No Limits Ladies.com

I ran into an interesting business model as I was surfing around. Much has been made about the power of blogging and how coverage on blogs of your new business/product can boost sales.

The issue is that these relationships are often one-to-one. You know me. You've commented on my blog before. So when you contact me, I'm more likely to pay attention to what you have to promote (As I’m interested in just about anything, I'm one of the easier bloggers to "sell" to). But to stay in contact with all these bloggers can be a full time job.

So some creative folks have made it a full time job.

Yep, for a fee, they will help you promote your product/business via the connection of bloggers they regularly interact with. They are like publicity agents for blogs.

I think that's brilliant. The company I found focused on the romance community but there are thousands of other blogging communities out there. A lot of opportunities for promoters.

Most of us know about Netflix. Customers borrow DVD's, get them via the mail, keep them for however long they wish and then return them, all for one fee.

If this is a viable business for movies, then why can't it apply to other goods or services? Why indeed?

I heard on the radio that a group of Mom's have started a toy lending company. For a fee, you borrow a specific toy (all sanitized and checked for lead and other safety concerns), the child plays with it, and then when junior gets bored of the toy (as kids tend to do), you return it for a new toy. No need for time consuming yard sales. No need to fill the basement or garage. Off it goes.

What about applying this to sporting equipment? The very seasonal golfer (and with the States being so large, it is always golfing season somewhere)? Or how about formal dresses (the wear once variety)? Or décor items (to change up the house a bit)? The possibilities are endless (up to your research to figure out the market potential or profitability).

Really makes you think, doesn't it?

Angela was telling me about Mint.com's great new contest and I knew you might be interested. I sure was. For a number of reasons... the odds of winning are pretty darn good (with it being a newer site and all), I have a few holiday bills (paid off already of course, I hope yours are also), and because being a marketing bunny, I thought the promo was clever.

Before I yap on, here are the details Angela sent me...

Mint's Holiday Spending Hangover Contest

Mint wants to pay off your holiday bills! Tell Mint your holiday debt-ache story in video or written words and we'll pay up to $5,000 of your holiday credit card debt plus free credit counseling! Play up the drama, originality, and humor because viewers/readers determine if you qualify to win. Get friends and family to rate your video/story to increase your chances of winning. Visit http://www.mint.com for more information.

The contest is now live and ends March 15, 2008. Two grand prize winners will be awarded on April 1, 2008 - one for the best video and one for the best story. The contest is open to persons 18 years and older in all 50 United States. You do not need to be a Mint customer to enter the
contest. Multiple entries are welcome, as long you use a unique email addresses for each entry. Please read all rules and regulations before entering.

As a marketer, I like the multiple ways to enter, the post holiday focus (usually wide open for media coverage), and that it is open to everyone, not only Mint customers (reinforcing Mint's education for all positioning).

Angela was telling me about Mint.com's great new contest and I knew you might be interested. I sure was. For a number of reasons... the odds of winning are pretty darn good (with it being a newer site and all), I have a few holiday bills (paid off already of course, I hope yours are also), and because being a marketing bunny, I thought the promo was clever.

Before I yap on, here are the details Angela sent me...

Mint's Holiday Spending Hangover Contest

Mint wants to pay off your holiday bills! Tell Mint your holiday debt-ache story in video or written words and we'll pay up to $5,000 of your holiday credit card debt plus free credit counseling! Play up the drama, originality, and humor because viewers/readers determine if you qualify to win. Get friends and family to rate your video/story to increase your chances of winning. Visit http://www.mint.com for more information.

The contest is now live and ends March 15, 2008. Two grand prize winners will be awarded on April 1, 2008 - one for the best video and one for the best story. The contest is open to persons 18 years and older in all 50 United States. You do not need to be a Mint customer to enter the
contest. Multiple entries are welcome, as long you use a unique email addresses for each entry. Please read all rules and regulations before entering.

As a marketer, I like the multiple ways to enter, the post holiday focus (usually wide open for media coverage), and that it is open to everyone, not only Mint customers (reinforcing Mint's education for all positioning).

We’ve all heard the story about the person who found a fifty cent item at a yard sale and turned it into thousands of dollars on eBay (like those groaners on Antique Roadshow where some sweet ol’ grandma sold a Picasso for the equivalent of a cup of coffee).

