Earn Money on The Side

Being an Agent for a Direct Selling Company

Direct selling is person-to-person marketing and selling of products directly to consumers away from a fixed retail premises.
Direct sellers use individual salespeople to sell their products instead of using traditional retail. Pretty much anyone can enter the field – to join, you often need to sign up with a salesperson. That person then provides you with catalogues and samples.
You then purchase products at wholesale from your sponsor, and once you resell it to your own customers, you keep the difference between the wholesale and the resale price as profit. In addition to paying sales commissions, many companies offer their representatives the potential of scoring bonuses and special prizes.
If you decide to become a direct seller, make sure you sign up with programmes that don’t require large start-up fees – as that may be a sign of the company being involved in a pyramid scheme.

Get an Extra Job

If you need extra money, consider working nights and/or weekends – in addition to your full-time job. As long as it works with your schedule and still allows for your normal everyday activities, getting enough sleep and socialising, it can be a great source of extra income. Some jobs don’t require much thought either, which can be an added bonus if your main job is quite mentally demanding. Just be aware of the secondary tax – you can find more information here.

Freelance

Monetize your skills, experience and knowledge – something you are good at. It may not be a great way to make a living long term, but it may be good for people just starting out – especially the creative types – who need to find clients and build a portfolio. It may not be well-paid, and the competition can often be ridiculous, but again, if you’re in it for side income, money is money. Try sites like www.freelancer.co.nz or www.99designs.com

Sell Your Gold/Silver/Platinum Jewellery

This is a one-off, not ongoing, way to earn extra money – if you have unwanted or broken gold lying around. The gold price has been gradually falling since August 2011, and although no one knows how it is going to behave long term, now may be a good time to sell your jewellery. Goldwise is one of the top gold buyers in NZ.

Become a Mystery Shopper

If you love shopping and want a casual, flexible job on the side, consider becoming a mystery shopper. Mystery shopping surveys measure businesses’ quality of customer service and selling skills and provide information on how those businesses can improve their service and increase sales.
Shoppers visit stores anonymously, pretending to be a regular shopper and evaluating things like staff presentation and friendliness and their sales skills.