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  • When I Finally Grow Up, I Will Be a Consultant!

    If you are an over 50 “industry-expert” who is downsized or forced into “retirement” you may be able to turn your knowledge into dollars.  Consultants make money from selling what they know.   Oh yes, there are plenty of jokes about the increase in the number of consultants when the economy is poor, and yes almost anyone can claim to be a consultant.  A good consultant, however, not only knows his or her subject but also has passion and a drive for excellence.   Other characteristics a good consultant will possess are:

    Business Acumen  – understanding how a business operates, what drives decisions, and what make the industry unique.

    Pragmatism –  looking at solutions from all angles before designing, recommending, or implementing a solution.

    Professionalism –  committing to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and confidentiality.

    One can consult in almost any subject but the areas in current demand are:  Accounting, Advertising, Auditing, Business, Business Writing, Career Counseling, Communications,  Computer Consulting, Editorial Services, Executive Search,  Gardening, Grant Writing, Human Resources, Insurance, Marketing, Payroll Management, Public Relations, Publishing, Taxes, Writing Services.

    consultant sign

    If you are indeed qualified by your experience and expertise to be a consultant, some other things to consider before getting out your Rolodex and hanging your sign include asking yourself…..

    Are there any certifications or special licensing I will need?  In some states professional fund raisers must be registered with the state before beginning your business.  The National Society of Fund  Raising Executives offers a certification, however it is not required for consultants to have this certification.  If you thinking about becoming a computer consultant, regardless of your skills, some potential clients may want to see a collection of Microsoft certifications.

    Do I like to network ?  Networking is essential to the success of any type of consultant business.  Begin building your network of contacts immediately.

    Am I organized enough to be a consultant?  Not only must you organize the data you collect or are given, you must have excellent time management skills, and an ability to organize your day.

    If being the expert and solving a client’s problems is appealing, here are some steps to help you get started.

    1.   Renew old acquaintances and refresh your recent contacts in your chosen industry.  This might even include contacting the company that downsized or “retired” you to see if they use former employees as consultants.

    2.   Write out your mission statement of what you intend to help your customers achieve with your consulting help.  Keep it under 25 words!

    3.   Go through your files and look for letters of commendation, awards, etc.  Contact friendly outsiders who have expressed a willingness to write testimonials in your behalf.

    4.   Examine any special insurance, bonding, etc. you will need in your chosen field, such as errors and omissions insurance.  Find vendors and get cost quotes.

    5.   Decide on a business name and get a professionally-designed logo.  If you are on a tight budget, you can get matching business cards, letterhead, and envelopes through online sites. Consider:  Zazzle.com,  vistaprint, US.moo.com.

    6.   Create a website that is simple in construction and professional in appearance.  You can customize a template offered by a web hosting company, use software such as Dreamweaver or MS FrontPage,  or find a local developer to work with.

    7.   Decide if you will need a one-page Letter of Agreement or will need an extensive contract to conduct your business.  If you will need a formal contract, find a local business attorney to work with.

    Share Your Knowledge and Expertise.
    Share Your Knowledge and Expertise.

  • A Few Tips for Those Who Are Reluctantly Considering Becoming Entrepreneurs

    Are you a Reluctant Halfpreneur?  You’ve  never wanted to start your own business.  You like working for someone else.   There are benefits, a stable paycheck, and people who you enjoy working with.  Start your own business!  No way!

    Then ……  Management changed and your position changed too, and not for the better.  Perhaps you are a parent and you have lost the flexibility to come in early so you can leave early for your children’s sporting events.  Or, the handwriting is on the wall – your job or your whole company is at risk and local opportunities for someone with your skill set are nil.  Or you thought that your career was secure for the next 5, 10, 15 years, but now you are over 55 and out of work.  The odds of finding another comparable position in your field are slim.  Not impossible, but all the government and business statistics warn that it will take you much longer to find a job than it will for a 40 year old.  Part-time at fast food service or retail sales is not what you have in mind when your unemployment compensation runs out.

    If your experience does not immediately translate into  something you can start your own business in and it is important to you that you work at something professional, with a potential for good pay, and offers the opportunity to interact with interesting people, where do you look for ideas.   There are some career and life coaches that specialize in working with individuals in the position that you find yourself and be able to help you find your passion.   Before going the coaching route, here are two more reasonably priced options.

    Look over the catalogs for your local colleges, especially community colleges.  Take a look at what is being offered in certificate programs and in their noncredit programs.  These offerings will indicate what may be in demand in your community.  You may want to earn a certificate or take a course or maybe you have the background to make the transition into this new field.  Employment or self-employment in this new field may be possible.

