It's not just MP's who benefit from second jobs: across the UK, business entrepreneurs are proving that 'two' (or more) jobs are better than one.
Whilst the majority (an estimated 90% of the 1.2 million people in the UK who have a second job*) are forced to take on a second job for financial reasons, the latest figures from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor show that many others are doing it for more positive reasons, such as a new challenge, as a means of gaining more control over their working life or as a way of transforming a hobby into a business venture.
It's this latter category of 'second jobbers' in which Craig Allen and his business partner, Jim O'Brien fall.
For the past three years, Craig and Jim, co-founders of London's leading luxury hospitality recruiter, The Change Group, have been enjoying success in a completely different arena.
Whilst most of their time is taken up recruiting front and back of house staff for the likes of Claridges, The Chiltern Firehouse, Tom Kerridge and more, Craig and Jim's 'second business' is purveying 'Greedy Goat' Ice-Cream from a stall in Borough Market.
"As an entrepreneur and owner of a business you very quickly reach your development ceiling. The only way you can grow is by expanding your business and trying to exceed profits from the previous year. Having two jobs offsets this, you can take skills from one business and use them very effectively in another. I thrill on the challenges offered by both," says Jim.
Craig adds: "It's quite a departure from recruitment, but I've always been a passionate foodie, supplying staff for London's biggest and best restaurants, gastro-pubs and event management companies. They're different businesses, but complimentary, allowing me to keep my finger on the pulse when it comes to consumer and business trends in the London food scene.
"I also just love to work. I spend Mondays to Fridays working at Change, and most Saturdays at Borough market, selling ice-cream and engaging with our customers," says Craig.
Greedy Goat was born in 2011 when, wandering around Borough Market, Jim and Craig hypothesised over lunch as to what they'd make if they had a stall.
"We knew that consumer interest in artisanal, quality products had soared and, as foodies ourselves, wanted to find something that would allow us to indulge our passion, transforming a hobby into a business venture," said Jim.
After stumbling across a goat's milk farmer in Essex, the vision became a reality: they would create a luxury goat's milk ice-cream product, not just for the 40% of Northern Europeans who are to a degree lactose intolerant but a delicious, dairy free alternative for all.
"Ice-cream had become boring," admits Craig. "By creating Greedy Goat, we wanted to not only create a dairy free alternative, one which tastes less fatty yet more indulgent than traditional ice-cream, but develop the most exciting and quirky flavour range on the market." It's proved to be a winning formula and now, thanks to its 90 strong-Anglo-Nubian herd, Greedy Goat can be bought not just in Borough Market but at selected deli's throughout the capital. A new production line currently in development will mean they are able to supply many more in the coming year.
"We pour Matcha tea over clotted cream and drizzle olive oil over pistachio to bring out the nuttiness," says Jim.
Greedy Goat now offer over 20 flavours, from Billy Vanilli to its best-selling flavour Salted Caramel. Other flavours include Raspberry and Chilli, Lemon, Lime and Basil, Mango and, for this year's Valentine's Day, Raspberry Kisses (a raspberry and white chocolate mix).
"It's a dynamic business and we actively encourage our customers to get involved. We're about to launch a social media campaign where people can suggest British inspired flavour," says Jim.
"I admit, juggling two jobs can be tricky, time-consuming and, at times, challenging, but I actually feel I'm more productive, having two totally different businesses to run. But I love a challenge, I love that no two days are the same which keeps me fresh and excited, always thinking about how to grow each business," comments Craig.
At the time of writing, Change has just celebrated its tenth anniversary, is launching a new website next week and are planning to launch a Singapore office later in the year. In the past twelve months, Change has doubled in size, with plans to do the same by the end of 2015.
As for Greedy Goat, demand is, according to the duo, 'huge'. "Our challenge for this year," says Jim, "is to keep up with demand, firstly by developing a new production line and then distributing Greedy Goat nationally through selected outlets including health food shops, airports, farmers markets and supermarkets."