Few looking for self-employment ideas think of becoming a Genealogy Researcher. On the surface, it seems too simple of an idea to have any substantive career potential.

However, upon inspection, many are surprised with the opportunity that this unique career can offer to a trained professional.

The Opportunity

There is a tremendous demand for this work when you think about it. Many people are eager to explore their ancestry. We all have a natural curiosity about family members who came before us.

Realistically though, how many generations are we able to discover on our own? What skills, time, and tools are needed to unlock the mysteries of our family histories? What would it be worth to us to have a professional genealogist map our family tree? How far back might it go? How rewarding would it be to make those discoveries?

As you will learn, for many, unlocking their ancestral background is worth a great deal.

Many elderly people need help in their day-to-day lives but don’t have anyone to turn to.  Their children may live hundreds or thousands of miles away.  They may not want, or may not be able to afford, to live in a nursing home.  So you can make a living by providing help and companionship to these elderly people.

You would perform a wide variety of tasks:

• Running errands (grocery shopping, driving to appointments, etc.)
• Housework
• Cooking or providing meals
• Playing cards or games
• Going out to parks or other fun outings
• Keeping your companions’ families informed of their well-being
• Any other special needs your companions need help with

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Business plans are a very important part of any entrepreneur’s startup.  If you are looking for partners or funding they are going to want to see a solid plan.  Even if you’re on your own and don’t feel that your business needs a formal business plan, it’s a good idea to do some research and write down some kind of plan before you get started.

If you’re trying now to become self-employed for the first time, you won’t be able to do this career right away, since you are just now getting experience with writing your first business plan.  If you are already self-employed, though, and have written formal business plans before, you could offer your services as a consultant for entrepreneurs that need help.

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If you are good at crunching numbers and keeping organized records, you could be a great bookkeeper.  Bookkeepers maintain records of expenditures, sales, sales tax collected, inventories, expense accounts, etc.  All businesses need to maintain certain records that the government requires or that lenders may ask for when the business needs a loan.  Many businesses outsource this task to an outside bookkeeper, and that’s where you come in.

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The days of paperboys delivering newspapers from their bicycles are pretty much gone.  These days, newspapers are delivered by cars so they can cover a much larger geographic area.  This is a common second job, as you’ll only work a few hours a day and won’t make enough money to make a living.

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Some doctors, lawyers, executives, and other professionals prefer to dictate their notes, letters, speeches, etc., rather than write or type them.  When these professionals need their notes in written form, it makes financial sense for them to outsource this task to a professional transcription service for temporary work.

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People will pay for help removing their clutter.

Many people have so much “stuff” cluttering up their houses, basements, and garages that they will pay for help to get rid of it.  You can help homeowners clear out all their unwanted clutter, old appliances, dangerous chemicals, and more by taking it to the dump for them.

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Sometimes we all wish we had a sidekick, or least an assistant.  There’s always so much to do and we all feel starved for time.  With all the busyness of today’s culture, you can actually make a living running errands for people who don’t have time to do it themselves.

Earn money doing common chores for clients.

You can offer all kinds of different services.  Some ideas:

• Accepting deliveries or meeting repairmen
• Taking packages to the post office
• Organizing or cleaning houses
• Picking up dry cleaning
• Preparing for a party or event
• Standing in lines to obtain or turn in paperwork

You can literally perform any task that your clients want you to, as long as you’re capable and comfortable with it.

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You can be a successful entertainer in your local area if you have talent, promote yourself, and do a good job. When you do a good job at your local gigs, people spread the word.  Word of mouth is powerful marketing.

If you want to be a celebrity, I’m not going to lie to you, the odds are against you. But with the advent of the Internet, many new opportunities are available. You can promote your music online and obtain a loyal following of fans. You can post your comedy videos on YouTube, gain a following there, and get noticed by someone in the industry. The Internet has allowed people to become celebrities without the traditional Hollywood story.

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Being a book reseller is a self-employment idea I’m particularly fond of, since I love books.  If you love books too, you will love this job.  Once you get good at it, you could also offer your services as a book “hunter.”  You would hunt down rare or valuable books for book collectors, and then collect a finder’s fee from the collector.
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