Economic Preparedness

Make Money Shipping Christmas Cookies

2009-11-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo by Fran. Copyright by Fran http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com/.

Christmas is fast approaching and you can make money shipping Christmas cookies. There are many, many people who have no time to bake Christmas cookies.

To make money shipping Christmas cookies, start to make some of your favorite cookies. If you love making sugar cookies (a favorite of many people) get started now. Make a batch at home and decorate them as best as you can. You want to make sure your Christmas cookies are very eye appealing so people will buy them. People may be buying them for themselves or for Christmas gifts.

You can make sugar cookies that will fit types of businesses. Start with finding people shaped Christmas cookie cutters. (Purchase online.) You can bake Christmas cookie nurses, doctors, lawyers, people in yoga poses cookies, teachers and students, policemen and policewomen, dogs, cats, bowling pins/bowling balls, bats/baseball caps/baseballs and baseball players which works for other sports as well, fishermen/fisherwomen, hunters, etc.! The sky is the limit when it comes to Christmas cookies!

You can offer to personalize the Christmas cookies as well. Add an extra charge for this service.

To sell Christmas cookies make your own website. You can pay to have a website designed for you. Having someone professionally design a website for you is expensive. You may want to start with a free website like http://www.freewebs.com/. You can add photos of your Christmas cookies, the price, the description, describe you and your business and more. You can create pages on your website that you want to add. You may add a blog to keep readers interested in your cookies all year round. Don’t forget to add a shopping cart so people can buy from you.

Another place to get a lot of exposure and sell your Christmas cookies is http://www.etsy.com/. You can easily sign-up for free and list pictures, cost and a shopping cart to Etsy.com. For more
information on how to make money shipping Christmas cookies, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Teach Creative Writing to Make Money

2009-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo by Fran. Copyright by Fran http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com/.

Before you know it, summer will be here. Now is the time to plan to teach creative writing to make money in the summer time.

Many parents work and would be happy knowing that their children’s brains are still working while they are off of school for three months. Creative writing lets a person’s mind wander, be productive all the while creating a story, poem or letter.

You could have the children start with a page in their journal when they arrive at your house. This way if you have more than one child in your creative writing class, one child can get started while you both wait for the rest of the creative writing class to arrive.

You could have one big project for the children to learn. Such as a children’s book. With the children’s book do research on how many pages and lines of words the children should have. Next, let the children put the pages in order. If you have a computer you can let the children choose the type of font they want to use to type up their story.

Now let the children illustrate their book. You can give them the option of drawing the pictures or using the computer to create their pictures. If you have quite a few children, you will have to have them draw their own pictures or you won’t have time for each child to draw on one computer. You may let the kids create the pictures at their home as homework if they have a computer.

The next project could be a poem. Have the child write a poem about summer. Tell the child to write what the child feels and sees during the summer.

You can advertise by letting the school know ahead of time that you will offer a creative writing class over the summer. If the school allows, make up a lot of fliers so that the school can hand them out and send them home with the children. Advertise in the newspaper and at all local businesses.

You may want to plan on charging the same fee a babysitter in your area would. This way you will have the children for about two hours and the parents know that it is the same price as if their child or children were sitting in front of a TV at the babysitters. You will definitely get creative writing customers with this price.

Have each child bring loose leaf paper and a spiral notebook for their creative writing journal.

For more information on how to teach creative writing to make money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Ways to Make Money on Twitter

2009-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo by Fran. Copyright by Fran http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com.

First of all, you will need to take at least a month to make friends on Twitter. So many people think you just post a comment with a link and then you will make a sale. This is not true. Think about it. In real life you will be able to sell to easier to people you know in real life because people know you and want to help you. So this is why you should take a month (or more) on Twitter and add friends. “Talk” to your friends. When they post a comment, reply to their comment. Get to know your online friends.

On Twitter you only have 140 characters for each comment you leave to your friends. The 140 characters are included in your Twitter private messages as well.

After you get to know your friends on Twitter, you can ask them to order from your business. Think of creative ways to make them look at your business link. Slowly tell them what you do. Show a picture here and there on your business.

Next, make sure you have your business online via a website. No matter what you sell, your friends are sure to check it out. Hopefully they will order from you.

If you want to, you can have discounts for friends only, sales before and after Christmas, spring sales, fall sales and anytime you choose to have a sale.

Make sure your website has a PayPal option, credit card option and list if you choose to accept checks. Your website should also include a shopping cart area. People should be able to easily order from you and pay. You do not want to make this part of your website a mystery as people are sure to cancel their order if they cannot figure out how to safely pay for the item(s).

For more information on ways to make money on Twitter, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Design Your Own Baby Clothes & Sell Them

2009-11-12T21:37:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo copyright by http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com. Design your own baby clothes & sell them.

If you know how to sew you can design your own baby clothes and sell them. If you have great taste in baby clothing--you can make a fortune.

Make baby onesies, baby fleece blankets, baby car seat covers to keep the baby extra warm and block sunlight, baby dresses, baby ribbons, baby pants, baby t-shirts, baby sweatshirts, bassinette sheets, crib sheets, baptism outfits, etc.

You will need to buy material from a discount store such as Wal-Mart, a sewing store such as JoAnne Fabrics or online. Find fun colors and patterns to make the baby clothing.

You can let family and friends know of your new business adventure. To let folks see your items create a website online. This website is free to use. You can use http://www.freewebs.com/ to get started. Post the photos of your baby clothes on your website.

You may want to take special orders. Offer to make matching outfits for boy/girl twins, boy/boy twins and girl/girl twins. Who knows, you may get an order for triplets or more!

You may want to take special orders for family members. Sometimes a family wants to have all of the same color clothing on in a photo, especially a professional photo to hang up in their home or for Christmas cards. Not necessarily where the clothing has to match perfectly, but one person has on a white shirt with a plaid tie and black pants, a little girl has on a white shirt and a plaid skirt with black tights, baby boy is wearing plaid pants with a white shirt and a black belt and black shoes, mom has on a plaid vest, white shirt and black pants, etc.

You could ask friends and family members to host parties for you. This way you can take your clothing to different homes and their friends and family members can see your adorable clothing in person. You will want to offer a free outfit per how much money is spent at the party. After all, this person is helping you to advertise your designed baby clothes and sell your baby clothing.

For more information on design your own baby clothes and sell them, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Teach Yoga to Make Extra Money

2009-11-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo copyright by http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com

Do you enjoy doing yoga alone? If you have been doing yoga and have knowledge in yoga, you can teach yoga to make extra money.

To get started do a little research on yoga. Find out where yoga originated, why people enjoy participating in yoga, what to wear when performing yoga, etc. Plus, this way when you are teaching the class you can give your clients interesting tidbits regarding yoga. This will help to keep your clients interested in coming back for more yoga lessons. You never know if a client will have a question about yoga as well. If you do not know the answer, let the client know you will find the information out for him or her. Then at the next lesson you can inform the client of the answer. Or if he or she really wants to know as soon as possible you can offer to call him or her.

Once you feel confident that you can teach yoga, call your local Park & Rec and school. Talk to the person in charge and ask if you can teach yoga in their building. Most likely teaching yoga to the local parents and young adults will be a welcome addition to the area you live in. When people get involved in their communities and socialize, this makes for a more enjoyable town or city to live in. People feel closer and get to know each other better. Your town or city will become safer as people know who is who and can help each other against crime.

Once you have an established class or two you may want to offer to sell comfortable yet fashionable clothing for people to wear. This is another way to make extra money teaching yoga.

For more information on how to teach yoga to make extra money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

So You Think You Want to be a Zookeeper

2009-11-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo copyright by FrancesMary at http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com.

Maybe it has been a child long dream to become a zookeeper. Perhaps you want to make extra money by becoming a zookeeper. If you absolutely have your heart set on it, than make a go of it. Here are some up-to-date facts on becoming a zookeeper:

The average pay is between $10.75 and $11.89 per hour. This is not a big chunk of change when you will need to go to college for two years to become a zookeeper. If the wages do not make a difference to you, than start making your college plans!

Money is not everything. As long as you can survive with shelter, food and items you and your family need you are good to go. If you think you will love your job even if it is not a high paying job, go for it.

When you become a zookeeper you will take care of wild animals in zoos and/or animal parks. You will feed the animals, clean their living spaces, and work to keep them healthy. You will look for signs and symptoms to make sure the animals are not ill. You must keep a log on the animals so you can let the animal’s veterinarian know of any changes.

Some fun things zookeepers get to do with the animals is give them safe toys to play with. You can hide the toys and food so that the animals enjoy playing and move around more. Usually a zookeeper does not get to play or pet the wild animals as it is quite dangerous.

If you have been at the zoo and watched a show, that is another part of the zookeeper’s job. The zookeeper is the person that will also answer any questions guests may have. You may also have the task to train the animals. For example, you may teach the elephants to lift their large feet. In doing so, you will immensely help the veterinarian when it is check up time.

You may be required to work weekends and/or holidays as animals still need care. When a person enjoys their job a lot, this will not matter to you. You most likely will think of the animal’s as your second family as you will come to know and love them.

Although the pay is not that high, a lot of people want to become zookeepers. This makes competition stiff. I hope this has helped you make your decision on becoming a zookeeper.

For more information on how to become a zookeeper, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Raking or Mulching Leaves

2009-11-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

Watercolor photo copyright by FrancesMary at http://www.francesmarywatercolors.com.

You can make a great amount of money raking or mulching leaves. Before the winter months hit your state get out and advertise your new business. There are many people that are just too busy to rake and mulch their leaves. There are elderly people that want to stay living in their homes and cannot do their yard preparation before the winter months hit.

All you will need is a rake, a leaf blower if you prefer to use one, an extension cord if needed for the leaf blower and if you already have a riding lawnmower with the mulching option you will get through the jobs in a matter of minutes! If you have the lawnmower make sure you bring extra gasoline cans of gas in case you have acres of lawn to mulch. You do not want to be right in the middle of a job and have to run to the gas station to get more gas. It would be a huge bummer if you were out in the boonies and you ran out of gas. You would waste money having to search for the closest gas station.

You may want to offer gift certificates for people to purchase so people can get your service for birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. With Christmas coming, now is the perfect time to advertise your raking and mulching of leaves.

Advertise your business by making an eye catching sign to hang up at your local grocery store, discount stores, gas stations, Laundromat, etc. Make up business cards so you can hand them out at a moments notice.

Once you land your first two jobs and do a fantastic job, before you know it you will most likely have loads of jobs from word of mouth.

For more information on how to make money raking and mulching leaves, please visit
http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Teach Ballet and Make Money

2009-10-31T16:19:00.001-07:00

Water color copyright by FrancesMary at http://www.freewebs.com/francesmary/.

If you took ballet through the years you can now turn that knowledge into teaching dancing and make money. You will need to set up a studio. If you have a large spare room or basement you can use that as your studio. Or you may purchase a building or rent out an office space in business building. You will need to set up bars for the ballet students to hang onto. Mirrors that cover two entire walls will help your dance studio as well. The students can watch themselves and you will be able to see them at different angles as well. A CD player will be needed to play music with the ballet dancing.

Before you open up your ballet studio to teach ballet and make money, make sure you brush up on your ballet skills. Review the dance poses including the five steps used in ballet. Maybe you want to offer ballet for children ages four through eight. Or if you really know your ballet skills you can teach all of the way up to the adult ages.

Think of a clever ballet studio name or use your last name if you so choose.

Once you feel confident in teaching ballet to make money, start to advertise your business. You can put adds in the newspapers surrounding the area you live in, ads at local businesses and create a website for your dance studio.

On your brochures put the hours you are open as well as your studios’ phone number.

Once you get students you may want to offer contests of different sorts, get ready for a dance recital so parents can watch their children, hold Friday night dance parties for the teens in your town or city you live in (if your area is large enough to accommodate quite a few people). You could charge a small fee for the Friday night dance parties and offer $1.00 sodas and water. Possibly hand out free pretzels. Just remember not to offer too much food unless you want to clean up a huge mess and need a license to be able to serve food.

There are many possibilities for you to make money when you open your own ballet studio. For more information on how to teach ballet and make money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Great Money Crocheting

2009-10-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.com. Make money crocheting door socks. Go green!

If you know how to crochet, now is the time to get busy. You can make great money crocheting and selling Christmas gifts.

Some of the items you can make when you crochet are the usual scarves, mittens, hats but why not add some other items? You can make door socks. These are excellent for the cold winter months. You will crochet a long tube and fill a nylon stocking with rice. Seal the stocking and put the long crocheted tube around the nylon stocking. This is a perfect gift for Christmas to give family and friends. You can even call this a green gift as it helps to save heat.

You can also make adorable crocheted stockings to sell at Christmas time. You can make different styles such as Victorian Christmas stockings, small Christmas stockings for children and pets and regular size Christmas stockings for teens and adults. Use different color yarn when crocheting. Such as dark green, lime green for modern homes, red and cranberry so potential buyers have a choice of colors that will fit their Christmas décor.

You may want to crochet cute little ornaments. You could do shapes of stars, candy canes, angels, crosses, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Santa Clause, reindeers including Rudolph with a cute red nose, etc. You can also make crocheted ornaments and put a photo inside of it of the person you are giving it to for a gift. Leave some empty so you can sell them to buyers.

You can sell your crochet items at craft fairs, holiday bazaars, online and to friends and family. If you set up a website make sure you have a PayPal shopping cart area so people can easily buy items from you. You can accept major credit cards, checks or through PayPal. It is your choice which type of payment you will accept. Do not forget to charge shipping so you make money on your crocheted items.

For more information on how to make money crocheting, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Tools to Help You Find a Job

2009-10-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Find the job you want with online tools.

Many people dream of working from home, but do not know how they can find the jobs. While others like to work outside of the home due to the interaction with people. This blog will help you find a job inside or outside of the home with websites that you can check out jobs, get help from head hunters and post your resume/cover letter to many potential employers.

Remember when seeking an online job, check if the company is listed on the Better Business Bureau website as approved or if there are complaints. You do not want to end up paying money to some fake website or scam.

Once you do find a job you want to apply for, send a professional resume and cover letter to the company. Just because the job may be an online job, does not mean you can slack in this area. Treat this job as if you were handing in your application, resume and cover letter in person.

If you like to write, edit data, fill out surveys then check out Freelance Work Exchange at http://www.gofreelance.com/join/comfort1/indexed.php.

Maybe you prefer to work outside of the home? If you check out Vault you will find one of the top thousand jobs. You also have the opportunity to win money on this website. You will have to type in the type of job you are looking for and type in the city and state where you are looking for a job. Check out Vault at http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/na/jobsearch?AID=8767604&PID=1025876.

To get the word out that you are looking for a job at sonic speed, check out Resume Rabbit. At the click of a button you can have your resume posted on over seventy five sites. To submit your resume please click here http://www.resumerabbit.com/index.jsp?pid=c7d63b3c64a2198cfa05e529eaaf9903&AID=5835242&CJPID=1025876.

You may choose to have headhunters help you with your job search. You can submit your resume to thousands of headhunters to help land you the job in a quicker time frame. Check out Resume Zapper at http://www.resumezapper.com/index.cfm?rz=282.

For more information on using online tools to help you find a job, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

How to Begin Your Postal Mail Newsletter to Make Money

2009-10-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Do you know a lot about dogs such as training them, etc.? You could write a monthly newsletter and sell it!

Do you know many people who like to receive a hard copy of a newsletter versus an online newsletter? I know I know a lot of people. I know a lot of older folks that do not even have a computer and miss out on a lot of news due to this fact.

You could start your own newsletter service by postal mail. First, you will need to choose a popular topic that people will be excited each month to receive in your newsletter. Do some research and see what is popular in your area or reach for a larger audience around the world. Subject is the most important part of the process.

