Friday 31 October 2008

Make a Calendar and Sell It

There is a very simple way to make some extra money, the only ting you need is a digital camera and Internet access. There are no other costs involved other than a little time and effort. It can be done alongside working full time. What is it? The title says it all; make a calendar and sell it.

This isn't some Blue Peter project with sticky back tape involved this is a professionally designed and sellable product. There is a company called Lulu.com who help people self-publish books, they also help people design and make calendar and have all the software you need to do this on line. You don't even have to buy them to resell as they are made to order from customers direct from their website. All you have to do is design your calendar and tell everyone were it can be bought.

The construction of the calendar is the easy part, the harder part is getting people to buy them, so you will have to spend a bit of time telling everyone about it, advertise on your own website if you have one, use it in you email signature, ads in local press, shop windows and all the normal places where you will find potential customers.

There is the option to buy some in bulk and resell them for a profit, that way you will have the product to hand to show people, this will be easier to sell, i.e. eBay, car boot sales, jumble sales etc. You will of course be investing and most who want to earn a little extra cash don't want to commit money up front as there are no guarantees.

The calendar will only be as good as the photographs, 12 obviously. Some sort of theme that will appeal to certain groups, i.e., pictures of dogs or cats, dog and cat lovers will buy these or get one as a present for family or friends. You don't have to just have one calendar, but you can design as many as you want to cater for more people with numerous themes.

You don't even have to have the calendar to start from January, you may start from any month of the year, that way sales won't just be seasonal.

Finally, you will probably also save money by using the calendar as presents or gifts to friend and family, not only that it could be made up of family or friends photographs, which is a nice touch.

The site can be found here: www.lulu.com




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Tuesday 28 October 2008

Sandwich Boards Advertising Work

Sandwich Boards Advertising WorkYou don't need any skills to do this job, it is just a case of walking around for hours on end with some advertising windshield equipment hung you. The pay isn't that good, but then what do you expect from this kind of job. This is the picture most people get of sandwich board advertising work. The classic portrayal of a sandwich board advertising to me was the advertisements that preached 'The World is Doomed', this of course religious extroverts on a mission but it still rings bells in my head.

For a more definitive description, the job could entail, wearing signboards and walking amongst the public to advertise merchandise, services, or belief. The job might include distributing handbills to passers-by or/and wear costume to attract attention. There is also work that is contracted through labour organizations as a designated Picket for certain Labour Unions or Religious movements.

Many people actually do this job not for the love of the job but solely for the money. In London you can get up to £5 an hour for this. Minimum wage stuff really, but it is money all the same. Many unskilled expatriates who flood into town and cities take up this job as they can't speak English and can put up with the boredom it brings. This pays for their food and rent, but not much else; they seem quite content with this work.

If you are desperate for extra dosh then this may well be a card up your sleeve that you can use. As for a full time profession, you won't get any stimulation from the work so you might want to do it for a short term.

Some have described this job at the worse they have ever done, but I feel that is an over-statement and made from those who just did the job to give them something to write about. There are far worse jobs than this and for poorer pay. After all you are actually getting paid for walking around doing nothing so it can't be that bad.

Sandwich Boards Advertising WorkMuch of the work advertising through the sandwich board medium is now geared towards bigger billboards, not just sandwich boards. These can be as tall as three metres as more people in crowded streets will see the ad. This of course means that there is more effort needed in carrying it around and indeed can be quite hazardous if dropped or taken away with a strong wind.

It may be that this kind of work is now going to become extinct in some cities. London has already taken steps to ban sandwich board advertising in Westminster and this may well spread to other areas of London, then springboard into other cities.

If you have time on your hands, live in a big city and don't mind walking the streets as the meat in the sandwich, you may want to try this work. The best method to find this kind of work is to look in the local shop windows for ads, check out your local job centre, or the most effective way is to look for other sandwich board workers and go to their sponsors' workplace and ask for work there.

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Friday 24 October 2008

Making Paper Bricks for Savings and Earnings

Making Paper Bricks for Savings and EarningsMaking money is something we all want to do but the is a balance to be made. Saving money is just as important as making money. With this idea you have the best of both worlds. You willbe saving money and making money at the same time. Also the added bonus is you will be helping the environment by making use of waste products.

The idea is simply making woodburning bricks from paper. The only outlay you need fork out on is a paper brick compresser, which can be bought for around £10 - £25! That's it, the rest is just collecting or getting everyone's local wastepaper and turning it into your own heat and saving on electric, gas or coal/wood bills or making a bit by selling them to others who have woodburning systems.

