Everyone’s looking for fast money these days, and a part-time business may be the answer for you.  Of course, the definition of fast is going to depend upon how much time and effort you are able to put in.  As with any business, you’ll go through a start-up phase, but there are plenty of options that require little to no initial investment and that you can get off the ground rather quickly.  Here are some ideas:

• Freelance your talents. Whether you’re a writer, a photographer, an accountant, a web designer, there are companies looking for your services. They might not have the right people available to complete the projects they need to have done, or they’re looking for a cheaper alternative to hiring a full-time employee. You can be the answer for them, and you can search for as many or as few opportunities as your schedule can handle.
• Do you enjoy organizing? Start a cleaning or organizing service. Many people don’t have the time or energy, or they just plain don’t like the chore. You can offer the help they’ve been waiting for.
• Become an antiques expert. Search rummage sales and attend auctions. You can pick up plenty of items on the cheap that are worth a decent amount of money. Do research to determine if what you’ve found is valuable as is or is worth being refurbished, and sell them in your own booth at an antique store, on eBay, or at local fairs.
• Design t-shirts. If you’ve got clever ideas, you’ll get people’s interest. T-shirts can be fairly easy to design and can turn a good size profit for you. Think wisely about whether it’s better for you to print the t-shirts yourself or use a third-party. Your own talents and potential selling opportunities can help you make the decision.
• If you enjoy working out, why not get paid for it and become a fitness instructor? This one will require some time to take classes and become certified, but once you’re ready, you’ll get paid to help others reach their goals while keeping fit yourself.
• If not much else seems like it would work for you, there’s always good old traditional babysitting and pet-sitting! This might be especially good for you if you already have children or pets, or simply enjoy playing with them and taking care of them. If you keep your services cheaper than average day care costs, you’ll have eager parents knocking down your door.

Anything you choose can have the potential to become a full-fledged business.  It depends on your motives and your time commitment.  If you want it to remain a part-time business simply for some extra cash, you can definitely keep it that way.  Your best bet for fun part-time businesses is to find something you love to do and figure out how you can get paid to do it.  Sometimes taking it into your own hands can be the easiest and fastest way.