Being an entrepreneur takes a different mindset.
Today, the job market is shaky. You may have a job, but for how long? Is your organization reorganizing? Are they discussing the bottom line? Jobs you qualify for may be replaced by low-paying jobs or AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Let’s rethink this.
We can sit back and watch this happen…
OR
We can take control and think like an entrepreneur.
How might an entrepreneur handle this situation?
What if you could make an additional $500+ a month? Could that help you?
Long ago, I read, “Put More Cash in Your Pocket” by Loral Langemeir. I met her at the “Make Mine a Million $ Business” at the Count Me In Conference in 2010.
In Langemeir’s book, she wrote about using the skills you already have to make a business venture. This is not the idea of starting a new business around something you have no experience.
Did you ever sell lemonade in front of your house? It’s the same idea.
You can make extra money to pay off some of your bills or save for something you really want. Here are a few ideas in Langemeir’s book, plus a few I added.
- Tutoring
- Website design
- Scrapbooking
- Dog Walking or Pet Sitting
- Gardening
- Music Lessons
- Organizing Closets
- Personal Shopper
- Podcasting
- Social Media Manager
- Writing or Editing
Any other ideas you would like to add?
The cool thing about social media is that you can market your skills at little or no cost.
- Create a page on social media and share a skill you would enjoy doing for others.
- Try LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and/or Instagram to showcase your ideas, quotes, pictures, and examples of what you can do for others, with a link to a website, your contact information, or other ways to reach you.
- Add your friends to your network and ask them to recommend/endorse you.
- Let people know when you have a sale, and don’t be shy to ask for a review. Then share the review.
What is a hobby you love and cannot wait to do?
Do you have any hobbies you wouldn’t mind making money from?
- Calligraphy
- Quilting
- Knitting or Crocheting
- Woodworking
- Candles or Soap
- Ceramics or Pottery
- Glass sculptures/designs
- Painting, sketching, drawing
- Self-care baskets
- Floral arrangements
- Holiday decorations
- Costumes
- Pillows, blankets, rugs, and other home goods
Do you have any other hobbies you can add that are not on the list?
Sell Your Products and Ideas
Check out Etsy to sell your products on their platform.
Or you can design T-shirts or mugs using one of your designs on Zazzle, or even create multiple items with your designs in your own store. Do some research. There are various T-shirt and printing companies available to choose from to showcase your brand.
How about writing a book or an eBook on how others can replicate your hobby?
Check out KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) on Amazon, which provides control over your book’s content, design, price, audience, and advertising. Self-publish easily in three simple steps, and see your book appear on Amazon stores around the world in 72 hours. I self-published my last book, “Grow Your Why,” and even created an audiobook using Audible with the 23 authors narrating their chapters.
If I could do it, you can too.
Create and sell a self-paced course around your hobby or skill you shared above.
Consider creating a short self-paced course using any of the LMS or platforms listed in this article from ProPROFs Training Maker: https://www.proprofstraining.com/blog/kajabi-alternatives/
K-12 educators can become members of K12Leaders.com and set up a learning path, a micro-course, or a professional learning course.
Do you have an online course or another platform you like that you would like to share?
Build Your Human Skills in an AI World
If you want a job and are concerned that AI will replace you, read below:
Be irreplaceable! AI is here to stay, so show the world what is possible.
What I mean is, be the human who knows how to use AI effectively. The Forester Report lists the following strategies for people to collaborate with AI: from building skills to earning trust, human experience is the foundation for lasting impact.
Discover how to make AI a tool that fuels growth, inspires confidence, and helps people do their best work—together.
Learn how to:
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- Build trust to drive real AI adoption
- Equip teams with future-ready AI skills
- Avoid burnout, bias, and cognitive overload
- Turn feedback into strategic insight
- Create cultures where humans and AI collaborate
6 Essential Human Skills in the Age of AI [Source: LinkedIn Talent Blog]
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- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity
- Emotional Intelligence
- Adaptability
- Decision Making
Why AI?
The global AI market has expanded at a breathtaking pace. In 2024, it was valued at around USD 279 billion; projections estimate it will surpass USD 390 billion in 2025 and reach over USD 1.8 trillion by 2030. This explosive growth reflects AI’s role as an economic engine. Companies using AI report up to 40 percent higher worker productivity, as machines handle repetitive tasks and free employees to focus on strategic work. [Source: Article from Startup World]
AI…
- Enhances health outcomes for early diagnosis, tailors diagnosis and therapies, and automates paperwork.
- Reinvents teaching and learning with predictive analytics, assessment tools, and detailed feedback.
- Addresses environmental challenges, energy optimization, climate modeling, and resource modeling.
- Automates tasks, supports data-driven decisions, and improves customer experiences.
While challenges around ethics and governance for AI remain, the potential rewards, from economic growth and personalized healthcare to climate action and enhanced learning, underscore why AI is more important today than ever before. Embracing AI thoughtfully and responsibly will be key to unlocking its full promise for society.
*****
You can make extra money while you have a job or build your skills to promote yourself within your job. If you don’t have a job, try your hand at doing something you love and see what it feels like to make money off of it.
AI is here to stay, so how can you build trust to drive AI adoption? How are you building your AI skills?
Be the human who is unstoppable and irreplaceable.
Think like an entrepreneur!
You are welcome to share any hobbies, products, or human skills that were not mentioned below in the comments.