    Visit http://www.entrepreneurbookstore.com.  They sell two types of books: kits to help you start your own business that  generally cost $69 and start-up books that retail around $18 – $22.  The kits have business forms and worksheets and walk you through the entire planning process.  The start-up books have plenty of information about the business and how to start it, but not the forms.  If you are exploring your possibilities, the books are helpful.  I purchased one recently thinking that it represented an area I could expand my current business into.  Well, I could go that route, but I discovered that there were many aspects of this new business venture that would not be a good fit with my current life style.  I got some ideas I might use so it was $19.99 well spent.

    Since Entrepreneur Press is the publisher (my only affiliation with Entrepreneur magazine is that I subscribe to it) many of the kits and start-up books are appropriate for those with a professional or administrative background.  Title include:  Public Relations, Event Planning, Consulting, Freight Brokerage, Tutoring and Test Preparation, Executive Recruiting, Staffing,  Online education,  Import- Export, Home Inspection, College Planning Consultant.

    Event Planning
    Event Planning

    If more than one idea interests you, research it further – interview someone who does this type of work; research your local market; talk to the former executives who staff your local SCORE office or visit or agencies (at colleges, Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Bureau) that assist those starting new businesses.   Can’t narrow down your choices –  a career coach or Profiting from Your Passions coach can help.  Need guidance in setting up a business – consider a new business coach.

     

     

  • Don’t Sabotage the New Year Resolutions for Your Business

    resolutionYou probably have some great New Year resolutions for your business.  Increase your income, develop a product to sell, create a source of passive income, write an e-book or special report to draw in new clients, add a new income stream,  gain more productive time for yourself by hiring a virtual assistant. Great ideas but they will not come to fruition if you are engaging in any of the five Deadly No No’s.

    So……

    1. Stop making excuses: We come up with excuses because they are easier than doing the work that will help us accomplish our goals. Even in the short run, excuses are a waste of time.

    Instead of growing our business or working on our skills or improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kinds of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

    2. Stop the blame game: When you blame others for what you don’t have or for what happens to you, you actually give your power away. Life is not about what happens to you, rather how you handle the situations in your life. Making the transition to entrepreneur or halfpreneur is a challenge;  keep your power and learn how to handle new situations.

    3. Stop your resistance to change: Change is good. Change will help you make improvements in your life, the lives of those around you, and your business. Follow your passions and embrace change.  There is a wonderful book called Who Moved my Cheese – read it!

    4. Stop trying to impress others – be authentic: Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not. The moment you stop trying to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you; you will find that people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

    5. Stop trying to live your life or run your business in accordance with other people’s expectations:  Don’t live your life or run your business according to what others think is best.  Other people, the media, the internet constantly project how we should live and run our businesses.  We ignore our intuitions, that inner voice or calling and forget what we want and need. Listen to others but do not let their opinions mislead you.

    Way too many of us are living a life that is not theirs to live. Some people live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, or to what their friends and even their enemies think is best for them! In many working mom’s cases it’s the life the media has projected. We ignore the inner voice, that inner calling. We are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that we lose control over our lives and forget what makes us happy, what we want, what we need.  We all have just one life to live; we own it and not let other people’s opinions mislead us.

    new year resolutionWe cannot change, fix or improve what we have not yet acknowledged.  The more aware you are of your thoughts and actions, the easier and faster you can improve them.   So, this year before you commit to your New Year resolutions, make sure you are not sabotaging yourself with any of the Deadly No No’s.

  • Build Your Lists and Make Money by Writing Special Reports

    Does your business enterprise need a boost? Is more income one of your goals for 2014?  Is list building one of your New Year resolutions?   Consider using special reports to add revenue and build a business contact list for future use.

    What are Special Reports?

    Special ReportSpecial reports are short reports that contain helpful information on a subject. The reports are anywhere from a few to 30 or so pages in length. If you have the know-how, you can write them yourself or hire a writing service to do it for you. There is very little work involved in creating them but they are versatile tools for building an online business.

    Here is what you should do!
    Here is what you should do!

    One popular subject for a special reports is a how-to. A how-to directs a reader, step by step on how to do something. If you are knowledgeable with computer software and hardware, you have a perfect niche for special reports on your website. People are always having trouble figuring out their computers and looking for help.

    How-to guides on infant care, raising children, and finding romance are popular too.

    Marketing Special Reports

    There are several options for marketing your special reports. If you are trying to build a business list of customers, use these special reports as a freebie when any visitor signs up to be a part of your email mailing list. For this type of promotion, use a shorter report like a five page report on how to navigate problems with Windows Vista or MS Office 10 (if your website has a computer niche).