You will need to come up with unique content. Write at a different view than others would to keep people interested. You will have to inform people with information that no one else can give or information that is very hard to get to get people interested and keep them.

Make your newsletter around seven pages or no more than ten pages. You will also have to charge a reasonable price so people will buy your newsletter. The price will need to pay for your cost of publishing and mailing out your newsletter. Since your newsletter is not large, you should be able to use a regular size envelope to mail it which will help you save money. Of course, you will also want to make a profit.

To get started start up a blog that you keep fresh and write in daily. Add friends. Write about things that will keep them coming back for more! Let your friends know you are planning on sending out a monthly newsletter. Create an area on your blog where people can sign up to buy your newsletter. You can easily add PayPal with a shopping cart to your blog. Freewebs.com is one such free blog site you can do this with.

You may decide to send out a free copy to people to get them hooked.

For more information on how to begin your postal mail newsletter, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Become a Sales Agent to Sell an Offline Product

2009-10-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Love your friend's photography? Tell him/her you'll be their online sales agent!

If you do not have your own product to sell online, you can sell a product for someone else. Think of a product you truly believe in and use. This will help to make it easier for you to promote. Once you find a product you really love, check and see if this product is advertised online. If the product is not advertised online, contact the owner of the product. Let him or her know that you would like to become a sales agent for the product online.

You can let the owner of the product know that by having an online sales agent, he or she will open the doors up to many more sales. A person with a product cannot afford to not use the most popular selling area which is online.

By becoming a sales agent for a product you love, you will most likely get a percentage from every sale that you make. You may want to set up your own website regarding the product and sell the product or products for the owner. (You will have to get written permission before you do this.) Once you make a sale through your website, you will process the sale through the owner.

If you feel comfortable, you can ask the owner if you can buy some of the product(s) upfront and ship them out from your home. This is only if you feel comfortable in spending the money upfront and if the owner agrees to this.

Make sure you know exactly what profit you will make ahead of time. You will have to do research in finding if this is a product that many people will love so you are not wasting your time. Just because you love it, doesn’t mean everyone will. Plus, look at the price of the product. Make sure many people can afford the product you are trying to promote. You want to make a good profit for all of your time consuming efforts!

For more information on becoming a sales agent to sell an offline product, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　
　
　

Start Your Own Online Store

2009-10-20T20:33:00.001-07:00

Photo copyright by Proa Swimwear. Start your own online business selling items people will buy

I just read about an amazing online company. The company’s name is Zappo’s. When Zappo’s first started their online business they only sold shoes. Customers loved how they do business and started to recommend items they wanted to buy from Zappo’s. The customer service at Zappo’s is phenomenal. The company makes the new employees take a four week course in “how to treat customers over the phone.” Four weeks! Zappo’s even has a graduation party at the company once the employee completes the four week program.

The biggest thing I love about Zappo’s is that they offer free shipping--all of the time. Not just free shipping when you order from them, but if you need to send back items as well! I have never heard of a business doing that! Have you? Plus, you can order as many shoes as you’d like--and keep them for 365 days! Unreal!

If you think starting your own online store sounds good, take some tips from Zappo’s. Treat customers with the highest of respect. All too often businesses do not do that these days. Why? Businesses know they can get away with it. If you can keep your customers happy, they will come back to you. According to the CEO of Zappo’s, 75% of customers are repeat customers. That is a huge number!

For your business maybe you want to sell clothing? Jewelry? Scrapbook items? Whatever it is you choose to sell, do a lot of research and make sure the item or items are something people really want to buy. Don’t try to sell something that is so unique no one has even heard of it--much less want to buy it.

If you create your own website, do research on items that can sell well online, offer free shipping and have excellent customer service, you are on your way to creating your own online store just like Zappo’s.

For more information on how to start your own online store, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Make Money Playing Music at Churches and Weddings

2009-10-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Make money playing music at churches and weddings.

If you know how to play the piano or organ you can make some pretty good money playing at churches and weddings.

Some churches do not have volunteers to play the piano or organ on Sunday mornings. Here is where you come in. You can leave your card with the church minister, reverend or priest. You may find yourself hired for one or two jobs each Sunday. Some church services are at 9:00 a.m. and other church services are at 11:00 a.m. Hopefully you can find two churches fairly close together and make extra money.

Remember that some churches are open on Friday nights as well. You may want to contact them so you have a steady job for Friday nights as well.

Once more and more people see you playing for churches on Sunday mornings, you may be asked to play at a wedding. This is excellent exposure for your music talents. Other ways to advertise that you play the piano or organ is to use word of mouth. Tell your friends, family members, co-workers, spouse’s co-workers, etc., that you play the piano and/or organ. You can let them know you have reasonable rates. You can also give them a cassette tape or CD so they can listen to you play the piano and/or organ.

Of course, hang signs and cards up at your local businesses and surrounding areas. Design an eye catching sign with your phone number on so people can call you for more information. You may want to burn a lot of CD’s at once so you can hand them out whenever the situation arises.

Save your receipts on the paper, computer ink, business cards and CD’s that you use for your business. Once you get hired you will want to keep track of the mileage that you drive so you can write that off on your taxes as well.

For more information on how to make money playing music at churches and weddings, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Drive People to the Airport to Earn Extra Money

2009-10-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Drive people to the airport to earn extra money.

If you get the word out that you will drive people to the airport to earn extra money, before you know it you will have a full grown business.

To start, make sure your vehicle is in tip top shape. Once you have taken care of your vehicle,place ads in the newspaper, hang them up at your local grocery stores, Laundromat, restaurants, gas stations, hair salons and any businesses that will let you hang up a sign, brochure or business card.

Create a website as nowadays online is the way to advertise. Freewebs.com will allow you to create a website and put all of the information on it. Give family, friends, co-workers, etc. your business card and website address. Make sure you give everyone on your e-mail list the link to your website. Ask them to please pass the information onto their friends, family, co-workers, etc. in the area you live.

A lot of people do not want to leave their vehicle at the airport, so if you drive them to the airport this will give them peace of mind and earn you extra money. Also, people are so busy these days with work, family, commitments, etc., that it is difficult to find someone to drop off and pick up a person at the airport, thus more reason to start your own business driving people to the airport to earn extra money.

To do this job you will have to be available at all hours. Remember some people take red eye flights to save money. You may want to charge a little more for flights that are at odd times. To figure out how much to charge, add in your gas money spent and mileage to and from the person’s home and airport. Here is to a successful business driving people to and from the airport!

For more information on driving people to the airport to earn extra money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　
　

Can You Write?: Rewrite Poorly Written Ads to Earn Money

2009-10-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

For Sale: Chair. $300.00. Handmade. Add your own flair to ads and make money!

If you can write well than you can rewrite poorly written ads, that others have written, to earn money. You know you have seen them in newspapers and online. An ad with poor grammar and/or just a blah ad. You can add a little pizzazz to the ad which may help to draw more customers interested in the item(s).

You can make money on poorly written ads by contacting the person trying to sell the item(s). Offer to rewrite the ad with the flair that you have and ask for a 1% commission on the sale of the item(s).

To find potential customers search CraigsList.com. For this type of job you can write the ads for people all over the United States. You do not need to only work for those that live in your area--so this opens up a HUGE territory of potential clients. When looking for people to write for search for large ticket items. People will make more and your commission will be larger. Plus, no one is going to pay you to rewrite an add for a measly $10.00 ticket item.

Another area online to search for ads written by people is eBay. Search large ticket items on there as well. Or you may want to contact a seller that has a lot of items for sale on their eBay account. This could make your newfound business thrive. People that make their living selling their items on eBay would make a fantastic customer for you. Not only will you save them time, but you will create masterful ads for them.

To help sell yourself to potential customers, create a website online and show examples of your work. At first take a poorly written ad and you can creatively rewrite the ad. This way potential customers will see your abilities and are more likely to hire you. You can also set up a PayPal account with a shopping cart on your website so your customers can easily pay you.

For more information on rewriting poorly written ads to earn money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　
　

Rent Out a Room

2009-10-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Kelleys-Creations. Rent Out a Room

If you are in need of extra money you could rent out a room in your home. As long as you have the space and are comfortable doing this, this is a perfect way to make extra money. Whether you need the money to pay your mortgage, bills, or other items renting out a room is the way to go.

If you rent out a room in your home, you may not have to get a second job. Perhaps you are laid off and are urgently in need of money and renting out a room in your home is the way to pay your monthly bills.

You can ask around to your friends and family if they know of someone who is in need of a room to rent. If you cannot find a friend of a friend, family or friend of a family member you can advertise. CraigsList.com is free to advertise on. You will put the area you live in, describe the room and for maximum results show a photo of the room you are planning on renting out.

If you know ahead of time what the rules of the house will be you may want to post them. Otherwise, when interested people start to e-mail you, you can show them the room and then go over the rules. For instance, does the renter of free access to the kitchen? Or maybe you want to limit kitchen times from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Then offer the kitchen again around your family dinner time. The choice is yours.

Does the room you are renting have a bathroom off of it? Or is there a bathroom near it that could just be for the renter? If so, you could charge more money for rent.

For more information on how to rent out a room in your home, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Sell Your Baked Goods for Extra Cash

2009-10-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sell Your Baked Goods for Extra Cash

Are you always baking and everyone loves to come to your house? The smell of bread seething through the air. The following day you have warm chocolate chip cookies filling the house with the heavenly aroma.

If you love to bake and you do it well, you could contract your baked goods to people. For instance, contact businesses and drop off samples of your goodies. Give them your card and tell them you can bake for business meetings or special work luncheons.

Let your friends and families know that you will bake your goods such as fancy candies, cake, pies, strudel, etc. for parties and holidays. Ask them if they would like a sample.

Whenever you bake take a photo of your delectable’s. Make sure the photo is of the dessert up close and personal as it will look simply mouth watering. If you do a fancy cake or item make sure you get a photo of the entire thing. This way people will see how talented you really are.

You can list your items for free on CraigsList.com in your area. This will help with more advertising on your newfound business for extra cash. You may even want to create your own website. There are many websites you can set up for free. One such website is http://www.freewebs.com/. Later you may want to upgrade and pay an annual fee.

Advertise at local grocery stores, Laundromats, gas stations, schools, businesses as mentioned, etc. Give your signs and business cards to friends and family and ask them to pass out your information to people they know that are close enough to order from you.

You can sell your baked goods for extra cash and before you know it, you will have a profitable business. You could be the next Mrs. Smith and her chocolate chip cookies boom! Now is a fantastic time with the holidays just around the corner. Many people are too busy to cook or bake cookies, here is where you step in.

*Make sure you check with your city or town's laws on starting your own business and businesses related to foods.

For more information on how to sell your baked goods for extra cash, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Make Money Holding a Car Wash

2009-10-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Photo by Fabiano Proa of Proa Swimwear. Break out the bikini and make money holding a car wash.

Do you or one of your friends and/or family member have a business in a great location traffic wise? If so, ask him or her if you can have a car wash. The car wash will be donations only. You know you have seen it before. Young people in their swimsuits and bikinis giving FREE car washes. The only request is that a donation is made to some charity that the car washers are trying to make money for. Once you get permission from your friend, family member or a business in the town/city you live in, you can make money for yourself.

Reasons you may want a car wash:

1) Maybe you need extra cash for college tuition. You could let people know that the money is being raised to help with college funding.

2) Maybe you are starting your own business and need more money upfront. You can let people know the donations are going to help start a new business to help the economy.

3) Maybe you just need some extra money so you can healthily feed your family and pay off your monthly bills. You could say the car wash is for a needy family.

Or you could ask for a few bucks right up front for the car wash. People like their cars hand washed usually better than paying a lot more money and have the machines wash it. This way people also know they are donating or paying for a helpful cause so they will get the warm fuzzies knowing they helped.

You will need a hose, a few buckets depending on how many helpers you can find to donate their time, car wash soap, sponges, soft towels and you may want to offer a car waxing for extra added money.

For more information on making money holding a car wash, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Make Money at Etsy Bidding on Jobs

2009-10-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

Make Money Bidding on Alchemy Jobs on Etsy: Homemade candy.

If you have a unique craft or handy service, than you may want to check out Etsy.com to make money. You see, on Etsy they have a tab that lets you bid on jobs along with posting your items on your own page. When you bid on jobs, you will go to the area of Etsy that says Alchemy. Next you will click on the tab that says custom. Under that tab, you will see that people will list what they are looking for and you will tell them how you can fulfill their order and the price.

For example: Wanted cake maker in Vail, AZ or surrounding town/city. I need a cake for a baby shower. Here are a few samples of the style of cake I am looking for. (Photos posted.)

Ideal price: $40.00

Deadline: November 15, 2009

Quantity: 1

Ship To: Vail, AZ 85641

My 3 year old son loves rockets and wants to be a rocket for Halloween. I prefer a Halloween costume made out of felt. Use your imagination to create the best rocket costume. I have included a link to the rocket costume that I think he would love. You do not have to create the costume to a tea, just an idea.

Ideal price: $50.00

Deadline: October 25, 2009

Quantity: 1

Ship To: Milwaukee, WI 53222

You will find jewelry to be made, knitted scarves wanted, hand made wedding dress, unique birthday present wanted, party goodie bags for 7 year olds, purses, chocolate, candy, etc. You are sure to find something you can create and make money on Etsy’s Alchemy.

First you must join Etsy.com. It is free to join. (You only pay a minimal fee if you decide to take photos and post your own items on your own page.) Next click on Alchemy. Follow tab as mentioned above to custom. Start looking at all of the orders needed to be filled! At this time there are 149 order requests for you to choose from. You can bid on more than one job. Good luck!

For more information on how to make money at Etsy bidding on jobs, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Ways to Set a Budget to Save Money

2009-10-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ways to set up a Budget to Save Money: Know ahead of time if you can go out to dinner.

If you are living day to day and spending money without keeping track of it, before you know it, your wallet is empty. Even daily or weekly essentials can eat up your cash.

Examples:
Monday: Fill up your gas tank, buy a soda and sandwich.

Tuesday: Stop in the grocery store for a quick dinner. Pick up a boxed chicken dinner, potatoes and cole slaw. Grab a six pack of soda.

Wednesday: Go out for lunch with your co-workers. After work stop for an ice cream cone at the Ice Cream Shop.

Thursday: Buy yourself and a few co-workers a cup of coffee to treat them. Stop at the gas station and fill up your tank again. Buy a few lottery tickets to take your chance, another six pack of soda and a few candy bars.

Friday: Who cooks on Fridays? Stop for Chinese dinner to unwind after a hard week’s work. Take in some clothes shopping or window shopping that turns out to be a spending spree.

Maybe these are some of the things you do or maybe you have other habits that slowly eat your cash up. Before you know it on Saturday you are broke. If you get paid bi-weekly or monthly, this is not a good thing.

First and foremost paying your bills on time is the number one priority. Ways to set up a budget include setting money aside to pay your bills. Keep your credit score excellent. Once the bills are paid off, set money aside for gas and food. Shop for items on sale and get coupons online. The rest of the money set for fun things. Put this money in an envelop. Once that money is gone, you know you cannot afford to stop at the gas station or store for that extra soda, go out to lunch or dinner, freely spend money on clothing, etc.

If you are able, it would be wise to keep a portion of your check to invest in your future. You will need the money for retirement so you can live a comfortable life in your golden years.

For more information on ways to set a budget to save money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Ways Blogging Pays Off

2009-09-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

If you are like thousands and thousands of people you have your own blog. There are actually ways blogging can pay off. As long as you can write decent, you can make money blogging for other people.

For instance, I have blogged for about five years. I love the interaction with others around the world. I love sharing photos of my friends and family. Also, sharing fun things we do together and reading and looking at online friends photos. You can feel like you have been on vacation in another area of the country or world when you blog.

