Running Errands to Earn Extra Income - By: David Forsythe, Posted on: 2006-11-12

In the present scenario where incomes can't keep pace with expenditure, almost everyone tries to do a side job to add to the income. The ground reality is that most people do not earn enough to make both ends meet, leave alone extra money for enjoyment and entertainment. No wonder, millions of Americans have been compelled to think of unique and creative ways to earn some extra money.

Financial experts very often advice us to make investments in mutual funds and annuities. However, the truth is that one needs some set aside money to make these investments. People have now started turning their expertise into profitable ways of making that extra bit of money.

It's really quite simple, you run errands for people who have the money but don't have the time to do their grocery shopping, gift shopping, running movies back, picking up dry cleaning, and a host of other rather tedious activities. You can do all these chores for them and earn a profit for yourself. If you have the time to spare and you need cash, you run errands for those who have the cash but not the time to do all that.

Fortunately, the start up costs of an errand service are relatively low so special financing considerations will not be necessary. You will need a computer to help track business expenses, generate invoices, and perform general bookkeeping duties. Plus, you will definitely need a cell phone so that you can always be accessible to your clients. After you get some business cards and the necessary business license, you are ready to start your errand service!

In the beginning it may be difficult to get people who are willing to shell out money to run errands. Remember, errand service relies greatly on word-of-mouth promotion making every successfully or miserably done task an advertisement (bad or good) for the subsequent business clients. You must consider marketing your business at places like fitness clubs, coffee shops, and beauty salons. These people let you leave your business card for people to look at and get your number from.

You have to remember when trying to build your customer base who precisely your target market truly is. Business professionals and small business owners are those most likely to have the money, but not the time, to run their errands. This is your target market so you need to focus all of your marketing efforts on this demographic.

You may want to try offering your services to friends and family in the beginning for little to no charge. This way, you gain experience that will help you down the road. Plus, you can then use these people as potential references to help you land more business from other people later on down the road.

While you may have never considered running an errand service as a viable means of earning some extra income, the fact remains that this is a growing field with unlimited income potential. For people with an established errand business, it is not uncommon for them to command anywhere from 15 to 100 dollars an hour for their services. Truly, an errand service may start out as a part-time thing and turn into your full-time profession allowing you the freedom and financial independence never possible when working for other people.

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About the author: Delphine La Rosa is the chief writer at For An Income, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. If you want to read more Income articles go to: www.faincome.com/articles
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