For the Street’s most resourceful characters it’s about more than just putting in a bit of hard graft.
These are people who can magic something from nothing, often flying in the face of adversity when soap life throws them yet another curve ball.
So while there are jobs to be had pulling pints, cutting hair, fixing motors or stitching knickers there are also other ways of making it, whether it’s overcoming crippling tragedies or dispatching seemingly invincible villains.
Here is our roundup of those who just won’t take no for an answer however much the odds may be stacked against them.
1. Abi Franklin (Sally Carman)
Seb’s drug-addicted single mum Abi (Sally Carman) looked a lost cause when she appeared in 2017. She left all parenting duties of her youngest kids, Charlie and Lexi, to Seb and soon relapsed and over-dosed.
For a while homeless, she started to turn things round when she creatively broke into Eileen Grimshaw’s, took up residence on the sofa and revealed her skills as a mechanic at the garage.
Abi is full of surprises. She smashed prison buddy Sally Metcalfe in the face to stall the ex-mayor’s court hearing and Sally moved her into no.4 as a thank you.
2. Gemma Winter (Dolly-Rose Campbell)
Kylie’s mate from the dodgy Eccleston Estate, Gemma (Dolly-Rose Campbell), looked to be going nowhere good fast, shoplifting and dealing drugs as part of bad boy Callum’s gang.
Her moment to shine came in the unlikely shape of a kebab. She chased some wrong ‘uns away from Prima Doner and Chesney (Sam Aston) offered her a job.
Recently she saved both Jenny and Johnny Connor from jail by bundling Liz McDonald into the back of a van when she should have been giving evidence against them. Then secured her mate Emma some extra bar shifts even after a disastrous start.
3. Carla Connor (Alison King)
‘Carla Connor, businesswoman’ doesn’t tell the half of it. This is a woman who in between making a living has been kidnapped, raped, run over, battled alcohol and gambling addictions and needed a kidney transplant.
In business she will happily resort to blackmail to wrestle back her precious Underworld. Both brother-in-law and love of her life Liam Connor, RIP, and one-time fiancé Nick Tilsley have been outmanoeuvred by her.
A typical Capricorn, Carla is ambitious and relentless. Peter Barlow remains her Achilles heel. Hustling Peter at snooker and buying him a boat to sail out of her life are classic Carla conniving.
4. Gary Windass (Mikey North)
Despite suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after serving in the armed forces, Gary Windass (Mikey North) really took things to another level when he put his life on the line again working for a security firm in the Ukraine.
Admittedly a hothead, his actions are often reckless. Pat Phelan was forever outsmarting him and his one-night stand with Nicola resulting in baby Zack has severely tested his relationship with Sarah Platt.
The great thing in Gary’s favour though is people are always underestimating him. He played his part in Phelan’s final downfall and may yet turn his labouring business around.
5. Claudia Colby (Rula Lenska)
Claudia (Rula Lenska)’s only mission in life appears to be to wind up business rival and on/off gal pal ‘Aud’ Roberts (Sue Nicholls) as often as possible. Beneath those flame-haired flicks though lies a canny brain.
Since her return to Corrie, Claud has used every trick in the book to expand her chain of salons. She gave Ken Barlow a facial and home haircut and poached Maria when she felt undervalued by Audrey.
Her one big mistake was trying to show Audrey up at the North West Regional Stylist Awards which backfired spectacularly. She will need to be more savvy in future.
6. Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne)
Like his great love (and ex-wife) Carla, life has been a series of car crashes for Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) with booze his greatest demon.
Hats off then to the ex-bookie for hauling his life around since he returned to Weatherfield in 2016. It’s not been easy. A recovering alcoholic running The Rovers was challenging enough let alone discovering his baby with Toyah was actually Eva’s.
Carla thought she was spot on giving him a boat called Lost Buoy but actually Peter is now the voice of reason in the expanded Barlow clan. And that snooker hall isn’t a bad idea.
7. Nick Tilsley (Ben Price)
There are times when actions that Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) would call enterprising are really downright despicable.
Top of that list is Nicholas robbing his own grandmother Audrey of her £80,000 windfall from Archie Shuttleworth and letting her dead fiancé Lewis Archer take the blame.
Nick’s great failing when it comes to what are often inventive schemes is that he’s not quite as clever and self-aware as he thinks he is.
His new business partnership with David for trendy barbers Trim Up North, is a perfect example of Nick reckoning he knows what he’s doing – but has he really got the upper hand?
8. Craig Tinker (Colson Smith)
It’s not always about the crafty deal or the genius venture when it comes to going the extra mile.
Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) showed his mettle by overcoming his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and rescuing Bethany Platt from a sex gang vice ring.
Not only that, but while he was still a rookie police officer, Craig managed to trick corrupt copper Neil Clifton into confessing his part in Bethany’s abuse.
If his mum Beth (Lisa George) is a hopeless scamster and his dad Darryl a feckless jailbird, Craig is living proof that you can learn from your parents’ mistakes.
9. Alya Nazir (Sair Khan)
Alya (Sair Khan) has had much to process. She lost her dad Kal (Jimi Mistry) in the Victoria Court fire and discovered her grandad Sharif was having an affair.
She turned this to her advantage by blackmailing Sharif into stumping up £14,000 for a new sewing machine.
Her boyfriend Luke Britton was murdered by Pat Phelan. She controversially became boss of Underworld thanks to Aidan before he took his own life. She then did the right thing (eventually) and sold it back to the Connors.
Alya is now co-owner of Speed Dhaal with grandmother Yasmeen, but it’s doubtful she’ll leave it at that.
10. Anna Windass (Debbie Rush)
The plight of Anna Windass (Debbie Rush) was enough to drive Corrie fans to despair. Raped by Pat Phelan (Connor McIntrye) her tormentor returned to psychologically abuse her.
Framed by Phelan and sent to prison for five years for alleged GBH it seemed for an eternity that no one would ever believe her. She found one ally in Pat’s biological daughter Nicola and briefly in Phelan’s blinkered wife Eileen.
She broke out of prison hospital but was rearrested. When her nemesis was finally unmasked though it was Anna, just released, who plunged a knife into Pat’s chest and declared: “I win.”
Who do you think Corrie’s most enterprising soul is? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.