If you love to blog, why not make money doing it? You can let others know that you blog. For instance, I found some absolutely gorgeous sweaters online on the website Etsy.com. The sweaters were expensive, but well worth it. I let the woman know that I adore her work but please let me know if she has a sale on them as they are out of my price range at this time. I also let her know I do write blogs for other businesses to keep their blog fresh and get information out there to potential customers. She told me she was interested in someone writing for her blog. I was asked to show her samples of my work. Bingo--I can now work for some one-of-a-kind breathtaking sweaters.

A former high school classmate opened up her own soap, lotions, etc. shop. They have an online shop and we talked about bartering services for product. I don’t know about you but I love handmade soaps, lotions, shampoo’s, etc. So I am looking forward to bartering these items. I may even get enough to help with my Christmas shopping and save money.

Of course, you can charge money as well when you blog. Offer to write blogs for $4.00 to $10.00 per blog. Most blogs are 300 words so they are not that difficult to write. Just keep readers interested. Use keywords in the blog to bring each one up in the Googlerank and other search engine ranks and make sure you post the link to their business at the end of the blog. Not only will the reader be able to check out the website you are promoting but the more links the website has listed online, the more important the website becomes to Google’s ranking. The goal is get to page one!

If you love writing blogs, than blog writing to barter services, products or to make money is for you. For more information on ways blogging pays off, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　
　

Go Green and Make Totes

2009-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Danni.

Many people are trying to “go green” and save our Earth’s landfills. If you can sew even a little, you can make your own totes and sell them. Totes will work great for people to take grocery shopping. I have noticed that most totes are small. I would love it if someone made larger totes. Personally I would invest in eight larger totes when I grocery shop. I have a family of five and need to have larger bags to put all of our groceries in.

You can create totes of all different colors. Use different patterns when sewing your totes. Some people love specific dogs, cats, etc. Look and see what the market is out there on collectables. For instance, some women love shoes and totes with different colorful shoes on would make a cute tote.

Once you buy a pattern from a discount store on a normal sized tote and a larger tote (you may have to design your own size), you are ready to get material. Find material on sale at discount stores, sewing stores and online. Check if buying in bulk will save you even more money.

Next sew at least five totes. Let your friends, family, co-workers and the world online know that you are making totes to go green and save the Earth. This will get more and more people interested in purchasing a tote if you remind them of our landfills.

Take pictures of your totes to advertise. Hang up the photos at local businesses such as the grocery store, Laundromat, gas stations, etc. Make a website online. There are free websites for you to use that are all set up and you just add some pages, pictures and information yourself.

You may want to make up business cards and hand them out to advertise your tote bags even more. Before you know it you will see your 'green' totes all over grocery stores and discount stores. You will have a great feeling knowing you have made a difference in the world.

For more information on how to go green and make totes, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Going to College- How to Choose the Right Job

2009-09-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Become a restaurant owner or a chef.

As we all know, times are tough in the job industry. If you are going to college and want to know how to choose the right job, do some research. You will need to choose something that you are interested in so you will enjoy it for the long haul, a job that pays well is an added benefit and a job that has high stability of employment.

A great book loaded with information is “250 of the Best-Paying Jobs.” This book by Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin, P.h.D., lists the highest paying jobs, the growth of jobs, openings per year for employment, education needed, area the jobs are located in, gender, the age group, industry, personality type jobs (for instant are you artistic? Types of potential jobs listed and loaded with information), part-time jobs and how many people are self-employed in each particular job.

The book is complied of information that the two authors heavily researched. This book can also be for you if you are already in the job market and want to move up the ladder in your field. Or you may want to change careers and you can research the jobs that interest you and make a well-educated choice.

The book is easy to follow as it groups jobs that are related to each other together. All healthcare jobs are listed together, investigative jobs, arts and communications, etc.

Remember that money is not everything. Many people truly enjoy their job even if they do not get paid a large salary. A lot of people are happy doing what they love to do day after day and feel rich and fulfilled in other ways.

You can survive the economy with a great job you enjoy, make fantastic money if this is important to you and know that your job is rated as highly secure.

For more information on how to choose the right job, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　

Can You Sew? Halloween Costumes

2009-09-22T20:18:00.001-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

Now is the time to cash in if you can sew. You can start creating Halloween costumes for little ones. Trick-or-treating is just around the corner. There are so many costumes to be hand created. Many people would love a handmade Halloween costume instead of the generic store Halloween costumes.

For a peek into another Halloween sewing woman’s Etsy business and to get ideas, please visit:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/etsy-finds-little-shop-of-handmade-horrors-5261/

Other ideas to use are popular movie characters and popular TV characters. Do some research and find out what is hot. You may even want to do a poll with your kids and your friend’s kids. Once you know the hottest characters or types of Halloween costumes for this Halloween--you are ready to get sewing.

You can let all of your friends, the elementary schools in your area and family know that you are offering one-of-a-kind handmade Halloween costumes. People may ask if you will take orders ahead of time and specific Halloween costumes. It is up to you if you choose to do so.

Find your material for Halloween costumes on sale at discount stores, online, fabric stores or craft stores. Purchase buttons, zippers, etc., on sale as well.

Advertise your sewing talent at local grocery stores, put your items on Etsy.com as the sample above is, make your own website, newspapers, etc. Once you get one phone call and order, word of mouth will spread like wildfire. People love to have their little kids in adorable or scary Halloween costumes. Parents and grandparents take many photos to save the precious memories of their children and grandchildren.

Enjoy making costumes, selling the costumes and making money. Once you get started, you may have other sewing requests besides Halloween costumes. People know fabulous work when they see it.

For more information on how to make and sell Halloween costumes, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Writing Poetry

2009-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Kelleys-Creations.

If you love writing poetry there are ways to make money from it. You can submit your poetry to a website called AssociatedContent.com. You will not get money upfront but as people click on your poetry, you will get paid. It is not a lot of money ($1.50 for 1,500 clicks) but if it is something you love to do, you can get published online and make a little money.

You need to write short poems for greeting card companies. How many times have you read a poem and thought you could have written that---or something even better? Now is your chance to make money writing poetry!

The easiest way to get started is to do some investigating. Go to discount stores and greeting card stores and read the greeting cards. Check which ones you think are your style. Then get out your pen and paper and write down the greeting card company’s name as well as the manufacturers and publishers.

Once you return home, do some research online on the companies you have jotted down. The companies that have information about submitting your work will have directions on how to do this. (Not all companies will have this since they do not accept freelance submissions so make sure you jot down a lot of names.) Make sure you follow the directions carefully so you submit your correctly and have a great chance at being accepted. Make sure you hand in edited work only so you look professional and your work is accepted.

Don’t give up if you are not accepted on the first, second or even third attempt. Persist!

The third way to make money writing poetry is to make your own handmade greeting cards or online greeting cards. You can make them for friends, family, coworkers and sell them at craft fairs.

For more information on how to make money writing poetry, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Christmas Ornaments and Make Money and Save Money

2009-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik.

A great idea to make money and save money is to make homemade Christmas ornaments. You can use a variety of items to create your ornaments.

When I was a child my aunt would buy cheap Styrofoam balls to decorate. Some of the Styrofoam balls had material on them while others did not. The ornaments with the material on were so gorgeous and I usually reached for those. Mainly they were a cranberry color.

We would use plain silver stick pins or stick pins with a white bead on the end, gold and silver sequins, plastic pony beads and strings of scrap material. The ornaments were cheap to make and turned out absolutely stunning. Most of them fit on a tree that is decorated with all different types of ornaments or a more sophisticated Christmas tree that is perhaps Victorian.

You and your family can enjoy spending time together making Christmas ornaments. These will be great to sell at upcoming holiday craft fairs or bazaars.

The Christmas ornaments will make excellent gifts for family, friends, co-workers, bosses and teachers. You will save a mint on gifts by giving your homemade Christmas ornaments as the gifts. People will appreciate your hard work and thoughtfulness in giving a handmade gift as most people do not have the time to make items these days.

1) Get started by purchasing your supplies from discount stores, craft stores or online. Check for the best deals.

2) Call local areas or check online for annual craft fairs and reserve a table now. Let your friends, co-workers and family know you are taking orders of your Christmas ornaments. Before letting them know, you may want to take a few photos of your Christmas ornaments so that they can get an idea on what your ornaments will look like and/or choose which ornament they want to purchase from you.

3) Make once or twice a week family craft night to get together and create your masterpieces to sell and give away as Christmas gifts.

For more information on how to make Christmas ornaments to make money and save money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Apartment Mangers--Make Money & Save Money

2009-09-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Become an apartment building manager to make money and save money.

Need to sell your home? Tired of paying rent? If you truly need money and you are handy you can check out the wanted pages for apartments. There are many jobs available for apartment managers.

When you become an apartment manager you will take care of small items that need fixing. For instance, if a person living in the apartment building has a problem with their kitchen sink, he or she will call you to come and take a look at it. You will be expected to fix the sink. You may have to go to a discount store or a hardware store to pick up parts. You will save the receipt for the apartment owner to pay you back.

Some apartment owners want a couple to become the apartment managers. This way the two of you can take care of all of the important managing duties. With two people instead of one, the people living inside of the apartment building will have a better chance of getting a hold of one of you sooner.

Other duties will most likely include vacuuming and sweeping the hallways. Keeping the laundry area clean. Making sure the washing machines and dryers work. If available, making sure the laundry soap machine is working. Shoveling snow if you live in an area that snows. Keeping the sidewalks shoveled and salted when snow and ice occur.

By taking care of the apartment building most owners offer free rent, free utilities and possibly some wages as well. You may be the manager of more than one apartment building and your benefits will help to determine on how much work you will have to do.

For more information on how to become an apartment manager to make money and save money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money by Making Ceramic Tiles

2009-09-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Both photos copyright by Tinkertiles.

Just about everyone has a touch of creativity within themselves. You do not have to be the best drawer, painter or creator to make money by making ceramic tiles.

If you are not that good at drawing, your ceramic tiles will still be adorable. Your ceramic tiles will be whimsical. A lot of people decorate with the whimsical style and truly love it.
You can cut out your ceramic pieces as well. For instance, cut a fish out of the materials. Paint the fish. It would be wise to invest in a machine that will glaze your ceramic tile pieces.
The sky is the limit on what you can create with ceramic tiles. You can make cats, dogs, scenes, small signs, zoo animals, people, bikes, sport’s items, etc.! Think of items that people really enjoy and then get creating!

You create the ceramic tiles and your customers create what they will use them for. Some people may use them to make three dimensional murals on their walls, as cabinet knobs, wrapping gifts and using them for a special gift along side the tag, scrap booking, jewelry and more.

You can sell your ceramic tiles online. The best place to start selling your ceramic tiles is on Etsy.com. Etsy.com is where many people sell their handmade items. Etsy.com is very simple to sign up for and navigate. Before you know it, your items will become a hit. You may also want to create your own website. You can either create your own using free websites or websites you pay for. You can hire someone to make a website for you as well.

Make money by making ceramic tiles by giving your ceramic tiles to friends, family and co-workers for gifts. Word of mouth is a fantastic way to advertise.

For more information on how to make money by making ceramic tiles, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Word of Mouth: How it Can Help You & Your Business

2009-09-12T21:57:00.001-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Keep your word-get more business.

Word of mouth is a very important part of business and that is why you should always do an outstanding job on any type of work you do for a living. From keeping in touch with the customer to doing fabulous work to starting and completing the job on time.

Here are two examples of word of mouth contractors I personally hired to do work around my home or cabin:

The first person I got raves about to hire ended up six months late in starting our house. This irritates my husband and I! We were going to have our home sided, a remodeled front porch, minor repairs by the back deck and new doors put on.

We waited…and waited….we missed putting out our Halloween decorations for the kids. They were disappointed but we were told that the contractor was coming to work on our house! Finally right before Christmas our home was complete!

The second word of mouth contractor I thought I’d try so he could install new carpeting and wood floors in two of the three bedrooms. I didn’t plan on having contractor number one do the work! (Although we did want an estimate from him as his prices were reasonable.)

So contractor one came in and measured the living room, stairway, hallway, and two bedrooms. He said he’d get back to us. Sure he would. Never heard from him. I even called him and left a message. When doing business with him the first time, I did immediately pay the bill--so it's not that!

Contractor 2 showed up in two days as scheduled (so I could do a little cleaning!), measured everything. He told us he could start in one week. Before hiring him, I told him it’s very important to us when you say you are coming to work that you actually DO! He assured me. He told me they’d be done in three days with everything. Contractor 2 kept his word! We were highly impressed with everything.

We just bought a cabin that needs extensive remodeling. Which word of mouth contractor do you think is going to get the job?

For more information on word of mouth and how it can help you (or hurt your future business!), please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　

Pay Cash to Get Deals

2009-09-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. The sky is the limit -pay cash to get deals!

Who says money doesn’t talk? If you have the cash you may be able to get a bargain. If you are looking to purchase big ticket items such as a living room set or fifty inch flat screen television, take your cash to the store. In these tough economic times you may be able to wheel and deal with stores. From the stores perspective, a discounted sale is better than no sale at all.

Two years ago I tried this pay cash to get deals theory with my husband and bought a vehicle for less cash. We walked into the dealer as we knew which vehicle we wanted to purchase ahead of time. (Sundays are a great way to shop ahead of time with no salesmen around trying to get your attention.)

When the salesman met us, he asked us what we were looking for. We described the vehicle we wanted but nothing too pricey. Lo and behold he led us to the vehicle we wanted. We did not act excited but let him know that we liked the vehicle. We knew what the sticker price was ahead of time. We purposely brought a lesser amount of cash along with us. (This way we would not get sucked into falling for any sales tactics and later regret it.) When the dealing part came at the desk we told him what we could spend and we had the cash right in our wallets. Of course, the salesman went to “the boss” to discuss our situation.

The salesman actually came out and accepted our cash offer. We were elated!

Granted, not everyone will have cash to purchase a vehicle but smaller ticket items you may. It is worth a shot. Just be careful to safely keep your cash with you at all times. Now is not the time to leave your purse where someone easily can take it.

For more information on how to pay cash to get deals, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　　

*Check your state laws to make sure it is legal to be on the car lot "window shopping" on Sundays.
　

Invest in Your Child's College Future

2009-09-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

Invest wisely in your child's college future

It is that time of year again and many college kids are going back to school. With the state of the economy it is harder and harder for college-aged kids to get student loans. Due to this situation, college kids are asking their parents to co-sign for a loan. Do not fall into this trap! If you are a parent and co-sign for your child’s loan he or she will end up paying around 12% interest on this type of loan.

A better option is to take out a PLUS loan. You, as a parent, will take out the PLUS loan in your name or names. The PLUS loan is only averaging around 8.5% interest rate. This is a HUGE savings for your child. With the cost of books, food, school supplies, clothes, etc., you will be helping out your child immensely. The two or three of you can come up with some type of plan where your child pays you back weekly or monthly if you so choose.

If your child or children are not in college yet but will be within the next five years, make sure that you are invested in a fixed-interest option or options instead of stocks. The market is just too risky at this time.

If you have a 529 college savings plan, go over your plan with the person you hired to invest for you. Go over this plan very carefully so you do not lose any more money. The 529 college savings plan has lost a lot of money in the past few years as well as other college savings plans. You can help to prevent anymore loss by going over this with the person you hired.

For more information on how to invest in your child’s college future, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　　　
　
　
　

Why You Should Not Open Anymore Store Credit Cards

2009-09-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

Photo by http://abduzeedo.com/29-great-free-textures

Most of us have done it. We take up the offer to open a new store credit card to save 10% off of the purchase we just made. I know I am guilty of it especially if I am buying a new computer or a lot of furniture. Anytime there is a big ticket item you can save a lot of money by taking up the 10% off your bill if you open a credit card.

