Side hustles or side business

[bil]

I had 2 that ran concurrently. The solo gig was private Scuba instruction. I did that mostly after work on weekdays and evenings. The other was a partnership with a friend doing Scuba charters on weekends and holidays. Those ran from 2004 until 2014.

I recently sold the boat. I still have a lot of student gear and tanks to get rid of. I dive often but now it’s just for fun.

[Silly Moustache]

In 1983, (aged 35) I was incapacitated by something called Lymphatic Sarcoidosis, which virtually paralysed me for some time. I was off work for some months, but went back far too early, which probably did me no favours.
It was impossible for me to move my hands sufficiently to play so the guitar, mando and dobro went into the attic.
I had started an interest in photography, and whilst in hosoptal read all the photo magazines available.

I built up a small collection of lenses and a couple of camera bodies and when time, strength and determination allowed, I'd take my gear into the nearby woods, which was a good place to be solitary and not have to hide the pain from my wife.

Then I discovered that there was a well equipped but unused darkroom in my company's social club, and started developing and printing. Soon I joined one, then another local photographic society, and startd winning competitions. In 1989 I was awarded the Associateship of the Royal Photographic society in 1989, and started getting bookings as a judge and speaker. I had accumulated a large portfolio with which I made my talks and found that I could turn my images into, informative and entertaining talks, which, over the years became a form of stand-up. I also added positive humour into my judging gigs and found the frm September to Junec every year I was doing at least one booking a week, for which I was paid modest fees plus expenses.

Of course in 2017 when I was diagnosed with throat cancer, I had to retire from the southern circuit, and despite no longer being on the Federation judging and speaking list I still get invitations.

Of course these bookings meant travelling and them speaking for 2-3 hours and my damaged throat no longer allows such things.

I miss ding the circuit a great deal, and, of course the cash. However, digital photography was starting to overtake skill so much that i was thinking that I was maybe past my sell by date anyway.
My car mileage has shrunk by about 80%.

My only potentially "earning" capacity now is to run my Acoustic Music club twice monthly club, but I don't change - I just ask people to make contributions in a large white box and, sadly, some never do, so I'm now thinking that it doesn't really pay for itself, but I'll do it as long as people come along, although numbers are waning, but we had a full house last week so maybe it's on the up again.

[KenL]

After I retired in 2010, I was contacted about some part-time work.

Next thing I knew, I had 5 PT jobs. A couple of them depended on the season though, so I wasn't doing all 5 at the same time.

I didn't seek out any of them, but rather was contacted and asked if I was available. I had to go buy a calendar book to keep track of myself!

It was actually a fun time in my life.

[Ozzy the dog]

Since retiring I have been able to concentrate on one of my passions which is to design and make things. I'll have a go at anything with any materials and most of what I do is experimental. Unfortunately, whilst retiring provides the time, it also takes away the materials fund so friends and family tend to supply the materials and I make them something they want - it's like doing a hobby for free. Of course they offer payment so I suggest getting me a new tool of some sort.

I haven't always kept a photographic record of things but here's some things I did.

[JCave]

While I remain reluctant …. I do sell my work.


I also work with just about any material but my mainstay is silversmithing. During the big recession, I couldn't give work away. Sure I can make anything, but sell it? I developed a line of Mt Hood jewelry, complete with "guy" packaging and pricing. Tourists purchase my work as a remembrance of Mt Hood. So many great stories of where this stuff goes and why. Lately I've been casting and fabricating like crazy preparing a relaunch.

Today though we travel into Portland for lumber. I purchase scrap hardwood from The Joinery for boxes that I make. I need to build a cremains box.


jerry