Your Business--Keep Your Customers Happy

Photo by Nik. "Do Not Be Blindsided by Customers Leaving Your Business."

In this economic climate you want to keep your customers happy. You can keep your customers happy by treating them well on the phone, by letter correspondence if needed and in person. Customers know they can find someone else to pay to help them with the service you are providing. Competition for customers can get stiff.

Another way to keep your customers happy is to give a thoughtful gift that shows you care and that you are thankful for their business. You do not have to spend a fortune to let your customers know you are thinking of them.

Some gift ideas include a paperweight with their business logo, last name or even your business name on it.

An excellent choice on a customer gift is to give a clear Christmas ornament with your business logo engraved. Your customer will think of you year after year when he or she hangs your lovely ornament on the tree. The customer will hang your ornament on their home tree or the Christmas tree that is put up each year at the office. Next Christmas when you are out shopping or running other errands, look at businesses offices. From doctors, dentists, lawyers, car dealers, schools, to factories, all types of businesses put up a Christmas tree.

You may want to run promotions and invite your customers to your place of business depending on what business you are in. For instance, a physician’s office may want to have an open house with wine, soda, cheese, crackers, grapes, coffee, tea and cookies. Show your patient’s and potential patients your clinic. Just about any business can offer this type of open house to mingle with customers.

For more information on your business and how to keep your customers happy, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Staining Decks

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

Summer fun is here! People are going to want to start relaxing outside on their wooden decks. Before having company over, the deck must look beautiful and nicely stained. No one wants to have a chipping and messy looking deck. Plus, if company starts to go barefoot they may get a splinter from the peeling deck.

Here is where you come in. You can start to advertise that you will stain decks. Just think: You can work outside and enjoy your summer while making money staining decks.

First make flyers to hang up in your area and the surrounding area businesses. You may even want to take a day or two and walk and put your flyer in newspaper boxes of the people with decks. Make sure you put your advertisement in the newspaper in your area to make money staining decks.

When you get phone calls you will want to ask the person if you can come over and see their deck. You will be able to give an estimate on what it will cost the customer for you to stain their deck. Obviously if you have to sand the deck it will cost more. You can ask the customer if they want to sand the deck themselves to save money. Chances are people that are too busy to stain their deck will be too busy to sand their deck.

Go over what color of stain or painted stain the customer wants. You can offer to pick it up or have the customer purchase it and leave it at their house for you.

If you start to get too busy you may want to ask a friend or teacher who is off for the summer break if they want to go into business with you to make money staining decks. Both of you can get more deck staining done together and make a name for yourselves.

For more information, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/

Sell Handmade Candles and Make a Profit

Photo by Nik.

You could have a lucrative business selling candles. People love to have their house smelling beautiful and fragrant.

There are so many options for the fragrant choice. People may want to have their candle make their house smell like flowers such as lilacs while others may want their home to smell like banana nut bread. Candles do come in these scents.

You could sell handmade soy candles. Soy candles cost a little more but they are “green” and do not have high burning flames as some candles may have.

For each season you could change the scents of candles you sell. Summer can be all coconut, beach smelling and linen fresh. Spring could be the smell of all new flowery fragrances. In winter use the cinnamon and apple fragrances along with pine and cranberry for the holidays. Fall scents could be pumpkin pie and apple cider.

Use different types of glass bottles and votives to pour your handmade candles in. Votive candles are very popular at this time. People even use votive candles in artwork that hangs on the wall. You may make other candles without any type of glass so people can display them on a plate surrounded by flat marbles to match their décor. You can add a simple ribbon to make the candle look even more elegant. You may also want to make tall candles for romantic dinner tables. Another type of candle is the floating candle. You can make hearts and stars that float in glass bowls. You may want to add beautiful glass bowls for sale on your website and into your business.

You can sell your handmade candles at craft fairs, holiday bazaars, school fund raisers, and even online including as a Candle of the Month gift.

For more information on how to sell handmade candles and make a profit please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/

Survive the Economy Selling Framed Cross-stitched Pictures and Frame Photography and Paintings

Photo by Nik. Open a business cross-stiching pictures, framing paintings and photography for people.