    You can create a five-part course and use the first part as the free promotion. This free information is your hook. Once individuals sign up for the mailing list, you can grant them access to the other installments through emails that also advertise your website products. Signing up for a business newsletter subscription can also be the reason to gift a free special report.

    Making Money

    dollar All of your special reports don’t have to go towards list building. Besides your other products or services, you can sell special reports on your website. Many reports sell for between $5 and $20 a piece, but if you offer very valuable information, you can command a higher price. Sell single reports or create various courses to interest your customers.

    People love to learn about money-making opportunities. They will pay the money for any information that is a how-to guide to making money on and offline in various ways. How have you made money? Begin your “career” as a special report writer with accounts of your successful money-making experiences.

    As you build your library of special reports and your lists, you have the option of alternating free promotional reports and new reports.  You can create combination offers – Buy Two, Get One Free.

    If you become a successful special report writer and your business is growing as your special reports sell, you can consider creating an affiliate program. This gives customers a way to help you make more money and also allows them to make money. Offer certain special reports as additional compensation for reaching a certain selling level in the affiliate program.

    2014 GOALS
    2014 GOALS

    So if your 2014 goals are increasing your income or increasing your contact list, consider writing special reports.  They are low cost to create and will both build lists and increase your profit margin.

  • Ten Reasons to Be Thankful

    What are those who are self-employed grateful for this holiday season?   After putting this question to some friends and to Google, ten general reasons for gratitude stand out.

    1. Doing what they love and if they work exclusively online they can do it from anywhere in the world.
    2. Inspiration and ideas that they can act on.
    3. Flexible hours  and no need to ask for permission.  You can go to the dentist or your child’s soccer game, it’s your decision.
    4. Supportive family and friends
    5. Customers and clients who see the value of what they do.
    6. The chance to make a difference in the world.
    7. Receiving payment for value delivered.
    8. Passive income.
    9. Challenges including being able to learn from your mistakes and building the courage to ask for the sale.
    10. “Technology”  and  ….. everything they cannot live without: the Internet, PayPal, WordPress, Adobe software,  Wikipedia, Skype, Social networks.

     Happy Thanksgiving

    recycled turkey!
    recycled turkey!

  • How to Sell your Digital Photography at Stock Photo Sites

    Hobbies can often be turned into business ideas that can make you money. As a digital photographer you can make money from your photos.

    Stock photography is one of the best ways to break into the online digital photography market. You can sell your photos to supplement your income and help businesses get the right images for their websites, newsletters, magazines, e-zines and other media. If you surf the Web, your may fine that many of the photos look the same. Your photos, if they are of sufficient quality, can add a new flavor to what is currently being offered.

    Many photographers are daunted by the stock selling process but in reality it is very simple.   Here are some ways to get started.

    1. Understand how the stock photography business works. On these sites, customers can purchase pictures or lease them for a certain amount of time. On some sites, photos are free to use when signing an agreement of use and including a link back to the site.    As a photographer, you will make more money if your photos are leased as opposed to being sold. The one time sale may net you some cash but the lease will provide a continuous source of income off of that one photograph. And, many people can pay to lease the photograph at one time. Through the leasing process, your work will be viewed by a large audience.   Start by researching current stock photography sites. Find one that offers the leasing option to customers and also has an easy-to-navigate site.  This is the site that you may want to begin with to test the waters with your work.
    2. Continue researching stock photography sites, but now take a careful look at the photographs.  What do they have in common? What types of photographs are selling/leasing well?   Can you produce photographs that are similar yet also unique? Depending on your photographs consider submitting them to a specialized market.
    3.  Produce some high quality work to submit. Businesses using these sites are looking for professional quality at a price they can afford.  You may have to submit to several stock photography companies.
    4. Do more research.  Make sure you understand how each stock photography company works so you know what kinds of images to submit, what licenses to grant your work, and make certain that this is not a company that exploits its contributors.
    5. Create a website or blog with links to the stock photography sites featuring your work. This will send more people to view your photographs and may lead to other opportunities in the future.
    6. Get a free report on digital photography. http://XXXXX.typic.hop.clickbank.net/
    7. Stock Photo sites to take a look at:

  • 8 Ways to Earn Money with Digital Photography

    Photographer, picture image
    Photographer

    Are you a shutterbug? If you like to snap pictures at family events or just out in the neighborhood, put that camera to good use in ways that will earn you money for your efforts. This article mentions eight ways that you can make money with digital photography.

