Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Make money from the heat
Reading Time: 8 minutesWe’ve been hit with a scorcher this summer, and the hot weather won’t be doing a David Copperfield act anytime soon. Whether you’re enjoying the heatwave, or it’s a bit too muggy for your liking, you could always be opportunistic and make some money from the torrid temperatures. From selling fans to fruit picking, there’s no shortage of ways to make cash in the warm weather.
- Selling hand fans
- Selling bottles of ice water
- Selling ice on the street
- Selling water guns
- Selling ice cream
- Get paid to do gardening
- Fruit picking
- Music festival work
Selling hand fans
If you’re the creative type, why not sell hand-designed Asian fans online? With this kind of heat most of us will do anything to stay cool.
How do I do it?
If it’s the creative route you’re looking to go down, buying wholesale plain paper fans and decorating them yourself is a fun option. After decorating your fans, you can sell them on websites such as Etsy or notonthehighstreet.com. All you have to do is set up an account and upload a description of the finished product online. You can even add a personalisation option, which you could charge extra for.
What else do I need to think about?
On websites like Etsy you will need to pay selling fees, so be aware of any extra costs you may encounter.
How much could I make?
Personalised paper fans sell on Etsy for around £10-£20, some even higher. It all depends on how much you want to sell it for, and how good they are!
Selling bottles of ice water
Nothing quenches the thirst in high temperatures like a bottle of ice cold water. Tourists and commuters alike always need convenient ways to stay hydrated; whether it’s rushing onto a sweaty train, queuing outside a museum, or attending a festival.
How do I do it?
Stock up on bottles of water and invest in an ice box before hitting areas congested with lots of human traffic, such as a local park hosting a festival or outside a tube station. Set a competitive price for the water and start selling. It might even help to make a display board stating what you are selling and how much you are selling for.
What else do I need to think about?
You may need a street trading license to sell on the street, however if you’re unsure it’s best to contact the local authority or private land owner.
How much could I make?
You can sell small bottles of water for anything up to £2 a bottle; however, consider setting a fair price. In high temperatures water bottles tend to sell quite fast.
Selling ice on the street
Selling ice on the street doesn’t just mean handing out cubes, why not be innovative and consider selling shaved ice with various flavours such as cola or mojito. Alternatively, you could sell ice packs to help people keep cool.
How do I do it?
If you’re interested in selling shaved ice, consider investing in an ice shaving machine or using a food processor to crush the ice. Store the ice in an ice box and head out onto the street. Set up a stall where people can see what you’re selling and make sure you advertise the different flavours you will add to the shaved ice.
If you’re looking to sell ice cube packs on the street, invest in some ice cube bags which you can find cheap online. Fill the bags up with water and freeze them before heading outside. Remember to store the ice bags in an ice or cool box while you’re outside. Head to your local park or to a local festival and begin selling the ice bags to passers-by or people in crowds.
What else do I need to think about?
If you are selling on the street you might have to apply for a street trading license, so check with the local council. Additionally, if you’re looking to sell shaved ice then consider obtaining a food and hygiene certificate. You’ll also need to think about how to present your shaved ice and advertising your product in fun ways.
How much could I make?
You can price shaved ice from a pound upwards. Depending on the location and competition you could find yourself selling quite quickly, especially as shaved ice is a bit of a niche market in the UK.
Selling water guns
We probably all remember the summers that were so hot you got the water blasters out – well this year seems like one of those bygone summers. There’ll be kids hyped up on the end of the school year looking to have some aqueous fun.
How do I do it?
Find a wholesaler and try to make a deal to buy water guns with an agreed return of unsold stock, this way you won’t have to deal with any leftover. You can find different wholesalers online such as on alibaba.com. Think about the best place to sell your water pistols and blasters – this could be near schools or parks. Sell off your stock for a higher price, but remember people are savvy with their money.
What else do I need to think about?
You may need a street trading license to sell on the street, so it’s best to contact your local council to find out.
How much could I make?
This really does depend on how much you buy and sell, and the various costs involved. However, with weather this good making a profit shouldn’t be too difficult.
Selling ice cream
Gelato enthusiasts look no further, you’ll have little trouble selling ice cream in these temperatures. The innocent chimes of an ice cream van won’t just stimulate the salivary glands, it could also be the preluding theme tune to you lining your pockets with cash.
