| FAST MONEY FROM
$50.00 Businesses that make you rich quick are few and far between, but there certainly are businesses which can make you a modest extra income in a very short period if operated correctly. Maybe these businesses won't make you thousands of pounds, but the fact that they take very little investment and time makes that unimportant. If you can raise a few hundred for a few hours work, then what could be better.This guide covers, and briefly, describes, three such business ideas. Each has been selected because it is not as such a firm business, but something you can operate now and then for the money.Worth looking at! IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES The idea of our 'quick cash' businesses is not a full time permanent business. They're not something you can operate day after day, or rely on for a full time income. These projects are more things you can operate now and again - when you need the money. For this reason, you should spend an absolute minimum on overheads. You'll always work from home and you shouldn't have need of much equipment to speak of. A home telephone will be useful. Most of these projects can in fact be started with œ50, but this is a very basic budget price. If you can spend more - anything more - then this will be a bonus and will probably increase your profits. Now - on with the projects! PROJECT 1 - PARTIES/DISCOS A good original idea. Pubs are more frequently offering entertainment these days, but the landlord doesn't always have the time or inclination to organise it. So, your business idea is this. Find an attractive pub, and offer to organise a weekly party or disco (perhaps a barbecue in summer). The arrangement would be that you organise the party and charge admission. The landlord rents you the room free, but he keeps all the profits from the extra food and drink sales. Once the agreement is made, the work is easy. Provide music, etc, perhaps by a mobile disco. Promote the event locally and have tickets sold in the bar. If you sold 50 tickets at œ5, that would be $250 profit. The landlord would, no doubt, be happy with the extra takings. Not all will be interested in this arrangement, but some will, and pub entertainment is generally a growth area. Late night events (subject to licences) are very popular. One restaurant/pub organised a meal for parents while their children were entertained to a junior party in another room. This event could be a regular, but it could be a one-off at very little risk to see how it goes. It undoubtedly works because it is merely a way of sub-contracting something out to the mutual benefit of the customer and the contractor (you). PROJECT 2 - SCHOOL PHOTOS This is a good idea for anyone with an interest in photography, or someone who knows someone interested in photography. Quite simply, school photographers are still very popular with parents, if not with their children, but nowadays they can be quite expensive. As a part time business, you can offer to do it cheaper. Contact schools, both private and state, in your area and put your proposition to them. The usual arrangement is that you will photograph all of the children and offer the photographs, on approval, to the parents. On any that are bought, you will give a commission to the school funds - this is usually the selling point. Commission offered is usually in the region of 25%. Some schools will already have this arrangement, as you may know, but there is no regular commitment. They will no doubt sign up the company (you) which offers the best rate, though repeat sales go to the one who does the best photographs, so that is also important if you want further sales. On the appointed day, it is the responsibility of the school to arrange for all the children to attend the photo session. You, or your amateur snapper, takes a photo of each. These need to be good, but not real works of art. One school allowed children to dress in fancy dress for the photos! Have the photos processed. Contact a photographic development laboratory beforehand and they may offer reduced rates for a bulk order. Pack the photos - you'll probably do four of each child in different sizes - into an envelope with details of prices. These are usually quite high. Deliver these to the school for them to d istribute to the children. Obviously, if parents won't want to buy the photos, they don't have to. There may be many returns, which will be covered by the sales, but, dependant on the quality, you can expect a profitable number of sales since the costs involved are only very low. When the school gets the money, they deduct their commission and forward the rest to you. Even if you only make $100 to $200 for each school, that's not bad going! This business lends itself to regular operation. You may be called in every year, and that leads to a regular income, perhaps could just do a few schools now and then for intermittent income. Obviously, a large school offers the best profits, but if you are on a limited outlay, just choose a small school, or propose an experiment with only a few of the year groupings. PROJECT 3 - A MARKET STALL A market stall is not one of the most innovative businesses, but it is long standing and can be relied upon to work. It is ideal as the type of business you can operate when you want the money. In the right place, with the right goods, you can also make a fair bit of money for a day's trading. The best potential is in regular markets, but if this is too formal, or they are full, then car boot sales are a good second best. Your first step is to invest your starter cash in some stock.You can do this at a local wholesale warehouse. The type that import cheap consumer goods are ideal. You will find many advertised in the 'Stock' pages of 'Exchange and Mart'. You can get a lot for your money. What you buy depends on you, but it's generally best to buy things that make good impulse sales. That is toys, gifts, novelties, jewellery, books etc. Avoid essential items like food and bulky items like clothes. With a source of stock lined up (but not bought until you need it), you are ready to find a market to attend. This shouldn't be too difficult as there are plenty in most areas. Often it's a question of finding the very best in your area. Contact the market superintendent for the markets concerned. Ask about rent and availability. Sometimes it may be that there are already enough stalls of the type you want and you will have to go somewhere else, or choose something else. Book an initial stall as a trial. One will do. You may need to try several venues to find a good one. Don't pay more than about œ20, at most, less if possible. Obvious, there's a certain knack to market trading, and it's not something you can learn from a book. Try to follow other traders. There's a certain technique to chatting up customers and getting them to buy. The point of the idea is that if you're selling impulse sales priced under œ10, ideally around $5, who can refuse you? It may be junk and not really very interesting, but everybody likes to treat themselves now and again. Takings may fluctuate sharply, as many a trader will tell you. On a good day, you can do very nicely thank you, but on a bad day, when it's cold and raining, and you're hidden away in a corner next to the wet fish stall, it can be a different story! You'll just have to keep on trying! You'll probably want to turn market trading into a regular business, but you don't have to do this. Really, it is the classic business to operate - on a shoestring - as and when you want. FINAL SUMMARY For any type of good "now and then" quick money business, remember: Minimum capital, Part time only, No commitment to customers, Often some sort of entertainment. |
|||||
| Home
Based Business Ideas |
