We often equate our self-worth with the amount of money we have. What does that mean for families with low incomes? Money doesn’t have to define us if we know how to use it properly. Here are some strategies for saving money when you don’t have much to work with.

The economy has led to a lot of families taking big hits. Lost jobs, changing to lower-paying jobs and other factors have led to loss of income in this country. But, you can battle back if you are in this situation. It takes a little time in the beginning but you’ll get the hang of it soon.

Here are the strategies that might help you to save money.

• Create a budget – This is a tool to help you to know where you are right now and which direction you need to move in for the future. If the low income is a new situation, this is needed to know how short you will be on current bills. You can look at options for ways to cut costs.

• Talk to utility companies – Most utility companies have programs that allow you to pay the same amount each month based on your average monthly usage. This can help you to balance your books each month with no surprises.

• Investigate ways to lower energy costs – Try setting your thermostat at a lower temperature. If you are cold, use blankets. In the summer, use ceiling fans or wall fans to get the air moving. In the evening, open the windows for some natural breeze. Switching to CFL light bulbs will save money on lighting. Try other handy tips for lowering fuel bills. Over a year, it will pay for itself.

• Go grocery shopping – Eating out can be expensive, especially for a family. Buy meats and dry foods in bulk. Fix meals and freeze leftovers to be eaten at another time. Use coupons from the Sunday newspaper to lower food bills. Try a butcher shop for a better price on meats.

• Brown bag your lunch – Taking lunch to work and school saves about twenty dollars or more a week per person. You can invest in reusable lunch bags and water bottles.

• Hold a yard sale – There are sure to be items in your home that you don’t use and are gathering dust. Someone else may want them. A yard sale cleans out the clutter and also puts more money in your savings account.

• Revamp entertainment – With money pressures, take a look at your entertainment expenses. You can check out movies, CDs and books at your local library. Buy movies from Wal-Mart when they are on sale so the family can watch for movie night. Cancel book clubs, movie memberships and gym memberships to save money.

When the money is slim, you can still make ends meet with a few strategies. It doesn’t mean that you have to live without fun, just new ways to have your laughs.

 

 

photo credit: pshegubj

 

 

If you have a knack for writing great resumes and cover letters, you may have a lucrative profession ahead of you. Resume and cover letter writers have a scarce and very valuable skill. By turning this skill into your own business, you could be making a very substantial income in just a few months, possibly over six figures in a year or two.

Here are a few of the top tips for starting a resume and cover letter writing service.

 

Select a Specific Clientele

There are many different kinds of people who may want to employ your services. It helps to narrow your specialty down to one of these types.

The first is someone who is extremely busy. The thought of spending days, or even a week or two honing a resume or cover letter is simply unthinkable to this person. They tend to be high income earners, often executives. They’d much rather hire someone to write their resume than spend the time themselves, provided they believe a good job will be done.

Another demographic would be someone who doesn’t have the skills to create a good-looking resume. They may not know how to manipulate word documents very well and may not be very technically inclined.

The list of potential client types can go on and on. Come up with your own specific kind of person you want to target and spend your time developing a brand for yourself in those social circles.

Test Marketing Methods

There are many ways you can start marketing your service.

The first and often most important way is networking using your own circle of friends. According to Facebook, on average most people have 200 friends. Each of your 200 friends will have another 200 friends.

Around your network of contacts are dozens of people currently looking for jobs. By establishing yourself as an expert in resumes and cover letters, people you know and friends of people you know will start to come to you for help and advice.

You can also start advertising in the newspaper. Generally you’ll want to get your ad as close to the employment section as possible. Test several different newspapers with small ads first. If you identify a paper that seems to bring in good leads, experiment with a larger ad.

Finally, you can also try marketing online. Try posting regularly on Craigslist. Make sure you get a range of positive reviews on Yelp.

You won’t get rich overnight. But as you get more and more satisfied clients, your business will grow. You could eventually get to the point where you have more clients than you can serve at one time and will have to raise your prices. The time from start-up to real success could be anywhere from a month or two up to a year.

 

 

 

photo credit: dawnielle.photography

Bookmarking is a popular way for people to store articles or websites they find interesting. A “bookmark” is simply a link to a website saved for later use.

You can choose to save bookmarks directly in your web browser. You can also choose to save them via a browser plug-in, or through any number of bookmarking services that exist on the Internet. These bookmarking services allow you to create an account and save all of your bookmarks to that account. This enables you to browse them from any computer simply by logging into your account.

