How to Work for Yourself

Course details

Join expert Judy Helm Wright on her online course as she walks you through the steps of adding extra income to your bank account. As a student, you will be guided through ten lectures devoted to different ways you can earn extra money, whether it's with travel, working online, or doing arts and crafts and selling your products.

And, as a special thank you to our readers and students, everyone who enrolls in the "How To Make Fast Cash" Udemy course will get all the content from Judy's newest book of the same title at no extra cost!

Top Three Ways to Earn Money This Weekend

1. Sell "stuff" on Craigslist, eBay, Etsy or your online classified listing

It is amazing what people are looking for and are willing to buy. You bought it once, and so will they. Look around your house and office and spend a few minutes taking a photo and write a compelling review listing all the features, benefits and reasons for selling.

This week, I sold a camera that I hated because I couldn't figure it out, a long dress coat that I had bought at a thrift shop, and a teapot that once belonged to a relative.

Bingo…I made $187.

I am comfortable having people coming to my home, but my friend Tee always has people meet her in the Costco parking lot. We both ask for cash.

2. Sell at craft and art shows

In order to make a profit from a handmade or wholesale product the markup is four times what it cost you to produce. If you buy a bunch of earrings online for $1.00 then you have to sell them for at least $4.00 to cover costs and make a profit.

Many new entrepreneurs forget to figure in their time. If you make jewelry while you are watching a movie, you can figure a lower hourly "wage." If what you are doing is labor and time intensive, you should be figuring a salary to cover your costs.

My friend Kay loves to take photos, and she has them printed on cardstock and sells them as cards, singly or in a package. She buys the envelopes wholesale and can usually sell $300 to $400 worth in a heavily trafficked art show. She also sells them online but figures in the cost of mailing and time to go to post office etc.

It is getting competitive to get into art shows and craft venues, so plan ahead and have your products ready to go.

PS: Stand up and greet every person with a smile. You want them to buy your products as a gift, so give them the gift of being proud of your product.

3. Do services for others

I am going to go into greater detail about the many ways you can profit from doing something you like to do that others don't. Most people take it for granted if they are handy, organized, good cooks, know how to clean a house, wash windows, plan a party, clean a garage, detail a car etc.

Trust me, not everyone knows how to do those things, and would be willing pay to have you perform your service for their benefit.

My nephew has a small pickup and advertised "Have Muscles & Truck-Will Help You Move." He worked during the week, but could usually pick up a couple of hundred dollars on a Saturday helping people move from one house to another. He even sub-contracted with his girlfriends to help people pack for a fee.

See Solutions Where Others See Problems

What could you and your family do to bring in an additional $200 this weekend? Brainstorm some ideas, set an intention and get to work. We all have choices and those who are happiest in life are those who choose to be pro-active and go after their goals.