Busy on the home front with new ways to earn
AS MILLIONS take a financial hit from the coronavirus lockdown, many are hunting for ways to make up the income they have lost in recent weeks.while unemployment has shot up, some sectors are actually hiring more staff as a result of the pandemic.
Supermarkets need extra warehouse workers and drivers, call centres are hiring staff to field the surge in customer enquiries, farmers are hunting for fruit pickers and hard-pressed care homes are searching for helpers.
If none of these options appeal, another alternative is direct selling, which could help you raise extra money while staying healthy and complying with social distancing rules, by working online from home.
DIRECT ACTION
There has been rapid growth in so-called “side hustles” in recent years, as people look to generate income on top of their day jobs. However many of these sidelines, such as dog walking, gardening, house sitting, doing handyman jobs or renting a room on Airbnb have also been hit by the lockdown.
Direct selling can attract customers and generate sales by email and the internet or by distributing catalogues. Self-isolating Britons stuck at home are still keen to indulge in retail therapy by ordering a few affordable luxuries from firms such as Avon,
The Body Shop At Home, and Neal’s Yard Remedies.
Direct Selling Association director general Susannah Schofield said health, wellness and home care product lines are particularly popular now, as people stop going to the shops for anything but essentials.
While physical “Tupperwarestyle” parties are out for now, virtual ones are thriving. “They can bring friends and family together for an online personal shopping experience and a bit of light-hearted fun.”
More than a third of the population has bought products this way, with sales of £2.67 billion a year. Schofield said more than half a million people work in direct selling, typically on a part-time basis to fit around family commitments or another job.they earn on average £373 a month, although you can earn a lot more if you put in the hours: “The sector’s growing army of side hustlers is increasing activity, perhaps to compensate for loss of earnings.”
ALOE, ALOE
Diana Page, 53, from Oxford, has been running a direct selling business for 15 years but said
March was her best month for sales in three years.
Diana, who sells aloe vera products with a brand called Forever Living, cannot meet customers in person at the moment but all the activity has shifted online: “Lapsed customers have come back during the lockdown and existing customers are buying more and additional products.”
Until the pandemic, Morag Nicol, 46, from Falkirk, was holding a dozen parties a month showcasing Partylite’s scented candles: “I wasn’t sure how I would cope without doing physical parties, especially as many people are worried about their income and understandably reluctant to spend.a candle is not an essential item, or so I thought.”
Morag spent more time at home with husband Alan and their two teenage children, until customers started contacting her: “Many asked if we were still open for business because they were burning lots of candles while working from home, and having their house fragranced made them feel happy.”
She started taking online orders with home delivery, then helped create a Facebook event: “It was a success, we invited around 1,600 and had more than 140 people watching at any one time.” Morag’s front room is now a Partylite showcase room, hosting virtual parties either on Facebook or video conferencing site Zoom. “My customers can still interact and get what they want, without having anyone over.”
BOOKED UP
Carron Charlesworth, 45, started selling children’s books through award-winning publisher Usborne and now runs a successful homebased business, earning around £32,000 last year. Like many direct sellers, Carron, from Barnsley, has just enjoyed her best March on record, after moving all of her business online: “I’ve been helping families with educational packs of books for home schooling, and also boredom-buster packs to help with activities.”
Carron has also been hosting virtual parties, although she says that engaging with schools is challenging, as many are under pressure setting up online schooling: “I am also getting plenty of enquiries from people who cannot work at the moment and want to earn money from home, doing something meaningful. Direct selling is attractive as it can fit flexibly around your family life,” she said.
Jon Ostler, chief executive at personal finance comparison site Finder.com, named other options for using your skills: “These include completing online surveys, taking part in focus groups, tutoring over Skype or checking out opportunities for designing, writing or coding on freelance platforms such as Fiverr. com and Upwork.com.”
As the lockdown drags on, it pays to stay active and generate extra cash from a sideline that could one day turn into something bigger.