Start Making Money For Christmas 2010: Volume 2

As promised, here is the next installment of Start Making Money For Christmas 2010. Today let’s talk about ways that you can make money offline. With the growing concern over the current job loss in the country, Christmas gifts and family meals are a luxury instead of just a tradition.

Do you have unused textbooks? If so, sell them. College students are always looking to get the best deal on their books for school. If you have ever went to college you know how expensive it can be. People sell textbooks on sites like eBay, Amazon, Half.com, and even at some campuses they have a bookstore that will buy them back.

Do you love to bake? Why not put out the word that you will bake for profit in your neighborhood. A lady in my community makes cakes on request from her customers. Granted it is a small operation, she still makes extra cash doing it. Last I heard, she was making around $100 extra a month. You can advertise your services amoung your friends and church members.

If you don’t mind cleaning houses, there is always someone looking for people to come clean theirs. You can advertise amoung your friends and family. A cousin of mine now cleans 4 houses a week and makes an extra $800 a month. She cleans them while her kids are in school and is home by the time they get off of the school bus.

You can make extra cash by having a yard sale. Post signs in the neighborhood to direct traffic to it and post an ad in your newspaper in town.

Become a tutor for extra money. There are parents that look for people who can help their children in math and English when their child is struggling. You can advertise in your local newspaper and get the word out by posting on local bulletin boards of your service. A friend does this and charges $15 an hour. It won’t make you rich but if you get a few clients you can make enough to make it worth the effort.

If you like kids, offer a babysitting service. If you put out the word in the neighborhood that you are available, they will come to you. Post a flyer on any bulletin boards and if you belong to a church or a mother’s group, tell them about it. I baby-sit for a few families in the neighborhood on the weekends. I don’t do it every weekend, but a couple times a month.

These are just some of the making money ideas that I have. I will post some more tomorrow. So stay tuned…

Online Selling Tips: Newsletters are an Important Selling Tool

Newsletters are a great tool for you to get the word out to your store viewers. This is a way that you can broadcast any new items or discounts that you have available.

When making a newsletter make sure that it is not too lengthy (viewers want something easy to scan through) and the main point is at the top of the newsletter.

If you have an eBay store, you have an option to create newsletters and track them. If you don’t have a store, make yourself a blog and talk about your items that you have available with links to their eBay pages. Your followers can simply follow your blog or subscribe to it and they will get an email of all of your new post. Although, this is not a newsletter, it will act as one to your viewers.

How do you get people to subscribe to your newsletter? You have to get out and promote your stores link. Go to forums, yahoo groups, blogs, and anywhere else you can think of that will allow you to talk briefly about your store and post a link. DO NOT spam anywhere or anyone about your store, this is a way to drive interest away from your store and not to your store. Also, get involved in eBay message boards and people may check out your store if they like a comment that you make and subscribe to your newsletter.

Think of your newsletter as your ad in a newspaper. Now, go out and start sending newsletters to drive attention to your store or items that you have for sale.

Good Luck!