by Leann Zotis

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 16, 2011

Running short a few days before payday? Looking for a few extra dollars for an unplanned expense? Did that unforeseen opportunity or disaster strike without warning? Need money in a hurry?  Short term, temporary cash shortfalls can be a common occurrence.

There is a quick, simple solution to temporary shortfalls of money that can be summed up in a single word - Service.

Service: Work done for others as an occupation or business; employment in duties or work for another; assistance, help.

It's simple - whatever you are capable of doing, someone else needs done - and they may be more than willing to pay for it. With a bit of resourcefulness, finding a need and then being the one to fill that need can be the beginning of a continual flow of quick cash.

Can you cook, clean, mow lawns, shovel snow, plant shrubs, paint fences, walk dogs, house-sit while waiting for someone's repairman to show up, repair small machines, haul, deliver or pack, assemble things, disassemble things, watch children, pets or grandparents, shop for someone who can't get out, or take someone out who would like to get out but can't? The world is in need of these services. An inexpensive ad in your neighborhood newspaper, a few fliers on doorknobs, or a little word-of-mouth networking could generate enough work to produce a steady stream of spare cash long into the future.

Are you techno-savvy? Use your computer knowledge to set up shop on one of the on-line auction sites. You'll rid yourself of all the out-dated, out-moded, and useless stuff that surrounds you while pulling some bucks into your PayPal account. Do the same for friends and family, charge a percentage of the sale, and watch your account grow faster. Again - Service rules!

Use that same technical ability to start your own website. The Internet is a vast sea of opportunity. There is no faster way to set up your own small business without all of the physical costs and headaches associated with a brick and mortar business. There is an old cliche about how the man (woman) who can sell something will never go hungry. Pitch your tent on the Internet and see where it takes you.

There are numerous voids to be filled by someone with decent computer skills and a willingness to carry out some of the routine, mundane jobs that busy professionals in every field would love to farm out if they only had a source. Can you type up menus? Lecture notes? Exams for the local community college instructors? Quick content for websites?

If you can do it, someone needs it done. Think ahead. The need for "cash in a flash" is a condition of life. Some people have more time than money and some people have more money than time.  Opportunities, emergencies, and unforeseen expenses are a part of the human condition. If you know that going in and can accept it, you've taken the first step to building a side-line for yourself.

Don't wait for the moment to arrive when you find yourself needing to raise cash quickly. That moment will arrive in its own good time, whether you are ready or not. Follow the Boy Scout's motto and - "be prepared".

Who knows, the small jobs you take up on the side right now could be the road to your next career choice.

Learn more about this author, Leann Zotis.
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