What skill can you sell?

I am a firm believer that everyone has a skill or a natural talent and the challenge is finding it.  Some are lucky and discover their talents early on but for others it takes time.  Since leaving the confines of the classroom I have looked a little harder at how I can turn my skills into money.  Likewise when I need something done I try to see if I know a local individual that has a skill in that area and give my money to people rather than just to large retailers.  This is paying off well for me.  My fab images of me for my blog were taken by a local photographer.  The curtains that I needed taking up were done by an old school friend and so on.  I am six months into my new working life and I’m loving it.  I am at home for the children, I have reduced my childcare bill to zero and I have spent much less on travelling to work.  This means I am financially equal to where I was a year ago but in a much happier place.

I left my permanent teaching post at the end of the summer.  It was time for a change for me as I have a young family and a husband who is an assistant headteacher.  As teaching is all consuming it was affecting family life and we decided that I would take a few off primarily to support our own children through their education.  However like many modern families we are used to two wages and the benefits that brings.  We found ourselves in a position whereby we did not want to give up on life luxuries but I needed to use my teaching skills and make a living by alternative means.

Since taking this approach I have secured other means of paid work and I wanted to share how I am now making money.  Obviously I cannot guarantee that each month I am earning the same as I did as Head of Department on a three day week but taking my childcare costs that I was previously paying and my travel costs I am not far off it with an infinitely  better work life balance.

Three ways qualified teachers can make money using their teaching skills.

1. Exam marking.  I have registered and been accepted to mark GCSE and A Level papers this year.  As I will be able to complete these in school hours at home it is a perfect way to make money and understand the exam papers better.  Many schools are encouraged by those that exam mark as the understanding it brings to the syllabus is second to none for benefiting the students.  Check out OCR and AQA as you can apply for exam marking online and they are recruiting now ready for the summer.

2. Writing for others.  You are a fountain of knowledge and can use this to write for other publications including textbooks or ebooks. Look wider still and use your knowledge with online publications and blogs (just like I have done here)

3. Private tutoring.  There are many agencies that you can register with to advertise yourself as a private tutor.  Again this is the time of year when parents maybe looking for a tutor for their child’s upcoming exams.  This can include 11+ prep, SATs, GCSE and A Level.  The benefits are that you work when it suits you and you set your own rates.  Also it is worth advertising locally in a shop window or a local magazine.  Once you have started you will be surprised how quickly word or mouth moves and you can build up a reputation.  Rates vary by level and area so do some research on what to charge but anything from £20 per hour to £50 is normal.

What skill do you have and have you tried making money from it?

Do remember that if you start working like this self employed you will be responsible for setting yourself up as self employed and you will need to keep records ready for a tax return.  However as someone who has done this it is very simple and quick to set yourself up.

Do share your money saving tricks that you have written about.