You will find out you really are not saving money. If you keep opening up these credit cards you will find yourself paying more monthly if you cannot pay off each month’s bill. When you open a credit card that gives you a one time only 10% off your purchase, you are most likely paying a higher price on interest rate. The average rate for these types of credit cards is 21% or higher. The store makes up the money you “saved” pretty darn quick.

Or maybe you know you want to save money by opening up one of these credit cards so you try to find the products that you want to buy or think you need to buy and spend $500. Add 21%+ to that and you are in the hole.

Another reason you should not open anymore store credit cards is that the more store credit cards you have to the limit --the worse your credit rating will be. No one wants a bad credit rating or you will not be able to get loans for a home, car, etc. If you do get a loan on a home or car, you will be paying more since you have a bad credit rating.

Insurance companies will look at your credit rating and if it is not good you will pay more for insurance.

When applying for a new job it is pretty much a given that the potential employer will check your credit history. You may not get the job you really wanted or needed due to your credit history.

This holiday season stay away from stores offering you to save 10% off of a one time purchase if you open a credit card as it paints a dire picture.

For more information on why not to open anymore store credit cards, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　　　

Save More Money for Your Future

2009-09-02T21:21:00.001-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Save More Money for Your Future--Now

If you are looking for ways to save more money for your future, check out your profile at the company you work for. If your company offers a 401K or retirement plan and matches what you put in, put in as much money as possible. That is like free money for your future. Once you reach the maximum amount, that is enough. Do not put any more money in your 401K or other retirement account that is available to you at your place of employment.

You should not put any more money in the 401K or retirement account because interest rates are very low at this time. A better idea to save more money for your future is to put it in a Roth IRA. You will still be taxed on a Roth IRA at this time but Roth IRA’s do not get taxed as they grow. That is right tax-free money…that does not happen that often in this day and age!

After investing with the Roth IRA for five years or more and you are 59.5 years old or when you turn 59.5 years old you will not be taxed on the Roth IRA if you need to use some of the money from it.

If your situation is to keep the Roth IRA locked in for many, many years you will do excellent as you will not be at risk for higher income taxes.

By following the above steps you can save more money for your future which is very wise planning. You need to learn how to save money now for your retirement so you can live comfortably. You most likely want to keep the lifestyle you have now or even better yet, live even better than you are now.

For more information on how to save more money for your future, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Update Your Insurance Policies

2009-08-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Update Your Insurance Policies to Save Money.

Updating your insurance policies is an excellent way to save money. If you have one insurance company that takes care of your vehicles and one insurance company that takes care of your home, you need to change this. You can save big money if you insure your vehicles and home with the same insurance company. We are talking at least 10% savings plus when you combine the items you own.

Update your insurance policies by calling your insurance agent. He or she will be very happy to help you save money. If you are leery about changing your insurance policies just ask the insurance companies how much your bill would be if you combine them. Call both insurance companies to see who offers the best deal as well.

While you are speaking to your insurance agent ask him or her what you pay on your auto deductible. If it is not $1,000 than lower it to that amount. The reason is your car insurance should pay for major damage not little scratches or even dents. If you feel you want this coverage, you will be paying hundreds of dollars extra per year that you could be saving IF scratches or dents occur. If you do use this by claiming damage often you will see your insurance premiums jump sky high. Your insurance company may even drop you as a customer if they feel you are a high risk person.

If you are over the age of twenty five than make an appointment with your insurance agent. Your insurance on your vehicle should go to a lower rate as now you are looked at as a more responsible driver. Once you are married you can get a lower insurance rate especially if the two of you combine your insurance plans. You can also lower your rate if you have a safe vehicle such as a van or larger car. If you drive a sport’s car unfortunately you will pay higher premiums.

Overview: Update y our insurance policies by combining your vehicles and home insurance. Lower your vehicle deductible to $1,000. Talk to an agent to lower your rates if you are over 25 years old, married and drive a safe vehicle.

For more information on how to update your insurance policies, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Save Money for Next Year's Garden

2009-08-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Save Money for Next Year's Garden

Now is the time to start looking for items you will need for your garden next year. If you need tools, mulch, etc., you can get them on sale now and save money for next year’s garden.

To shop for items for next year, look around at garden centers or discount stores in your area. Now is the best time (or early in the spring) to shop as garden centers and discount stores put their items on sale so they can make room for the inventory that they will be needing next. Buy tropical plants at this time and decorate your home with them. Next summer you will be able to put them in the outdoors.

Now is the time to save seeds for next year so you save money on your garden. Collect the seeds from your garden. Ask any of your friends and family members if they would like to swap seeds with you. Perhaps your friends and family members are not into swapping seeds but will give you seeds of theirs as they do not want them. To store the seeds put them in a paper bag. Make sure you label the paper bag so come spring you know what the seeds are. Store the bagged seeds in a cool and dry place until next spring when you plant them.

If you have perennials now is the time to dig them up and split them. Take the perennials and use your shovel to split them. Now you can transplant the perennials in your garden or throughout your yard. You can ask family and/or friends if they would like to swap perennials and save money for next year‘s garden.

Skip buying fertilizer as it is a larger expense. Make an area in your yard a compost pile. You can learn how to start up a compost pile by using an online search engine such as Google or go to your library and check out a gardening book. There are certain foods you should not put in your compost pile and you can learn which ones online or from a book at the library.

For more information on how to save money for next year’s garden, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Plowing Snow

2009-08-25T17:04:00.002-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Goodbye to Summer & Hello to Winter

It is the end of summer an if you live in the midwest you need to prepare for the snow. You can make great money plowing snow.

If you have a large truck all you have to invest in is a large blade that will hook up to the front end of your truck as well as parts to hook it on. Of course, you will want snow tires on as well.
Now is the perfect time to start making brochures and business cards so you can make money plowing snow.

Your brochure should have your name, a business name if you so choose, address and phone number on it. Put a border along the edges to make it look more professional. Add a photo at the top or on the front of your brochure of a driveway filled with snow to remind potential customers what lies ahead. Maybe you want to put a picture of a shovel with the “not” sign over it.

If you have the time you can put one of your brochures and business cards (made right off of your computer) in as many newspaper boxes as possible. Or you may want to hire your teenager or a neighbor teen to hand them out.

You can also hang your brochures, signs and/or business cards up at local businesses to help advertise your services.

An excellent idea is to offer a sale for a gift certificate for people to buy their family and friends. This is an excellent gift for people that are too busy or elderly.

Besides one time fees, you may want to offer package deals such as plowing a customers driveway five times for "x" amount of dollars. You could offer a seasonal pass for say $250.00 which means anytime it snows over three inches or more of snow you will plow their driveway. The customer will not have to worry about paying you and he or she will have peace of mind knowing they are taken care of all winter.

For more information on how to make money plowing snow, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Job Security with Nursing

2009-08-23T23:18:00.001-07:00

Photo by Nik. Help Care for People While Earning a Great Wage

When times are tough and people need a job, the health industry is rockin’. People will always be ill and need care so becoming a nurse’s aide or registered nurse is a great way to keep your job secure.

You can take the nurses aide or registered nurse classes’ right at a technical college. The RN classes are four years crammed into two years. This is perfect if you do not have four years to spend taking classes. You just need to make sure that you will have enough time and dedication to study.

The average wage for a nurse’s aide to start is $11.00. You can choose to work in a nursing home, clinic, hospital or in-home care. The hospital will most likely be the best paying. If you work second shift or third shift you will most likely make more money per hour.

The average wage for a registered nurse is $30.00 per hour. Registered nurses have more responsibility and can administer medication as well as many other duties versus the nurse’s aide. RN wages on second shift and third shift also offer a wage increase. If you work in the emergency room you may even make $50.00+ per hour as an RN.

Both jobs will offer excellent insurance and benefits. With the cost of healthcare this is an excellent benefit to joining the nursing field. (In-home care may not offer insurance/benefits if you decide to become self-employed. If you work for a company you may get the insurance and/or benefits.)

Check out your local technical college for information on the courses you will need to take to become either a nurse’s aide or registered nurse. Before you know it, you will be making great money and feel relaxed with job security.

For more information on how to become a nurses aide or registered nurse, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　

Reassess Your House to Save Money

2009-08-20T08:43:00.001-07:00

Photo by Nik. Reassess Your House to Save Money Now

A great way to save money is to have your house reassessed. Homes are not worth as much as they were previously. The sad thing is if you bought your home in the years 2005 and 2006 your home value may be forty percent to fifty percent lower than when you bought it. This is a huge difference and can make a difference in your pocketbook.

If you have your house reassessed and the price comes out much lower, you will save loads of money, we are talking thousands of dollars on the property taxes paid on your home and insurance coverage you spend annually.

If you find yourself in this situation, you will have extra money to spare or to save. Take this money and invest in your child or children’s future for college. Maybe you and your family want to plan a family trip with the added income to your bank account. Or since the economy is a little shaky yet you may want to save your extra money for emergencies and wait for a later time to take that family dream trip. You will have the extra money and be able to do with it what you want.

To find someone to reassess your house to save money you can call your bank that you got your mortgage loan from or a realtor company. The bank may be your best bet as they are the ones that gave you the bank loan on your home. If you choose to call a realtor company, they can direct you to the correct person that can reassess your home.

Quit giving the bank and Uncle Sam your extra money and get your house reassessed today to save money.

For more information on how to reassess your house to save money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Quit Smoking with ePuffer and Save Money

2009-08-18T21:57:00.001-07:00

No smoke with the ePuffer versus:

Photo by Nik. Quit Smoking with ePuffer and Save Money

You can quit smoking with the ePuffer. Whether you smoke or not, you know it is a very expensive habit. You can save a lot of money if you quit smoking.

The ePuffer is basically an electronic type of cigarette. When you take a puff off of the ePuffer, a tiny amount of smoke comes out of the cigarette. The smoke that comes out of the cigarette has no odor and the smoke will quickly evaporate into thin air. If a person is not looking at you as you exhale, he or she will miss the smoke as it evaporates that fast. It truly is amazing.

The ePuffer is perfect if you want to have a smoke in your car, house, at a restaurant, etc. People may look at you in shock for smoking where you should not, but they will not smell the smoke nor will the smoke appear for very long.

The ePuffer can help you to quit smoking and save money. The ePuffer is much safer than regular cigarettes as there are no chemicals that can cause cancer as well as no tar or carbon monoxide. If you are worried the ePuffer will taste terrible, do not worry. When you smoke the ePuffer, you will still be getting nicotine. The nicotine comes in small packets that are inserted inside of the ePuffer.

No matter how long you have been smoking, you can quit with the ePuffer. You will feel like you are smoking a “real” cigarette. You will be able to hold the cigarette just as if you were smoking a cancer filled cigarette which is one reason people cannot quit as they need to have the cigarette in their hands.

Think of how much healthier you will feel once you quit smoking. Your family and friends will be happy that you are using the ePuffer instead of continuing to smoke cancer sticks. (http://www.epuffer.com/)

Scientists have developed the ePuffer. You can now quit smoking with the ePuffer and save money to buy more important items.

For more information on how to quit smoking with ePuffer and save money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　
　

Go Green with Polished Rocks and Engraved Rocks

2009-08-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Go Green with Polished Rocks and Engraved Rocks

Everyone seems to be going green with everything they do. People are going green using solar energy for their heat and electricity. Some people are buying bamboo clothing and furniture for their home. Even different types of carpeting are made with green materials now.

If you like to create things for gifts or for yourself, you can go green by polishing rocks and engraving rocks. These polished and engraved rocks will be treasured by all those that you give them to for gifts. You can engrave their name, pet’s name, child or children’s names on them, favorite short sayings, crosses and other pictures and more.

To get started you will want to either order rocks online or go out and collect rocks. Once you have an ample supply of rocks, you will then want to clean the rocks. You will have about four stages to clean the rocks. You will need a tumbler that is also a rock polisher. The first stage of rock cleaning will have gritty sand. The gritty sand will tumble the rocks around and make the edges nice and smooth. You will use very fine sand at about the third stage of the rock cleaning.

Next brush off any dust on your rocks. Now you will need to engrave the rocks. You can buy the rock tumbler/engraver online. As long as you have a steady hand, the sky is the limit as to what you want to engrave on your polished rocks. After you have engraved the word or words on the rock, take a brush and clean off the dust.

Now you are ready to polish the rocks. You can buy rock polish at craft stores such as Hobby Lobby, Ben Franklin, etc., or you may choose to shop online for rock polish. Follow the directions on the rock polish and put the rocks in the tumbler and let it do its magic.

You now have a wonderful gift for yourself or for your friends. You may want to sell your unique polished rocks and engraved rocks online. Go to Etsy.com or make up your own website with a shopping cart for customers to purchase your rocks.

For more information on how to go green with polished rocks and engraved rocks, please visit:
http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　
　

Sell Your Short Stories Online

2009-08-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Sell Your Short Stories Online

If you love to write you can sell short stories online. You can make money doing something you love to do.

Some online companies will let you write about anything you want whereas other online companies may want a particular short story written so they can buy it from you.

To make sure you write well enough you may want to join a free online writing club. You can search many types of writing genres. This is a great way to perfect your writing. The way it works is you join a writing group. You will post your short story and other members will critique your writing. I have found that most people are honest. If something in your story is confusing they will let you know. It is nice to have a fresh pair of eyes or more reading your work. People will also compliment your work when they really like something. Others can find grammatical errors as you will only want to submit perfect short stories to sell online.

Always use Word when writing your story. Word will find spelling errors and incorrect sentence fragments for you to correct. This makes a huge difference in the professionalism of your writing abilities.

You can find out where to sell your short story online by typing those keywords into Google and other search engines. Two places I know that will buy your short stories are eLance.com and when a client requests a short story you can sell one or two at a time on Internet Research Associates. As of now, the stories on Internet Research Associates pay $15, $20, and $30 depending on the word count of the story. The stories you will write and sell on eLance.com you will have to bid on the job. If your bid wins, that is how much money you will make when you write and sell your short story online.

For more information on how to sell your short story online, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

Motivational Videos and Motivational Tapes to Make Money

2009-08-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. The Sky is the Limit!

Whether you have your own business or not, listening to motivational speeches can really help you. Motivational speeches give you inspiration and make you want to act on your newfound inspiration. You may feel so geared up that you become a real go-getter.

You may want to purchase motivational videos or motivational tapes to help you, help yourself. Once you get into high gear, the world is yours no matter what your business is.

If you do not have a business you may want to look into selling motivational videos and motivational tapes to make money by selling them to other people. When people see your website or if you go to speak to the public, this attitude will carry onto them. Everyone wants their business to succeed as it is the American dream.

You can find some excellent motivational videos and motivational tapes to make money online. Check them out yourself to see if they make you “feel.”

There are websites that you can join or make your own website and sell motivational videos and motivational tapes to make money. Some websites that offer these products will have the website template all set up for you within the cost of receiving their products. If the website does not offer a website to set up your online business, you can easily use freewebs.com or check online for other free websites. If you would like you can purchase your own website. All of this is a write off on your taxes, so whatever works best for you--just do it!

A recap to get started:
Find motivational videos and motivational tapes that interest you. You need a product that you believe in.

Check online to join a company that sells motivational tapes. Join if you so choose so you can start your own online business helping other people.

For more information on motivational videos and motivational tapes to make money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　
　
　

Make Money with Drawing

2009-08-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

Photos by Kelleys-Creations. Make Money with Drawing

If you can draw, you can make money with drawing. For extra money you can draw caricatures. There are places that hire people to do this type of service. You will see people drawing caricatures at different types of festivals and at fairs. You can contact the city treasurer to find out how you can get a booth at one of these festivals or fairs.

You can make money with drawing by working at a business that offers caricatures or portraits of people. Many people would love to have a drawing of themselves, their family or their children. This is a priceless item to other people. Perhaps you could ask a photography studio if you could come in once a week for this extra service.

