The Work From Home Blog

Review: Vending Business-In-A-Box: A step-by-step guide to starting a profitable vending business

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:56:40 +0000

If you have ever thought about starting a vending business this digital download from amazon might be just what you need to get started in the business. Aimed at beginners, this book clearly explains the steps involved in starting a vending business and how to avoid loosing money.

The book goes into detail about operating items and costs such as buying or renting the machines, getting and keeping great locations, protecting the machine and it’s contents, partnering with charities and other tips. The author’s tips come from first hand experience in the vending business and is a valuable read for anyone considering whether this is the right home business for them.

Make money with your iPhone

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 05:21:07 +0000

Gigwalk is a rather interesting new web site that let’s people earn money with their iPhones. All you have to do is download their app and apply to become a GigWalker. Once you have been approved you can find gigs around your area to do such as take photos or videos, describe or review things, answer questions or verify map locations, businesses etc. Once you have completed the gig you get paid via Paypal.

At the moment this is only available on the iPhone 3, 3GS, or 4 and only in certain areas of the US. Take a look at their FAQ for specifics.

7 tips to make more money with Etsy

admin — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:49:06 +0000

When you think about selling your handcrafted goods on the internet, it’s hard not to think of Etsy. They allow anyone to list their handycrafts even without much knowledge about opening an online store and it’s free to list with a low commission on sold items. Although Etsy takes care of the technical aspect of listing your wares online the promotion and success of your shop is up to you and without going this extra mile it is easy to be disappointed. Below are some tips to help you make more money with Etsy.

Read up about Search Engine Optimization

Although Etsy is a popular marketplace you still need to do some work yourself to drive traffic to your shop. You can do this by improving your shop’s position in search engines for certain keywords that your customer is likely to search for. Try to think of the best possible words to describe your shop and your items. What would a customer search for to find you? Your shop title, section names, item listing pages and shop announcement should contain these important keywords.

Can’t think of keywords? Use a keyword suggestion tool.

Google Adwords has a fantastic keyword suggestion tool that not only shows you keyword ideas but also other useful info like how many local and global monthly searches are performed looking for the particular keyword. This will give you an idea of the best words to use throughout your shop to get more customers.

Get social on Etsy

Etsy is a social marketplace and community and the more you participate the better. You can post on their forum, join teams, exchange links between shops and take part in Buy and Replace treasuries.
Etsy Teams – This is a feature on Etsy where you can connect and collaborate with other Etsy members. Teams band together to help promote each other’s items. There are many teams on Etsy and they are a great way to help you make more money with your shop or just to mingle with other crafters. It is also a good way to get advice from fellow Etsy users who may have more experience.
Buy and Replace Treasuries – Buy and Replace Treasuries can help you gain sales and be noticed by fellow Etsians. Purchase an item from the treasury of your choice and that item is replaced by one from your shop. More info can be found on the Etsy forums.
Link exchanges between stores – Find a store with good sales that does not sell the same products as you. Ask if they would be willing to exchange links with you by listing your store as one of their favorites in their shop announcement, and sweeten the deal with a free item from your shop. In turn, list theirs and return the favor. Thanks to Andrea Albee- Owner/Creator of etsy.com/shop/althea1326 for this tip.

Get social on Facebook and Twitter
Start a page on Facebook and use Twitter as well to promote your shop. Just make sure not to spam, make it interesting, colourful and of value to your customers. Here is an example of a good Facebook page promoting their Etsy shop: facebook.com/AnnaKayCreations

Join other online communities
There are plenty of crafty communities on the internet. Forums, blogs, craft directories, these are all places where you can comment, leave a link (remember to read their rules first) and it all help in getting the word out there about your craft. As well as the promotion it also helps improve your Search Engine rankings.

Start a blog
Why not start a blog that aims to capture the audience that might be interested in your craft items? There are many benefits to blogging about your business and it can open more doors too as well as help you make money on Etsy. There are many sites where you can start a free blog such as wordpress.com and blogger.com

Promote offline
Don’t forget to promote offline too. Hand out business cards wherever you go and also include one with each sale you make.

10 microjob sites to earn money with

admin — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:13:47 +0000

You may have already heard of popular microjob sites such as Amazon’s Mturk but there are plenty of other places too where you can do similar small jobs and get paid small amounts of cash for each job.

ClowdCrowd – This is a Facebook app with small jobs available.

Clickworker – For people from anywhere on the planet who enjoy writing, translating, researching, and data processing

ShortTask – Complete as many Tasks as you like, under your time, and at your convenience.

Microworkers Select jobs you like, finish tasks & submit proof, earn money

My easy task – By working on individual tasks. You get paid once the Employer approves your work.

Naming Force – Come up with ideas for names for projects and get paid if your idea is selected.

Squadhelp – Similar to the link above

Fiverr – Fiverr is a little bit different to the above sites as you have to come up with the project idea yourself, something you are willing to do for five dollars.

3to30 – Similar to the above but you can charge anything from $3 to $30 for a job.

A wine business without a winery

admin — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:48:39 +0000

Ever thought about making and selling your own wine? CrushPad provides you with everything you need from some of the best vineyards and lets you choose your level of involvement in the wine making process. No experience necessary, they make the wine based on your choices and wishes.

