MAKE MONEY ONLINE

2nd GENERATION AD TRACKING - Why You Need to Know About It

2008-04-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

As the architect of the first remotely hosted ad tracking solution on the Internet, it's a little hard for me to admit that my technology has become obsolete. Then that moment of egocentric self-indulgence passes and I look at the 2G ad tracking only inspired to say (in the ancient tongue once spoken freely in the early days of the Internet):

"Cool!"2G

Ad Tracking Technology is here and it's been ushered in by the visionary upstarts Kevin Wilke and Matt Gill

At this stage of the game, NitroStats appears to be the only player in the 2G Ad Tracking field and it appears the field is clear for them to dominate the market. I don't see any other players that have accomplished this yet.While the Nitrostats service has a host of wonderful features that make life easy for the marketer (I've given up even our proprietary in-house tracking in favor of NitroStats - it's that much better), there are two key elements that define the 2nd Generation:

1. Offsite Visitor Tracking

This new feature has perhaps the highest "Cool!" factor I've seen in a long time.Check it out. Here's what life used to be like before 2G ...

A visitor is at your site. He's clicking around from page to page and then suddenly he leaves.

Your log says he clicked on a link to one of your affiliate programs, but what happened after that isa mystery.

What did he do? Did he purchase the product you recommended? Did he just stop surfing?You just don't know.

That's the old days. ENTER 2G ...

A visitor is at your site (woo hoo!). He's clicking around from page to page and then suddenly he leaves.

NitroStats tells you not only how he left your site, but WHAT HE DID AFTER HE LEFT.

Yes, the deserves "all caps".

2G ad tracking can tell you what your visitor did after he left your website. Want to find out if your affiliate program is paying you for all of your sales? Now you know. Want to find out what websites your visitor is checking out after he leaves? Now you know.

2. Complete Data Integration

2G Ad Tracking technology must allow for complete integration of several forms of marketing data.

In the past, you had to track different types of visitor behavior with various programs, all of themoperating independently.

NS replaces 5 different mission critical webmaster tools (1G ad tracking services, log file analyzers,hit counters, affiliate trackers, search term trackers) and allows you to integrate data from each of them dynamically.

For example, would you like to know which of your pay-per-click terms are resulting in sales and which are simply making you bleed cash? Now you'll know without having to do the math yourself.

Another example, would you like to track the path of every one of your visitors on your site withouthaving to analyze your log file? Would you also like to know which paths result in sales? Or which paths result in an affiliate sale? Now you'll know.

The 2G technology developed by NitroStats was so far ahead of what we were doing at ROIbot that I realized it would take us years to catch up.

NitroStats has since acquired ROIbot and it's probably the best thing that's ever happened to my ROIbot customers.

This is a great day for the consumer, but not such a great day for ad tracking companies. It's hard to compete when a clearly superior solution comes out on the market (I wonder how other donut companies are doing now that Krispy Kreme is nation wide?).

I'm sure other companies will come on board with 2G at some point, but it probably won't be fast enough to re-capture the market.

Now, it's hard to imagine what 3G can do to improve upon 2G. What are they going to do? Go out and find customers for you?

"Do You Know What Your Website Visitors Are REALLY Looking For?"

2008-04-19T11:15:00.002-07:00

Through the last few years I've tried many solutions to a nagging problem... how to let visitors easily search through my website. Each time I'd try a new service, script or software program I'd run into a problem. Either the searching was too slow, the search engine results were lousy or it just plain didn't work.

After lots of trial and error, I finally found a site search tool that is head and shoulders above all others. Actually, it is more than that. It can be used as a powerful marketing tool as well. I now know "exactly" what my website visitors are looking for and can present my own solutions to them in a unique manner.

First, the tool:

I'd like to invite you to try the new search tool at my home page... http://www.bizweb2000.com - what you'll find is a slick, independently hosted search solution for corporations, small businesses, and individual web developers... Atomz.

With Atomz, absolutely anyone can quickly and easily add a powerful search engine to any site, and the service is free for sites with less than 500 pages.

I got my own Atomz search engine 100% up and running in less than an hour. My new site search engine is FAR better than every solution I tried in the past and I spent zero dollars and almost zero time installing it.

Actually, to put the Atomz engine at your site, there's nothing to do but fill out a few blanks, decide what areas you want your visitors to be able to search through and turn Atomz loose to index your pages. In seconds it spits out html code for you. You paste the code into any page you want a search form on, then upload the page to your site. Done.

You now have a powerful search engine on your site and your visitors will love you for it! What's nice is that there are no annoying ad banners shown with your search results, just a small "Powered by Atomz.com" graphic.

But there's really much more to Atomz than this. It holds a unique marketing value for savvy web marketers...

The Atomz fun starts...

As your visitors search your site, Atomz logs what they enter and then creates reports for you by day, week, and month. These reports tell you what visitors are looking for at your site. You can use this information to improve your site or even to market your wares, by strategically "adjusting" your search results.

Here's my own example...

The top 15 searches at my site this week were:

search enginesmarketing plangotojeevesjim danielsmake moneydirect emaildomain registrationadvertisingaffiliate programebusinessfree publicitymarketingshania twainclassified

So what does this report tell me? Well for starters, the first few search words show me that my articles on search engines and marketing maintenance have brought lots of visitors to my site. That's still something that lots of web marketers are interested in learning about, so I'll continue writing more about my experiences in those areas.

Next, many of the terms searched on were exact matches to the keywords I bid on at goto.com. Specifically, "make money" and "direct email" are keywords I just increased my bids on at goto. It was nice to see those efforts bring immediate visitors. It's also great to give these surfers a quick search tool so they can find exactly what they're looking for at my site as soon as they arrive.

Next, the searches on domain registration prompted me to move my report on "how to select and register a domain name for your business", to the top of that results page. All searches on domain registration now indirectly lead visitors to my "domain name wizard" and then onto my domain name registration services. Hey, this Atomz search tool is a great little marketing tool!

Adjusting the search results at your site is a powerful way to market specific products and services. Atomz realizes this and offers their "Target Meta Tag", an exclusive Atomz.com search feature. You simply list words in the "content" part of the "target meta tag" and the page is promoted to the top of your search results ranking. You can also use your keywords tag to influence your Atomz.com Search results.

As I work my way down my first Atomz report, I not only learn what my visitors are searching for, I learn what my site is lacking. Over time, these reports will be invaluable in my efforts to help my website visitors and BizWeb eGazette subscribers who return to my site.

And oh yeah, I learned one more thing from my Atomz search word reports... I may need to do a little research on this Shania Twain person. ;-)

To learn more about Atomz and get your own free search engine, visit http://atomz.com/design

"Do You Know What Your Website Visitors Are REALLY Looking For?"

2008-04-19T11:15:00.001-07:00

Is Your Online Business A Hobby Or A Real Business?

2008-04-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

A common question today is: "Why aren’t I making any money from my web site?" The main reason for this lack of success is that there are too many hobby sites rather than real business sites on the internet.

Your web site is a hobby business when:

Your web page is full of sophisticated animation and graphics taking forever to load;

You do not have your own product - instead you have links to many affiliate or network marketing programs, you have never bought the products or services and have no knowledge of their quality or suitability;

You respond to email enquiries as and when you feel like it rather than promptly;

You don’t provide sufficient contact details on your page so that people can contact you easily;

You have a hit counter that keeps on being inflated by you visiting your own site to see how many hits you have generated;

You’re advertising and promotion is non-existent or is inconsistent and poorly focused

Your web site does not lead your customer through a sales process

You expect that having a web site is all you need to do to make money on the net.

Business success on the internet demands a "real business" approach that is professional and focused on the customer or client. To have a real business requires that you have your own "sales funnel" that will usually involve having your own product or service.
In simple terms, a sales funnel is an approach to the sales process that works very successful for those who implement it properly. At the top of the funnel are your prospects. You qualify your prospects through offering something for free that is directly related to your product or service. In many cases this is a free newsletter or ezine that will allow you to demonstrate your expertise and stay in front of your prospects so that you can eventually convert them into customers.
As prospects move through the funnel, they are offered a product or service at a low price point. For example, an electronic book for $30 could be sold to your prospects. Once they buy this product they have become one of your customers. You have qualified their interest in or need for the products and services that you offer.
Moving into the lower part of the funnel, you offer your customers your higher priced products or services. As these people have already bought from you, trust and credibility have been established and they will buy the higher priced items more readily than if you offered them to your prospects directly. This is usually the area where you will make most of your profits.While the above is a rough example of the sales funnel concept, I think it illustrates a sales approach that is characteristic of a real business. Additional products and services, including affiliate programs that you recommend, can be offered to your customers with greater potential for profit.Real businesses know the profile of their likely customers and have a marketing plan for how to reach them in the most cost-effective manner. They are consistent in their advertising and promotion activities. They track the results of all activities so that they know what is working and what isn’t. Decisions can be made on facts rather than guesses.
Full contact details are provided on a real businesses web site so that customers and potential customers can easily contact them. They are customer service oriented and answer e-mails promptly. They also provide a full guarantee that they honour without question.
As they know their potential customers, they ensure their web site is easy to navigate, quick loading, and provides the information their potential customer needs to decide to make the purchase.A real business is conducted in a professional manner.

“How to Put Up Your Own Custom Web Site"

2008-04-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

This tutorial is for folks who do not yet have a web site of their own. It will explain how to put your own custom web site on the web without paying big bucks.

Have you been contemplating having your own web site but keep putting it off for one reason or another? Maybe you're marketing a few affiliate programs and promoting those affiliate URLs. Well, as you learned from the article in the last issue of my BizWeb E-Gazette, your own custom web site is the first step in promoting ANY business online, even those affiliate programs.Okay, so what are you waiting for? If you think that setting up a custom web site is expensive, think again. The total cost can be less than a few hundred bucks and some of your time. Once your site is up, the only ongoing costs are monthly web hosting charges, which can be as low as $20 - $40 per month plus yearly domain fees of just $35. Now that's cheap! Here's a step-by-step tutorial on getting your own custom site up...

1. Lay out your basic design.

Do this step on paper first. Draw out what you want your main entry page, or home page to look like. Keep it simple and uncluttered. Be sure it includes a short description of how your site will help your web site visitors. (These are the folks who you'll be targeting the site to -- take some time and figure out who they are before you start!) Then, draw out a few more pages to link that home page to. A few examples would be a page that describes your company or yourself, a page that offers free information about your area of expertise, and a page with your best product/ service/opportunity that you plan to promote

.2. Once you have a basic layout of what your site will look like, you need to design it on your computer.

There are many ways to do this. You can go out and buy one of those 800 page books on html, the code used to design web pages, or you can go the easy route. The easy route is to purchase a WYSIWYG (stands for What You See Is What You Get) web design program. There are many programs to choose from in today's market. These programs are the easiest way to design a web site, especially for the first time. Most of these programs cost $100 or less.Here are a few examples of such programs...

Microsoft FrontPage: www.microsoft.com/frontpage/ I used this program to design my www.bizweb2000.com site and it is a solid choice for new webmasters.

Homesite: www.allaire.com/products/homesite/index.cfm This popular design program is now the choice of many webmasters, as it produces clean html despite its WYSIWYG interface. Tip: Read this article www.marketingchallenge.com/articles/frontpage.html before proceeding with your home page design.

3. Once your site is laid out on your computer, you'll need to decide on adomain name for your site.

Registering your own domain name means that web surfers will be able to connect to your web site by entering www.yourname.com. Here are a few tips to help you select your domain name.a) Avoid using any character that is not a letter or number. Many newbies do not know where to find the "-" or "_" characters, for instance. You want the name to be easy to type.b) Avoid using the numeral "1" or "0" in your domain name. Many people will confuse these with the small letters "l" and "o". The last thing you want is someone getting frustrated when they are trying to connect to your site.

c. Use a domain name that is easy to remember and has something to do with your business. Once you settle on a name, it's also a good idea to do a trademark search to make sure the name is not already under trademark by another company. The last thing you want is to be forced to switch domain names once you get going full swing.You can perform a free domain and trademark search at: www.e-gineer.com/e-gineer/domainator/ Once you have the domain name picked out, your web host should register it for you at no charge. See the next step.

4. Select a company to host your web site.

Okay, your web site is designed and you have a domain name picked out. So why do you have to hire a company to host your site?Well actually, you 'could' host the pages on your own computer. After all, a hosting company will provide just that to you, a computer. But in order to do it yourself, you would need a 24 hour connection to the web, in the form of a super-fast phone connection known as a T1 or T3. These digital connections cost over a thousand bucks a month. Therefore, hiring a web host who already has multiple T's is a much more cost-effective solution for small businesses.Your web host will maintain your 24hr connection to the web, making sure surfers can connect to your site at all times. Therefore, it's important to hire the right company. My past experiences with web hosting have been quite eventful (as well as painful). To help you make an informed decision, I've posted a report about selecting a host at...www.bizweb2000.com/virtual.htm

5. Transfer your files to your new web hosting company.

This is a step that many newbies have problems with. Basically, you'll be transferring your newly designed web pages from your own computer to the computer at your web hosting company.Although most WYSIWYG web design programs come with a "web publishing" interface, I've found the few I've tried to be clumsy and slow. Rather than using the web publishing interface in your design program, I suggest downloading an "FTP" (stands for File Transfer Protocol) program from the web. These cost in the $30 range and they make uploading your site to your host, a breeze.Here are a few simple and effective FTP programs you can use to put your site up: CuteFTP: www.cuteftp.com This is the program I use to upload web pages to my site. Its simple drag and drop interface simplifies uploading new pages to my web site. And when making changes to existing pages, I just use my mouse to drag and drop the new page to my web host computer and it replaces the old one.WS_FTP: www.ipswitch.com This is one of the more popular choices among veteran webmasters. Its easy and intuitive interface makes managing your web site a breeze. No wonder it's the world's most popular FTP client for Windows.Once you've downloaded an FTP program, spend an hour or two getting used to it. You'll be using it a lot as a new webmaster!That's it! You now have each step laid out in an easy to follow checklist. And remember, your web site is never finished! Effective web sites are sites that get updated on a regular basis.If you need more help in getting your online business set up, download my e-book at http://bizweb2000.com/freebook.htm. The book is completely free and it covers everything from business setup to web marketing strategies used by pros. You can even give the book away as your own!

Find your passion and you'll find success in business

2008-04-19T11:12:00.002-07:00

Most successful entrepreneurs have a strong passion for their ideas or concepts. They know what they want and they know what they enjoy doing. Their work becomes their play.

The secret to success in business is to find your passion. Know specifically what it is you want in life. I can't emphasize it enough. You need to be certain that what you are doing is something that you really and truly want. This is not something that you should want, or that someone else wants. It is something that YOU personally really want. But, there's one more thing. If you really, really, want it you must believe that it is possible to achieve it. Have the belief that it is possible it might happen.

Now, here's the vitally important next step. Go from believing that it is possible, to having the conviction that it will happen. Not just something that you hope will happen. Not just something that you believe will happen. You need to have the conviction that it WILL happen. This is something that is stronger than simply a belief. It's when you are convinced it CAN and WILL happen.

The final step is making it happen. When you know precisely what you want - go after it. Action is something more important than just believing. My point is: don't just dream about it, don't just believe you can... go and make it happen. Develop a sense of urgency in your life to make it happen.

These 12 questions will help if you are having difficulty finding your passion. I suggest you sit down by yourself, think carefully about each question and, for your own sake, answer each one honestly:

1. What would you stop doing that you are doing now?

2. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

3. What would you like to learn more about or become an expert and in?

4. What hobbies or interests have you experienced where you have lost complete track of time?

5. What was so absorbing to you about these activities?

6. Can any of your hobbies become a business?

7. What would you do to make the world a better place?

8. What kind of work or business lifestyle would you prefer?

9. What’s your idea of a perfect day?

10. How much do you want to work with your hands, with people, with ideas?

11. How much contact with people do you need - none, some, quite a bit, a lot, continuous?

12. Are you a goal person or a process person ...in other words; do you get your greatest satisfaction from setting and reaching goals, or by becoming immersed in a project or continuous flow of activity?

There aren't any wrong answers to these questions. It is all about understanding YOUR preferences and knowing YOUR most passionate interests. Truthfully, do you have a strong passion for your ideas or concepts? Do you know what you want and what you enjoy doing? Do you have a sense of urgency in your life to make it happen?

To finish off, try doing this. Imagine you've found your business passion. Picture yourself running your very own dream business. You love every minute of it and your work becomes your play. Let's suppose too, that you are financially independent with all the money you ever wanted or needed to lead a happy life. What can you see? What can you hear? What can you feel? What is your passion?

Finally, consider what effect this will have on your life - now and in the future. Hopefully that’s got you thinking!

© Noel Peebles, Author 'Home Biz Ideas Goldmine'

Here's how you can quickly and easily earn extra money from your home ... without having to QUIT your day job!

Why "opt-in" is really the only game in town!

2008-04-19T11:12:00.001-07:00

So what's all this fuss we keep hearing about "opt-in" email then?

Well to put it simply, unlike "Junk or Spam" email, "opt-in" means you've explicitly received the recipient's permission to send them your message. In other words your readers have specifically signed themselves up to your publication, and the difference can be like dynamite!

SINGLE AND DOUBLE "opt-in"

You may have come across these terms. So let's clear them up once and for all.

Single "opt-in" means that you invited someone to join your list, they provided their email address and opted themselves in to receiving your mailings. Double "opt-in" means that the same thing happened, and they signed themselves up to your list, but then - just to make sure they really meant it - they had to confirm their subscription by clicking *Reply* to a confirmation email you sent them or by clicking a web link to confirm their subscription.

SO WHICH IS BETTER? SINGLE OR DOUBLE "opt-in"

Well a Double "opt-in" subscriber list is considered to be made up of higher quality prospects.

Why?

Because by emailing the contact to ask if they definitely want to receive your Ezine, you're performing three important tasks:

DOUBLE "opt-in"

*1* You're testing their commitment to receiving your information at all. If they can't be bothered to confirm the subscription, then maybe they didn't want the information in the first place!

*2* You are removing the element of doubt that someone else may have deliberately or inadvertently used their email address to sign up with. Double "Opting-In" means that everything is nicely confirmed.

*3* You're removing any possibility (well almost any) of that prospect complaining to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the future.
Or even if they did you'd have evidence that they really had consented.

So Double "opt-in" is a nice idea in theory, but sometimes it won't be all that practical.

SINGLE "opt-in"

One of the techniques frequently used to gather email addresses is a Pop-Up box that you might place on your website. This will invite the person browsing to enter their first name (so you can personalize your message to them) and their email address. This is usually done in return for a mini-series of tips and hints or some kind of free report, frequently followed up by further Ezine Newsletter issues.

Under these circumstances, most marketers would agree that it would get a little cumbersome to be asking people to reconfirm their subscription over-again. After all, the average prospect browsing wants to do things quickly, without being bothered by additional email messages.

So there's a balance to be struck between the advantages of Double "opt-in" and the speed and efficiency of Single "opt-in".

Either way at least you will have explicitly received permission to be marketing to your list, and this will put you miles ahead of the brain-dead spammers!

AND SPAM EMAIL IS REALLY DEAD!

Let me save you some trouble. If you were ever tempted by an offer of: "60 zillion email addresses on one CD for just $49" or
something similar....FORGET IT.

Here's precisely what will happen to you if you get tempted to send spam email:

*1* You'll upset virtually everyone you send your email to and most likely won't make any sales.

*2* You'll be the subject of some pretty vicious reprisals. Nowadays this probably includes some very disgruntled individual deliberately sending you a virus.

*3* You'll find yourself excommunicated from your Internet Service Provider and searching for a new host.

Oh, and if that doesn't all sound bad enough, you will have instantly established yourself with a very unenviable reputation.
Your brief online business career will be over.

"opt-in" IS HARDER WORK

I often hear people grumble that "opt-in" is terribly hard work. And I can't deny that it takes more time and effort than buying a CD off-the-shelf with a million 'unwilling' recipients.

But done properly, a list of receptive "opt-in" subscribers will pay you back time and time again. In short - done right - the effort will be well worth the return.

So don't be tempted by "spam" short-cuts, do it properly and build yourself a good "opt-in" mailing list.

© How To Corporation. All rights reserved.

Online Success

2008-04-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

I'll tell you exactly what to do to succeed online (even though no guarantees of how much you will earn obviously - as I do not know you or whether you'll apply what I'm about to teach you!).

a) Find a niche that you're interested in. A niche that has a problem and is willing to pay money for a product that provides a solution to that problem.

b) Create a product for that niche. This can be either a compilation product (from experts within the niche) or 1 that you write yourself. But if you create the product - you better be an expert at it!

By an expert, I mean you have to be qualified to create the product. For example, if you've made $2,000 a month promoting affiliate programs, then yes, you're qualified to write "How To Earn $2,000/Mth Promoting Affiliate Programs". If you barely make a few bucks a month online, then you're not qualified to create the abovementioned product.

What you should do, if you're not qualified to create a product for a niche that you're interested in, is simply interview experts within that niche, or pay several of them a nominal sum to create exclusive content for your product. Not only do you have a product at the end of the day, but you also have the benefit of 'borrowed credibility' from all of these experts combined.

c) Write a salesletter, with a headline that summarises the biggest benefit, and bullet points throughout (people read those bullets).

Copywriting is an art that takes time to develop, but if you simply write an attention-grabbing headline and arrange your main points and benefits in bullet-form, you shouldn't go too far wrong. Those are the most basic aspects of writing copy, and it's been said that all you have to do to become an expert is to master the basics.

d) Send emails to potential JV partners - other webmasters within your niche selling complementary (NOT competitive) products - and discuss cross promotions.

Simply send them an email, offering them your product to for free, and offering to pay them 60% per sale of your product that they make. Don't propose a 50-50 split anymore: every top marketer these days gets tons of offers from people offering 50% commissions to sell their products. What you want is your JV proposal to get NOTICED and ACTIONED.

e) REPEAT. Keep repeating steps b-d until you're earning multiple streams of large income, and then sell off the whole business for a million bucks (or 2000 copies of all your products plus the salespages and the rights in a package for $997 or something). Then, spend the rest of your life sipping juice in the Bahamas, while your fellow peers slog away till they're 75. ;-)

To Your Internet Marketing Success (in 30 Days),

Choosing an Affiliate Program

2008-04-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

What should you consider when choosing an affiliate program? You need to think about two key things what business are you in and what can the affiliate program provide to your customers.

No matter what business you are in, the largest investment you make will be customer acquisition. If you have your own product, and have acquired a base of satisfied customers, then single product affiliate programs could work very well for you.

However, if your business is acquiring customers for other businesses, that is, purely affiliate programs, then a better choice for you could be affiliate programs with multiple products or services. This will help you to capitalise on your investment in customer acquisition.

The key to choosing successfully is to ensure that the affiliate program offers products that meet the needs of your potential customers. Coupled with this is the need for the products to be high quality and for the supplier to provide excellent customer service. Remember, your credibility is on the line every time you refer someone to buy through your affiliate relationship.

Some of the other factors I consider when evaluating affiliate programs include:

Is the affiliate program a reputable business? You can check out a business you are considering a relationship with in variety of ways. Talk to the Better Business Bureau in your local area or a similar body. In addition, I find web sites that monitor affiliate programs to be worth looking at. The best I have found is Associate Programs http://www.AssociatePrograms.com. Allan Gardyne pulls no punches and tells it as it is.

Does the program enable you to share in the lifetime value of the customer? Great programs will give you commissions on all future purchases of the customers you introduce. This is where the real profits are. These types of programs, in effect, allow you to partner with the supplier.

Does the program reward you for introducing other affiliates? This type of program is commonly referred to as a two-tier program. Often your customer may become an affiliate also and you will be rewarded for this.

Is the supplier interested in your success as an affiliate? The top affiliate programs engage in a process of coaching or information sharing to help you succeed. Affiliates are provided with regular newsletters outlining what is working for successful affiliates and providing updates and details on new products.

Is the commission reasonable? Commission rates on commodity products such as books and CDs are low. This is because there is very little margin in the products due to competition. Look for products that have a commission rate of 15% or more that are not commodities - that way you will be better able to recoup your customer acquisition investment.

Are statistics provided? The higher the level of statistics provided, the better off you are. This will enable you to measure the success of your marketing efforts and to determine the best places to invest your marketing dollars. Insufficient statistics is a sign that the affiliate program is not sufficiently interested in your success.

Are new products being developed regularly? To get the full value from lifetime commissions, new products need to be introduced on a regular basis. Without this, lifetime commissions can be worthless. Also, look for consistent high quality in new products introduced.

How frequently are commissions paid? The more frequently commissions are paid, the better off you are. Good quality affiliate programs will pay you monthly. In some situations, commissions are not paid until a certain level is reached. If the program you are considering has this requirement, check how many sales need to be made before the level is reached.

Have you read the affiliate agreement? This is a key area that you should look at. Some affiliate agreements are totally in favour of the supplier. Others are more balanced. Some agreements restrict your ability to promote similar products from other suppliers. Most agreements have anti-spam provisions. Look for agreements that are fair and that do not stack everything against you as the affiliate.

While there are other factors that can be considered when choosing an affiliate program, following the suggestions above will help you to make superior business choices that will lead to long-term success

The Truth About Earning $1,000 or More Weekly From Affiliate Programs

2008-04-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about them. Almost everyone is a member of at least a few of them. Affiliate programs are hot. You can usually sign up for free and be selling products within 5 minutes. The web sites, sales letters, and order shipping are all done for you. All you have to do is promote.

But...Is anyone making money from these programs except for the affiliate program owner?

It is a surprising statistic when you find out that only around 10% to 20% of affiliate members do enough to ever get a check. Then, only a small percentage of those go on to earn really good incomes from affiliate programs.

It isn't the affiliate program either. Although some affiliate programs have pitifully small payouts (5% to 10%) and limit their members that way, the real problem comes with the fact that affiliates have no idea how to sell from their affiliate sites. The affiliate owners usually don't have any idea how to help them either.

Since we now sell Affiliate software which is available as a bonus with our course at http://www.ezinfo2000.com and I own several affiliate programs myself, I have spent a considerable amount of time studying my top affiliates and the top affiliates in programs all over the Internet.

The principles below are true of almost everyone of the top affiliates in every program I have looked at. If you want to succeed and earn at least $5,000 or more per month from affiliate programs, then you will have to be following the five steps below. If you don't, it just isn't going to happen...and you have no one to blame but yourself.

1. Create Your Own Web Site.

Although almost every program gives you a web site to use to promote with, you really shouldn't be promoting with that site. The top affiliates always have their own web sites which they promote from. Then, they link to the affiliate program sites.

For example, you can take a look at my top 10 affiliate program pages at http://www.bizpromo.com/income.htm

I never drive traffic directly to any of the affiliate programs. I drive it to my site, get their name on my opt-in list, and then promote the affiliate programs. If you are serious about earning profits online, then you will do the same.

Having your own site and linking to your affiliate program gives you some additional advantages as well:

* You can write up a short two to four paragraph endorsement and testimonial for the site yourself.

* You can generate subscribers to your opt-in list first (this is the key to Internet profits).

* If the affiliate program ever stops or changes your link, you still have all the traffic you worked for at YOUR site (this happens quite often).

If you don't currently have a web site, but want to earn through affiliate programs, you need to get one today.

Contact me at hosting@bizpromo.com if you would like to know more about how to have your web site hosted and designed.

2. Generate Traffic

You can't earn a single penny in any affiliate program without generating traffic to your site. No traffic equals no income. Combine the right ingredients of an opt-in list, good site design, and the right sales offer...and your income will be directly proportional to the targeted traffic you generate.

An advantage that I didn't mention above in why you should own your own domain is getting listed with the search engines. The pages given to you by your affiliate program owner aren't going to receive virtually any traffic from the search engines. They won't have top rankings because there are at least 1,000 other pages just like them (from the other affiliate members) and many software programs create pages which can't even be indexed by the search engines.

Having your own domain will give you the freedom to create web pages which achieve high rankings on the search engines. Each of the major search engines such as AltaVista, Infoseek, Hotbot, and the others have their own ranking algorithms which change virtually monthly.

You can stay on top of them though by using a program such as Web Position which actually monitors the search engines for you and helps you prepare doorway pages which will achieve the top rankings you are seeking after...and the traffic which comes from having those top rankings.

You can read more about Web Position and everything it can do for you at our site. You can also even download a trial version for the three of the major search engines which is good for 30 days to try it out free. Check it out and download the trial at: http://www.bizpromo.com/webposition/

Search engines are not the only way to build traffic to your site. You can trade links with sites, place free and paid classifieds, and even use banner advertising. There are dozens of ways to generate traffic. If you want to make money from your affiliate programs, you will be using them.

3. Start an Opt-In List.

I checked my affiliate members' checks this month and noticed a very interesting trend. All top 10 affiliates have their own opt-in email lists and are pretty aggressive marketers to those lists. They all mail to their opt-in list at least weekly and the number one affiliate this month mails to his list every single day.

That is where my income is coming from also. Over 90% of my income comes through using opt-in email in one way or another...either through my newsletters or through my autoresponders with follow-up. If you don't know how to use email, then your always going to be living on barely get by street in the online market.

The web sites which I send the most traffic to have one purpose to them...and one purpose only...to sign them up on my newsletter lists. All of the content that I have on my site is for that one purpose.

If you can't get a visitor to sign up for a free newsletter, then you aren't going to be able to get them to fill out your order forms and order. Get them on the list, and then start emailing them as often as you can put out good content (along with the ads).

One tool that I am now using very effectively is Mail Master Pro which is a CGI script you host on your server to hold and send out your newsletter lists. What I love about it is that it enables me to send out a personalized newsletter and even use HTML format if I want. Personalized email will usually get around three times the response rates of regular emails.

You can read more about the Mail Master Pro at: http://www.bizpromo.com/mmp.html

4. Develop a Unique Web Position.

Here is a trick to increase your sales from ANY affiliate program, but people rarely ever mention it. Any successful web site finds a way to make their products and or services unique from their competition.

When you are an affiliate though, you have thousands of competitors selling the exact same product at the exact same price. Every other affiliate in that company is your competition!

You will have to become unique if you want to beat the other affiliates competing against you. You may think it would be difficult to do, but it isn't.

All you have to do is add on some extra bonuses to those people who are purchasing from you. For example, if you're an affiliate for a video course, then add in a special free report on the same subject which is ONLY good for those who order from you. Your free report can be emailed to those who order so it won't cost you a penny of your commissions.

If you own an opt-in list like you should, you could give a free ad to anyone who orders an affiliate product from you. For example, you could write that anyone who orders the ________ (you would list the product here) before midnight tonight will also get a free ad ($30 value) in your newsletter...or three free ads. Buy submission software and submit their site to 1,000 search engines if they order today.

Do something like this and tell your opt-in email list subscribers and web site visitors about it. You will be setting yourself apart from the competition and be giving your purchasers an even better deal than buying from the affiliate owner!

Special limited time offers work extremely effectively when combined with your own opt-in list.

5. Generate Multiple Streams of Income.

If you follow all four of the principles above, then you are going to be able to earn money from many different affiliates programs, and that is exactly what you should do. You should join several non-competing programs which sell products to the same targeted market.

For example, if you have chosen to sell to Internet marketers, you may join:

* An Internet Training Program

* A Web Hosting Program

* An Autoresponder program

* A Business OpportunityYou can find several programs which target any specific niche group. To see our list of programs, go to http://www.bizpromo.com/income.htm

You can be earning 3 to 10 streams of income from the same visitors at your web site and subscribers to your newsletters. Having several streams of income helps every visitor to your site be worth more money to you!

A simple guide on how to design, build and publish your own website

2008-04-19T11:08:00.002-07:00

Want to have your own website? Not sure how to go about it? Here’s some questions you might like answered first.....
Why build a website?
Only you can decide what your purpose is and how you want your website to function. Before you begin to plan your site however, you must have a target audience in mind. Otherwise what is the point? First consider who your website is aimed at and why.
For example....
Is your site to be based around your hobby or family?
Or is your site to be an online brochure for your business?
Are you planning on promoting a service or selling products directly from your site?
Or is the site going to be purely for information or entertainment?
A website can be produced for any number of reasons, but do a little research first to decide whether you can generate enough interest for people to visit your site. Will your site be different or even unique? Or are there millions of sites already on the internet that will be similar to yours? Of course, you can always do it for fun, and if you like doing it then you can try doing another one.
Can I design the site myself?
Of course you can! You don’t have to be a brilliant web designer to knock up a half-decent site these days. A lot of the software that’s available can be very simple to use. But if your aim is to produce a slick professional website for your business, then it might be better to employ the services of an experienced web designer. Particularly if your site is to incorporate e-commerce features. On the other hand, if you’re a confident person with a good eye for design then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t give it a go yourself.
What software should I use to design my site?
The type of software you use to build your website will depend on how you want your website to look and function. There are numerous software packages available ranging from inexpensive shareware up to pricey but more professional programs like Dreamweaver One of the best value for money packages I have found is Web Easy Pro 7. It has some great built-in features and can be used to design most types of site including e-commerce. Both these programs are WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get)
If you prefer to build your site the hard way then you could learn to write HTML (hyper text mark-up language) using a text editor such as notepad then save your page in html format. Knowing HTML can be very useful even if you don’t hand code all your web pages. Adding stuff like banners and snippets of javascript code will require some knowledge of where to cut and paste them into your page source code.
To learn html I recommend reading HTML for the World Wide Web by Elizabeth Castro
What design tips can you give me?
It’s been said that content is everything. Unless your website gives your visitors something useful or interesting to read then they won’t stay around for long, and probably won’t come back again. Useful articles of particular interest to the type of visitors you want to attract will prove to be the most important aspect of your site.
Of couse pictures are important too. But only use them when necessary. If you want your site to reach a wide audience then don’t get too fancy with your design. Keep it simple and avoid designing pages that are bogged down with too many graphics. Although broadband connections are becoming more common these days, there’s still a lot of people with 56kbps modems or slower. It will take ages to load a webpage if the file size of the page is too big due to large graphic and multimedia content. In other words... don’t lose visitors by making them tired of waiting for your web pages to download!
Apart from the inclusion and arrangement of words and pictures the most essential part of your website design is navigation. Can visitors find their way around your site easily without getting lost?
Make sure you have a link back to your home page and to other important pages on every page you design. The normal way to do this is by adding a navigation bar down the left hand side or along the top of your page.
If your site is being designed for your business then your main pages will probably include a contact page with your company name, address, telephone number and email address plus contact form, a page about your company, a news page, and if you’re selling stuff online, pages for your products plus an order page and shopping cart . Make sure you also include your company logo and company name on every page and in the title of your homepage so that search engines can find and list your site.
For more information about designing websites I recommend taking a look at Web Design Mastery
Do I need a domain name?
Yes! If you’re serious about creating a professional image then I definetely recommend you register a domain name for your site. These days a domain name can be obtained at very low cost. But be careful. My first experience at registering a domain name was a nightmare! The company I registered with wouldn’t answer my emails when I wanted to transfer the names to another company. Another one charged me over £90 for transferring a ‘free’ name which was registered for me with their free webspace offer.
One company I can definetely recommend is 123reg.co.uk. Their service is second to none. They also offer excellent value.
How do I get my site online?
Uploading your site and publishing it on the internet involves copying your website files to a host server using ftp transfer software. The host server is where the webspace that your chosen ISP or web host company has provided you with to save your files to. If you ask them they will provide you with the basic information that you will need to set up the transfer process for your ftp program. This will include the host address, a username and password to log in. The software I recommend usng is Cute ftp but many of the web design packages also have their own built-in ftp program. (ftp by the way stands for ‘file transfer protocol’) Once set up it’s as simple as copying your files from one folder to another.
Where should I host my site?
This is where a lot of people begin to get unstuck. Don’t waste your time with free website hosting services. These type of services often use advertising on the webspace they provide you with. If you want to create a professional image then find a reliable web hosting service that will provide a good service for a reasonable price. A monthly rate of around £10 is about average, depending on the amount of webspace and bandwidth allowed and what features you require. The following Web host services are ones that are worth checking out.
MidPhase Hosting (USA and UK)
1 & 1 Web hosting (UK and Europe)
Other quality web hosting services include iPowerWeb, Host Rocket, and Easy Cgi Web Hosting
For shared web hosting and unlimited domain hosting try Hostgator
For more information on web site hosting click hereHow do I promote my site?
There are many ways of getting visitors to your site. Your first goal should be to get listed with the major search engines and directories on the internet. Yahoo is a great place to get listed if you can pass their submission criteria. Google is the most popular search engine and receives far more searches than any other. They have a simple submission process, but in order to get a good ranking you will need to know a few things about site optimisation methods. Check out the sites listed below for more detailed information on how to promote your site with search engines including PPC (pay per click).
searchenginewatch.com searchengineguide.com
Other ways to promote your site can include email marketing, ezine advertising, banner advertising, offline advertising, newsletter distribution, viral marketing, exit exchange programs, newsgroup announcements, etc... all of which will help to get visitors to your site and make it popular providing you use these methods wisely.
OK I want to get started... now where do I begin?
Hopefully this brief introduction to designing, building and publishing your own website has inspired you to go ahead and create a site of your own. If you can’t wait to get started then click here for a simple step by step guide that will take you by the hand through the whole process of designing, building and publishing your site online.

