How To Make Money And Gain Financial Freedom Through Part Time Employment

For most of us, financial freedom means having the freedom to work less but still enjoy the things in life that we love most. It means having the ability to take an extra day or two off every week, or only working mornings and leaving the rest of the day for other pursuits. But the question of how to make money when you are only engaged in part time employment tends to keep us anchored to our full time jobs instead of pursuing a more independent lifestyle. Fortunately, how to make money -- enough money to pay the bills and still have some left over -- may be easier to do in less time, (i.e. part time employment) than you might think.

The key is not about trying to find a better paying job with a really nice boss. The key is to maximize your pay by getting rid of your boss altogether. As the internet has grown, it has become easier and cheaper for individuals to market their skills directly to the people who are in need of them. While freelancing is normally associated with creative careers like writing or graphic arts, it has become more common place for people in physical labor jobs as well. In most cases, due to the lack of overhead associated with full time employees, certain kinds of part time employees, like contracted workers, can earn 30% (or more) above what they would have been paid as a full time employee, especially tradesmen and other manual laborers. In addition to the increase in pay, you will gain independence, flexibility, and, with enough dedication, financial freedom.

This is not an easy choice, but it can be a very rewarding choice for an enterprising individual. You must assess for yourself whether you are up for the challenge. In general, the drawbacks becoming your own boss are the flip sides of the advantages. For example, working for yourself is very freeing, but it also means that you are fully responsible for organizing how to make money from week to week. In many cases though, you will find that the benefits far outweigh the potential costs.

Once you decide to go for it, you will need to make an honest assessment of your skills. As an independent worker, you have to be able to market yourself effectively without misrepresenting your abilities. If you need to improve your skills before setting off on your own, take the time to do so. Even if you have to take low or no pay to apprentice with a master carpenter or work with an expert mover, the experience gained will be well worth the loss of pay. You don't need to become an expert. You just need to gain confidence and a broad understanding of the profession.

The easiest place to find job opportunities are classified ads, whether online or in a local newspaper. On websites like Craig's List, you can even advertise your services for free. When bidding on a job, be sure to set the terms and the expectations up front. It will make you seem more professional and give the customer confidence that you are up to the task. Start out by bidding lower than your competitors. As you gain experience and references, you can bid more strategically.

When you win a job, be sure to remain in constant communication with the customer until the job is done, especially when the customer is dissatisfied in any way. Good communication skills can go a long way to resolve potential disputes with a customer. Additionally, you want to be able to use as many customers as possible as potential references for future work.

As you build your business, you may be surprised to find that you are working less time and making more money than you ever have before. That is when you will know first hand how to make money and gain financial freedom through part time employment.

Steve O'Connor is the founder of Securifieds.com, a website dedicated to connecting independent workers with local job opportunities in the most secure, professional way possible. Visit http://securifieds.com for more information.