Recently, a number of services have appeared on the scene that let you create an account and actually make money by saving bookmarks to those services. This allows other people to view them – you’re doing their marketing for them. It’s an opportunity for you to make money. Some of the leading services in this area include YoStuff and Xomba.

Let’s take a look at Xomba for an example of how the “bookmarking for profit” concept works.

• Step One: In order to use Xomba, you first sign up for a free Xomba account. You’ll also need a valid Google AdSense account.

• Step Two: After logging into your Xomba account, you can begin posting your bookmarks. In order to post a bookmark, you’ll also need to write a short summary (approximately 100 words) of what your bookmark links to.

• Step Three: When Xomba displays your summary and bookmark, they also display a Google AdSense box. The AdSense box rotates between one for which Xomba is paid by Google, and one for which you are paid by Google. This is why you need to have your own Google AdSense account.

As with any other web content, quality matters. Take the time to make the summary paragraphs for your bookmark as good as possible. At a minimum, this means no spelling errors or grammar errors. It also means that you should try to include terms that uniquely and accurately describe the content of the bookmarked page.

Some of these websites also offer you the additional opportunity to make money by bringing new users to the site. On Xomba, for example, for each new user you sign up (through a standard affiliate code link), Xomba will pay you a percentage of all the AdSense revenue that Xomba makes from that new user.

The process certainly isn’t a “get rich quick” scheme. However, with a little bit of work you might be able to make yourself some additional income.

 

 

photo credit: timetrax23

 

It almost goes without saying that one of the main reasons you run a business is to make money. If you have a traditional “bricks and mortar” store, you can always accept payments from your customers simply by getting yourself a cash register or cash box.

Yet many businesses are exclusively on the internet. Then you need to figure out a way for your customers to pay for the goods and services you sell. For many businesses, PayPal has been the answer.

PayPal’s “Website Payments Standard” product is what many businesses use. There is no monthly fee associated with the service. It also allows businesses to accept customer payments via credit card.

The service works by providing customers a clickable button or link that takes them to the PayPal website when they are ready to purchase. The customer enters their information on PayPal, and is then returned to the business’s website after the transaction is completed. PayPal provides the shipping and other information to the business to complete the transaction.

Basic PayPal Set-Up

Set-up is relatively simple. Begin the process by signing up for a website payments standard account on PayPal. Provide your business information, including the bank account you want to link to your PayPal account. PayPal then provides you with tools to create the HTML code for the “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” buttons. You can insert this code on the appropriate page of your website.

For an additional fee, PayPal also allows you to set up subscription services that your customers can buy. For example, a business that provides monthly reports can sell a subscription to customers who are willing to pay a certain price each month. Customers only have to provide their credit card information once.

PayPal also offers a service called “Website Payments Pro.” This provides you with the ability to accept customer payments directly on your website. This service costs $30 a month. It does require that you manage your own credit card data security infrastructure. This can be a daunting task for many small businesses. There are strict laws and regulations that apply. However, high-volume businesses may consider it worth the additional time and expense.

PayPal’s Fees and Charges

PayPal charges a fee for each transaction. The fee is based on the volume of your monthly sales. If your business does a monthly business of 50 transactions for $20 each, PayPal will take $44 of your $1000 as a fee. The fees generally decrease as the dollar value of your business increases. However, each individual transaction triggers a minimum 30 cent fee. If your business does lots of very low price or “microtransactions” online, then PayPal might not be an optimal solution.

PayPal has proven to be the convenient, reliable and reasonably priced service for a significant number of online businesses. It’s convenient for your customers. And it’s a fast and easy way to collect payment.

 

 

 

photo credit: iliveisl

The trick lies in finding a specialty and gaining experience and contacts in that market. Rather than calling yourself just a “transcriptionist,” it helps a lot to be able to say that you have experience with a particular kind of transcription.

Here are the various types of tasks a transcriber might do, along with a few tips on getting clients.

The Different Types of Transcribing Specialty

Medical transcriber – One of the most common types of transcription. Your job is to transcribe audios from hospitals and other medical professionals and turn them into texts. These can be from phone conversations, operating rooms or any other range of things.

Legal transcriber – A recorded meeting with a client will often need to be transcribed.