The thing is… in my neighborhood, the yard sales are pretty picked over (especially by the time I get up – which isn’t early). The sellers are savvy. The professional buyers show up the night before. Challenging for the amateur.

So what’s a girl to do?

Look somewhere else. S, one of our regular readers (in the future, I’ll be picking S’s brain about buying discounted paper), suggests looking at self-storage unit sales.

You see, some people put their things in self-storage and then never take them back out again. Perhaps they’re out of the country for good (like my newly married sister is – did I mention that I changed her diapers? Sigh…). They stop paying for the rental space, three or four months pass, and then…

Their items get auctioned off.

Think of what people pay for storage for. The contents are either sentimental (not a buy and many self storage operators don’t sell items like photographs and letters) or semi-valuable.

How to find self-storage auctions? There are sites and newsletters (Google for your area) but it is probably just as easy to phone up or drop by your local self-storage businesses.

Okay, this isn't about more money for yourself. Although if the young entrepreneur lives in your family, it could be more money for your household. So why did I include it in More Money Mondays? Because it benefits everyone and that could include your future self.

On Friday, we had a big snowstorm. Bright and early Saturday morning, we get a knock on the door. There's a big, burly kid (I'd say around 14 years old) standing on our steps with a shovel in his hand. He takes a deep breath (not looking at me directly) and says that for x dollars, he'll shovel our driveway.

Now, I don't really need my driveway shoveled. I have a hubby on a fitness kick itching to do it himself (he says it strengthens the core, whatever that means). But I know that knocking on doors takes a lot of guts. I also admired his initiative, coming up with this mini business. So I say yes.

A half hour later, he is knocking on my door again for payment (he did a great job). I ask him if he had a lot of clients this morning. He looked discouraged and said that no, most people said no. I smile and say "Well, this yes earned you in a half hour what it would take all morning to make at McDonald's." His eyes perked up and he grinned.

And he walked to my neighbor's house to knock on another door.

What just happened? An entrepreneur was born.

If he knocked on your door, would you have said yes?

With the sad, sad news of Heath Ledger's death last week (so young and such a hottie) came awareness of the very real health problem of insomnia. I heard the poor guy (whom I loved in 10 Things I Hate About You, one of my fave teenie bopper movies) was sleeping only 1 or 2 hours a night WITH the help of sleeping pills. Yikes, having spent all nighters before (due to jetlag or worry or I don't know why…), I know what lack of sleep will do to a person.

With problems come opportunities. Sleep instructors are gaining in popularity, especially with the well paying wealthy (the clients you want). No this isn't hocus pocus or a scam. This is a legit profession. There are courses and degrees in sleep therapy (including systems like the Sounder Sleep System). And the courses are worth it. Normally a freelance job, corporate clients can pay up to $1,250 a day. Heck, some nights I would have happily paid that much and more.

The best part is that you will be helping people get a longer and more restful sleep, allowing them to live happier, and more productive lives. Making the world a better place one night at a time.

Seth Godin has a great post on the shortage of digital coaches. Digital coaches, as he explains, teach business folks, including small business owners, how to make the most of their technology, saving them money and more importantly time.

Recently I sat down with a senior spreadsheet bunny. This older employee spends her entire day on Excel. I noticed that she'd cut and paste using the ctrl buttons and because she'd often forget which ctrl command was which, she'd use the menu. Took time. Time she didn't have. Then I introduced her to the right mouse button. You should have seen how excited she got! (We won't even talk about pivot tables.)

When I hired my pre-editor, one of the biggest benefits that I received was how to use the Word Track Changes option. Suddenly I discovered the world of digital editing and wow, did it completely change the writing process for me.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, I don't know enough about a program to hire myself out at $100 an hour to train others. Then do as Mark Cuban did when he first started out and read the manual. Most people don't (I confess… I don't). Reading the manual made him a millionaire, several times over. Surely it can give a few extra dollars to invest with.

Just got back from the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas (I'll be talking plenty about that more later as I get over my jet lag – just flew in on the red eye, yikes) and some of the most interesting people there were working the exhibits. This temporary help was hired from pools of modeling agencies, marketing companies, and yes, plain ol' run of the mill temp agencies.

