Ironing for profit

Have you considered ironing for profit as a way of earning extra money in your retirement?

Now this is obviously not for you if you hate ironing, but if you find it relaxing or even therapeutic then it could be just the thing!

Most people like to look their best and not walk around in crumpled clothes, but time is short and there are often more exciting things to do at weekends. Finding a reliable person to handle the job of ironing the families clothes could literally take a weight off their shoulders.

My friend Angie used to run an ironing service and took great pride in getting every pleat in place, and collar points sharp. She made good money too!

Promoting your ironing business

You only need a few customers in order to keep busy, so no need to advertise far or wide. Postcards in local shop windows will suffice. Include your phone number and a price for your service.

Obviously you will name your own price for your ironing service. Per load is a good way to charge, a load being what fits in a domestic washing machine. However, you may prefer to charge by the hour, or more for complicated garments.

Asking the customer to drop off and collect will free up a lot of your time. It also cuts your costs (no fuel) allowing you to keep your prices competitive. And of course if you are housebound there is no alternative anyway.

The problems with ironing for profit

There are only two "snags" with this way of earning money at home.

So many people hate ironing with a vengeance that you could end up with too much work! Seriously you may have to limit the number of customers you cater for, otherwise you won't have any free time to enjoy in your retirement.

Secondly, you can only earn as much as you can physically fit into a day. There is a ceiling beyond which you will never earn any more. If you are happy with that amount, then that is fine...

Extreme Ironing! A fast growing high-octane event!

But if you like the idea of there being no limit to what you can earn, and you want to relax a bit now, then you could do worse than look into some form of passive income - such as creating an informational Web site complete with affiliate links, which earn you commission on an ongoing basis.