Be a Personal Shopper

As a personal shopper, you'll be catering to people that don't have time to shop, and/or need help finding items. Typically, your clients will be high-end shoppers that value your knowledge and expertise.

While not exactly a mainstream business, a personal shopper can do quite well financially. It's not unusual for someone to make $50-$75 per hour while working. If you enjoy shopping, this won't even seem like work. In fact, many people get into this business for a chance to shop for items that they normally could never afford. Not only that, but they get a chance to frequent stores that are typically out of their price range.

In order to be a personal shopper, you've got to be relatively organized. You should also be able to research information for your client and be able to source items quickly if needed. As far as experience goes, it's always a good idea to have a little bit of retail experience, but it's not always necessary. A simple love of shopping will almost always get you through.

Most of your business is going to come via word-of-mouth. This is one business where being a little aggressive is going to get you far. One of the best ways to market your services is to get some business cards printed out and simply talk about your services whenever possible. Hand your card out to everyone you see and don't be shy about promoting your business. Of course, it also helps if you're able to mix well with the well-to-do crowd.

Getting started is the hardest part. Once you've got a few clients under your belt, word-of-mouth will spread as long as you're doing a good job. When selling your services to new clients, make sure you have a list of benefits that you can offer, such as sourcing unusual items, doing any necessary research, and actually purchasing the product. Project yourself as professional and you'll go far.