The 7 best ways to make money online

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The following methods of making money online are not listed in order of preference or earning power. They are simply a brief introduction to the most popular and efficient ways to generate a part-time, or even a full-time income using your PC working at home, or anywhere else you may have access to the internet. For some a website is essential, for others you don’t need one.
I suggest you bookmark this page for future reference.
1 - Affiliate programs
If you have a website, and you want to make money from it you should consider joining an affiliate program. If you don’t have a website but are willing to learn how to build one be sure to read the simple guide to ‘Designing and Building a Website’
Becoming an affiliate means you can make money by advertising and promoting the products of other merchants from your website. This is generally done by placing banners and text links on your site. When a visitor clicks on a merchant’s banner or text link they arrive at the merchant’s website whereupon the visitor may make a purchase from which you will earn a commission. The results of promoting someone else’s products however, can vary enormously. Simply putting up a banner or a text link on your website is unlikely to generate much commission, unless you receive many thousands of daily visitors. But if you’re willing to learn a few simple marketing techniques, such as pre-selling through recommendations, even with a small website you could soon start building up a useful income.
You can apply what you learn from affiliate marketing to sell almost anything you can think of. But ideally your first priority should be to sign up with merchants that sell products your website visitors are interested in. For example, if you wanted to advertise pet food on a ‘Tips for breeding dogs’ website then you’re much more likely to generate a sale and earn a commission than you would if you placed the advert on a site for ‘How to build a PC’ because most of your visitors simply wouldn’t be interested in pet food. So always look for products and services that are compatible with the content of your site.
You may be surprised at the range of products and services available from merchants who require website publishers to promote their stuff. To get some idea I suggest you take a peek at one of the best affiliate network directories on the net Commission junction. It’s free to join and there is no charge to link up with any of the merchants listed. Everything is simple and straightforward. You get quick access to the html code for all the banners and text links you need as well as daily statistics of how many sales you make and which advertisements are working well and which ones aren’t. All you need to get started is some basic knowledge of how to cut and paste the linking code into your web pages. This is the code that has your affiliate identification embedded into it to accurately track all sales.
Promoting other peoples’ products through an affiliate program is a useful way to generate income using your website. You don’t need to hold any stock or have the responsibility to fulfill the order or take payment. You simply get paid for introducing the buyer to the seller and when a sale is made your obligation ends there.
There are a number of ebooks and articles available online that can help you learn more about affiliate marketing. My advice is to seek out the people who are already making substantial incomes from promoting affiliate programs and learn from them. People like Rosalind Gardner for example, whose monthly turnover is in excess of $20.000 per month, simply from promoting affiliate programs using simple methods that anyone can learn and put into practice. Rosalind has written an ebook entitled The Super Affiliate Handbook which reveals her successful techniques to creating a super affiliate income.
Another proponent of affiliate marketing is James Martell who makes tens of thousands of dollars a month promoting other peoples products and services. He also has a very good course in affiliate marketing which is packed with information and knowledge that have taken him years to aquire. You can read more about his affiliate marketing course by clicking here.
The Internet Marketing Center also has some excellent advice for everyone new to affiliate marketing. You can sign up for their excellent affiliate program and gain access to their affiliate training and resource center for free. As experts in the field of internet marketing their products are second to none. The brilliant internet marketing course which can be found at the Internet Marketing Center is packed with everything you need to know about internet marketing and is widely regarded as the best available.
2 - Google Ads
An alternative to joining and promoting a merchant’s affiliate program is to incorporate Google AdSense advertising on your website.
Here is an example:
Consider this... Google is one of the most successful companies online, in a similar league to Yahoo! and MSN. Next time you use Google and type in a search term take a look at the column down the right side of the page when the search results show up.
What you'll see is a selection of small text ads which are related to your search query. These are what is known as PPC (pay per click) advertisements. In other words, whoever has placed the advertisement with Google has done so on the basis that every time their advert is clicked on, the advertiser pays a small sum to Google. So the advertiser gets good quality targeted traffic to their site, Google makes some extra cash, and everybody is happy. But it doesn’t stop there, because Google, in their almighty wisdom, allows you to put these ads on your website too, and they’re willing to pay you a percentage of their commission. It’s a win win situation. What makes this so brilliant is that the ads that you display on your website will be mostly related to the content you provide, and statistics show that visitors are much more likely to click on these ads than banners. All you need do to get started is apply to Google first, and once accepted they will provide the code which generates the ads to appear on your site.
Notice I said that your site needs to be accepted first. That’s because Google has a few rules that need to be adhered to in order for your site to be accepted. This is neccessary to keep their advertisers happy and raise the standards of good search results.
To read their guidelines to what is acceptable and what isn’t click hereThere are many individuals and companies who are also making very good money from actually paying for these ads to be shown. Affiliates for example. We’ve learnt how affiliate programs work and how displaying Google ads on your site can also make you extra money, but what if you don’t have a website? Is it possible to still be an affiliate and make money from an affiliate program?
Absolutely! By utilising the PPC (pay per click) opportunity that Google and similar PPC search engines provide, even someone without a website can join an affiliate program and promote a merchant’s products or service using their own affiliate links. Providing you follow Google’s editorial guidelines and any terms and conditions as stated by the merchant that relate to the use of PPC advertising to promote their products, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Unlike the time and effort involved in planning, designing, building and hosting a website, setting up an account with Google and making money from Google AdWords is quick and simple. Providing, of course, you research your market correctly and apply some easy to learn marketing knowledge first to ensure good results,
Chris Carpenter has made an excellent income using these techniques and has written a book entitled Google Cash which is recommended reading for any affiliates wishing to embark on this money making system.
3 - Info products
Digital products are ideal for selling on the net because they cost next to nothing to produce and are easily duplicated with no overheads such as printing and packaging costs. Some of the highest paying affiliate commissions are available from promoting ebooks, marketing courses and software products. This is because of the high mark-up profits which are possible, allowing resellers and promoters to make between 25% - 50% commission on each sale.
A whole range of downloadable products can be found at ClickBank including some of the best information products available online.If you want to seek out and promote products with exceptional profit margins, Clickbank is the place to visit.
Of course the big money is made by the originators of these products. Imagine creating an ebook and having hundreds, possibly even thousands of affiliates signing up to sell your book? It’s not so difficult as it sounds. If you sign up with ClickBank to sell your digital product through their marketing program, you also have the advantage of having thousands of potential affiliates ready to promote your product on their websites using simple tracking links that Clickbank provides. As long as your product is of a high standard and has little competition, you are likely to get plenty of interest. Affiliates are usually generously rewarded with high commissions ranging betwen 25% to 50% but because you’re selling a digital product your overheads are practically zero.
The article ’ebook writing’ by Miguel Alvarez will give you a brief introduction to writing your own ebook. For a more comprehensive writing guide I recommend you read Ken Evoy’s ’Make Your Knowledge Sell‘ Ken provides first class information on how to produce and sell your own information products as well as how to become proficient in pre-selling products you choose to promote.
Ebooks are not the only option though. Have you ever considered designing your own software?
Too complicated! I hear you say? Don’t know anything about programming?
Well actually you don’t need too. It’s now possible to create simple programs that you can sell, or use as a promotional giveaway.MYOS (Make Your Own Software) is a piece of software that allows you to use your creativity to develop simple, but exclusive digital products of your own. It’s the perfect tool to boost your sales or mailing list. Click here to find out more about it’s features and benefits.
Talking of mailing lists..... that brings us to our next money making method....
4 - Newsletters and e-zines
Newsletters and electronic magazines (e-zines) are a great way to build up a customer base and a trusting relationship with people prepared to deal with you on a regular basis. This is the cornerstone of most successful businesses whether established online or offline.
Having a list of subscribers that you can regularly mail to puts you in the perfect position to bring related products or services to your customers attention. Whether you provide your own saleable products, electronic information or otherwise, or join partners as an affiliate and promote other merchants goods, the process of churning out a regular newsletter can seem suddenly more inviting.
Starting a newsletter or e-zine is also a good way to learn and improve your marketing skills. Public relations, effective advertising, producing useful information that people are actively seeking out, and building a subscriber list through opt-in subscription methods, are all essential skills required for making money online. Some successful e-zines are even produced and distributed without the need for a website. Building up a strong subscriber list can be achieved simply by advertising in the right places. An effective advert and a simple link to your mailing list subscription manager may be all that you need. Check out the ‘ListApp’ service at Server.com for more details about how to start your and run your own mailing list.
If you need inspiration to think up ideas or learn how other e-zines are proving to be popular, take a look at the two e-zine directories Ezine-universe and Ezine Search where the choice of subject matter is huge. If you see an opening for an untapped market then you could be on to a winner. Start building your subscriber list now! If you can reach thousands of people interested in a topic of information or a service that you can provide, then you could turn this to your advantage and make sales. Not only that, once your subscriber list has reached 5,000 or more you could easily make more money by including paid for advertising.
Getting people to subscribe to your newsletter or e-zine isn’t that difficult. All you need to do to get people to sign up is to entice them with a free offer for something you know they can’t resist. For example, a free e-book, or free software. Providing they perceive the offer as being valuable and able to save them money, you can’t fail to get a steady stream of new subscribers.
Fact: It’s a lot easier to make follow-up sales to existing customers who you have a good relationship with, than trying to sell to someone who has never dealt with you before. So build up trust by providing new subscribers with a first class service and you are far more likely to succeed in your new venture.
5 - E-commerce website
Many people assume that the best way to make money online is to set up a shop selling products direct from a website. While this is true for the majority of well established online businesses, it can be a costly and daunting proposition for newcomers who want to set up a business online for the very first time. If you have products you want to sell on the net but want to test the waters first before making a major commitment you should consider Pay Pal as your online payment payment processing system. It’s free to join, very simple to set up and you can use it to configure your own shopping cart to fit in with the design of your site. Whether you have a range of products or single items to sell, Pay Pal is a quick and easy way to start selling products online.
An alternative to using Pay Pal is to use an all-in-one solution such as Atomic Shops which allows any type of business to set up a fully functioning website in minutes, whether you simply want to promote your business or sell goods online.
If you already have your site built and are seeking a good web hosting service, consider using MidPhase Hosting who offer fast, reliable web hosting and for a small monthly fee can provide everything you need to set up your own e-commerce website. Alternatively, the host4profit web hosting service is well worth considering because host4profit also gives you access to a wealth of marketing information from some of the leading marketers on the internet.
If you don’t have products to sell but still like the idea of having your own e-commerce website you can sign up with SFI and promote your own online store complete with a whole range of items to sell in various categories. SFI is an easy solution to starting your own online business. But like all the other methods described here, it requires good marketing skills to get visitors flocking to your store. Without targeted visitors you won’t make a penny! SFI is free to join and is ideal for anyone wishing to start up an online business with a zero budget.
6 - Selling stuff on eBay
Selling stuff on eBay is easy. Most of us have heard reports about how some individuals and businesses are making massive incomes from selling on eBay. But like any other business there’s no magic formula to instant success. You need to learn the ropes first. Start small and work your way up.
Sole traders and big companies are using eBay as a way increase their sales. But it’s not a guaranteed way to make money online. There are charges to consider before calculating the profits you might expect from selling through their auction pages. If you’re new to the concept of selling on eBay I suggest you read their guidelines thoroughly. Make a note of their listing and selling fees and consider all other costs you might encounter regarding postage, packing and the use of payment processing services such as Pay Pal.
If you’re not registered with eBay you will need to register first before you can start to buy or sell. Click here to go and register now.
Try testing response rates by putting a small, select number of items up for auction first. Choose products that allow you to realise a good profit margin. After eBay’s listing and selling fees, plus delivery and payment processing charges are taken into consideration, there should still be room for making a profit. At the same time, choose products that you can afford to make a small loss on if necessary. After all, if they don’t sell you will still need to pay the listing fee. You could even lose money on the sale if you don’t follow some simple rules to minimise losses.
Whole books have been written about how to trade successfully on eBay. One of the most popular ebooks available online is written byJim Cockrum, the author of ‘The silent sales machine hiding on ebay’ His experience and techniques have helped many people to make money using the most popular auction site online. Another good source of advice is Ken Evoy’s Make Your Net Auction Sell. With the information provided by these two bestselling authors, and by getting some basic experience of trading on eBay, you will soon learn to see the possibilities of making money from online auctions.
Once you become proficient at selling on eBay you might consider approaching companies and manufacturers who are willing to provide you with supplies of their products for you to sell on their behalf. Providing you can negotiate a suitable selling fee with room for a good profit margin, then finding a niche product that proves to be popular can lead you to a goldmine.
Some ebayers are turning over tens of thousands of dollars in revenue every month! Some have even closed down their offline trading premises to trade solely on eBay. Such is the success of the eBay phenomenon.
The most successful merchants on eBay are known as ‘power sellers’ Next time you visit eBay look out for the power sellers and take notice of how they run their business. Take particular note of how they promote their products using powerful descriptive headlines and text, as well as high quality images that showcase their products to the best advantage. Their excellent after sales service and customer relations help them achieve a top feedback rating which builds trust among new and old customers alike, who are happy to deal with them again and again. Emulate their success by following the same techniques and principles they employ to make big sales!
For a more detailed article about selling stuff on eBay click here.
7. Subscription websites
Finally we come to what I believe is an under-developed opportunity to make money online ... subscription websites!
Subscription websites, often referred to as membership sites, are becoming increasingly popular with people willing to pay a regular subscription to access information that is difficult to find elsewhere. Other types of site that often use the subscription model are sites that provide a specialised service, or make available a library of useful content. Internet dating sites and image libraries are two prime examples.
Anyone who can provide a unique service or specialised information in a niche market could set up a subscription website. By signing up new members on an annual or monthly payment plan, you could soon build up a sizeable income. For example, let’s say you’re a bit of an expert on how to make money from property development. You could set up a site that gives free information on this subject, but only allows paying members access to your private membership site. This would be a secure area which can only be entered using a username and a password. It would contain those ‘closely guarded secrets’ that only your expert knowledge and experience can reveal. Only subscribers would then have access to the most effective methods and shortcuts on how to succeed in the lucrative property development business.
This is just for illustrative purposes of course. But anyone who has a passion and expert knowledge of a hobby or business could set up their own subscription website, providing they know how to go about it. Fortunately there are some very good resources and examples of how to start and run a subscription site.
One of the best sources of information is Membership Site Advisor which offers membership site management tools. Subscribing to their service will give you access to the information and tools you need to set your site up.
Also take a look at Bill Myers Online. Bill has produced an all-in-one solution that enables a company or any individual to set up their own membership site online. It’s called ‘Membergate’ and is an excellent product.
Bill made a fortune from his skill as a product developer. His website is a superb resource for anyone interested in product development. Whether it’s a simple ebook or professional DVD production, there’s a ton of information here that can help you succeed with producing and marketing your own products.
The most important ingredient of course is to have a target market. If there isn’t enough people out there who will be interested in what you have to offer, then you’re unlikely to succeed in your venture. It’s important to do some research first to find out if there will be a demand. One way to do this is to use Overture’s search term tool. Overture provides information on how many searches were done on a specific keyword or phrase. For example, at the time of writing I did a search for ‘dog breeding’ and there were 16,943 related searches carried out during the previous month. However, ‘dog breeding’ is a fairly generic term, so if you specialised in breeding boxer dogs then the results would be much lower but highly targeted towards a niche market.
So let’s assume there’s enough demand and little competition in your chosen category, after setting up your site, the next step would be to attract subscribers. To do this you would need to generate a lot of good quality traffic to your site. By good quality I mean carefully targeted traffic which consists mainly of visitors who are definitely interested in what you have to offer. Not everyone will sign up of course, but the more focused your advertising campaign is, the more likely you are to receive good quality traffic.
Using some of the methods oulined above will produce good results. PPC (pay per click) advertising on Google and Overture for example.Viral marketing using free giveaway ebooks that offer useful information and a good introduction the benefits of subscribing to your site.E-zines and newsletters that promote your service. Either produce your own or choose existing publications that are suitable to advertise in. Affiliate programs. Find affiliates who are eager to promote your membership subscriptions on a commission basis. And of course, let’s not forget to mention search engine optimisation which is essential if you want your site to rank highly in the search engines.(See resources list below for more information)
Once set up and running, in order to maintain and increase subscriptions, it’s important to continue to provide a first class service. If you don’t give your members a good reason to return to your site regularly then your venture will fail. Always provide a high quality service and good content. Information and services that people can use to their benefit will ensure that they continue their membership, and hopefully recommend you to their friends. In conclusion
I have given you some insight into the methods which I consider to be the seven best ways to make money online. There are other ways of course, but these are the ones that I would recommend to anyone looking for new ways to boost their income with their online business, or for newbies just starting out.
Ok, I hear you say. It’s all very well having your own website and knowing which methods work best to make money online, but how do I get people to visit my site?
That’s a good point! If you can’t reach a big enough audience, or target the people who are actively seeking the products or service you’re trying to promote, then you’re hardly going to succeed. But the fact is there’s an endless source of free information online which explains how to get visitors to your website. From how to achieve a high search engine ranking to the simple technique of getting link exchanges, there are many ways to choose from.One way to get more visitors to your site if you’re starting out on a shoestring budget is to join some of the better startpage programs which send free hits to your website when you open your browser a set number of times (usually 1 hit for every 2 times you open your browser). By joining a select few of these programs and recommending others to do the same, you can soon begin generating extra hits to your site. One of the programs I can recommend is Trafficswarm.
If you’re serious about making money online then the methods outlined above are the ones that are most likely to succeed. And there’s nothing to stop you implementing all seven of these methods to create multiple streams of income. Forget about ‘paid to read emails’ and the like, either set up your own website or e-zine and promote it vigorously, applying the methods described above. Or put the same effort into promoting SFI or selling a niche market product on eBay
Then, if you try hard enough, you will succeed at making money online!

Your Own Software

2008-04-19T11:07:00.001-07:00

Make your own software
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Make your knowledge sell
Make Your Own Software
With the endless supply of "marketing how to" information available on the net, it's really refreshing when something practical and useable comes along. Rather than being told "how" to do it, I want something that will "do" it for me."Make Your Own Software" is just that.Even if you're not a software developer, you can use "Make Your Own Software" to create a downloadable software application inminutes. This sounds hard to believe, but I tried it myself and it easily lives up to its claims and then some.Using it myself, I was quickly able to brainstorm a simple software idea, create a quick "recipe," click a few buttons, and ... poof! Out popped a software program. I was shocked by how easy the process was.This is truly one of the simplest and most powerful programs I have reviewed in my entire life (and I've seen thousands).You may not realize how important this technological advancement is at first, but you will once you consider the following facts:1. "It's the Product, Stupid"No amount of marketing "how to" is going to make up for not having a killer product.People are sick of being told how to do it. They want something that will "do it" for them."Make Your Own Software" will allow you to create a virtually endless stream of new products with a snap of your fingers.Stop trying to sell "how to" and start selling instant solutions. That's where the real money is.2. Downloadable Viral Marketing ToolsOK, so you don't want to sell software. Fair enough.You're crazy if you don't use software as a viral marketing tool.Many of the largest lists on the Internet were built using free software downloads as an enticement for subscribing.You can easily add viral twists to these tools and before you know it hundreds or even thousands of sites could be offering your free software - becoming virtual newsletter subscriber magnets.What if you created just one new tool like that a week?How big would your list be inside of 6 months?3. Create Value-Added Customer Helper AppsWhat if you were to create applications that simply added value to your existing products and services?How much higher would your customer satisfaction be if you created various software tools to teach, train, support, or otherwise help your customers?How many more sales would that added customer satisfaction generate for you without any additional effort year after year?4. Upsell ProductsAs you probably know, selling new products to existing customers is the easiest way in the world to make money.It's 5 times easier to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one.Why not create new products using "Make Your Own Software" and sell them to your existing customer base? Instant profits.I could go on for hours about the virtues of this product.Yes, it has it's limitations, but they are minor and easily overlooked. With a little imagination one could create almost any software idea with "Make Your Own Software" in short order.I highly recommend getting your hands on this one while it's still available. Rumor is it's creator doesn't want to sell it forever, so he could cut off sales to this one at any time (although he will continue to support it).

How to write Your own E-book

2008-04-19T11:05:00.002-07:00

Selling information products is the most profitable venture on the internet.. this is a known fact.
However, there are some problems that web marketers must face in order to create a truly valuable e-book. Not everyone has these problems, but many people do (I certainly did when starting out).
Without a doubt, the biggest, meanest and most vile of these problems is not knowing how to write.
Writing, for some of us, can be as hard as trying to swim upstream in chocolate pudding. But I learned that by following some simple steps, you can create wonderful information products in a snap.
Here are a few tips I've learned that have helped me create books, reports, sales letters, etc.
DAY 1. Before you begin a long trip, you have to decide where you want to go. You have a destination in mind. Otherwise, you'd be wandering all over the place, maybe you'd see some interesting places, but you'd never arrive anywhere you would truly want to be.
The same happens when writing. The first thing you have to do is decide what you are about to write and jot it down on a piece of paper. State your goals.
DAY 2. Now do some research and thinking about your work. What do you want the e-book to say? What are the key points you want to make by writing this? What are the stories you want to tell? Who are the people that will read this e-book (target market)?
Do not write the e-book yet. Just think about it and scribble your thoughts. Put them on index cards or in a small notebook - this will help you keep the path of your journey. This is called the 'idea-gathering' stage. Think... Talk... Daydream... And then take notes on all that you have in your mind. If you don't, you may forget a bright idea.
DAYS 3 & 4. These are the days when all the actual writing is going to happen. Relax, sit at your computer (or typewriter), unplug the telephone and WRITE!
Write non-stop. What you have to do here is write without thinking at all. The greatest obstruction to creative and effortless writing is thinking. This may sound like a paradox but it's not. We've all become too paranoid about the rules of grammar and proper English usage. For this step of the process: forget the rules! Forget ALL the rules.
Write! Don't stop to punctuate or check your spelling or look up a fact. Just write. Get as much on the screen (or on paper) as you can handle. Be enthusiastic about it.
If you don't know what to write, write "I don't know what to write. I don't know what to write..." until you DO know what to write. Just keep writing, keep your fingers moving. Don't care what your writing looks like or how it sounds. You are not going to hand this material to anyone, this is for your eyes only and it will be edited.
DAY 5. This is the day when all the editing will take place. Editing can be a lot of fun, all you have to do is be ruthless about your writing and clip out (delete) anything that doesn't help you convey your messages. Punctuate. Check your grammar and your spelling.
After you are done, go to a copy shop and make a couple of copies of your work; then hand it to 5 friends. Ask for their opinions and for their suggestions. Ask them to write them down and scribble on the copy you handed them. They will help.
Get the copies back and change what you feel needs to be changed. Not every single thing they tell you needs to be fixed, but if four or five of your friends tell you about the same error... correct it.
Leave your work alone for a couple of days and then come back to it, read it as if someone else wrote it. Stuff will jump to your face. Correct that too.
Voila! Your e-book is now written. Now all you have to do is format it nicely and start marketing it.

Secrets of the Richest People

2008-04-19T11:05:00.001-07:00

Would you like to realize your goals? Maybe you'd like to run your own business, expand your material possessions, or succeed in the arts. There is no one path to the pot of gold, but many people of all backgrounds have successfully found it.
Whether you want to follow the ways of the great financiers, the famous politicians, or the dynamic movie stars, there are common modes of behavior each of them followed. And in many cases, they have shared their secrets so YOU CAN FOLLOW THEIR FOOTSTEPS.
"If you wish to know the road up the mountain, ask the person who goes back and forth on it," said the ancient sage, Zenrin. What better way is there to know the secrets than to ask those who made it?
What goals do you want to achieve? And what amount of effort can you commit? You may want money for the extra things in life, money to build a corporate empire, or money to support yourself while you pursue the fine arts.
Perhaps you'd like to take the risk to start something new in your life. You may want to open your own business, devote your energies to an artistic career such as acting, or reap the benefits of your yearly endeavors with fabulous vacations several times a year.
What will bring you happiness? The satisfaction of success takes many forms. Not only are people seeking financial fortunes, but also the ancient goal of peace of mind.
Do you worry? You might be concerned about your health or your family's well-being. You may be anxious about the added expenses of education, medical bills, or the steady increase of cost of living. There are ways out of the endless cycles of worry, stress and anxiety. Right now, you can rise above the whirl of survival to achieve the accomplishments you dream of. When you're ready to put your whole effort into realizing your goals, YOU WILL SUCCEED.
WHAT ARE RICHES?
"Had I but plenty of money, money enough to spare," wrote Robert Browning. And money is the greatest attribute of riches. A universal desire, money is the materialization of riches, the stuff that makes the rest possible.
Are you looking for financial security? For retirement, for education or leisure? Riches are the overflowing abundance of material possessions - houses, cars, boats, furnishings - everything you ever wanted.
Centuries ago, Horace wrote, "By right means, if you can, but by any means, make money." For many people it is a path towards happiness, a cure-all for worry and peace of mind.
For, riches come in the form of satisfaction and personal independence. Satisfaction comes from accomplishment in employment or attaining goals. It is that feeling of contentment and confidence from a good task well done. Riches are closely linked with success. And with that comes fame and acknowledgment of position. Success might be the feeling of well-being from the rewards of good effort. Or the enthusiasm and vitality triggered by recognition.
"Success is how well I enjoy the minutes," said producer Norman Lear.
Throughout history, the people who lived with riches often achieved them by hard work, diligence and a belief in themselves. For some people, it took courage, genius and stamina.
But for many others, it took nothing special but the desire to turn dreams into reality. Whether you want millions of dollars, recognition as an artist, or personal freedom, you have the ability to make your life as rich as you want.
Think about what you most desire. It may not be hard cash, but what it can buy. Or it may be those feelings of inner satisfaction, from creating something beautiful or strong.
You may want personal independence from the work week, or freedom to live anywhere you want. You may be looking for something meaningful and significant in life - something other than things money can buy. Whatever your goals, and however difficult they seem to be to accomplish, you have the ability to become who you want. Take a look - can you see yourself surrounded by riches?
Picture the world open and in front of you, ready to become the form of your dreams, ready to stage your desires. "Why then, the world's mine oyster," wrote Shakespeare, "which I with sword will open."
WHO IS SUCCESSFUL?
Many people who achieve fortune in the world are not born rich. But they accomplish their dee hard to implement as it will bring in lots of ordersires through hard work and a plan of action.
Every type of person on earth can become successful. There are saints and scoundrels; philanthropists and thieves; poets and politicians; young and old. There are no limitations or physical boundaries for success.
Success comes to those who think about success and strive for it. Although many rich financiers at the turn of the century had no formal education, they overcame that and went on to great fame.
Some people strive towards a single goal from early in life, and often attain that goal while still young. Others are willing to risk new adventures later and still attain success.
"It's never too late to learn," wrote Malcolm Forbes, the money magnate. "I learned to ride a motorcycle at 50 and fly balloons at 52."
Whatever your task, whatever your obstacles, you can be as successful as anyone else. Study the people who accomplished recognition in the areas of your pursuit. How did they achieve their goals?
And don't be afraid you don't have what it takes. As Daniel Webster wrote, "There is always room at the top."
FORMING CONVICTION
The single attribute that every successful person has is the one-pointed devotion to attain a goal. "There in the sunshine are my highest aspirations," wrote Louisa May Alcott, "I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead."
What are your desires? How can you form them into definite goals that you can attain? Lawrence Peter wrote, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably end up somewhere else."
Maybe you're studying a craft or skill. Perhaps you're caught in a rung of the corporate ladder. Or, you might feel constricted by your family and the environment around you. Which star are you reaching for? "Ours is a world where people don't know what they want and are willing to go through anything to get it," wrote Don Marquis.
Take the time to think about your own aspirations. Look inside to find what feels right. Almost everyone entertains the notions of fame and fortune, but put on the costume that fits you.
Conviction requires certain qualities of action. You must be sincere and be willing to assume responsibility. And you need the self-discipline necessary to work towards your goals. Are you prepared to achieve your dreams? Can you form their reality in your mind? Will you devote your entire being to attaining what you want?
ON YOUR OWN
Most millionaires are non-conformists. So are the most famous actors and actresses; and the most prominent artists. Writers are known for their individual traits and eccentricities.
Your convictions and goals are your own business, even when you find help along the path. Mentors often take people under their wings to nourish and teach. Or spiritual guides will show you the path to attainment. But you're on your own to achieve.
Cultivate a sense of justice and an ability to make decisions. Cooperate with everybody and develop your own self-respect. And follow good criticism and advice after you've judged carefully. J. Paul Getty said, "I advise young millionaires to be skeptical of advice. They should advise themselves; they should form their own opinions."
Lord Byron wrote, "There is rapture on the lonely shore." And if you attain your goals with poise and sincerity, you'll find warmth and love at the top - not the cold loneliness pictured by the jealous.
Put on blinders to negative comments and criticism meant to hurt you. About the people who criticize, Voltaire wrote, "Never having been able to succeed in the world, they took revenge by speaking ill of it."
SEIZE THE DAY
People are judged by what they think and what they say. But the true measure of their character is what they do. Anyone who has achieved success and fortune in the world has done it by action.
William Jennings Bryan wrote, "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
The choice of the path you follow is often put before you as opportunity. "Few people recognize opportunity," said Cary Grant, "because it comes disguised as hard work." Don't let opportunities slip past while you're still considering them, and create new ones as you see them. "Wise people make more opportunities than they find," said Francis Bacon.
What opportunities can you act upon? Woolworth saw a need for small inexpensive items and opened the chain of stores that grossed billions. Wrigley started giving gum away as a bonus from a supplies wagon he sold from, and saw the opportunity to make money from the gum that became in high demand. All successful people the world over have found the opportunities for their own special talents and acted upon those ways to achieve. Why wait for the time to pass? There's never a better time than now.
"Sometimes," wrote Lewis Carroll believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." Take your own impossible dreams and make them become reality.
HOW THEY THINK
Thousands of potential millionaires are born every year. And making a million dollars is coming closer to everyone's pocket. What advice did the money-makers follow?
Aristotle Onassis worked eighteen hours a day to maintain his fortune. He started as a welder and aimed for the top. "You have to think money day and night," he said, "you should even dream about it in your sleep."
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., said, "I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes every person an opportunity to make a living." And J. Paul Getty acknowledged his hard work: "I have no complex about wealth. I have worked hard for my money, producing things people need."
Even Proverbs advises: "In all labor there is profit."
Richard Bach, the author of the best selling "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" wrote, "You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however."
The Empress of the British Empire, Queen Victoria, admonished, "We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat."
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?
There are qualities of endeavor and achievement that are common to many people who make it to the top. The following questions are a guideline to self-enterprise and attaining your goals.
1. Do you prefer to work for yourself than for others?
2. Are you well-informed on current business and political affairs?
3. Are you a leader?
4. Do you take advantage of opportunities?
5. Do you pay attention to what other people say?
6. Can you finish a job even when it is difficult or unpleasant?
7. Are you challenged by problems?
8. Do you have a goal you want to achieve?
9. Do you consider other people?
10. Do you strive to attain?
11. Can you obey commands?
12. Can you bounce back after defeat?
13. Do you believe in yourself?
14. Can you stand by your actions in spite of criticism?
15. Can you follow instructions?
16. Can you respond to the needs of others?
17. Will you give credit to other
18. Can you make your own decisions?
19. Are you determined?
20. Are you ready for success?
ESTABLISH A GOAL
What do you want? Are you looking for financial security, professional acknowledgment, spiritual attainment? Do you want to fit better socially, or become more expressive creatively? Establish the goal that's right for you. Then turn that goal from a dream into a desire. You want to realize that goal, not just wish for it. Aesop said, "Beware that you do not lose the substance by grabbing at the shadow." Know exactly what you want, then go for it.
Don't be tricked by your own procrastination - especially if you want to achieve something artistic. The writer Thomas Wolfe wrote, "I had been sustained by that delightful illusion of success which we all have when we dream about the books we are going to write instead of actually doing them. Now I was face to face with it, and suddenly I realized that I had committed my life and my integrity so irrevocably to this struggle that I must conquer now or be destroyed."
Can you see what you want? If you want the abundance of material wealth that money provides, what goal will give you that money? Do you want the prestige of owning your own business? What business do you want to begin? Where are the opportunities for you? Talk to everyone in the business you want to join. Make friends in the literary or art societies in your area. Read books and articles about your field of endeavor. How can you attain your goal?
"If you don't want to work, you have to work to earn enough money so that you don't have to work," wrote Ogden Nash. And isn't that the way" Money makes money; success breeds success. But not always. How can you break through those thoughts to help yourself to the rewards?
Henry David Thoreau wrote, "I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, and endeavor to live the life which you imagine, you will meet with success."
Think big and visualize success. Do you see yourself in a big house? Maybe you picture your artwork hanging in a gallery. Can you feel your book in print and in your hands? How does it feel to be a person of success? Believe that you are; believe that it is in your grasp. That's what the others did, and that's how people make it to the top.
Then get down to basics. Be precise. Exactly how much money do you want, and by what date? And exactly what are you going to do to earn that money? Be realistic, but give yourself short-term goals. Write it down. In six months or one year, you will have how much money. And repeat it until it feels good. Then repeat it twice a day until it swirls in your subconscious, until it becomes your one-pointed goal.
"The goal stands up, the keeper stands up to keep the goal," wrote A.E. Housman.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Make people feel at ease. They will respond to your needs as you respond to theirs.
Share the spotlight. Give credit to those who deserve it - and to those who strive. Don't grab praise away from other people. Have confidence in your own value. Don't do anything that won't credit your own self-respect. Follow up your actions as they reflect your own self-worth. Listen well to others' comments. Then weigh your own actions. Cultivate relationships with people who have good and important things to say. Participate in life. Be active in business meetings and endeavors; volunteer to be part of organizations and groups. Social interaction will boost your sense of well-being .
Feel worthy of your own goal. Know that you can attain it and that it is right for you. Grasp your own challenge. Don't give yourself impossible goals, but always reach higher. Relax and be yourself. Each person is different and just as wonderful as the next. Don't be plagued by what you think others think of you. Don't bathe in success - use it. Once you achieve your first goal, go on to others. Use the money you earn for the rewards you look for. Then go on to the next endeavor.
Be slow to criticize others' achievements. Find out how they did it and learn from them. Never use subterfuge. Don't go behind someone's back. Speak your mind and earn respect. Banish negative thoughts and traits. Restructure your life to exclude bad habits.
Believe in yourself and what you are to accomplish. All the power in the world is within you to achieve.
WORK TOWARDS YOUR GOAL
"To get profit without risk, experience without danger, and reward without work, is as impossible as it is to live without being born," wrote A.P. Gouthey. Every person who has attained something worthwhile has worked for that goal.
Cary Grant said, "I do believe that people can do practically anything they set out to do if they apply themselves diligently and learn."
Which path is the right way towards your goal? Do you need more education? Do you need a few years experience in your field of business? Maybe you need a teacher or guide to help you practice.
"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached, as by the obstacles which are overcome while trying to succeed," wrote Booker T. Washington.
What obstacles are in your way? Consider them as easy to pass through as hurdles are to a champion runner. Take each obstacle as a special challenge placed especially for you. Approach it with intelligence and courage, then learn what it has to teach.
"Success is a journey," said Ben Sweetland, "not a destination." For some, the process of attainment is the attainment itself. They move on, keep growing and expanding. There is no still water at the top.
"The message from the moon is that no problem need any longer be considered insoluble," wrote Norman Cousins. And you can attain anything that seems impossible.
If you have a problem that needs to be solved, sit calmly and consider it with a clear mind. Observe all the consequences of the actions - both good and bad. Ponder the paths and actions and contemplate the core of the problem. The solution will appear. "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you for everyone who asketh, receiveth. He that seeketh, findeth and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."
Tap the inner self and encourage positive actions. With each outgoing breath, release the impossible; at each incoming breath, inhale the attainable. Demand the best of yourself, but don't despair from an overused sense of perfection.
What can you learn? And who can teach you? Can you attend classes and seminars from universities near home? Check out books from the libraries and absorb the material. Find a master and become an apprentice.
"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty," said Henry Ford. "Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
Never stop learning; never stop growing and expanding as a person and in your personal endeavor.
ASK YOURSELF
As you consider the success you desire, you need to affirm its possibilities and develop the self-confidence necessary to attain the goals. Learn to do things well. "If you know how to do one thing well, you can do everything," wrote the philosopher Gurdjieff.
Are you ready for success?
Is what you are doing now helping you to achieve your goals?
Do you weigh the consequences before making a decision?
Is this the best use of your time?
Do you cooperate with everyone and help cultivate their best potentials?Are you warm and sincere?
Do you have the courage to succeed?
Do you have the self-discipline necessary to achieve your goals?
Do you have a realistic sense of self-worth?
Do you give more than you take?
Do you have the courage to fail, and then pick up and try again?
Can you assume responsibility without blaming others if things go wrong?
Are you strong?
Can you be sympathetic to life and its sufferings?
Can you say no?
Will you follow your convictions and plans to achieve?
Do you sincerely want to achieve the goals you have chosen?
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
"The price of greatness is responsibility," wrote Winston Churchill. Are you willing to take the responsibility once you attain the success you desire?
"The deepest personal defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has in fact become," wrote Ashley Montague. And the greatest tragedy is to become less than your full potential, using less than the abilities you have to work with.
Are you waiting for something to happen? Maybe you're waiting for a job offer, or a promotion. Perhaps you're waiting until you get good enough at a craft or skill. Or are you waiting for the inspiration of creativity to strike your life? It is up to you to take the actions and be responsible for their consequences. "Our responsibility: every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty," wrote John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Inspire yourself. Read books that will spurn you to action; talk to people who have the vitality you admire. How would you like to lead your life? And make the changes necessary to be like that. "There is nothing permanent except change," wrote Heraclitus. What changes do you want to make? What are you waiting for?
ACCOMPLISHMENT
What actions will take you closer to your goals? Decide upon the steps and write them down. Review them until you feel comfortable with those steps. Then repeat them at least once a day, crossing them off as you accomplish them.
"I believe there is no escape from the rule that We must do many, many little things to accomplish even just one big thing," said James Dupont. "This gives me patience when I need it most."
The most rewarding accomplishments are those that take long to achieve and present difficulties. It is only through these difficulties that a person can rise above the rest to be the unusual, the outspoken and the well-deserved.
As if building a kit, follow your own instructions. Decide your best courses of action and achieve their benefits. Whether the steps are small or large, make them achievable and then do them. Don't commit yourself to things that you never intend to do.
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there," said Will Rogers. Don't be paralyzed by inaction; rather act upon your own convictions. Set yourself up for rewards. Don't give yourself goals that have no feeling of satisfaction or no monetary rewards. If you want to be an artist, be the best and learn from the best. Don't dwell on imperfections or the awkwardness of unpolished skills.
If you go into business, do it for profit or reinvestment. "In business, the earning of profit is something more than an incident of success. It is an essential condition of success. Because the continued absence of profit itself spells failure," said Justice Brandeis.
Marchant wrote, "To be a success in business, be daring, be first, be different." Think of ways to achieve the best; formulas to increase productivity or decrease overhead. Profit is your drive. "Profitability is the sovereign criterion of the enterprise," wrote Peter Drucker. And, profitability is the core of any achievement - whether financial or artistic.
Once you achieve your goals, think of ways to benefit others. "Money-getters are the benefactors of our race," said P.T. Barnum. "To them we are indebted for our institutions of learning, and of art, our academies, colleges and churches." How can you benefit humankind and still keep enough to fulfill your own desires?
THE HIDDEN ASSET
Not all success can be counted in dollars; not all richness is measured by money. "The great secret of success is to go through life as a person who never gets used up," said Albert Schweitzer. "Retire upon yourself and look for the ultimate cause of things inside you."
Look within yourself for the ultimate inspiration, and follow the true feelings you discover. "One of my favorite methods is to whisper," said Alfred Hitchcock. "I've discovered the best work is done with sweet reason."
Act upon your own conscience -that guides; that judges your actions and signals your behavior. "Conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone may be looking," wrote H.L. Mencken.
Accomplish what you desire; fulfill your inner yearnings. But don't compromise your deepest feelings.
"We do our best that we know how at the moment, and if it doesn't turn out, we modify it," said F.D. Roosevelt.
Follow the paths that life offers you and live the fullest existence you can.
TAKE A LOOK
Look at yourself and look at those who have succeeded throughout history. Do you have what it takes? Even if you have only a few of the qualities of the other great people, you can achieve your heart's desire.
Reach for the highest, then reach higher. Accomplish your steps one by one on a daily basis, always moving forward, always making progress. Encourage yourself. Insist that you can succeed and affirm these thoughts daily. Keep a sense of proportion and judge for yourself. Then keep busy at the tasks you've set out to accomplish. What's keeping you? "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration," said Albert Einstein.
Find inspiration wherever you can. Talk to people; read about people; learn your business or craft. Believe that you can do it and you will. The only way to dispel the doubt that you can do something is to finish it. Always be the best you can be. Never fall short from fatigue or lethargy. Don't attempt to do anything that you can't give your all to.
There is no way to inner satisfaction without appealing to the higher consciousness. Search within and without to find the paths that are meant for you and follow them with conviction and a steady heart. And, you will succeed to become as rich and full as you ever desired.
Harold Ickes wanted the "freedom to live one's life with the window of the soul open to new thoughts, new ideas and new aspirations." And Woody Allen looked for a clear path. "If only God would give me some clear sign" he said. "Like making a large deposit in my name at a Swiss bank."
Finally, Sophie Tucker sums up everyone's worldly outlook: "I've been rich and I've been poor," she said. "Rich is better."