Marketing focus groups – Marketing meetings produce a lot of audios. Executives don’t want to listen to audios; they just want the most relevant parts in text. Focus groups tend to need quite a few transcribers.

Insurance transcriber – Phone conversations with insurance companies or other auditory reports often need to be turned into text.

Business transcriber – Business owners who host webinars, audio seminars or interviews often need them transcribed.

The list goes on and on. It’s generally best to pick one industry and stick to that industry. For example, if you choose to become a medical transcriber, you’ll have a much easier time landing work from other hospitals once you have your first.

Finding Clients

There are a few places you can find clients.

First of all, your own network of contacts. If you have contacts with business owners, lawyers or doctors, that’s a very good place to start.

If you have a specific specialty, start networking in those circles or directly contact them by phone or email.

You can also find clients online. Post an advertisement for your services on Craigslist, eLance, Guru, O Desk and Freelance. These are websites that people go to in order to find freelancers.

Finally, once you get a client be sure to do a great job and ask for referrals. You’ll make most of your money from a handful of repeat clients.

Most of the work in finding clients comes in the beginning when you’re just getting off the ground. After a few months, you’ll have a few steady clients that make up the bulk of your income, plus a few side jobs that come and go.

Finding a steady stream of income as a transcriptionist takes effort to start with, but once you get your first couple batches of clients it gets much easier going forward.

 

 

 

 

photo credit: jblyberg

Etsy has really grown in leaps and bounds. And while I don’t personally sell on this platform, I have it on good authority that those that do are finding it surprisingly easy to make money creating things that they’re passionate about.  I had a few questions about how folks are doing what they do. I’m going to attempt to share a few of the answers that I found to the following questions:

• With over 400,000 active sellers on Etsy, how can you make your store stand out?
• How can you ensure that your items on Etsy sell and that you actually make money from the time you put into it?

Here are a few tips on how to succeed with Etsy.

Sell a Product Line

Many sellers make the mistake of selling a disparate range of products that have nothing to do with one another. Unfortunately, that makes it hard for people to buy multiple items from you and reduces the chances of repeat sales.

For example, if you’re selling handmade plates, hammocks and earrings, you’ll get some sales but it’s unlikely that you’ll build a strong presence.

On the other hand, if you make a whole line of jewelry from earrings to necklaces made from a special kind of reflective seashell, you’ll get a lot of repeat and multiple item sales.

Store Management Tips

List at least one item every day. Why? Because if you don’t, your items will get pushed down very quickly. When someone does a search, they won’t see any of your products if you aren’t posting daily.

Aim to have between 50 to 100 items in your store. People tend to browse between two and three pages when they take the time to look at a store. Don’t have less than 50, as that means you’re missing an opportunity to sell. However, if you have over 100, your best products could be diluted by products that most people won’t see anyway.

Sell items priced below $50. Not that you can’t sell higher priced items, but the Etsy community as a whole tends to be a community that buys many cheaper products rather than single large purchases.

Artistic, Not Commercial Photos

If you visit the Gap’s or Target’s website, you’ll see a bunch of examples how not to do your photos on Etsy.

The look to go for is the artsy look, not the corporately professional look. How can you add personality to your photos? How can you make sure they’re high quality, yet don’t come across as stilted or corporate-ey?

Make sure your items are clearly visible. One common mistake on Etsy is to take a photo where the actual item on sale is out of focus.

Be Part of the Community

The best way to ensure your success on Etsy is to become part of the seller community. There you’ll get to interact with thousands of successful sellers who are more than willing to share their tips and experience.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. In time, give back to the community by answering questions when you’ve had your own success.

Finally, just go out there and do it. The only way to know if you’ll succeed is to start listing things today.

 

 

 

photo credit: pshegubj

If you’re an artist who wants to make some extra money on the side, Etsy can be a really great way to do that. Etsy is a specialized artist-driven website where people can sell handmade goods to those who love and appreciate artistic crafts.

How and Why Does It Work?

In 2009, Etsy sold over 1.3 million items for over $180 million dollars in sales. It has over 400,000 people selling their products and is one of the most active artist communities on the internet.

Etsy creates a vibrant marketplace where sellers and buyers meet. It works because both sides have a common appreciation of one thing: Art.

The people selling on Etsy are real artists, not commercial mass producers. The buyers on Etsy are people who love artistic pieces. Together they create a vibrant and financially sustainable community.

