Category: Earn Extra Money

Everyone loves a good photo booth. They’re a huge hit at weddings, birthdays, company parties, and holiday events. They can fit pretty much any party theme and they’re a wonderful way to make sure everyone has something to remember the memories made.

But, have you ever thought about everything that goes into setting up a photo booth? Most people would rather hire a photo booth business than go the DIY route.

This means someone has to offer photo booth services, though! That person can be you. Owning a photo booth business may be one of the best decisions you ever make.

Here’s how to actually make it happen!

1. Identify a Target Market

Although a photo booth is easy to work into any celebration, it’s better for your business if you identify a target market. You can’t just assume that you’ll open for business and all of a sudden be setting up a photo booth all over town. You need to figure out whether you’d prefer to do corporate events, weddings, birthdays, or some mixture of these things.

Then, really get to know your target market. Figure out how much a corporate event usually costs. Understand how to get attention from soon-to-be brides and their wedding planners.

Whatever kind of event you’d like to focus on, get a deep understanding of the people who plan them. This is your first step in generating leads and making sales!

2. Research Your Competition

Keep in mind that you’re probably not the only person who’s decided to start a photo booth business. Do some research to figure out who your competition is in the local area.

Figure out how long they’ve been in business and what events they specialize in. Learn more about what sets them apart, then start thinking about how to differentiate yourself.

3. Figure Out a Funding Strategy

Here’s the thing: you can have the most amazing photo booth business ideas ever, but you won’t succeed if you don’t have enough funding to start your business.

Luckily, you can avoid a lot of the overhead traditionally associated with small businesses. You don’t necessarily have to pay for things like a photography studio space or a whole lot of high-end photography equipment, either. You do still need to set some money aside for things like marketing campaigns and branding tools, basic photo booth equipment, and employee salaries if you plan to grow a team.

4. Buy All the Essential Materials

The basic materials of a photo booth include the backdrop, the camera, and the props. A photo booth business, though, should have multiple of these.

Invest in at least 10-20 photo booth backdrops so you’re able to provide your clients with options. Figure out what kind of camera and printing system you’d like to set up with as well, and always have one or two back-ups ready to go. Get storage and transportation devices for your equipment, too.

As far as props go, the more you have, the better.

5. Invest in Marketing and Advertising

Once you’ve done all your market research, budgeting, and bought all your supplies, you’re almost ready to open for business. The next step is to start branding your photo booth company and marketing your services!

This is huge. You need to have a marketing campaign going before you’re actually ready to launch. Such planning helps you hit the ground running and make sales as soon as you do open for business.

A few great marketing tools to do this with are:

• SEO and content marketing
• PPC
• Radio advertising
• Print marketing
• Event marketing

Digital marketing is non-negotiable. It’s up to you whether you want to go the SEO or PPC route – or create a mix of both – but you need to do something to create a strong digital footprint.

Radio ads will help you reach your local audience, and you can gear them to the stations/time slots that make the most sense for your target market.

Print marketing means buying business cards, flyers, and maybe a billboard ad or two. Event marketing, on the other hand, means showing up to networking events to talk about your business and attending conferences like wedding expos or entertainment events.

6. Ask for Help

There’s no shame in reaching out to friends and family members when you’re getting your small business off the ground. Think about it: how great would it be to see if your cousin wants your photo booth at her wedding or if your sister can talk her boss into having a photo booth at the Christmas party this year?

Using your personal connections to generate business is genius. It boosts the amount of work you’re able to do in a short amount of time. It helps you get customer reviews and a bit of experience under your belt, which are both necessary when appealing to the photo booth clients you don’t personally know.

7. Celebrate Your Wins

Keep in mind that success doesn’t happen overnight. Creating a thriving small business takes lots of time and sacrifice.

But, soon enough, the fruits of your labor will start to show! Celebrate them.

Congratulate yourself when you book your first client that isn’t a friend or family member. Set specific milestones to reach as a business owner and do small celebrations every time you hit another one. Each new success story is a big deal. It’s a sign that you’re going in the right direction and that all your hard work is paying off.