Crushpad lets you be a winemaker without the huge cost and complexities that you would otherwise have if you were to actually try to make and sell quality wine yourself. Choose the wine you want to make; monitor the process, and you can even view it through a webcam. You can concentrate on creating your brand and marketing your wine (although they can help with this too).

Using CrushPad can be great idea for restaurants and bars too who want to have their own brand of wine.

Make money creating wedding invitations

admin — Sun, 01 May 2011 03:31:45 +0000

If you are a crafty person who designs cards and wedding invitations WeddingInviteLove.com may just be the site you are looking for. It is a bit like a directory of wedding invitations, designed in a way to help the customer find just the right product for their wedding. The site does not mention how much fees or commission they take if anything, but it is worth a look. It could be a great way to promote your wedding invite business, the site is nicely designed and focused.

Get paid for your photos at Razzi

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 04:43:09 +0000

Razzi.me is a new photo sharing web site that let’s you earn money with your photos in a similar way to Youtube. Simply upload and start earning money using revenue sharing (with adsense). Currently you can earn 50% of all revenue generated from your photos or you can earn 100% of the revenue if you subscribe to the Razzi Pro account.

Rent your spare room to travelers

admin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:01:50 +0000

Here is a way to make some spare cash and help travelers save money on pricey hotel accommodation at the same time. AirBnB is a global network of accommodation offered by locals in cities all over the world. You can rent out your spare room, an entire apartment, caravan, boat or whatever accommodation you have that a person traveling could use. You set how much you want to charge per night, what the rules are, how many people can stay at the same time etc. This is a great way to make some extra money when you need it without the commitment of having someone renting at your place full time. All you have to do to get started is sign up at AirBnB (which is free) upload some photos and list your room.

Becoming a successful Etsy seller

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:48:35 +0000

Etsy is a popular site for creative individuals to sell their products. The site is growing exponentially, and buyers and sellers are both flocking to it in droves. Number of sales on the popular website continue to soar. Last year the company sold over 180 million dollars worth of products and hundreds of sellers regularly use it as a place to make a full-time or supplemental income.

The site has become an ideal place for artists and creative-types to sell their hand-made goods. However, selling on Etsy isn’t always as easy as it looks. Many sellers never sell more than a handful of products and don’t have much success. Fortunately, there are certain things that potential Etsy sellers can do to increase their chances of success and ensure a profitable endeavor.

Quality
To become a successful seller on Etsy, entrepreneurs need to ensure that their products are high quality and one of a kind. Etsy is famous for offering products that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The most successful sellers make a special effort to ensure that what they create and sell is unique. Buyers are simply more likely to purchase unique products.

Photographing your product
Another factor that needs to be considered for success on Etsy is to ensure that photographs and descriptions of the product are extremely high quality. Unlike a brick-and-mortar store where individuals have the opportunity to see, feel, and closely examine products, Etsy buyers are purchasing products that they’ve never seen in person. It’s crucial that sellers are as descriptive as possible about what they are selling. Buyers should feel confident they are getting exactly what they want before it actually arrives.

Marketing
Of course, one key to being successful in any business is to market effectively. Etsy sellers need to treat their store seriously and invest the effort needed to market and promote their products. There are a variety of marketing tools that Etsy sellers can use including blogging platforms and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

A final tip to becoming a success is to get involved in the Etsy community. There are forums and blogs where sellers can meet and discuss techniques and methods for bringing in more customers. The Etsy community is a terrific place to get advice and even gain exposure. Building relationships with other sellers is a great way to understand what it takes to actually flourish on the site. Selling on Etsy isn’t easy but sellers can prosper by creating unique products, giving customers clear descriptions and promoting their store to the best of their ability.

Make Money Online with Mock Trials

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:39:52 +0000

When scouring the web for different ways to make money online, you may have heard of programs that pay you to participate in mock trials. This is one of the strangest ways to make money on the internet. The concept is simple. You will spend about an hour listening to a trial, and afterwards, you will give your feedback on what you thought of the trial. After that you can get paid. Mock trials can be a good way to slightly increase the size of your pocketbook, but not get to get rich.

Why Do Mock Trials Exist?
Mock trials provide lawyers with the opportunity to test their argument against a jury of real people before the trial starts. This way they can determine what works and what needs improvement. The lawyers that partake in these programs spend thousands of dollars to get your opinion, so it is important to take it seriously. If the lawyers are unsatisfied with these sites, they will cease to exist. If the sites don’t exist, they can’t pay you.

How Much Can You Make?
You won’t get rich by participating in mock trials. You will only earn around thirty and sixty dollars per trial and, depending on how many sites you join, you will only get a trial every couple of months. It is a nice way to supplement your income, but you can’t make a living from it. If you want to make more money, you should join several of these sites. This way you can increase the amount of trials you can participate in.
For thirty to sixty dollars per hour, signing up for several of these programs is definitely worth it. You can earn enough to go out to dinner once per month or pay your cable bill. If you are willing to spend an hour listening to a lawyer’s case, mock trials are worth signing up for.

Sites to get started with
JuryTest.com
EJury.com
Online Verdict