You can make money with drawing by drawing landscapes. Or draw odd pictures that would interest people such as something with snakes and skulls that seem to be popular at this time. Any interesting picture in your head that would make people talk about your picture is a great drawing.

You can make money with drawing modern art. Draw attention grabbing shapes of all different sizes. Statues, crazy people, etc.

You could advertise that you draw wedding photos, birthday pictures and unique invitations, children’s pictures with their favorite hobby, people’s favorite beloved pets, etc. Give information on how people can send you a photo by snail mail or by e-mail that they would like drawn.

Make up your own business cards on your computer or send in to have them done, advertise in the newspaper, make up your own website and share pictures of your items. Make sure you price each item and have a shopping cart on your website so people can purchase your drawings.
For more information on how to make money with drawing, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Get Your Business Cooking

2009-08-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Start fresh with your business using a public relations marketer.

Do you have your own business? If you do and it does not seem like you are selling a lot, you should hire a public relations marketer. A PR marketer can get your business known especially online.

What a public relations marketer does for your business:

He or she will go to all of the best websites and advertise for you.

Send e-mails out regarding your business to friends and family. Ask family and friends to please pass the e-mail onto his/her family and friends on their e-mail list.

Use your website blog and create intelligent "selling" information.

Create new blogs to inform potential customers using important keywords potential customers would use when searching for your product.

It does not matter what your website is, the public relations marketer can get your product out to the world. For example, if your business is swimming suits, he or she will use different keywords to get customers to your website. He or she would use keywords such as: swimming suits, sexy swimming suits, unique swimming suits, bikinis, sexy bikinis, unique bikinis, one piece swim suits, etc. When people are searching for swimming suits, your website should pop up at the top of Google and other search engines.

Public relations marketers get your name brand out there as a professional company to help you sell more product. He or she will create your business for the age group is mainly will service. The tone of the website and blog will fit the age group it is going after. For instance if your blog is for teens, the blog will fit what teens like. It will not be a "stuffy" blog that is boring to a teenager.

You can really see the difference if you hire a public relations marketer for your company. It may cost you a bit of money but the end results are worth it. You can watch your business soar once the public knows you are there.

For more information on how to get your business cooking with a public relations marketer,
please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast with Activities to Make Money

2009-08-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Open Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast with Activities to Make Money.

If you live on a farm than a great way to make extra money is to open your farmhouse to a bed & breakfast with activities.

First you will need to block one or two of your bedrooms off as a business. Keep the farmhouse bedrooms cozy and attractive looking so people will want to stay in them. If one of the bedrooms has a bathroom off of it, you may want to save that bedroom to rent out. When guests have their own bathroom this will make them feel much more comfortable. You are also going to rent that room out more than a room without a private bathroom attached.

You can offer a choice of breakfast by leaving a little note in the customer’s room. Have them check off if they want eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, cereal, toast, pancakes or crepes for breakfast. This way you can be prepared for when the guests come down to breakfast. Offer coffee, juice and milk with the breakfast.

For fun activities on the farm you can let the customers milk your cows. This would be an awesome experience for most people as they have never tried this. Any other animals you have such as pigs, sheep, etc., they could feed with you. If you have horses the customers could brush them. Customers that bring their children will love this part of the stay at your farmhouse bed & breakfast with activities to make money.

You can offer hay wagon rides for customers. If you have horses let them take horse rides around your acreage. This would be very romantic at sunset for a couple to do.

Have a quaint front porch swing and wicker chairs available on your front porch for the guests to relax on and enjoy the countryside.

To advertise you can list your farmhouse bed & breakfast with activities to make money on Craigslist, your local newspaper, magazines, online to advertise for people coming from another state or country and at all local businesses. To get the word out you may want to offer a free day or charge $2.00 to $5.00 a child for the elementary school in your area in the fall. The kid’s can do face painting, gourd and pumpkin painting, ride small horses, feed animals, enjoy a corn maze, play in a “sandbox” filled with hardened corn kernels, enjoy hay wagon rides and tractor rides, climb stacks of hay bales, drink milk, etc. You can open your farmhouse for potential customers to tour and make reservations.

For more information on opening a farmhouse bed & breakfast with activities to make money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　
　
　

Helpful Book to Find a Job Online-Bust the Recession!

2009-08-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

There are plenty of ways to make money online. You can make money online as a freelance writer. If you can write well, use correct grammar and follow the directions as to what the client wants you can be a freelance writer.

Other ideas for online jobs include an online fitness trainer. You can build your client list and help others to lose weight by helping them with their diet and exercise plan. The helpful book called, The Recession-Busting Guide to Making Money Online from Home, will give you all of the details you need.

The helpful book to find a job online will give you an array of information on how to become a medical transcriptionist. It will give you all of the helpful information you need such as a computer, high speed Internet and a foot pedal and jobs to choose from when you are getting started.

Detailed information on how to write a resume and cover letter to make money is shared with you.

Information on how to improve your business with links, blogging for bucks, creating and selling private label information, making money online with your crafts and more is offered in this helpful book to find a job online.

The Recession-Busting Guide to Making Money Online from Home (The book is available at Amazon.com and you can read many reviews there.) will give you nineteen ideas on jobs you can choose from. All of the ideas are proven to work and make you successful. You have to be prepared to work as the ideas will not make you a millionaire overnight without your help.

You cannot afford not to read this very interesting and helpful book to help you start to make money. For more information on online ways to make money after reading the Recession-Busting Guide to Making Money Online, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Open a Call Center in Your Home

2009-07-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Give up winter driving by opening up your own call center at home.

If you are a stay-at-home mom, want to work at home or are having problems finding a job than opening a call center in your home could be the answer for you.

More and more companies are hiring people in the United States or where their home country is as call centers versus sending the work overseas.

When you open a call center at your home, you will need to have a quiet area where the phone rings. You do not want to answer the phone for a customer with a screaming baby in toe and dog savagely barking in the background. If this keeps happening, you will most likely be fired as companies want to keep a professional appearance. You will need to have a computer with high speed Internet at home.

Companies like to hire people with an open call center in their home as they only have to pay you for every minute you are on the phone. This saves the company money when you are not actually working.

The benefits of working at home include being your own boss, saving gas and wear and tear on your vehicle, saving money by not having to purchase expensive office attire, saving money on a babysitter and saving time by not having to get ready for work and drive to and from work.

The tax benefits are fantastic as you can write off your office space you use in your home, the heat portion you use in that room, your Internet connection bill for the year, partial costs to any computer repairs and anything else you end up needing to run your call center in your home.

When choosing which type of call center you want to open, keep in mind that the jobs that require making sales pay more than jobs that are simply taking orders.

For more information on how to open a call center in your home, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Run a Bed & Breakfast

2009-07-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Run Your Own Bed & Breakfast

If you like people and cooking you can run a bed & breakfast. If you have a nice Victorian home or farm you can open it up to the public. First you will need to make the spare bedrooms are very attractive. Make the rooms feel homey, comfortable and beautiful. Make sure all of the bedrooms you will use have comfortable mattresses and pillows. If you do not have a hot tub in one of the bedrooms you may want to add one. The bedroom with the hot tub you can charge more money when people rent from your bed & breakfast.

Have new looking plush wash cloths and towels available for guests to use. You may want to offer small organic hand soap, shampoo and conditioner in your bathrooms for the guests.
You will need to offer a breakfast as people expect a nice homemade breakfast when renting from a bed & breakfast. You can offer a breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, milk, and orange juice one morning. The following morning you can make pancakes and sausage. Always have cereal, oatmeal and fresh fruit available for those that like to eat a lighter breakfast. Make sure you let your guests know the time frame on what time breakfast is served.

Make up a brochure and cards to advertise your business. Hang the brochures and cards up at businesses around town with their permission. Put an add in your local newspaper about your bed & breakfast services. You can advertise for free on Craigslist.com. You may want to put an ad in a traveling and vacation type magazines so people coming from other states and countries can find your bed & breakfast.

You can enjoy making money turning your home into a bed & breakfast for guests to enjoy. For more information on how to run a bed & breakfast, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/

Painting Wine Glasses for Money

2009-07-25T01:06:00.002-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Painted wine glasses for money.

Wine is very popular at this time. More and more people are drinking wine as it is more sophisticated, relaxing and simply tasty. It is fun to try different wines. You can go to wine tasting parties to enjoy samples. You can throw your own wine tasting party and have others bring one or two bottles of their favorite wine and everyone share. You supply two bottles of wine, the wine glasses and cheese, crackers, grapes and any other light snacks to go with the wine.

Another reason wine is popular is because red wine is shown to have antioxidants in it to help people stay healthy. The wine drinkers are rejoicing on this news.

Since wine is popular, painting wine glasses for money should be pretty easy. To get started you will want to go to a discount store such as Wal-Mart and purchase wine glasses. You can also find plenty of wine glasses online if you use Google or another search engine.

Once your wine glasses arrive you will want to paint them in sets of two, groups of four, six, etc. You will need different colors of paint that you can purchase at a discount store, craft store or online.

The sky is the limit as to what you can paint on the wine glasses. You can paint a grape and vine design, modern shapes, words, cats, design your own logos, etc. Think of popular designs and paint colors that will match people’s kitchens. Make sure you paint the bottom of the glass and sign it with your signature. You will want to create a business card to enclose with the wine glasses sold.

Online information will show you what hand painted wine glasses are priced at. You may want to start a little lower until people find you and truly appreciate your artwork.

Get painting! You can sell your wine glasses at craft fairs, online on popular sites such as CraigsList, eBay, Amazon, etc. You can create your own website and display your wine glasses there. You may want to add a bottle of wine with the painted wine glasses to sell. Give your painted wine glasses as birthday, anniversary, wedding gifts, etc. This will help people notice your fantastic work and refer you to others.

For more information on painting wine glasses for money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Writing Resumes and Help Others

2009-07-24T23:45:00.001-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Make money writing resumes.

　
If you are good at writing and creative you can make money writing resumes and help others. In these tough economic times, surely there are a lot of unemployed people just waiting for your creative services.

Make people’s resumes stand out as companies are getting overloaded with them. Use more expensive paper to print the resume on. You need to be able to grab the potential employer’s eye right away. You have about two minutes of reading to capture their attention.

You can advertise slowly by hanging up signs around the area you live in. Make sure your brochure is attention capturing as people will use this as a small indication of your work.

The world today is computer run so you will want to advertise your services online. A great place to advertise your resume skills is on http://www.elance.com/. This website is full of people looking for services from talented people such as you.

Joining eLance is free. To join eLance you will want to create your own profile. Make sure you take the extra tests listed on the profile page as this will help your chance of winning the jobs you bid on. The tests will show your skills. If you fail a test, no worries, you will be given another chance to take it. The failed test will not show up on your profile. A very important step to take is to attach files so potential employers will see a sample or two of your work.

Once you get hired on eLance and you complete the work, and get paid from the employer you will be charged a small fee for using eLance. Remember this when you are bidding on jobs to make money writing resumes. 　
　
For more information on how to make money writing resumes and help others,
please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.　

How LinkedIn Can Help You

2009-07-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright Nik. Let your business flourish with LinkedIn

LinkedIn is for people with their own business. The site helps people connect to each other to network and hopefully sell your product or service easier. Last year one of my friends that lives in Florida invited me to the site. I looked around and was not really interested in it, but thought I’ll join it to make her happy. Maybe we would keep in touch better if I join. Plus, I figured down the road I’d advertise that I sell necklaces and write articles to help online businesses. Being that it is free, that sold me.

A year went by. I forgot about LinkedIn. Then one day I remembered I belonged to LinkedIn. I decided to check the website. I went to the search bar and thought I would type in a few people’s names I know to see if they belong. Sure enough I found everyone I know that has a business on LinkedIn. It’s a great website that you fill out a lot of your information regarding your business and how a person can contact you.

I found my friend (since 6th grade) husband’s name. The two of them own a swimwear line that he designed. Gorgeous swimming suits. I asked to connect to him as a friend and in my invitation I told him what I do. I let him know that I type SEO (search engine optimization) articles. This means I know how to type articles with keywords that will help a website’s rank high on Google, Yahoo!, etc. When you are on page one of Google and your website link is within the top four listed, you get noticed the most. People stop clicking towards the bottom of the page and rarely go to page two and up.

In two days I heard back from him. He was excited and his wife was excited. His business is loaded with swimming suits. He would LOVE it if I tried to market and type him articles, blogs, backlink, etc. for him. He offered to give me $400 per 200 units of swimming suits sold to big department stores. He also offered me one-half of each individual swimming suit that is sold after the cost of the make of the swimming suit. I am getting a contract. This was an offer I could not refuse! I now have all access to his websites and I can view what is sold so I know how much money I will be making.

The swimming suit owners are so excited that I can help them make sales. I am so excited as I am helping them and I could make great money doing this. It is a win-win situation.

The moral of this blog is, if you get your business advertised on LinkedIn, you can make great deals, feel satisfied that you are helping others and make fantastic money. For more information on how LinkedIn can help you, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　

Become a Realtor and Make Money

2009-07-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Become a Realtor and Make Money

Many people supplement their income as a realtor. As a realtor you can make great money. Right now you may think is not a good idea to become a realtor. On the contrary, to become a realtor you must study and get your license. Now is the perfect time for you to take time to study and earn your license.

Once you become a realtor, the market will have its up’s and down’s. When the market turns to a seller’s market the sky is the limit to your extra earnings. Even when the market is a buyer’s market, you can make great money with people who want to invest in homes, condos, buildings, etc. You will want to seek out people who have the money to invest in real estate when deals are flourishing. There are always people who want to make money by investing. Once the market turns and homes become expensive, these investors will make a mint.

As a realtor you can make your own schedule. This is an excellent perk for a full-time or part-time job. You will, however, have to work with potential buyer’s schedules. Some people may only be able to meet and look at home’s for sale after 5:00 pm. Some people may only be able to meet you on the weekends, so you must prepare to work weekends. Also, open houses are held mainly on Saturday and Sundays to help potential buyers. Most people are free on the weekends and when looking around for a home, they take a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to casually look around.

To become a realtor and make money, you can choose to work for a large real estate company, a small real estate company or venture out on your own and open up your own business. To get started you may want to join a larger real estate company as they will usually pay for your schooling. You may have to sign a contract that you will stay with the company for at least one year; this is up to each individual company. I would suggest you choose a real estate company that is popular in your area to get started.

For more information on becoming a realtor and making money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/

Financial Planning--as a Career

2009-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Help Families Plan Their Financial Future.

If you are thinking of changing your career or planning on going to college to become a financial planner, you will have an excellent job to survive any type of economy.

When things get tough, most financial planners still have a job. When the economy is going well, financial planners are working their tails off to help others save money and have money for their future living.

As stated, when you are a financial planner you will help others to map out their financial future. You plan people’s income for retirement. You will show people how to invest in their future. Do they want to live the current lifestyle they live? You will show them how much money they need to save and put into their retirement fund to keep up their lifestyle in their golden years.

You will also help couples and single parents in regards to planning on how to save for their children’s college tuition. With planning parents can help their child or children by paying for their schooling. Parents will be comforted knowing they can and are investing in their child’s future.

With financial planning as a career you have options on where you want to work. You may choose to start out financial planning at a small company. You may want to start your financial planning career at a large company. Or you may want to start up your very own business.

You will feel much rewarded that you are helping others plan their lives. Others will be grateful to you for making them feel secure. It is a win-win situation.

Financial planners get paid very well. Financial planning as a career is a very successful field to get into. For more information on financial planning as a career, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　

Go Green with Solar Energy

2009-07-14T01:09:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Go Green: Save Money & the Environment

Enjoy saving your money for fun family activities. You can literally get rid of your electric bill by going green with solar energy. You may even get money back from your electric company! How? By using solar panels and/or a solar windmill to produce all of the electricity you will need. If you do not use up all of the electricity generated for the month, the electric company may purchase the overload. Therefore, you will earn a check from the electric company. Sounds sweet, doesn‘t it?

