Beyond 559
By: Charlotte Derby
Tags: Startup, Business Ideas, Money Mindset

6 Subtle Side Hustle Ideas To Boost Your Income As A National Service Person

All too soon, final year university students will be bringing their 4 year journey to a close. Upon completing university in Ghana one is obliged to undergo a one-year mandatory national service to the country.

Since 2017, the basic NSS allowance has been GH¢559.04. Several calls have been made by student leaders to have an increment in the monthly allowance but to no avail.

A satisfying breakfast can cost at least ¢5. Deduct your feeding expenses and cost of transportation from the basic salary of a service person in the country and you are left with almost nothing. A meagre amount to save or sometimes nothing to save at all and absolutely nothing to spend on leisure.

Yet still man must survive. Below are some basic ideas to ace up your game and earn extra.

Sell

With as little as ¢100 you are good to go with capital to help you start selling something. Then again the question bothers on what can you sell.

From hair and beauty products, to thrift clothes, jerseys, phone accessories, watches, jewelleries et al. Now here is the catch. Technology has made a whole lot of things possible. You do not necessarily have to go around with your goods on your head looking for customers to patronize your goods.

Behind a monitor and a click, you can start selling. The use of social media platforms makes it even more plausible. By posting your goods on the appropriate social media platform, you can grow your customer base. You could also partner with online stores; Jumia, Tonaton, Jara, Kikuu to sell your products.

2. Create

By this you bring something into existence. Creating mouth watering delicacies, it could be an assortment of pastries, local Ghanaian dishes or neatly packaged handy snacks.

You could also venture into areas like photography, drawing and painting. Picture freaks would love their moments captured. From weddings, to graduations, to naming ceremonies everyone would want their memorable moments captured, and you could be the one to bring such moments into a reality.

You could also design. The demand for graphic designers are on a daily rise, hence if you have a skill in graphic designing, you are good to go on the financial breakthrough ladder.

The idea of a social media content creator also sounds intriguing. The likes of facebook, youtube, clubhouse and instagram offers the platform for interactions with a wider fanbase.

You could create comedy skits, cartoon skits or anything light entertainment. You’ve ever thought of starting a YouTube channel, this is a go getter for you. You can document your daily routine, fun moments you had at a tourist site or anything creative and upload on Youtube to earn something.

3. Perform

This is a good shot for those in the creative art industry. If you are a poet or you are good at playing around with words, you could start by performing at events to carve your niche. You could write for others to perform or perform your own art to your audience.

If you are a master in the art, you can perform at programs or have live sessions on social media platforms to earn views. The more views you get, could translate into extra cash for you.

If you vocal dexterity is top notch, you might give it a try by performing at small shows. You could also hit the studios to do a recording of your songs. Who knows that might usher you into the beginning of stardom.

4. Write

If you have a good command of the Queen’s language and are fluid with penning down your thoughts or daily happenings, then venture into writing. As a writer you can start by creating a blog where you document your stories. You could also apply to work with online news portals or magazines.

On the other hand, if proofreading or editing is your thing, then you are a perfect pick for what others have written. Also, be sure to keep your ears open for writing contests you can participate in. You can be sure to earn some good cash, if your write up is good and meets the set standard.

5.Teach

You are a math guru, a music genius, or a good swimmer, you could begin by teaching those to kids and earn some cool cash. You could start by having private classes for kids in your neighbourhood. From subjects taught in their school, to music lessons or swimming lessons, you could teach them if you are knowleadgeable in those fields to enable you earn something

In fact anything teachable which you think others will patronize, do go for it.

6. Drive

If you love to drive and have a driver’s license, this is a great opportunity for you. You could sign up to drive with ride hailing apps, the likes of uber, bolt, yango.

This option comes with more flexibility, as you can drive at a time most suitable to you. So while working as a service person on weekdays, you could be your boss by driving on weekends.

If you do not have a car too, that’s something you shouldn’t worry about at all. You know how the traditional “work and pay” thing works like with drivers and car owners, same applies to these online ride apps. They could provide a car for you to work with at a fee.

The key requirements are that you must at least 25 years old, have a valid Ghana driver’s license, and have an Android or iPhone smartphone with GPS.