FREEDOM & FLEXIBILITY
100 FREELANCE, CONTRACT & business ideas
The number one question people have had for me over the years is, “How do you live the way you do?" People want to know how they can work a little less, make a bit more money, and have the freedom and flexibility to spend their time in ways that matter most to them. For parents it might be homeschooling kids, or just spending more time with them. For others it might just be having freedom to travel while working. For others still, it might be a desire to pursue multiple interests at the same time.
If you’re like me, it’s actually all of those things.
One of the best things that ever happened to me was being laid off from a job I’d taken when I first moved to Alberta. While I’d been employed at that job I had so many people mention their businesses: “Oh, you do marketing — can you help me with my business?” Well at the time I had a full time job and 5 kids at home. I didn’t feel particularly capable of handling any side hustle on top of that. BUT, the layoff in late 2015 gave me exactly the impetus I needed to get off my butt and start hustling.
I had work before I had a company name or even an email address. I quickly replaced my full time salary with flexible working hours and proceeded to more than double my salary with half as many hours within 3 years.
A tiny word of warning for the aspiring entrepreneur
I see a lot of young people going for self-employment right out of the gate, and I would caution anyone about doing that. It’s not that I don’t believe in entrepreneurship, but it can be a very lonely road, and it’s also important to be highly skilled and knowledgeable when you start. It helps tremendously to learn from someone else who has gone before you. I was fortunate to have more than a decade of marketing experience working for other people before branching out on my own. To this day, I have never had to promote myself to acquire marketing contracts. All my work has come from word of mouth.
I highly recommend getting at least a few years’ experience from a couple of different companies in your chosen field.
But with that said, if you have a skill or a desire to learn a new skill and work hard at it, you can find freedom and flexibility by being your own boss in any one of these 100 different occupations:
3D Modelling
Amazon Reselling
App Development
Architect
Art Teacher
Artisan
Author
Automotive Detailing
Bookkeeper
Business Coach
Cabinet Installer
Career Coach
Caterer
Climbing Guide
Consultant
Content Creator
Copywriter
Counsellor
Dance Teacher
Dropshipping
Editor
Electrician
Esthetician
Flooring Installer
Freelance Writer
Furniture Maker
Ghostwriter
Graphic Designer
Group Fitness Instructor
Hair Stylist
Insurance Broker
Health Coach
Heavy Equipment Operator
Hiking Tours
Home Inspector
Housekeeper
Interior Design
Interior Designer
Interpreter
Jeweler
Junk Hauling
Land Surveyor
Landscaper
Language Teacher
Lawyer
Locksmith
Makeup Artist
Management Accountant
Marketing Contractor
Martial Arts Instructor
Massage Therapist
Meal-Prepper
Music Engineer
Music Producer
Musician
Nail Technician
Lash Technician
Nanny
Nutritionist
Online Trainer
Paddling Tours
Party Planner
Payroll Processor
Personal Assistant
Personal Trainer
Pet Care
Pet Groomer
Pet Waste Removal
Photographer
Physiotherapist
Pilates Instructor
Pilot
Plumber
Private Chef
Private Driver
Private Travel Tours
Proofreader
Psychologist
Realtor
Recruiter
Reiki Practitioner
Sales
Sewing & Alterations
Snow Removal
Sport Camp Director
Success Coach
Tax Accountant
Tile Setter
Tow Truck Operator
Transcriptionist
Translator
Travel Concierge
Tutor
Uber Driver
Video Editor
Videographer
Virtual Assistant
Voiceover Artist
Web Development
Yoga Instructor
Many people will tell you that they believe having a full time job with a reputable company is safer. The opposite is actually true, though, and here’s why I think so:
As a marketing contractor, I can serve multiple clients on my own or I can work in the capacity of an agency, and hire freelancers to work with me to actually carry out the work. Obviously this depends on the nature of the contract you negotiate with the client, but on the whole, I can have multiple income streams, interesting and varied work, and also leverage others’ time. If any one client were to decide to change how they did things and they decided my services were no longer required, no sweat.
So here’s my advice to younger folks:
Learn a skill. Get good at it. Work for someone else for a time. Ask questions. Learn more than just your job. Pay attention to how they’re running their business. Pay attention to processes. Ask questions about finances. Learn as much as you can. Then, when you’re ready to make the leap, or when necessity forces your hand, you’re ready to spread your wings and fly solo.