How do I do it?
There’s two ways you could go about selling ice cream – at a stall or using an ice cream bike/truck. While the latter requires a bit more work and investment beforehand, there is always the opportunity to start up a business. The upside is that start-up costs are not as high for an ice cream business.
Ever seen those quaint-looking ice cream bikes? Well, if you would like to sell ice cream in an eco-friendly manner then an ice cream bike might be the right choice. Think about what kind of ice cream you’re looking to sell; if it’s soft scoop ice cream you will need a freezer compartment on your bike, as well as a place to store cones. Practical Cycles are a company who specialise in various kinds of cargo bikes; add on a freezer and possible storage compartments and you could just have yourself the workings of an ice cream bike. The remaining cog is the ice cream! Soft serve ice cream machines for vans are, of course, a great deal more expensive to purchase, so if you’re wary of costs consider selling regular ice cream.
What else do I need to think about?
If you’re selling on public or private land you will need to either contact the local council or the private landowner to check if you can sell. The council may sometimes require you to obtain a street trading license. Another thing you will have to consider is a Food and Hygiene certification and any other stipulations the environmental health may have. If you’re thinking about investing in an ice cream bike (or van) you will also need to consider your supplier, servicing costs, and storage of ice cream.
How much could I make?
If you’re doing the full shebang and investing in an ice cream van, according to Carpigiani you could sell anything from 400 to 600 ice creams in a day in good weather and depending on the location. So, factor in how much you’ll sell your ice creams for, whether it’s 99p flakes or £2 gelato scoops.
Get paid to do gardening
There’s easy money in gardening, though the labour involved is demanding. Whether you’re an avid gardener or you’re just looking for some extra cash, the chances of making money is promising.
How do I do it?
If you want to tend to those summery begonias, becoming a gardener could be just the job you’re looking for. A good stepping stone, if you’re completely new to gardening, is to take a short course in horticulture and begin locally by pitching to neighbours and promoting yourself on social media sites such as Instagram.
Another way to make some money could be to sell from your own garden; whether you’ve got a surplus of mint or some medicinal lavender you could always make money selling your own herbs or making medicinal oils. You can take them to your local farmer’s market and sell it there.
What else do I need to think about?
If you’re looking to sell from your own garden you may need to comply with certain regulations such as registering with the traditional herbal registration to sell herbal oils.
How much could I make?
Most self-employed gardeners charge a minimum of £10 an hour and this can rise to as much as £25 an hour.
Fruit picking
Seasonal fruit picking is a great job when it comes to finding work in this heatwave. With strawberries growing best in temperatures between 16-27 C, there really couldn’t be a better time to fill up your basket (and pocket!)
How do I do it?
It’s best to find a local farm that is employing seasonal fruit pickers and contact them directly about any work they may have. You could always have a gander online to see if there are any jobs available on websites such as Picking Jobs.
What else do I need to think about?
Let’s face it, working under strong beams of sunlight for a substantial amount of time isn’t everyone’s strawberries and cream. Fruit picking is demanding and it will require a certain amount of endurance, so be sure you’re up for it. If you are, remember to get advice from your employer on what kind of attire is best to wear (something comfortable.)
How much could I make?
As a guideline, the chairman of British Summer Fruits puts the average hourly wage of a fruit picker at £8.50-£10 an hour. However, this does vary from area to area and you may only be making the minimum wage.
Music festival work
Let’s just say working at a music festival is as cool as it sounds, especially if you know your Kendrick Lamars from your Ozzy Osbournes. With a surplus of festivals this summer, walking into a job should be easy.
How do I do it?
The simplest way to go about finding a job at a music festival is to search online. Companies such as Hotbox Events are always on the lookout for festival workers, however be aware that they are sometimes only searching for volunteers. There are a variety of jobs you could do at a festival from bar work to selling merchandise, so it’s best to check with individual companies running the festival to see if they’re looking for employees. Alternatively, festivals such as Glastonbury allow you to work for your ticket instead of paying.
How much could I make?
Festival work isn’t the best paid, so you can expect to be working for the minimum wage or working to just make up your ticket cost.
It could certainly have been a money spinner last summer if I thought of this.