Online business - a side job for office workers

Low capital, limited inventory, taking advantage of idle time... online sales help office ladies earn extra millions each month.

As an office worker at an advertising company in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, for over a year now, Ms. Thuy Lien has been selling online to serve her friends and colleagues. These are handmade products with fresh, delicious, clean ingredients, with clear origins such as pineapple-ripened jackfruit, mulberry-ripened jackfruit, banana ice cream...

Explaining the opportunity to start a side job, Ms. Lien said that a friend from the Central region who came to Saigon gave her a specialty called “dac seeds” to quench her thirst. After eating it, she found the taste strange, crunchy, and cool, so she thought of a way to introduce it to everyone to try. Because her office work is not too busy, she chose this product to sell on her personal Facebook page.

Selling handmade products helps office workers have a stable monthly income.

Without investing capital, just receiving pre-processed goods from her close friend, Ms. Lien can earn a decent income every month. However, to ensure a stable source of income, she chooses a seasonal business model. Therefore, in addition to the jellyfish for the summer, she also sells dried foods for the end of the year. With this model, Ms. Lien earns a profit of 6-8 million VND per month.

For Ms. Lien, although the income from online sales is not equal to her office salary, it has greatly supported her family in daily life.

After more than a year of hard work selling and taking good care of customers, her loyal customers are not only office ladies and colleagues but also from other provinces. For customers who live far away, Ms. Lien ships products to their homes. In the near future, she will sell online some more items such as beef jerky and pork jerky made and supplied by her close friend in Da Nang.

"I will stick with this job for a long time because it helps increase my income and brings me more joy every day. Through online sales, I have the opportunity to introduce to everyone delicious, nutritious, quality dishes at affordable prices," she shared.

As for Ms. Thuy Phuong - an administrative employee at a company in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, after giving birth to her second child, she decided to work extra to cover her family's living expenses.

According to Ms. Phuong, social networks like Facebook are now widely used, so online trading has many advantages, and at the same time helps her be more proactive in taking care of her children.

After studying the preferences of the majority of office ladies, she decided to choose a snack item to sell, specifically mixed rice paper - a dish that is loved by young people and many office ladies. Thinking and doing, she took advantage of her lunch break or after hours of studying and cooking for her children, she posted pictures of the product on Facebook and advertised it for sale.

Ms. Phuong said that in online business, the most important thing is the reputation of the seller and the quality of the product. Therefore, to ensure these two factors, she proactively contacted and bought white rice paper from Long An, purple onions from Ly Son, and shrimp from Binh Dinh and Quy Nhon. Because she has relatives and acquaintances in these places, the origin is always guaranteed. After having the ingredients, she mixed the rice paper herself, put them in small bags and delivered according to customers' orders. Selling online brings her a profit of about 5 million VND per month - approximately the same as her main job.

"Because I only do small business and sell few products, my income is not much, but I am very happy because the money I earn can buy milk for my children," Ms. Phuong shared.

Selling some items online gives Ms. Phuong a profit of about 5 million VND per month.

Online business requires little capital, limits inventory because customers only pick up the goods to deliver, does not waste time looking after the store and takes advantage of free time... are the reasons why Ms. Loan - a government official in Rach Gia, Kien Giang decided to sell online to earn extra income.

The best-selling items are cosmetics, household items, homemade dishes and some local specialties from her hometown, helping her earn a profit of 3-4 million VND per month.

Ms. Loan shared that even though she sells online, she still puts reputation first. For her, focusing on food hygiene and safety is a way to show respect to buyers.

In addition to working hours, she delivers goods to nearby customers. For customers who live far away, she has them delivered directly to their doorstep. During holidays and Tet, due to high demand for goods, the profit from this extra work is often double her current salary.

According to VNE