I heard that the pay was okay (for the week of work), sometimes the temp workers got perks (like the clothes they had to wear – though how many shirts with company logos can a girl wear?) but the big win with these assignments were the contacts made.

One woman I was talking to was an aspiring actress, a blogger, and interested in marketing. During her time manning the NBC booth, she met Donny Deutsch (of the Big Ideas fame), Maria Bartiromo (of the Wall Street Journal Report) and Seth Godin (one of my favorite marketers). Talk about some valuable contacts!

What about the folks at the less celebrity flooded exhibits? They met product designers, marketers, and company founders. Oh, and press contacts, many, many press contacts.

'Course all these contacts are useless unless they are maintained. Keep a hold of those business cards. Email them from time to time (send them a link they'd find interesting). Make that assignment pay for years to come.

Living in the chilly north, snow, snow, snow is a regular sight… for me. For others, tourists, newcomers to the area, it is a novelty. As is wearing mittens and hats and scarves.

I work in the hotel area of downtown (by a large convention center). What one enterprising businessman has done is set up a kiosk on the sidewalk selling…. you guessed it… mittens and hats and scarves. These are dollar store buys (though he does stick the city name on them to make them a souvenir which costs him likely another fifty cents or less) and he charges $10 for them. He does a brisk business on snowy days.

During the summer, he sells umbrellas, rain hats and rain slickers. Again, when it rains, he does great business.

If you're thinking it doesn't sound worth it, that's not all. He also gives away free maps. What? That doesn't earn him anything… or does it? You see, all around the perimeter of these free maps is advertising. Advertising for restaurants, shows, souvenir shops. I expect he makes a half decent profit off these "free" maps.

One of the most common New Year's resolutions is to lose weight. That means eating less and exercising more.

Since I'm all about synergies, I thought… how can you and I make a bit of spare cash from something we'll do anyway (i.e. exercise)?

Examples are all around me.

My hubby loves to play volleyball and being an alpha, he happily organizes volleyball leagues and tournaments. He rents the gym, buys or borrows the equipment, markets the events and collects money from the participants. He very often collects more than he needs to recoup the costs. Since my hubby does it for fun (and exercise), he returns the money (or has a party at the end or buys better prizes) but I bet a professional organizer could simply scoop the cash and nobody would mind.

Other ideas?

If you got really good, you could lead classes in whatever fitness activity you're interested in. One of my sisters taught aquafit for a while. She trimmed down her waistline and fattened up her bank account.

During high school, I'd walk dogs in the morning. That was a great workout, especially with the larger dogs (where they walked me instead of the other way around).

For singles, New Year’s Eve can be a stressful time. Everyone is paired up to watch the countdown (or going to one of those popular group toddler parties if they have kids). Sure, there are some parties especially for singles but those can be a little intense.

One of my female buddies has the answer.

She works it.

You see, every restaurant, hotel, party room, spare nook, in the city is booked. That means the management needs staff, more staff than they regularly hire. This staff is difficult to find (lots of competition) so the wages are usually higher.

Oh, and management is more willing to overlook lack of experience. They’ll train for that special night. The people they train, they are more likely to call back in the future.

There is even more upside. Many of the other worker bees are single (a good mixing opportunity). Oh, and she often meets the celebs entertaining the crowds.

Plus management treats the staff especially well that day. She’s had free meals before her one day only gig.

How to find these opps? The classifieds, Craig’s List or simply ask a venue you’re interested in working if they’re hiring.

A common hostess gift during the holidays is the platter of home-made cookies. Of course, the tray looks more impressive with a variety of cookies but who has the time to make a dozen types of cookies?

Not me, that’s for certain.

So what some enterprising women do is organize a cookie exchange. They send out invitations to friends and family, instructing everyone to bring one type of cookie to the party. Then, at the party, the cookies are swapped until everyone has a great assortment.

A woman I know takes it one step further. Yes, she does the baking (vast quantities) but then she invites very busy businesswomen and other professionals. These women can still make up their own trays with their preference of cookies. However, instead of contributing their own, they pay for the cookie trays.

The baker has her own trays to give out plus extra cash for the holidays.

Oh, no, all this talk of cookies… still fighting the good fight against weight gain (unfortunately all the weight that I’ve lost is off my top which is NOT my problem area).

