A Parade of Self-Employment Opportunities

I have had a lot of e-mails requesting some ideas for folks to look at for self-employment.  As such, I’ve come up with a list of ideas and companies that have caught my eye over the past decade that I would certainly feel good about recommending. Please note, some of these are just ideas. Some of these are companies that I have elected to be involved with, if for no other reason that I hate to pay full price for anything if I can avoid it (yup—but I’m sure you knew that about me already). Please note that these ideas aren’t necessarily original in any way, shape or form. They are simply my opinion that has been formed over the last 10 years of having various ideas thrown at me. Obviously this is not an all-inclusive list. That would take forever and a whole lot of Peanut M&Ms for me to write. But my goal today is to give you some directions which may lead you to what you’re looking for or at least give you the springboard for better ideas. One of the advances in technology that has really caught my interest is cellulose insulation. In my opinion, this stuff is awesome and has been featured in Extreme Home Makeover. It’s a paper product that is made from recycled and special chemically treated newspapers. It’s extremely fire retardant. I once watched a guy use a blow torch on it and it still took a long time to catch fire. It’s also impervious to mold development.  (A big plus in my book.) It also provides a better sound barrier and much better insulation for warm and cold months. If I were starting over, I would certainly take a look at becoming a local distributor for such a product and be putting it in peoples homes for more security and safety. (For more information, just search for “cellulose insulation” on the internet.) Coupons are so hot right now and they don’t show a sign of declining as inflation and unemployment rates increase. If I had the time, I would create a coupon shopping service similar to that of The Savvy Shopper Deals in areas in which she hasn’t been able to penetrate yet. It would require shopping (tough job, eh?), reading the Sunday ads, making arrangements with the local newspapers for discounts for subscribers you send them. But it would sure be fun in my book. Savvy Shopper has gone national, but so far she only covers a few states.  I think this would be a blast and if I had the time to create a software/search like she’s got on her site, I would do it in a heart beat. (Go to savvyshopperdeals.com and take a look. You might get a few ideas. Making a good idea better is how we’ve managed to get a lot of our modern technology today!) Due to the ever encroaching immorality that is being forced upon our children in public schools, I would consider writing quality home-schooling materials for parents all over the nation.  Do the research, create the teaching activities and the curriculum necessary and then sell the published works digitally. I believe that homeschooling is about to hit an unprecedented peak in the near future.  (For more information, I would recommend doing a little reading on some forums that cater to homeschooling parents.) Another idea, I would form a foundation in which I could do fundraising for a cause I could believe in and be driven by my passion.  A modest annual pay can easily be extracted from donations and then you could get paid to raise money for a cause that you’re passionate about. When it comes to a cause that I feel strongly about, I have no inhibitions asking for money. The key to successful money raising is to ask for just a little bit from a whole lot of people. This is one situation in which some good old-fashioned elbow grease outperforms stuffed shirts any day. (For more information, research what you need to do to organize a 501-c foundation and get going with your passion.) Everybody uses electricity, right—at least until an EMP strikes or a financial collapse occurs. *sigh*   Well, due to deregulation in the gas and electricity sectors in many states, a few new companies are springing up which market to homeowners a very simple concept—“How would you like to save hundreds of dollars a month on your gas and/or electricity?” That would be an easy sell, don’t you think? One of the companies that has caught my eye more so than others is called Ignite. As I understand it, they have simply taken the opportunity that the deregulation has created and market to homeowners to simply switch the billing portion of a customer’s monthly energy bill.  The customer gets the exact same power from the exact same company they did previously, and the exact same service number for when problems may arise. The only change the customers make is where they send their monthly payment. And yet that little change saves homeowners a whole lot of money since the deregulation has eliminated all of the layers of hands trying to get a piece of your monthly electric/gas bill. I’d say this would be one opportunity that meets the test of “inflation proof” business. I think it also meets the criteria of having time for your family, no inventory, residual income, etc. (For more information, I confidently recommend you contacting a Diana Owens, one of the seasoned pros. You can e-mail her. (ResidualEnergy at ymail dot com.) I don’t know about you, but I’m always thinking that I will sit down and write a nice note to someone, but for some reason I never get around to it.  