One of the best aspects of being a teacher is enriching the lives of others. However, the financial aspects are some of the most difficult to manage. If you’re having trouble making ends meet on your salary, or simply need a break from teaching, it can be financially troublesome. Yet, there are ways to integrate a side gig into your schedule to help make ends meet and beef up your savings. Here are some things to consider.
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How to Pick the Right Gig
There are many avenues you can take when discovering the perfect side gig for you. Start by asking yourself some questions to determine what path is the right one. How desperately do you need to bulk up your savings? Do you need something that pays right away or something that you can spend time investing in before a payout? How much time are you willing to devote each week to your new gig? Do you want something that has a schedule, or do you need something that you can do whenever you have a spare moment?
Once you've determined what you need, it's time to look online. There are marketplaces you can use that will help you find employment. You could do some freelance writing or, if you have more technical skills, do web design. You can also use your educational background to your advantage by becoming an online (or in-person) tutor. You can advertise your own services or use a tutoring agency to find clients for you. The great thing about side gigs is that they can potentially carry over into the school year to keep you earning extra income. You can work an hour in the evening here and there, on the weekends, or even during your lunch break. Much of this work is quickly done and won't largely impact your schedule.
Schedule Your Time
One of the more difficult aspects of working in the freelance market is balancing your own time. There is often no boss telling you when to arrive and no school hours to maintain. Luckily, with your years of experience correcting homework and grading tests, you're probably familiar with meeting deadlines on time. When first starting out in the gig economy, make a to-do list, and by what time you need each step done. This will help keep you focused, and working during designated times so that your side gig doesn't take over your life completely.
Avoid social media during your set work hours. If you've assigned yourself the schedule of working from noon to four in the afternoon, keep yourself on track by not getting distracted by Facebook, Instagram, or whatever your favorite app is. Put your phone away, only check your work email, and make sure you're ticking off the items on your to-do list.
Make an Office
A nice aspect of working side gigs is that you get to work from the comfort of your home. That can also become one of the pitfalls. One way to avoid distractions is to create an office space with the right equipment you'll need for your job. Decide what area of your home is most conducive to work and secluded from your creature comforts, including the television. It also needs to be large enough to house all the equipment you'll need. A computer of some sort, even a netbook or tablet, is going to be necessary.
What else will you need? A printer? Copier? Hole punch and stapler? Do you need a separate phone line? Make sure you'll have proper lighting as well. If your eyes are straining, you'll have a harder time focusing. A clock is a good addition to stay apprised of the time so you can make sure you're meeting your deadlines and know when you're scheduled to be off.
Considerations for Selecting a Business Type
As you prepare to launch your side gig/business, three things often determine the business type selected and registered with your state: protection for you as the business owner, flexibility with how you can operate your business, and ease of creating the legal business entity itself. For these reasons and many others, the business type of choice is often the LLC. You can typically complete setting up a North Carolina LLC in about five steps.
Thankfully, it doesn't take much set up to be on your way to earn extra money through a side gig. It can give you added security, and it may be something you take on during the school year, too. After all, you'll have the freedom of choosing when you work and what you do.
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