I’ve had questions about why I’ve never covered blogging in More Money Mondays. There are a two big reasons why…

I don’t personally make much money blogging (nothing from this site and about 8 cents a day from my travel blog) so I’m not exactly an expert (there are better sources for this information such as Problogger.net). I don’t blog for the money (obviously).

And

I honestly don’t know that many people who make much money strictly from their blogs (i.e. not including consulting work that they might or might not have gotten by having an active blog).

Turns out… that isn’t that unusual.

Darren at Problogger held his annual survey of what his readers (typically “serious” bloggers including folks with multiple blogs and blog networks) earn. 49% of bloggers who tried actively to make money earned less than $100 a month.

Does this mean that you won’t make big money blogging? Of course not. 51% of bloggers made more than $100 a month (which could buy more than a few shares of that quickly nearing zero mining stock I’m holding).

Other perks of blogging include freebies (free books), networking (I meet more people online than I do off), oh, and of course the pure love of sharing knowledge and writing. Those, especially the sharing of knowledge bit, can more than make up for any lack of income.

One of my buddies is a big movies buff. She likes to watch every type of movie out there and could easily blow 100% of the take home from her 9-5 job on tickets.

But she doesn’t.

Why? Because when her neighborhood movie theater advertised that they needed ushers, she applied. The pay isn’t great, minimum wage to start, but that wasn’t why she took the gig. You see, the job comes with one big perk… free movies.

Any time that she’s not working, she can watch movies for free (with some restrictions, like not going to that Blockbuster movie the Friday night of its opening weekend). So by working a few nights a week at the theater (and getting paid which compensates for her perma-smelling like popcorn), she can watch movies the rest of the week for free.

She also volunteers to work during film fests and special events. As a result, she know just about every media person in town and has also met an impressive array of Directors, Producers, Actors and other movie folk (her autograph book is a movie lover’s dream).

BTW… she claims that usher is one of the cushiest jobs at the theater (working the concession stand is a bit stressful).

A buddy of mine bought an older condo. The owner was going to sell the condo and the parking spot separately but my friend insisted that the parking spot be included, even though she doesn’t have a car.

Why?

She knew that a condo with a parking spot would resell faster and at a higher price than one without. She also knew that the condo was poorly designed. There wasn’t a parking spot for every unit and there certainly wasn’t a parking spot for the two cars typically coming with today’s couple/family buying the unit. This made the parking spot more valuable real estate than the condo itself.

What is she going to do with it? She doesn’t have a car so she won’t be using it herself. Instead, she’s renting it out (and getting quite a nice return on it too, all while her spot appreciates).

What if you have a house, instead of a condo? My father-in-law’s neighbor is renting out half of his driveway to another neighbor (with car crazy teenage boys).

There are a few things to consider with this plan. The big one is insurance and liability. Another issue, especially with condo dwellers, is whether this is allowed (some condos and even some towns won’t allow it).

I was in Target a few weeks ago (okay, I’ve been in there since but I saw this a few weeks ago). They were clearing out the Halloween goodies (managed to stay away from the discounted chocolate, put one win in the weight reduction column) and setting up the Christmas/Hanukkah merchandise (already? What happened to the year?). Being the constant marketer, I was looking for how companies market basically the same product to both Halloween and Christmas/Hanukkah shoppers.

One common item?

Pet costumes. Yes, you read that right, outfits for dogs and cats.

The Halloween costumes ran the gauntlet from spooky to cute (I bought a chicken outfit for my sister’s chicken loving cats). The Christmas outfits consisted of Santas, Grinches, and snowdogs. The Hanukkah outfit, well, it was mostly a blue cape (super Hanukkah doggie?).

All were priced fairly high and didn’t require a lot of material.

And people were buying (even the full price Christmas outfits).

There are a few ways to play with this idea. You could design and construct one of a kind outfits (for those very, very special dogs and cats). You could sell the designs to do it yourself’ers (book or individually on the ‘net). You could design and then mass produce.

If I was going the high end route, I’d probably team up with a pet photographer ‘cause odds are these pet mommies and daddies will want a photo done.

On the weekend, I went through the house, gathering up clothes, small appliances, knick knacks and other things that I haven’t used in a few years. I did the lazy thing and donated everything to a charity. However, these items could easily be a great source of cash.

