Multiple Income Streams
One of the important things to do as a self-employed freelancer is to make sure you have multiple income streams as you just never know what is going to happen next. I don’t do too badly in that respect although it can get quite hectic now and then.
As well as my main job as a freelance website designer where I build and maintain website for numerous clients, I also do quite a few other things, some related, some not. A couple of weeks ago I was invigilating exams at Aberystwyth University – Not a bad job, not too stressful.
Many of my income streams are web related – I run several websites that have various forms of advertising income, affiliate earnings and such like. None of these make a huge amount, but it all helps and all adds to my sources of income.
I also sell photos from time to time and do other computer related work. Today I’ve been adding the finishing touches to the layout of a 50 page document about a management plan for a local cemetery. The group managing the project needed to produce a report ready for printing but didn’t have the know how. I’ve therefore been busy desktop publishing ready to provide them with a print ready PDF file.
I also help people with their computer needs via Computer Tutor Wales, and from time to time get away from the computer altogether and do some little odd jobs.
When I was a student (many years ago now) I used to help out with several local elderly people doing their gardening and then progressed to painting and decorating and other ‘odd jobs’. From time to time these people still call on me asking for some help, so last week I was busy painting and decorating a bedroom. It’s actually quite nice to get out of the house, away from the computer and do something a little more manual from time to time.
Not only do all of these ‘jobs’ mean I have various revenue streams to turn to should one of them go a little quiet, but it keeps me on my toes and adds plenty of variety to the normal 9-5. Managing my time to fit them all in can sometimes be an issue though.