You can hire someone to come to your house and install their solar panels and/or solar windmill. This route will cost you thousands of dollars. You can start saving right off of the bat by making your very own solar panels and solar windmills.

If you search online you can find out how to make solar panels and solar windmills. You will pay a fee to purchase the guide. The guide will give you further instructions on the items you will need to purchase to make your very own solar panels and solar windmills. You will purchase the materials from a hardware store. The cost is $100 to $200 for each item.

It will only take you a Saturday morning to build your own solar panel or solar windmill. The more solar panels and solar windmills you build the more efficient your home will become.

Once you put your creations to work, you will dramatically reduce your electric bill to nearly nothing, zero or get paid. The solar panels work by using the sun and converting the power into electricity for you to use. Both the solar panels and solar windmill will run every electrical item in your house. From your hairdryer, microwave, television, DVD player, computer to your appliances and lighting.

For more information on how to go green with solar energy, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.
　
　

Online Surveys to Make Cash

2009-07-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Kelleys-Creations. Take Fun Vacations with Online Survey Cash

Looking to earn some extra cash? Maybe you want to have more cash to pay off your credit card bills. Maybe you want extra cash to do more fun family activities. Perhaps you have an expensive hobby and you want to make some easy extra cash to continue your hobby.

You can achieve all of the above by signing up to do online surveys. You actually submit your opinion and get paid to do it. It is as simple as that.

You will be able to work from home. Save money by not having to drive to a part-time job, no babysitter fee for your children, etc. Not to mention the time you will save from working at home.

You can choose to do online surveys at restaurants. Some online surveys even pay for you to eat at the restaurant and get paid to review it. Sounds like a nice evening to enjoy and it is free!
You can do shopping surveys and share your experience with others. People will benefit from your opinion. You will feel good knowing you are helping other people.

To choose which online survey company to work for, check out the testimonial page of their website. See how others like working there. Research what makes the people who work there like their job. Also, check with the Better Business Bureau as you would with many things to make sure the online company is reputable. If there are a lot of complaints filed against the company, you know you want to steer clear of it.

There are reputable online survey companies out there for you to make money. The more surveys you choose to do per day, the more money per week, monthly and annually you will make.

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

Facebook to Network & Rank Your Business

2009-07-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik. Get your business face out to the world!

With your own business Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with people. It is a great reminder to others that you are selling a product or service.

Facebook is free and easy to join. Simply use a search engine such as Google to join by typing in Facebook.com.

Create a profile on Facebook. You can put a picture of yourself to make your profile more personal. You can add more photos later to an area of your page. The pictures should show you and your family and photos of your business. Make it very personal so people really get to know you and what your business is all about.

Fill out the information portion of your page. This will show off your business, education, hobbies, links to your business’s website, etc.

On Facebook it is simple to add contacts. You can use the Facebook’s search feature to find people you know. Most people use their real first and last names. Some women use their first name, maiden name and married name to help people find them easier.

By using Facebook to network and rank your business you will help to get your business out there. By getting your business noticed you are sure to sell more of your product and/or services.

Post a link to your business in your comment section five times per week so you help to rate your business higher in Google and other search engine websites.

For example:
If you sell crafts simply use the word craft, crafts and more specific words of your business people will find your website on Google, Yahoo!, etc., with your business link. Make sure you are talking to your friends when using this site and do not make it sound too promotional unless you are using the business Facebook page. If you use the business webpage you will not get your page shut down. The business webpage is there just to help you promote your products and/or business.

For more information on using Facebook to network your business please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Networking with Social Media

2009-07-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

Photo copyright by Nik.

A great way to get your business and name out there is with networking using social media. Social media will link you to your friends, family, and their friends and family. When you use networking with social media you tremendously increase your odds of being a successful business.

LinkedIn is a great way to network with social media. You sign-up to LinkedIn and invite your friends and family who have a business. Make sure you completely fill out your profile. The more you fill out your profile, the better odds you will have in getting your information on your business known. You can even put three links to your business, blogs, etc., on your profile. You may put your current job and past jobs to help you sell yourself. You can also attach your resume for potential employers and business.

Not only will you connect with other business people, when your name or the name of your company is typed in Google, your LinkedIn profile link will show near the top of the search engine page. This makes it easier for people to find you and buy from you. http://www.LinkedIn.com.

Twitter is the fastest growing social media network. By using your name or your business name you are getting your name out there in the cyber world again. Make sure you give yourself a ‘brand’ as a name and use it exactly the same with every social media online network website.

With Twitter you leave “tweets.” You can only use up to one hundred and forty characters per tweet. This makes what you say short and sweet and you can always put a link to your business or other interesting things you think customers will want to know about. Make sure you also show your personality here and there so potential customers feel like they know you as a person. http://www.twitter.com.

There are many websites you can network with using social media. The next blog will give you information on networking with Facebook. For more information, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money With Customized Nutrition, Weight Loss and Energy

2009-07-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

In a one-size-fits-all world, no one only wants plain vanilla.

We've been told for many years to 'have it your way' - any way that feels good. That was the slogon that made Burger King a household word. More than that, it became a mantra for the people of that day. What was thought of as custom nutrition was just customized junk food.

So while some enjoyed it without a care, others enjoyed it to their detriment.

Today we have a society of people plagued with degenerative disorders, poor concentration, fatigue, insomnia, irritability and depression. Interestingly enough, many of these symptoms are consistent with nutritional deficiencies.

In today's world of over customization (iPods, computers, food, vacation concierge, etc), wouldn't it be unique for someone to develop a way to determine specifically what you need in the way of nutrients to help you be better? No guessing, no 18 bottles of stuff from the health foods store to figure out, no mess?

Now there is. The timing's perfect for the perfect storm of opportunity. The storm is rising on the business of customized nutriceuticals, a tsunami that you can catch and ride. Currently wellness is a $700 billion dollar industry worldwide and rising.

Wouldn't you like to help people feel better, look better, do better and be better?

With each person being so individualized that your DNA pattern is your fingerprint, nutrition can become rather precise. Genetics, environment, social habits...they all play a role in your health. Find the problem...then get a 'solution' that's as individualized as your fingerprint - YOUR solution - a nutritional solution to health problems caused by mineral deficiencies, toxins and overconsumption.

With people wanting to feel better, live longer and look younger, why not help them and make money too? Customized, specialized nutrition.

It just makes sense, right?

http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Temporary Jobs to Make Money

2009-07-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Take a temp job to make money.

If you have been laid off or just need to earn some extra cash, you can do so by working at a temporary job.

There are many temporary jobs available. You can check your local newspaper or online to find the temporary job that is right for you. Most temporary jobs are listed in categories. You can go under “office temporary jobs“, “skilled temporary jobs“, “engineer temporary jobs“, etc.

Depending on the company doing the advertising, you can immediately read how long the temp job is for or when you call and/or have an interview you can find out the detailed information on the length of time you would be working at each particular temp job.

By working at a temporary job, you will not get bored. You may work for four months at one job, five months at an entirely different job, one month at another company, etc. Change your driving scenery with each job.

Another benefit to working temporary jobs to make money is some companies may find they need you and hire you on the spot. If you enjoy the temporary job and think this job is for you, you are in luck and have yourself a part-time or full-time job. If you do not like the job you are currently working at, you can decline and maybe the next temp job will be right for you and you may be offered a stable job.

Enjoy learning new ideas, making new friends with your co-workers, getting out of the house, earning more money, having a variety of work to do and more with temporary jobs to make money.

By taking on temporary jobs to make money you will be adding many beneficial learned duties, responsibilities, references, etc., to your applications and resume.

For more information on how to grow from a temporary job to diversifying your income with a home based business to make money, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Part-time Bartend and Make Extra Cash

2009-06-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Save Your House & More with Bartending

One of my friends got a divorce and desperately wanted to keep her gorgeous house on five acres. She was now the sole owner of the house and had to take over the high mortgage. Not only did she have the mortgage to pay, she had to pay her ex-husband a share of the equity in the house. Talk about a stressful situation.

My friend had a full-time job that paid well. Still this job was not enough. She decided to part-time bartend and make extra cash three nights a week. She was pleasantly surprised how much money she brought home in tips. I was shocked as the bar she worked at was not fancy at all; in fact, I’d say it is somewhat of a dive. Although a lot of people do come to this establishment so more drinks ordered, means more tips for her.

She made $80.00 per night in tips. My friend then met a man who became her boyfriend. She started working at a different bar that served food. Now her tips were ranging $100.00 to $150.00 per night! Working three nights per week really added to her wages. She happily kept her house and paid off her ex-husband in two years.

You can part-time bartend and make extra cash, too. If you like people, most bars will let you train on the job. Once you are trained you can always go to a high class establishment and make even more tips, especially if food is served along with the drinks that are ordered.

Who knows you may even make more money bartending than you do at your current job. In the end you may quit your 9:00 to 5:00 job and enjoy bartending.

For more information on part-time bartending to make extra cash, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Be Your Own Boss Selling Cheap Items with Your Added Touch

2009-06-28T00:33:00.000-07:00

Photo copyrighted by Nik. Amaze your customers.

You can become your own boss selling items you doctor up. You do this buy ordering items in large quantities. Then once the items arrive you add your own touch to the items. A few examples include:

A nice looking wooden welcome sign with a wire to hang it up. You can add a different bow to each sign such as checkered, striped and solid colors to the sign to match people’s different décor. Or you can add a raffia bow to the wire on the sign.

Order pretty candles that smell divine in all different fragrances. You can add little charms, small pinecones for Christmas, hearts for love birds, gold or silver items, gems, or bows. Each candle will be unique from your creativity.

When you are your own boss, you can even order small items made out of resin, wood and ceramic to paint. You will be ordering hundreds of these to sell online and at craft shows so you may want to hire someone. The going rate is around .10 cents per piece painted. Make sure the person knows they must do quality work. You will want to check the pieces over as buyer’s will be before they buy from you.

Next either you or another employee will glue gun pins to the back of each item. Price each item with your name or business name on the back.

Items that you can sell for the holidays include small snowmen, santas, angels, animals in holiday décor, wreaths, Christmas trees, and crosses. Every day items to paint include flowers, hats, modern shapes, animals, little children, etc.

To find these small items to doctor up and make your own, look online for bulk miniature ceramics, resin and wood items. You can get a discount on items as you will be a person in business buying in bulk versus a person who only wants a few items.

For more information on how to be your own boss selling cheap items with your added touch, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Sell at a Farmer's Market to Make Cash

2009-06-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Photos by Kelleys-Creations. Bake Goods at a Farmer's Market.

If you love to bake you can sell your goods right now at farmer’s markets. There are plenty of farmer’s markets available to sell your items. Just look at your village hall for brochures or check online for farmer’s markets in your area.

Most farmers’ markets are open on Saturdays, but there are farmer’s markets that are open every day depending on where you live.

Farmer’s markets used to sell only fresh vegetables. These days, you can sell homemade jellies and jams, crafts, fresh pies and other homemade desserts, etc. Depending on what you like to bake or create, you can sell them at a farmer’s market.

You will have to price all of your items. A good idea would be to put your name and phone number on each item. That way, when a customer runs out of the delicious homemade item, he or she can call you and purchase some more.

Make sure you have one or two long folding tables that are easy to carry around with you. Bring a table cloth for each table to display all of your items on to make everything very pleasing to the eyes. Bring enough single dollar bills, five dollar bills, ten dollar bills and change in a safety box or container. You will also need bags so customers can easily keep shopping at the farmer’s market. Either save bags from grocery stores or buy new ones at a discount store.

Arrive early to the farmer’s market so you can set up your items and be ready for the early bird customers. A lot of people get up early and start shopping so you do not want to be setting up your table(s) and missing out on potential business.

For more information on how to sell at a farmer’s market to make cash, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Job Sharing to Earn Extra Money

2009-06-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Photo copyrighted by Nik. Earn $$$ Job Sharing

If you have been a stay-at-home mother maybe now you want to earn extra money working part-time. Or maybe you are a college student who is taking classes but would like to work part-time. Whatever your situation is, you can supplement your income by job sharing.

Many places are hiring employees part-time versus full-time these days. The reason is so that two part-time employees do not get the benefits such as paid holidays, little or no vacation days or sick time, insurance, etc. This method of hiring saves the employer a fortune.

To find a suitable job to share, you may check the school system. You can find teacher’s aide positions that are job shared. One person may work in the mornings and the second person in the afternoon. You may need to be flexible if the other employee needs to switch times once in awhile. You and the other employee will need to keep a notebook and a basket for some type of communication to stay organized. This will help you to learn what has or has not been done during the hours you did not work. By knowing what is going on, you can better help the students and the teacher who you are helping.

Another type of job sharing to earn extra money is office work. You may work at the receptionist’s desk, as an administrative assistant or even in an office at a bank. It is always important to take notes so you can share them with the person who is taking over for you in the afternoon or following morning. By doing this, things in the office will keep running smoothly.

Think of the type of work you would like to do part-time and you may even want to offer the suggestion to the hiring employer about job sharing to earn extra money while saving the company extra money.

For more information on job sharing to earn extra money, please visit www.preparednessmentor.com.

Free Babysitting

2009-06-23T16:29:00.001-07:00

Photo copyrighted by Nik. Enjoy peace with a free babysitter you trust.

If you have not been going out as much due to the economy and having to pay for a babysitter, now you can. There is a simple way to have free babysitting and only have to pay for the outing you are going to. Many parents used to do this back in the seventies.

What you need to do is organize the parents in your town. You can start with the parents you know and trust. Make up a chart with all of the people’s names on it and phone numbers. For example, if you want to go out with your spouse to a wedding than you will ask one of the parents to baby-sit for your child or children. In return, the parents will watch your child or children for and babysit for free. You will get a check mark next to your name that you used a free babysitter one time.

This free babysitting process takes a lot of stress off of your pocketbook and saves you the time to find a trusted babysitter. It is a win-win situation for parents and the children.

Before starting, you all should sit down and make up rules and type them up so everyone has a copy. Have the paper laminated or use a plastic coated cover such as one you find at a discount store for important school papers or photographs.

Some free babysitting rules could be:
*Be in bed by 9:30 p.m.
*No sugar after 7:30 p.m.
*No Internet access without supervision.
Use whatever rules you and the other parents deem necessary so you all feel comfortable.

Make sure you give each other your cell phone numbers and a signed slip that gives the babysitting parents permission to take your child or children to the emergency room or a physician in case of emergency.

Enjoy going out feeling secure and knowing that each hour you stay out you do not owe more and more money.

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

Cheap Summer Fun Activities

2009-06-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

The local library is one of the cheap summer fun activities. Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

Summer is officially here! If you have lost your job, you need to look at the bright side. You will be able to spend more time with your children doing cheap summer fun activities. You will save money by not having to pay for an in-home babysitter or daycare. You and your children will appreciate the memories you have together for the rest of your lives.

With summer here, surely you all want to go out in the warm weather and do fun things. You may be thinking you cannot afford to take your kids all over the place on a temporary low budget. Get that thought right out of your head. There are plenty of free and low cost things to do for summer.

You can pack a lunch at home and enjoy a picnic at a nearby park. You would have eaten the lunch at home anyways, why not eat outside and let the kids wear off some energy?

A low-cost item is to buy a state or county sticker. Cost is a one time fee of about $20.00 to $25.00 depending on the state you live in. You can enjoy plenty of items with this. Once you have a sticker you can get into many parks, hike on trails and the lakes for free playing on toys such as swing sets, teeter totters, etc., fishing and swimming. You will even get a discount if you camp at the state or County Park. All of these activities are excellent bonding together time.