But how to maximize the cash?

The September Financial Post outlined what should go to where. The main sales channel for high value property like antiques or art is an auction. For mid range furniture and clothes, they recommend an estate sale at a house or an antique store. Less conventional items are increasingly finding a solid market online through eBay. For the low, low range, the ever popular yard/garage sale is a good option.

BTW… some estate sale trivia…

The four most common reasons for an estate sale are debt, divorce, death and downsizing (not in any order).

The biggest misconception is “That the goods and the setting go together. Often, several people’s property is sold at once, in a house that’s rented for the occasion.”

Last week, we started discussing things to consider when starting up a daycare business (research for a friend who recently has decided its "too hard" even with Fiona's how to video).

One of the recurring questions you'll hear me ask businesswomen and investors is what they feel the biggest mistakes newbies make. Why? Because I feel that if we help you prevent making that mistake, these posts are worth our investment in time.

So what does Fiona feel is the biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when setting up a daycare business?

"The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make when setting up a day care business is not doing adequate research before opening and that includes a business plan. Too many people gloss over these aspects of starting a day care believing them to be unnecessary and adopting the 'how hard can it be looking after cute kids' mentality. The fact is, exhaustive research and a thorough business plan are the most vital steps you can take in order to open a daycare. You have to know what you are getting yourself into, you have to be prepared for the worst case scenario and the more knowledge you can arm yourself with in advance the better. Anyone who reads my articles knows how I advocate 'on the job' practical experience prior to starting any childcare business. Go to to an established child care provider, get a job or offer your services and learn from those who know, on the ground. That same diligence is required when formulating a business plan and every attempt should be made to ensure an accurate picture of what will be involved in running your business."

And what are some things to look out for?

"Childcare can be a minefield for potential legal issues if you have not done your research and set up strong policies and procedures. These form the framework of your day to day operations and go a long way towards ensuring that you, your staff and children are protected from any incidents that may result in legal ramifications. They provide uniformity across the board and indicate to everyone how things are done at your facility thus protecting all concerned e.g. your safety statement highlights all potential hazards and indicates steps to be taken by you and/or your staff to eliminate said hazards. When setting up your business you will also ensure that you have adequate insurance, fire safety, vetted staff, secure premises, hygiene standards and all other elements that ensure a safe environment."

Of course, there is plenty of more information on Fiona's site and blog. A must read for anyone considering the business.

A buddy of mine is thinking about starting a day care business. She is simply in the thinking about it stage and I was helping gather her information. I got tidbits here and tidbits there but then I hit the jackpot.

I "met" Fiona at ChildCareOnly.com. Fiona has done her own research as a daycare operator so thoroughly that she has a DVD Guide titled... you guessed it... Start a Childcare Business.

What are her top tips for managing a home daycare?

"It can definitely be challenging to operate your daycare business from home and separate your personal life from your business but it is not impossible. Here are a few tips to help make the home based day care work.

d. A disadvantage of working for yourself especially if you are home based is the tendency of friends and family to assume you are always free for visits. It is important that you inform these well intentioned people that this is a job. They must understand that you have certain hours each day that are dedicated to work and your family and this time should not be interrupted. Explain that you are a professional and as such need to focus completely on the
task at hand during these hours. Then switch on your answering machine!"

Oops... there's still more to cover. I'll continue this next week. Until then, you can check out Fiona's blog with tips on how to complete pre-employment screens and even how to deal with late payments.

A couple months ago, I thought seriously about selling one of my blogs. The blog had decent traffic and yes, I enjoyed posting to it, but lets face it, with a book launch coming up, I’m strapped for time (big time).

I ended up not selling it.

Why?

The number one reason was that I didn’t know how.

Sure I could have done all the research but if I didn’t have time to blog, do you think I had time to do the research? Nope.

I’m not the only person in this busy boat. Talking to many bloggers, they mention that they’ve thought about selling their blogs. Talking to many aspiring bloggers, they muse about how much easier it would be to simply buy a blog.

Which leads to an opportunity. The blog transfer middle man. A head hunter for blogs. At the time, I would have happily paid a % of the purchase price to someone who could facilitate the transfer for me. Someone who could handle the details.