Operating a used book store

2008-04-19T11:04:00.001-07:00

Operating a used book store is a lot like owning a recycling centre - not too glamorous until you take a look at the owner's bank account.
This is an ideal "absentee owner" type of business, or a small investment type business for someone to start while holding down a regular, full time job. The type of person "best-suited" to running a successful used book store, is the man or woman who loves to read, has collected books over the years, and enjoys associating with people of similar interests.
Start up risks are rated high, with the average time period needed to become firmly established, of about 3 years. After that becoming established period, however, you should be able to enjoy ownership of a business without extreme market fluctuations, plus an income close to £50,000 per year or more.
Ideally, a used book store will need a market population of at least 50,000 persons to support it. Try to locate your store in a high traffic area, as near as possible to a college or university campus. Something to bear in mind is the shopping habits of the average used book buyer. First, he's a browser. He notices your shop, drops in and begins looking around to see what kind of books you have available. If he spots something that really interests him, he'll probably buy then and there. If not, and provided you've made him feel comfortable this first time in your store, he'll be back - dropping in to browse whenever he's in the area.
Shopping centres are excellent locations for book stores. Locations near other, or "new" book stores are also very good - if the buyer doesn't find that he wants in the other book shops, he'll look in your shop. Grocery shop areas are generally poor locations for book stores of any kind.
It's important that there be a lot of casual strollers in your location area, and that you encourage these people to drop in, and browse around. If you want the entire front of your store to be a shop window ... take pains to arrange your window display in an uncluttered manner, showing the kinds of books you have. However, a window display is not really necessary. More important is a window for the passers-by to see into your shop. At any rate, if you do go with a window display, keep it low - never more than 36 inches high - leaving a lot of room for the people passing by to see into your shop and notice the people browsing through your books. We know of one successful operator who had members of his family, relatives and friends, purposely "browsing" through his store, just to project that kind of image for the store.
Once you have your store location selected, paint the entire interior in a dark, warm colour, such as mahogany. Install a lighter shade of indoor/outdoor carpeting throughout. The lighting should be indirect, and somewhat subdued, to give your store a warm feeling. Locate your till parallel to one of the side walls .. you don't want it blocking or guarding the easy entry or exit from your store. You want your customers to feel comfortable just visiting the store. In other words, do everything you can to encourage the browsers, because it's been proven time and time again that the browsers are the book buyers. Allow the people to come and go generally as they please; to pick up and thumb through the books that interest them; to read them, and "fall in love" with them. These will be your real book buyers.
Your book shelves should run along each side wall, and across the back of the store. Don't build them more than six feet high. Partition these shelves into sections about four feet wide, and at the top of each section, place a sign indicating the general subject matter of the books to be found in that section.Paper the walls of your store, from the top of your book shelves to the ceiling with posters - colourful and descriptive travel posters, broadway show billboards, concert posters and full colour dust jackets from books that are perennially popular.
The next thing is to build or buy half shelves, tables and revolving racks for other or more books. The half shelves - about 4 feet wide by 4 feet high and similar to book cases in your home - should be located at right angles to your wall shelves, and in the rear of your store. The tables should be about 3 feet wide by 4 feet long, and about 30 inches high. These also should be located at right angles to your wall shelves, but closer to the front of your store. A revolving wire rack, to hold currently popular or specially featured books, and located at the front of your store, will be a special extra merchandising effort that'll really pay off in the sales of your books.
In locating your half shelves and tables down the middle of your store, stagger them - one 3 feet from the wall shelves, the next one 6 feet out, then 4 feet and so on. This will allow more people to be "seen" in your store; cut down on the appearance of a formal or military layout, and project a more casual atmosphere for browsing - and this is precisely what you want. This kind of arrangement will cost you some space, but it'll be worth it with increased traffic.
Another merchandising idea that works well is a couple of revolving wire racks on wheels - these you push outside and position near the entrance to your store. You can feature popular paperbacks, and a few over-size hard cover books with bright, flashy colours in these racks.
Your store hours should match those of your neighbours ... in fact, you could jump off to a quick start, by opening a half hour earlier than your neighbours. Use this opening half hour to take care of paperwork, and get yourself organised for the day. When the early shoppers see you're open early, they'll begin coming into your store, to browse and kill time, while they wait for the other stores to open.
If you cannot be there to open the store, then hire part time help. First off, write out a list of duties you want each assistant to perform while he's on shift. In addition to taking care of sales transactions, you might want him to do some stocking, dusting, cleaning, sorting and pricing ... Regardless, you'll have fewer problems and enjoy bigger profits if you formally write these shift duties out, and put them as job requirements, and explain them when you interview for hired help. Look for, and try to hire only book lovers who are personable, outgoing, and have some sort of business aptitude. You then train these people in all phases of your operation, with the thought in mind that they will run the store in your absence, and eventually be your store manager. The best way to find such people is by talking with your customers, observing which might be willing to work for you, and which of them might best fulfil your needs.
You'll need an outside sign for your store - preferably one that hangs at right angles to the flow of traffic in front of your store. Many successful used book stores utilise hand carved wooden signs, while others display painted signs with calligraphic lettering. By all means, spend the extra money to have spotlights installed on your shop front, focusing on your store sign. Backlit plastic signs just don't create the comfortable image necessary for the success of a good used book store.
Newspaper and/or broadcast advertising will be much more expensive than it's worth. Your best bet is to create a comfortable feeling and open invitation for browsers, price your stock fairly, concentrate on personal service, and let word of mouth advertising and time do the rest. Even so, you should run an ad in the yellow pages. Perhaps an ad in the college paper, and from time to time, special sales ads in your local shopping newspapers. Inexpensive flyers inviting people in to exchange books, or to just browse, can be printed at your local quick print shop and handed out or placed under the window wipers of cars in the larger shopping centre car parks. Advertising, and special sales during holiday periods, such as Christmas, Mother's Day and Father's Day are generally quite effective in bringing new customers into your store.
Most used book store entrepreneurs use their own book collections as a start-up inventory base. In addition, talk to as many neighbours, friends and relatives as possible for the donation of books. Then start making the rounds of all the garage sales and flea markets. You should have at least 10,000 books in stock when you open for business - and that's a lot of books. Search for books to sell - those you can buy for 25p or less - in all the charity shops, car boot sales, jumble sales, bazaars, etc.
You might place a small ad in your newspaper, announcing that you're looking for good used books to buy. Generally, you evaluate a book according to the price you think you can get it for in your store. Then you subtract two thirds of that total, and offer that as your "buying" price. Always separate the books you feel certain you can sell from those you aren't sure about. It's going to take a while for you to become proficient as a book buyer, but with practice and some experience, you'll quickly develop the "intuition" you need to realise a profit on every book you buy. Always flip through the pages of each individual book, and be sure of its condition before you quote a price. In many instances, you'll also find that out of a box of 25 books, you're only interested in buying 10. The seller will generally be wanting to get rid of his books, now. And for a couple of pounds more than your "bid price" on the 10 books you want, he'll let you have all 25 of them. This is like a windfall to you, because you can always use the "unwanted" books as leader items or extras to generate traffic during two for one sales, all books on a certain table for just 50p each, or your choice of free books for everyone coming in to browse on a certain day.
You should carry hard cover as well as paperback books. Pay no more than 25% of the new price for a mint condition used hard cover book, and buy only those you are certain can be sold in your store. Pay no more than 10% of the new price for a mint condition used paperback, and steer clear of the hard core sexually oriented books.
Visit the libraries and book stores in your area. Observe that the people are interested in reading, and what they're checking out or buying. Stock your store with these kinds of books. Below is a listing of the kinds or types of books you should consider stocking in your used book store:
BUSINESS BOOKS: These should include books on leadership, career advancement, time management and people management.
HOW-TO BOOKS: These should include all the self help and self improvement manuals you can find - mail order, auto repair, carpentry, metalwork, home building, gardening, and business start up.
COOK BOOKS: You'll probably be surprised at how many people buy books relating to the culinary arts. A well stocked cookbook section will mean definite profits for you. Forget about books on dieting, home economics, and etiquette - these books just don't do well in used book stores.
SPECIAL INTEREST BOOKS: Watch and listen to the people of your area. Be on the lookout for people into World War history, aviation, sports perfection, movies, and just plain old book collectors.
PAPERBACKS: Women's romance, science fiction, mysteries, and historical novels are all good movers - currently enjoying an upsurge in popularity and sales. These will be the best movers in your inventory, so develop good sources of supply, and price them for fast sales.
Building and maintaining your inventory, while continuing to rapidly turn that inventory over, can be handled in a number of different ways. It's not a good idea for you to exchange two or three of your customer's books for one of your own. There's always a variance in price, plus you may not want the type of books your customer is offering to trade. The most feasible plan seems to be to give the customer a "credit" for each book you buy from him. Simply have a supply of business cards promoting your store, printed at your quick print shop. On the back of the card, have them print something along these lines:
"The bearer of this card is entitled to ________ pence credit on 50% of the listed purchase price of any book at This Book Store."
Your signature follows.
Then, when someone brings in a couple of books to sell, you pay him in credit chits, marking in the amount and signing your name on the card. An easier way might be to have your signature printed on the cards when you order them - you or a clerk would simply fill in the credit amount, and stamp the card.
Many used book stores add to their income potential by adding tape cassettes lending libraries. These are real money makers, with a kind of service that lends out "books on tape", and special learning programmes where portions of the rental fee applies to the purchase of the original tape cassette. A great many used book stores add to their income by running mail order book selling operations in addition to the retail business. This is a natural, either for a retail operator wanting to expand his market or a mail order operator wanting to increase his income.
A word of caution: Though you must project an open, comfortable invitation to browsers and would-be book buyers, you must also inconspicuously guard against shop lifters and outright thieves. The best bet is to place mirrors strategically throughout the store so that you can see your customers from the checkout desk at all times. Your smaller, and more expensive books should be kept up front so that you can see them and what the customers are doing with them, without seeming to be guarding them. There are a number of theft prevention gadgets and devices available, but even more important is alert hired help that can keep an eye on the customers without making them feel they're being watched.
The risks of starting a used book store are high for the dreamer unaware that it's just another retail business and should be handled as such. Well organised and intelligently operated used book stores are very stable, and they do provide a very comfortable income for the owner operator willing to persist through the start-up period. This can be the kind of business you've always dreamed of owning, but you'll have to have the patience to let it grow and the perseverance to see it through to its ultimate success. With these thoughts in mind, I say reach for the sky and may the angels of paradise always be smiling upon you with endless good fortune!

Party plan sales programs

2008-04-19T11:03:00.001-07:00

A veritable goldmine for wealth builders!
Believe it! You can easily make £50,000 in the next six months or less! After that, you can practically be guaranteed at least that much, but probably much more, every year for the rest of your life, without really working. The way to accumulate this kind of wealth is with your own business of selling merchandise via the Party Plan. Few other businesses can so easily give you this kind of wealth as quickly, and keep your income growing.
A recent questionnaire, circulated among hundreds of successful direct sales merchandisers across the country asked this question: "If you were to start over today, knowing what you know now, and could choose the one method of merchandising that would make you really rich in the shortest period of time, which would you select?" Of those questionnaires returned, 94% stated they would go with the Party Plan Method. The sharp party plan operators (and the richest) simply hold motivational sales meetings for their sub distributors about once a month. During these meetings, they are teaching their sub distributors how to recruit new hosts and hostesses, or husband and wife host and hostess teams. A host or hostess can be any person who is agreeable to holding a sales party at his or her house. Almost always, this person is rewarded for having the party with a percentage of the total business or an agreed upon special merchandise gift. These people invite friends, neighbours, and relatives to the party. Your sub-distributor doesn't have to do too much more than contact people willing to hold parties, supply the merchandise, and sometimes offer to help or be there to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Here's the kind of money you can realise with this business:
Say you have ten sub-distributors, and each one arranges only five parties a month, and each party does £200 in gross business. That's a total of £10,000 per month in total volume. And from that total volume, you make only 30%. Figure it out for yourself! This would give you a personal income of £3,000+ for thirty days in which you did no more than hold one or two motivational sales meetings. Besides, each party is almost guaranteed to give your sub distributor at least two more hostesses for future parties, and those future parties will provide still more hostesses. This chain is endless, and will build as fast as you can keep up with it.
To get your start in this fabulous method of merchandising, become a host or hostess yourself. Give a few parties yourself, and learn the ropes. Choose an evening for your party - any evening except Friday. Generally, 7.30 - 8.00pm is the most convenient time for the greatest number of people. If it's inconvenient for whatever reason to hold a party in your home, arrange with a friend to hold the first couple of parties. Make up a list of 30 to 40 people you can invite to the party. They can be friends, neighbours, relatives or people you know from work, even acquaintances with whom you do business such as the check out girl where you buy your groceries, or people you meet at the bus stop on your way to work.After formally inviting these people, you then call to remind them of the party at least a couple of days before the date of the party. This is important, because of the original 40 people you invite, at least 15 will not show because it slipped their minds, last minute circumstances that force a change in plans, and those that really weren't interested in the first place.On the day of the party, get your merchandise display set up early.The party should be held in the largest room in the home, usually the living room, with the merchandise display the centre of attraction. The merchandise should be set out on a sturdy table covered with a good white or light coloured cloth, and the merchandise should be arranged by group or type - the jewellery items together, perfumes bath oils and colognes together, crystal together, and so on. Try to put a bit of imagination and showmanship into your merchandise display. This will have the effect of making your merchandise look much more valuable than it actually is. Those that do put a flair into their merchandise displays find that it increases their sales by as much as 25 percent over an ordinary showing. For instance, a high intensity light focussed on the display will cause the jewellery to sparkle, the stainless steel to gleam, and the brassware to glimmer like valuable heirlooms. Another idea would be to tack a piece of velvet onto a 4 by 6 foot piece of plywood and use it to display rings, earrings, necklaces and watches. In jewellery sales, another idea is to hang a mirror on a wall near the merchandise display. If you or your hostess has room, you might want to set up a card table, covered with an expensive looking piece of material, place a dressing table type mirror on this table, with a chair available for your guests to sit at the table while they try on the various items. The guests then make their selections after determining how each item looks on them. Regardless of what you do to make it easier for your guests to select and buy, a hand mirror is an absolute must whenever you're showing jewellery.
It would be wise to have several hand mirrors available - two for your merchandise display table, and an extra one on the "admiration" table. Besides your merchandise display, be sure also you're organised with your refreshments. These usually consist of coffee, tea, soft drinks, cakes or other "nibble" items. The host or hostess usually makes arrangements in advance for one of the guests to assist with the serving of refreshments. Be sure you have name tags for your guests, and a couple of felt tip marking pens. And don't forget the order forms. These should be standard two-piece, self carbon order forms - one copy for your customer, and the other for your files. The best idea is to buy order forms. All these items are commonly available in stationery stores. Rubber stamp your name and address on each copy of each order form, at least a couple of days in advance of the party.
Still another item to remember is your merchandise catalogues. Be sure to have a good supply on hand, rubber stamped with your name and address. Later on, when you're established and the money is rolling in, you can have your name and address printed on the catalogues. If you don't have a merchandise catalogue, consider making one of your own.
About half an hour before your guests are due to begin arriving, turn on all the lights in the room where the party is to be held. This will give the room a bright, warm feeling conducive to a party kind of atmosphere. And by all means, be sure to turn off all the radios, stereo and TV. Eliminate any and all noises from other rooms in your home that might distract the attention of your guests.
Every party should be planned, and follow a prescribed format or agenda. This is because without a plan, it'll just be a gathering of people wasting time at your home instead of theirs. You must have a plan to know what to do next in order to achieve the desired results. Having a "pattern" is also the easiest way to teach others to duplicate your success, and the idea of ollowing a successful formula is a proven method of making the most sales in the least time.
Phase one is the greeting and get-acquainted time slot - about thirty minutes. The hostess greets the guests as they arrive, introduces them around, give them a catalogue, points out the refreshments, and leads them into conversation with the other guests.The second phase is the "game playing" portion of your party. This phase is used to relax everybody and get them involved in the party. It should last about 15 to 20 minutes. Next comes the merchandise presentation by the hostess, who shows and describes each item on display. If you have jewellery available ask different guests to try on particular items and show the others what these articles look like in use. The length of time spent on this phase of the party will depend in large part on how much merchandise you have on display, but generally, you shouldn't spend more than about 20 minutes showing and describing your merchandise. Then give your guests around 10 to 15 minutes to personally inspect and try on the items that have aroused their interest. You should mingle and converse with the guests during this time period in order to answer specific questions or explain the possible uses of an item, where it might look good in the buyer's home, and any interesting titbits relating to where an item came from, how it was made, or the satisfaction of an earlier buyer. When you seem to have answered all the questions, and everyone appears to have made their selections, start writing orders. Don't hesitate to ask for orders. The writing of orders should take about 15 minutes, then you should let the party begin winding down. During this time, mingle with your guests and anyone showing a spark of interest should be approached with an offer to serve as a future host or hostess.
As each guest starts to leave, thank them for coming, and walk them to the door. The total length of your party shouldn't be much more than two hours. Time and time again, it's been proven that you can do everything necessary, and make the most sales in this period of time. You will lose effectiveness and make fewer sales with appreciably more or less time.
There are a couple of proven ways to recruit new hosts or hostesses from the people attending your party. First of all, watch the guests as they look over the merchandise, examine, admire, and wish for something they don't quite have enough money to buy. When you've determined that a particular guest wants a specific item but can't fit it into the budget, simply take her aside to a secluded corner of the room, and explain privately that you're willing to give her the item she has been looking at and wanting, if she will agree to invite her friends and relatives to a party in her home. This approach works almost every time, and your only expense is the wholesale price of the item you give her as the free gift.
The second sure-fire approach is to offer a cash incentive. You do this by offering to allow 5% to 10% of the total sales volume resulting from the party staged for you by this type of new recruit. There's a plus factor for you on this one, because you'll be getting the enthusiastic participation of the host or hostess on the selling side. Once you've explained to them how your program works, they'll generally do everything they can to make the party a huge success, and thereby increase their pay for the evening.
When you give a gift to the hostess for having the party, the presentation should be a special ceremony staged with all the flair you can muster, at the end of your merchandise showing. However, when your gift is a cash award, carry your presentation over to the next party and make a big production of it as well. Don't forget to invite the "guest of honour" to your next scheduled party for the big presentation. During these presentations many of the other guests will be favourably impressed, and as a consequence will ask you for details. Actually, your recruiting efforts should begin when you start taking orders.Every person you talk with should be offered the opportunity to hold a party of his or her own. Then, just before the party begins breaking up, ask your guests as a group if any of them would be interested in holding a similar party in his or her own home. You ask those who have voiced an interest to stay over for a few minutes in order to work out the details. You should have an Appointment Book for this scheduling. Simply ask what date would be favourable for them, mark that date in the book, along with the name, address and telephone number. Then assure each one that you'll call in the next day or two to work out the details.
Many party plan merchandisers also use a letter. They write a letter extolling the fun and excitement of the parties, explaining briefly the opportunities to receive free gifts of their choice or big commission cheques. Then they invite the letter recipients to call for complete details on how they can stage a party. These letters are usually printed in volume, and then slipped inside the covers of the catalogue these merchandisers give to each person attending the parties. Sometimes these are handed to each guest as the party breaks up.Some party plan merchandisers also run small classified ads in the area newspapers. Their advertising plays up the opportunities available to make regular commission cheques (extra income) simply by holding parties in their homes. People interested are invited to phone for more details. Response to this kind of ad is generally good, with the conversion rate better than sixty percent!
Most people tend to feel that party planning merchandising is exclusive to women, but don't you believe it! It's true that women generally establish themselves more rapidly than men with this kind of sales operation, but over the long haul, there are just as many men operating successful party plan sales operations as there are women. Men are usually not as adept in establishing social "chit chat" relationships as women. Therefore, the man who wants in on the vast potential of party plan merchandising should consider working with a woman. A husband and wife partnership is an ideal working arrangement. An acquaintance, girlfriend or relative will often work out just as successfully. The basic requirement is simply that the "couple" must function as a team, with the individual talents of one complementing those of the other.
Probably one of the greatest secrets of success with this kind of sales operation is that in order to make the sales, and talk about parties, you must have the widest selection of merchandise possible. Many beginners, not understanding what offering the potential buyers a wide and varied selection of items to choose from is what builds your profits in a hurry, base their entire merchandising plan around a selection that's of special interest or particularly appealing to themselves. It's all right to include the items that you especially like, but don't base your entire merchandise line on the things you like, you're selling to others, not yourself!
Most successful party plan merchandisers advise that you should display at least forty different items, and more if you have the supplier contacts or the buying expertise. The actual decisions on which products to carry and display at your parties should be based upon these four factors:
1) The kind of gift items, personal decor articles, and general merchandise the people in your area are buying;
2) The styles or fads currently in vogue in your area;
3) Contacts with enough suppliers who can furnish you with the kind of merchandise your potential buyers want;
4) Your ability to shop among the various suppliers, and verify that you are getting the very best merchandise value obtainable.
Still another important point to consider before buying merchandise to display and sell: do the prices you're having to pay for your products wholesale allow you enough room for a reasonable profit, when compared to your time and expense? Do some market research relative to your ambitions: get the answers to the questions we've set forth for you, and when you're satisfied that you understand the workings of Party Plan Merchandising, grab the opportunity and run with it!
Good Luck!