Eat watermelon outside. Hook the sprinkler up outside on steamy hot days and let the kids run through it for a cheap summer fun and activity. Plus, the kids will easily clean up.

If you have a swing set, buy a little baby pool, you know the plastic type at Wal-Mart for $9.99. Put the swimming pool underneath the swing set slide and fill the pool. The kids will love sliding and splashing into the water for one of the cheap summer fun activities.

Join the library’s summer reading program. Once a week your children have to read a certain amount of minutes and keep record of it. Most libraries will give your children a little book to keep track of it. Parents initial the book. One activity should be done such as an art project, long bike ride, etc. Check books out weekly at the library with your kids for another earned point.

Each week have your child or children take their book to show the librarian their accomplishments. Our library even gives the children a free little prize each week. The final prize, if each week is done, is a gift certificate to a chain restaurant. Last year it was a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. The kids love getting weekly prizes, a free earned pizza and you love it as they are reading and keeping their brains working!

Two days ago our librarian gave us four free tickets to the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Illinois. A $9.50 value for each ticket and we live close by so that was an added benefit. The library has speakers, book clubs, kid’s summer craft times and story times. You cannot go wrong with the local library.

For more information on cheap summer fun activities please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money with Your Hobby of Pottery

2009-06-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

Perhaps pottery is your hobby. You can start to sell your items to customers to make money.

Choose colors that are popular for people to display your pottery in their homes. Earth tone colors always are in style. Look online or think of what colors people paint their rooms in their homes at this time. Light sage is popular whereas the bold colors are not as popular as they were last year.

Make different types of pottery such as those that will fit in country décor and those that will fit in modern décor. In other words, make a diverse amount of pottery that will appeal to all types of people.

You will need all of the pottery supplies including a kiln. You can save a lot of money and time by having your own kiln at home. Otherwise, you will have to find another person that does pottery

and pay them to use their kiln.

Take pictures of all the pottery you make. Show friends and family. Create your own website. You can buy your own .com or check out freewebs.com and get your own website for free. The template is all set up for you on freewebs.com. You will have to choose how you want your website to look and create each page. It truly is very simple.

Set up a shopping cart page with popular PayPal. This is a very safe way for people to buy and a safe way for you to sell. Both buyer and seller are protected. Once you get your website created, download your pottery pictures. Name each piece of pottery and put a price under the pottery. If you do a variety of pottery you will have a variety of prices for all types of people to afford.

You may want to offer sales and holiday specials every so often. This will give you an excuse to send an e-mail out to your friends and family. This will remind people that you sell pottery to make money.

Once people purchase your pottery, keep their name on a mailing list. That way previous customers will get updates from you and possibly purchase from you again.

For more information on make money with your hobby of pottery, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

eBay You're Way to Financial Success

2009-06-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

You can get started making money by selling things around your home you no longer want or use. For instance, if you have a lot of Lia Sophia jewelry or Silpada jewelry you can take a picture of it and post it on eBay to make money.

You will need to join eBay and create a profile. You will post the photo of your item(s). It is best to take a couple of photos at different views of your item so customers can see different angles of the product. Take separate pictures of one item unless you plan on selling your items in lots (groupings). You will need to describe your item(s) honestly. If there is a scratch make sure you list that as your customers will rate each item and transaction that is done. You want to create a positive profile that is 100% positive so you can accumulate many customers.

Next, start the item(s) at a certain price. Choose a price that you will be satisfied with receiving in case you only get one bid on the item(s). Make sure you add enough shipping charge so you do not end up losing money. Let people start bidding on your items and start to make money.

You should open up a PayPal account so your customers can easily put money into your PayPal account. To join PayPal you will need to give a credit card number and a bank account number. With PayPal you can transfer the earned money to your bank account for free. Once you belong to PayPal and start to sell items on eBay you will watch your bank account flourish. You may choose to have a check sent to your home for a minimal fee.

If you enjoy selling on eBay, you can start to collect item(s) you think others will want to purchase. Movie collectables sell well such as Star Wars or the cult following of the Saw movies.
You can eBay your way to financial success by following these tips.

For more information on how to eBay your way to financial success, please visit http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

College Kid Jobs--Dog Wash

2009-06-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

If your son or daughter is out of college for the summer and cannot find a job, dog washing is the perfect job. Every Friday your college kid can advertise a dog wash.

The dog wash can be outside at your house. Make the time from 8:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. Some people like to start their day early and get things done so they will want to drop their dog off at your house. While other people need to work all day and do not get home until 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. If your college kid stays open until 6:00 p.m. the customer still has a chance to make it to your house.

Your college kid can set up the backyard to use the hose and a few buckets of warm water. Also, for large dogs a small kiddie pool works fantastic to wash dogs. Make sure you have good dog shampoo for the dogs and you may even want to invest in whitening shampoo for white dogs. The shampoo does not have to be expensive. You can get good dog shampoo at discount stores such as Wal-Mart.

If you know how to sew, you can create small cute bandanas for the dogs once they are all fresh and clean. This is a nice added touch to give the dog back to the owner with.

Make sure you charge enough to make some money. You could charge $6.00 to $10.00 per dog wash depending on where you live. Check to see the prices with competitive groomers to see what they charge and fix your rate accordingly. You will want to charge less as you will not be trimming nails or cutting the dog’s hair.

To get started hand out brochures, tell your neighbors, and hang up signs at the local stores in your town.

For more information on college kid jobs--dog washing, please visit:
http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Prosper in the Economy--Spa Shows

2009-06-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

Photos by Kelleys-Creations.

You can start your very own spa show traveling from house to house doing parties for people. After all, women love to relax after a long days work inside or outside of the home and get together to unwind.

First make a list of the items you want to offer at your spa show. You may want to include a few bottles of your favorite wines. Make sure you include both red and white wines, sweet to more of a dry taste.

Second, choose some of your favorite foot soaks or bubble bath. Include lotions that go with the foot soaks and/or bubble bath. Buy inflatable foot tubs online to take along to the in-home spa shows. You will need at least 10 to 15 small towels for the customers to dry their feet after their foot soak.

Purchase fingernail polish in your favorite colors. If it is fall make sure you buy darker colors to go with women’s outfits; if it is spring purchase lighter colors. A great investment is to purchase the French manicure nail polish as well. A superb brand of nail polish is OPI. Of course, you can choose whichever brand you like.

Next make up a brochure with the supplies you will be using. Take a photo of each item, name the items and write a short informative yet interesting description of each item. You will want to price each item above cost and have the products available for purchase at the spa shows.

Let your family and friends know you are starting up your own spa show business. Ask them to please invite their friends for a party so they can have fun and relax. Make sure you offer some free product and/or discounted product to the hostess for opening up her home to you so you can prosper in your spa business. You may want to advertise that you do wedding party spa parties so the guests can relax and get their fingernails and toenails beautiful for the wedding day.

Once you book your first show, you can take your items to the party. Offer everyone a glass of wine. You can fill each glass half full so each person can try all of the wine you have brought. This will get more people to taste the wine you brought and more sales.

Let the women smell the foot soaks, bubble bath and lotions.

Fill the inflatable tubs with warm water and add the bath soak and/or bubble bath that each customer has chosen. Let the customers enjoy their warm foot soak while sipping wine and laughing with their friends.

For an additional fee, you can offer to massage hands and feet, file nails and paint customer's fingernails and/or toenails.

Check with your state’s rules on serving wine at home parties and being able to file and paint nails. In some states, you may have to be certified to massage and paint customer’s hands, feet and nails.

For more information on prospering in the economy doing spa shows, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Fix Computers for Cash

2009-06-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations. Fix computers to make money.

If you are good with computers there is a load of money to be made. You can fix desktop computers, laptops and notebook computers. You can offer to upgrade hardware and software for people. You can also offer hardware and software replacements. Install new programs for people. You can also get rid of spyware and viruses for people.

To cover yourself you should get insured in case of a difficult customer. Or you may want to have the customers sign a form before you work on their computer. Make sure the form states that you will do the work but in case of an accident beyond your control, you are not responsible.

To advertise to fix computers for cash, advertise in your hometown area’s small newspaper. You can put your e-mail address for people to contact you. Make sure you give your phone number, too, as a lot of people are in need of a computer “geek” to fix their computer when it is too late and their computer is no longer working. You can also advertise online. Make sure you use search engine optimization on your website to help get your website on page one of search engines such as Google or Yahoo to get noticed. You can achieve this by back linking in blogs, social book marking on many sites and posting keyword rich articles that you or a freelance writer have written advertising your business.

You may want to offer to do in-home service to fix computers. You can charge more for having to add mileage to your vehicle. By driving to the customer’s house, this will make things much more convenient for your customers. Also, customers will know that after you leave, most likely their computer will be upgraded and/or fixed. Happy customer, happy you with more cash.
For more information on how to fix computers for cash, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Cigar of the Month Website to Make Money

2009-06-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik.

Many men (and some women) like a good cigar. He can relax after a day of hard work and unwind with a cigar and a good book or a glass of scotch.

Father’s Day is approaching and what better time than right now to open an online store of fine cigars. You can have a wonderful variety of cigars offered. Cigars will sell during peek holiday times such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Birthdays are a special time to give cigars as well as Bosses Day.

Each month offer to send a Cigar of the Month for people to give as gifts or to treat themselves.
Do a little research and find out which cigars are the best. Ask your friends and family which cigars they like. Perhaps you live near a cigar shop or a store that sells fine cigars. Ask the employee which cigars are popular and why people like them.

You may want to offer to send two cigars per month or a cigar pack per month for a higher cost. This will give buyer’s the choice on how much they want to spend.

If you are a cigar smoker yourself you will have an even better idea on what cigars you would like to sell. Make sure you add a variety of cigars to your merchandise stock.

To get started set up an easy to navigate website or have someone do it for you. Make sure you include pictures of the cigars you will be offering to make your website more appealing. Use a cart check-out system to make it easier for your customers to pay.

To help your website stay at the top page in Google add three blogs per week with your website link posted. You can write about different types of cigars, post photos of cigars, history of cigars, famous celebrities who smoke cigars such as George Burns, etc.

You will need to purchase boxes to ship the cigars, shipping labels, packing tape and packing material so as not to crush the cigars.

Save all receipts for tax time on your business.

As customers order from your website make sure you save their name and address in your computer and have shipping labels for twelve months ready ahead of time to make it easier for you.

For more information on starting up your own business--Cigar of the Month please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

2009-06-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik.

You can save money on your wedding with good planning and creative ideas. For instance, you can spend a fortune on table decorations and wedding favors. Why spend a lot when you can creatively make unique wedding favors that will dress up your dinner tables?

You can easily make bath salt packs for each guest to take home as a wedding favor. You can buy all of the items to make the wedding favors online or at a discount store. Choose the color of bath salts that match your wedding and buy in a large quantity to save money. You will also want to purchase mesh and ribbon that will look nice with your chosen color of bath salts. Cut the mesh 5 inches by 5 inches. Fill the mesh with bath salts and tie with a ribbon. Add some candles in the center of the table for ambiance during dinner and while dancing. You now have pretty table decorations and a wedding favor for each guest specially made by you.

Another way to save money on your wedding is to make your own wedding invitations. Use your computer and print out unique wedding cards. You can use pictures of the two of you. A cute idea would be to put both of your pictures as children on the cover. Scan the photos and you may want to make the photos in black and white. In a creative program such as PhotoShop draw a heart on each child’s picture. Make each heart red. The contrast of the black and white photos of the children each with a red heart will be endearing to all who receive your wedding invitation. Choose your favorite font and wedding color when printing out the invitation information.

Purchase envelopes online or at a discount store. If you have set your wedding date for the future, be sure to buy Forever stamps now in case of stamp price increase later.

There are many ways to save money on your wedding. For more information please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Work at Home --Virtual Assistant

2009-06-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the freedom of being a work-at-home virtual assistant. Photo copyright by Nik.

Make great money while you work at home as a virtual assistant. A few qualities to ask yourself before becoming a virtual assistant is:

Am I organized?
Am I an accurate typist?
Am I a quick typist?
Do I like talking on the telephone?
Do I work well independently?

If the answer is “yes” to all of these questions, you may make great money while you work at home as a virtual assistant.

Your duties as a virtual assistant may include talking to customers and your boss on the telephone. Make sure you have a cell phone plan with a lot of minutes as most likely you will be in a different state than your boss and most of your customers. You will probably have a lot of data entry to type into the computer so being an accurate and quick typist is very helpful. Being organized is imperative. If you were to work in an office you would need to be organized. Organization and working independently will help with getting the job done correctly and prioritize what needs to be taken care of first.

To find work at home virtual assistant jobs you can look online. Use a search engine to find jobs when you type in “virtual assistant.” Or a popular online company is elance.com. On elance you can bid on jobs after reading information on what the client wants. To join elance you will have to take a test to make sure you understand how the online company works. It is free to join elance, but you will pay a fee of around 6.75% to 8.75% per wages of each job you accept.

For more information on how to work-at-home as a virtual assistant, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Your Business--Keep Your Customers Happy

2009-05-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-19T19:40:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

"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

2009-05-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

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/.

Make Money Creating Scrapbook Pages

2009-04-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik.

Do you love to scrapbook? If you would like to make some extra money and you love scrapbooking, you can make money doing it.

Of course you can do the obvious and join a scrapbooking company and host scrapbooking parties for customers. You will share ideas and sell the product line to the people who attend the scrapbooking parties.

If you do not want to get out and sell scrapbooking products you could design your own scrapbook pages and scrapbooks.

For instance, you can choose a theme and design the page. You can create:
Blue baby pages for boys, pink baby pages for girls, twin baby scrapbook pages, primary colors for toddler boys, princess pink pages for toddler girls, sporting themes such as football, baseball, soccer, basketball, etc., teen birthday party pages with popular teen heartthrobs, game system scrapbook pages such as the Wii, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, X-Box, etc.

High school and college graduation pages may be needed by customers.

Adult scrapbook pages can consist of golf addict pages, bridal shower, bachelor and bachelorette pages, anniversary pages, birthday, fishing, hunting, etc.

You may want to make up some vacation scrapbook pages. Popular places such as Hawaii, California, New York, Paris and Chicago or anywhere you think would sell to customers.
You may also want to offer pre-made scrapbooks. Make up your own unique pages and put them inside of a scrapbook to sell. Another item to offer is a custom made scrapbook. The customer can give you the style of book he or she wants and you can create it.

You can sell your works of art on Etsy.com, eBay, your own website and other crafty websites. You may also want to give your scrapbook pages as gifts to family and friends. People love

receiving handmade items as gifts. Many people do not have time in this busy world and a handmade gift is very thoughtful. Also, others do like the looks of scrapbook pages but feel they are not creative enough to do their own and will purchase your artistic pages.

For more information on selling scrapbook pages please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Housesit and Earn Money with a Mini Vacation

2009-04-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations

A great way to earn extra money is to housesit. You will make money and take pleasure in a free getaway.

Enjoy staying at someone else’s house. People that will want house sitters would mainly be those that are wealthy. For instance, doctors who may travel a lot due to work and/or family vacations. Your getaway to housesit will most likely be a very beautiful home.

While house sitting the customer may want you to water their plants; feed, water, walk and be a companion to their pet(s). You may want to add housecleaning to your service for an extra charge. You may choose what types of housecleaning you want to offer such as washing windows, basic housecleaning, laundry, wash floors, change bedding in all or some of the bedrooms, wash kitchen cabinets and baseboards for deep spring cleaning. This is a magnificent way to get even more customers interested in hiring you. Customers will have peace of mind knowing someone is in their home to keep it safe, water their plants, watch their pets, in addition to coming home to a sparkling clean home.