    The world of photography has changed since the instant camera was developed. With a digital camera, you can take a not so good shot and make it perfect using a variety of software options. Best of all, pictures can be printed on quality paper on your printer or at a store kiosk for just a few cents per picture.

    Technology has created memory cards much like the flash drive storage medium to file and save pictures for sharing on the Internet. You can easily upload pictures from the memory card to your friends, family and a blog or website if you have one.

    1.    Stock photography. This business is growing. For website newsletters, magazines and articles, publishers look for photos that capture the essence of their articles. It is not terribly convenient to go out and snap some pictures every time you need one. Selling stock photographs to businesses and individuals is convenient for them and lucrative for you.

    2.    Wedding photographer. Okay so if you aren’t a professional you won’t be the main photographer at first but you can be hired to take candid shots at the reception or wedding photos after the ceremony. The happy couple can order as many pictures as they want and you can create wedding CDs of the pictures you took.

    3.    Newspaper pics. If you are in the right place at the right time, you might capture photos that are worthy of the newspaper. When news happens, a newspaper photographer might not be on the scene. You can capture the moments and sell them to newspapers. Snapping shots at community events may also earn you some money from local newspapers.

    4.    Magazine photographer. Create a portfolio of photos that you’ve taken and submit them to magazines.  Looking at your work, they may hire you for assignments. Magazines are a tough market to break into so cut your teeth on other smaller assignments for local newspapers.

    5.    Local photography business. Ever gotten a mailing that shows cars for sale or houses for sale? Someone had to take those photographs. It could be you. Hire yourself out to area businesses to do the photographs for them.

    6.    Event photographer. Some families like to document their events like family reunions, christenings, bar mitzvahs and birthday parties. You can be the eyes in the room catching candid shots of everyone.

    7.    Photography website. If you know a lot about digital cameras and photography, create a website to sell photography products. Keep visitors and customers coming back with engaging content on various aspects of photography.

    8.    Teach a photography class. Those cameras look easy to use but some of those symbols can mix people up. Teach others to use their digital camera and create great pictures that they, too, can market as a business.

    Do you like photography? What started off as a hobby can become a new business venture.  

  • One Business or Multiple Streams of Income?

    Multiple streams of incomeIf you are considering going into business, you may want to consider having multiple streams of business.  Having multiple streams means that you have more than one profit center.  Now you may hold the belief that one should be focused and put all your effort into just one product of service.  Being focused is necessary but most big businesses have  a primary product or service and more than one profit center. Small businesses, too, can benefit from having more than one source of income in a changing economy.

    There are at least three reasons to consider having multiple streams of business

    Economic

    You’ve  chosen a business that  can bring in only a certain amount of profit.  You can write only so many resumes per week and then there are weeks when you have too few clients.  There is a limit to how many dogs you can walk before and after your full-time job.   You can only accept so many children into your popular after-school art classes. You love what you do; it brings in some income, but you are limited by time and/or space.

    Growing Your Main Business  

    Developing new business streams might be a way to grow your main business so it brings in more money or to enables you to do it full-time.  The resume writer can offer interview coaching or job search coaching,  of publish an e-book or paper on Amazon on how to ace interviews.  The dog walker might have a blog or website about dogs that has space available for advertising or that leads visitors to online retailers to purchase their products (affiliate marketing).  The after school art teacher could do affiliate marketing of art and craft supplies for children or create a course (online or DVD) or a membership site for moms who want to learn how to teach art to their children.  (Desired by moms that home-school and moms that are concerned because art is one of those subjects that cash-strapped school systems have eliminated from the curriculum)  These ideas are all related to your core business but they provide another source of profit.

    Variety

    You need variety and change.  You can’t see yourself focusing on one thing for the rest of your entrepreneurial life!   So make or do the several things that you want to do.  Maybe you will have a business for each season.  Maybe you will blog about something you find fascinating and do affiliate marketing for a related product.  Maybe you will write an e-book on how to do something and promote it with YouTube videos.   You probably have more than enough creativity to pull this off.

    Some of the above examples of streams are active and some are passive.   Active income streams generally involve a trade of work for money, which means that your time is consumed.  If you are already trying to do too much, you may want to consider a passive income stream because once they are set up they provide income without additional work contribution.  Some passive income streams require  significant money to start with, but significant cash is not needed to publish an e-book, start a membership site, become an affiliate marketer, or create apps.

    So how can you identify what new stream of business you should try first or next?   Barbara J. Winter in Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways for Creating Work that you Love offers a number of tips, that have been adapted for this blog.