This innovative system is something I used to do in England and it faired very well in supplimenting my fuel bills but didn't take advantage of selling to others. Now in Bulgaria, I still use this system but paper is at a premium in Bulgaria as most Bulgarians hang onto their own waste paper for exactly the same reason.

A description of a typical system brick making system from waste paper is given as follow:

Environmentally friendly logmakers enable you to recycle your waste paper into fuel. Logs will burn as well as wood for up to an hour at a controlled rate in a fire grate or woodburning stove. Help conserve forests, reduce landfill and save on heating costs by using newspaper, junk mail, shredded paper, cardboard, wood chippings, and wrapping paper as fuel.

Making Paper Bricks for Savings and EarningsIf you have a storage space such as a shed or a covered 'lean to' area, you can build up your stores during the year and they should dry out from a few weeks to a few months depending on the season. Imagine how much you can save by using these instead of coal or wood! Imagine how much you could get per kilo if you conpare it to coal and wood prices. There is a handsome profit to be made out of this for such as small investment.

It is so easy I don't know why more people aren't doing it.

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Wednesday 22 October 2008

Sandwich Selling

Having spent many years working in an office without canteen facilities I just didn't have time to make a packed lunches. The highlight of the day was the morning visit of the sandwichman. He used to come in everyday at around 10:00 with lovely soft, fresh sandwiches which we bought for our lunch. They were homemade, delicious and cheaper that any that we would waste our lunchtime queueing up waiting for sterile food.

Nowadays there is still a big need for this service but the health and safety requirements are a neccessity. If you have a passion for food and love preparing food and have some transport you are halfway there.

I am not going to give advice on the how to make sandwiches, if you don't know how to make a sandwich now, then perhaps this business isn't for you.

This type of business can be made as big or as small as you want. If it is done privately money can be made from small businesses or factories where workers want an alternative meals offered there and then. This will be in demand as it will save them time and money. Many workplaces are confined to using vending machine snacks and are quite discontent with this form of meal. There is still many areas that have the potential to earn money.

The first thing you need to do is check out the competition in the area where you are going to work. The first port of call may be your family and friends work places. If they are not interested alwasy ask if they know anywhere else that you can try. Funny but asking this you can use their company name who recommend you go there, more chance of business with name dropping happens this way. Don't forget to drop a few business cards with them, you may get orders later on with this.

Going into the business with a partner you can trust is a good idea, the profits will be halved but the practical side of two people running a little business like this is better. More ideas come this way.

The beauty is you can start with just one contract and get up and running straight away if it is a private arrangement. With your first contract no matter how small, if you build up good relations with your customers, more business will come your way.

Bigger contracts need more work beforehand and a more professional workplace for food preperation. In this case it is important Make sure you apply for any licence you may need and your workplace, which may well have been your kitchen intitially. This will have to adhere to health and safety standards. You can check out the food standards agency website www.food.gov.uk.

Your local Council www.tradingstandards.gov.uk is a good source for advice with relevant leaflets and information.

If you wish to beat any competition that may be around, you will need some twist or gimmick to make your public image more prominent such as 3 for 2 or a free drink with each sandwich. Something that will tip the balance to capture the business. You could go for the 'Health' image with wholemeal bread and 100% naturual organic ingredients, or vegetarian options. One step ahead with things like this will make your sales become more attractive and more likely to be taken up.

You have to ensure yo make a profit, again a simple business plan can be made to calculate the pricing and profits that will be made. Compare the prices with shops, the vending machines and other competitors and you will then have a base from which to start. Profits should be made for every food item you sell taking into account the waste factor.

You can also check out this business links, here's one to start off with www.bllondon..co.uk

There are options to trade not just within offices and factories but out and about, essentially a mobile sandwiche business. You will need street trading licence if selling on a road or street, to private markets such boot sales you don't. This type of area is much tougher than the 'safer' workplace environment, but another option nevertheless.

Whatever option you may wish to take up, people need to eat, they need to eat everyday and thw rold is looking for a more healthy way of eating. If you can offer just that, there is a business there for the taking. It is hard work, but what business isn't.



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Friday 17 October 2008

Write a Diary and Earn From It

Write a Diary and Earn From ItIt is strange looking back at how many ways there is to earn money on the Internet. I only wish I knew then what I knew now and save a year or so looking at so much rubbish that is talked about earning money online.

I used to keep a diary on a regular basis, this was not a money making scheme just a hobby although at the time it was quite an obsession. Never in a million years did I think this could make me money, and then it suddenly came to me in a flash. People wanted to read what I had written.

