At Two Purl Row we are all about creating happy workplaces. That could mean working in a dream job as an employee, working less hours to free up time for yourself or your family or it could mean creating an entirely new way of working.
Now, more than ever before, we have proven to ourselves that working flexibly can be a reality. For many of us, we no longer need to be in a specific location but, employees are still bound by employment contracts which, depending on the terms, may mean having to be available during core hours .
The world of work in 2020 brings mixed blessings. We have more flexibility in terms of location but many businesses are suffering financial losses due to the restrictions we are having to live with because of Covid-19. For some of us, this will mean facing job loss.
Many people find that when facing life’s struggles they somehow find a way out the other end which is better and a path that they would probably never have pursued if it hadn’t been for that struggle. Change can offer opportunity and give us the courage to try new things.
If your role is at risk of redundancy you too can use this time to change your working life for the better.
A true laptop lifestyle means earning income online from anywhere with an internet connection whilst being in control of your own time. If you’re not sure if this is for you, you could dip your toes in the water by trying it out on part time basis.
First of all you will need to think about what you want to do. Take inspiration from what you can already do well and what you love doing. This could be an existing hobby or something that you really excel at, at work.
Here are just a few ideas:
- painting
- photography
- calligraphy
- drawing
- graphic design
- creating websites
- coaching and mentoring
- consultancy
- accountancy
- making your own clothes
If you are going to make any significant amount of money the idea will need to be scaleable (unless you’re a successful artist and can sell one piece for thousands of pounds).
If you are interested in making clothes for example, it is likely to be very time consuming – but have you thought about selling patterns as PDF downloads? Sites like Etsy allow you to set up your own shop front very quickly with very little outlay.
The same principle goes for painting, drawing, calligraphy or photography. It is relatively easy to have your digital designs or photos printed on products and despatched anywhere in the world leaving you free to work on design rather than get bogged down with postage and packaging. You could also think about uploading your photos to a stock photography sites as another way to sell photographs online where they can be downloaded by the user.
Services such as coaching and mentoring, accountancy or consulting are being delivered increasingly more online via Zoom or similar apps. We are so lucky to have the technology to allow us to have such flexibility. It’s never been a better time to create a laptop lifestyle.
