Side Hustles for the Desperate and Clueless

By James Tapp (IG: @jimbo_tapp)

Have you ever thought of the possibility of earning $350 from home? How about becoming the next GaryVee? Maybe you just want to be able to have the freedom of earning money however you want. Well oh boy, do I have the article for you! The idea of running your own business or little side hustle seems daunting, but really as long as you keep records and pay your taxes, chances are you’ll be fine. Now do be warned, running a side hustle is probably not going to pay your rent, hence why it’s on the side. But side hustles are a great way to help supplement your existing lifestyle. So, if you’re looking to upgrade your flat toilet paper from two ply to three, or move from the infamous Homebrand “Cocoa Puffs” to Kellogg's "Coco Pops" instead, why not try out these money makers?

Trade Me Flipping

We’re starting off with something close to my heart, as I am fortunate enough to have a neighbour who does this as a FULL TIME job. Now while I would love to do an in depth two hour interview with them about the ins and outs of Trade Me flipping, we’re not on the best of terms to say the least. Either way, Trade Me is a great place to start, with the ability to keep it local or operate with people all across the country. Now, while it can be as simple as buying an item and selling it at a higher price at a later date, when things start to not sell, your house becomes a dumping ground (p.s. Would advise talking to flat mates before starting on this). So take these two points into consideration: find something that will flip quickly and won't take up much space, e.g, don’t start flipping couches unless you live in a mansion. Secondly, know your product. Find something you know lots about, from what a sex toy in good condition looks like to which playing cards are in high demand, anything can be sold at the right price.

Investing in Stocks

So, you want to be the next Wolf of Wall Street. Unfortunately unless you're Leonardo DiCaprio or an equivalent, you're probably out of luck when it comes to finding a bride like Margot Robbie, nor does any of it come as quickly as a two hour movie. This also requires a brain and a bit of time, so I talked to Logan Fraser, an executive member of the AUT Investment Club and president of the Management Consulting Club. If I gained anything from this, it's that it is the perfect time to start but also could be the worst time. "The rule of thumb here is to only invest what you can afford to lose. The best way to think about how much you need to invest is by doing a quick calculation of all of your weekly expenses, and deciding how much of whatever is left over you could live without" says Logan. For some of us this could mean putting a little bit less in savings or buying one less bottle of vodka. To add to this, right now we're in a recession, meaning "there's blood on the streets,” making it a perfect time to make those long term investments. Still interested? Well investing is not something you should go into blind, it requires some degree of knowledge and research. So go educate yourself! Logan recommends The intelligent Investor book and an app called “IG Academy”, and if you do it right, you could turn a small amount of money into thousands later down the track.

Fiverr/Freelancing

Now this definitely isn’t the easiest side hustle in the world, but done well and you could see some cash coming your way. The key here is to not only have a skill, but to sell it well. Whether it’s doing voice overs or doing logo designs, it’s all about finding the right price, but also making sure you don’t over or undervalue yourself. A good thing to keep in mind is that freelancing is an invaluable addition to your CV. Not only does it show that you put in the effort to put yourself out there, but it also provides you with the opportunity to diversify your portfolio more than you could ever imagine. While freelancing does tend to be more relevant to those working in the media industry, there’s no reason why you can’t freelance any skill you think is sellable. Take advantage of new opportunities and get creative.

Become a Pornstar

Disclaimer: Taking up this side hustle may come with consequences which are not under Debate Magazine or James Tapp’s responsibility if it means a loss of reputation, job loss, or any other situation. We also acknowledge this is a very real career, which can illegally involve the use of minors, rape or any other situations where bodily harm is caused. Please be careful, and make sure everything is consensual.

Now this one is something that let's be honest, you’ve probably thought of when you’ve been a bit short on moolah, lying in bed going “fuck it, it can’t be that hard can it?”But not everyone can make it like Kim K. Now depending on what your take is, it really is going to influence how you’re going to do this. How many people? Where’s the camera going to be? Are you going to be able to see your face? How kinky are you going to get? Do you need a trim? Where are you going to be? Where are you going to publish it? Are you going to make one and hope for the best or make lots? Toys? Shitty background music? Laptop webcam or phone? So many questions to ask, especially when chances are you’re lying in your single bed at your parent's house. The next thing on your mind is, how much can I realllyyyyyy earn from doing this? There’s a few factors, such as your agency, your experience, and whether you’re a man, woman or any other number of genders. As you’d expect, it can really depend on the type of porn. Same sex pays more, and women get paid more on the whole. So how much can we expect to get paid? Unless you've done this before, you could be seeing $500 for a shoot if you do everything right. Not wanting to star? Well porn is still classed as a film, which means there’s scripts, lighting, camera operators, directors, the whole lot. Now while I’ve covered some points in this, I still recommend doing your own research, there’s a lot going on in this industry, and a lot of it isn’t pretty.

Lots of ideas, so little time, so many problems. I never said any of these ideas are easy to run, and just imagine how this compares to running a multi-international business. Another thing to understand is you don’t have to study business to do business. You don’t have to study at all, and chances are no matter what position you’re in, you’ll be working in such a way that helps but can also change how a business runs. Go out there, stay safe and make some money