1. Speak to the Bag Cause the Other Person Ain’t Listening
Know how it feels when you are just so angry you could spit yet there seems to be nowhere to vent that anger? How about a business selling paper bags with creative sayings printed on them. Folks can speak their anger/confessions into these bags, then “pop” them, letting go of all that anger and bad feelings. The bags would be inexpensive to create and easy to sell in bundles.  Good idea for eBay, online auction sites, and novelty stores.

2. Have Fun and Make a Profit Teaching!
Do you have a hobby you enjoy and are good at – like knitting, sewing, crocheting, needlepoint, quilting, scrapbooking, gardening, bird watching, whittling? Hold classes to teach people how to do these things. You could teach 2 or 3 classes, two hours per class. Normal charge is about $40-60 per class, depending on the number of hours. You can also supply the necessary materials for the first class (extra charge) or have a list of items needed for the first class available when people sign up. Find either a free room to hold the class or check with a local rec center or school district to see if they offer Continuing Education classes. Have an outline of your class plan ready.

3. Is it Weight Gain or is it Pregnancy?
There is nothing more embarrassing then asking a woman if she’s pregnant when she’s simply gained a few pounds – or vise versa. Newly pregnant women love announcing their pregnancy and what better way then with bold t-shirts announcing “I’m Pregnant!” Be creative with color and design. Good idea for eBay, auction sites, and baby stores.

4. Grabbing Attention with Postcards
When a postcard arrives in the mail, everyone reads it. No opening an envelope, fast attention grabber, and less postage. Your clients pay you to send out specific information to their customers either electronically or via the mail. Appointment reminders, oil changes, checkups (cars, people, kids, pets) – anything that needs a reminder or new information from the sender. And hand addressed cards get better attention than printed ones.

5. Mahjong Jewelry
Mahjong is a game which originated in ancient China. The game uses tiles with characters or pictures on them. Some of the designs can be very exotic. Find used games with missing pieces at garage sales or thrift stores. Take the tiles from these games and turn them into jewelry. Bracelets, earrings, necklaces, ankle bracelets. Charge $10 to $30 or more for each piece, depending on the intricacy of your design or pairing of items for a complete set. Good idea for eBay, online auction sites, and novelty stores.

6. Recreating Memories with Legos
Legos are a major chunk of most childhood memories and are still part of childhood today. Lego sets from years gone by are in much demand. There is a huge market for people looking for the innocence and simplicity of their youth. Spend some time learning about older Lego sets, making a list of these sets. Search yard sales, estate auctions, and thrift stores for these old sets. Clean them up and put them together as sets for resale. These would sell well on eBay and online auction sites.

7. “Green” Cleaning Service
Green is the way to go nowadays and a service that offers to clean with only “green” products (no harsh chemicals, only natural items) would be very attractive to anyone who is environmentally aware. Do a little research to find effective products to use, or create your own. $40-$60 an hour would be a normal charge for these services. Be sure to stress the use of natural cleaning products ONLY. Houses always smell better when the products are natural.

Looking for more ways to make money? Davis Anderson began looking for ideas to make money when her monthly earnings dropped from $1500 to $300. She and her hubby have certainly felt the economic crunch. But after setting up a couple of businesses utilizing their talents, they are almost back on track. Davis has put together over a list of over 500 Great Ideas For Making Money NOW! which can be found at www.GreatIdeasForMakingMoneyNOW.com.

Starting a new business can be frustrating – but it can also be one of the most rewarding things you’ve ever done. It’s hard work, but well worth it for those who want to go their own way.

Do you have the right stuff? Begin by asking yourself these questions. But be honest. You’re the only one who knows the right answers.

1. Can you afford to start your own business? Do you have the finances and time time? Or are you simply looking for extra money to supplement your current income?

2. Are you eligible for a loan from a bank? Will you need extra money for start up fees or can you begin with practically nothing?

3. Do you have the right attitude to start your own business? It can be hard work; it can be frustrating; and it can be lonely. Can you handle the bad along with the good?

4. What type of business do you want to start? Want to make money from your hobby? Or do you want to dedicate your life to creating something big, bold, and beautiful?

5. What type of business can you succeed in? Will you be a sole proprietor, working by yourself? Or do you want employees? Do you want to create an online business? Or do you want to be face-to-face with your customers?

6. Can you handle the decision making process as a business owner? You – and only you – make all the decisions.

7. Are you good at multi-tasking? In the beginning, you will need to create your product/idea, market it, fill orders, provide customer service, and do all the bookwork. Some days, it can be hard to wear many hats.

8. Can you handle the stress of being a business owner? Many hats – many pressures – many rewards.

9. If you will be needing employees, do you feel comfortable being someone else’s boss? Not everyone working for you will be as motivated or work as hard as you do.

10. Are you good at dealing with people? Rewarding people is easy, but can you let someone go if they aren’t working out?

11. Are you a self starter? Can you get up every day and keep going even when you feel overwhelmed?

12. Are you organized? Record-keeping is not my forte, but I do it because I have to. All I can say, though, is thank heavens for CPAs. I don’t know what I’d do without mine.

13. Are you a driven enough person? Are you determined to get the job done? Nothing much stands in your way?

14. How will starting your own business affect your family? For awhile at least, you’ll have even less time to spend with them than you do now. How do they feel about that? Can they get involved and help out?

Did you honestly answer yes to these questions? Then you just might be a good candidate to own your own business – to work for yourself. Think about your answers. Then decide if owning your own business is right for you.

Davis Anderson began looking for ideas to make money when her monthly earnings dropped from $1500 to $300. She and her hubby have certainly felt the economic crunch. But after starting a couple of businesses utilizing their talents, they are almost back on track. Davis has put together over a list of over 500 Great Ideas For Making Money NOW! which can be found at www.GreatIdeasForMakingMoneyNOW.com.

* I am now my own boss. I don’t answer to someone else’s demands or criticisms (well except for the occasional comments from the husband, and of course, my customers).

* I set my own hours. I love getting out of bed when I wake up, not when the alarm clock goes off. And I love being able to work until 4 AM if I am really excited about a project. I also thoroughly enjoy having lunch with friends whenever I want, not just on weekends. Of course, it also means that some weeks I work 60 to 80 hours, but that’s by choice, not because someone else told me I “had” to.

* After about two years, I’m now earning about as much as I did before I started working for myself. And I see my earnings going up a bit more each month.

* My days at work are exciting and very unpredictable. I work on current projects, then – wham! – I get a new idea and I’m off and running in that direction. Of course, I still have to keep up with my client’s needs, so I am careful to find a balance between old and new. Every day is a new day.

* I am constantly learning new things and meeting new people, sometimes in person, but most of the time online. It’s also very rewarding to finish a project had find I either have a very satisfied customer, or I’m making money with some affiliate marking project. Life is good in the Anderson household.

I now have time for two non-profit service organizations whose websites I not only create and keep updated, but I help them help my local community. I never had time when I was working for someone else because the meetings are during the work day.

These are just a few of the reasons why I own my own business. There are a million other reasons for a million other people. What are your reasons for working for yourself?

Looking to start your own business? Davis Anderson began looking for ideas to make money when her monthly earnings dropped from $1500 to $300. She and her hubby have certainly felt the economic crunch. But after setting up a couple of businesses utilizing their talents, they are almost back on track. Davis has put together over a list of over 500 Great Ideas For Making Money NOW! which can be found at www.GreatIdeasForMakingMoneyNOW.com.