Getting Set Up

The first step is to find a product that you love creating. People should be able to immediately see that you really do love what you’re selling. It should feel artistic and have something that makes it truly special. Ideally you should have a whole line of products that go well with one another.

Once you have your products, then set up your store on Etsy. It’s easy to start a store on Etsy. Just follow their on screen instructions and you’ll be set up in about 30 minutes.

Product Listing Tips

Start listing your products as soon as you store is set up. There are three crucial elements to any listing: The title, the photo and the description.

The title needs to be descriptive and should get people to click on your ad. Try to use a title that actually tells someone useful information, rather than just a name. “Johnson Necklace” doesn’t say as much as “Quartz-embedded 3-Piece Necklace.”

The photo should be clear and artistic. Remember it’s an artistic community. The pictures that work on Etsy tend to be more artistic than pictures that work on eBay.

Finally, give as much detail as you can in the description. Describe the item, how it was made, its dimensions, weight, history and any other characteristics.

Examples & Success Stories

Tracie Howarth started selling in 2006. What started as a small single store quickly grew into a product line, then into three stores. Today she sells for over $130,000 a year.

Mollie Chen also started in 2006, except she started on eBay. However, eBay never gave her a consistent income. Sometimes there were sales, sometimes there weren’t. On a whim she put her products on Etsy to see how they’d sell. Almost overnight she was getting three times as much volume on Etsy as she was getting on eBay. Shortly thereafter she stopped selling on eBay, quit her job and has been selling on Etsy full time since.

These are just two of the many success stories on Etsy. Create a great product, take good pictures and write good descriptions. It doesn’t take a lot to get started. In fact, all you need to do to start making money on Etsy can be done in a day or two.

 

 

 

photo credit: AForestFrolic

Blogging can be a lot of fun. It can also be quite lucrative. In fact, some college students are paying their way through school by blogging for others. You can get in on this fascinating career. Here are six ways to find paid blogging work.

Create Your Own Blog

It’s important to have a body of work to show potential employers. If you want to blog for pay, the first step is to create your own web presence. Create a blog on something you’re passionate about. Add to your blog on a regular basis. Make sure your content is compelling and valuable. Also include a page on your blog that markets your blogging services.

Get Active on the Blogosphere

In addition to creating your own blog, comment on other blogs you find interesting. Get involved in the blogging industry. Connect with other bloggers. Comment and engage. If there is a particular blog you’d love to blog for, get involved on it. Make your mark. Engage lively discussions and get the owner’s attention.

Ask

Connect with blog owners in your areas of interest. Let them know you admire their blog. Offer your services. Be sure, in your query, to include a link to your own blog so they can review your writing style. If you’ve been active on their blog, chances are they already know who you are and have taken note.

Guest Blog

While guest blogging is generally not a paid writing gig, it’s a way to garner more attention and credibility. Offer guest blogging services to a few friends and associates. Consider swapping posts. Have them guest blog on your blog as well.

Visit Freelance Job Sites

There are paid blogging opportunities on freelance job sites. They’re very competitive. However, with a notable blog, good samples and a compelling application you can get the job. There are many blogging opportunities on freelance job sites so be patient. If you don’t get the first position, keep trying. Once you get your foot in the door with a blog owner, you can show your stuff.

Network

Last, but certainly not least, networking pays off. Connect with others both online and off. Let people know you’re a writer. Let them know you’re looking for blogging work. Being in the right place at the right time pays off. You may land the blogging job of your dreams.

Blogging for pay is an ideal lifestyle. While you’re searching for paid blogging work, stay active and engaged online. Blog, comment, and interact. Your dream blogging opportunity is just around the corner.

photo credit: scomedy

It seems every single book you read on business has one primary word of advice: do what you love. Passion, then, is very important for business success. It makes sense. If you love what you do and are willing to devote yourself to it, then you’ll have fun and success will follow.

However, it can be difficult to determine your true passion. There are probably many things you enjoy doing. Some of them might make great business ideas too. However, are they a true business passion? Here are a few considerations to make and steps to take.

Look to Your Past

Yes, you’ve changed and grown over the years. However, often the hobbies or activities that really stirred your soul when you were younger are still there. Your passions haven’t changed. Look back to your childhood, your teenage years and even college.

What did you love to do? What classes did you take just because you were interested? What books did you read? What were you hungry to learn more about? Write down any ideas that come to you. If you’re unsure, call a parent or a sibling and ask them.

Do You Have a Bucket List?

