- Search: Start a business

There is always a way of making some extra cash if you need to, whatever your situation. Even if you have given up work to look after your children and you feel like you are stuck at home all day, there are all kinds of ways to make a 'bit on the side'.

Selling on the internet

You can sell pretty much anything on eBay. Some people make a constant, good living out of it, while others just use it to sell stuff they don't want any more.

Some people go to car boot sales at the weekend looking for collectibles that they then sell on eBay during the week. If you are an artist, jewellery maker or other creative, you can have your own 'stall' on eBay for just £6 a month.

Many people just like to sell old books, videos, DVDs and CDs. Amazon.co.uk is the most popular for this, as well as AbeBooks.co.uk.

Mystery shopping

Thousands of ordinary people in the UK get paid to do free shopping, eat out in a restaurant or have a drink in a pub as mystery shoppers. Fees per visit vary between companies, but are usually between about £6 and £20. And you get what you buy for free!

Contacts: Retail Eyes; TNS

Virtual assistant/secretary

Virtual Assistants (VAs) are there to help small businesses who can't afford full-time secretarial support or need to delegate occasional typing or admin work.

You will need a spare room (or at least a clear desk, away from the kids, TV or any distraction), a phone, and a PC with internet access and all the usual software applications. Not to mention the ability to correct unintelligible emails while talking to suppliers you've never heard of about products you don't understand!

If you can do all that, typically you would charge between £10-£20 per hour for routine secretarial work done by phone or email.

Contacts: EBS Digital Services - a VA agency; Assistyourbiz.com - a good resource for people who want to become a VA; Alliance of UK Virtual Assistants - hints and tips on how to do it.

Childminding

As a registered childminder you can look after your own children as well as other people's. You are only allowed up to six children at a time, including your own: up to three under five years old and up to three more between five and eight years old.

There's no fixed fee and it varies all over the country, but the average pay per child is about £2.50 per hour for full-time care and £2.60 for part-time. Find out more from the National Childminding Association.

Jasmine Birtles is from Money Magpie - the website that gives you a richer life