Make More Money, Starting and Running a Business

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The first thing you have to do is change your mindset. You have to start viewing your skills and experiences as bankable resources. This is also known as freelancing. Now, not every job can translate directly into a freelance skill — but most can give you an indication of where your strengths are. The main issue most beginners have here is underestimating the value of their services. I did the same thing when I was first starting my business as a test prep coach.

What are you currently doing now that someone is paying you for?

Generating Business Ideas

The cost to the end user is your true value. Could you take those exact same skills and make money by yourself? One way that comes to mind is divorce filings. The process is expensive can cost hundreds or even thousands to file , but in reality, most paralegals know how to do this work.

And God, are they willing to pay! This is where most people bang their heads again the wall and give up. If you leverage them right, and do your job, the referrals will become your primary source of business. What does a baby kangaroo do? The possibilities are endless — and you have to be willing to think outside of the box to see make some of these connections work. There are dozens of websites out there that are specifically designed to help freelancers find work and get paid.

Some of the most popular are Elance , o Desk and Freelancer. First things first — websites like Elance are great tools.

How to set up your first freelance business

And they are fantastic starting points. Nature just keeps growing… and growing… and growing. It only requires a few items — a saw, a drill, a sander — and some creativity and passion for working with wood. If you have the tools or just want to turn your hobby into a business, this may be a great small business idea for you. In addition to creating new items, you could also focus on repairing existing wooden furniture or woodwork.

Remember my earlier post about breakfast burritos? Making meals in advance is a great way to save money for yourself — but you can often prepare these for others as well and sell them for a markup. You can grow this by taking orders from others and finding out what they like. Common tasks can include anything from picking up dry cleaning to making dinner or assembling Ikea furniture. Many people loathe bathing their pets and grooming their fur — I know I do. Pet groomers perform these tasks for a small fee — a perfect job for a person who loves dogs and cats.

If you have a good eye for detail work and a lot of patience, homemade jewelry can be quite profitable.

50 Small Business Ideas You Could Start Today

As with other items on this list, there are many opportunities to sell such items through local gift shops, craft fairs, or sites like Etsy. Like to grow vegetables? My father does this with tomatoes and earns some solid extra money during the summer months. You can do really well, though, if you can grow things inside during the winter — February fresh tomatoes can sell quite well. Have strong English skills and exceptional grammar? You may have opportunities to work as a proofreader from home.

Advertising for this can be difficult; seek out those who might actually be able to use your services and advertise directly to them. Many people dream of having beautiful scrapbooks but never take the steps to create them on their own. You can step in here — take their ideas and materials and assemble a scrapbook for them.

Many people would love to have a beautiful slideshow to commemorate the passing of a loved one, an anniversary, or a special birthday. Many elderly people need assistance with a wide variety of simple household tasks — cleaning, laundry, and so forth. Many adult children of elderly people are quite willing to hire someone to help out their parents. She could easily take this a step further and offer her services to others, doing basic garment repair and modification for a small price on lazy evenings. If you have a knack for fixing computers, this is a good place to start. Again, people value handmade items like these, which can easily be sold through local gift shops and websites like Etsy.

Offer lessons in that instrument to others — this can also be an excellent service to barter with, too. Did you major in a subject like English, history, or math in college, or do exceptionally well on the SAT exam? Do you have patience with children? If so, you likely have what you need to tutor kids in particular subjects.

Seek out parents or teachers and let them know that you tutor students in a certain subject, and offer materials for them to share, and phone calls will often trickle in. You can get going locally or expand across the country by offering to tutor online. Many ultra-busy professionals appreciate having someone who can check and answer their email, organize task lists for them, update their calendars, and other administrative tasks, with minimal interaction. The best part is that you can provide this service from home with a good Internet connection. Many small businesses in your community could use a very basic web presence to tell others about their business.

A great way to get started is to develop a website or blog on the topic, get to know people online, and promote your services at local wedding venues and throughout the community. If you play your cards right, certain types of businesses will pay you to promote their products and encourage sales. Use your passion and expertise to give advice and suggest actionable steps people can take to improve their professional and personal lives. Most of your work will revolve around writing, editing, designing, and proofreading, so you will need few supplies outside of your computer and basic software to get started.

These are just some of the many side business opportunities that have grown more common in the past few years. However, there are many more out there already, in addition to some that are yet to be discovered. And once you have things up and running, you might consider a business credit card that offers rewards to help manage your costs. Careers Entrepreneurship Getting Started. The information in our reviews could be different from what you find when visiting a financial institution, service provider or a specific product's website.

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Auto detailing Have a meticulous eye for detail and love to get things gleaming clean? Babysitting Got lots of evenings free? Rent out a room in your home Have some extra space in your home? Buying and reselling on eBay Thanks to technology, there are more opportunities than ever to buy and resell products for extra money. Cake and cupcake baking and decorating Enjoy baking and have a bit of an artistic touch?

Snowplowing Live in an area with plenty of snowfall during the winter? Dog walking Dog walking is the perfect side business for anyone who has a few hours to kill during the day. Creating custom clothing The Internet has created opportunities for people who can sew and design custom clothing for special events.

Home daycare Many states allow people to start an in-home daycare with minimal licensing and paperwork. Cleaning services for businesses Many businesses and civic institutions need individuals who can clean their offices and common areas outside of normal business hours. Social media expert Almost everyone uses Facebook , Twitter , and Pinterest these days, but did you know that many companies will pay people to help them manage their social media accounts — sometimes even part-time from home?

Gourmet cookie making If you love baking and are able to keep your hand out of the proverbial cookie jar, making gourmet cookies is a great side hustle with plenty of long-term potential. Antique refurbishment This is a perfect side business for people who love antiquing. Personal chef I recently met a woman who earned quite a bit of money as a very part-time chef.

Event DJ Are you an audiophile? Exercise instructor Many gymnasiums will trade membership and often a bit more for a person willing and able to teach an exercise class. Handyman services Skilled at basic home repair? Interior decorating Fascinated by interior design?

50 Small Businesses You Can Start on Your Own

Knitting, crocheting, or quilting Skilled at creating blankets and sweaters? Landscaping services Willing to mow lawns and trim bushes and trees? Meal-to-go preparations Remember my earlier post about breakfast burritos? Pet grooming Many people loathe bathing their pets and grooming their fur — I know I do. Jewelry making If you have a good eye for detail work and a lot of patience, homemade jewelry can be quite profitable. Growing and selling produce Like to grow vegetables? Proofreading and editing Have strong English skills and exceptional grammar? Scrapbook making Many people dream of having beautiful scrapbooks but never take the steps to create them on their own.

Slideshow making Many people would love to have a beautiful slideshow to commemorate the passing of a loved one, an anniversary, or a special birthday. Senior citizen assistance Many elderly people need assistance with a wide variety of simple household tasks — cleaning, laundry, and so forth. Tutoring Did you major in a subject like English, history, or math in college, or do exceptionally well on the SAT exam?

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