Write a Diary and Earn From ItCan I just say that I am no great author, not particularly intelligent, certainly not in the academic genre. In fact to make things worse I have mild dyslexia, which make it even harder to understand why so many people want to read my accounts littered with hundreds of spelling and grammar mistakes abound. But they do!

Going back, it was only after I wrote a blog for an Internet site and got feedback from the demand for the diary to be read. The article wasn't written for any other reason other than someone asking me to contribute to their website, that was the start.

From then on the writing carried on and my old diaries now are like money sitting in the bank. Dont' get me wrong, there is no millions of pounds due from it, maybe a couple of quid a week or more if I'm lucky, but it's extra dosh all the same. Nothing has changed other than the diaries are to be published in the form of a blog.

Write a Diary and Earn From ItYou don't need talent or have written something already as you can start a diary right now. Firstly, get a free blog going, that will take you ten minutes (blogger, wordpress etc.) and just update it every so often. It costs absolutely nothing other than you Internet connection and a very little time. You can even fit it into your luchtime at work if they give you Internet access!

Keep the diary going for a few months then you can get Google ads on your site, again, this costs absolutely nothing. This can lead to other individuals and companies seeing you site and wanting to put ads on. It you do just that you will make a little money, but if you work hard on networking, swapping links and comments and getting your site known you will get more traffic and more money. It is as easy as that and still costs nothing.

Write a Diary and Earn From ItI haven’t covered every aspect of making money online but am just showing one simple way of getting started. Most bloggers aren't greedy people and do it for the love of blogging (or diary writing to a public that want to read them). The extra dosh is a bonus to most, but then there are others who blog to make a living which is their provocative of course.

If I can do it and I am dyslexic then anyone can do it. (online spell checks help to a degree).

Finally, can I mention that it doesn't have to be a diary, but could be a picture blog, a hobby blog, a pet blog (many of those around). It can even be a complete and utter nonsense blog (they somehow get the most traffic!) What are you waiting for?



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Tuesday 14 October 2008

Pottery for Profit

Pottery making at home used to the the fashion of the 70s, I was one of those who took it up, but seemed to have died a death with the import of cheap mass produced pottery ware from third world countries. Yes they are well made and practical at the price they are being sold, but certainly not unique which is what many buyers look for in this day and age of copied goods.

There are still many who still indulge in the hobby of pottery and of those many make a living out of it. There is no reason why anyone with a little artist flair and a little learning can't do the same. There are still many places where you can learn the skill of pottery, many at night school (or day school for that matter). There are correspondence courses, many websites that give advice and tips to improve your pottery skills.

You can start straight away without any need for kilns of firing equipment. There is clay around nowadays that do not need this process. Just make your pottery let it dry out, paint and you have a finished piece of pottery ready to make you money.

When you start off you need to try and make simple products such as ashtrays, picture frames, eggcups, even clay buttons. There are many product you can make easily, and much is left to you own imagination. Once dried and painted these products can look just as good and any item you can find in a shop. Even better, the appeal is for something that you can't buy in a shop.

You will find your own style within a short time and know what you are best in whilst remaining fun as well as profitable. Pottery should give you a lifetime of pleasure from both the pastime and funds you should receive for your products.

As mentioned, it is suggested that the non-firing clay should be used in the first instance until you have built up a little experience, you can then go on to bigger things such as a potter's wheel and kiln. There are many second hand products on sale. This is not an expensive as you think. There are modern potter's wheels that are fro sale new for around £20! this was found on eBay at the time of writing this blog. Firing kilns are slightly more expensive but I have seen some selling for around £100 second-hand. With this you could have the complete pottery set up for under £150 plus the cost of clay. Not many other businesses could be set up for this amount of money ready to go! In one school I was teaching at they were giving away a firing kiln for nothing! Just put a few feelers around and you will find what you are looking eventually.

If you have this pottery equipment in place, you could also set up a sideline business and hire out the use of the equipment. There will be many who would want to have a go and willing to pay £X for the time spent plus cost of materials used. This just needs a little ad in the shop or local press and more income from your pottery business.

Selling you goods is the next step and as with all businesses that have something to sell the normal marketing routes can all be taken up. As it is an individual art personal to you a website that is dedicated to your pottery is a good idea with many pictures and price lists of your products. This website address can then be circulated in conjunction with other form of ads to refer to. The more you market the more you will sell but is doesn't need too much investment, just time and effort. Friends and family are a good start and local shops that might wish to spare a little space to sell. Car boot sales should also get you lots of business throughout the year, you can even give demonstrations if you hook the potter's wheel to the car battery, you will be surprised how much more you can sell if this is done.