Yes, there are blog auction sites but I care about my readers. I don’t want to hand them over to someone who might mistreat them or worse. Its about more than the purchase price to me and blog auction sites don’t really handle that aspect.

Where there’s opportunity, there is usually profit.

Today is Blog Action Day, a day where bloggers concentrate on bringing attention to one single issue. This year the issue is the environment.

Environmentally friendly products are an area of opportunity for smaller companies. Having explored the concept while working in product development in a few Fortune 500 companies, I know that using recycled materials is more expensive. This expense when passed along to the consumer raises the price. Most often out of the reach of the average consumer.

While the higher income, environmentally conscious consumer is too small a niche for the big companies, it is the sweet spot for smaller businesses.

What products to target? The plastics are a good place to start. A local business in my area is selling high end cloth grocery bags, reusable pieces of art. High end grocery stores can’t keep them in stock.

Oh, and they’re putting out a Halloween version for trick or treaters so little pumpkins can advertise their environmental consciousness to the neighbors.

Serial Entrepreneur Lesley Spencer Pyle has started a new venture www.HireMyMom.com, a service linking work at home Moms with companies looking for professionals providing remote services.

Normally I advise my readers not to deal with any employment companies charging fees to the employee for placement. www.HireMyMom.com deliberately breaks this "rule".

Why?

As Lesley says...

"We want to make it VERY appealing to businesses and individuals to post jobs and projects to our Mom Professionals. If we charge a fee, we will not get as many to post. On the other hand, so many moms are so eager to get work from home, they are more than willing to pay our nominal (less than $10 per month) fee for us to market the site to businesses and individuals who may need their services."

She also encourages Moms to take their applications seriously on www.HireMyMom.com.

"They should make sure they are putting forth the most professional image they can and only responding to jobs or projects they are truly qualified for. Businesses are not going to use their services if they do not appear to have experience or expertise for that particular job. Sending sloppy emails, unprofessional questions or resumes can hurt their chances as well as hurt the reputation of our site in general."

Good advice for any job hunt.

Back to school time and with it, the back to school type jobs. One of them is the researcher (I see researchers advertising in writing magazines all the time, big, fancy, expensive ads so there must be some money in it).

This is exactly what it sounds like. Individuals get paid to research. Students writing papers hire them, semi-grown up people writing books hire them. It could be an hourly rate or a set fee per topic.

Be very, very careful with this one, folks. There are plenty of scams around, the equivalent of the read books for money scam that yours truly got taken in decades (we won’t say how many) back.

How not to get scammed? Only deal with companies that you find a few solid references for. That is, YOU find ‘cause shady companies can supply plenty of so called references. Better yet, go it solo and find your own clients. Advertise on Craig’s List, at schools, in libraries, in writing magazines.

Do you need to OWN the research books? Of course not. All you need is access to them, whether it be online or at the library.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Of course, there’s the candy (I might dip into the offerings one or two times) but that’s available year round (though it is the only time of year, I eat caramel apples). There’s pumpkin carving and the roasted pumpkin seeds that come with it but then, I tend to be lazy and often skip the carving (lately I’ve been putting out the stuffed cloth jack o’ lantern).

No, what makes Halloween truly special to me are the costumes, especially those soft, cloth costumes the ankle biters wear.

There are the Anne Geddes like babies, clad in modified sleepers with tiger ears and whiskers, shown off by proud Moms and Dads. Oh, and the cutie toddlers dressed up like ponies (one little cutie almost tripped over the curb last year).

So what does this have to do with More Money Mondays? Well, in order to show off the troopers to their full cuteness, they need costumes and the more unique, the more creative, the better. Unique means dollars. Creativity means dollars.

And while you’re making money, you will also be making memories for some lucky family.

My next door neighbor (a very tolerant lady who doesn’t even notice it anymore when I put out the garbage in my jammies… not to mention going across the road to the grocery store) has a little trouble with walking now. She always uses one cane but sometimes she uses two.

Going on the bus recently, I counted 5 people with canes seated near the front. Some were the regular hospital type ones (made of metal, very sturdy) but a few were fancy, carved wooden ones. What my Granddad used to call his walking stick ‘cause, as he’d say, canes are for old people.

Often when the hubby and I are hiking around… Hawaii or some other tropical paradise, we’ll see plenty of these walking sticks being used.