How to start your own mobile locksmith service

2008-04-19T11:02:00.002-07:00

Start your own mobile locksmith service
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How to start your own mobile locksmith service
The locks on the doors of most homes keep the skilled burglar out for about 30 seconds! This is especially true if the only thing slowing him down is a standard key-in-the-knob lock.
Statistically, there's about one residential burglary every 30 seconds in this country. Traditionally, as the economy falters and times get harder, the number tends to rise.
Quite naturally, people are concerned and frightened. As a result, locksmithing is not only one of the new "demand" businesses, it's rapidly becoming one of the more profitable businesses for entrepreneurs with not too much capital to invest .
Today's locksmiths are usually well versed in mathematics and basic electronics. They almost have to be, what with the new types of locks being introduced. Today's locksmith is more likely to be known as a "Security Specialist", than as just ordinary locksmith, as in the past .
Even so, most locksmithing businesses are still one-man operations. In many instances, it's a husband and wife family affair, with the husband handling the mechanical end and the wife the books and financial end of the business. Most of these small operations concentrate on the repair side of the business, and deliberately choose to remain small in size. As we will discuss later, however, this need not be the case; these small businesses can "grow up."
According to the area in which he is located, an established, well organized and trained locksmith may gross between $50,000 and $60,000 per year, using a van as a mobile "workshop," and space in his home as an office. Remember: As the economy turns toward recession, burglaries increase and people become aware of the need for better locks to protect what they own; thus the locksmith enjoys an increased income during hard times.
Just because locksmithing is a "personal" kind of business, and can be started on a shoestring and operated out of the home, that's not to say that a locksmithing service cannot be developed into a million dollar business. On the contrary, there are a number of operations in some of the larger metropolitan areas that have several mobile locksmith vans on the road, in addition to retail store locations. These operations are grossing well into the million dollar figures every year.
It's a matter of desire, determination and personal fulfillment and satisfaction. Attitude, marketing skills and general business knowledge are also positive attributes necessary for real success. Very definitely, the sharp businessman with determined ambition can dominate any market with a modern locksmithing service.
The key ingredient to this business is the utilization of proper marketing and selling skills. It goes without saying: You can know all there is about the mechanical functioning of a business, but without innovative marketing and selling skills, your business will surely flounder.
However, given the marketing know-how, plus persistent sales efforts, you can succeed in this business with the knowledge you can acquire of the technical side. The success of any business is built upon the marketing and sales expertise of its founder, because after all, "mechanics" can always be hired, if you decide to go that route rather than learn the trade and the business.
Your marketing efforts should stress the theme that your services will allay the fears of your buyers. You want to get across to your prospective customers the sense of security your service will provide. You can make them safe in their own homes; no longer will they have to worry about being rudely awakened in the middle of the night by a burglar rustling around in their house; no longer will they have to worry about coming home to a house that's been cleaned out or ransacked.
Once you understand that fear is a basic human instinct, it's easy to see that virtually everyone can be a prospect for your services as a locksmith. Your potential market includes everyone in your area, because everyone has possessions. So every homeowner, every apartment dweller, every business owner, all the schools, churches, government institutions, and a wide variety of other commercial and industrial accounts can be yours.
In this day and age, new homeowners and apartment dwellers want the locks changed the day they move in, so that former occupants and other keyholders will not have access to their place. In addition, there will probably be the need for additional keys for each member of the new family, now that new, safer locks have been installed.
Commercial and industrial accounts present an even more lucrative market. Larger companies tend to want their keys "departmentalized," so that office workers can get into the building on weekends, but not into the factory or shipping areas, and vice versa. Banks and savings institutions frequently need the safe deposit locks changed.
Generally speaking, newcomers to this field should focus their efforts on the commercial and industrial area as soon as possible. The commercial market is vast, and often up for grabs in many areas. In addition, the profit margins in these areas are excellent! With one of these accounts you'll have work paying about $500 or more per visit, compared with $25 to $50 per visit for a residential job. With commercial/industrial accounts, there's also the possibility of ongoing service and maintenance. Definitely, the commercial/industrial business is well worth going after, and can put your business in the black very rapidly. However, it does take aggressiveness, and the determination to sell these accounts.
Start small. Consider working out of your home in the beginning. Most of today's successful locksmiths began by working out of their homes, with the family car or van outfitted with the tools and equipment needed. Such an approach will enable you to get started for as little as $1,000. You should be aware however, that this is just a beginning, and not all it's going to take to really establish your business. With this level of investment, you're more or less limited in the business you can handle and the money you can make. Locksmiths who want to make the really big money should be investing all their early profits into more equipment and inventory up to a level where they can offer complete full-service locksmithing. Such a business would require at least $5,000 in equipment, perhaps even $10,000, depending on how many different services you want to offer. This estimate for start-up costs does not include your van or inventory of spare parts and new locks.
Perhaps a quick word of caution is in order here. You've no doubt seen or heard some of the advertisements promising all kinds of big money to be made with your own locksmithing service; "Just send for the learn-at-home correspondence course , and you'll be home free." It's true that you can earn big money in this business, but as we've noted earlier, without a lot of sharp marketing and selling expertise, plus at least the essential equipment to handle the kind of work these courses teach, enrolling in one of these courses will put you no further ahead than you are right now. This business requires equipment and knowledge.
You can make excellent money as a locksmith, so long as you operate your business capably and in a professional manner. But without a full line of the equipment required to handle a wide variety of jobs, you will be limiting your total income potential.
The more you invest in quality equipment, the more different kinds of jobs you can handle, and thus the more money you'll be capable of making.
This is definitely a business in which you decide for yourself exactly how far and how fast you want to go. As we've said, some operators are perfectly content to work out of their homes, using a mobile van. They don't want the larger problems involved in hiring employees, or the expense of maintaining a retail location.
But to make the really big money in this business, starting small and working out of your home, you should plan to put more mobile trucks on the road, and as soon as possible, open a retail location. Each mobile van will give you another satellite business, and a retail location will afford you a base headquarters for your mobile vans.
It is of the utmost importance that you build and maintain a professional image as a quality locksmithing operation from the start. Clinging to the craftsman type of image will be of advantage only if you wish to stay in the "Mom and Pop" category.
You should endeavor to handle all jobs as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Outfitting yourself and your help in sharp looking uniforms will help. Making your calls in a clean, well-organized van will also play an important part in the image your customers have of your business. You want your customers to have confidence in your business, and in the quality of work you do for them. When they do, you'll find they are more likely to pay their bills with fewer reminders.
Think of it like this: A large invoice presented by a man in a clean uniform who drives up in a good looking truck and does quality work is going to be paid more readily than one for $25 presented by a guy in grubby jeans who drove up in a 10-year old decrepit truck.
With so many technological changes occurring within this field on an almost monthly basis, it's to your advantage to stay on top of what's happening within the locksmithing field. This means subscribing to some of the better trade publications. You should be attending the various Locksmithing Association promoted seminars and workshops that offer on-going help in both the technical and financial side of this business. In other words, you should plan to keep yourself up to date with a program of continuous learning.
There are several ways to get started in this business. You can buy an existing operation from a retiring craftsman. Ask him to help you with the technical side of the operation while you spend most of your time actively promoting and managing the business. Or, you can hire the technical help you need, and the sales force to build the business while you do the managing. You can enroll in one of the popular correspondence courses, become involved in the business as you learn from the various trade publications, and progress at your own speed. Our recommendation is that you learn the fiscal and management side of the business, and hire others to handle the mechanical or technical side. Thus the purpose of this report is to indoctrinate you on the business side. To explain the technical details of this business would take volumes, and probably much of the information contained would be out-dated by the time it came off the press.
However, we will provide you with an outline of the most common types of jobs a locksmith should be able to handle.
RECOMBINATION LOCKS:
A customer may want to change an existing lock to work off a new key - the most common type of lock being the key-in-the-knob cylinder or pin tumbler lock. When the proper key is inserted in the keyway, spring-loaded pins are pushed up and out of the cylinder, allowing the plug to turn, and opening the lock. When recombinating, you're changing the depth of these pins so that a new key is the only one that will work. Most house, auto and padlocks are the pin-tumbler variety. Different brands of locks use different depths, spaces and keyways. But with a given brand of lock, up to 50,000 variations exist. Thus, it's not always necessary to change to a new lock.
COMBINATING ALIKE:
Some customers will have a house or a business with several different locks and keys, none of them alike or using the same key. Sometimes these people will want to change to a system that will require the least number of keys to carry around. Here, you'll be required to change the key coding so that one key works all the locks. Sometimes this requires the installation of common door hardware; however, in most cases, you'll find the same brand of locks are used throughout the building.
MASTERKEYING:
Apartment owners and other commercial accounts may want dual key access. This is done by using locks with dual pin tumbler sets. One works with the apartment key, the other with the master key. Keys are spoken of in terms of code numbers. These are sets of digits reflecting the depth of serrations. A given lock in a master key setup might respond, for example, to keys with code numbers 1-2-3-4-5 and 6-7-6-9. Mathematical progressions are used in master keying .
LOCKOUTS:
Frequently a person finds himself locked out of his home, office, warehouse, car, etc. Invariably this happens at odd hours of the day or night. So opening locks at odd hours of the day and night will be a role you'll definitely play in the lives of your customers. A typical pin tumbler lock can generally be picked open in about 30 seconds, using either picks or a single piece of spring steel and good wrist work. All locks have tolerances and variations in manufacture which allow you to push the cylinder pins up out of the way while exerting a turning pressure on the cylinder itself.
AUTOMOBILE LOCKOUTS:
This problem occurs frequently and will require a different procedure. A tool called a "Slim Shim" is often used here, and works on most domestic and many foreign cars. This is pushed down between the glass and the weather stripping on the door far enough to reach the back of the lock cylinder on the door. You simply push down or pull up . A "button popper" is also used, worked through the weather stripping on vent windows in the older cars, and angled back to the latch button.
LOCK INSTALLATION:
Much of your time will be spent installing new locks and door hardware. In many cases, homeowners and business people will want to upgrade their security with the latest model hard-ware for older homes, offices and other buildings. Many locksmiths get involved in new construction of apartment houses, condominiums, shopping centers, and the like. Often you'll be adding more security to an existing door, such as installing a deadbolt lock .
PANIC BARS AND DOOR CLOSERS:
Many locksmiths working the commercial or industrial market get involved in the repair and in stallation of panic bars in public access areas. Panic bars are those large metal bars you push on to open the outside doors of many public buildings. Door closers are those hydraulic devices mounted at the top of these doors which return the door to the closed position after it has been opened.
ALARMS, SAFES and VAULTS:
The sale and installation of alarms are a natural adjunct to the locksmith thing business. Many larger locksmithing operations move into this area, which is somewhat specialized. Alarms can be the "perimeter" type, which sound when a door is opened after hours, or "area" alarms. "Space" or "area" protection is generally preferred, and involves infrared, ultrasonic or microwave sensors triggering alarms by detecting movement.
Safe and vault work is another specialty. Some locksmiths have major banks and savings and loan associations as clients. They spend a good deal of their time changing safe deposit box locks and maintaining vaults and the like. Gaining in popularity is the sale and service of safes for home and business use. You will be exposed to all these specialties and to new technology at seminars, conventions and workshops .
HIGH SECURITY WORK:
A typical locksmith is a "general practitioner," while the high-security locksmith is a "specialist." High security work is often done for major corporations, government institutions, large banks, race tracks, museums and wealthy private individuals who desire maximum security. Often this work involves access control systems using card readers or voice print equipment, possibly combined with electronic push-button locks that work off a combination of numbers known only to a very few individuals.
In addition to these major areas of activity, locksmiths the world over do key duplicating and impressioning, which is the replacing of lost keys with custom made copies, and a wide variety of other types of sales, repair and service work.
In order to achieve maximum profitability as a locksmith, you must be able to offer all these services to your customers. Locks and security are of prime concern to your customers, and it follows that when a customer wants help in this area, he wants it taken care of immediately. Thus, you must position yourself to handle his job immediately, or lose him to a locksmith who can take care of his needs on the spot.
Do some market research. Analyze your local market area before you embark upon this business. This can be done via letters to the local locksmithing association, Chamber of Commerce, or even by checking through the yellow pages. As important as anything else, you'll want to know how many locksmiths are already operating in your area, and how much of the market you can expect to attract with your business. Most industry experts agree that any more than one locksmith for every 30,000 people tends to saturate the market. However, you should study the operations of the existing locksmiths to determine if you can capture a good portion of the existing market by offering more and better service, especially with a well-planned effort towards the commercial and industrial accounts. In many areas, the established locksmiths have been in business for 20 years or more, and are not interested in expanding their businesses to include the newer and more intricate types of protection available.
Look your market over. Determine if there's been any real effort made to "sell" the market on upgraded protection. Door-to-door sales efforts; direct mail advertising campaigns; local "hard sell" newspaper advertising; home protection and business security seminars, are angles that can be used to launch your business. These approaches should prove to be especially profitable if the existing locksmiths have been sitting back and letting the people come to them when they have a problem. Get to know the building contractors and start bidding on the installation of locks on their building projects. You will get your share of the business, even though at first you may get contracts only from the new builders who have not had experience with other locksmiths.
For a fast start in this business, we suggest that you set yourself up with a van and take your business to your customers. It isn't absolutely necessary to buy a van off the showroom floor and outfit it with all the equipment you'll ultimately need for a full service locksmithing business. That would be nice, but it would probably run you close to $50,000 or more. By shopping around, you should be able to pick up a good, late model used van for about $3,000. You might be able to work an even better deal by leasing a new van, and writing off your payments as a business tax deduction. One thing you'll definitely want to consider is a van that has a raised roof in order for you to stand upright in it. After all, you'll be doing most of your work in it, and to have to stoop all the time would soon become quite tiring.
Generally, you can run a workbench down either or both sides of your van, building in adequate storage shelves and drawers under the workbenches. Above the workbenches, and on the sides of the van, peg-board works very well for hanging your tools and key blanks. You'll need 110-volt as well as 12-volt outlets for power. This is accomplished with either a power converter or ready-line generator. Definitely something to think about is the addition of an air conditioning unit.
Whether you do or don't start out with a van, you'll need a variety of equipment. Your first basic investment should be a key duplicating machine. This is the machine you'll be using to take one key and make copies. You'll also need a key-coding machine which will allow you to turn keys out to new codes. This machine will be essential for the combinating work you'll be doing. These two machines will be the workhorses of your business - the basic machines you'll need to call yourself a locksmith. So shop around and be sure you get good quality, dependable machines to do the work for you.
You'll also need a wide variety of hand tools such as files, jigs, drills, screwdrivers, micrometer, and mortising tools. You may also want to check out the additional profit potential of your owning a hand key-coding machine. You should also have a pin kit, plus key blanks, locks, and padlocks. Depending on how aggressively you intend to pursue the different areas of the locksmithing business, you should plan to invest at least $1,000 for a beginning operating inventory of spare parts, locks and key blanks. Before ordering your inventory, work with your area distributors or suppliers to determine the most frequently needed locks and keys.
By creating a professional image, turning out quality work, and having a van that enables you to take your business to the customer, you'll be able to charge accordingly. It's just that simple. Because traditionally, locksmiths have located themselves in "hole-in-the-wall" storefront shops or more recently in shopping center parking lots, most have never charged more than a pittance for their work. In other words, they have been under-pricing themselves.
The great advantage of being mobile is that you can take your services to the customer, and should be able to charge $25 to $35 per hour (or more) for an installation or repair call. A good way to upgrade your business is to take your services to the upper income areas, because they not only have more to protect, but are more likely to appreciate the value of your services, and pay promptly.
When pricing the locks you sell, always mark your procurement cost up by at least 30 percent. Thus, if you were to buy locks at a wholesale price of $14 you would charge your customer $18.50 for the lock, plus your installation charge. If a key blank costs you $1, your price to the customer would be $1.65 plus whatever portion of an hour you figure it takes you to turn it out or duplicate it. What we're saying here is to always consider the base cost of your supplies, plus a profit margin for yourself, and then the installation charge. Thus a two-hour job to install a couple of deadbolt locks, with keys, might run the customer $75 or $80.
The best quality work, and the lowest prices in town, are of no value whatsoever if you have no customers, so you must aggressively seek out customers. Don't wait for them to come to you. Knowledge and concerted efforts in advertising, promotion, and personal sales will bring you customers. As mentioned earlier in this report, you can and should use door-to-door circularizing, direct mail, local newspaper, and seminar type sales efforts. And don't forget the tremendous advantage of using the telephone.
Run an ad in your local papers calling for commission sales people. Hire them to call on homeowners door-to-door and to sell the idea of up-grading their locks. You'll need a preplanned sales program along with a good breakdown on your costs versus expected income.
Direct mail campaigns can be as simple as making up advertising circulars or flyers and hiring students to deliver them, or hand them out to shoppers in busy shopping centers. The best angle here is to offer a free check of their locks. Show them how easily a burglar could open their doors; and then propose new locks for all their doors at a special price. You should feel no reservation about putting a little fear into the prospect; remember burglary is real, and frightening!
Local newspaper advertising can be as simple as a regularly run advertisement announcing your business location and phone number. However, it's best used to "splash" a special offer such as the replacement of all key-in-the-knob front door locks with deadbolt locks for half the regular price. Whenever you spend money to advertise, really go after new business. Once you've installed or replaced the lock on one door, it's only natural to check the adequacy of the locks on the other doors, and thus you should be able to realize some real profits from your advertised special offer.
Promoting and selling your services via Home Protection Seminars could work like this: You rent meeting space in a church, school, fraternal organization facilities, or even the meeting room of a popular motel. Run lots of flamboyant advertising in your local papers announcing your seminar. Have brochures made up describing your services. Have your materials arranged so that you will get the name, address and telephone number of everyone who attends. Put on a short half-hour to 45-minute presentation first about the increase in the number of burglaries and the losses sustained, and then follow through with a presentation describing the proper ways to insure the security of a home or business. Contact your suppliers, and through them you may be able to come up with a slide presentation of a complete program detailing how their line of locks, alarms and other security devices will burglar-proof a home or business. Make sure that everyone in attendance gets one of your brochures, and then have sales people follow up on all who attended.
Via telephone, your sales people can sell homeowners and business owners on a free survey. Commission sales people to make the survey appointments. Then have a commission sales person call on these prospects and make a quick survey, thens it down with them and make recommendations on how they can improve the security of their home or business. From there, it's a natural lead-in to "we call do the job" for (whatever) amount of money.
The seminar and telemarketing angles can be very profitable for you, and if promoted properly, will build your business faster than all other plans put together. The important thing to keep in mind is that you must be aggressive and go out after customers.
By all means, take advantage of the direct mail opportunities. Have a flyer or circular made up elaborating on your services, specifically the upgrading of current security and burglar-proofing of a home or business. Hire students to deliver these door-to-door, and commission sales people to contact and follow up via telephone.
Once you've got your sales efforts to homeowners and local businesses organized, hire a couple of sharp commission sales people to call on the government agencies and institutions such as hospitals and schools. By all means, buy a good-sized display ad in the yellow pages of your area telephone directory; and if possible, display advertising on buses or commuter trains. Use your knowledge of how easy it is to burglarize most homes and businesses to come up with angles to get your name, and the name of your business, written up in local newspapers and other publications. Make yourself available for interviews by local radio and television talk shows, civic clubs and fraternal organizations.
Innovation and persistence in marketing will be the keys to your immediate success. As we've stated in this report, most locksmiths are craftsmen who do good work, but just don't understand the merchandising and selling opportunities. With the business and marketing skills we've touched upon, plus quality workmanship (which you can hire others to perform for you) should be able to quickly establish a profitable business that will continue to grow and prosper

Starting your own carpet cleaning business

2008-04-19T11:02:00.001-07:00

There are two fairly new, and very important conditions existing in the world today that have not only made the carpet cleaning industry a "billion dollar business," but also practically guarantee your success as an entrepreneur in this field.
First, almost all homes and office buildings built since 1960 have wall-to-wall carpeting. Secondly, the replacement costs and the cyclical faltering of the national economy have caused people to want to make what they already own last longer, especially in the case of carpeting, which is a sizeable investment.
Most businesses employ janitors or janitorial services to vacuum their carpets after hours daily, and then "master" carpet cleaners to deep-clean them every three months or so. Homemakers also generally vacuum their carpets perhaps several times a week, and then hope to deep-clean every spring or fall, depending on the kind of household traffic, and on their budgets.
It's true that people everywhere try to save money by handling these jobs themselves. However, empathy with the people, and an understanding of this trend, should be neither cause for alarm nor a deterrent to your success in this business.
Most people are just too busy to handle all their do-it-yourself projects. They continually put off until later any chore that requires special equipment . This is especially true with carpet cleaning, because deep down, they're fearful of botching the job. Thus, they're more than willing to pay an expert or a specialist to do this kind of work for them
It doesn't take any special education, skill or experience to operate a professional-type, deep-cleaning carpet cleaner. Yet, from, your first job onward, you should project the image of a thoroughly experienced expert in your field. And, we're going to show you how you can get started in this business, and make $300 or more per working day, with virtually no investment!
The important part of this business - or any other business - is the owner-operator's "sense of marketing" and salesmanship. Make no mistake about it, all businesses succeed through marketing strategies and salesmanship. You won't be selling a product with this business; you'll be selling a service. And the selling of services is often more difficult than product sales.
Your success in this business will be predicated upon the sales effort put forth. Getting if off the ground will require a great deal of selling expertise on your part. You'll have to sell yourself AND your services. Therefore, it will be to your benefit to learn all you can about selling. Then, you should continue to add to your knowledge through an ongoing program of learning. Keeping up to date and being aware of successful selling ideas and methods will add to the total success of any business person.
Even before the acquisition of equipment, you need customers. Your prospects are all the businesses and homes with carpets in your area. Your problem is going to be in reaching these prospects, impressing upon them the benefits of your service, and getting them set up with an appointment for you to do the work.
We have found that the least expensive and most productive method of reaching these people is by way of neighborhood "hand-out" flyers or announcements, delivered door-to-door by Brownies or Cub Scouts, or members of other youth organizations. These flyers are advertisements or announcements of a "Carpet Cleaning Special," printed on 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 sheets of paper that invite the recipients to call you for an appointment.
Study the carpet cleaning service ads in your local newspapers, the yellow pages of your telephone directories, and any similar flyers you may have received or seen. Make a pencil sketch of your own flyer, emphasizing customer benefits and your capabilities of doing the job take your ideas to the advertising class at a local college. Explain your project and ask for volunteer help. In most cases, you'll be favorably impressed with the work, and will only have to pay with a copy of the finished flyer for the student's portfolio, and a recommendation or testimonial about his work for you. Even if there should be a charge for the work you have done at the college, it will be a reasonable one.
Contracting with an advertising agency will probably take longer and will cost a significant amount of money. However, you might be able to contact a staff member who does free-lance work on the side. But you should set a specific date for completion of the project, and agree to pay no more than half the total estimated cost until the job is finished, and meets with your approval.
The next step is to take this original of your flyer to a printer, and have printed whatever number of copies you want to start. Most quick print shops will be able to print up to 20,000 copies, and deliver in a reasonable time, with nominal costs. If you decide to start with more than 20,000 copies, you will do better by going to a regular commercial printer. Larger quantities that would take a quick print shop all day can be handled by a commercial print shop in a few hours.
While your flyers are being printed, you should be lining up your delivery people - local Brownie or Cub Scout Troops. No big problem here. Either look up their local headquarters office in your phone book or call a friend or two with children about the right age and ask for the name and phone number of troop leaders. Arrange to pay these scout troops $10 for each thousand circulars they hand out door-to-door.
One other thing before you start handing out your flyers - be sure that you have someone available to answer the phone and set up appointments for you. It's usually best to have a woman do this; it makes the caller think of your service as an established business. You can pay an answering service to handle these calls for you, but if your wife or a friend is available, that would be even better. It is, however, imperative that a "live voice" answer your phone. People have some strange ideas about answering machines, and most businesses find they do much better not using them.
Your "secretary" should have a set pattern of answering your calls, and an appointment book. Usually, your flyer will advertise a special such as "Your living room carpet deep-cleaned for just $20. Get all the ground-in dirt and unpleasant odors out. A professional job by experienced master carpet cleaners, and we can do it all for you tomorrow. Give us a call; set up a carpet cleaning appointment with us now; and we'll have your home sparkling clean, ready for company in no time at all!" This special offer should take you no more than an hour in the customer's home, meaning that your secretary can book appointments for you at the rate of one every ninety minutes or less, depending on the travel distance between appointments.
By setting your first appointment for 8:30 in the morning, and working thorough the whole day, allowing 30 minutes between appointments, you'll be able to handle seven appointments per day. At $20 per call, you will gross $140 per day. Your secretary should book you solid from 8:30 through 5:30 each day. Naturally, some people may want you to stop by at a certain time that's already booked. In that case, you set them up for their requested time on an open day. You'll also find that as you gain experience, you can cut down considerably the time it takes you to handle each job, as well as your travel time between jobs, enabling you to book more appointments.
Just as soon as you have job appointments lined up, hurry over to your local carpet cleaner distributor, your local rent-all store, or even some super markets and rent a steam-clean carpet cleaner. Most of the time, you won't have to pay until you return it, but even if you do have to pay at the time you take it, the cost is usually $25 or less for twenty-four hours. Read the directions and make sure you know how to operate it. Then load it into your car, van or pickup, and set out for your first appointment.
You should bear in mind that carpet cleaning is a type of service business that takes you into the homes of your customers. Therefore, how you look, dress, and handle yourself - particularly in the presence of your customers - will have a direct bearing on the success of your business.
Be clean, and conduct yourself in a business like manner at all times. Dress neatly. In fact, one of the best ways to get off to a fast start is to purchase a working uniform from Sears, Ward's or Penney's. Drop by a "pennant shop" and have them make up a special oval name tag which can be sewn over the left breast pocket. At the same time, have them make up a large oval with the name of your business and your phone number to sew on the back of the uniform. When you hire people to help you with the work, outfit them similarly.
Go out of your way to be polite and friendly with your customers, but refrain from being fresh. Avoid getting involved in extended conversations - if you are to keep on schedule, you won't have time for a lot of talk.
Keep your equipment clean, properly maintained, and operating smoothly. Have your supplies organized and within easy reach. Don't allow yourself to be caught in a position where you have to make excuses because the equipment won't function properly, you can't find what you need, or you suddenly find yourself out of certain supplies.
When working these advertising specials, just concentrate on doing the job and moving on to your next customer. If the customer questions you about the cost to do the other rooms, give an estimate and set up a tentative appointment, which you should later confirm with a call-back after checking your schedule. Don't try to sell your complete carpet cleaning services on this first call, but do be sure to leave a business card with the name of your company and your phone number.
Your service is the "deep-down shampoo cleaning" of carpeting in your customers' homes or places of business. Always strive to use the best equipment that's available. Later on - possibly in a month or six weeks - you'll want to buy or lease your own equipment. Your business will grow and flourish as a result of your doing a good and complete job every time. It may take you a few minutes longer - especially when you are learning the equipment and establishing a procedure - but in the end this will pay off with satisfied customers; and a group of satisfied customers is the key to your becoming wealthy in this business.
You want your customers to call you again and again to clean their carpets. Being pleased with your work, they'll spread the word about your service for you, free of charge! And this, of course, will generate an almost unlimited amount of ongoing work for your new business.
The average price to the customer to have a 12 by 18 foot wall-to-wall carpet "shampoo cleaned" is about $50. Your materials to do that size job will cost about $5.
The typical job involves more than just one room, and the average period of time spent on the typical job is about two hours, with an average billing to the customer of $75 - materials for each $75 job cost you about $10 all of which means that with just five appointments per day, five days per week, your gross income before expenses will be approaching $2,000 per week.
Most people who set up carpet cleaning businesses manage to gross $50,000 or more the first year. We've described to you how to get started with virtually no real investment. However, we do advise you to either purchase or lease your own carpet cleaning equipment just as soon as you can possibly afford it.
Several equipment manufacturers have financing plans available. It would be well to check out several of these plans before purchasing your equipment. Even better than the financing plans offered, some of the manufacturers have business start-up programs to help you along the way. They will provide you with a complete carpet cleaning business plan, numerous advertising materials, a regular newsletter featuring business ideas from all the buyers of their equipment, and low cost supplies.
Before actually starting work in your carpet cleaning business, you should register your business or company name with your county clerk. The cost for this is nominal, and you will receive a registration certificate or card, which you will need to open a bank account in your company name. You should also talk to a few business insurance agents to get complete business insurance against damage to any of your customers' carpets or accidents in their homes. Being able to state "All work fully in sured," will greatly add to your business image.
Think seriously about buying or leasing a van for your service calls. A uniform with the name of your company emblazoned on the back, plus a late model van with your company name neatly painted on the side will do just about as much to build your image and your business as a full page advertisement in the Sunday paper.
On the subject of advertising, so long as you don't erect a sign on your front lawn or your roof, proclaiming for all the world to see the fact that you're operating a carpet cleaning business, you won't have any problems operating your business from your home. Sooner or later though, you'll have to buy a City or county business license. So, the sooner you do this and are approved by the licensing agency in your area, the better you're going to feel and the more confidence you'll exude in all your business dealings.
Definitely plan to run a quarter page ad in your local business and telephone directories. You'll really be surprised at the number of calls you get from these ads. At least in the beginning, you should run a regular ad in your newspaper. This should be a display ad, at least 2 columns wide by 4 inches deep, and should appear in your Wednesday and Thursday papers. As you become established, it won't be necessary to run more than an ad every other week in your Wednesday papers and before the holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas, when people always want to spruce up their residences.
Radio or television advertising really doesn't pull that well for this kind of business when you compare the costs to the number of jobs you get from it. I would suggest, , that you contact these media and try for a trade or barter agreement. You clean their carpets on a regular basis, and they allow you to store up advertising credit to use in the spring and fall when people are really serious about spring cleaning, and and Christmas preparations.
It's also recommended that you register as a "probationary member" of your Chamber of Commerce. This will add prestige to your business, and enable you to associate on equal terms with the various other business leaders in your community. Joining and attending civic club meetings, participating in their causes and events, will also result in long-range business income for you.
Something else to keep in mind: Get the word about your being in business out to the people in your area. Get the Chamber of Commerce to mention you in their newsletter; send "blurbs" about your business and service to all your area newspapers, TV and radio stations; arrange to put on an all-day demonstration of your work on the carpeting in the covered mall areas in your city's shopping centers, and hand out brochures to all the people watching; rent a booth and hand out brochures at all the home building, remodeling, and home improvement shows. Do the same thing at your county fair, and hold seminars on the care of fine carpets. The ideas for free publicity and promotion are limitless, so use your imagination and -push" to get your name in the paper and on radio and TV as often as possible.
There's always going to be competition. Some of it will be good for you, and some of it will be bad for you. Accept it as a part of life. Just keep in mind that you're in business because you feel you can do a better job; you can do it more efficiently; and you can do it with greater satisfaction to your customers than anyone else. Be aware of the competition, but don't worry about it. Just stick to your own business plan, and you'll be okay.
Depending on the population of your area, you should be planning for additional carpet cleaning machines and the hiring of people to do the work for you within three to six months - that is, unless your original motive for a business of your own was to see how fast you could work yourself to death. Assuming that all goes well with you, within a couple of years you should have "hired help" running the business while you enjoy the fruits of all the hard work you put in at the outset. I personally don't see the need for you to even consider buying a franchised operation. There's just too much real help available for the "independent" to go to the considerable expense and obligation of a franchise. Starting from scratch, and as an independent, this is most assuredly a low-investment, low-overhead type business - the kind we recommend for anyone and everyone who's determined to make it on his own.
A carpet cleaning business of your own is one of the easiest of all small businesses to start. You'll find the initial start-up costs well within your reach, and the margin of profit most astounding! It's an easy business to operate, and yet one that can be called necessary to today's standard of living. It carries a very high rating on all business evaluation stability charts, and it's a business that will grow rapidly to bring you the monetary rewards you desire.

The Life of a Business Card

2008-04-19T11:01:00.001-07:00

The other day I was thinking about these little cards I keep because they're too nice to throw away. There's even a drawer full of business cards that my husband has collected that he can't seem to part with either.
This got me to thinking. Why not create a business card that people will save, share, and look at more then once?
You know you have a whole backside of that there business card to use. Place something unique on the back, people will not only keep the card, they'll share it with friends!
Here's a few ideas to get you started.
Riddles - jokes - puzzling pictures - hot quick tips on, gardening, cleaning, or anything that will appeal to your type of people. 5 hot website URLs that target your market, a beautiful picture of flowers, wildlife, etc.
Test your ideas out, see which card creates the most interest. Get your friends and family to see which one they like. Test, test, test.
When you have a winner, laminate it! Give that card to everyone. Take it to parties, business events, and whenever you have the opportunity, show off your very cool-creative & unique business card.
Remember to promote your business offline as well as online. :-)
It seems like nothing fly's faster on the net then a good joke. My online buddies are always forwarding me emails with blonde jokes, husband/wife jokes...and so forth. With that in mind, I decided to put something funny on the back of my new business cards.
Here's a few websites I found helpful.
http://www.comics.com. http://www.amused.com http://www.csd.uu.se/~d94her/calvin (Calvin & Hobbes)
Target your audience. Leave them hanging. Tell the first joke, but on the second leave the pun line at your website. Make them want MORE.
There are so many ways you can get creative with these little cards. You know how popular freebies are online. Place a cool freebie on the back of your card. Something like this: "I earn 10% profits just be telling people about freebies! Email Me:chrisi@netwoozy.com?subject=Freebies_Info"
Or how about this approach: "Put anything you like on a T-shirt, mug, or mouse pad!" Email me for details. mailto:chrisi@netwoozy.com?subject=T-Shirts_Info
Remember these two points when you create your card. A. Your business card needs to have something unique on the back so that people will save or share it. B. Your goal is to get people to go to your website. Lure them. Give them the bait. But don't let them HAVE it unless they visit your website.

2008-04-19T11:00:00.001-07:00

There's an exciting "down-home" kind of business springing up among homeowners all across the country. It's called Bed and Breakfast.
To foreign visitors, it's the comfort and hospitality of staying overnight "with people of the land" and enjoying a hearty breakfast - without the traditional gaudiness and plastic feelings visits get from most hotels.
To locals, it is a welcome alternative to the same old hotel/motel circuit. Now, all it takes is a spare bedroom, a good cook and an outgoing personality.
Prices per night range from a low of £15 to £50 or more. If you have an extra bedroom, a large home, or extra space in your farm house, you have the necessary beginnings to start making extra income as a Bed and Breakfast Inn.
One of the beautiful aspects of this idea is that so long as you're hosting "overnight visitors" on a small scale, no licences will be required.
It's always best, however, to check with your local authorities just to be sure. Naturally, your "visitors" will expect a clean, neat and comfortable home.
So assuming that your home meets these prerequisites, and you have a spare bedroom, simply "doll it up" a bit. Make sure it's painted brightly, there's an outside window, lots of room, closet space and perhaps a small writing desk, and a large comfortable bed, or twin beds.
Most foreign visitors will expect and appreciate a "quick tour" of the interesting sights in your area. Which brings us to the basic appeal of a Bed and Breakfast Inn. Travellers seem to be looking for, and appreciate, a quiet "home style" place to stay. Generally, they enjoy visiting people with the people off the motorway and want to get away from the sterilised atmosphere and sameness of hotels and motels. Most people will either write to you ahead of time, inquiring about the possibilities of staying at your home while in your town or city. This means a bit of advertising on your part, or listing your availability with a B&B Broker.
Some people will check the local telephone listings, and the newspaper advertisements when they arrive in a strange town. And some people will just be driving across the country, come to a town or city they think is interesting, and start driving through the residential areas looking for Bed and Breakfast Inns. Thus, you should have a small sign posted either in your front yard or on the front of your house. This sign needn't be much more than about two feet wide by about ten inches deep. It need only state: BED AND BREAKFAST - Inquire Within or Call 123456.
For newspaper advertising, a similar listing in the personal column of your local paper, particularly on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays will be all you'll need. But when it comes to the Yellow Pages of your telephone and business directories, go with a small display ad that describes in greater detail the comforts and pleasures of your services.
Be sure to list your services with all the travel agencies in your area. A brochure or short synopsis of what you offer will most assuredly give the travel agents an idea for steering visitors your way. At the same time, listing your services in a number of national travel magazines, particularly those that cater to women, will bring customers in for you.
Listing your service with a broker usually won't cost you anything up front, but they will expect a certain percentage, usually about 25% of the total bill.
This same arrangement applies with travel agents. Now, suppose you're organised and ready to receive your first customers. You greet them as host or hostess and offer to assist them in getting situated in the room or rooms you have for them. If they'd like to take a drive around your area and see the points of interest, you do that. And then in the morning, serve them a big, delicious breakfast.
You'll probably find that most foreign visitors will want to stay several days. With most people of this country who are just travelling through your area, it'll be a one-night stopover. Whatever, if they want to sleep comfortably through the night, eat breakfast and be on their way, so be it. If they want to sit around after breakfast and plan an itinerary for a complete visit of your area, your assistance and help will be greatly appreciated - remember those recommendations!
That's it!
The complete how and why of this tremendously profitable business that's becoming more and more popular.

How and where to advertise any product or business

2008-04-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

A Quick Study in marketing, advertising and mailing lists.More than anything else, the key to success in business depends on how and where you advertise. You must advertise or forever remain unknown.If you have "the better mousetrap", you have to let the people know about it, or your ideas and efforts will come to nothing.Everybody seemingly has an idea for a product, a service, or ahow to" manual of some kind. Many people spend half their lives perfecting a product, learning how to perform a special service, or writing a book - only to end up penniless and heartbroken because "no one beats a path to their door" to buy whatever it is they're trying to sell.In most cases, it's a matter of whether you want to "go down in history" a just another inventor, hard worker, author or you want to "sell a product and enjoy the rewards".Always do some basic common sense product analysis and market research before you begin building, learning or putting together something you want other people to buy. The same kind of "research" will save you time, frustration, and money, if you apply the same principles to every "selling opportunity" that arouses your interest.Make up a check list of questions that must be answered before you embark upon any project, or get too deeply involved in any selling situation.Such a check list should answer the following questions:1) Who will I sell to?2) Do these people really want, and need it?3) How large is the market?4) How will I reach these people and get them to buy?5) Is anyone else selling a similar product, service or book?6) What makes my product and strategies different?7) Can I supply the product at a price the customer will pay, and stillmake a profit for myself?8) How much time, effort and money will I have to invest in orderto reach my profit goals?9) Do I really have the resources and the stamina to carry this ideathrough to success?Once you've answered these questions - completed this bit of basic product analysis and market research - then you can start planning exactly how you intend to sell it, and map out your advertising strategy from there.You'll find success in any selling effort, much easier, and much more profitable, if you honestly and objectively answer these "check list" questions before you begin.It's absolutely imperative that you analyse the product, and profile your prospective customer - the salability of your product, and the demand for such a product by the people you want to buy from you.One other thing. Don't ever overlook or "poo pah" your real and/or imagined competition. When people neglect to analyse the product, and answer the basic market research questions they're almost certainly doomed to failure.These are precisely the reasons for failure amongst people who attempt to start a mail order business.I get literally "tons of mail order offers" for products that are losers; and even offers from people trying to sell us our own materials and/or related items which we can buy at wholesale prices.When Freemans sends out a new catalogue or sales circular, do you really think they send one to Selfridges? Another thing, this "we're all friends and in the same business, so you buy from me and I'll buy from you" philosophy may keep you busy, and your post box full, but it'll never result in profits on your Profit and Loss sheet.Advertise in the media that reaches your buyers, and send your direct mail materials to people most likely to buy - not to sellers! Remember, your first task is to determine who your most likely customers are, and then design your advertising campaign to reach those specific people.Generally, you wouldn't try to sell ladies tights with an ad in a car care magazine; or socket wrenches in a magazine for brides-to-be. In other words, design your advertisements to appeal to "your kind of customer", and then, place these advertisements in the publications these people buy and read.If you're selling gift items, crafts and other merchandise, advertise in those kinds of publications - general merchandise catalogues, catering to that kind of buyer. By listening to the cries for help, and catering to them, you will not only have "discovered" the proper product, you will have also "identified" your buyers. Do not try to interest the people in something that does not specifically fulfil one of their wants.Don't mistake a casual interest or complaint as "the voice" of the masses. Spend some time listening, and then write to satisfy what "the people" want.Once you've got your product ready for customers to buy, you should spend some time creating the proper sales letter and/or circular you'll use in presenting it to your potential customers. Above all else, your sales materials must radiate an image of professionalism and sell - sell - sell. Use quality paper and printing in presenting your sales message. Present what you have to say, not in a manner which tells the prospect who you are, how well qualified you are to write on the subject, or how much work you put into the project; but from a stand point of how the customer is going to benefit from buying a copy of your manual. As an example - Ford doesn't advertise cars by telling you how they were designed and engineered by college graduates or union members, nor have you ever heard of someone walking up to a car in a dealer's showroom, kicking the tire and exclaiming, "Boy, this sure looks like a safe one ..." In fact, new cars are sold by the smell and the image of the prospective owner sitting in the driver's seat and showing off by driving through his neighbourhood - just climb in there behind the wheel and see how she feels to you - go ahead and take it for a test drive - drive it home and see what your neighbours think.The benefits your prospective buyer is going to receive - that's the starting point from which all "winning" sales letters are written, circulars designed, and the "secret" of getting people to spend money on a product or service. Students, from the advertising classes at your local college, freelance advertising agency personnel, and - believe it or not - car sales advertising managers, are the people to turn to for ideas and help.Next, is your follow-up piece. Ideally, this is a simple one page listing of other "related" materials for your customers.So, assuming you've sold him a manual on how to land a job, your follow-up piece might list manuals on how to dress to project a winning image, how to breeze through job interviews, and what to do after the interview, perhaps an opportunity for your buyer to subscribe to a quarterly newsletter listing job availabilities.It's important that you have your follow-up piece put together, and ready before you make your primary offer available to the public. Then, when you start receiving orders, along with the manual the customer has ordered, simply also enclose your follow-up listing of other materials available. Thus, you make one sale and as a result of the first sale, you make further sales of related materials - the kind of "back end" sales that will keep you in business, and your profits multiplying.Don't neglect the follow-up piece. Getting your offer to your most-likely buyers is going to cost you money, and here's where most direct mail beginners drop the ball. Do not try to save money, and send your offer out to just any old list of names. Contact a reputable mailing list broker - visit your public library and ask the librarian for a copy of the Standard Rate and Data Services directory pertaining to mailing list brokers - tell the mailing list broker about your offer and ask for his help in choosing a mailing list that will be profitable for you.You'll probably have to rent a minimum of 5,000 names at a cost ranging between £35 and £120 per thousand, but in the end you'll save a lot of time and money because with a good offer and a good mailing list you count on a tremendous response.For instance, the one-time rental of a good mailing list may cost you £475 at £95 per thousand ... but then a 20% response from such a list on a £20 manual, would mean £20,000 in your pocket.To spend your time compiling names and addresses from incoming mail order offers, or to rent and use a mailing list from any source other than a reputable broker, is not only foolish but a short cut to the poor house!Identify your most likely buyers, contact a reputable mailing list broker, match your "buyer profile" to his most responsive list, and you'll make money - lots of money - every time. Anything less is just an exercise in futility!There you have it - short and sweet - cut and dried - and, the "easy way" to the big profits in mail order starting from scratch.These are the basics - the secrets of how others have done it, and how you can do it too - organise yourself, follow these guidelines and it'll be next to impossible for you not to succeed. Remember though, your best product will be "how to" information. Something the people "want" to learn.Something you can research, write about, and produce for pennies, and then sell for pounds. And don't forget, once you're ready to start taking orders, make sure that you get your offer to the most likely buyers.Get out of the "mail order circle" and to the people who want and will spend money for your product.It's easy - simple - and very rewarding. This time next year, you really could be a millionaire!!!