Do you love cross-stitching? Maybe you make a lot of gifts for your friends and family as a person who loves to cross stitch. Now you can expand your business and sell your cross-stitched pictures.

You can sell your cross-stitched pictures online, craft fairs, ask to set in teacher lounges, take them to work (or photos of your creative work) and let your friends and family know you make cross-stitched pictures that are for sale. You will want to create a website (freewebs.com or another site) and post pictures of your work. Send e-mails of your website every two months or so when you update your website with another photo.

Cross-stitched pictures are an excellent personalized gift to give someone. You may want to take requests on pictures you can make. Be sure to investigate on what types of pictures are popular. As of now, wine pictures, modern pictures, personalized cat and dog pictures are popular.

Timeless cross-stitched pictures include a new baby, anniversaries, children’s rooms, etc. that will sell well.

Add framing to your business for people. You can frame and mat other people’s cross-stitched pictures, paintings and photography. This will help immensely to expand your business.

If you know of anyone that paints watercolors, oil paintings, or other you can let them know that you do offer this service. Busy painters may prefer to have someone else do the framing so they can continue to create more and more paintings.

People appreciate handmade gifts the most that are personalized. It shows that the gift giver really thought out what the person receiving the gift really likes.

To boost your business offer sales or discounts on framing or some of your cross-stitched pictures that are not selling. This will give you an excuse to send out another e-mail to friends and family on your business. At Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas make sure you send out an e-mail and/or flyers on your business to get people interested in giving one of your items as a gift.

For more information on surviving the economy selling framed cross-stitched pictures and framed photography and paintings, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/

Teach Swimming Lessons This Summer and Earn Money

Photo by Nik.

Summer is fast-approaching and there will be many children who need to learn how to swim. Perhaps in your college years you were a licensed life guard. You should update your license/certificate, if needed.

You may want to check your local Park and Recreation to see if you could offer swimming lessons in your town or city. You can also check surrounding towns and/or cities with lakes or pools that are convenient for you to drive to.

Once you get permission from the village board, you can start up to teach swimming lessons this summer and earn money. Or maybe you know a lot of people in your town and you can do small groups of children swimming lessons. (Who knows, maybe teens or adults may want to learn how to swim or swim better and you can teach them, too.)

Once you get enough people that are interested in learning how to swim, if you have different age groups and different areas of swimming expertise, you can form your groups. You may want to offer a “Mommy & Me” swimming lesson class for babies and toddlers to get used to the water and still feel safe with their mother with them. Move up to “Tadpoles” where the children can have their own swimming lesson and so forth.

You may want to have swimming lessons at 9:00 a.m. for one group and 11:00 a.m. for a second group. You will have to check with the Park and Rec or wherever you teach swimming lessons what times you are able to use the lake and/or swimming pool.

For swimming lesson schedules you may want to offer your classes every morning Monday through Friday for two weeks and charge a flat rate. The following two weeks each group can move up to a higher level to keep learning for another two weeks. At the end of the session, make sure you have computer certificates with each person’s name on, the swimming group name and that the person graduated, and finally, your signature as the swimming instructor. This will give the person a feeling of accomplishment and it is a nice touch.

For more information on teaching swimming lessons this summer and earning money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Floral Arranging--Ways to Make Cash

Photos by Danni.

You can make money floral arranging. There are different ways you can pursue to become a floral arranger.

If you want to start your own business floral arranging, a good way to begin is to make up silk floral arrangements. You can sell the floral arrangements to nursing homes, online, flower shops, floral shops inside of grocery stores, etc.

You can sell the floral arrangements to nursing homes for a warm welcoming gift from the nursing home to the new resident. This is a wonderful added touch for the resident’s new home as moving into a nursing home is a big change for the person who is giving up their home.

Online you can advertise your flower masterpieces as gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and more!

Order your silk flowers online or stock up at stores such as Hobby Lobby, Ben Franklin, etc., when the craft stores have a blow-out sale. Large discount stores have clearance sales you can also check out.

You may want to expand your business and make fresh flower arrangements. You would need to have a business agreement with a large greenhouse to get your flowers at a discount. Or you may want to get a building permit to add a greenhouse to your property. Enjoy growing your own flowers and make cash.

You could prepare to grow Easter Lilies, poinsettias, Christmas cactuses, and more for holiday floral gifts.

