The office is not only a place for work. It’s also a potential market for selling. More than our neighbors and friends, the people we spend more at least 8 hours a day almost everyday are one of the best customers we can have for our homemade goodies or personal services. This is the reason why it’s important to socialize and foster camaraderie among your officemates because they provide good leverage for extra income.

I’ve listed below the top eight things you can sell your officemates. Most of these are taken from personal experience while some are contributions from friends who have earned money by converting their cubicles into profit centers. I hope that these suggestions will help you increase your monthly earnings and eventually awaken the entrepreneur inside you.

1. Multi-level marketing products
This is probably the most common item that’s been offered to me during my corporate years. Aside from being asked to join and become their downline, I’ve also been offered a wide array of products such as leather goods, kitchen utensils, personal insurance and other stuff from these sales networks. If you’re a member of a multi-level marketing company, try selling your products first before recruiting your officemates to join your network.

2. Beauty products
Next to showbiz rumors and gossips, beauty regiments are probably the most talked about topic among the women in the office. A friend of mine took advantage of this fact and looked for a supplier of homemade soaps and sold it to her officemates with mark-up. It helps if you use the products yourself so that you can give them an honest review. Furthermore, I would advise that you sell products which are not readily available in commercial establishments. Aside from soaps, facial skin care and hair products are also highly marketable.

3. Herbal medicines, vitamins and supplements
These capsules have been selling well among young urban professionals despite the disclaimer that these products do not guarantee therapeutic effects. The men in the office are your most likely clients here. Sell them potency vitamins, protein supplements and even skin whitening capsules. You can buy in bulk and sell at retail prices or simply seek out your local Chinese drugstore and market their best sellers. Again, it helps if you personally take these items so that you can provide honest feedback on their effects.

4. Baked goodies
I had an officemate who makes very delicious brownies back then and we would often buy a box from her whenever we need something for potluck. If you have talent in the kitchen, try selling some of your homemade goodness. It helps if you bring samples and then market your product for office parties. Moreover, do not limit yourself to baked goodies, you can likewise sell other food items which you can cook best.

5. Candies and Junk Foods
Speaking of homemade goodies, I remember an officemate of mine who would often bring yema and pastillas in the office. His mother makes those delicacies and he usually brings some for personal consumption. However, we would often ask from him a couple of pieces whenever we crave for something sweet. One day, he told us that he won’t be giving those for free anymore and will be selling it to us. Since they were really good, we didn’t mind paying. A couple of weeks after, his drawer became filled with crackers, junk foods and candies which we would usually buy and munch while working.

6. Eload
Sell electronic prepaid cellphone load to your officemates. My brother currently does this with remarkable success. He gets around P2,000 net income a month from selling both Smart Eload and Globe Autoload in his office. He plans to sell Sun Expressload soon once he earns enough to invest on an extra cellphone. If you’re interested to learn more about this, you can check out my previous article on how to start an eload business.

7. Jewelry and Handicrafts
Are you into beading or knitting? Then why not sell some of your handicraft creations to your officemates? You will surely make good income from your hobby. The best items to sell are those which can be given as small gifts or used as cubicle decoration. I remember an officemate who makes cellphone cases out of baby socks which she would sometimes sell to us. I think I still have mine somewhere in my drawers.

8. Gadgets
Pinoys love gadgets. Find a cheap supplier of these electronic items and you can potentially earn good extra income as a reseller of cellphones, PDA’s and mp3 players. If you have ample knowledge on computers, you can likewise provide accessories and parts for their home computers. If you have the budget, you can check out Philippine websites such as TipidPC and Sulit.com.ph and invest on good deals which you can later sell for profits to your colleagues.

How about you? Do you have other items you can suggest? Please share them below by writing a comment. If you would like to receive more tips on how to earn extra income while working, subscribe to Ready To Be Rich.

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Photos courtesy of bangalore_scs and malou_c