To get started ask friends and family members if you can housesit for them when they go on vacation. You will probably want to offer to housesit for free in exchange for excellent references.

Once you have acquired at least three references you can start to advertise. Make house sitting brochures on your computer with a catchy business name, your name and phone number. Make sure you advertise that you have excellent references.

Hand out brochures in wealthy neighborhoods. Put the brochure in people’s newspaper box, not mailbox. Ask to hang your brochure or business card in businesses of the affluent neighborhoods. You can send a personalized business e-mail to all of your friends and family. Ask your friends and family to please spread the word about your new house sitting business.

Enjoy making money house sitting while taking a mini trip away from home. For more information please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Start Up Your Own Business--Wine of the Month

2009-04-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations.

If you are looking for a prosperous business from home than "Wine of the Month" is a fantastic business to get into. Not only will you have a prosperous business, but a fun business at that.

You can start out by getting involved in wine tasting events. Have fun sampling wines that you think others will enjoy. You will need twelve bottles per year to ship one bottle out each month. Save all receipts from any wine events you attend to help out your new business.

You may also want to go to the liquor store and purchase wines to taste. Make sure you save your receipt so you can deduct it off of your taxes for your business. Keep track of any vehicle mileage you accrue when traveling for your wine business.

You may want to offer dry wines for one group of customers and sweet wines for the other group of customers. If you choose to go with this idea, than you will need to have twenty four types of wines in stock per year.

You will want to create a stunning website for your Wine of the Month business. Make your website easy to navigate and order. You will want to make each Wine of the Month available for order in case someone absolutely loves the wine and wants another bottle or two.

You may want to add wine charms, different styles of wine glasses, cork screw openers, fancy wine corks to easily re-seal the wine bottle, wine photographs, framed wine paintings, wine note cards, wine towels and dish cloths for the kitchen, a few different sizes of fixed up wine gift baskets, etc., for customers to purchase.

Purchase sturdy boxes, shipping labels, packing tape and packing material for inside of the box to keep the wine safe. Again, remember to save all receipts for tax time on your business.

When you do get customers ordering from you make sure you save their name and address in your computer and have shipping labels for twelve months ready ahead of time to make it easier for you.

For more information on starting up your own business--Wine of the Month please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money Cake Decorating

2009-04-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Cake decorated as a pizza designed by Tracy at Sweet Sensations. Photo by Mellody.

If you enjoy baking and creating you may make extra money in this economy cake decorating. Many people are very busy working and do not have time to bake and decorate a cute, fun or beautiful cake.

You can decorate themed cakes for children. Draw the faces of characters on the cake with the frosting or you can turn the entire cake into a character’s face and head. For instance, for the Sesame Street character make the cake the shape of Elmo’s head. To make Elmo’s fur take your cake pastry bag and put the frosting on the cake and pull up. The frosting will have a 3-D effect as if it is fur.

For toddlers you may want to make a train cake. You will need a very large cookie sheet to put the train on. Use small loaf baking pans to create the train cars. Decorate each train car with candy such as M & M’s, gummy bears, licorice, jelly beans, etc. You can use black licorice to make a train track on the cookie sheet. Or form the licorice train track inside a very large cake box for your customer.

Make a personalized cake for the lucky person. For example, if a man absolutely loves pizza and practically lives on it, his girlfriend may order a cake that looks like a pizza. Other sports and hobbies make great cakes such as a football, soccer ball, fish, bowling ball, scrapbook page, etc.

You can make money cake decorating by making a guitar cake for teenagers since the Guitar Hero video game is very popular.

Anniversary cakes you can make into beautiful masterpieces with tasty frosting flowers. For something unique you can bake two cakes and use the number of years the couple has been married as their anniversary cake. For instance, if a couple has been married for forty years, bake a four and a five. Decorate white with two colors for the flowers the customer chooses.

Once you feel very comfortable making cakes, you can offer to make wedding cakes for couples.

Make your own business cards on the computer, advertise with brochures and/or flyers, send out e-mails to family and friends to get the word out you are in the cake decorating business.

You can make money cake decorating by selling holiday cakes, picnic and party cakes, etc.
For more information please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/ .

Earn Money Pet Sitting

2009-04-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Photo by Kelleys-Creations

People go out of town on vacations or have business meetings out of town. Many folks are looking for someone to take care of their beloved pet(s). Dog kennels are not for everyone. Keeping a person’s pet for the majority of the time locked in a cage and not much interaction with people while the owner is gone, is not a very good thought to most people who love their pets dearly.

You can start up your own pet sitting business. You can earn money pet sitting. You can offer to pet sit in your home or overnight in the pet owner’s home.

First you will want to create a pet sitting name for your company. Use pet sitting in the title for people to remember easily.

Next you will want to advertise locally. Advertise where you will want to drive to or the mileage you think people are willing to travel to, to use your services. Advertise by hanging signs in local grocery stories, Laundromats, restaurants, small local newspapers and possibly city newspapers if you are in the vicinity. Make your ad look fun like you will play with the pet owner’s animal(s).

If you are going to pet sit in your home make sure it is pet friendly. You will want to set your house up just as if you are having a toddler enter your home. The last thing you want to happen is a little dog choking on a toy or item from your floor.

If you are going to pet sit in the owner’s home you can raise your price. You will be staying overnight and taking care of the owner’s pet in their surroundings. The owner will have a peace of mind knowing his or her dog, cat, rabbits, etc., have a companion. You will still be working feeding and watering the pets, taking care of their bathroom needs and most likely taking the pet for a few walks.

You may offer to pet sit and go to work during the day. You will return to the pet owner’s home after work to stay the night.

If you enjoy animals than pet sitting is a perfect way for you to earn extra money. For more information please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/ .

Make Money with Woodworking

2009-04-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik.

If you enjoy creating with your hands and working with wood you can have a successful business. You can start woodworking by making different styles of shelves to hang on the wall, eye appealing wooden garbage cans, jewelry boxes and anything small. Once you feel confident you can expand to making tables, chairs, shelving units, hutches and any other wooden household items.

In the summertime you could go to outdoor flea markets and sell your handmade wood products to the public. Most cities have winter indoor flea markets you can book yourself at also. Make sure you have a business card with your phone number and website address on it.

You may want to upgrade your creativity to designing wooden kitchen cabinets. You could charge more by using your own custom design. Also, let customers know that you will upgrade their kitchen cabinets to traditional popular styles, too. You may want to offer complete cabinetry upgrade and/or just the face of the cabinet door.

You can advertise in the small newspapers in your area. You may want to make a visual ad instead of just words about your business. This will capture more potential customer’s eyes. When advertising, you need to make your business stand out ahead of all of the others.

To get started you may want to offer ten percent off of a customer’s bill if he or she refers a friend and the friend uses your service. This will help to keep your business thriving.

Before you get started in your woodworking business you may want to do some updates around your own home or condominium. You can go to free classes at Home Depot. Learn how to do all sorts of home repairs and installations. Take a before and after picture of your projects so you can share them with potential customers as a reference.

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

Make Money Blogging

2009-04-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik.

If you enjoy blogging you can make money while doing it. First you will want to think of an informative blog to help people out and gain readership.

Several examples on items you can blog on include:
Tips on children. If you are an experienced mother or babysitter with children of your own, you can offer an array of valuable information to new mothers. Feeding tips, potty training tips, discipline tips, etc. The information is limitless.

If you give out medical tips please make sure you note that you are not a physician and this is your opinion. Plus, note that your tip may have worked well for you and you are just sharing it to help others.

If you are a teacher you can give out helpful information to parents on getting children to do their homework, small examples of different types of subjects such as math. If a child is learning algebra you can give a few examples to help a parent out.

Maybe you know how to save money very well without feeling neglected. In this economy people could use money saving tips. You may want to post this article on a website that will pay you upfront or pay-per-click.

If you take fantastic photos you may want to share tips with your readers. You may want to post your photos so that others can purchase them from you. You may choose to set up PayPal for a simple way for customers to purchase your photographs.

You do not have to stick with one subject to gain readership; you can mix it up to make it even more interesting.

Other ways you can make money blogging is to have your own blog and let other people advertise on your blog. You will most likely be paid-per-click with this method. This means that every time a reader clicks on the link, you will get paid.

Have fun blogging and making money while blogging. You will not only teach people your knowledge, you may learn from comments that your readers leave.

For more information on ways to make money blogging, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/ .

Gift Giving in a Difficult Economy

2009-04-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik. Gift giving for special occasions.

If you are invited to birthday parties, celebrate anniversaries, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, etc., you probably want to give a card and a gift. People will understand if you do not want to spend a lot. There are plenty of heartfelt gifts you can give for $5.00 and under. People do not expect you to spend a fortune on their special day, they are happy that you remembered. The old saying is true, "It is the thought that counts."

Gift Giving Ideas:
Make a coupon book for a friend or spouse to use. For example, get some construction paper and cut it with a fancy scrapbook scissors if you have one. Staple it together or use a hole punch and then tie the coupon book together with a pretty ribbon. On each piece of construction paper write a gift ticket. Some examples:

I will baby-sit one Friday or Saturday night so you and your spouse can go out for dinner and drinks.
Good for one dog walk (if you live close by).
Good for one car wash-- hand washed by me.
Good for one day of shopping at the mall together.
Good for one shoulder to cry on.

Coupons can be redeemed anytime needed.

Another idea is to use a jar at home and fill with pieces of cut paper (the amount of years you have been married) on reasons you love your spouse. If you were married thirty years, than you will write up thirty reasons on a separate piece of paper on why you love your spouse. Your spouse will love the thought and reading the little pieces of notepaper created by you.

Anniversary Gift
A caring anniversary gift to be enjoyed by your spouse, significant other or another couple is a homemade spaghetti dinner. Use a clean gift basket you have in storage at home. Buy an inexpensive red and white checkered towel or other design and line the bottom of the basket. Buy two long candles and a single long-stemmed rose. Purchase spaghetti noodles. Make some homemade spaghetti sauce. If you can afford it, buy a nice bottle of red wine that is not too expensive. The gift recipients will love this idea and enjoy a romantic candle lit dinner courtesy of your thoughtfulness.

There are many ways you can give gifts in a difficult economy. For more information please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Write a Book, Make a Dream Come True & Prosper

2009-04-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik

Have you always wanted to write a book? I know I have but I just keep putting it off. It seems like there is always something else to do or something else that has to get done around the house or kid‘s homework.

If you are laid off or have time…now is the time to get started! Do not put your unique book idea on hold any longer. If writing a book has been your life long dream, conquer that dream and make it a reality.

To get started plan on set a time each day when you can write. Write down the directions on how much time you must write every day. Find a place to write that is quiet and suits your needs. Then follow your own instructions.

Outline your book. Start with your book idea and then you can make lines along the side of your idea and write other thoughts you have next to it. Write what you want the plot to be and how you think you want the book to end. This will help you when you actually start to write your book.

When you do start to write your book do not edit as you write it. This will stop your train of thought. Keep on writing without making corrections as your brain is in its creative mode. You can edit when you are done writing or better yet another day. Usually if you look at your writing another day, you will find more errors to correct such as punctuation. You will be able to catch bad sentence format another day when it is not so fresh in your mind.

Once you finish your book, which should not take as long as you think if you listen to your directions and set aside writing time each day, you should ask someone else to read your book. Ask a person that has good editing skills. Get the person’s opinion on what they truly think about your book. If the person did not like it, don’t fret, not everyone will like your book. People like different genres.

You will need to get a publisher if you want your book in print. Do your research and look at book publishers online that fit the type of book you have written. You can even pay to publish your own book online. There are package deals on how many books you want to buy, if you want the book listed on popular websites such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble, etc.

Summary
If you have always wanted to write a book, stop making excuses and just do it. For more information on how to make money, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Read Books and Make Spare Money

2009-04-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik

If you need a little extra spending money and love to read there is the perfect job for you right online. There are websites that will pay you to read books. Usually the books are written by new authors. You may run across authors who have written a few books and want reviews on their book.

By leaving multiple reviews, this helps the new author to sell his or her book more easily.
You will not get rich by reading books, but if you enjoy reading you can make some money for fun.

How it Works
You join a group online that offers this service. You will have to give out your mailing address and a PayPal account. Books will be posted on the website that need to be read and reviewed. You choose a book that interests you. Make sure that another review is needed. (Usually you can still read the book online if it is an e-Book, but you will not get paid if enough reviews are posted.)

If a hardcopy of the book will be sent out you leave a comment that you will do the book review and give your mailing address so the book can be sent to you. If an e-Book is used you just need to open up the file and start reading on your computer!

Once you have completed reading the book, you will write at least five sentences to describe the book. Let the reader know if you enjoyed the book or did not really like it. Do not offend the author but give your honest opinion.

Next you will post a comment under the book you read project post and give your name and PayPal address with the amount to be paid to your account.

A cool website is ReaderSpoils.com to read, review and get paid. You will find other websites that people do reading for by checking out Amazon book reviews.

For more information to make money reading and reviewing books, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Prosper Painting

2009-04-03T23:03:00.001-07:00

Photo by Nik.

People are always looking for someone to paint the inside and outside of their home. Now with spring here you may get more and more jobs.

Most people are busy at work and with their children so they do not have the time to paint besides get all of their household chores completed.

Some people may want you to add a texture to their walls in a room. There are textures such as sponge painting, feather painting, and more. Nowadays you can even find paint rollers that create these effects for you. Talk about making your job simple. Discount stores such as Wal-Mart and hardware stores carry these paint rollers. I used a two tone paint roller and the results were fantastic. It was super easy to do and people complimented my walls. They thought I hired someone to do the effect.

Businesses may need to hire you to paint their walls in the evening and/or on the weekends. You may have to bid on a contract against other people who paint.

Advertising
It would be wise to create a website and/or blog online to promote your painting business. Use keywords on your website and/or blog to bring your page rankings higher on search engines. You need to be on page one of Google, Yahoo, etc., to get business through your website online, i.e., you will get more traffic to your website by being on page one.

It would be wise to type in the keyword of where you live so you will get business from people who live in your area.

Add your name to fund raisers in your neighborhood as your name will be posted on signs, brochures, t-shirts, etc.

Of course you can advertise in the newspapers in your area. Once you paint a few houses or businesses word of mouth will spread your name around, too.

For more information on prospering in the current economy, please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

Make Money at Home Doing Laundry and Ironing

2009-04-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Photo by Nik

Are you looking for a job working at home? You can advertise that you will do other peoples’ laundry and ironing.

First look at your neighborhood. What would be a fair price to charge your customers? Make sure to consider in the bill if you have to pay for your own city water, laundry soap and your time.

If you do decide to make money at home doing laundry and ironing make sure that you know how to fold clothes and iron properly. If you are not sure you can always ask someone or use a search engine such as Google to see information. Some websites even have photographs to show you how.

Advertising
Make fliers and get out there and exercise and put the ad in people’s newspaper box. (Do not put your ad in other people’s mailboxes as it is a federal offense. If someone were to complain you can get a huge fine.) Or put your ad in people’s doors if they do not have a newspaper box.
You may want to include a 10% discount on customer’s first order. (This will help people try your service and feel how nice it is to have someone else do a monotonous job that they may not have time for.)

Hang fliers at businesses in your area and surrounding areas that are not too far for customers to drop their laundry off at.

Make a Deal with Your Laundromat
You may want to speak to the owner of the Laundromat in town. If they do not offer the service of ironing, you can ask if you may advertise to do it. Customers may call you ahead of time that they will be washing and drying their clothes and you may have to pick up the laundry from the Laundromat. Bring the laundry home and you can make money folding and ironing their clothes.

To make your job more interesting you can listen to music while folding and ironing or watch television such as a movie you have always wanted to watch but never had the time to do. Books on tape work well, too.

For more information on making money at home please visit: http://www.preparednessmentor.com/.

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