I’ve always been a big believer in being well-rounded. When I was at school, this made it hard to figure out what I wanted from life because I liked so many different subjects and was fairly good at a number of things. It also made it hard to decide what to study at university, but over time I've come to realise this 'well-roundedness' did not stop me finding my passion. Instead, it actually gave me crucial skills that have made my life happier, more stable and richer. And yes, I’m talking about money.
If you only have one income stream and it suddenly ends, you are left in a very precarious position.
If you were going to sit on a stool, and it only had one leg, you would have to balance very carefully, or you would fall over, and perhaps hurt yourself. Even with two legs, it’s a precarious perch. A stool, like a life, only becomes more stable once it has multiple legs. And the more legs it has, the more stability. If you have a five-legged stool, and one leg breaks, your stool still stays upright.
This is why you can’t rely on one source of income. If you only have one income stream and it suddenly ends, you are left in a very precarious position. Millionaires have an average of seven sources of income, according to the US Internal Revenue Service. They don't just have a job and save the money from that, they build multiple revenue streams.
Imagine you have a job you love, your co-workers are fantastic, your boss loves you and gives you freedom to pursue your dreams and passions and you make great money. Naturally, you will focus on this to the exclusion of all else. Then, a pandemic strikes and your job evaporates through no fault of your own. Millions of people around the world are now in this situation, and are facing a very tough road ahead.
But imagine if you had three sources of income: your main job and two side hustles. If your main job stops suddenly, you would still have two other sources of money. Of course, there’s no guarantee that your side hustles wouldn’t be wiped out as well, but the more sources of income you have, the more likely that some would remain.
The key to building a more diverse set of income streams is learning difficult skills that are valuable. If you can learn something that not a lot of people know how to do, you will be in higher demand. When I lived in Bahrain, I was one of a handful of photographers who knew how to use studio lights and, because of that, I was always in demand. Here in the UAE, I became obsessed with personal finance and spent hundreds of hours learning how to save, earn more and invest wisely. This has led to great opportunities as well.
If you look at the things you love, there are areas for you to learn more so that you can start new side hustles. Beyond side hustles, learning new things in your field makes you more in demand and makes it less likely that you will be fired in the first place. Don’t be afraid to take on difficult challenges, because that is where you can really grow and gain valuable skills that set you apart from others who don’t take the initiative.
In this time of social isolation, you have a great amount of time to build a new skill set. You can even do it for free through sites such as YouTube and professional blogs. If you want to pay a little money, but not a lot, sites such as Skillshare and Coursera can offer more professional guidance. Now would be a great time to learn how to code, for example, as our lives are forced to become increasingly digital. Just make sure you don’t violate your work visa in any way when you start a side hustle, though. You often need the permission of your employer to do extra work on the side.
Other potential sources of income don’t even require building new skill sets. You can simply sell your stuff. Dubizzle and Facebook community flea markets are great ways to offload your unwanted items. Now could also be a great time to downsize your house or apartment to cut costs and moving into a smaller place is a great motivator to sell things you’re not wedded to any more.
Making it through recessions and pandemics requires adaptability, hard work and determination. You can do this and diversification will help.
Dubai schoolteacher Zach Holz (@HappiestTeach) documents his journey towards financial independence on his personal finance blog The Happiest Teacher
Company%20profile
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The%20specs
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Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
AS%20WE%20EXIST
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
More coverage from the Future Forum
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Wydad 2 Urawa 3
Wydad Nahiri 21’, Hajhouj 90'
Urawa Antonio 18’, 60’, Kashiwagi 26’
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