A beautifully carved walking stick is a piece of art and many of them, despite the low material costs, are priced that way. Someone handy at wood carving (or whittling) could in his or her spare time make some extra cash. With the population getting older and affluent, the demand is growing.

I’ve been on both sides of this equation. I’ve lost things in parking lots (very often bags of stuff that I placed on top of the car while unlocking the doors – though once we left a set of valuable jewelry that we received as a wedding gift on top of the car, drove off and when we returned only the empty case was there) and I’ve found things in parking lots. Actually it is very seldom that I don’t pick up at least a lucky penny in a parking lot.

But I haven’t yet found a diamond. Course I’ve never really been looking for them in parking lots… until now.

Steve Gillman says “Parking lots are where most diamonds pop out of there settings, due to the temperature changes when people get out of their cars.” Yikes. Did not know that (I now get my diamonds and their settings checked once a year, after having lost one… turns out maybe in the parking lot).

One couple does know that. Looking for diamonds in parking lots is how they supplement their retirement income.

So keep your eyes open. You never know…

Lindsay Lohan has one. Kiera Knightley has one. Heck, even the kids in High School Musical 2 have them. Stylists. Someone to advise the stars what to wear where and how.

Stands to reason that the average teenager would want one also. Not only is it a status symbol but a stylist is someone to blame for those less popular choices (like my purple big bow butt prom dress fiasco that I’m still trying to purge from my memory).

And Moms, I know most would happily send their preteens to the mall with money, a list of clothing rules (like no micro minis), and someone to ensure they were enforced. No fights, no arguments, 100% compliance.

‘Course the ideal stylist is hip, happening and up to date with current trends. They read the teenage mags and know where in town to snag pieces to copy the looks. They look the part, someone the teenager won’t be embarrassed to be seen with (this is a perfect job for the party gal in her 20’s).

And they can say no to see through t-shirts without causing World War III. Definitely someone with a knack for handling people (once the stylist is established – i.e. older, she can hire trendy staff).

There are reasons why pizza is so popular. One of them is because pizza places deliver. Busy moms, seniors, college kids all crunched for time appreciate delivery (heck lately with writing deadlines coming out of my ears, I myself would appreciate delivery, and a maid and…).

So why doesn’t every restaurant deliver? Mainly because it is outside a restaurant’s core business (which is tough enough as it is). That leaves an opportunity for the eager entrepreneur.

There are two angles to go at this business. One is to work with the restaurants, being paid through them, and delivering to a set region. The other is to work with the customers directly and pick up at a variety of restaurants. The restaurant route would be busier (more customers) while the customer route would be more flexible.

Some things to consider (the price of gas, for example, factor that into the pricing)… this is not a more money opp for those people liking a leisurely meal at the standard times. Those will be the busiest for delivery (no sitting down for a 6pm meal with the family). I would also definitely reco requiring a deposit or upfront payment if part of your job is to pay for the food (you don’t want to get stuck with the bill for food no longer wanted).

And try to factor into pricing, the ability to outsource the actual delivery (i.e. you’d end up managing the delivery drivers). That would be your growth engine (unless you’re driving a time machine… but then, if you are, there are bigger ways to cash in).

On many of the investing forums, I hear people moan about how the U.S. dollar is doing poorly in comparison to other currencies. They’re talking like it is all negative.

It isn’t.

You see for the small time entrepreneur or the gal trying to make a few extra dollars for investing, this is an opportunity. The market place (especially online which of course includes eBay) is global. The U.S. folks buying and earning U.S. dollars aren’t really affected. However the non-U.S. buyers are looking at U.S. retailers like the entire store is on sale.

But the thing is… most big retailers either don’t ship outside of the U.S. or have a local arm which hasn’t changed the local prices at account for the change in the U.S. dollar (one clear example are books, flip over the back and see the exchange rate).

So what does that leave? A clear opportunity for a faster, more responsive small business.

I know of a car dealer that buys cars in the U.S. and sells them (ships them) in Canada. I know of a frugal gal that shops the clearance racks at Target and sells the goods online to mostly Europeans (from her home in Texas). Another lady personal shops for Australians (ketchup perhaps) and then ships the goods.