"So, you want to be a web designer?"

2008-04-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Quite a few aspiring website designers have been asking me for advice lately.Perhaps it's because they've noticed that website design is now a service offered at my site. For starters, let me clear one thing up. Although I personally tend to the site (you may be able to tell from the simple layout!) I do not personally handle client sites. I have a website designer who handles those accounts. And yes, offering this service has forced me to learn quite a bit about the subject. Today I'll share that knowledge with you. Here's a step-by-step guide to starting your own successful web design business...
Step 1: Get the Tools
Before you can offer web design you need to fill your design toolbox! While you can spend a ton of cash in this phase, the best strategy is to acquire the bare minimum, at least until you have a few clients under your belt. When we decided to offer web design, it took about $2500 to get started. That covered a new iMac, (while many designers use a PC, we went with Mac since we do both web and print design) a scanner, and lots of software.As far as software goes, we went with the Adobe suite of design tools. This included Adobe Illustrator, PhotoShop, and Quark for print design jobs such as book covers and catalogs. While Adobe turned out to be a solid choice, many other designers work with straight html or WYSIWYG editors such as FrontPage, HomeSite, HotDog and more. Whatever tool you are most comfortable with will do.Just be prepared to make ongoing purchases. Since we got started, my designer has invested in lots more software such as BBEdit, Mac FTP software, DreamWeaver by MacroMedia, a high end printer, a drawing tool and more. Remember, being a web designer means keeping your arsenal of design tools current.
Step 2: Practice, practice!
Before you open for business, you need to put in some serious design time! Start by putting together your own website, where you will offer your services. Use all the tools at your disposal and make sure you know how to perform every service you plan to offer.While your own site should be simple enough to navigate quickly, you should also show off some of your skills. Post some sample logos or sites if you can. Rather than "tell" prospective customers what you are capable of doing, show them!
Step 3: Decide on Pricing
How much should you charge for your design services? Well, the answer to that question really comes down to two equations; your skill level and the amount you need to make.As to the skill level, you can get a good idea where you stand by surfing the web a little. Go to your favorite search engine and enter "website design". You'll find designers that charge anywhere from $25 to $250 per web page and a few hundred to tens of thousands for an entire site. Check out their work. Is yours comparable?Next consider the amount of time it will take you to design a basic 10 page website. Remember to factor free consultation with your client (this can take hours), the design of a basic theme, buttons for navigation, and a logo. These are the items usually included in a basic website design package. Once you've figured out how many hours it will take to put all this together, figure out how much you need to make per hour. Too many would-be designers do not take this step and end up doing their first few jobs for less than $10 an hour. If you can pay the bills with that, then by all means, go for it. But more than likely you'll need to make much more than that.Also remember that design jobs can take up to 50% longer than originally anticipated. Factor that in too. You are better off starting your pricing a bit on the high side. You can always have a sale when things are a bit slow.Also, don't forget to set up pricing for extras that can take a bit longer to complete. Things like rollover buttons, popups, fill out forms or other cgi scripts can lead to hours of tweaking. You may find that an hourly rate for these extras is the best way to go.
Step 4: Prepare Your Contracts and Open for Business!
Since website design is a time-consuming task, you are going to need to protect yourself. I know of one gentleman designer who received payment for only one of the first five websites he designed. We too have been the victim of a non-paying client. It's not fun.The best way we have found to guard against problems is to require pre-payment of at least a 50% deposit before any work is started. You should also require each and every client to sign a contract. The contract does not have to be anything fancy. It just needs to protect you from liability and clearly state what your client gets and for how much. Once you have all the components above in place, you can open for business. And remember, don't forget about your local market. Many designers find that it is far easier to get clients locally than on the web, where competition is fierce. Put together a small brochure or even a business card. Offer discounts to residents of your state or town. Show them you appreciate their business and you may be surprised how many jobs can come from one good local referral.
Step 5: Offer Web Hosting and ongoing site maintenance to your design customers.
If you are serious about your web design business, this step is the key to your long-term survival. The fact is, a good percentage of your design clients will not want to deal with the technical aspects such as uploading and maintaining the website you designed for them. This is where your expertise can translate into a potentially lucrative residual income stream. Here's how...Find a reliable web host that offers "virtual hosting". In a nutshell, virtual hosting means that you can add domains to your web hosting account for a very small fee. I use Virtualis for this. When I started offering design services I was already hosting this bizweb2000 site on a Virtualis Mega account. With that package I could add additional domains for just $5 per month. So offering web hosting to my design clients was simple.I have since upgraded to a dedicated server and now pay just one dollar per month for virtual domains. While the expense of my dedicated server is higher, it gives me a ton of space for my own site and nearly unlimited growth potential.Over the next year I anticipate adding an average of two design/hosting customers to my server each month. While that may not sound like much, a year from now I would have over 30 virtually hosted customers. And each one of these design customers is happy to pay from $29.95 to $89.95 a month for a rich feature set that would cost them hundreds of dollars a month elsewhere. With an average of $50 a month coming in from these design customers, that's 30 X $50 = $1500 per month. Of course my designer gets half of that for maintaining the websites, but in your case you may be doing it all and earning it all.
Now stretch that out over 2, 3 or 4 years. Can you see the profit potential of hosting your clients sites and maintaining them?Just be careful about offering too much in the way of maintenance/changes over each yearly period. Limit the number of hours you'll spend on each site. We do this by offering different hosting/site maintenance packages. Customers who anticipate lots of changes basically pre-pay by opting for the higher priced hosting/site maintenance package.
OK, I'm probably getting into far more detail than most of you need at your early startup stage. I'll cool it. The bottom line is this... when starting your own web design business, think about where you want to be in 3, 4 or 5 years. Rather than just working from design job to design job, open up some back-end revenue. Hosting is just one way to do it. Use your imagination and open more. Consider offering monthly marketing packages to your design clients. These can include regular search engine submissions, ezine ad campaign management and much more.As you can see, web design is a great way to open up multiple income sources. You truly are limited only by your imagination. If you've ever considered starting your own web design business, you now have a step-by-step tutorial on getting started, and getting creative!

How to accommodate a home based business

2008-04-19T10:57:00.002-07:00

Almost everyone needs or wants more money than they currently have, and with this desire most of these people would like to start some sort of extra income producing project. The trouble is, not many of these people seem able to fit "a second job" into their time schedules.
It's true that people are very busy, but extra time for some sort of home-based extra income producing project can almost always be found. It may mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite past-times, such as having a couple of beers with the guys or watching TV - but if you score big with your extra income project, you will have all the time you've ever wanted for doing whatever you want to do.
The first thing to do is to sit down with pencil and paper, and list your daily schedule. What time do you wake up - then step-by-step, list everything you do each day. Most people will find that they have about 3-hours each day that can be utilized in a more constructive or efficient manner. As we've already noted, you may have to give up the time you waste in your local pub or a few of the television programs you watch, but it should be worth it in the long run.
Efficient time management boils down to planning what you're going to do, and then doing it without back-tracking. Start by making a list of the things you want to do tomorrow, each evening before you jump into bed. Schedule your trips to the store or wherever to coincide with other things you have to do, and with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care of as many things as possible while you're out of the house. Take stock of the time you spend standing around shooting the breeze - especially the time you spend on the telephone - and eliminate all that isn't necessary.
Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time to do them, and a specific amount of time to devote to them. For instance, just one hour a day on yard work would probably make your property the envy of all your neighbors. Don't try to do a week's work in one big flurry. Whether it's painting your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and trimming your shrubs, do a little bit or one particular job each day and you'll be amazed at your progress.
Take care of all your mail the day you receive it. Don't let those bills and letters pile up on you. If you're unable to pay a bill immediately, file it in a special place that's visible and note on the envelope the date you intend to pay it. Answer your letters the same day you get them.
The important thing is to think of your time as your most valuable asset - it is - so organize what you have to do, and what you want to do. From there, it's just a matter of arranging your priorities.
Once you start listing and planning what you want to do, and them carry out your plans, you'll find plenty of "extra time" for handling virtually any kind of home-based income-producing project. People in general may not like routines or schedules, but without some sort of plan relative to what is supposed to be done, the world would be lost in mass confusion. Laws, ordinances, and regulations are for the purpose of guiding people - we live according to an accepted plan or way of life, and the better we can organize ourselves - what we have to do, want to do, and end up doing - the more productive and happy we become.
The secret of all financially successful people is simply that they are organized and do not waste time. Think about it - review your own activities - and them see if you can't find a couple of extra hours in each day for more constructive accomplishments.
When you begin planning, and then when you actually become involved in an extra-income-producing endeavor, you should work it exactly as you've organized your regular day-to-day activities - on a time-efficient basis. Do what has to be done immediately - don't try to get done in an hour something that's going to take a week. Plan it out on paper what you have to do, what you want to do, and when you're going to do it - then get right on each project without procrastination.
Finally, and above all else, when you're organizing your time and your business, be sure to set aside time for relaxation. Be sure to schedule time when you and your spouse can be together. You must not involve yourself in anything to the extent that you exclude other people - particularly your loved one - from your life.
Taking stock of the time you waste each day, and then reorganizing your activities is what it's all about. It's a matter of becoming time-efficient in everything you do. It's really easy to do, and you'll not only accomplish a lot more, you'll become a happier person.

Is a Home Business Right For You?

2008-04-19T10:57:00.001-07:00

Every morning as people wake up and make the commute to work,many dream of the day when they will finally work for themselves. Every time the boss lets someone know that they must give up their weekend plans for the good of the company, people contemplate the benefits of being the owner of their own business.
Are you one of these people?
If you are, it is important to ask yourself some very important questions before you make the uncertain leap into self-employment.
Many dream of the benefits of home business ownership, but few take into account the sacrifices that must be made to bring the dream to fruition. Please don't make this mistake yourself.
You must approach home business ownership with your eyes wideopen. Ask yourself the important questions, and more importantly, answer your own questions openly and honestly.
AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
Are you the type of person who relishes every chance to gather around the water cooler for social interaction?
If so, then home business ownership may not be the right decision for you.
Instead, if you feel that you can be quite content sitting alone at your desk; speaking only to clients and really minding your own home business, then you might have what it takes to succeed as a home business entrepreneur.
If you feel at ease with your own company and don't need a dozen coworkers milling around your desk, then you, too, could savor the freedoms that will allow you and your family, to live the lifestyle you know you want and deserve.
THE KEY TO HOME BUSINESS SUCCESS
Self-motivation is the key to success when you start a home based business. You need to possess the ability to push yourself ahead. Your drive and determination will be reinforced with every new sale.
The level of success that you will achieve greatly depends on the time and effort you are willing to plow into your new home business. Your organization, planning and marketing skills, will all be put into practice when you embark on your liberating journey from employee, to being your own boss. In fact, you will be the wearer of many hats and gain a wealth of business experience along the way, when you finally make that commitment to work at home.
YOUR SUCCESS RESTS ENTIRELY UPON YOUR OWN SHOULDERS
You will now be the boss. Are you truly able to work independently? Do you have the drive; the tenacity, to persevere with your home based business? Will you be able to invest the necessary time to nurture it, to watch it grow and see it through, from germination to full, glorious bloom? When you're the boss, you are responsible for the success of your home business, from A to Z, from disappointments to victory.
When you work at home, it will empower you to achieve many things you were unable to do when you were stuck working for that tyrant boss. Remember him? He's the guy that wouldn't let you take time off when your baby was sick...the same guy that called you in to work on Thanksgiving Day.
A home business means that you can take good care of your family and make money from home, simultaneously. You will have the best of both worlds! Just think--no more dirty laundry piling up--you can do it while you work. No more scurrying around at the last minute searching for a babysitter either. And no more worrying about getting fired; you'll be the boss!
IN CONCLUSION...
Stay positive and focused on your home based business, even if, when sales aren't up to par, you get occasional negative remarks or derogatory comments from people with stuffy, dead-end jobs.Ignore their cutting words and bear in mind that success is the best revenge! Keep your admirable, positive attitude at the forefront and show them what you're made of.

What Does “Earning A Living” Really Mean?

2008-04-19T10:56:00.002-07:00

What comes to mind when you hear someone say, “I’m earning a living?” A job? Their nose to the grindstone? A burden? An obligation? Is that what “earning a living” means to you? Is that what you really want from a job? Maybe it’s time you stopped trying to “earn a living” and admit you deserve better.
Maybe it’s time to diversify your income and cultivate your own garden of money trees.
You know that old saying “you'll never get rich working for someone else”...well, to a large extent it’s true... although not entirely. If you have a high paying job bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, then yes, there’s a good chance you’ll become rich.... but at what cost?
Despite what many people on low incomes may think; most high paying jobs require incredible personal input, commitment and sacrifice...from not only the individual concerned, but also their family.
Take politicians as an example. We love to hate them. Some would say they are under-worked and over-paid, but I’m not so sure about that. Regardless of their politics, I believe that most of them try very hard and work longer than average hours. Most politicians are fully committed to what they do... even if what they are doing... stuffing the country and costing the taxpayer a fortune in the process. You see; regardless of whether a politician’s job is worthwhile - their job is, most probably, a fulltime commitment. Love’em or hate’em, I’m sure most politicians think they work very hard for their taxpayer paid income. But, I digress... the fact is; you don’t have to earn a living! Why? Because you already earned the right to live when you were born.
Let me explain before you call on those guys in white coats believing I’ve finally flipped...Is he saying he wants us all to go on welfare and to be paid by taxpayers (just like those politicians)? ”No! No! That’s not what I’m advocating. After all, earning a living can be extremely satisfying and is more often than not, a good source of steady cash flow. Notice I chose the word “steady” cash flow, instead of “reliable” cash flow. Is any job 100% “reliable” these days...and for how long?
Our elected politicians know all about that. For some people (maybe most), employment is the logical option even if it is a burden or unwanted obligation. Will a job make you rich, or guarantee you income security? Probably not!
To a large extent job security has gone out the window, due mainly to rapid technological advances (big words eh?). The reason; it’s now easier, quicker and less costly than ever before, for a company to automate, restructure or centralize its operations.
Think about this too. Will you (or someone else), be doing the job you are currently doing.. in the exact same way you are doing it now...in 5, 10 or 20 years time? Will your job still exist? Will what you are selling still be in demand in its present form? Or will you..the organization you work for.. the product or services you offer.. have been superseded?
Forgive me, I don’t mean to sound negative or to stress you out. I merely want to get you thinking about potential problems and offer some solutions.
Yes, it’s true! We like to think that life, as we know it, will go on forever. No such luck! A few years ago, who would have thought that some of our biggest companies would have ceased to exist or relocated their entire operations to another city or country? Times are changing, and more than ever we are part of this fast moving global economy we hear so much about.. and there are some important lessons to gain from all this.
Let’s not kid ourselves.. here will always be change. We need to adapt and learn new skills.. because, here’s the crunch.. we can no longer rely on others to look after us or provide ongoing employment.. not even a big multi-national company or the government.
The 'baby boomer' generation is aging - so in 5, 10, 20 years, will there be enough taxpayers to pay at the current level of benefits, pensions etc? That’s debatable. Will your job (or business) still exist in its present form? Possibly not?
The reality is; you have to be hard-nosed about what you are doing with your life. Can you really rely on a job, or the government, to provide you with income security in 5, 10 or 20 years from now? Can you?
© Noel Peebles, Author 'Home Biz Ideas Goldmine'
Here's how you can quickly and easily earn extra money from your home ... without having to QUIT your day job!

The business of selling stuff on eBay for profit

2008-04-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

eBay is undoubtedly the world's most popular online marketplace. Every day hundreds of thousands of items are listed on eBay which attracts an incredible amount of visitors seeking items to buy and listing items to sell in the wide variety of categories available.
Some of the most popular items up for grabs include books, coins, stamps, jewellery, music cd’s, videos, dvd’s, memorabilia, collectibles, antiques, paintings, prints, photographic equipment, electronics, computers, sports goods, toys and games, tools, musical instruments, office equipment and much, much more.
eBay is not only a great place to pick up a bargain or two, it gives sellers the opportunity to turn their unwanted items into cash and also provides an ideal opportunity to start selling stuff on eBay for profit on a regular basis to provide an extra income.
If you intend to sell goods regularly online then you should seriously think about testing the waters by selling your goods through online auctions like eBay. Because it’s easy to identify what visitors are searching for, you can tailor your efforts to sell your goods to a ready-made market, rather than going to the expense of setting up a website and the long-winded hassle of trying to get visitors to come to your site.
Selling on eBay is not difficult. Finding out what sells and how to sell successfully is the tricky part. As they say, knowledge comes with experience and to be a success at making a regular income on eBay you will need a good measure of knowledge and experience to attain that goal.
The great thing about selling through eBay is the speed at which you can test the results of your sales efforts. Within days of listing your merchandise you can find out if there’s a demand and whether the price you set is the right one to attract buyers.
Here are some basic tips to help you get started if you’re a beginner....
1) Start by selling in small quantities and at low prices to test response. Remember that most potential buyers on eBay are looking for a bargain. They will only buy if the price is right!
2) If response is good and you make a successful sale then use your profits to invest in more of the same saleable products.
3) You can diversify into other categories using the same procedure. Remember... don’t commit yourself to selling in large quantities without testing that there is a strong demand first.
4) Always be aware of the costs involved in selling on eBay. All listing fees, reserve price fees and the percentage of expected selling price should be taken into consideration when working out a minimum price required to make a worthwhile profit.
5) You will have to sell a lot more items to make a reasonable income if you are working with small profit margins. There’s less work involved if you can find something that is popular and has a high profit margin. But there is also more risk involved if you have to purchase higher priced items.
The question is what and where can you find items to sell that will guarantee a profit?
Well there are no 100% guarantees selling anything through auctions because there’s always the chance that someone else may be selling similar items at a lower price. But it’s not too difficult to find out what’s already selling well and what the average prices are by doing some simple research.
For example, go to the eBay.co.uk or eBay.com homepage and choose a category dealing with something you would be interested in. (It’s better to deal in items that you have some knowledge of in order to sell convincingly) Let’s take a look at musical instruments for example. Now refine your search to acoustic guitars. From the list available it’s easy to see how popular certain instruments are by how many bids have been placed. Bearing in mind that more bids come in during the later stages of the auction. To get a more definite idea of what sells you can check the items that have already been sold and how much the winning bid was. Choose the search option which you can find in the side column for ‘completed items’ and click on ‘show items’.
Now, musical instruments might not be your thing, but you can see what I mean about research can’t you?
Once you have decided on what to sell, you then need to find a reliable supplier who can supply you on a regular basis.
Notice I said ‘reliable’ supplier. If you intend to make this venture a regular source of income, it’s essential that your source can supply you with top quality goods when you need them and without any delay
You might even consider finding a supplier who can ‘dropship’ the goods direct to your buyer. Which means there will be no need for you to get involved in posting and packaging the goods. Dropshipping in the USA is quite common. See SaleHoo Wholesale Directory
In the UK there are very few companies at present who do this. However, if you need a directory of wholesale sources in the UK then try the UK-Trader's UK Wholesale Guide which is used by thousands of traders in the UK.

Starting Your Home based Business on a shoestring budget

2008-04-19T10:54:00.002-07:00

Whether seeking a supplemental income or a full-time income, many folks have undertaken the task to discover a viable home based business solution to meet their personal needs.
For most folks who contemplate a home business, a low-cost or no-cost solution is not only nice, but also very necessary. Many also seek to find a home business that will permit them to maintain their regular day job in order to protect their base income.
Taking the cautious approach to a home based business and keeping one's job during the start-up period is often a very good decision. By maintaining one's job, one can maintain the health of their personal finances while permitting their home business to grow healthy and strong.
Fortunately, most home based businesses can be started with little or no cash, can be maintained on a shoestring budget, and can be operated successfully with only a part-time investment.
One day, the business will be strong enough to support itself and its owner. When that time comes, it will make good sense for the business owner to leave his or her outside job to dedicate more time to growing and maintaining their new thriving home based business. You will know when that time has finally arrived.
The nature of a home based business makes it easy and very realistic for most folks to take the plunge into home business ownership.
Yet, many folks put off starting their own home based business, because they have the misconception that they will have to risk thousands of their own hard-earned dollars at start-up. Then later, if their business fails, they fear they may be forced to take out a second mortgage on their house just to stay out of bankruptcy.
Are you one of these folks? Do you let your fears of failure keep you from reaching for your dreams?
If so, then allow me to introduce you to a few home business ideas that you can start for less than $100 and can be started and operated very profitably as a part-time business.
THE LIFEBLOOD OF ALL SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES
First of all, let me advise you to search out a business model that will deliver steady and repeat business. It is the one thing --- above all others --- that will assure that your company can survive the test of time.
HOME-BASED MAIL ORDER:
Home-based mail order is a good example of how one can quickly grow a home business income. Mail order is a low cost start-up business that can be launched for around $100 USD.
With proper planning, your home-based mail order business will not require up-front inventory purchases. In the mail order business, it is not uncommon to rely upon drop-shippers for product fulfillment services.
By utilizing drop-shippers, we can sell the products, collect the money and then purchase the products from the wholesale outlet. The wholesale outlet will then put a return address for your company on the product packaging and deliver the product directly to your customer.
By using the following link, you can explore the drop-ship directory, which will let you explore the drop-shipping companies that will enable you sell 500,000 products from over 1,000 brand name manufacturers:
http://www.home-business.com/dropship.html
Your primary expense in the mail-order business is advertising.Classified advertising tends to be a relatively inexpensive form of advertising with thousands of outlets available to the small business owner.
WHOLESALE BUSINESS:
Buy low --- sell high. You can acquire high quality, top-of-the-line merchandise for a fraction of the retail cost. Starting a wholesale business would require a Wholesale Dealers Directory as your source for merchandise, such as the one above or the one listed here:
http://www.home-business.com/auction.html
AUCTIONS:
Auctions can be an excellent source for buying cheap and selling high. Both government auctions and Internet auctions can lead to some excellent profit opportunities. Auctions are an excellenttool for both acquiring and selling merchandise.
MAKE AND SELL YOUR CRAFTS:
Crafts are a hot seller at country fairs, swap meets or any place where people gather. Make your own crafts and sell them for a tidy profit!
SELLING INFORMATION:
Selling information by mail is another good example of an inexpensive home based business start-up. One can gain the resale rights to information for usually about $50 USD. Other costs will include printer cartridges, paper and postage. There are plenty of free classifieds sites on the Internet, in which to successfully advertise your information.
WRITE INFORMATIONAL BOOKLETS:
Write and publish your own informational booklets and sell them at a high price! All you need is a little know-how, a printer, paper and stamps. This is a GREAT home business idea! You can also sell the resale rights to others, for extra profits. In this age of the Internet, you may also take advantage of the fact that selling information is one of the most profitable endeavors one can pursue online.
OFFICE SERVICES:
Offer office services for hire in your local paper. You'll be surprised at the amount of regular office business that can be gleaned from one little classified ad. Word processing, typing,accounting, data entry, proofreading, transcription, promotional letters and newsletters. All these tasks can be accomplished right from your own home office.
AVON REPRESENTATIVE:
Yes, Avon's been around for eternity, hasn't it? Then it's not such a bad prospect as a home based business, is it? I once knew a woman who did so much business as an Avon rep. that she had people calling her and knocking at her door wanting to order products at all hours of the day and night! Once you are an established Avon representative, you, too, will turn a good profit.
CONCLUSION:
On your search for the ideal home based business, try not to get caught up in any scams that will run off with your money. There are thousands of scam artists out there just waiting for the next sucker to come along. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Just use your good judgement and invest wisely in proven methods of earning extra income.

Making your hobby pay

2008-04-19T10:54:00.001-07:00

Turn any hobby into a part-time business
If you are planning on beginning a business, your best bet is to start out part-time while you are still earning a full-time income at your present job. If you are like most people who are existing from payday to payday - you don't have a lot of money to invest in a full-time business. No need to worry! Just use your favorite hobby as your business base and grow from there! There's no telling where you'll be at 2 or 3 years down the road. Perhaps you can even tell your present boss to "take that job and shove it" Wouldn't that be great?
Using your present hobby or favorite pastime as your business base has many benefits. Why? Because ANY business you decide to become involved in should be doing something you LOVE something you believe in, something that you would work at NO MATTER what income it would generate. This will give you the stamina to see your business through the beginning hard times and times when there is more work to do than you can handle. We all know the feeling of doing a job that we hate to do. There is no way we can give it 110% of our abilities because we procrastinate getting through it and just want to get it over with. That's why it is vitally important to dearly love the product or service you have chosen to build your business around.
Do you like cooking? Start a recipe newsletter for others who like the same thing and sell your recipes by publishing a simple booklet. Do you enjoy making crafts? Sell them through mail order (be sure and mark up the price for shipping and handling). Do you enjoy working on cars? Print and distribute flyers in your neighborhood listing your prices. Offer a coupon discount for the customer to use on their first auto repair job. Do you enjoy writing? Write a small booklet or how-to manual and sell it through mail order or to multi-level enthusiasts. Do you enjoy computer programming? Write a program and sell through shareware groups or even to mail order computer owners.
Yes - just about anything you love doing can be magically transformed into a business opportunity. Some items may only sell well in your neighborhood, while some products and services do well in mail order. If you decide to sell through mail order, all you need to do is write a simple ad and have it typeset. Start out with a smaller 1-inch, 2-inch or 3-inch ad. Ask the customer to send a "first-class stamp" for more information. When they write you, include an A4 sheet detailing your prices. Make sure you have a small order form to make it easy to order your product or service. And of course, include a cover letter stating that you appreciate their inquiry and look forward to doing business with them in the near future. You'd be surprised how many sales have been lost because a business didn't take the time to write a cover letter and personalize the mailing. Also, start educating yourself by reading and researching other home-based businesses and home business ideas magazines. Although you may find there are plenty of full page ads filled with hype (claiming to make you millions) they are often very good. Don't spend too much for information in the beginning of your business though, because if a company is legitimate you should be able to call them and discuss the opportunity over the phone with them. Businesses that claim to put you in business overnight should never demand a large amount of money from you. On the contrary, legitimate businesses have nothing to hide and will not charge you more than a few dollars in postage to learn the "whole" story behind their claims. Instead use these publications, as well as books from the library on starting a business to further your knowledge of the world.
Another good move is to invest a few hours by attending meetings sponsored to help small businesses in your area. They are free and the valuable information you obtain from actual people who have been in business before is something that will be extremely valuable in the months ahead.
Yes - it's that easy! Of course, this is only the beginning. As with any hobby, it will take time (probably many months) to realize a profit but think of it this way: Most people that have a hobby know they have to spend money to take part in their hobby. It only makes sense to invest money in advertising your hobby to others so you can eventually make some of that money back in sales for your own business!
Ideas for hobbies that can be turned into businesses
Photography: freelance photography, travel photography, child photography, pet photography
Drawing and painting: portrait sketches, pet sketches, reproduction prints, book illustration
Carpentry: wooden toys, dolls houses, rustic garden furniture, woodcrafts, tree house manufacturer
Computers: computer training, computer repairs, web design, book-keeping, cv writing
Gardening: landscape gardening, garden maintenance, garden tools hire, florist shop, tree pruning
Cooking: catering service, frozen foods, personal chef service, cookery book or articles writer
Sewing: alterations and repair service, wedding gown designer, childrens clothing manufacturer
Modelmaking: architectural models, tv and film models and props, model shop, mail order models

5 Words to Creating Unstoppable Confidence

2008-04-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

One thing drives me each and every day to keep growing, learning, and striving for my dreams.
It is this single idea, five simple words, that has dramatically improved my life, giving me the positive motivation and confidence necessary to achieve my goals and really enjoy each moment I am alive.
Today, I am going to share this idea with you. Once you recognize the power of this idea, I am convinced that you will possess an endless pool of positive motivation, energy, and total excitement about the future. It will inspire you to reach your own goals and dreams, creating the life you have always wanted.
The idea has surrounded you every since you were born. Right now, at this very moment, there are hundreds of examples of this concept in your home or office. You can't go a day without seeing it in action, trying its best to get your attention. Isn't it always the things that are right under our noses that offer the most truth and wisdom?
What about your dreams?
As you read the words on your screen, I know there are goals and dreams filling your head. We all want more in our lives. More freedom, more wealth, more happiness and more health. It's a universal need within all human beings to grow and advance. But very few actually do anything about it.
Be it fear, a lack of desire, or self-limiting beliefs, there is some reason why you haven't taken action towards your goal. But it has to happen sometime. Something must grip you with enough strength to make you say, 'Today is the day I start making more of my life!'
I now want to give you the five words that will equip you with an amazing boost to your motivation and confidence. No matter what your goal may be, and no matter how old or young you are...
Someone else has done it.
I get so excited about these five words because they offer undeniable proof of your potential for success. They take away the doubt and fear that holds so many people back, and instills a confidence that cannot be stopped.
Why don’t people take action?
The fear of failure and rejection are powerful forces. These fears spell certain doom for thousands of goals every year. Think about it. How many people do you know that are giving up on their goals because they are afraid to fail? The numbers are staggering.
These five words can save you from this trap. The fact that someone else before you has accomplished the goal you are now striving for puts all of the control in your court. It is possible. You have proof. Now it's your turn to make it happen. You have the confidence to move ahead without fear.
Confidence is key for motivation, happiness, and the overall quality of your life. A personal experience will help to drive the concept home.
Several years ago I was in the airport waiting for my return flight back home. I had just visited some family in New York, and was reading the newspaper when I heard two men talking a few seats over.
These men seemed to be in a heated discussion over some important topic, and I couldn't help but take notice of their conversation.
'Why in the world do you think you can do it? Why are you so sure that you can succeed?" the older of the two asked with contempt. 'What makes you so special?'
'I know I can start this business. If someone else has done it, why can't I? Besides, it's not one person who has done it, thousands have succeeded. I'm willing to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to make it happen.'
The older man just shook his head and went back to flipping a coin. The younger man smiled brightly and returned to his book. I noticed the title just before he sat it on his lap - Starting a Home-Based Business. It was already plain to see these two men were headed down very different paths. One towards his dream, and the other to the same old job working for the same old boss.
Conviction and confidenceThis younger man was really inspiring. I wish I could recapture the moment for you adequately with words because I know it would move you. You could see it in his eyes. He knew he would not fail in the end because he was certain of his success. If someone else did it, with the same two eyes, ears, and hands, he could do it as well.
I had no doubt in my mind that this young man would succeed. I could see that he would never give up. He would find a way. Knowing that someone else out there made it happen was all he needed. The rest would come with time.
It was a wonderful life-lesson happening right in front of me. It had quite an impact. I thought about what the young man had said, and it really hit home. From that day I had a new energy and enthusiasm about my goals. This young man reminded me that capturing my dreams was possible.
But there's more to the story...
Knowing someone has succeeded is only half of the magic. The other half is strategy. Anyone who has succeeded at achieving a goal or dream followed a specific strategy to make it happen. It was not luck, it was doing the right things, in the right order.
It's just like a recipe. You have to put the ingredients together in a specific order, and in specific amounts, to get the desired result. Your dreams are no different. And our society is such that nearly every strategy for success is detailed in thousands of books, magazines, speakers, newsletters, Web sites, newspapers, movies, and hundreds of other methods. You are surrounded by the secrets to achieving your goal.
Think of a goal that is important to you. Now ask yourself, 'Has someone already done it?' If so, don't reinvent the wheel! Find out exactly what they did and use their strategy to help you succeed in half the time and without the struggle or frustration.

10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Website

2008-04-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Website
One Having a website can help you generate a professional business image!
A professionally designed web site is one of the best ways to instill confidence in new customers who are not familiar with your company. It gives the impression they are dealing with a firm they can trust and will generate a sense of respectability.
Two Your website can promote your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Having a business website makes it easy for prospective customers to see what products or service your company offers, and at a time that’s convenient to them.
ThreeYour website is the ideal promotional tool which can be updated at any time!
Having a website is like having a comprehensive full colour brochure that can promote your business to thousands of people, either locally or worldwide. It’s cheaper and quicker to update than printed material and can provide customers with more information at a much lower price.
FourYour website can provide an improved customer service for your company!
By providing a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on your website you can provide answers in advance to questions that people may have about your products or services. Enquiry forms can also be used by customers to ask for further information or request quotations. Specific enquiries can be processed automatically and without delay using autoresponders, even when your office is closed.
FiveYour website can be used to promote your services!
Millions of people are now using the internet to seek professional advice. A business with a website that can help people make decisions on how to proceed, and who to use when they need specialised help, can often gain more business this way. Solicitors, estate agents, insurance companies, builders and many other companies are now using websites to promote their services and find new clients. Don’t get left behind. Now is the time to establish a web presence before your competitors grab all the attention.
Six Your website can be used to sell your products!
Selling your products on the internet can provide extra revenue for your business and is much more affordable than you might imagine. Providing a simple but secure online ordering form for customers who wish to purchase goods over the internet is now commonplace and is widely accepted.
Seven Your website can attract new customers worldwide if you so desire!
On the internet the world is your marketplace. Now you have the potential to promote your company to an audience of millions of companies and individuals around the globe. Have you ever considered expanding into an international business where your company can compete with the giants of the business world? Well now you can, and it won’t cost you a fortune to do so.
Eight Your website can be used to generate leads and gather useful information!
Your website is the ideal tool to target customers seeking the type of service or products people are looking for using the internet. You can use your website to gather information about prospective customers using simple online forms that give useful feedback. As an alternative to going out to gather leads, you can use an enquiry form on your website to enable people to come to you.
NineYour website can help people make quick decisions!
It’s a fast-paced world and people don't like to wait for information. By providing product or service information plus prices and specifications almost instantly your website is bound to attract new business. The company that provides quick answers and delivers the goods the fastest are the ones that are most likely to survive.
Ten Your website can be a useful communication tool!
Not only will your website help promote your business and enable you to announce new products and additional services, it can also be put to various other uses. For example, you can use it to recruit new employees, advertise surplus materials and equipment, promote other merchants products for an additional income stream, allow visitors to download your company price list and catalogue or any other kind of electronic material including software, pictures, audio and video files. In fact, your website can provide all kinds of information you wish to convey to the world at large.

