Money Maker Ideas

Over the last 20 years, with the invention and popularization of the Internet, the traditional mediums that companies used to advertise, inform, and simply connect with their consumer base have change drastically.  In fact, the traditional organization of a business has also been revolutionized.  Now there are thousands of businesses that are run out of individual homes, forgoing the typical brick-and-mortar companies that were abundant before the Internet.  For example, my friend's neice just started her own business online at a site called  etsy.com .  This brilliant idea for a website allows users to have their own “shop” wherein they are able to sell vintage and/or handmade items.  Because of this, potentially millions of stay-at-home moms, craft makers, and people with hobbies making things can actually make a profit doing the things they love to do—without leaving the house. Social Media-Leveling the Playing Field: Normally a business would have a marketing manager in

Practical tips to help make the most of your business even when faced with cutbacks or a tight budget.   One of the biggest challenges facing small and medium businesses is how to manage growth when the market isn't working in your favour.  At the end of the day, it's all about looking at your budget from a new angle and making smart decisions about the best way to use it - that way you can keep your business on track and stimulate growth even in a difficult economic climate.  But how? Take a look at a few practical tips to maximise the potential of your business and stretch your budget as far as it can go…  Trim the edges:  When you're trying to stretch every last penny, looking for ways you can trim down on expenses can go a long way. You might be surprised at the money you could save by implementing a few simple changes. Areas to consider include: Travel expenses - how much are your employees travelling, and is it absolutel

There’s a new phrase in town that encompasses all the popular platforms used by individuals to make buying decisions—SoLoMo. SoLoMo refers to the combination of social media, local commerce and mobile devices, all of which are highly used by consumers today when it comes to making purchases. So how can you use SoLoMo to improve your business? Get on social media: If you have yet to join a social media platform, it’s about time that you do. According to a 2012 Statistic Brain study , 56% of people in the world use at least one social network, which means that you’re missing out on a large audience if you don’t have a social presence yourself. Consumers use social media for a variety of different reasons. They use it to learn more about companies and their products and services, and they also use it for customer service inquiries and to gain access to special promotions. Consumers also use social media to ask their virtual friends for advice or to leave their own experiences with c

Fewer things are better than a skiing holiday for those who love the combination of fresh, outdoor air and a great adrenaline rush. Of course, everyone knows the best places to head for a skiing holiday. The Alps of Switzerland and France, the Dolomites of Northern Italy, and sections of the Rocky Mountains in the United States are all excellent places to hit the piste and hurtle downhill at 70 miles per hour on skis or a snowboard. What about the less-heralded destinations, that are just as good for skiing but don’t enjoy the publicity and press of the well-known resorts? We explored the best destinations for skiing that you didn’t already know about. Australia: Is this a joke? Are we suggesting that you take to the outback on skis? Does it snow over Ayers Rock? Image Source The answer to all of those questions is no. However, in the south east of the country you will find the Australian Alps, the only place on the Aussie mainland where it snows at all. To get an idea

What does a traditional holiday look like? For millions around the world, it means you get onto an aeroplane, head off to a destination, and stay in the same hotel for a week or two while occasionally having a walk around your location, trying out the local food, and enjoying a relaxing lounge around the beach and poolside. Tourism trends are changing however, and people are looking for more from the trips that they take, especially as the challenging economy means that most of us are taking less holidays than we were a decade ago, for example. One way in which people are getting more from their holidays is to take touring trips around various locations, rather than stay in a fixed destination at all times. We explored the reasons why five, six, seven, or even more holiday destinations is better than one. Sense of Adventure: If you head off on a ‘traditional’ holiday, the journey there is something of an exciting adventure, but afterwards, your holiday rep tells you about the

What is a brand? Branding is all about perception and essentially tells a business’s story, provides differentiation from competition and essentially tells a back story. A strong brand has the power to instil a sense of trust and meaning in people. The way a business has positioned itself in the eyes of a customer can become a point of consideration in buying decisions. For example people choose to buy Apple phones over Android because they like the way Apple has positioned itself as a brand, even when the Android phones have more features. Someone may decide to spend $80 000 for a high-end luxury vehicle when they could spend $15 000 and get a car that fulfils that same function. But they spend the money on the luxury brand because they know this brand is seen as exclusive and they want to put forth the message that they have money. Building brand awareness takes time and brands like Nike, Mercedes and BMW have built it up over many years. For new businesses, buildin

The internet is a wonderful thing and many people would struggle to live without it in the 21st century; not to mention all of the businesses that wouldn’t be able to trade without it. We tend to use the internet for a lot of things these days; for finding out information, to keep in contact with friends and family and sometimes just for entertainment but it can also be used to make a bit of money on the side. I’m sure all of us would snap up the chance to earn a bit more money if we had it presented to us but I’m here to tell you it has been in front of your eyes all along. There are many ways to make money online but here are three of the simplest. Writing Reviews – There are plenty of sites online that will pay you to write reviews that will then be placed on their website. Every company wants their products to be reviewed positively as this will ultimately increase sales and you can take advantage of this by offering your skills. You don’t even need to be a particularly goo

Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook has greatly changed the communication among individuals and even on the marketing side. As the number one social network site in the world, Facebook is steadfastly growing bunking on the ever-growing popularity of virtual communication that encompasses personal, business and corporative relationships. While Facebook may have turned the world upside down and partly affected how people perceive the effectiveness of personal communication, these are also the factors that have made it the new "it" thing in marketing. And for some - albeit, debate for its potentiality and security - the new online shopping tool. These are positive factors that can be taken as advantages for companies who want to step up customer relations and social market viability of their products on Facebook. There are three advantages to the way Facebook has changed company-customer relations: The Emerging Social Shopping Trends: Social shopping is an emerging t

Sales Hacks- 5 ways to tidy your business for 2013 1.       Spring Clean Removing deadweight can lift your productivity, whether it’s old stock that won’t sell, antiquated sales techniques that no longer apply, or thinning out the sales line. Fewer but better always beats more yet shoddy. Doing something as basic as clearing your computer system of unnecessary items will naturally make you feel more efficient, simply by getting rid of clutter. 2.       Be brave Why not? Success in this game is only for those who move with the times and stay current. No one is saying gamble on a blind hunch, but by taking intuitive decisions to alter things in favour of a new approach, you can modernise without causing a catastrophe. Playing it safe is not the worst thing in the world, but it means you will never excel. If mediocre, run of the mill is your aim then no problem- but he who dares wins. 3.       Square pegs in round holes So we come to people management. Owning your own bus

So you may have already decided to take the plunge and are looking on starting a website.  You already have your domain, web host, chosen platform, and all the other stuff you practically need to start it with.  Many try to create their own website, but only a percentage of those people succeed into making a solid mark in the industry.  How do they exactly do it? I mage source First, you may have already had a blogging platform or tool to use.  Let’s say WordPress.  Now, when you install it on your site, it has its own default theme.  Don’t get the me wrong, the theme looks good somehow, but your site definitely must have its own uniqueness with the design.  So whether you hire a professional web designer or you do the designing yourself, it is a must to change your site’s design.  Make it more like you, or better yet be creative enough to let the design be related to what your website’s all about.  We don’t want cartoon characters in a blog about cars, would we?