Have friends told you that you look like Beyonce? Do you get mistaken for Posh Spice (love her hair)? Or are you a carbon copy of the vintage Marilyn Monroe?

Then consider earning extra money as a star impersonator.

According to Gigmasters (a talent database), the top rated Marilyn Monroe impersonator in New York City earns $400 to $15,000 an event. That can buy a few shares (of even Google).

Professional impersonators study their star, from what they wear to how they walk to how they sound. The more talented the star, the more difficult she is to impersonate. Singing required? More challenging.

However, the more challenging the star combined with her popularity (Paris Hilton is Hot), the more events want impersonators and the higher the pay (supply and demand).

What events hire impersonators? Everything from conventions to corporate holiday parties to the smaller scaled birthday parties.

The hubby and I went to a corporate sponsored party during the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January which featured impersonators. They did a show, posed for photos and mixed with the crowd. Some were good (“Cher” was great). Some were terrible (“Britney Spears” continually got asked who she was). All got paid. Well.

Being famous… or even looking famous has its privileges.

For one of my new blogs, I’ve been writing articles and submitting them to ezines. The primary purpose of this is marketing (the secondary purpose is because my posting strategy doesn’t lend itself to the long articles sometimes needed, based basically on my overall laziness). If I were really aggressive, I would submit them to print papers and other media.

The online ezine publisher has a how to section on submitting on behalf of someone else. Why? Because ghost writing articles is a business.

There are busy professionals, doctors, lawyers, accountants, who would benefit from more exposure, from being published in local papers, industry magazines, and other media outlets. They could gain more customers or increase charge out rates

And they don’t have time to write the articles themselves. Or writing is not part of their skill set. It makes business sense to have “help.”

In an area of expertise, I recommend that it is “help” rather than a do-it-yourself project. Many ghost writers that I know interview the expert (using the handy yet prehistoric mini recorder technology) and then put the information in a user friendly article. They then get the expert to proof read and sign off on the article.

Seth Godin recently posted about his choice for a job of the future. That is, Online Community Organizer. “Somebody to create and maintain a virtual world in which all the players in an industry feel like they need to be part of it”

What does he see as the skill requirements?

- An understanding of technology
- An ability to write
- An understanding of the market
- Outbound selling
- Non-electronic communications
- Being able to mange huge amounts of inbound correspondence
- Reject trolls while making great customers feel welcome
- A willingness to try new things
- Self starting
- And a talent for measuring

Many of the softer skills that women handle oh so well (think of it as an online hostess). I think that this is an area that we, women, can excel and add value in quite easily. We’re accustomed to multi-tasking, to putting other people’s needs (in this case the customers) first and to being tactful (okay, not me, I’m about as tactful as a sledgehammer and yes, I have no patience for building communities which is why I partner with E).

E has great experience in this field, being a moderator for the Rich Woman community (which is a place to get some experience).

I’m hoping E will chime in on this one! Since she’s car flipper extraordinaire.

Most of us don’t think twice about hiring a real estate agent when we want to buy or sell our houses. Sure, it costs money (a percent of the sales price) but it saves us time and often money. Plus I don’t know about you but I don’t feel comfortable about selling my own house. Not as comfortable as someone who buys and sells houses everyday.

So why do we try to sell our own vehicles? Granted the selling price is lower but then if a broker were paid the same 3% of the selling price, the commission paid to a broker would be lower also. It would save the hassle of doing all the work ourselves, learning how to take a great car photo, which features sell, where to post ads, what to tell prospective buyers, etc.

Are you thinking…hey, I already know all that? Then maybe becoming a car broker is a source of additional cash you could look into. The key to this position, as are many more money Monday opps, is sales. Ya gotta be good at sales. Ladies, that is the one skill set that I would encourage you all to obtain (and yes, it can be learned).

Now, you’re likely thinking…what’s the difference between this and a regular car saleswoman? Bascially…the lot. Clients are one offs, not walk ins. Which means that you control who you deal with and where you deal with them. A little bit more flexibility.

A couple weekends ago, the hubby and I were stuck in a three hour traffic jam (two words…road works). We were road tripping so we had a small cooler full of drinks and snacks. Some people were going to the cottage so they had huge coolers full of drinks. Other people weren’t as lucky, stuck in hot cars with nothing.

So what did some enterprisin