Be your own boss

2008-04-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

In these days, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet with just one source of income. Thus, more and more people are investigating the possibilities of starting their own extra-income business. Most of these part-time endeavors are started and operated from the comfort and privacy of the home.
Many of these people are making all the extra money they need. Some have wisely and carefully built these extra income efforts into full-time, very profitable businesses. Others are just keeping busy, having fun, and enjoying life as never before. The important thing is that they are doing something other than waiting for the government to give them a handout; they are improving their lot in life, and you can do it, too!
The fields of mail order selling, multi-level marketing, and in-home party sales have never been more popular. If any of these kinds of extra income producing ideas appeal to you, then you owe it to yourself to check them out. But these aren't the only fields of endeavor you can start and operate from home, with little or no investment, and learn as you go.
If you type, you can start a home-based typing service; if you have a truck or have access to a trailer, you can start a clean-up/hauling service. Simply collecting old news papers from your neighbors can get you started in the paper recycling business. More than a few enterprising housewives have found success and fortune by starting home and/or apartment cleaning services. If you have a yard full of flowers, you can make good extra money by supplying fresh cut flowers to restaurants and offices in your area on a regular basis. You might turn a ceramics hobby into a lucrative personalized coffee mug business. What I'm saying is that in reality, there's literally no end to the ways you can start and operate a profitable extra income business from your home.The first thing you must do, however, is some basic market research. Find out for yourself, first-hand, just how many people there are in your area who are interested in your proposed product or service, and would be "willing to stand in line and pay money for it." This is known as defining your market and pinpointing your customers. If after checking around, talking about your idea with a whole lot of people over a period of one to three months, you get the idea that these people would be paying customers, your next effort should be directed toward the "detailing" of your business plan. The more precise and detailed your plan - covering all the bases relating to how you'll do everything that needs to be done - the easier it's going to be for you to attain success. Such a plan should show your start-up investment needs, your advertising plan, your production costs and procedures, your sales program, and how your time will be allocated. Too often, enthusiastic and ambitious entrepreneurs jump in on an extra income project and suddenly find that the costs are beyond their abilities, and the time requirements more than they can meet. It pays to lay it all out on paper before you get involved, and the clearer you can "see" everything before you start, the better your chances for success.
Now, assuming you've got your market targeted, you know who your customers are going to be and how you're going to reach them with your product or service. And you have all your costs as well as time requirements itemized. The next step is to set your plan in motion and start making money.
Here is the most important "secret" of all, relating to starting and building a profitable home-based business, so read very carefully. Regardless of what kind of business you start, you must have the capital and the available time to sustain your business through the first six months of operation. Specifically, you must not count on receiving or spending any money coming in from your business on yourself or for your bills during those first six months. All the income from your business during those first six months should be reinvested in your business in order for it to grow and reach our planned first year potential.
Once you've passed that first six months milestone, you can set up a small monthly salary for yourself, and begin enjoying the fruits of your labor. But the first six months or operation for any business are critical, so do not plan to use any of the money your business generates for yourself during that period.
If you've got your business plan properly organized, and have implemented the plan, you should at the end of your first year be able to begin thinking about hiring other people to alleviate some of your work-load. Remember this: Starting a successful business is not a means towards either a job for yourself or a way to keep busy. It should be regarded as the beginning of an enterprise that will grow and prosper, with you as the top dog. Eventually, you'll have other people doing all the work for you, even running the entire operation, while you’re on vacation in the Bahamas or Hawaii and collect or receive regular income from your initial efforts.

Making money from writing & self-publishing

2008-04-19T10:47:00.002-07:00

Use your writing skills to produce a traveller’s guide. This would include information on where to find the most interesting places of historical interest in popular tourist locations. Research your subject thoroughly and give your reader some interesting facts and figures to dwell on. Include some picturesque photographs. Have your guide printed and sold through bookshops in the area of interest and in tourist information centres.
Specialise in writing greetings card verses. Send your examples to card producers in the UK and abroad. Research the market thoroughly to find out what sells. A wide variety of themes exist for different occasions. The obvious ones being birthdays, anniversaries, christmas, coming of age, new home, new baby, etc. etc. A good sense of humour is a definite advantage. For some types of cards it`s essential. A list of card producers can be found in `The Writers and Artists Yearbook`.
Write short stories for magazines. Fictional short stories are tremendously popular, particularly in womens` magazines. If you have a talent for writing good romantic fiction, then you`re bound to sell your work. There are numerous other options of course. Science-fiction, horror stories, detective stories, historical romance are all good sellers. Research all the available magazines that cover your topic of interest. Send your stories addressed to the editor, keeping the original on file. Suggested reading: Writing Short Stories by William H. Phillips
Devise and write a correspondence course. This would be based on a subject that you have an in-depth knowledge of. Lots of people would like to improve their own knowledge and learn new skills, and are willing to pay for someone to help them. And not everyone has the time or inclination to go to college to achieve what they want. If you can help people learn to write better, draw better. learn a new language, learn a new trade, then you have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a worthwhile business opportunity.
Start an e-zine on the internet. There`s lots of electronic magazines springing up all over the web. If you can specialise in a particular subject that has little competition, then you could be on to a winner. The internet enables you to have a huge potential audience. If you can regularly update information on your chosen subject, then you have the foundation to set up an e-zine. How do e-zines make money? By subscription of course, and through third-party advertising.
Subscription based newsletters are also worthy consideration if you’re an experienced writer with lot’s of ideas and energy. It’s time consuming but can be an excellent way to turn your writing skills into profit without the need of a publisher.
Write a book on how to make money from property. If you have prior knowledge of the subject, that`s a good stepping stone to get started. If not, do some research into how other people make a living from renting, or buying and selling property. Cover all the bases, including buying property from auction, renovating, converting large houses to flats, nursing homes, renting out shops, land development and so on. There`s always a large section of people who can benefit from this type of book. You could self-publish it by selling it on the internet or having it printed and sold through mail order.
Writing jokes and letters to magazines can be a useful source of extra cash. If you have a talent for telling a funny story or a good joke, there are plenty of magazines who would be willing to publish your work if it`s appropriate to their needs. Refer to the`Writers and Artists Yearbook` for contacts and study the magazines you would be interested in writing for.
Compile a collection of questions and answers and write your own quiz book. Specialise in a specific subject to pinpoint a selected market. For example, a quizbook based on golf or cricket. Alternatively, produce an audio cassette version along with a booklet and instructions, and market it as a quiz game. Have it packaged and sold by mail order or through gift shops.
Write a business guide on how to write and publish a newsletter or magazine. If you have prior knowledge and experience of this subject it should be a simple and straightforward project. You could self-publish the guide and sell it through advertisements placed in business opportunity magazines.
Consider writing articles for magazines. There`s a huge array of subjects for would-be writers to specialise in. Whatever your interests are, there`s bound to be a magazine that`s appropriate to your particular talents. Whether it`s photography, computers, fishing, cycling, nursing, caravanning, windsurfing, or whatever, you could probably find something to write a short article about, and get paid to have it published. Many writers make a good income this way. As always, research your subject thoroughly. Find out what the going rate is for payment, and give it a go.
Write a book about how to trace your own ancestry. A lot of people are interested in this subject, but sometimes they`re not sure how to begin and proceed. A well written book or guide to the subject is bound to be popular if marketed correctly.
Write and publish a regular newsletter or magazine based around a ‘niche’ subject. Sell on subscription. If you come up with a good idea it could prove to be very lucrative. (One man in Britain set about publishing a monthly magazine based on foot fetishes, and ended up with more than 20,000 subscribers)
Write a biography about someone famous from the past who lived in your part of the country. Self-publish the book if you prefer and sell through local bookshops and tourist information services.
Write your own recipe book specialising in one particular area of cuisine. If, for example, you have an in-depth knowledge of how to prepare chinese food, or perhaps vegetarian or Indian dishes, then a `how-to` guide devoted to your own food preperation techniques might prove popular. If you don`t feel you have sufficient knowledge to write a complete guide on this subject, consider finding and working with someone who does. And if you aren`t successful at convincing a publisher to publish your book, consider self-publishing. (see below)
Become a self-publisher. These days it`s just as easy to self-publish your own work than it is to get it published through an established publisher. Most tasks involved in self-publishing can be achieved using a home computer. The research, drafting, compiling together text, illustrations and photographs, can all be done at home. It`s even possible to print and bind your book using a modern printer and binder. This type of book might be acceptable for selling by mail order. But for truly professional results you will have to use the services of a good printer. This does involve a substantial amount of investment however, but if you believe that your book will prove popular enough to sell in large numbers through bookshops, then this is the only other way to proceed. Having about one or two thousand books printed is probably the safest way to start. Of course, the higher the volume, the cheaper it becomes. Once your books are printed you will then need to canvass bookshops to try to get them to stock a few copies of your book, which they may accept on a sale or return basis. Ideally, however, it is better to be paid up front at the wholesale price. Seeing your book in print can be immensely satisfying, and usually worth all the hard work involved. Wherever your interests lie, if you really feel you have something worthwhile to write about, consider self-publishing as one way forward. Click here to find out how to self-publish on the internet
Write and sell a book on how to improve your finances. Extra income books always sell well when marketed correctly. A number of ready-made titles exist for budding home publishers, but a new title with the latest money-making ideas will have the best chance to succeed.
Write a book on how to grow and take care of houseplants. Thousands of people could benefit from a well researched book with lots of useful hints and tips relating to the care of houseplants. There are books already available on the subject, but by self-publishing you can produce and promote your book as a concise, and inexpensive, quick reference guide. Advertise by mail order in home improvement magazines.
Compile a large collection of general knowledge questions and answers and publish it as a ‘pub quiz’ book. For example, it could be entitled `A 1001 questions for pub quiz fanatics` Sell by mail order in suitable magazines that have general classified ad sections.
Write a book on how to save money. If you have a knack for finding the best bargains, and have numerous ways of saving money through useful household tips and inexpensive home improvement ideas, you could write your own A - Z guide on how to save money. Sell for a few pounds so that readers can save hundreds of pounds.
Produce a guide that shows other would-be writers how to write and sell a correspondence course. Obviously you will need to have first hand experience on this subject, or be able to work in conjunction with someone who does. Sell the book as a business opportunity guide through the classified ads of business opportunity magazines.
Compile and write a collection of quiz books dealing with specific subjects. For example, quiz books specialising in English or American history, popular music, classical music. the cinema, English literature, sport etc. Advertise and sell by mail order through the appropriate magazines.
Write a book about millionaires and how they achieved their wealth. Arrange interviews with wealthy people who are willing to co-operate in your project. If possible, try to sell your book through a major publisher. If not, publish the book yourself and see if you can get bookshops to stock it for you. Also, advertise it by mail order in business ideas magazines.
Compile and self-publish a series of joke books. For example, these might include jokes suitable for best man speeches at weddings, jokes for using at business seminars, jokes for the serious golfer, jokes for rugby players etc. Advertise each book in the appropriate subject-related magazine and follow up orders with a list of other books in the series.
Produce a directory of craftwork suppliers. A directory of suppliers would be useful to the thousands of craftworkers throughout the country who need a list of useful contacts to help them in their hobby or business. It could be advertised and sold by mail order through selected publications read by craftspeople. Inclusion in the directory would be free except for display advertising space reserved for businesses who are prepared to pay for a larger advert to make their business stand out that little bit more.
Design and print a series of books containing crossword puzzles. These could specialise in particular subjects such as various sports, the cinema, science and technology, geography and history etc. Sell them through newsagents and mail order.
Write a book about how to improve your memory. Yes, I know it`s already been done. Actually someone lent me a book like this once, but I kept forgetting to read it. Still, if you think you have a foolproof method that can help others to improve their memory, you can be sure there`s plenty of people willing to buy it if the price is right. Try to come up with a snappy title and advertise it in the classified ads of various magazines.

Making money from teaching

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Start an evening class teaching basic computer skills. This might include an introduction to various aspects of the Windows operating system, plus how to use a web browser to surf the internet, and how to use an email program.
Start a self-defence class specialising in martial arts. Find suitable premises to hold the classes. If you don`t have the necessary qualifications advertise for qualified experts to teach for you. Pay them a set fee or a percentage of the profits. Advertise the classes in the local newspaper, shop windows and community noticeboards.
Start your own school for dancing. If you have the experience and patience to teach children, or adults, then why not put your skills to good use by offering dancing classes part-time? Whether it`s tap, ballet or ballroom dancing, there will always be a number of people who will want to learn. Particularly young children who are often encouraged by their parents. Finding suitable premises is the main hurdle. Once a location is found advertise your classes in the local press.
Set up and run a course in typing and word processing. Many people, though capable of typing with two fingers, have never mastered the keyboard efficiently. Anyone wishing to learn how to use a computer or portable electronic typewriter for word processing, might also find it useful to learn how to type properly. A course, running along these lines, in your local community could very easily prove popular enough to provide you with a worthwhile second income if you have the skills in this area of expertise.
Start and run weekend courses in landscape painting or photography. If you`re a creative type with a good knowledge of painting or photographic techniques, then why not set up a course teaching other people how to paint or photograph landscapes like an expert. The course could include an occasional trip to areas of natural beauty to gain practical experience, as well as classroom theory. There are lots of people looking for ways to spend their leisure time, and painting and photography are two of the most popular subjects for newcomers seeking to improve or take up a new hobby.
Teach the English language. This would be aimed at foreign students and residents who want to improve their English and writing skills. This can be done on a personal one-to-one basis in the person`s own home, or with a group of people at an evening class. This would make a good part-time opportunity for a qualified teacher to supplement their income.
Teach a foreign language. A foreign resident who speaks good English should have no difficulty in finding students who wish to learn their language through personal tuition. French, German, Spanish and Italian are probably the most popular choices. But other languages are also in demand. Advertise your service in the local and regional press.
Set up a business for teaching windsurfing in a popular seaside or lakeside tourist area. This is definitely one for the expert. If you`re a skillful windsurfer, with access to additional equipment other than your own, this idea could become a good way to supplement your income, or at the very least, pay for your own equipment. In the summer season you should find your services in great demand, if you pick a good location. You will obviously need somewhere secure to keep your equipment safe and locked up while teaching. However, if you get a lot of people wanting to book lessons, you will need to pay someone to take bookings and look after your base of operation. Advertising can be as simple as a well placed sign outside your business premises. Small posters in local shop windows can also prove useful.
Teach people how to sail. Here is another popular activity that holidaymakers like to participate in at seaside and lakeside resorts. A similar operation to the one previously described for windsurfing could be set up, only this time your teaching skills would be based on your expert knowledge of handling small sailing craft. Apart from the obvious requirement of having a place to keep your boats, make sure that you have the correct insurance to cover all eventualities.
Start a business teaching people how to play the guitar. A good guitarist with patience and a sound knowledge of music composition can make a good income from teaching others how to play the guitar. Here is a business that can be set up in any medium-sized town or city. Working from home, with hardly any overheads to speak of, your business can be built up to a level where you can teach part-time or full-time, whichever you prefer. Start by advertising in the local press. Hand out a few business cards, and if you`re good, business will soon build up through word-of-mouth.
Teach people to play the piano. Another opportunity for the musical expert. Piano lessons are even more popular than they use to be because of the huge amount of electronic keyboards and synthesisers now on the market. Even though computers have made it easier for the amateur musician to create their own music, there is no substitute for proper music tuition. For anyone serious about learning to play music, piano tuition and guitar tuition are two of the most popular options. A talented music teacher could either teach one or the other, or could offer lessons in both if they have the necessary skills.
Become a driving instructor and teach people how to drive. Here is a business where there is always a demand. If you have at least four years driving experience on a full clean driving license and are over twenty one years of age, the opportunity to become a driving instructor is available through a number of training centres, but at a price. Unless you know a qualified Approved Driving Instructor who is willing to train you for a reasonable fee, then you will have to choose one of the more expensive established training centres to receive proper training. This is the best way to have a good chance to pass the required tests to qualify as an A.D.I. Once qualified however, you can either set up your own driving school, work for someone else, or become a franchisee with one of the national driving schools such as B.S.M. or the A.A. driving school.
Teach flower arranging at evening class or through private tuition. Flower arranging has become a very popular pastime for many ladies and pensioners seeking a way to fulfil their creative desires in a way that proves useful as well as enjoyable. A skillful flower arranger can make money from teaching others how to do it. Here is a service that not only satisfies your pupils desires, but also offers a way to bring like-minded people together in a satisfying social environment.
Start a class for dog training. Are you good with dogs? Do you have expert knowledge? If so, this is a great way to make an extra income. You`ll need to hire a hall large enough to take at least fifteen to twenty people and their dogs, and with plenty of extra space to provide the training exercises required. The expense of hiring a hall should be relatively small when compared with the money you make from each person who enrolls. Classes are generally organised to run once or twice a week, depending on how popular they become. When ready to start, advertise regularly in your local and regional newspapers.
Set up a business that runs weekend courses for d.i.y. enthusiasts. These might include short intensive courses in bricklaying, basic plumbing, woodworking projects and painting and decorating techniques. Find suitable premises and hire expert instructors where needed. Advertise the courses in D.i.y. magazines and arrange overnight accomodation for people who travel long distance. Adjust course fees to suit individual requirements.
Start your own yoga class. For yoga experts only. However, everyone has to start somewhere, and yoga, like any other skill, can be learned through attending classes, practice and study. Learn as much as you can, and you too could soon be a yoga expert with pupils of your own.Suggested reading: Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers and Practitioners by H. Coulter & T. McCall
Become a sports instructor. If you`re a keen sportsmen with skills or qualifications in any particular area, you should seriously consider teaching others how to improve their game. A good instructor can easily make a good part-time income from teaching one of the following sports: Golf, tennis, swimming, football, rugby, athletics, gymnastics etc. If you`re suitably qualified, approach your local sports club to see if any vacancies are available, or set up your own class by hiring suitable facilities and charging for personal tuition.
Become an aerobics instructor. Here again, someone with suitable qualifications can start their own part-time classes teaching aerobics on a regular basis. Aerobics is one of the more popular activities used to help people get fit. Classes of twenty people or more are not unusual. Advertise your courses in the local press and sports centres.
Teach a professional skill such as bricklaying, carpentry or painting and decorating. Many colleges of further eductaion use people with experience in these fields of work to teach their part-time evening class pupils these skills. If you`re suitably qualified, you may just fit the bill. Contact your local college to find out their requirements. Some colleges also have a number of courses in other areas such as computer programming, word processing, catering, commercial art and design etc., which, if you have the work experience, may suit you better.
Teach people how to ride a motorcycle. If you`re keen on motorbikes with a few years experience, why not train to become an instructor? You can run your own school part-time or full-time, whichever suits you best. There`s always plenty of riders willing to take a course of lessons, tailored to help them pass the motorcycle test.
Teach people the art of watercolour painting. If you can paint watercolours and have a good knowledge of watercolour techniques then consider passing on your knowledge to others. Many people, particularly retired people take up watercolour painting as a relaxing hobby. You could open your own small private school of art, or teach a part-time day or evening class in your spare time. Check what training facilities are available for residents in your area, and offer your services to start and run a course on how to paint in this popular medium.

Making money from retailing and wholesaling

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Open a small shop specialising in needlecrafts. Sell embroidery kits, materials and hand stitched framed pictures. If your interests lie in this direction, a small shop located in a village or town popular with tourists will be the ideal place to run this type of business. Start by having a few nice designs available as samples which you can display in the shop window to attract peoples` attention. If you`re just starting out, you might consider party plan sales or mail order as a way of getting established.
Start a business making custom-made curtains. Offering a professional sewing service specialising in various types of curtains will enable customers to choose their own designs, being more exact in their requirements. Using a small shop to work from will allow you to display your own designs as well. You could also provide matching furnishings. i.e. bedcovers, pillowcases and cushions etc. A service like this can often create a big demand through recommendations. Which means, of course, you may need to take on extra staff. However, in this business you can retain full control over how much you want to expand. If you prefer to stay small, and provide a personal service to a limited number of customers, that is entirely up to you.
Buy and sell paintings and start your own art gallery. A small shop will be adequate to start with. Start by buying watercolours and oil paintings at auctions. Set up a gallery and offer a picture restoration service as well. To do this you could employ someone with the necessary skills, or learn to do it yourself. A framing service is another possibility, and a stock of fine art prints for framing and selling might also be worth considering.
Open a shop on the Internet. If you’re reading this then you’re probably aware of the huge amount of business that is conducted over the internet these days. All businesses no matter how big or small should consider having their own website to market and sell their products. Setting up shop on the internet is now easier than ever. Want Fast Reliable Web Hosting? click here. Apollo Hosting offers an excellent, affordable service.
Sell babywear products or fashionwear from a market stall. Many towns have regular market days where hundreds of people converge to look for bargains. Setting up your own market stall is just a matter of finding a site, obtaining the necessary permits from the local authority, buying a stall, and stocking it with the goods. Babywear and fashionwear are usually good sellers, but check out the competition first. Ideally, depending on the size of the market, it`s better not to have to compete with more than one or two other stalls selling the same type of goods. Also, you`ll probably want to work more than one day to make it worthwhile, so check to see what other markets are operating in your region.
Start a bookshop selling used books. Lots of people love to scour the shelves of old bookshops. You could start with a small shop to begin with and a supply of secondhand books purchased through wanted ads. You can also build up your stock by buying books from auctions and car boot sales. Ideally, open up your shop in a popular tourist location or near a busy town centre. Read article: How to make it big with your own used book store
As good as new clothes shops are always popular with bargain hunters. You could start up by selling unwanted clothes supplied from friends and relatives. The best Items to sell would include ladies blouses and skirts, cardigans and jumpers, dresses and slacks, jackets and trousers. Some of your stock might also include menswear, but ladieswear is more likely to be your main source of income.
Buy and sell secondhand videos, music cassettes, compact disks and computer games. There`s always a huge selection available. Sell from a small shop or market stall. If selling from a shop, arrange the shelves in easily identified sections. Only display the empty cases and keep the cassettes and disks in an easily accessible place, which can be locked up safely at night. If your stock grows big enough you could start a mail order service. Once the business is well established you might also consider starting a rental service for old and new tapes.
Start a market stall specialising in mens lightweight jackets and coats. These might include a range of colourful ski jackets and car coats. Alternatively, you could specialise in leathers and suedes. Adding a selection of hats and gloves might also be worth considering.
Buy and sell used furniture. Buy from private sellers, house clearance sales and from auctions. You could also canvas homes with an offer to buy unwanted items. You`ll need a decent size van and a place to store everything. A shop with a seperate storage room would be ideal. Advertise furniture for sale in your local newspapers, as well as an ad for items wanted.
Open a shop selling secondhand tools and do-it-yourself supplies. A vast range of tools exist for all kinds of jobs. Woodworking tools, plastering tools, bricklaying tools, gardening tools, electricians tools, plumbers tools, everything for the handyman. You could also stock supplies of nails, screws and other general fittings which are easily bought in bulk, then packaged or sold loosely. Tools are always good sellers, so being able to sell them at bargain prices makes them all the more attractive. Only stock tools in good condition though, not worthless junk, and your business is sure to grow. Auctions are a good source of supply, as are fleamarkets and car boot sales.
Set up a market stall selling t-shirts and jeans. T-shirts, sweatshirts and jeans are always popular and never go out of fashion. There`s always a demand, because they always need replacing, more often than other types of clothing. T-shirts can either be plain or with a selection of popular graphics printed on them. Jeans can range from top brand names down to bargain price makes. You could specialise in one or the other, but you`ll probably have more success if you cater for a wide range of people.
Sell knitwear for children, either from a market stall or a small shop in a busy location. You can buy supplies in, but also consider using local people to work for you, producing knitwear at home on a pay per item basis. Standards should be high, so only use knitters who can produce work that`s good enough to sell.
Start a market stall selling cosmetics. You could also sell through party plan, but the advantage of selling from a market stall is that you have a lot of passing trade. Plus, you also have very low overheads. This, combined with the fact that cosmetics have a very good mark-up, means profits can be exceptionally good.
Open a shop selling computers and software. If you`re a whizz with computers and can build them to a customer`s own specifications, you have the makings of a good business. Your stock should include ready built systems with prices to suit, plus peripherals such as printers and scanners, that can be added to the system. Items for upgrading should also be available to the customer, such as graphics cards, sound cards, cd rom and dvd devices, modems, motherboards, processers and extra ram, for which you can offer a fitting service, or sell to the customer for themselves to fit. A range of software will also be a worthwhile addition along with supplies of cables, blank floppy disks and disks for cd writers. To boost sales even further, consider including a regular stall at various computer fairs that operate in your area.
Set up a market stall selling a wide range of boiled sweets, chocolates and toffees. Sell the more popular brands along with products bought from smaller firms who specialise in their own particular types of confectionery.
Become a supplier and distributor of plumbing accessories to the trade. As a wholesaler, you can buy direct from the manufacturers and obtain better discounts when buying in bulk. These discounts will increase your profit margins when supplying to trade customers.
Import products from the far east. A whole range of goods are available from exporters who can supply you with a huge range of electrical and fancy goods at amazingly low prices. Sell them to trade customers or through your own mail order catalogue. Suggested reading: Building an Import/Export Business
Start a business selling computer components to the trade. Import graphics cards, sound cards, floppy disk drives, CD-Rom and DVD players, keyboards etc., direct from the manufacturers. Produce a trade catalogue and advertise your service in the appropriate publications.
Become a supplier of training aids for driving schools. These could include dual controls, roof signs, magnetic car door signs, audio/visual training aids, mock theory papers, books and videos. Advertise in the driving school trade magazines and by direct mail to driving schools, most of which are listed in the Yellow Pages.
Start a market stall selling thermal underwear and waterproof clothing. Any items that would sell well in the cold months. You might also consider selling umbrellas during the rainy seasons. In the Summer months change your stock to summer wear. Read article: There’s Money in Market Trading
Make and sell picture frames and picture mounts in quantity and supply at trade prices. This will require an investment in suitable power tools to speed up the normal manufacturing process of making frames and cutting mounts with the usual hand tools. (see arts and crafts section) Although you could start small by making a limited amount of frames at a time until you can provide them in larger quantities and supply them to a range of shops. Simple wood frames stained in a variety of colours are currently popular for framing modern style prints. They make an attractive but inexpensive alternative to the more traditional ornate frame. To find suppliers of picture framing equipment and materials, check the trade directories at your nearest reference library.
Make and sell childrens play outfits. Superheroes, soldiers, doctors and nurses, cowboys and indians, spacemen and monsters. Any type of outfit that relates to popular childrens television shows is bound to prove popular. Package and sell your designs through toy stores and a mail order catalogue.
Open a small shop for selling small items for £1 or less. These type of shops are becoming more and more popular. You don`t have to compete with the major chain stores that are springing up in nearly every shopping centre. There`s plenty of localised shopping areas where these type of shops can succeed. Stock can be bought direct from specialist wholesalers and importers in inexpensive goods. Check the trade directories at your local library for contacts.

Making money from photography and video

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Photograph attractive scenic landscapes in popular tourist locations. Have them enlarged, professionally mounted and framed and sell them through gift shops. Build up a reputation for producing stunning photographic landscapes. Retain the copyright to your work and contact an agency to sell your photographs to suitable publications.
Set yourself up as a wedding photographer. If you have the expertise and talent to create professional quality pictures of people, this could be the ideal job. It takes patience, creative flair and good organisational skills, particularly when dealing with crowds of people. It also carries a lot of responsibility. which is reflected in the amount you can afford to charge. Suggested reading: The Art of Wedding Photography: Professional Techniques with Style
Specialise in food photography. Your clients might iclude catering companies, food magazines, restaraunts, cake decorators, and food manufacturers who supply the trade. Previous experience is preferred, but a good photographer can soon learn the `tricks of the trade`. (substitutes for real food are sometimes used to achieve the desired result)
Handy with a camcorder? Why not produce a set of DVD's based on classic fairy tales? Using a competent actor reading from a book, accompanied by overlayed illustrations in selected parts of the story, a high quality video production can easily be achieved. Have the actor read direct to camera, surrounded by an appropriate, well designed set. Ensure good sound recording levels are maintained and film on the best quality tapes. Preferably digital. Editing could be done in post production on your own desktop video computer, or through a post production house. Package and sell by mail order or through selected retail outlets.
Glamour photography is always popular and appealing to many amateur photographers. One way to make it pay is to hire and arrange location shoots, along with agency models, and advertise glamour shoots in the popular photo magazines. Charge an appropriate fee to cover all expenses and retain the profits to expand your business. Aim to attract a minimum goup of at least five or six amateur photographers per shoot. Larger groups can be organised, depending on facilities and location. Once established you might prefer to employ your own models to save on agency commission fees.
Produce a set of DVD's that show how to use popular computer software. Desktop publishing, database, spreadsheet and word processing applications, as well as the wide variety of graphics and web design software, are all suitable candidates. Using a good tv card enables the computer output to be recorded directly to digital video tape or dvd using a dvd recorder. Use someone with a good recording voice to narrate the instructions. Any required editing can be done with a suitable video editing package such as Adobe Premiere.
Photoglazing on to plates is always popular. Particularly with doting parents who like to keep treasured photographs of their children. A photographer could offer this service as a sideline, or simply glaze other peoples` photographs. Affordable equipment is readily available, with materials generally available direct from the equipment supplier. Subject matter needn`t be confined to children. Groups of people, horses, pets, cars, or anything remotely photographic can be transferred.
Transfer your landscape photographs on to plates and sell through gift shops. (see photoglazing on to plates above) Tourists are always on the look out for something attractive and useful. What better way to remind them of their holiday?
Another way to sell your photographs to tourists is through postcards and slide sets. Postcards don`t need to be confined to pretty landscapes either. Humorous images of various subjects are gaining in popularity. Check out your nearest gift and souvenir shops to see the choice on offer. Card shops should also be considered as another good source of revenue.
Pet photography may not be the easiest way to make a living. But there’s always an opening for a good pet photographer. Animal photographs sell extremely well, especially dogs and cats. Whether it`s for a professional publication, or simply a local customer, there`s money to be made if you can produce the goods. Advertise your services locally. Leave a business card with satisfied customers. Ensure you retain the copyright, and with the owners permission, use the best examples of your work to place with a good agent for general publication. Suggested reading: How to take Great Pet Pictures
Promotional videos for new bands and solo artists are becoming more popular and much more affordable. There are good opportunities for talented camcorder owners to make some serious cash in this growing market. The high quality of computer-based desktop digital video editing solutions puts professional quality videomaking within easy reach of more and more people. If you`ve got a head full of ideas in this direction, why not turn them into reality by starting your own video company? Promote your business to artists agents and through music magazines.
Produce a regular newsletter or magazine aimed at photographers. Make it primarily a magazine for people who want to make money with their camera. Articles about photographic techniques, business opportunities, money-making ideas should be a regular feature. Plus an index of useful contacts such as photographic agencies and publishing houses. Sell on subscription to interested people. Rent a mailing list of photo enthusiasts and promote your idea by direct mail.
Design and produce calendars. A well designed calendar can be sold through shops and also be used as promotional material for businesses. A good calendar is an all-year-round advert for companies who send them to their customers. Business names and addresses can easily be added to calendars with space for additional printing. Canvas firms or retail outlets with your best designs. Samples can be used to take orders before printing in quantity is arranged.
Child photography is a tried and tested business opportunity. Whether it`s the traditional school photograph, or a privately arranged photo session, this area of photography will always be popular. A good child photographer will never be short of work. If you think you have the skills and knowledge to be successful, don`t be put off by the competition. Produce a good portfolio and advertise your services. Having a studio of your own is a definite advantage, but natural outdoor photographs can be just as effective. If your budget is restricted you can always hire a studio when the need arises. Suggested reading: Photographing Children by David Wilson
Combine your photographic and computer skills. It will open up a whole new world of opportunities. One idea is to produce compact disks that will sell to tourists. Imagine being able to provide a disk full of beautiful images of popular tourist resorts. In particular, areas of outstanding beauty and historical interest. Images might include castles, historical landmarks, statues, stunning scenery, local craftworkers, famous buildings, the list is endless. Background information could also be included in the form of a text file or PDF document. With a CD writer you can start by making your own. An attractive CD case is essential to catch the eye of potential buyers. Sell through tourist information centres and local gift shops.
Produce a DVD on how to become a better driver. Use sequences that demonstrate how not to drive and how to drive correctly. Educate drivers by testing their knowledge of the highway code using questions and answers based on this subject. Sell the dvd's by mail order and through driving schools on commission.
Photograph and sell framed pictures of private residences and public houses. Canvas up-market areas with suitable samples to show prospective customers. Offer a choice of two different sizes and a choice of frames. Take payment on delivery to ensure the customer is happy with the picture. If not, you can always take another photograph.
Start a business selling Dvd's and blank audio and video cassettes in bulk. As an extra service, consider offering duplication facilities for duplicating Dvd's and audio and video tapes in quantity. Also provide a design and print service for dvd video sleeves and cases. (for further information see the business opportunities section)
Offer a video service for converting and duplicating video tapes or Dvd's from various countries. Different broadcasting standards exist throughout the world. Each standard is incompatible with the others. In the UK the PAL format is used. The USA and Japan use the NTSC format, and in France and parts of the Middle East the SECAM format is used. Affordable equipment is now available to convert the signal and copy tapes or Dvd's on to compatible formats for those people who don`t have a multi-standard players. This would be a useful service to people who send videos to relatives in other countries. Check the video magazines for equipment suppliers.
Start your own video production company producing d.i.y. promotional demo tapes. Combination tv and video players can be hired out to d.i.y. and hardware stores to demonstrate products that have been filmed on to tape. Suggested reading: Video Production Handbook by Gerald Millerson.
Specialise in industrial photography. Many companies require photographs of their plant or premises for inclusion in promotional material, as well as framed photographs for the workplace and exhibition purposes. If you can make a boring subject look interesting, so much the better. Stark, black and white industrial landscapes, enlarged and framed, always make an interesting subject for artistic prints. Promote your services direct to companies, using a well designed brochure.
Hire out a studio to photographers. Obtain suitable premises, plus photographic lighting, camera equipment, and a selection of various props and costumes. Advertise the studio for hire in photography magazines. Send an illustrated leaflet and price guide to enquirers and freelance photographers.
Teach photography at evening class. A good photographer, with experience in darkroom processing, could pass on his knowledge to enthusiastic beginners, and those who need to go a little bit further with their favourite hobby. Although digital photography is rapidly taking over traditional techniques, amateur photographers still get a thrill at seeing their photographs slowly but magically appear in the developing tray. If darkroom facilities aren`t available, you can still concentrate on the techniques of taking good photographs, with a little bit of processing theory thrown in for good measure.
Start a mail order business selling photographs of trains or aircraft. The photos have to be good enough for framing, and you`ll need a good knowledge of what type of subject sells best. However, if you can take photographs which are dynamic and of a high quality, they are bound to catch the attention of the thousands of train and plane enthusiasts throughout the world. Sell your work on the internet and through specialist magazines.
Arrange trips for nature photographers. This could range from simple bus trips to nature reserves, right up to a full blown safari holidays. Start small, but aim for bigger things. This idea has huge potential if set up and run professionally. If you`re an experienced traveller and have intimate knowledge of the best places for nature photography, you`ve got all the qualifications to make this business a success. If not, expanding the business will depend on how quick you can learn, and how good your organisational skills are.
Start a video service for filming childrens` parties. Not everyone has a camcorder, or knows how to use one correctly. You can put your skills to good use if you`ve have had any practice filming children before. You could also video other types of party as well. Anniversaries, engagement parties, coming of age etc. If you don`t feel confident enough to run it as a business, get some experience first by doing it for friends, and expand your video skills by taking a college course in video production.
Produce baby videos. As with the previous idea, a good knowledge of video techniques is preferred, but filming babies is much more straightforward. The trick here is to make them appear interesting. Although any nice images would satisfy doting parents, any film lasting more than 10 - 15 minutes without sufficient variety of shots and activity, will soon become boring. Apart from using your imagination to vary the shots, the best method is to produce a film over a period of time, Newborn babies change rapidly over the first few months. Being at the birth is a great opportunity to get a once-in-a-lifetime event on to tape, but unfortunately not always possible. However, a regular monthly visit to build a visual record of the babies changing appearance, plus a babies first steps, can compile into a fascinating record that is almost priceless.
Passport-sized photographs are used for a whole range of things, not just passports. Membership cards, ID cards, licenses etc., and although there are photo booths widely available, some people prefer the personal touch. Better results are usually obtained this way. If you would like to offer this service you`ll need a polaroid passport camera, capable of taking a multi-image instant photograph. When developed, which normally takes just a few minutes, the photos are split using a special handheld cutter. Having a small studio with lights would be ideal, but with a little ingenuity you could offer a mobile service using portable lights and a suitable portable backdrop. You can charge a little bit more than the mechanical method, but don`t overprice yourself out of the market. Advertise your service in the local press and work within a twenty mile radius to make it financially viable.
Videofilm special sports events. For example, marathons, athletic meetings, golf tournaments, motor rallies. Package and sell them by mail order in specialist magazines. Include specific details of when and where each event took place. This will have the added advantage of appealing to people who were at the present event.
Become a freelance photographer. Some pictures can be worth a fortune if you`re in the right place at the right time. To get the kind of pictures that make headline news however, means you`ll need to have good contacts. Having a close alliance with a good news reporter helps enormously. Being able to gain inside information on what is happening in the world of sport, entertainment and politics has it`s advantages. Specialising as a freelance magazine and press photographer means you need lots of energy, and be ready to travel at a moments notice. You can either specialise in photographing famous people, or interesting news events as they occur. Of course, there are ample opportunities for taking photographs of a less stressful nature. There`s a huge variety of magazines that specialise in all kinds of subjects. If your photographs fit their criteria you could well find a market for your work on a more regular basis.
Travel photography is an area worth investigating if you`re a keen traveller. There`s always a demand for good photographs that capture the essence and atmosphere of interesting locations. And it`s not just pretty landscape pictures that sell. Pictures that tell a story are always worth taking. Whether it`s the local inhabitants going about their work, or a fascinating close-up of an ageing face with a lifetime of experiences behind it, these type of pictures are always popular with travel magazines.
Become a ‘How-to’ video producer. A talented video enthusiast, whether amateur or semi-professional, could specialise in making videos that show other people how to improve their skills or knowledge of a particular subject. For example, you could produce a series of Dvd's that demonstrate how to play the piano, learn to play the guitar, or virtually any other musical instrument that you, or an aquaintence, has experience of. How about a series of Dvd's on the art of cooking? There`s always programmes on tv that relate to cooking, but do any of them specialise in vegetarian dishes only, or chinese, or Indian cuisine? The market may not be huge, unless you hit on a winning idea, but even selling tapes in small numbers can be very profitable.
Specialise in baby photography. Some photographers can make a decent living out of taking photographs of babies. Especially when you have the chance to set up a portable studio in a place where there`s plenty of people. Shopping centres are ideal. However, if you build up a good reputation, people will come to you. A small shop or home studio, located in an easily accessible area, will do just fine. It takes skill to get a good shot of a baby, so go somewhere where you can watch how others do it, and learn from their techniques. When you think you`re ready to give it a go, start by practicing on friends` babies. Advertise in the local press and baby shops for starters.
Novelty photographs are a great way to remember a holiday, or a gathering of friends or relatives. They`re fun to do and very profitable. The basis of this business idea is to dress people up in Victorian attire, have them pose, against an old fashioned background, in the way people did when photography was in it`s infancy. The photograph, would be taken using a modern camera of course, but adding a sepia tint during processing gives the appearance of an old Victorian photograph. Another slant on the idea is to use the theme of the American wild west. Dressing the clients up in old western gear, complete with authentic props such as rifles and holstered hand guns. As you would expect, this idea works best in a busy tourist area.
Aerial photographs of peoples homes make an interesting conversational piece. Which is one of the main reasons they sell so well. Particularly in villages and upmarket residential areas. Arrangements will need to be made to get airborne and a medium format camera will give you the best results for enlargements. Once developed, canvas the area with the appropriate samples. Sales aren`t guaranteed, but a good percentage of people will be interested, at the right price. It`s therefore up to you to negotiate a sale.
Produce a series of gardening technique Dvd's. If you`re an experienced and knowledgable gardener, or know someone who is, consider producing and selling a set of Dvd's specialising in different areas of gardening. For example, one Dvd could be all about planting shrubs and trees, another about planting bedding plants, and another which shows how to plant and grow vegetables.
Photograph and produce a range of calendars based around popular pets. For example, subjects might include various breeds of dog, cats, rabbits and hamsters in cute poses. Ponies, reptiles and insects could also prove popular. Test the idea first with one type of calendar design and aim to sell through pet shops and card shops.
Start a business running courses in video filming and editing techniques. This could be a very profitable enterprise for an established semi-professional videographer, or a knowledgable enthusiast with plenty of experience. Apart from a basic introduction course for beginners, you might also include specialised courses on how to make great wedding videos, holiday videos, wildlife videos or even glamour videos. Post production courses using up-to-date computer editing equipment and software could also be a possibility. Courses could be designed to run on a one-to-one basis, or in groups of three or more people, in which case course fees could be lower, but overall profits would be much higher. Advertise your services in amateur video making magazines.
Provide a video record service for insurance purposes. People who own expensive or irreplaceable valuables could benefit from your service which would provide a high quality detailed visual record of the items in question, as well as proof of ownership. If an item was lost or stolen, a video showing the exact item would be extremely useful when making a claim, and helpful to the police when trying to recover stolen property. Jewellery, paintings, expensive clothing, even larger items such as cars, boats and motorhomes could be recorded in great detail.
Specialise in photographing scale models. If you like scale modelling and photography, why not combine both, and specialise in taking photographs of models for magazine articles, framed prints, packaging designs or even write your own book to show other model enthusiasts how to take good photographs of their own models?
Offer a service that produces sports technique analysis Dvd's. These would be aimed at amateur and professional sportspeople. For example, this would be useful to people wishing to improve their swing technique in golf or tennis. A Dvd and expert analysis could show which parts need improvement and which parts are good. Your service could be offered directly through sports clubs or on a private tuition basis. A good knowledge of the sport in question is obviously a distinct advantage.
Set up a business producing photographic jigsaws of glamour models. Purchase the equipment to make your own or arrange for a firm to make them for you. Decide whether to produce the photos yourself, or hire a professional photographer. Sell through adult shops and by mail order in suitable publications.
Specialise in producing ‘This is Your Life’ type of videos. A nostalgic video can be easily produced using photographs and various nostalgic items collected throughout the subjects life. For instance, the video could start off with a picture of the birth certificate followed by photographs of the subject as a baby, along with images of their family and pictures of their schooldays, their first job, their first car, getting engaged, getting married, their first home, their first child etc. etc. Suitable music and titles would complete the film and make it more professional.
Produce Dvd's of school plays and dance school competitions. These are events where proud parents are sure to be interested in purchasing a well produced video record of their adorable children showing off their talents. Many copies can be made and sold from one good master Dvd. A percentage of profits can be allocated to the school as a way to raise funds for materials and equipment, as well as cementing a good relationship for future business.
Start a video dating service. This would be run like a normal dating service, with the added advantage of being able to show potential partners a video compilation of different people, airing their likes and dislikes on tape. This way people can see what the other person looks like, and gets a feel for the characteristics and personality of each prospect.
Produce a keep fit or martial arts technique Dvd. As a video producer, you don`t need to be a specialist in your chosen subject. You just need to find someone who is. Someone who is willing to use their expertise, along with a class of their own pupils, to help you produce a highly informative Dvd full of useful advice and demonstrated techniques. A share of the profits is all it takes to win over a willing partner. Completed Dvd's can be sold to existing pupils, by mail order and through selected retail outlets.
Start a business that makes wedding videos. There`s plenty of competition from people already established in this field. But with advances in digital photography and video, new and more exciting professional effects can be achieved with the equipment that is now available. A competent videographer should find it relatively easy to get a foothold in this popular small business.
Produce a Dvd for new dog owners that shows how to train a dog. Each year thousands of people get a dog for the first time. Many are keen to train the dog properly right from the start. Dog training classes are not always available in some areas. They can also be expensive and not always held at convenient times. A dog training video would be ideal for helping people to teach their dog in their own time, and at their own convenience.
Make a Dvd for train enthusiasts. Creating a train layout can be a challenging and fascinating hobby for those with an interest in electric toy trains. Someone with experience and intimate knowledge of modelmaking techniques could pass on their knowledge to other enthusiasts by helping you make a demonstration video. In fact, a series of Dvd's would be more likely, to cover all the methods involved in planning and completing the finished item. Techniques might include how to make the scenery, the buildings, the people and all the other accessories which go into producing an impressive layout. Advertise the Dvd's by mail order in model train magazines.