Check pricing online and competitors in your territory so you can wisely compete. If your prices are right (along with gorgeous flowers/floral arrangements) large store chains may want to order their floral inventory directly from you. Getting a large store chain would really boost your business for extra cash.

For more information on ways to make cash floral arranging, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make a Mint: Masonry Side Jobs

Photo by Nik. Make a Mint completing masonry side jobs.

You can make an exceptional amount of money if your job is a mason. If you work for a company you will be trained to do top of the line work. Perhaps in this economy your big jobs have slowed down for businesses. You can still use your talent as a mason working side jobs.

First and foremost make sure you work around your full-time job’s schedule. You do not want your side jobs to interfere with your main mason job or you may end up finding yourself without a full-time job.

Advertise with brochures, business cards, a website, spread the word to all of your friends and family that you are looking for masonry jobs. Word of mouth is an excellent way to get business. Your business will flourish after you do a few side jobs if you do a fantastic job.

You may advertise that you will put in cement sidewalks and steps to homes and businesses, basements, brick fireplaces, rock fireplaces, cement driveways including an add-on for a basketball court, patios, in-ground swimming pool patio areas, and even huge jobs of brick houses. You may even want to advertise that you will help to fix leaky basements or basements that home owners want to have sealed in case of future flooding due to extreme rain and/or living in a marshy area.

Once you get started, you may end up even busier than you wanted to be! People can afford to have home improvements done here and there even with the stressed economy. You will be helping others if you give them a deal when you bid for the job. Do not bid too low or people will think you do not know what you are doing as a mason. Bid slightly lower than a big company would or another mason so you will get the side job.

For more information on making a mint doing masonry side jobs, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money as a Wedding Planner

Photo by Nik. "Flower Girl."

Enjoy knowing that you helped to create a personalized wedding just for the special couple.

The first thing you want to do with the soon to be married couple is to sit down with them. Ask the couple what type of wedding they want. If the couple wants a modern wedding, next you can find out what color(s) they want to use. Find out if the couple has a church picked out and wedding reception building.

You can start out by choosing the wedding invitations. With a modern wedding you could do some photography using the couples as images in geometric ways. Or just use the couple’s hands in the wedding invitation with PhotoShop techniques to give it a special effect.

For a modern wedding the flowers would have a modern feel with long stems. Once you know what flower the bride wants you can figure out how to make the flowers look chic to fit with the décor.

Modern art ice sculptures are an elegant touch to the special day. Perhaps dinner could be served with all white chairs and the tables accented with the couple’s color choice. Tall crystal vases with clear marbles in the center of the table will add sophistication.

The couple may choose to have a band or a disc jockey play at their wedding reception. Find out if they have any favorite bands or disc jockeys they are hoping to have play. If so, you can call and book the music.

The couple may or may not want to come with you to taste the wedding food they would like served for dinner. You can help to plan the menu with the happy couple. Seafood is an easy way to enhance the modern look on guest’s plates.

Find out each couple’s taste in the style of wedding they want from traditional, country, outdoor, etc., and make the wedding plans from there.

For more information on how to make money as a wedding planner, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money as a Traveling Dog Groomer

"Sophie" by Kelleys-Creations. Become a traveling dog groomer.

If you love animals and want to become a dog groomer than becoming a traveling dog groomer may just be the answer for you. Or if you already are a dog groomer you may want to consider becoming a traveling dog groomer.

Many dogs’ hate going to the groomer’s business. The dogs find it frightening that their owners leave. By becoming a traveling dog groomer, pet owners will be thankful and happy that their beloved dog feels more secure being groomed at home.

Pet owners are busy as well. You will save the pet owner driving to and from your business. You may want to consider charging just a little extra for your time and gas money. Do not charge too high unless you are in a wealthy area that people live and money is no object.

You can make money as a traveling dog groomer by trimming dog nails, bathing and shampooing dogs, cutting dog’s fur, selling your shampoo’s, dog brushes, dog combs, etc., you use.

Tip: I spent a lot of money on different types of dog brushes and dog combs to no avail. Our dog which is half Bichon and half Poodle, has very tough and easily tangled long fur. Our dog groomer gave us one of her brushes which works wonders! You, as a groomer, will know which type of dog brush or dog comb will work best for each particular dog’s fur. Your clients will love you!