How much do you charge for your pottery?

This will find it's own level, but if you make it too cheap you will be undervaluing your products. At the same time don't price it out of the reach of potential sales. If you have no idea where to start, my suggestion is have some friends around and ask them how much they would be willing to pay for your goods. Take note and add 10% to their valuation. This works quite well when I was selling similar products a few years ago.

The bottom line is to make a profit and there is not reason why you shouldn't if you approach this like any other business.

www.pottersconnection.co.uk/ - A good place for starter kits ranging from £20 to £1200.

www.sheffield-pottery.com/ All pottery products up for sale by mail order. This gives you a good idea of prices from new.

www.craftlinks.co.uk/ A site that give many sources of organisations nationwide to do with pottery and pottery groups.

www.infomat.net/ A directory with a wealth of contacts giving advice, materials and courses throughout the UK.




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Friday 10 October 2008

Gambling for Profit

Gambling is mainly associated with losing money. This is a good enough reason not to gamble, as it is absolutely true. Bookmakers make money because they set the odds in their favour, it is no wonder more people lose money than gain, but there are other reasons for this.

Most gamblers do not have a clue on how to gamble and do not give enough thought to the process of betting.

There is money to be made on betting but like most things you need to know exactly what you are doing and have lots of research behind you betting.

You have to understand the various risks in gambling. Making a bet at random or just from a tip given from someone else is no way to making profits in this business.

You need to set a budget and stick to it. This makes so much sense Set a maximum amount you can afford to lose a month and stop if that figure it reached. With this in place you will have monthly funds to play with. If you divide portion this money figure, i.e. so much each day this is a goof plan otherwise you are likely to run out of money more quickly.

Another good plan is to set a maximum stake for bets. This has to be based on your daily allowed funds with a build in system where your daily stake may be lots of small bets or one big bet.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try and make up for losses by ploughing more money into bets that are over budget. Not a good strategy.

Recover from a loss needs to have a slow and calculated approach and waiting for good opportunities. The process should be done slowly, slowly and not an all or nothing bet in panic.

On the other hand it is very easy to get carried away if you're kin a winning streak. You should have a daily plan and budget and whether you win or lose you should stick to that plan. Most who don't, end up losing their winnings.

It is a good idea to step away from the gambling business from time to time. This amongst other things is a good test. If you find you can’t do this then you may well have a problem and should seriously consider giving up on that basis.

Too many punters try and find that one big bet that will get you rich quick. This in terms of business is not a good strategy. Try to make you gambling business work by using the tactics of a series of smart and small bets.

Only bet on things you understand or have good experience in. If it hasn't then don't bet on it. You're far more likely to lose!

The difference between the odds offered by bookmakers can be diverse. Up to 50% difference in some cases. Always look for the best odds so when you do win you are going to get more winnings. To so this make sure you have a choice of accounts to choose from that may give a choice of better value odds.

You can make money our of gambling but it has to be approached like any other business in a professional way and make the most of you knowledge and understanding of what you are betting on. Most don’t and fail!!


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Wednesday 8 October 2008

Seashells For Profit

Have you ever been to the seaside and brought back some seashells? What did you do with them? Most just get thrown away or stored in a draw, think again.

Seashells are free, naturally beautiful and perfect for moneymaking ventures using this craft. There are a massive range shapes, colours, patterns, and shapes. They can be used to craft some very unique home decoration and beautiful gifts you can easily sell for profit.

Seashells are environmentally safe and a nature’s natural waste product that will eventually turn into sand after many years.

The range of product you can make with seashell is enormous. From little shelf ornaments, to wall clocks; decorated mirrors to pendants and bracelets. The list is endless. To get a better idea of the range of products you can craft to sell, look at the stalls at a seaside resort. These souvenirs are crafted by people just like you and me and are making money out of it. Look at the prices they charge and how much profit they make considering the materials cost next to nothing.

The only basic tools you really need are string, glue, small drill, varnish. There are so many different things to make i.e. mugs, mirrors, jewellery box, picture frame etc. The list is endless depending on what you decide to craft. There is no reason why you can't use recycled material such as tins, jars boxes etc. this way your overheads will still be next to nothing.

For ideas of the things you can craft, good sites to check out is
http://www.island-crafts.com/craft_links.html

http://www.outerbankssouvenirs.com/

There are three main ways of getting stock and seashell crafting tools.