Making money from personal services

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Start your own home visit hairdressing service. An experienced hairdresser can make a good part-time income from this type of work. Lots of people prefer to have their hair done at home, for various reasons. Disabled people and older people especially can benefit. Advertise in the local paper and shop windows until your business builds up through recommendations. Being able to drive is an advantage, but not essential.
Become a childrens’ entertainer. If you have the talent and imagination to make children laugh, this could be the job for you. Whether it`s dressing up in a clown`s outfit, juggling, or doing magic tricks, a childrens` entertainer can make a good part-time income from doing parties and special events. Perfect your act and advertise in your local edition of Yellow Pages. You might also consider getting an agent if you can`t find the work yourself.
Train to become a masseur or masseus. When qualified, you can start up your own practice, work for an established firm, or offer a home visit service. Check the local colleges and the internet for training courses available.
Train to become a chiropodist. If working with peoples’ feet doesn`t bother you, and the satisfaction of helping others is on your priority list, this could be a good business opportunity. Pay is reasonably good, particularly when self-employed. As previously mentioned, training courses are generally available. Alternatively, you could train to become a beautician or manacurist or a combination of all three.
Start a childminding service. With suitable qualifications, you could do this on your own. However, there`s more potential in building a business which enables you to farm out the work to others, while taking a percentage of the hire fee. To get started you will need to interview candidates who should have previous experience of this type of work. Compile a list of suitably qualified people who you can call on at short notice. Start by advertising your service locally until you build up enough work through recommendations.
Set up a business that specialises in organising weddings. All the services required for peoples` weddings, including the church service, the wedding car, photographer, reception room, mobile disco and catering would all be arranged by you, taking the pressure off the bride and grooms` parents. Good organisational skills, are of course, essential. Advertise your services in the Yellow Pages, local newspapers and bridal shops.
Become a consultant for people who need debt counselling. Some people are hopeless at organising their finances. If you have good skills in money management, this could be a suitable business opportunity. Further information on the subject can be found at http://credit.about.com/money/credit/
Start a homebuyers information service. One of the problems with moving house is that you can never be sure what your neighbours are going to be like. They could be noisy or have mischevious children terrorising the neighbourhood . There may be other numerous drawbacks too. Unacceptable periods of busy traffic, smells emanating from nearby farms or industrial complexes, things that never come to light until you move in. Some individuals are making a good living from offering a service which provides a detailed report of these types of problems. They make a regular survey of the area at different times throughout a specified period. The information and service they provide can often make a big difference in the homebuyers final decision as to whether to buy or not. This is a business that is simple to start and run, but the hours can be unsociable.
Set up your own practice as a health consultant. Courses in reflexology, osteopathy, iridology, homeopathy etc. can be found on the internet. Once training has been completed and suitable qualifications have been achieved, you could set up on your own, or gain experience first with an established practice.
Take a course in hypnotherapy. If successful, set up a personal service helping people overcome there bad habits and phobias. In many cases, hypnosis has helped rid people of their bad habits, such as smoking or biting their fingernails. It`s also been useful in overcoming personal fears, such as fear of spiders, fear of open spaces and fear of heights etc. Being able to help people with these problems can be a very satisfying and lucrative profession. If this sounds like something you would like to do, check the internet for courses available.
Start and run a personal home help service. Busy people, elderly and disabled people often require help in their home to do the cleaning, washing, cooking, ironing and general household chores, which they either don`t have time to do themselves, or can`t because of their incapacity. Advertise your services in the local press.
Become a personal keep fit trainer. This is a service that seems to becoming more and more popular. It`s not just for the rich and famous. A lot of people are much more health conscious these days and are prepared to pay for the privilege of getting expert help in the privacy of their own homes. If you have good communication skills qualifications and have suitable experience in working in health clubs, you will be particularly suited to this kind of work. A lot of your appointments will come through recommendations, but also advertise in your local newpaper.
Set up and run a home shopping service. If you don`t mind shopping for other people, here`s a simple business idea that can benefit those who are housebound through disability. Good organisational skills are required to keep track of each client and their list of requirements. To make it worthwhile, you`ll need a few customers and you need to be able to handle more than one shopping list at a time. Having a small van or estate car will make things easier. Build up a weekly round of about ten clients or more and set a minimum handling charge of at least £5
Train to become a practitioner in acupuncture. Alternative medicine is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world, and acupuncture is perceived to be one of the most effective cures to a variety of ill health conditions. There are courses available where you can learn acupuncture, as well as a number of other techniques in alternative health care. Check the internet for details.

Making money from an online business

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Join a reputable MLM program such as SFI MLM programs are rife on the net but SFI is one of the best and most respected. It is being advertised by literally thousands of SFI associates, simply because it works. It’s free to join and the benefits of being a member are truly awesome! When you sign up you will get your very own personally coded web site to direct people to, just like the one you'll see if you click here
Design a website that appeals to a large identifiable group of people. One of the main aims of an ecommerce website is to try and achieve a high level of sales that wouldn`t ordinarily be achieved without huge expense. A shop on the internet has the potential to reach a worldwide audience, and is always open for business. However, any site that can attract a lot of visitors can also attract high advertising fees by helping promote other businesses. Your site doesn`t necessarily need to sell anything to make money on the internet. Providing your site is popular, you have the chance to make it pay through affiliation. See the step by step guide to creating a popular website
Publish an online newsletter for specialised information. Sell by annual subscription, thousands of copies can be sent online with practically zero cost. Use the services of a mailing list manager such as server.com. Useful articles and other specialised information could be sent monthly to subscribers. The more valuable the information you supply, the higher the fee you can charge for subscription.
Start an online business selling specialised productsYou’re far more likely to succeed selling products online if you deal in a specialised market. For example, items such as custom-made jewellery, pet products, motor sport videos, telescopes, rare coins and a myriad of other niche markets could be sold from a website that targets pople interested in these things. You could also provide a regular newsletter and special offers to keep prospective buyers up to date with news of new items being made available.
Buy and sell internet domain names. As you might already know, domain names are becoming more affordable and in some cases a valuable commodity in which to trade and sell. However, it is generally known that most of the best names have already been taken, but many more are still available and quite a large number which have already been registered, come back into the public domain, as previous owners fail to re-register them. The internet is obviously the ideal place in which to trade. Most domain names up for sale are available through online auctions. Check out and specialised websites. See Ebay.com and afternic.com. To find out what names are available go to dotster.com or 123reg.co.uk
Set up your own internet store without having to stock your own productsIt’s never been easier! You can create your own eCommerce online store in a matter of minutes, stocked with quality merchandise and equipped with credit card processing, order fulfillment and customer service. Click here for more details.
Sell your products on eBay. Almost anything can be sold on eBay. For example, books, videos, software, collectibles, toys, craftwork, prints, posters, paintings, the list is endless. New or old, if you have something you would like to sell, or an idea for starting your own mail order business working from home, eBay is the perfect solution. It’s free to join and you can register at their website. Click here for UK sellers or click here if you live in the USA
Sell ebooks with resale rightsCreating your own ebooks can be very rewarding but also time consuming. Getting resell and reprint rights to existing tried and tested information products is a quick and easy alternative. Once purchased you can resell them for 100% profit. Do a search on Google for 'Resell rights'
Design greetings cards to sell online. If you’re artistic designing a range of greeting cards you can sell online could easily produce a useful source of income. Using a PC and a good quality printer, a variety of designs could be produced based around popular themes. You could also offer a personalised design service. Each design could be adapted to use the name of the buyer. See also the design and print section for more ideas.
Got a website? Join an affiliate program to promote the products and services of established merchants on your website. You do this by adding their advertising banners and text links to your site. A personal recommendation usually works the best. You can earn commissions ranging from 3% up to a massive 50% depending on which affiliate scheme you join. Click here to learn more about affiliate marketing.
Success from mom and pop websites. The interent provides the ideal opportunity to enable people to work from home. There are already thousands of people making a living from their online businesses. All you need is one good idea that is suitable for promoting on the net. You can find out how others have achieved success and are making big incomes online by clicking here
Make money completing online surveysTake a look at the Survey scout website where you can find out how hundreds of companies are willing to pay you for your opinions! It doesn’t matter whether you're retired, a work-at-home mom, student or anyone else looking to make extra cash, SurveyScout will show you how you can use this useful service to make an extra income.
Start your own internet membership siteSome of the largest content rich sites found on the internet today now offer both free and paid membership areas for the content they provide because specialised content is a hot item on the Internet today. It’s also been predicted that it will continue to grow in popularity.A ‘paid membership’ site can reap big rewards to those who can provide specialised content. You can learn more about this growing trend from www.membershipriches.com
Make money from helping others save moneyEveryone wants to save money on their telephone bills and a UK company called ‘Just Dial’ offers exceptionally good discounts for anyone using their service. It’s a good way to make an extra income and can be promoted online and offline. Click here for more details.
Buying and selling through online auctionsA net auction business is a low-cost and low-risk way to dip your toes into the online world of e-commerce. Doing business with people through a net auction enables you to reach an easily identified target maket. People who are interested the items you deal in might also be interested in the same hobby, subject or collectible items that you are which can make it a rewarding and enjoble business to be in.You can learn more about making your net auction sell with the free ebook ‘Make your net auction sell’

more Business ideas that can make money

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Grow and sell your own houseplants. If you have a keen interest in houseplants, and you like growing them in multiple quantities from cuttings taken from mature plants, here is a way you can make extra cash. Start by selling them at car boot sales and outdoor markets. Have a good selection to choose from and sell them at prices that are at least 30% below shop prices. Once a regular site is established, increase sales by finding other sites and build up your stock.
Make your own jewellery and sell by mail order. Alternatively, you could sell your work from a market stall. If you`re really ambitious and have an impressive collection worth putting into a catalogue, consider selling your products on the internet. An online shop and catalogue could be created using suitable e-commerce software and a merchant account.
Start your own used car parts business. Secondhand car parts can be taken from old and late model cars bought from salvage auctions. Thousands of `write-offs` are sold weekly throughout the country, and can be grabbed for amazingly low prices. Good parts can be stripped and sold on to local and mail order customers. When starting out, specialise in one particular make of vehicles, such as Ford or one of the other major manufacturers. You will need a place to store one or two cars at a time and storage for spare parts. You will also need a car transporter trailer, or have contact with someone who can lend or hire you one for transporting cars from auction. Advertise your spare parts business in the Yellow pages.
Sell a range of catalogue goods for firms such as Kleeneeze, Amway or Betterware. These are well established companies with excellent products and a good commission rate for sales. Build up a round of regular customers by leaving a catalogue with people every few weeks. You then call back to collect any orders and deliver the goods as soon as you receive them. You can also build up your own business through introducing and helping new agents from which you will gain an extra small commission on orders taken through them. To begin with, contact the fims mentioned for all the literature which explains the business in full. A small investment is normally required to get started.
Start a greenhouse sales business. Find a supplier or manufacturer of greenhouses who can supply you at trade prices on credit. Advertise your service through canvassing and professionally designed door-to-door leaflets. When established, if business is good, you could employ people on a part-time basis to do the canvassing work for you, while you concentrate on the running of the business, including installation and the satisfaction of your customers.
Buy secondhand student desks, refurbish and sell as computer desks. More and more students and young people are getting there own computer these days, for help with their homework and studies. Many of whom don`t have a proper place to keep their equipment. Usually they get around to buying a computer desk, but new ones can be expensive. Student desks can be purchased cheaply and refurbished, if required, for re-selling. Advertise them as computer desks to get a better response. Local classified advertising in the free advertising publications are as good a place as any to place your ads.
Obtain screws and fixings in large quantities. Package and card them and sell them through hardware shops under your own brand name. Alternatively, sell them by mail order, or at car boot sales along with other inexpensive tools which can be bought at wholesale prices.
Buy and hire out trailers for motor vehicles. There are various types of trailers that people sometimes need to hire. These include box trailers for carrying commercial goods or moving house contents, open trailers for carrying rubbish and equipment or machinery, car transporters for carrying cars, horse boxes for horses and trailer tents for camping. Secondhand trailers can usually be picked up for a reasonable price, as opposed to new ones which are rather expensive. Ensure you have proper insurance cover and a place to store them when not in use. Advertise in the local press and Yellow Pages.
Buy mountain bikes from auctions which deal in unclaimed goods recovered by the police. These bikes usually sell at very low prices. You can refurbish them, if necessary, and resell them. Alternativey, hire them out in busy tourist areas. Ensure all bikes are well maintained and proper insurance is arranged.
Supply and fit replacement kitchen unit doors. This is an excellent way to save money on re-modelling peoples` kitchens, rather than the expensive alternative of purchasing a brand new one. There are a number of firms who can supply these doors at trade prices, allowing you to charge for your fitting service on top of the price of the doors you supply at retail cost. If you`re a dab hand at do-it-yourself, this is a business you could try out with minimum investment.
Start a business buying and selling used sports equipment. All kinds of items could be sold, saving customers plenty of money on new expensive gear. These might include items such as trampolines, pool tables, archery equipment, table tennis tables, badminton nets and rackets, bodybuilding equipment etc. Smaller items are unlikely to be very profitable, so stick to the larger sports goods, for which you`ll need a fairly large van and storage space. Advertise to buy and sell through local and regional newspapers.
Buy and rent out holiday caravans. If you have some money to invest, here is a way you could see good returns on your investment. Thousands of people each year book holidays in caravans. It makes a cheaper alternative for families who can`t afford to go abroad with their children, and for elderly couples who like a quieter holiday near the sea or countryside. There are always well furnished caravans for sale on established popular sites, which is ideal if you want to make them pay. A site fee will need to be paid, which is usually quite reasonable, considering the profit you should make on hiring the caravan out. Always check the costs involved however, and weigh up the likely profits you could make, through the busy and quiet seasons.
Buy and renovate old country cottages in need of repair. On completion, rent them out during the holiday season. Obviously, a fairly large investment is involved in starting and running this kind of business. But property rarely drops in value, providing it`s maintained in a good state of repair. Property auctions are a good place to look for likely bargains, but bear in mind that the type of property you`re looking for needs to be in a suitable location and large enough to accommodate at least five or six people. This will allow you to get the best deal when hiring out.
Start your own mobile welding service. If you have any experience using industrial welding equipment, you should find a reasonable demand for your services. Particularly where motorists are concerned. There are aleays a fair number of people who need welding repairs carried out on their car or van to get it through the m.o.t. With suitable portable equipment and a large enough van to contain it, this is a business which has no shortage of customers for those with the necessary skills.
Set up and run a contract painting company. Commercial and industrial premises, more so than private households, need regular maintenance and cleaning. As a contract painter your goal would be to gain work through contracts for keeping business premises, including shops, industrial units and warehouses, regularly spruced up by painting them when required. This will likely involve interior as well as exterior painting, possibly using special paints in some cases, such as vandal-proof and slip-free paints for floors. Supplies are readily obtainable from trade outlets. All you need is suitable scaffolding platforms, the right type of brushes and spray equipment, plus a good head for heights.
Service and repair gardening equipment. Mowers, rotovators and hedge trimmers occasionaly need replacement parts and their blades often need sharpening, as well as other handheld impliments such as garden shears and edging shears. If this sounds like a service you could provide, all you need to get started are a few basic tools plus a grinder for sharpening. Either work from home or a small business unit, using advertising to attract customers, or start a mobile service with a small van, canvassing homes with gardens.
Breed earthworms for profit. Here is a business that involves very little in the way of expense or any special skills. The main thing required is some unused space in a garden shed or garage. Using propagation boxes, available from gardening centres, plus the right combination of manure, peat and topsoil, earthworms can be bred in copious quantities. There are certain types which are regular fast breeders, and thousands of them can be bred in a relatively short space of time. So who needs earthworms? Well, gardeners and fishermen actually. And they`re quite prepared to pay for them too. For more detailed advice check the internet or your local library for information.
Start a childrens` fancy dress party service. This would involve you supplying a range of party games and costumes for childrens` birthday and christmas parties. The costumes could range from cavemen outfits to spacemen, and designed to fit a variety of different ages between 3 and 12 years. Have the costumes made up by someone reliable and professional. Advertise your service through the local newspapers and Yellow Pages.
Buy and sell pop and rock music memorablia. Any type of music collectors` items, including records, signed autographs, concert posters etc., that might prove popular through mail order advertising. Specialise in the nostalgia periods of the 50`s, 60`s and 70`s for best results. Advertise in music magazines.
Buy and sell secondhand fantasy role-playing games. There are thousands of these type of games available now. By placing an advert in suitable publications, you could find a number of sources from where you can obtain used games. Sellers will often have a collection of games that they may wish to sell. These can then either be resold or rented out through means of an organised club. Profits would be made through mail order sales, or an annual subscription to the club and it`s newsletter.
Learn to become a landscape gardener. Anyone with a good knowlege of plants, lawncare and a flair for creating an attractively laid out garden might consider this as an ideal business to operate part-time, or even full-time, if so inclined. Once your knowledge is sufficient, start your business by advertising in the local and regional press. An assortment of tools will be required, plus transport, plus any artistic materials you need to promote your designs, or to get your clients ideas down on to paper. More detailed planning can be done carried out at home if necessary.
Run an accommodation address service. If you live in a large city you could charge individuals and businesses for the use of your address as a mailing address. This is useful to small mail order businesses who require a more prestigeous address appearing in their advertising. Your involvement in this type of business simply involves you re-mailing letters back to the clients own address, For this you would charge a monthly fee and any postal costs incurred.
Start a signwriting service for business vehicles and shops. If have a good steady hand and an eye for detail, this type of business might interest you. You do need to be fairly artistic though, and a knowledge of various typestyles is almost essential. This can be learned through practice, however, and studying reference material on the subject. If you`re keen to give it a try, start by practicing on painted harboard sheets, using methods outlined in books obtained from your local library or bookstore. When confident, take on a few small jobs to begin with, then advertise in the Yellow Pages.
Buy and sell bankrupt stock or job lots of ex-catalogue goods. Frequently, companies go bust leaving unused remaining stock left to be disposed of. Auction houses are often used as a means of selling off this stock. If you`re a factory worker, party plan agent or a natural salesperson, selling job lots of liquidated or ex-catalogue stock can provide a way to deal in good quality goods at very low prices, and still make a very good profit. Check for lists of auction houses and scour the trade magazines such as `The Trader` for suppliers of ex-catalogue goods.
Start and run a mobile entertainment service for children. Parents who need to keep their children occupied during out-of-school hours and school holidays, or when they are sick, should find this service useful. Music cd`s, videos, computer games, and even young childrens toys are all suitable items for renting out to keep the kids amused. Build up a regular round through a childrens` club membership scheme, and charge a weekly fee when items are hired for the week. Advertise your service with leaflets and door-to-door canvassing.
Set up a driving school teaching advanced driving techniques. If you`re a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, or perhaps even a qualified Approved Driving Instructor, you should consider the possibility of starting a business that runs advanced driving courses to help inexperienced drivers, or those who wish to improve their driving skills. These courses might, for example, include techniques for coping with skidding, driving in adverse conditions, learning to read the road and recognise potential hazards sooner, and even dealing with road rage situations. You don`t need any particular qualifications to teach drivers who have already past their test, but it does look good on your letterheads. If you`re not already a member, join the IAM and take the Advanced Motoring test to sharpen your skills and teaching abilities.
Start a mobile laundry service. This would involve building up a regular round of customers who would require their laundry to be collected, cleaned and delivered, preferably the same day. A useful service for busy people, who don`t have the time to do this chore themselves, and also the elderly or disabled who need a helping hand.
Open a conference room centre. Not as difficult as it sounds actually. If you own a large home in a major city, with equally large rooms, some of these rooms could be converted into small conference rooms, or training rooms for area managers and visiting reps. Standard fixtures might include a desk, a number of chairs, a flipchart or wipeable board and stand, a coffee vending machine, and perhaps a photocopier machine, which would also bring in extra revenue. Some rooms could also be made available for overnight stays. Charges would be based on daily or weekend usage.
Set up and run a rubbish removal service. This could be started using a large pick-up vehicle. Eventually, if business picks up well, you could expand in other directions, either starting a haulage tipper hire service or moving into skip hire. To begin with, advertise your service in the local newspapers and through shop window and leaflet advertising.
A demolition service can also be started on a small scale using a pick-up truck and suitable tools. This might include the deconstruction of small outbuildings or sheds which are no longer needed. Your service would also involve taking the rubbish away. Another possibility is to specialise in removing asbestos buildings and roofs, which requires a degree of expert knowledge and protective clothing. For further advice in this matter, seek expert help and guidance before attempting any form of asbestos removal, which can seriously harm your health if not carried out properly.
Start a business teaching other people how to set up and run a party plan business. If you have any experience in this field of selling, this could be a good opportunity to help others, who have little or no experience in this area, succeed in their new venture. Offer a one day course for people to develop their skills in the various stages of party planning, from arranging the party, through to presention, entertaining guests, getting the orders and obtaining more bookings.
Start a loft insulation service. There are definite advantages in having a loft properly insulated, apart from the obvious one of keeping in the heat. This will lead to noticeable savings on the heating bills. Loft insulation materials are readily available and simple to install. Grants are also available in some cases. The only disadvantage is that the materials used can be very irritating to the skin if protective gloves are not used. But, although this is not a major problem, most people would rather pay a firm to do the work for them. If you think you could offer this type of service, by all means, give it a try.
Set up and run a roof repair service. For most homeowners, roof repairs are inevitable when strong winds take there toll. Whether it`s simply a loose or broken tile, rotten wood eaves, loose cement or a leaking flat roof, repairs are going to need doing eventually. For someone in the roofing business, there`s always another job just around the corner. If you don`t mind working up ladders and on sloping roofs, the opportunity is there to offer a useful service. Fixing tiles is a fairly simple job in most cases, but eventually you may also wish to repair or replace flat roofs which requires a lot more skill. You could learn this process the hard way from books and trial and error, but working for someone else to gain the experience first will be a much more sensible route. When you do decide to start your own business, you can get more work through canvassing and advertising.
Supply and fit fascia boards and soffits. This is a business similar to the one previously described, except you`re not repairing roofs, you`ll be enhancing there appearance by fitting new, more up-to-date materials. The latest products are more durable and easier to maintain than the old wood fascia boards. Materials can often be supplied direct from the manufacturers. All you need to do is learn how to measure and fit them, and hey presto! you`re in business.
Fitting double glazing can be a hugely profitable business when run efficiently. Experience of fitting pvc windows and doors is obviously a distinct advantage, though a well qualified handyman could soon learn the methods involved. Someone who is good at selling could also set up their own double-glazing firm and employ experienced fitters to do the nitty gritty work. Accurate measuring, a knowledge of materials available, and the ability to close a sale, is just as important to the success of the business as the fitting side. There are numerous firms who manufacture there own double glazing units, as well as fitting the windows themselves, and many of them supply individual fitters at trade prices.
Supply and fit custom car products. If you`re mad about cars, this could be a very interesting venture. Lot`s of drivers, especially young males, love to give their cars some individuality. The supply and fitting of car body kits, custom graphics, big bore silencers, alloy wheels and wide tyres could be right up your street. Ideally, a small shop would be a good place to base your business, but you could start building up business through word-of-mouth until established.
Start a mobile karaoke business. Like mobile discos, the karaoke machine has found popularity as a means of spicing up private parties and regular weekly pub night entertainment. With a mobile karaoke machine plus a good selection of music, there should be no shortage of bookings if you have the energy and determination to make this business work. It`s not only profitable, it`s great fun too. For suppliers of professional karaoke equipment, check the home and leisure section of the Exchange & Mart magazine. Advertise your services through the local press and Yellow Pages.
Buy and sell microscopes, telescopes and binoculars. Here is a specialised opportunity to start a small business in a market with relatively little competition. Buying and selling optical equipment of various types through classified advertising. First study the market and what kind of equipment is currently available, as well as researching the value of older equipment through old magazines and other sellers. Advertise in the wanted columns of free ad papers, and re-sell through the same, as well as specialist magazines related to the item you`re selling. Another option is to set up a website on the internet dealing in used optical equipment.
Record and sell your own songs over the internet. Many new bands are taking this route to establish themselves with a wide audience. Some of them are sending their demo CD`s to major music sites where they are being converted to MP3 and played on demand. A lucky few are likely to gain major recognition as professional recording artists.
Buy and sell washing machines. Here is a business that is best run by someone with good mechanical and electrical knowledge of how washing machines work. If you`re experienced in this area you could also run a call out and repair service. Start by buying through classified ads to find the best deals and re-sell for a reasonable profit. When established, consider opening a small shop.
Start a tree and shrub pruning service. Many people with shrubs and trees in their garden don`t have sufficient knowledge of how or when to cut them back to keep them in tip top condition. This knowledge is easily obtained however, through study and research of the appropriate books in your local library. With the right tools a determined person can quickly build up a round of regular customers for whom they can offer this service.