I can’t believe what a whiney butt I’ve become when it comes to actually sitting down and writing a few kind words. I actually get hand cramps after the first sentence. *wah!*  Well, now I have not more reason to whine. While this venture may not be “recession proof” it may meet some of your other objectives. Send Out Cards is company that I think is worthy of a glance for folks who want to do something casually and part-time that gives them a non-serious work path. Send Out Cards allows you to purchase a bulk amount of pre-made cards, including postage, and then you just type in your message and then click—it gets mailed immediately and you get to be the most thoughtful person in the world. Hee hee.  (For more information on this, I would direct you to https://www.sendoutcards.com/casey) If your passion is nutrition, there are several products that you can focus on. Whether you market your favorite powdered green drink to folks (See Green Smoothie Girl on youTube), or you market the nutritional benefits of Reliv, the possibilities are endless. And in this case, having extra inventory wouldn’t be a bad thing, right? You could live off of powdered greens or Reliv products or Sunrider, and so many others.  So it would also serve as a great deal of peace of mind knowing that you’ve got what you need for several months.  Typically such companies only require a few hundred dollars in investment as opposed to tens of thousands of other types of businesses. I would consider this kind of option a wise path to take if you felt that you could be passionate and fully engaged in what you’d be marketing and sharing with others. I have a friend of mine who is passionate about fashion and business—thus making her a perfect candidate to become a professional image consultant. While fashion is not exactly my cup of tea, it suits her perfectly and she feels great helping other people feel better about themselves. Likewise, given my interest in the use of essential oils, it’s only natural that I align myself with a quality essential oil manufacturer—after all, if I’m going to buy the products, I might as well get them for wholesale, right? While I won’t pursue it as a businessgiven my present workload–I’ll leave that to my husband–, I can certainly appreciate the merit in others doing so.  I mean really, getting to work with essential oils to help people feel better is like being a kid in a candy store in my book. Hee hee (Yes, some of us are that warped.) If I were handy at fixing things such as computers, household appliances, etc, I would not hesitate to market myself as a “Honey Do” contractor. There are a heck of a lot of single women out there who would love to pay for a Mr. Fix-it guy. The only obstacle in this regard is making sure that the customers know how to find you—something often overlooked when it comes to men marketing their “fix it” skills. I have a dear friend of mine who was a hardened Marine through and through. He was tough, ornery, and a big mass of meanness given the nature of his assignments in several locations throughout the world. When he came home from Afghanistan, he felt completely out of his element and simply unfit for life in a “real job.”  The best thing he could do for himself was use the talents that he learned as a soldier and pass them on to civilians who were interested in their own physical and home security. I’m happy to say that he’s not anywhere near as mean as he used to be and he’s been able to support his wife and two children with this particular path. I also believe there is great financial security in learning some of the older arts such as shoe making, woodworking, expert gardening, baking, candy making and cooking. Come on ladies, how cool would it be if you could design your ideal pair of shoes and have some handy-dandy person custom make them for you? Whatever path you choose, you would be wise to view it as a job that you have created for yourself and to establish your work day accordingly. Outline the hours and the results that you need to accomplish each day. Don’t deviate from that even when your business is doing well. Be sure you keep the proper perspective when it comes to earning money.  No one goes to work for someone else and tells themselves “now, I’m going to get rich, quick”, right?  So why do people mistakenly tell themselves this when they take on a business opportunity?  If you do find yourself with a stroke of great wealth, I beg you to be wise with it, and never assume that there’s more where that came from. Treat every day as if it may be your last good paying day. Don’t spend more and expand your business too soon. Make such decisions based on cash in hand, not projections for the future.  Pay yourself like any structured form of employment would. Invest in making more money and more security for you and your family instead of on toys that only suck more money out of you.  The hardest time to be frugal is when your bank account is bulging with money. But the financial decisions you make during this trial of prosperity will either lift you up for future successes, or be your downfall when curve balls come your way. Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter here To see our upcoming event schedule, click here Check out our in-home-course programs Subscribe to Preparedness Pro today and never miss a thing! For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit! Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene. 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