Your bucket list is that list of activities you want to do before you kick the bucket – before you die. Most people put their hopes, desire and passions on their bucket list. It’ll be full of things they’ve always wanted to do. For example, go skydiving. It’ll also be full of those dreams that never quite became goals. For example, write a novel.

If you look closely at your bucket list you’ll find there are hidden passions. Uncover those hidden passions. Examine them more closely. Is there a business idea that’s worthy of more research? For example, maybe you always wanted to visit the wine growing in Italy. That might be a great idea for a theme-based website or a money-making blog.

What Are You Doing Right Now?

Finally, take a look at the activities you engage in right now. What brings you joy and passion? What do you love to talk to other people about? Make a list of those activities and interests. For example, if you love college basketball and look forward to March Madness every year, perhaps there’s potential for an information marketing business. You might write a book on how to win the office March Madness pool every year.

Finding your true business passion isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Set aside time each day for a few weeks. Look to your past. Explore your present. Analyze your future. Chances are you already have some very profitable passions just waiting to be uncovered.

photo credit: codepo8

If you’re a teen who loves working with people, fundraising is a great way to earn money while helping out a good cause as well. If you enjoy planning events and parties, this is also a great way to build a full-fledged business, or just earn some extra cash in your spare time.

Fundraising is easy to organize, but many corporations, groups and communities are in need of people who can do the work simply because they do not want to pull someone away from their desk to handle fundraising events. As a teen, you’ll find many opportunities to help your community and those in need by raising funds for various churches, organizations and non-profit groups.

You might want to involve your friends so you have added workers, but often the group you’re raising funds for will be able to provide volunteers. You will make more money if you go it alone, but it can be more fun to work as a team.

Be sure to check with your local city offices to see if you need any kind of license before you begin planning an event. If you do, be sure to find out what steps you need to get it, and to get your new venture off the ground.

Once you have the business set up, it’s time to come up with valid ideas for fundraisers. Sit down and brainstorm with your friends to come up with unique ways you can raise money for your clients.

Some ideas are more obvious than others. A car wash or bake sale comes to mind immediately and they can be great fun, but you might want to try something a little different.

Rock-a-thons are fun and relaxing for the participants. People get sponsors to pay them for every hour, or minute they spend rocking in a rocking chair.

Simply collecting with buckets from passing shoppers (think Salvation Army) is an easy method of fundraising, but it’s not as much fun.

Rent-a-kid is another great idea that people like. People give their money to the cause in exchange for housekeeping, yard work, pet walking, running errands, etc.

A dinner is a great fundraising event. After you’ve decided on the location, plan the menu. Be sure to keep it simple such as spaghetti, chili or even tacos. You don’t want an elaborate meal, and you want to be sure you have volunteer workers to help cook, serve, and clean up.

Other ideas include selling items like pizza, wrapping paper, gift cards, etc. Perhaps auctioning off donated items appeals to you. Any number of fundraisers can be utilized if you approach it right.

You’ll also need to find a location for your event, whatever it may be. If you go with a car wash, maybe a local gas station or community center will provide a corner of their parking lot for your event. If you plan on a dinner, try a community center, or church fellowship hall. Try to get the space and the supplies donated to your cause so you will net more money for your clients.

Set your price based on supplies, workers, and your time. Allow enough money for you to make a profit while at the same time providing the funds expected to the organization. After all, that’s what the organization, your client, expects of their fundraising effort!

Once you’ve decided on the fundraiser you’ll use, you have the cause planned, get busy spreading the word all over town. Call local TV and radio stations, ask businesses to post flyers in their windows, and get the organization’s members to help promote, as well. Even ask the local paper if they’d run an ad for your worth cause for free.

Blanket your town with flyers on local bulletin boards. Ask local churches to put the event in their church bulletins or post a flyer on their church bulletin boards. Don’t forget to mention it at school and any other part time job you may have. Word of mouth is often the best way to advertise.

On the day of your fund raising event make sure you arrive early. Get everything set up and have everyone’s assignment in place before guests and buyers start to arrive. Be sure someone is near the entrance to greet people and make everyone feel welcome.

After your fundraiser is complete, make sure your donations, minus your fee goes straight to the appropriate place as soon as possible. As you develop your clientele and build your reputation as a dependable worker, you will have more business than you ever imagined possible… this can truly become a great money-maker for you and for your community!

photo credit: HowardLake