1. An artist or decorator
The majority of homeowners, tenants, and business owners will need painting and decorating at various points in their lives. It’s a very straightforward business concept that is typically quite well paid in a competitive market, despite taking a lot of time (since it’s all labour) (due to the low barriers to entry). You can also promote you service using whiteboard animation videos. For making videos you can use simple whiteboard animation softwares along with voiceover using text to speech softwares.
Paint brushes, sheets, rollers, and other basic decorating supplies are required to get started. In order to get to homes and businesses quickly, you’ll also need a trustworthy mode of transportation. It’s also a good idea to look into tradesman insurance and other types of business insurance to make sure you’re covered in the event that you cause harm to a client, yourself, or a piece of property (i.e. leaving a paint brush around as a trip hazard can be costly).
By listing yourself on websites like Checkatrade, myBuilder, and rated people, painting and decorating contractors can easily find new clients (sites are paid via commission on each job or through a listing fee). The best way to get work (request for quotes) through these platforms is to accumulate a number of positive reviews, as positive feedback and cost are the two main considerations for potential clients when hiring painters or decorators.
2. Pet-Sitting
In the UK, there are nearly 51 million domestic pets. What transpires then when a pet owner must travel for business or pleasure? This is where the pet-sitting industry enters the picture, offering accommodations, feeding, walking, and occasionally grooming services for animals.
Pet sitting has a straightforward business plan: you pick up clients’ pets from their homes or receive them directly. Next, you care for the animal(s) at your house or other location for the predetermined amount of time (typically charging a day rate, paid upfront).
Depending on the animals you’ll be sitting, the setup costs for this business idea might be a little higher than you anticipate (cats and dogs being the most common). You’ll require various cages, food, leads, toys, beds, and other things. You should create a daily schedule for feeding, cuddling, and walking if necessary.
In some circumstances, you might need a licence, especially if you’re doing this on a large-scale commercial basis, like with a cattery or kennels. It’s essential to have a thorough understanding of animal husbandry. Having a reliable veterinarian on speed dial will help you take care of any pet health issues and ensure that you have the appropriate insurance in place.
You can promote your pet-sitting services through social media, regional advertising (flyers, letterbox drops, etc.), and alliances with businesses that cater to animals (such as pet stores and veterinarians).
3. Architect
The payment of architectural firms is done project by project. As a result, they typically only maintain a small core team at any given time (avoiding paying for excess salaries when projects are not underway). Due to this business model, the sector now heavily relies on independent contractors (freelance architects) to come in and work as needed.
You must have a degree in architecture to get started, and you must have chosen to specialise in one of the major aspects (3d building render, drawing, site inspection, material assessment). As a rule, service-based businesses are paid on an hourly basis, with retainers occasionally used for longer-term projects. By compiling a list of regional and national architectural firms, you can market yourself by emailing them your portfolio and a list of the services you provide.
Offering your services on freelancer websites like Upwork to small business and home owners for ad-hoc projects of various sizes (full houses, conservatories, office renovations…) gives you the option of working directly with a client.
4. Private Lawyer (Lawyer)
In the UK, people frequently seek out legal counsel for contract, criminal, family, intellectual property, and general commercial matters. In most legal fields, if you are a licenced solicitor (a “lawyer” in American parlance), there is a high demand for your services. Many solicitors select to work for sizable law firms based in big cities, but a sizable percentage also select to work for themselves.
According to the type of law they practise and the number of clients they have, private solicitors typically bill by the hour at a rate between £80 and £2000.
You must have a law licence and be a member of the Law Society in order to work as a private solicitor. To begin, you’ll need to make investments in a website, business phone, and business cards. Depending on your area of law, you may also want to draught simple legal documents that can be altered to suit most client requirements.
Offering free consultations to local businesses and individuals can help a private lawyer find clients. Additionally, you can promote your services on platforms for independent contractors by offering hourly rates or standard packages for particular tasks like finishing terms and conditions, drafting investment contracts, reviewing contracts page by page, or registering a trademark. Make sure you are listed in local service directories for businesses in your area.
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