Getting Rewarded for Blogging - Why Not?

Blogging is a passion of mine, I really couldn't live without it. Many a day I sit here typing away thinking, God I wish I could afford to do this all the time. A pipe dream, maybe so, but there are many ways in which a little income can be made from blogging, it is just a case of choosing which is right for you.

The thought of getting paid to blog sometimes fills my head with lingering doubts about whether it would be enjoyed as much as writing blogs without being directed. I suppose it is a case of choosing whom you and what want to write about when doing it under contract. There are hundred of advertisers out there and many have products or services you approve of. With the aid of Internet sites for resources to draw upon, you will never be short of information to write about. Many of my resourced information covering most areas is extracted from Wikipedia.com, I feel that many facts I write about would not be there without this free aid.

In my case some of my blogs actually promote goods and services without being paid or commissioned to do so. I am actually advertising for these companies for nothing other than on the basis that it is my humble valued opinion that I want to express to a public that wants to know. It may be a positive of a negative aspect but I want to write about it anyway.

So what the difference in writing blogs just for pleasure and getting paid to blog? At the end of the day I will still be the boss and choose to write or not to write about goods and services that I see fit to report on. On that principle and as long it stays that way I think I will take it up.

There are many sites that offer payment for a blog to be written from advertisers. One in particular that I had just heard about. It was actually from a blogging friend who had been using them for a while and she was more than happy with the service. If you would care to check out our blog located at: http://www.payingpost.com/blog/ please do.In addition, their creation fee is 50% less than their competitors, which is another good reason to join up.

Dog Walking - Leads to Extra Money

There are millions of dogs and all of them need to be walked two or three times each day. There are also millions of dog owners who cannot manage to do this; therefore there is a gap in the market for dog walkers.

А Dog Walker will go to pet owners' homes and take the dog or dogs for a walk for payment, it is as simple as that. If you like walking, like dogs and don't mind a daily routine this is an ideal way of making an extra bit of money for something you enjoy. Not too many of these scenarios about.

Dog walkers’ hours of work are usually from around midday to earlier evening since most dogs will need a lunchtime and evening walk. If you are available during the day, this will be just up your street so to speak.

There is no special training needed to be a dog walker although you should have a basic understanding of dog behaviour and be aware of the warning signs of dogs alongside proper lead handling techniques. You must also be sure that you can handle the strength and size of some larger dogs before you agree to walk the dog.

Dog walking requires hardly any money to start up. The most expensive cost is insurance, a must with this kind of work. Then there a the little overheads such as business forms so that you have permission to enter a client's home and have it in writing how much they owe you so you get paid. Advertising cost as you may want to advertise on the web or in the paper. This is obviously an open-end budget and it is up to you as to how much you want to spend.

There are a few companies that specialise in dog walkers insurance. This website gives a list of many that you can choose from: http://www.britishinformation.com/dog-walkers-insurance/ There are also many tips that these insurance companies give in line with this business.

Rates of pay from customers will vary greatly from one end of the country to the other. The best way to find your rates pitch is to check out your competition, they should also be advertising. You want to place your rates in line with your competitors don’t try and undercut, you will be undervaluing your service and this will be seen as such. Most people who want dog walkers are looking for a profession service and are willing to pay for that.

Dog walking is generally done by the amount of time the owner wants the dog to be walked. So, it is best to have a time-based pay scale in which they can choose from. You may wish to include a monthly discount plan to encourage long-term contracts and pay in advance.

Sending an article about your business to the local paper is a very good idea for free advertisements. It will give you the best exposure possible. You can get listed in the local papers and the phone book. Some are paid for some are free it depends where you are living but worth checking out. Don't forget you will be advertised continuously in these publications. Get flyers everywhere, they can be hand delivered while you are out walking the dogs! Local vets are a good place to display your ad or business card or give referrals. Get to know your vet and they will refer you to their customers.

You will need to draw up the details of the services you are offering to customers. A contract is quite difficult to write up so it may be worth getting it done professionally keeping in mind this is a form most of your clients will be signing. If it is not done properly or professionally, you may well lose business. Another angle to save money is to get an agreement from another dog walker and use that as you template with a few adjustments in text.