Since you have your own business keep track of mileage, gas money spent, products used, etc. for tax write-offs.

Once the dog is all groomed you may want to treat him or her with a delicious dog bone. You can add dog treats--including healthy homemade dog bones to your list of items for sale.

You may choose to keep your dog grooming business at a building and save two days as a traveling dog groomer. The choice is yours. You may enjoy traveling to pet owner’s homes as no two days will ever be the same!

For more information on how to make money as a traveling dog groomer please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Hairdresser--Home Business

Photo by Nik. Home business hairdresser.

If you are a hairdresser or are thinking of becoming a hairdresser you could work out of your home. Many people are successful as a hairdresser working from home.

Reasons to cut hair, give permanents, color hair, style hair, etc., from home:

No driving time wasted
No gas money to spend
Save on vehicle wear and tear
Make your own hours
No need to hire a babysitter if your children are capable of staying unsupervised in another area of the house but know you are available if needed
Use a room for a business tax deduction

To start up your business:
Designate a room in your house to run your business. Buy a comfortable chair, rollers, permanent brand(s), curlers, combs, scissors, etc. that you like to use. Paint the room to look like a comfortable salon or comforting spa. You may want to have a shelf in the hairdresser room to sell products. Product selling is a profitable part of your business. Use the shampoo and conditioner you will be selling for your clients to purchase when you wash your clients hair before a haircut. Some clients will want to buy the same shampoo as they like the smell and the way their hair feels after you have washed and/or conditioned it.

You may want to sell a line of nail polish and possibly paint fingernails as part of your business. Or you may opt to hire a part-time employee that can paint nails out of your home, too. This will make your business more people friendly when you have more than one service offered. Also, you or the employee can sell the nail polish he or she uses on the clients. OPI is a famous and trusted brand of nail polish that many women like.

By becoming a hairdresser with your own home business you will save money by not having to rent a chair from a business. For more information please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Knit Felted Purses to Increase Your Funds

Photos by Kelleys-Creations.

If you know how to knit you can create gorgeous wool felted purses. Or if you have always wanted to learn how to knit, take a class or ask a friend how-to knit so you can create wool felted purses.

To knit the wool felted purses you will want to buy purse patterns. You can find them online and at places that sell items to sew such as JoAnne Fabrics, Super Wal-Mart, etc. Try to buy the patterns when they are on sale to help you save money.

You will also need to purchase the wool yarn. The yarn can also be purchased online, sewing stores, craft stores and discount stores. Try to shop around so you get the best price as the wool yarn adds up to quite a bit since you knit the purses larger than their actual size. Most skeins of yarn that you will use are around $18.00 each. The large purses take two to three skeins.

Once you find the purse patterns and yarn that you like, get knitting! To make knit felted purses you will knit large purses. You will see that most of the purses are huge, almost like an afghan instead of a purse size.

After you have completed the knitted part of the wool felted purse, you will put it in water in your washing machine on the lowest setting with as little amount of water as the washing machine takes. Turn on the washing machine and let it agitate the purse.

Let the purse dry. This process will take a few days as wool is quite thick. As soon as the purse is dry you can sew on buttons, an inside pocket for women’s change, and a second pocket for a cell phone. You can even make your purse fancier by adding on special designs like in the purses above. Use the wool yarn to create your designs, person’s name, etc. with a large needle and let your imagination take over.

People will enjoy their one-of-a-kind purse. My sister-in-law creates these purses and I have three and counting. This could be a very profitable relaxing job for you. For more information, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Sewing Sheets and Pajamas

Photo by Nik. A very loved teddy bear to snuggle with.

If you love to sew than designing your very own sheets is a perfect opportunity to make money. You can buy all different types of materials that are absolutely adorable at sewing outlets and/or even Wal-Mart. Find sheets with frogs, puppies, cats, etc. for kids. You may even find Guitar Hero and sheets that teens will think are cool for their room. Couples will like the variety of materials you offer versus some rather boring sheets for sale in the store. Your sheet patterns will be more unique as you have so much variety available to you.

You may choose to sew flannel sheets for those frigid nights. Think of the creative holiday sheets you can make from Halloween, Christmas, Valentines to special birthday sheets for the individual.