    1.  Figure out what you want to do.  Brainstorm, mind map, ask your friends and family what you do best.  Then pick out one stream of income that you will be happy doing and put it at the top of your list.  Prioritize any additional ideas that you might like to try later.
    2. Estimate how much it will cost to put each of your priority business streams into operation.  This step will most likely require some research.  Interview people who are in a similar business, use the internet to find the wholesale cost of item you will need, make an appointment and talk to someone at the SBA (Small Business Association)
    3. Estimate how much profit each of your potential streams will generate in the first year.  You are looking for  a realistic view of what your profit margin will be during your start-up. 
    4. Take a look at the analysis you have done on these business streams.  Which will cost the least to start?  Which will be more profitable?   Do you have the time and energy to get the stream started?

    The best solution is to choose the business that will make the most profit and cost the least amount of money to start.

  • Ten “If You Dare” Part-time Businesses

    Since it is almost Halloween, today’s weird Wednesday post is adapted from the book 1001 Ways to Make Money If You Dare.  All these businesses have risk factors and they all can potentially provide some income. On a personal note, I would not be willing to do any of them!

    FYI: Question marks (?) indicate the risk factor and dollar signs ($) indicate potential monetary reward.

    Clean Out Attics, Cellars, and Barns
    OK, you will have to deal with cobwebs, dust, and debris, but folks are willing to pay so they don’t have to do it themselves and haul the trash away. It is also quite possible that you might find things of value in their junk.   ?? $$

    Be a Gardener – Plant Flowers and Tend Gardens
    Flowers can brighten anyone’s day, but planting seeds or transplanting seedlings can do in a lady’s nails. Get the word out in your town that you will plant the flower gardens and tend them all summer. ….
    Get more customers who have vegetable gardens. These folks start out with high green ideals as they plant the seeds or transplant the tomatoes, squash, and eggplants. Only problem is their green zeal quickly disappears as the weeds appear. Go doubly green and save their gardens for a price.        ?  $$

    Breed Feeder Animals                                                                                                                      Where do pet stores get those little mice that get fed to pet snakes? These mice are spawned for one purpose. Talk to local pet stores and see if you can under-price its feeder animal supplier.         ?? $$

    Farm Emus
    If you have some space, you can raise emus. The market for these big birds in the U.S. is growing, The birds are adaptable and do not take up as much space as livestock. Their meat is low in fat, but the entire animal is valuable. Not only the meat, but the claws, skin, oil, and feathers can be used and sold.        ??  $$$

    Build Solar Panels and Windmills
    Sunlight and wind are free. Construct and install solar panels or build windmills and help people bring their electric bill down to almost $0. To find out how visit http://www.earth4energy.com/video or http://www.makeyourownwindmill.net      ?? $$$

    Sell Write-It-Yourself Term Papers
    It’s not ethical to sell term papers to students but you can do the research and give them an annotated outline! You can do research on subjects you love then write the outlines for  papers on this topic. Provide the excerpted research and annotated outline to desperate students who can now legitimately write their term paper. Advertise on Craig’s List in college towns.             ? $$

    Home School Other People’s Kids
    Maybe you don’t want to home school your kids but if you have the teaching skills you can hire yourself out to teach on a one-on-one basis, so overprotective parents who have no idea how to teach can still home school their child.        ? $$$

    Deliver Nondelivery Take Out
    Some of the best restaurant food is take out only. Make money picking up the foods from restaurants and delivering it to apartments and dorms.         ? $$

    Be a Belly Dancer
    Secretly you watch Bollywood movies and imitate the dance moves. No one needs to know who you are. With a veil over your face you can get paid for your hip-shaking dance routines. Post your ads online and get paid for entertaining.      ? $$

    Become a Boudoir Photographer
    Scantily clad photos of oneself make the perfect Valentine Day present, but women need someone they feel comfortable with to get au natural in front of a camera. Help them relax. Use aromatherapy candles and serve some chamomile tea then start the photo shoot.         ??? $$$

    Happy Halloween

     

  • Starting a Business – Video Wednesday

    Are you thinking of starting a business ……

     

    If you are seeking ideas for what type of business to start do try shadowing someone who doing something you are interested in like a bed and breakfast or wine bar.  The suggestion for doing an informational interview is also a great suggestion, but you may want to interview someone who is operating a business at least 50 miles from where you might start your business, so you do not appear to be a competitor.

    No ideas at all!

    • Look at a copy of the noncredit course being offered at your local community college.  Some of these course may suggest a new business idea.
    • Visit www.fabjob,com  Check out the dream careers and purchase any books you are really interested in.
    • Consult a Profiting from Your Passions coach for one or more sessions.  Explore you passions, skills, interests, assets and who will want what you have to offer.