Five steps to make money right now!

Five steps to make money NOW

Whatever the circumstance, divorce, job loss, death of a spouse, or maybe just this erratic economy, if you need a way to make money right now, read on!

With the current economy and job market the way it is, it can take a while to find your dream job, and in the meantime, you still have to pay those bills and put food on the table. Do you need a fill stop job or maybe a side income? Maybe you need more flexibility than working 9 to 5 because you have young children. Whatever your situation, here are 5 easy steps to do something to make money now. With a little effort this can be done in a day or two and the income can be immediate.

1 – TAKE INVENTORY
Start with a pen and a sheet of paper. Make a list of everything you can do and include the kinds of things you do every day, like cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the kids. What do you have to offer? Look at all the things you like to do and the things you’re good at. Take inventory of your talents and the things you do every day. Why do your friends always congratulate you? Has anyone ever said “I wish I was as talented as you”? This is exactly what you can build to earn money.

2- GO SHOPPING
So let’s say you’ve narrowed it down to a couple of ideas that work for you, now go online via phone and internet and do some research. Make a list of the questions you would ask if you were purchasing these services. What are the rates, the return policy, the hours of availability, the guarantees, if any, are even necessary guarantees.

Now, call at least three services to get a good cross-section of what the rates are for this service. Arming yourself with this information will help you set your own price and give you an idea of ​​what the market will bear. If everyone is charging $10.00 and you have to charge $15.00, you had better make sure your service offers something unique or be prepared to go the extra mile for what everyone else is offering, so YOUR service has a perceived added value. Customers are looking for a bargain, but they don’t raise (or raise) the price of their services.

Check with your local city and county offices about licensing requirements and any regulatory issues you may need to deal with. An annual business license typically costs less than $50 and offers credibility to your services if needed.

3- THE KISS METHOD – KEEP IT SIMPLE, BABY!
Now you know what you want to do and how it equates to a fee for the finished product. You need to consider what it will cost you to make a product or provide a service. Make a list of the things you need to get the job done, not the things you wish you had. Hopefully, initially, you don’t need to spend a lot of money or buy a lot of equipment; those things will come later. What do you have right now, at home, at your fingertips, to get the job done? If you offer a service, part of your “cost” is a salary to you. If you’re providing tangible “goods,” consider the time you’ll spend planning and creating that item, and add a “salary” for your time. The bottom line is that while owning a business and all the tax advantages that come with running your own business can be a great experience, it’s only great if you’re making money! Always make sure you pay yourself!

Let’s say you’re going to bake cakes from scratch using your grandmother’s recipe. So you have to make a list of ingredients and figure out how much each cake will cost. If there are 12 cups of flour in a 5-pound bag, how much flour do you need and how much would it cost? This is how you calculate the cost of your goods. It sounds like a fifth grade math class, but it can be as simple as that!

Now let’s try a simple equation to understand how this will work. Let’s say your ingredients and wages cost you $5.00 and you can sell the cake for $15.00. This means that you earn $10.00 per cake, right? If you deliver your product, add a percentage to your cost for fuel and related costs (to calculate here, let’s say $1.50). Or ask your customers to pick up, that will save more time baking! Let’s say your cakes will cost you $6.50 to make and deliver to begin with. Its selling price is $15.00. This means that you earn $8.50 per cake. How many cakes can you make in one day? How many can you sell? How many cakes do you need to sell per week/month to make your bills?

4- EXTRA, EXTRA, READ IT ALL!

Now you need to spread the word. If you don’t tell anyone, no one will know what you have to offer. To get started right away, call everyone you know and tell them what you’re offering and what your rates are. Ask about their business and ask them to help you spread the word about your new venture. Always ask for references.

Make flyers or 3×5 cards that catch the eye. Don’t buy business cards yet it’s an unnecessary expense right now. Put a box of flyers in your car and pass them out whenever you can. Post them in places where your potential customers can see them and call you to use your service. Supermarkets, hardware stores, laundromats, gyms, hotels, restaurants, bulletin boards in staff rooms (schools for teachers and hospitals for doctors and nurses), pass your flyers door to door, wherever your target customer sees them. Don’t forget to ask your friends and family to pass out some flyers.

Depending on your services, you can post them on Craig’s list. This service is free and until you make some money, putting paid ads in newspapers is a deep hole and your money can quickly disappear.

Eventually consider creating your own web page to target everyone. There are many web page helpers now to help you create something that can explain your services. Don’t hesitate to shout to the world that you have something to offer.

5 – NO JOB IS COMPLETE UNTIL THE PAPERWORK IS DONE.
Record keeping is especially important if you are running a business. You don’t need to have fancy computer software to get started, but you will need to keep records. The government will want to tax you on your winnings, so this part is very important.
A five-section spiral notebook will work to start, and maybe a few file folders for each month. (Watch for future articles on real bookkeeping for a small business or visit us at DivorceEducator.com) One of the biggest advantages of starting your own freelance business will be the tax advantage: Make sure you’re working with someone who’s knowledgeable at tax time. .

Section One – Configure each page of the first section as follows:

Date To Miles To Credit Balance
4/10 J Brown 16th birthday cake 15.00 15.00
4/10 S White 10 baby shower cupcakes 15.00 30.00
4/11 Folder J p/u Bachelorette party 35.00 65.00
4/15 Spencer 5 Wedding Cake/200 125.00 190.00
4/20 Tickets Coffee 12 5 empanadas 60.00 250.00

Section Two – This is where you record all of your expenses except the car, keep receipts!

Date up to quantity
4/9 Smiths Grocery Supplies 37.50
4/9 Walmart Wilton Supplies 22.50
4/10 Office Max paper and ink for flyers 32.60
4/11 T cell phone service 42.50

Third Section – will be car expenses
The government allows you to choose between your actual car expenses and a set mileage allowance. He’ll need to keep track of both in the first year to see which one gets him the bigger deduction. Once you choose a method, you’ll need to stick with it until you buy another vehicle. In most cases, people choose the mileage method as it is simpler and more dependent, but check with your tax advisor on this matter.

Enter all car expenses: insurance, fuel, repairs, car payments, etc. Anything to do with your car. One tip is to use a glue stick and place the actual receipts directly on the pages. Save time and organize your “test” easily.

Section Four – will be your customer contact list –
Names, phone numbers, addresses, dates of service will be important for repeat business. This page will be where you will keep notes about your clients and any follow-ups you may do or feedback you receive from your client.

Section Five – will be your creative section.
Take notes of new ideas, things you want to do, what your competition is doing, items that will grow your business. Write in this section about once a week and keep records of how things went that week. Reading these notes periodically will give you a great idea of ​​where you want to go and will cheer you up when you realize how far you’ve come.

Coming out of a divorce can be financially devastating and this summary was designed to give you a starting point for your own business. Once you get your feet wet and find that niche, you’ll look back and win.