What will make your sheets even more special besides being unique with so many patterns to offer is that you will sew corner flaps on your sheets. The corner piece of material will go on the bottom of each corner of the fitted sheet. It will almost be like a belt strap to secure the sheet. People will love your sheets as they will never again have to fix their sheet from popping up off of their mattress.

You can make sheets for mats for Kindergartners, cribs, toddler beds, twin, full, queen size, king size and California king size beds.

While you are busy designing your own sheets, you can make money sewing cute pajamas. Find adorable patterns and you may even want to match the pajamas up with the bed sheet. For extra cozy pajamas make sure you add fleece material to your pajama line.

The unique sheets and pajamas will make great gifts for your friends, family and birthday parties your kids go to. This is a great way to advertise your sheets and pajamas. Be sure to sew a label with your company name on including your website address so people can keep ordering from you and pass the information onto their friends and family.

Enjoy making money sewing sheets and pajamas as they are needed in one’s home for comfortable sleep.

For more information on how to make money sewing sheets and pajamas please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

In-Home Caretaker

Photo by Nik. Research if you can give your client medication.

If you are looking for a job or need some extra cash you could become an in-home caretaker. Due to modern medicine keeping people alive longer, there are so many elderly people that are in need of a caretaker. Elderly people would rather live out their last days in the comfort of their own home versus an expensive nursing home. One of the biggest fears the elderly parents have is that a nursing home will take their last dime and there will be nothing that the parents worked for left for their beloved children.

Jobs that you can do as an in-home caretaker include: Making meals for the elderly. You can make fresh food and freeze some for a later date. Make sure you get all of the specifics from a family member or permission from the elderly person’s doctor as to the diet for the person. (In order to discuss any medical information regarding the person you are caring for, you will need to have a release form signed by the elderly person and/or the family member or friend in charge of the elderly person.)

You can grocery shop for the meals you will prepare and serve as an in-home caretaker.

You can do light housework as an in-home caretaker including bed changing and laundry.

You will have to see the specifics about giving medication in your particular state. Some medications you may legally be allowed to give the person while others will be illegal unless you are a Certified Nursing Assistant, Registered Nurse or doctor.

A very important part of your job is to be a companion with the elderly person enjoying conversations with each other. Also, if the person is able you could drive them to outings and have fun together doing activities.

To advertise for your new in-home caretaker business you can advertise in your local newspaper, larger city newspapers if you are able to drive that far, hang ads up in your area businesses and hand out brochures in the neighborhood especially to elderly people living in the homes.

Family members will be grateful their parent(s) can stay in their own homes versus a nursing home. For more information, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Save Your Job in This Economy with Voluntary Furlough

Photo by Nik. Keep Job Peace with Voluntary Furlough.

This stressful economy has banks going under, businesses closing, car dealers scrambling, people getting laid off from their job or worse with people getting terminated from their job.

Many companies are finding unique ways to save their business and employees. One recent way companies are saving jobs is with Voluntary Furlough. Voluntary Furlough is where employees volunteer to take five vacations days off per year. The vacation days can be used all at once or strewn here and there throughout the year. Maybe you want to have a few Mondays or Fridays off during the year? The only catch is all five vacation days are taken as unpaid.

To get started type a volunteer sign-up sheet and set it in an area where all employees can see it. A perfect place would be the mail room or by a time clock. Employees can sign-up for their five unpaid vacation days. The employees can choose their unpaid vacation dates at a later time.
Voluntary Furlough is just as it is stated--voluntary. Employees may choose not to sign-up for it as they cannot afford it. The employee should not be made to feel like he or she is selfish. Many people are overextended with a mortgage, vehicle payments, college bills and tuition, etc., and the employee may even live paycheck to paycheck.

Before making your sign-up sheet make sure Voluntary Furlough will not mess up your health insurance, 401K, pensions, etc.

If you are the boss of a company you may want to consider this unique option. Recently a school system tried Voluntary Furlough and it saved the school system $500,000 and the best part is everyone got to keep his or her job.

If you are an employee of a company, business or school system you may want to mention Voluntary Furlough to your boss. This could save your job and your co-worker’s job in the long run.

For more information, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.