Starting your own freelance and side business is a very liberating, powerful and fundamental way to accelerate your FIRE journey. You can start with a few hours a week first even if you have a full time job.
In fact, I really like and believe in side hustles and don’t recommend anyone to quit their jobs to start a business (because that’s really high risk). With a full or part time job that provides you financial stability, you can on the side:
- choose projects you find interesting
- choose the amount of hours you want to commit
- etc
And it’s actually fairly easy to get started – you don’t need to register a company, you don’t need to rent a place, or payment processor or employees or anything.
What you need is the right approach and system, and it generally comprise of:
- Step 1: Finding a profitable business idea that you’re competent and/or interested in.
- Step 2: Finding and attracting good clients to you/your side business
- Step 3: Pitch your products and/or services to them at good prices
Rinse and repeat.
My preferred route for side business is to start an online business. I’ve two solutions for this, which is Solo Build It (SBI) and Wealthy Affiliate (WA) – I’ve been with SBI since 2009 and WA since 2015, and made/still making money with both.
Both teach you how to start your own online business that is
- help you identify what your interest and strengths are, and how to build an online business around them
- remote/online (which means your business is 24/7)
- there is no fixed time – you build your online business as and when you can – early in the morning, or late at night, or after your kids sleep/work etc
- low cost (SBI USD 299/year and WA is $360/year)
- no income ceiling cap
- great skill to learn
- you can sell your online business for up to 25-30X its annual profits should you desire to
- will connect you to others people (clients and entrepreneurs like you)
- and more
Read my SBI review here, and my Wealthy Affiliate review here.
There are lots of ways to monetize a blog/website, and they range from using ads (such as Google Adsense) or affiliate programs (like SellHealth) – lots of ways to make money, but more importantly, is to find something that suits your interest and strength eg if you’re good with dogs eg training, you can focus on a site that is all about dog training.
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OTHER SIDE BUSINESS AND FREELANCE IDEAS
Here is a list of services that you can consider doing as a side / freelance business which you can control the amount of hours, the hour and duration and location that people are willing to pay money for:
- Pet services (grooming, walking, training etc.)
- Home maintenance eg plumbing, installation, lawn mowing, painting fixing things around homes
- Baby sitting for parents who may be busy / going out for dates etc
- Transcription services
- Personal assistant for simple tasks eg grocery shopping, courier
- Cooking / personal chef
- Technical writing
- Small business marketing eg giving our flyers or coupons
- Proofreading / editing work
- Website / blog design, consulting and management
- Article writing and marketing
- Print design eg designing brochures, business cards
- Video production / editing
- Design (brochures, business cards, logos, newsletters)
- Sports / personal training
- Giving private tuition
- After school children/student care
- Catering (on small private scale may not need license, on larger scale may need NEA license in Singapore)
- Specialized catering eg keto meals for lunch for office workers/dinner for busy execs
- Search engine optimization (SEO) works
- Accounting / book keeping
- User interface & user experience (UI/UX)
- Google Analytics installation/setup and management
- E-commerce business including consulting
- Fashion / image consulting
- Personal / virtual assistant
- Human resources / payroll services
- Project management / productivity consulting
- Copywriting and editing
- Photography
- Planning and executing events including wedding, travels, commercial/private
- Repair scooters, bikes, motorcycles etc
- Repair watches, phones, things
- Insurance & financial planning agent (will need to get license, but agencies may sponsor)
- Real estate agent (will need to get license, but agencies may sponsor)
- Community management / promotion
- Career help (finding work, optimizing resumes, cover letters, etc.)
- Research / research assistant
- Keyword researcher (or you can use Jaaxy or Solo Build It Internal Keyword Brainstormer – part of SBI $299/year package)
- Presentation design and coaching (eg PowerPoint)
- Exam-specific coaching/tutoring (eg architecture, nursing, therapy, bar etc)
- College application review
- Productivity coaching
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I’m the founder and writer here at NigelChua.com; as well as serial entrepreneur, therapy business entrepreneur, digital entrepreneur, investor and also happy husband, father and Christian.
Started and sold off a business for 7-figures; built another 7-figure one and growing it further, plus building/investing into other businesses and investments as well as advisory works.
Nowadays I share and teach entrepreneurship, financial independence, retiring early as well as building and living a life you love.
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