1. Using reputable companies that specialise in seashell crafts. You can purchase a package, which consists of a complete package. This would include a step-by-step guide from start to finish. The craft can be easily learnt if you are a novice. This is a good way to start and once you have built up a bit of experience you can go onto other cheaper options.

http://www.shellcraft-guides.com/

2. There are seashell wholesalers that have a wide range of sea shell from around the world. The choice is massive. If you know how to craft your shells into sellable goods, this is economic way of getting good quality stock.

On this site you need to register for lists of wholesale suppliers, don't worry registration is free.
http://www.esources.co.uk/wholesale-suppliers/783/

3. This option is the cheapest and costs nothing. Simply gather seashell when you are on holiday or vacation by the coast. This could be home or abroad. When you get home bring your stock back with you.

A very good American site that give excellent advice on how to clean your hand gathered shells can be found here. http://goflorida.about.com/od/beaches/a/shells_cleaning.htm

Just to show how easy a product can be made here is instructions on how to make a simple seashell mobile

What you'll need:

* Sea Shells or other finds
* String
* 2 pieces of dowel rod, about 1 foot length
* Glue

How to make it:

1. Use string to make dowels into an 'X' shape.

2. Glue shells onto several different lengths of string.

3. Let dry about a day.

4. Tie string with shells to dowel rods at all four corners and some between.

5. Hang it up! and your friends and neighbours can all see it and enjoy it. It will also give you a chance to tell everyone about your adventures in collecting and making seashell crafts.
(Courtesy of http://crafts.kaboose.com/seashell-mobile.html)

Finally, mentioning kids, get your children involved in seashell crafting. They will love the activity and their crafting results can be used for gifts for friends and relatives.

Selling your completed crafted product would be best suited by mail order online, or set up a website and sell them there. There's always Ebay of course. What about local shops, or even your local post office that might want to put them on display? Profits will have to be shared but stock is always on display! You may even get more business from referrals from this way. If some products don't sell, you can, just like the children, give them as gifts.


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Friday 3 October 2008

House Sitting - Money for Nothing Really

Money for nothing doesn't always happen but in some cases it is actually quite true.

House Sitting when they're away on Holiday or Business trips is a good way of earning extra just by being there. More often than not the house you are sitting for will be a luxury home with many mod cons that you will be welcome to use, more like a hotel in fact. The difference is you are being paid for it.

The reason people want house sitters is quite simply to put off unwanted visitors. Also to keep on top of the dusting, watch the garden and someone and be there in case of a plumbing or electrical fault.

There may be pets involved or this might be the main reason. Many people don't like leaving their pets in Kennels and would rather their pets stay in their own homes with less stress.

You will need references, would you let someone be in charge of your home without them? No. So, a little experience beforehand will give you a good standing for further work ahead.

A good place to start is to sit in for friends whilst they were away. It doesn't have to be a permanent stay but just checking up on the place a couple of times a day. You can of course stay there, it's up to you, but at the end of the day, you will have earned a reference. Switching on a landing light at night, feeding the pets or perhaps a quick vacuum before they come back it all it takes.

Many clients do prefer someone to be there full time, especially on longer trips away from home. They can phone you up and check things are okay on a regular basis putting their minds at rest.

Quite often this work is taken up by word of mouth. Professional house sitters can travel all over the country and not only earn, but save lots of money on the utilities bills of their own property.

The more references you have the better chances you have of finding work, but don't forget in getting these references you will always be working and earning whilst building them up. You will find that the house sitting jobs will just get better as you go along starting with a council flat you could end up house sitting a castle! And why restrict yourself to you homeland, there are many opportunities worldwide!

If you give a good account you will get repeat work, don't forget, holidays are taken once twice or even three times a year. And how many times do people go away on business and for how long?

You can apply through a reputable House/Pet Sitting Company who will vet you before selection. This will involve filling in an application form or going through a telephone interview. They may visit your own home and almost certainly will conduct a Police check. Many agencies select retired or semi-retired people who have had experience with their pets in the past.

Finding a good agency is the best plan of action initially but that does not stop you from finding work on your own back through friends and family.

My partner and I have done house sitting here regularly in Bulgaria for British expatriates who need to go back to their homeland on occasions. For us it is not work, we treat it as a small break of holiday for ourselves. This is just another idea to share which may make a little extra dosh for you.

Other House Sitter Agency Sites you may wish to consider registering with:

www.homesitters.co.uk/

www.housecarers.com/

www.pet-sitting-company.co.uk/




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