COOKING
Becoming the next Nigella is not a far-fetched dream when you know how to project your culinary skills. If not a bestselling cookbook to start off with, why not consider kicking off your culinary career by taking cooking classes or catering for weddings and birthday parties? What about home-cooked meal delivery services or you selling your recipes in a book or an e-book? All you need is a profound interest in cooking and food.
When it comes to catering food, watch out for possible opportunities. The next time your neighbor is planning a cocktail party, volunteer to cater the food and beverages. Bake a cake yourself for your grandpa’s 80th birthday rather than ordering it from outside. Cooking/baking classes are always a hit, no matter what. Place an advertisement in the local paper and people will come flocking around.
Consider this option when: You think you have a drive to cook delicious food and you are aware of different cuisines and flavors. You should be eager to experiment with ingredients. Impressing someone with food is not easy. Cooking a dish might be easy, but finishing it within the stipulated time is challenging.
Skills required: Knowledge of world cuisines is needed. Tune into TLC or NDTV Good Times and look at the way top chefs across the world present cookery shows. You should be proficient in both the basic and specialty cooking skills. Choose your specialty of cuisine and train yourself in it before you teach others. Safety and sanitation skills are important too. A pinch of creativity and spoonful of proper planning of the menu are required too!
What you need: A nice kitchen and utensils. Stock up on cookery books written by cookery authors like Tarla Dalal and Sanjeev Kapoor as ready reckoners.
Marketing strategies: Advertise in local tabloids, leaflets, word of mouth and social media. Start a food blog and post your recipes. You could also publish an e-book! The next step could be that bestseller. Natasha who runs a baking school says, “Everyone loves food. This is one career option where the returns are good. Thanks to Facebook, word spread really fast about my school.”
JEWELLERY DESIGNING
If you’re a jewelry junkie, have loads of creative genius inside you and are an expert on precious metals and stones there is a career designed just for you! With jewelry making having escaped the confines of professional artisans to include amateur designers in its fold, the bling market is booming. Try your hands at designing jewels from home and watch the moolah and the muah muahs pour in.
Consider this option when: You think you have a good and aesthetic accessory sense. Have people complimented you for the feather earring you wore at the soiree or the temple jewelry set that showed off your brocade saree at the wedding? Then, consider this option. Of course, like any other venture, before designing for others, you will have to get it right first.
Skills required: Creativity! That’s the keyword here. You should be innovative in your designs and create something new. Knowledge in sketching is also required. Have an eye on what actors wear for award shows and red carpet events. Anything could spark an idea! Observe the trend closely as designs fade out easily. Today there are various kinds of jewelry you could experiment with like paper jewelry, feather trinkets and the kind. A good sense of color coordination is also very important here.
What you need: Lots of paper and pencils for sketching. With the latest software at your disposal today, you could sketch it on the computer too. You also need to source top quality materials for the jewels because quality is the hallmark of any reputed jewelry designer.
Marketing strategies: Start a website or a blog and sell your designs there. As you handle it yourself, spread the word about your designs to your friends and family. Take orders from them for customized designs.
Sruti Sreedhar, who takes orders for custom made jewelry says, “Today several universities offer courses in jewelry designing. All you need is creativity and the ability to create new designs again and again.”
YOGA INSTRUCTOR
Do you believe in healthy and holistic living? Are you adept at yoga postures? There! You have a wonderful job option. Yes, the ‘Breath in, breath out’ career option is something that you can easily work at from home. Nowadays with almost everybody going the healthy way and giving fitness a lot of importance yoga instructors are in high demand. Drop a word among your close friends and family, neighbors and even mothers of your child’s classmates and the enrollments will soon follow. A batch of 10-15 students should be ideal for you to start off with.
Consider this option when: You’ve been practicing yoga for several years and are competent enough to train others. You should also have a commitment and a goal that you will impart the knowledge you’ve received. Consider taking up a short certificate course at a yoga center which will hone your skills better.
Skills required: Knowledge of all the yoga postures and asanas is extremely important. You definitely don’t want to become the I’ll-get-back-to-you-on-it instructor! A flexible body, eye contact and a good voice command is required too. Get over your shyness and insecurities. Also, keep practicing the postures yourself from time to time. Be patient with your students. Some people tend to take time in getting a few postures right. Remember you didn’t get the Sarvangasana posture immediately too!
What you need: Just a spacious and well-ventilated room that can house a dozen people. You could play some serene music in the background. Remember to include a lot of greenery in the space.
Marketing strategies: Word of mouth and make good use of the social media like Facebook and Twitter. Preethika, a yoga instructor says, “It is true that yoga has become highly popular today. Unfortunately, it is becoming highly commercial too. Before one starts out, a clear idea of whether they are starting classes to get a deep insight into yoga or just teach to earn some quick cash is needed.”