One of the best pieces of advice is to get a website. These are known to generate a lot of 'leads' (excuse the pun) in this type of business. Many find their needs nowadays looking on the Internet. Most sites can be set up for free.

Finally, the best advertising of all is word of mouth. Tell everyone about your service that you are offering, everyone knows someone who owns a dog, they will go to you first is they know about you. Such an obvious way to attract business, but so many people overlook this.

A Nest Egg from Bird Nesting Boxes

My next-door neighbour in England does this bird box making business, he could have given up his full time job as warehouseman, but he chose to keep it as his hobby as he said he'd lose the enjoyment factor. He made around five or six a week but could have quite easily knocked up 100 a week if he wanted.

Where did he sell them? Many garden centres in the area wanted them, he didn't advertise it was just word of mouth. Many friends of friend know of him and he would often get visitors turning up at his house to buy on just from recommendation.

So if you are a little useful with your hands and a little knowledge on how to use a saw, a hammer and nails you are half way there.

Most bird boxes are made from wood, this give good insulation, quite adaptable and attractive. There are other made from plastic, cement, sawdust and wood shaving compounds but these really aren't suitable for homemade versions. Stick to wood and you won't go wrong, they sell much better as well.

All you need is a garage or workspace and wood collected from woods or bought is you haven't access to wooded areas. You can legally pick up dead wood that is the best to use as it is already dried out. But fro this you will have to design your own boxes as the wood will not be uniform, each unit will be different.


I have found various sites that give good instructions on how to put together designer bird boxes. These can be made quite easily and presented to your market a few days later.

http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk - Make your own sparrow bird box

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature - Make your own Tit Bird Box

http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk - Another Make your own Tit Bird Box

http://www.londons-swifts.org.uk - Make your own Swift Box

A little guide on bird and their requirements is needed so I given you a layman's guide to certain species.

• Most bird nests are simply a box with a hole in the front. This should be a different size depending on the type of bird you're trying to attract.

• The smaller species of the Tit family, which include Blue tits, coal tits and marsh tits, you can make a box with a small hole, approximately 25mm across.

• Bigger birds such as the Great tit, nuthatches, house sparrows and tree sparrows: put up a box with a slightly bigger hole, approximately 32mm across.

• Robins, wrens and pied wagtails prefer open-fronted boxes but these can be vulnerable to attack by cats so make sure you advise your customers to put install them somewhere safe.

• Tree creepers need specially designed boxes to copy their natural nesting sites behind loose bark. The boxes need to be a narrow, tapered shape with a small hole at the top of one side.

• Starlings’ nest boxes need to be long with a hole near the roof. Again advise customers to place them high on walls, as starlings will have a tendency nest in roofs or in the walls of old buildings.

• Sparrows nest close to each other in communal boxes, sometimes called terraces. These boxes need to have three compartments with a hole just under the lid at each side and in the centre. They may also like the starlings will nest naturally in the roofs of your house.

A magazine called 'Gardening Which?' can be bought. It give instructions for making boxes suitable for the following birds: blue tit, coal tit, great tit, house sparrow, nuthatch, pied flycatcher, robin, spotted flycatcher and wrens. Well worth a couple of quid if you want a good guide and implicit instructions.

The marketing is again always the secret in any business like this. Make yourself known in shop window adverts, local papers and of course on the internet, perhaps offering mail order sales if you present pictures of your products. There are many doing this online right now. Car boot sales are a great place to display your goods along and don't forget eBay!

By far the best place to market are your local garden centres and pet shops, they can't get enough of them in the summer. Winter is the best time to approach them with your products but make sure you can honour any orders that come your way.

My former neighbour in England is still making them, he only used to charge a ‘tenner’ (£10) for a standard box on a pole with the cost of materials around £3. Not bad in terms of profit made, it actually paid half of his mortgage each month!

The whole beauty is it is a green activity, it helps the environment with more birds nesting and even more green if you collect your own dead wood for the products.