499bb09689a7d8414df88cebeda4bcdf5b9499a58745f6c07f94e4

Developing and using a skill enriches your resume.

You can employ yourself after school-Be a Boss

You can search for a job in that skill even if it is not your course of study.

You can be a consultant in that field should you discontinue that skill.

Are you a graduate hunting for the job of your dreams? Are you depressed and drained because you have not gotten one that is your choice? Maybe this story is what you need to jolt you out of your fantasies. The business story of Baaba Brown– a sculptor, chef, baker, teacher, life coach, event planner, and entrepreneur is our business link this month.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a self-taught baker who does everything baking-pastries. I started all this eight years ago. The story about my business journey is interesting. I never wanted to be a baker or a chef or to do anything food. I’m a visual artist. After my first degree, I wanted to be a lecturer-sculptor so I continued with my master’s degree. However, work did not come readily as I expected and the ones that came had conditions I could not satisfy- I had to pay in cash and kind to get a job. So for a time, I was unemployed.

How did you start your business?

I enjoy watching video DIYs. My mum is a teacher/cook so I helped her from time to time. I had never thought of making cooking a job nor did I want to do anything with that skill because I wanted to be a high-profile personality sitting in an office doing big things.

So how did you end up doing what you do now?

It was at an old school reunion. Most of the friends talked about their accomplishments and struggles in life. Coming home from that meeting, I kept thinking about my life as an unemployed person in the next few years. It dawned on me to do something. I weighed my options and how I could use my creativity. Unconsciously, I had accumulated a wealth of tools and materials for cooking and baking by watching videos. Thus, I started with baking and cooking.

Having the skill and tools made it easy I suppose?

Not really. I sometimes feel I’m a perfectionist. Though I was starting a new chapter,I preferred to start with a distinct brand. One that was unique and would be loved by all. I gave out a lot of samples and requested reviews. By so doing I was also marketing my skills. However, that meant less income. My biggest exposure was when a friend entrusted me with her wedding planning and food. It boosted my confidence so much and before I realized I was on my tenth order- now I’d lost count.

Tell us about the other things you do.

Once I started using my skills, it has been one thing after the other. I’m always flooded with ideas. When it comes to mind and I do not do it I become restless until it is done. As a visual artist, I am versatile. I do earrings, flip flops, woven shirts, soap, flower pots, and herbal teas. I am also into ovens.

What about ovens?

As a self-taught baker, I have used sand to bake, small ovens, commercial ovens, gas cooker ovens, electric ovens, and many baking styles. I have learned the pros and cons of all these ovens and I can recommend to anyone the best oven to use. Oven accessories are scarce -oven thermometers, mitts, racks, sheets, and other baking tools. After training, I have to help my trainees get a good oven and its accessories to start their business. That’s how come I ventured into the sale of ovens.

Can you share with us some interesting things in your journey of harnessing your skills?

It’s good to share so I enjoy sharing my skills with young girls who have to depend on others for survival. I’ve trained six ladies already in baking and cake decorating and they are established. I don’t mind if other women groups come on board- churches, communities, and institutions.

At the moment I’ve started a program on kitchen product reviews on YouTube. A lot of women have kitchen appliances but unfortunately do not know how to use them. So I coach them on appropriate tool use.

I’m working on a project on helping Ghanaian women to know how to use social media tools to improve their small-scale businesses.

In 2017, I met a chef who saw potential in my work and introduced me to the Chefs Association of Ghana. Since then, I have worked to attain their standard. As I speak, I am a certified chef with the Association. From time to time, I’m called to judge cooking competitions and I have a program on the radio about cooking skills and recipes.

What have been the challenging moments in this journey?

Marketing everything I do. Until recently, I didn’t know how to use social media tools. So most of my customers were acquaintances and referrals. Now as I learned to use these tools I see improvement in my customer base. That’s why I want to help other women.

Capital to buy things in bulk is another challenge. I love to use new tools that make my work easier, however, the soaring prices of tools and food items make it difficult to keep up.

Time, time, time. It seems the 24hrs is not enough for me. My work is a mood thing for me. I can’t stay idle; I have to be busy. If I’m not baking or cooking, I’m doing craftwork or learning a new skill. I’m a professional teacher so combining all my talents with teaching leaves me exhausted but very happy and accomplished.

Any comments for those in search of a job?

Sometimes, I regret that I hadn’t started earlier and that I didn’t harness all these skills. There are many graduates out there who have my kind of mentality from the beginning- I want to do that and nothing else. Please, if that job is not coming, try another thing, that may even be your ladder to success. Starting a business is very difficult but after some time things get better. If you are in school, don’t wait till you finish before you start. Create a brand now with friends so that they can patronize your business even after school, and refer others to you.

After all these years, I still learn new things -learning on the job is interesting. I make progress by improving on my mistakes and practicing more.

What is your brand and what are the products?

I do celebration cakes, pastries, pizza, kish, yogurt, fruit drinks, breakfast basket, food basket, event planning, herbal teas, flowerpots, and other sculptures. I also sell ovens, grills, and burners.

Follow Brown’s cakery :

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Google

Do send your story too. Nextjoblink@gmail.com