Business ideas that can make money

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Start a mobile snack bar. Various types of food trailers are available, suitable for selling all kinds of edible goodies. Whether it`s hamburgers, beefburgers, chips, sandwhiches or ice-cream, there`s plenty to choose from. A medium-size investment is required, particularly when buying new. But if you can purchase a used trailer in good condition, then you could probably save a fair bit of money. Check out the Exchange & Mart as one source of new and used trailers.. You will need to learn all the regulations related to hygiene, safety and the selling of food in public. But if you find a good location, this type of catering can be very profitable indeed.
Design and make a puppet theatre. Hire out your services as a childrens` entertainer for birthday and xmas parties etc. Put on a show that children love to watch. Advertise your services in the Yellow Papers, but recommendations are the best way to gain more business.
Organise antique fairs. An interest in antiques is desirable, but not essential. Hire a suitable hall and rent out stalls to sellers of antiques. Arrange to advertise the fair through local newspapers and posters. Place a large noticeboard outside the hall to catch peoples` attention and charge a small admission fee.
Open a bed and breakfast house. This is an ideal opportunity for people living in a poular tourist area. If you have two or three spare rooms or more then you`re halfway there. Visitors will require an efficient breakfast service, along with easy access to the bathroom, and a comfortable and clean bedroom. Preferably with extra facilities such as a tv, telephone and wash basin. Also provide tourist information literature for good measure. Advertise in various B&B guides, as well as placing a suitable sign outside, or in your front window. Read article: Bed & Breakfast - The Easiest Home Business
Design and bake unusual party cakes based upon the interests of the person whose party it is. For example, cakes made up in the form of sports equipment, musical instruments, or modes of transport. Cakes of unusual design can also be used for special functions and events where food and drink is being served.
Sell a selection of plants at regular car boot sales. Alternatively, sell them from a roadside stall. Place signs 100 metres from the stall in either direction to inform approaching motorists,
Invent a cartoon character which appeals to people of all ages. Produce a regular short comic strip in a format designed to suit newspapers and general publications. Successful cartoons can sometimes make a lot of money for the inventor. Suggested reading: How to Draw and Sell Cartoons
Buy a large van and offer your services as a roadie for new bands and dee-jays. There are always plenty of young people who are in the process of forming a band and just starting out on the road to hopeful success. Some of these bands are getting bookings and need reliable transport and help to carry their equipment to gigs. There are disk jockeys who would also find this service useful. If you`re interested in the entertainment business, this idea could be right up your street. Contact bands direct, or contact agents who deal with bands to inform them of your service. You might also consider advertising in selected music magazines.
Start a business that specialises in organising trips abroad for sports fans. These excursions could, for instance, be to football matches, motor-racing events, tennis tournaments etc. Advertise your service through local newpapers.
Buy and sell old telephones. People still have fond memories of the old style phones. They also make a nice change from the modern bland phones in use today. But if a sense of nostalgia isn`t your cup of tea, you could always deal in novelty phones. i.e. Mickey Mouse etc.
Start a mailing service for direct mail advertisers. This would involve combining a selection of leaflets or cards advertising various products and services that might appeal to the general public, or names from a specified mailing list. After placing the advertising material together in one professionally designed envelope, the mailing is sent to prospective customers. The fee for this service would be approximately half the cost incurred to advertisers preparing and sending out their own mailshot.
Start a business that removes graffiti. Find out your nearest supplier of industrial cleaning materials and equipment. Advertise your service to local businesses, government bodies and community organisations.
Start your own picture framing business. With practice and the right tools, professional results can be achieved quickly. To get started you`ll need a mitre cutter, a pin hammer, pliers, clamps, a mount cutter, a glass cutter, staple gun and a supply of mounting boards, picture mouldings, glass and hardboard for backing the pictures. Eventually you would need to invest in professional picture framing equipment for fast and accurate mitring and mount cutting. You can advertise your services in the local newspaper.Suggested reading: Home Book of Picture Framing
Open up a collectors museum. The museum would be dedicated to a collection of old items that are fondly remembered and popular with visitors. Themes such as toy trains, vintage toy cars, dolls houses, photographic equipment, film memorablia etc., could be easily displayed in a large house or rented premises. Choose a suitable location within easy reach of a popular tourist spot or large populated area. Charge a small admission fee or apply for government funding.
Start a business organising `Adventure Days Out`. These could include exciting activities such as ballooning, rally driving, off-road driving, abseiling etc. Target business executive types with a direct mail brochure. Activities like these attract a fairly high fee due to their nature. Hire experts with suitable expertise and training ability where required.
Buy and sell used garden furniture thats in good condition. Items might include tables and chairs, picnic benches, garden seats, hammocks etc. Further items could be added later such as overlap fencing panels, garden sheds and if you`re handy at carpentry you could also stock self-made, wooden plant containers and window boxes.
Set up a cleaning service for businesses. Companies with shops, offices, warehouses are all potential customers. The usual simple cleaning materials can be used along with industrial vacuum cleaners and floor polishers. Start small, but think big. Expand your business by employing others as more work comes in. It`s a competitive business, but there`s always room for another reliable and professional service who can deliver the goods at the right price.
Start a walking tourguide service. Research the local history of popular historical tourist spots. Plan a historical tour around places of interest within reasonable walking distance. Inform the local tourist information centre, and leave leaflets for tourists to let them know where to find you. Three or four tours a day, reasonably priced, to guide around a dozen people or more, can be well worth the effort.
Train to be a website designer. If you`re a computer buff with an eye for good design, the internet has opened up a huge opportunity for competent web designers to make a good living, designing websites for businessr. A good grasp of html, java and cgi scripting is essential. An understanding of ecommerce is also obligatory. Thankfully. the process of design, has been made easier by software packages such as Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive and NetObjects Fusion. If your skills need honing a little more, check the internet to see what training courses are available.
Buy and sell secondhand photographic equipment. Either set up a shop or sell via the internet. Used equipment can be advertised as wanted through classified advertising or bought from auction. Check the online auctions also. Research the going rates for particular models and try to buy lower. Keep in mind that some equipment may be collectors` items. You could also sell goods on commission. Advertise in photography magazines and local press.
Start a party plan business specialising in sexy lingerie. Ideal for the ladies, this business can be very profitable and fun to run. Send for a number of catalogues and price lists from varoius suppliers to compare products and prices. Compile a list of the best items and purchase a small stock of each one, using one of each for demonstration purposes. Hand out brochures and order forms at the party and use an attractive friend to demonstrate the goods.
Party plan sales are also ideal for selling a range of products such as perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery and gift items. Good organisational skills and a good sense of humour go a long way to making this type of business a success. Apart from these basic qualities, all you need is a good selection of products to sell at the right price. Check the trade directories and `trader` magazine for sources of supply.Read article: Party Plan Sales Programmes
Specialise in fitting close-circuit security cameras in private homes and commercial outlets. Security cameras are everywhere these days, but there`s still a lot of businesses who don`t have them yet. Plus, the market for home security is huge. Now that video cameras are much more compact and easily fitted, while crime and vandalism continues unabated, there`s great potential for an energetic person to make this business an instant hit. For equipment, check the exchange & Mart and trade magazines.
Start a walk-in solarium business. As an alternative to buying or hiring a sunbed, which takes up a lot of space in the home, a service like this is ideal for everyone seeking a golden tan in double quick time. A capital investment is required for equipment and premises to run the business. The environment should be clean and modern with suitable changing room facilities. Advertise your service in the local press.
Buy and sell keep-fit equipment in good condition. Many people often buy equipment such as exercise bikes, rowing machines, multi-gyms etc., while going through a phase of trying to get fit and healthy. Although some take the alternative route of joining a health club, there are still people who prefer to work out in the privacy of their own homes. If you cater for the latter, you could sell or hire out good quality used equipment at an easily affordable price. This is a business best operated in highly populated areas.
Start a home security firm. This would involve keeping watch on houses and commercial premises on housing estates. An ideal business to run in areas where crime and vandalism are a common problem. For a small monthly fee, individual residents and shop owners would pay you for regularly driving around the area, keeping an eye on their property while they are at work or away in the evenings. As your client list grows so do your profits, while the realatively small overheads involved will diminish. Basically, all you need to get started is a small car or van with security signs printed on, a base to work from, a mobile radio and phone, and a suitable security guard outfit. As the business grows, extra staff can be taken on as required. Obtain work by canvassing door-to-door with suitable ID and credentials.
Set up and run a mobile discotheque. Your business would cater mainly for organisers of private functions, such as engagement parties, wedding reception parties, anniversary parties, 18th birthday parties and so on. If you fancy yourself as a Deejay, that`s fine, if not you can hire someone who does. All you need to get started is a twin record console with amplifier, a set of flashing disco lights, a tape/cd player and a big collection of popular records. Have some well designed business cards printed, and a few small leaflets and posters. Advertise in the local press and the Yellow Pages.
An alternative to running a mobile disco is to hire out the equipment to others. You could also offer a range of equipment that caters for musicians who need replacement gear in an emergency. This could include keyboards, microphones, guitars and drums, plus special effects equipment such as fog machines etc. A fairly heavy investment is required to get up and running, plus it`s a risky business, but looking on the bright side, there isn`t a great deal of competition. Suitable insurance will be required of course, to cover loss or damage, and public liability. This can be a major expense. But if that doesn`t put you off, get your business off the ground advertising in music mags local press, and target potential customers with a well designed brochure.
Arrange day trips to racecourses and other special events. These could include events such as music festivals, major exhibitions or theatrical productions. A regular service could be set up for regular customers, depending on the popularity and nature of the service offered. Racing enthusiasts and football fans might use your services repeatedly. Travel arrangements might include travelling by coach or train, possibly overnight accomodation, and obviously, entry tickets would be included in the overall price. Whatever discounts you can obtain, will of course, become part of your profits. Good organisational skills are a must. Advertise your service in the local press and the appropriate magazines.
Sell antiques from a market stall. Antiques and bric-a-brac can be picked up cheap from auctions, car boot sales and jumble sales, then resold on for a profit. Pay particular attention to collector` items. A good knowledge of antiques is required, but beginners can also learn as they go along. Having an eye for a bargain when scouring the car boot sales can bring surprisingly good results. Sometimes exceptional profits can be achieved if you spot the right item. Research the subject thoroughly. Some excellent books can be found at your local library. They may not be a substitute for years of experience, but everyone has to start somewhere.
Offer a service to transfer cine film on to videotape. This isn`t as difficult as it sounds. Good results can be achieved with a good quality camcorder and a suitable 8mm projector. The trick to getting it right is all in the setting up and the type of projector used. A dual guage projector is best, suitable for standard 8mm and super 8mm films. It will also need to have a variable speed control to get the best results. Once you have the right equipment there are very few overheads in running this type of business, and profits can be good. See also the Photography section.
Design and produce crossword puzzles for magazines. There`s a lot of newspapers and magazines which print crosswords for their readers. Some puzzle magazines are filled with them. If you like the idea of creating your own crosswords, and you`re clever enough to do it, you can sell your creations to make it worthwhile. There`s even computer software available which can help you along the way, Check the internet for sources.
Start a business organising boat trips at a popular seaside resort or lakeside tourist area. A suitable used boat could be bought, or hired from a local boat owner. If you lack boating experience, hire someone who does. If the person you hire owns the boat, then arrange to split the profits. Sell tickets from a nearby booth in a prominent position to attract passing tourists and promote your business through local shops and tourist information centres.
Make up a number of attractive hanging baskets, each containing a colourful floral arrangment. Sell them by calling on residents who live in upmarket residential areas. Carry them around in a brightly painted handcart or a suitable small van. Suggested reading: Beautiful Hanging Baskets
Buy and sell, or hire out, good quality tents and camping equipment. There`s lots of people who have bought tents and only used them once or twice. Thinking they might use it again sometime, they store the tent away. Eventually they realise they will probably never use it again. Like many things, tents and camping equipment are often just bought on a whim. By taking advantage of this fact, you can often pick up some real good bargains and resell or hire them out for profit. Advertise in the classified wanted ads so you can pick and choose the best from what you see. Buy at the end of the summer months to get the best deals. Ideally, a small shop or unit would be used to set up the business. To start with though, you could work from home using a large garage for storage.
Are you good with figures? Train to become a book-keeper. There are lots of small businesses who need the services of a good book-keeper. Chartered accountants charge a steep hourly fee for their book-keeping services. Which means you will have no trouble finding work, if your rates are more reasonable. After training, you should be able to keep simple records, balance the books and fill in tax returns for any small business. Check your local futher education centres, advertises of correspondence courses and information on the internet for courses available in book-keeping.
Start a business which designs and makes lucky charm key rings and bracelets. These could include items such as a lucky horseshoe, rabbit`s foot, or four-leaf clover made in a plastic, silver, gold or enammelled design. The best ideas can be sold through gift and souvenir shops. Another possibility is to produce personalised key rings or bracelets with peoples names on them.
Buy and sell cherished number plates. Private number plates are hugely popular in the UK. Start by buying plates at auction and resell while advertising for more plates to buy. Check the transfer regulations and become familiar with the documentation required. You`ll need to become familiar with plate values, what sells well and what doesn`t. Some plates can be worth a small fortune. Build up your selection for sale and advertise in motor magazines, Exchange & Mart and Autotrader.
Sell music cassettes, cd`s and videos from a market stall. New and used products can be sold together. For used items, advertise in the wanted section of local newspapers, and national magazines. Offer the best going rate for good quality merchandise. Add approximately thirty percent profit on goods resold. You could also sell by mail order once a large stock has been built up.
Buy and sell toy train sets and accessories for enthusiasts and collectors. Although electronic toys have become the main attraction for young children, there is still a market for toy trains, not only for children, but a generation of adult enthusiasts who still enjoy it as a hobby. Advertise in the wanted column of your local paper. Sell through train magazines by mail order and collectors fairs.
Organise secondhand book sale events. Hire a small hall, set up some stalls and invite people to sell their old book collections. Charge a small entrance fee and a basic charge to stallholders. Where possible, organise a place for visitors to sit down and provide suitable refreshments.
Start a walking menu board service. Not as popular as it used to be, but still a useful service. Ideal for students who need a bit of pocket money. If you make the right contacts through canvassing and supply the advertising boards, you could pay other students to work for you, while you take some commission for yourself. A dozen small contracts should make it worthwhile.
Start a business organising city tours by bus, or coach excursions to historical sites of interest. An open top double decker bus would be ideal for city tours, or a single decker for out-of-town trips. Arrangements could be made to hire these vehicles if purchase is out of the question. Advertise the tours in busy tourist areas and through tourist information centres.
Specialise in selling sports trainers. Buy from wholesale sources and sell from home. Alternatively, sell by party plan or set up a market stall. Sell locally at below shop prices and build up your sales through word of mouth.
Produce and sell a range of wooden floor sculptures. These for example, could be based on wild animals such as bears, wolves or african animals i.e. giraffes, tigers, lions etc. They can be made to stand on a wooden or stone base, or as a freestanding ornament. Sell through upmarket furniture stores.
Start a sandwhich round catering for local businesses. Many businesses, particularly firms which are situated out of town and on industrial estates, often don`t have the luxury of a works canteen, or even have the good fortune of having a local shop nearby. This would serve as a good opportunity to set up a mobile sandwhich delivery service providing an assortment of different kinds of sandwhiches and drinks. You will of course need to comply with certain food hygiene laws and provide a way for customers to order and receive their orders within a reasonable time. For instance, orders placed before 10 a.m. will be received by 12 noon. To get started, canvas firms that aren`t already being catered for, leaving a suitably impressive menu and pice list. Gradually, as your business builds up, take on extra staff to meet demand.

Making money from manufacturing

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Design and make a selection of fancy dog collars and coats. Items like these can be made from various fabrics and leathers. Produce a range of sizes for different breeds of dog. Have them carded and packaged in cellophane bags for display. Sell through pet shops and mail order advertising.
Design and make knitwear for babies and young children. Research current trends to see what sells best. Consider using knitting nachines for producing items in small quantities and sell through babyshops, childrenswear outlets and by mail order.
Make coffee tables in wood using attractive glass-covered tabletop designs. For example, use reprints of ancient geographical maps or floral designs. Alternatively, use small attractive wall tiles or a mosaic design.Sell your finished products through local furniture retail outlets.
Make and sell pine bathroom fitments. Items such as towel rails, toothbrush and toilet paper holders, bathroom cabinets and even bath panels are not beyond the skills of a good amateur carpenter. Kitchen accessories such as spice racks and plate racks are also worth considering. The nice thing about pine is that it can be stained in a variety of colours to suit a customer`s colour scheme.
Design a range of comfy beds for pets. Although there are various designs already available, you may be able to come up with something new that might catch on and find a space in the market. Sell your designs by mail order and through pet stores when firmly established.
Use wood logs to make rustic bird tables, bird boxes and feeders. Look at the designs already on the market and make yours better or different. Set up a small production line to make them in quantity and supply garden centres direct. If you`re not too ambitious, and just want to make some occasional extra cash, sell them at car boot sales.
Design and make colourful quilts for children. Use your imagination and come up with a range of designs that you think will sell well. Ask a number of children what kind of design they would like to have on their quilts. Combine their ideas to produce something new and exciting. Sell your designs by mail order, through shops, or your own market stall. If you can`t make the quilts yourself, employ part-time workers to make them for you.
Produce your own range of electrical leads. Find a supplier or manufacturer who can supply you in bulk at discounted prices. Put together sets of extension leads in various sizes and number of sockets. e.g. long leads with one socket for gardeners and do-it-yourselfers, 2-way and 4-way sockets for indoor electrical appliances etc. If you`re a whizz at soldering, you might also consider producing a variety of audio and video leads. Package your products in cellophane bags with a stapled header card advertising your product and business name. Sell through hardware stores or market stall.
Produce a series of compact disks and audio cassettes that feature copyright free music. These would sell to amateur video makers and businesses such as restaraunts who play background music. Promote your recordings as mood music and ensure that each track creates the right type of atmosphere for it`s intended use. Instrumentals work best. Advertise your CD`s and cassettes in video magazines and suitable trade publications.
Design and manufacture wooden souvenir items to sell through gift shops. Items such as letter racks, book-ends, coasters, place mats, etc. Incorporate photographs of scenic beauty or well known landmarks into the design.
Set up a business making a range of self-supporting hammocks. These can be made using strong metal or wooden A-frames linked together. Sell by mail order or supply garden centres at trade prices. Have illustrated leaflets printed for each model.
Start a business making fibreglass models for commercial use. These models would be used for promotional purposes. For example, a large ice-cream cone could be used alongside the company sign of an ice-cream shop or manufacturer. Or how about a large bowling ball to represent a ten-pin bowling alley. The possibilities are numerous. If you think you have the skills or knowledge to set up this kind of business then make a business plan first and do some market research. Customers can be found through canvassing commercial and industrial outlets.
Design and make fashion clothes. If you`re artistic with a good fashion sense, you can design your own range of clothes for men or women or both. Have your designs photographed using attractive models and sell them direct from your own website on the internet. Or through shops who are willing to sell your designs. Suggested reading: Pattern-making for Fashion Design
Design and manufacture giant soft toys. Children love to see giant teddy bears, tigers and elephants, and the multitude of other possibilities. And although not all parents are willing to pay the extra price for the extra-large versions, toy stores love to display them. Produce a set of designs and samples. Create a catalogue and price list, and send them out to prospective buyers.
Manufacture imitation wooden beams. Obtain a small number of real wooden beams, preferably oak, and make fibreglass moulds from each one. These moulds can be filled with polyurethane foam, with a suitable colour additive, and used to reproduce copies of the original. You can then sell them by mail order or through selected diy centres.
Start a business making shower curtains. Using a selection of colourful waterproof materials, aluminium tubing, and plastic curtain rings, you could quite easily manufacture your own brand of shower curtains. Poles used to support the curtain should be adjustable to fit different size bathrooms. These can be made similar to the extendable clothes poles found in some wardrobes. Package your designs in a box and sell them through diy shops and bathroom centres.
Design and make stencil kits for d.i.y. decorators. The type used for adding flowery patterns etc., on walls. Check to see what the latest designs are on the market and try to come up with something different and original. Package and sell your own brand of kits through d.i.y. hardware and wallpaper stores.
Start your own business designing, making and selling bath robes for men and women. Design them with a special motif. Contact all clothes shops and department stores that sell nightwear to see if they will stock your designs.
Design your own range of personalised mugs. The type which have a variety of popular names printed on them. Have yours produced by a pottery firm who can supply and print your designs in specified quantities. Find a supplier of suitable display racks or a firm that can make them up for you. Have them placed in gift shops and other suitable outlets.
Design and make ottomans for childrens` bedrooms. Use colourful fabrics that appeal to children. Ottomans make excellent storage places for bedlinen or as a place to store the childrens` toys. Aim to sell them through furniture stores and shops that specialise in bedroom furniture and accessories.
Start a business making and selling waterproof cushions for garden furniture. Many types of garden seats are purchased without cushions included, which often means they aren`t as comfortable to sit on as they could be. A business selling custom-made waterproof cushions should be able to find plenty of customers. You could also make replacement covers for sunlounges, which become too worn or dirty to clean. Advertise in home and garden magazines and sell by mail order and through local advertising.
Design and manufacture work overalls. If you have experience in the clothing business, either through factory work or shop management, you should have enough inside knowledge to know what equipment is required to set up a small production line in turning out overalls suitable for various type of businesses. Orders can be taken for custom-made designs, including sewn-on business logos or identity tags. Start by canvassing local production firms. Expand the business by taking on extra staff and purchasing more machinery.
Make and sell fancy dress animal costumes. These could be full-size adult or childrens` costumes in a variety of designs. Costumes can be made for pantomines or carnival processions, as well as private fancy dress parties and other functions. Some costumes can be hired out, as well as being sold. Advertise your service in the Yellow Pages, on the internet and through magazines specialising in leisure and entertainment pursuits.
Start a business selling loose cushion covers and arm rest covers for three-piece suites. An assortment of attractive designs can be made, either for individual custom-made orders or a catalogue of standard non-exclusive designs. Custom-made orders will obviously be more expensive, as standard designs can be made from material bought in bulk at higher discounts. Advertise your service in local newspapers and through mail order.
Manufacture and supply a range of wooden gates in various sizes. These could be tall side and back door gates, small single garden gates, small double driveway gates, as well as large garage gates and even field gates. You don`t need to be an expert carpenter to get started, you can employ someone else to do the elbow work while you organise the marketing side, getting orders through canvassing and advertising. After all, most successful businesses are built up through good managerial skills, not through doing everything yourself.
Make and sell denim clothes and accessories. If you`re a dab hand at sewing, consider making denim bags, hats, purses, moneybelts, shopping bags or even waistcoats out of denim. Items made to a high standard will sell through clothes shops and market stalls. Canvass suitable outlets when you have a set of samples and designs to show.
Make and sell wooden coat racks with brass hooks. Here`s a simple product that almost anyone can do with a few simple tools. Pieces of wood about 2ft x 6in (60cm x 15cm) and chamfered edges can be stained or coloured and have four brass hooks screwed to them to make rather elegant hall coat racks. Similar designs can be used in various sizes and shapes for different rooms. A further possibility is to make upright coat and hat stands in a modern design using 2 x 2 timber. With a little imagination new design ideas can be dreamt up to produce something out of the ordinary. One idea that springs to mind, which I saw in a catalogue recently, was a vertical coat stand that was made and painted to look like a giant pencil. A great idea for a childrens room.
Make and sell big soft hand puppets for children. Use your imagination to create a range of your own designs. Like the Muppets and Sesame Street, your designs could vary in size from medium to very large. Approach toy stores to sell them in quantity or by mail order through selected magazines.
Design and make humorous novelty caps to sell through souvenir shops. These might include way out designs such as giant eyes growing out on stalks, or a miniature oasis with palm trees. Let your imagination run riot. Simpler designs with funny messages could also be added to the range.
Start a business making and supplying leather belts to mens and ladies fashion shops. Belts in different colours with a variety of buckle types could be made in different styles. If you have never tried making leathergoods before, contact a craft supplier to find out what is involved and what materials are available.
Make and sell wood dog kennels and scratch posts for cats. These are items that are not too difficult to make by someone with a little woodworking experience. But they are also the type of things that are always in demand by pet owners who are quite happy to pay for them rather than attempt to make them themselves. Other wood items such as rabbit hutches and bird cages could also be considered. Sell your designs through pet stores or by mail order from advertisements placed in pet magazines.
Design and make doggie quilts for dog baskets. For someone who prefers sewing to working with wood, here`s another idea for pet lovers. For dogs (or cats) with their own basket, a soft warm quilt is one way to pamper them, using designs which add a nice touch. For instance, a quilt for dogs could have a cover with printed pictures of bones or various breeds of dogs on it. Other designs can be left to your imagination. You could sell your products by mail order or through pet stores.
Design, make and sell maternity wear for expectant mothers. Here is an area of clothing where your designs will be up against less competition, but could still be sold through numerous outlets throughout the country. It`s also an opportunity to provide good designs by mail order through selected magazines, with a more easily identified target readership.
Make and sell leg warmers, scarves and woollen hats for children. Using colourful designs which appeal to children, your products can be sold through childrens clothes shops and department stores with a childrens clothing section. Start small selling through local shops at first, then if successful, expand your business by taking on extra workers and more efficient machinery.
Make and sell wooden stilts for children. Here`s a simple idea for anyone who likes making things from wood. Children love to play on stilts, and to make it more interesting you might try to come up with some unique and colourful designs, rather than plain wood. For example, painting black and yellow stripes on them like the colours of a honey bee, or painting lizard scales on them, or alternatively, try adding something extra such as flashing lights which look great in the dark.
Design and make wood climbing frames for children. Try to produce inventive designs that encourage children to use their imagination. For example, some frames could be made in the shape of an aeroplane, or a rocketship. Paint them in attractive colours and sell them through a mail order catalogue.
Start a business making and selling mirrors. You could start by putting mirrors into various frames of standard sizes to enable you to purchase stocks of mirror glass in discount quantities. Sell them direct from a stall or at trade prices to various shops, if you can get big enough orders. Further possibilities might include the supply and fitting of large mirrors into peoples bathrooms and bedrooms to create the illusion of larger rooms. You might also consider finding a trade supplier of mirrored wardrobes and supply and fit these as well.
Manufacture a range of headboards for beds in traditional and classic designs. Padded headboards and wooden headboards are probably the easiest type to begin with. Also consider expanding into making complete beds such as single and double slatted pine beds, bunk beds and even four-poster beds. An industrial unit would be ideal for such a business. Start by making contacts and taking orders from small furniture shops and work your way up.
Design and produce a range of novelty candle holders. Various designs can be made from wood, metal or resin, depending on your preference. Sell your designs through craft suppliers or make your own candles as well and sell through gift shops.
Make and sell wedding dresses. A talented seamstress could make a good part-time income from creating high quality wedding dresses working from home. Designs can be based on the customers own individual taste from a range of existing designs or custom-made. You can either work for yourself or for an established bridalwear shop. If you`re really ambitious you could always make it your goal to open your own shop and work full-time.
Design, make and sell aprons in various styles. Cookery aprons, woodworking aprons, waitresses` aprons are some of the immediate options that come to mind.. Designs can be frilly, chequered, humorous or practical. But the main point is, there`s a wide range of possibilities. For someone with sewing experience this could be the perfect small business to set up. Products could be sold through various shops or direct to businesses such as hotels and restaraunts who require these items of clothing.
Make and sell oven gloves and ironing board covers. Simple ideas, but when sold in quantity to retail outlets, a small business could easily be built up into a very profitable business in a fairly short time.
Start a business manufacturing stone slabs and wall bricks for gardens. For someone with plenty of energy, this is a business which can be started part-time, at little cost, and quickly develop into a lucrative full-time business. To get started you simply need a few moulds and some raw materials for mixing and casting. As a place to work, a large garage or small rented unit would be ideal to start with. It can get a little bit messy, so you`ll need a place where you`re not going to be disturbed. Your finished products can be sold direct to the public from an illustrated leaflet, and by advertising a delivery service. Or when you can reach a regular high volume of work, through various building and gardening supply firms.
Make and sell novelty clocks. It may surprise you that making your own clock designs is not as complicated as it sounds. Inexpensive clock mechanisms, complete with hands can be purchased and used in any type of picture design you can think of. There`s already been star trek clocks, exotic car clocks and numerous other designs made using simple flat picture backgrounds on a wooden base. Plates with pictures have also been used to produce clocks on plates. If you can think up something new and interesting, theres no reason why you couldn`t make and sell your own range of clock designs.
Design and produce a range of car seat covers and car boot liners. Once a set of basic templates are produced to suit a variety of seat designs, it`s mainly a choice of which materials to use. Industrial sewing machinery will be required and a reliable source of material suppliers. Sell your products direct by mail through illustrated diplay advertisements in selected car magazines.
Produce and sell home decor products in plaster. Items such as ceiling roses, doorway arches, columns, statuettes and even fire surrounds can be produced using plaster moulds. Check the internet for suppliers of equipment and materials. Create your own catalogue of products and sell by mail order and local advertising.
Design and make small fluffy animals that double as air fresheners for cars. Design them so that they hang on a chord or spring and stick to car windows using rubber suckers.
Make and sell your own brand of honey or jam. Design your own label, find a reliable supplier of glass jars, package and sell your products through small retail outlets until you can establish a reputable business and good profits. If you want to expand further, and sell a higher volume through supermarkets, plough your profits back into the business by setting up a production line and taking on extra staff as well as investing in suitable machinery. Suggested reading: Jams, Preserves and Other Edible Delights
Make and sell your own brand of sauces. As an alternative to the previous example, you might try producing your own sauce mixture, and package it in bottles. Obviously, as with any form of food manufacturing, a good knowledge of food hygiene and preperation is essential. Follow the same procedure as previously described by canvassing small retail outlets first, then larger food stores when turnover reaches an appropriate level.
Set up a business making and selling small wood products. For example, tidy trays, tool boxes, bread boards, candle holders, mug trees etc. Using a suitable woodturning lathe and a few power tools, a capable woodworker could quickly set up a small manufacturing business turning out products in various types of wood for selling through hardware stores and gift shops. With a range of high quality products you might also consider supplying a chain of larger stores. Supermarkets and department stores usually have a section which sells these type of products.
Make and sell upholstered footstools. Another idea for the woodworker who also has some experience of upholstery. Not as popular as they used to be, but still a saleable commodity. Good quality designs can be sold through small furniture stores and department stores.

Making money from mail order and direct mail

2008-04-19T10:42:00.002-07:00

Start a mail order business supplying materials and equipment for artists and craftworkers. Build up a catalogue of products and advertise in arts and crafts magazines. Compile a list of suppliers by researching trade directories at your nearest reference library. See below for recommended reading on how to start a mail order busines.
Start up your own business selling health foods and supplements. There`s a huge market now for health products, most of which are light and easy to post, making them an ideal mail order product. Decide on which products to sell, there`s a vast range available. Find a reliable source of supply, then have a mail order catalogue printed. Advertise in health and leisure magazines. One way to get a feel for this type of business is to work as an agent for one of the leading companies then set up on your own.
Sell your products on eBay. Almost anything can be sold on eBay. For example, books, videos, software, collectibles, toys, craftwork, prints, posters, paintings, the list is endless. New or old, if you have something you would like to sell, or an idea for starting your own mail order business working from home, eBay is the perfect solution. It’s free to join and you can register at their website. Click here for UK sellers or click here if you live in the USA
Supply jewellery making products by mail order. Making custom-made jewellery is a popular pastime for many people. A good reliable supplier can quickly build up a regular customer base, with repeat orders almost guaranteed from satisfied customers. As with all good mail order suppliers, ensure your catalogue and price list are professional in appearance and competitively priced. Try to cater for a wide range of tastes. Promote the art of jewellery making as an immensely enjoyable creative art, perhaps including one or two good illustrated `how-to` booklets in your catalogue as well.
Candle-making supplies are also good products for selling by mail order. Sell to craftworkers who like making candles for pleasure or resale. Write to the main suppliers listed in any of the craftworkers trade directories, requesting prices and supply information, using a business letterhead. Compare prices before deciding what to stock. Compile a catalogue and advertise it in the most suitable hobby magazines.
Start a mail order business selling books and videos relating to astronomy. Other items could include a regular newsletter and special offers on telescopes for beginners. Advertise in the appropriate science and astronomy magazines.
Start a printing service that you can operate by mail order. This way you can reach a wide range of customers. Include a free design service in your price. Specialise in short runs of between 50 and 500 to cater for new small businesses. Your products could include letterheads, business cards, leaflets, compliment slips, ID cards, membership cards and invitations. Inkjet and laser printers are now very affordable and easily up to the job for short print runs. Good design work can be produced using a desktop publishing package such as Adobe Pagemaker. Advertise your services in the Exchange & Mart and business magazines that are aimed at new businesses.
Start a mail order business selling sketches of famous people. Movie stars, sports personalities, pop singers etc., are all suitable subjects. You could also specialise in doing a range of sketches of one particular person. e.g. Elvis, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, or someone as equally famous. Advertise your catalogue of sketches in film and entertainment magazines.
Sell business manuals and self-improvement guides by post. This is one of the most popular mail order businesses to get into. Which means there`s a lot of people out there trying to do the same thing. Unfortunately, not everyone succeeds at it. Like every successful mail order business, it takes careful planning and good organisational skills. Anyone can buy a money-making guide with reproduction rights and try to sell it. The best way to get started however, and save yourself some money, is to write and self-publish your own manual, and see if it sells. You could even try selling it over the internet. Click here to learn more.
Produce a mail order catalogue for selling a range of magic tricks and practical jokes. These type of products are always popular but not so easy to get hold of. A well prepared catalogue advertised in the right places could prove to be a good little money-spinner.
Sleep products are a good mail order seller. Any device that helps people sleep or reduces snoring will prove popular in the classified ads. Invite people to send for further information and send them an illustrated brochure or catalogue by return post. Use a persuasive sales letter to accompany your price list and order form, extolling the benefits of a good nights sleep. You can advertise these products in practically any popular magazine with a large circulation.
Sex aids are another big mail order seller. As you might guess, not everyone feels comfortable going into a shop to purchase these type of products. A mail order business set up to provide an exciting range of naughty toys and sexy underwear can hardly fail, providing a sensible approach to business is maintained. Seek out suppliers through suitable trade directories and magazines such as `The Trader`
Produce a series of audio cassettes for helping people relax. There are numerous books written about stress relief and self-hypnosis techniques. Take the best advice from these books and devise a script that can be recorded on tape to help people overcome their tension and fears. Use a professional speaker with a relaxing voice if your`s is not suitable for the job. Sell your tapes by mail order in various magazines with a classified ads section.
Specialise in selling sports videos by mail order and on the internet. Compile a catalogue of boxing videos, football videos, snooker, cricket, motor-racing and rallying videos. In fact any type of sports video that features famous or exciting events to bring a little nostalgia into peoples lives. That`s what makes these videos sell well. Advertise predominently in sports magazines and through your own ecommerce website on the internet.
Sell telephone answering machine messages on tape. There`s a wide range to choose from, including famous lines from movies, humorous remarks, poetry and lots more. Check the internet for supply sources. Advertise in the free classified ad papers and other general publications.
Write and self-publish a guide to caring for houseplants. Alternatively, a guide to growing outdoor plants or vegetables should also prove popular. If you would rather sell existing titles on these subjects, then see what`s available and find a reliable source of supply. Compile a catalogue and advertise in the classified ads of gardening magazines.
Become a mailing list broker. Lots of companies rent mailing lists for use in their direct mail advertising campaigns. Many firms who sell mailing lists either sell them by direct mail themselves or through mail order advertising. The easiest way to get started is to compile your own. If this sounds like a business you would like to try out, then find out more by reading 'Mailing List Services on Your PC' available from Amazon.com
Start a business selling self-improvement videos and audiocassttes. This could be a suitable companion business to selling self-improvements books, as mentioned previously. Videos might include titles relating to keeping fit, losing weight, self-defense, make-up techniques and so on. Audio cassttes might include topics such as `How to stop Smoking` etc.
Produce a mail order catalogue specialising in chess pieces. Include various designs and d.i.y. kits for people who want to make their own. Find a supplier who can provide you with all the necessary products. These will include latex moulds, casting powder, resins, colour additives, felt for the bases etc. You might even try designing your own chess pieces using a material such as clay to make the master. Advertise your catalogue in hobby magazines. Any chess sets that you create yourself can be sold through gift and souvenir shops.
Sell science-fiction and fantasy books, plus American and british comic books by mail order. Contact suitable suppliers and import the American titles on a regular basis. You could also deal in the thousands of secondhand titles which are also available, and buy and sell them at the various comic book fairs around the country. Advertise your mail order service through subject-related magazines.
Produce an audio cassette training course in salesmanship or how to run a mail order business. If you have experience in either field, this could be a very profitable project. Audiocassettes are easy to duplicate in large numbers once the master tapes have been produced. Compile the course first, using outside help if required, and hire a small recording studio to produce the master tape on to high quality audio tape (digital if possible) or CD rom. Use an audio cassette tape deck to duplicate your tapes and add self-adhesive pre-printed labels to each one. Advertise by mail and send them to customers in a well designed package, along with any necessary printed material.
Design a new stress-relieving gadget for busy executive types. Product ideas should be kept simple, but fun to use. It should obviously offer some kind of therapeutic physical or mental relaxation. Prototypes could be made from wood and other materials readily available. Finished products could be marketed by direct mail. Use a professionally printed full colour leaflet, extolling the virtues of your new stress-relieving device.
Produce a business directory listing firms offering specialised services. For example, services related to computing, web design and advertising. Promote it by direct mail to various businesses. Have it professionally printed and sell advertising space to selected firms appearing in the directory.
Start a business selling ladies lingerie by mail. These type of goods are extremely popular and very easy and light to post. They make an ideal mail order product. Advertise in various magazines and send a fully illustrated catalogue to all enquirers. You could specialise in lingerie designed for ladies with a fuller figure. For the more adventurous, a nice range of sexy underwear should bring in a good response. When business picks up, you might consider expanding into other areas of sexy clothing to suit a variety of different tastes.

Making money from an online business

2008-04-19T10:42:00.001-07:00

MAKE MONEY ONLINE

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Making money from an online business

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