Plus, these moments are what keep you going during the times that business does slow down or things don’t go as planned.

Start Your Photo Booth Business Right Now!

What are you waiting for? If you’ve already thought of the perfect name for your photo booth business or you can’t help but daydream about the kind of clients you’ll have, you clearly want to do this.

So, just go for it!

Start making all the plans today to launch your new business in the near future. For more tips to help you go from the career you have now to being your own boss, click here.

There are more than 3.7 million people working from home for at least half their work time. That’s not including self-employed people. Most managers believe that these “telecommuters” are more productive when they work from home.

There are many advantages to working at home. One of them is that you can create your own amazing work environment. Read on for 7 home office ideas to make you love coming to work.

1. Organization Matters

When working from home, it’s easy to make the mistake of mixing your home and work life. It makes sense to organize things so you can work effectively and efficiently. Take some time to plan your working environment so you can easily start and stop work.

Think of your workspace like the cockpit of an aircraft or the driving seat of a car. Everything you need frequently should be within easy reach. You’ll love not having to hunt for things when there’s a place for everything and everything is kept in its place.

There are many storage options on the market. Bins, drawers, files or boxes. The key is to plan your storage needs rather than investing in attractive boxes with no ideas how you will use them.

Start by de-cluttering. Don’t have piles of unnecessary stuff getting in the way. Keep it simple and functional.

2. Personalized Decor

Once you have the organization sorted you can turn to home office decor. Make your office space unique. Have a theme and follow it through the office furniture, decorating and soft furnishings. If you like color go bright, but if you like simplicity, go minimalist.

3. Light and Lighting

Typically, office environments rely on cheap but bright fluorescent lighting. While this provides lots of light it can also be unpleasant. In your home office you can use different lighting sources.

Make the most of any natural lighting while avoiding reflections on screens. Have uplighters and spotlights to provide sufficient light where you need it and ambient lighting for overall illumination.

4. Go Green

Having plants in your workspace can help maintain the right level of humidity for you. If you can keep a plant alive you are probably creating the right atmosphere to live and work in. Plants also process carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen you need to breathe.

5. Hygge your World

The Scandinavian concept of hygge is one that can be applied to your home office. Home office design ideas can incorporate cushions and rugs to create the feeling of comfort and coziness. Use textiles on the walls and natural materials in the furniture.

6. Your Perfect Chair

If your work involves sitting at a desk or table then choosing the right chair is vital. Try chairs out and if you have space have sitting options for different types of work. A desk chair may be great for computer work but an egg chair may be better for reading or listening to a client.

7. Art for Art’s Sake

Have some inspiring objects around you in your home office. Try small sculptures, pictures or your child’s latest finger painting. Find something that lifts your spirits.

Home Office Ideas

Whether you are running a home business or dividing your work between the office and home there’s every reason to make your home office a pleasant place to be. A pleasant work environment makes for greater productivity and wellbeing. Build on these ideas with home office ideas of your own.

For more home business ideas, click here.

Everyone wants to win the lottery. Some swear by lucky methods, others allow the machines to pick for them. But winning the lotto could change your life, so next time, don’t leave it completely up to chance.

Most countries around the world participate in lotteries, making millionaires of citizens overnight. No matter where you play the lotto, there are a few strategies you can employ to up your chances of becoming the next winner.

While there is no foolproof method for winning, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of winning big or at least earning some extra money.

Read on to help you develop your strategy on how to pick winning lottery numbers.

How to Pick Winning Lottery Numbers: Choose Numbers That Win Most Frequently

Many states will offer free statistics to allow you to see how frequently numbers are chosen. Some numbers get picked more often than others. This may be due to chance, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t get their time to shine more often.

Don’t incorporate the most frequently chosen numbers all at once, however. The odds of all of them being chosen at once is incredibly rare. Instead, focus on one or two most frequently drawn numbers.

Statistics differ for different types of games. The most frequent numbers for Euro Millions, for example, will be different from Powerball, which will, in turn, be different from Mega Millions. Make sure you’re looking at the correct chart before you choose.

Remember, even though numbers get drawn more frequently, each number still has an equal chance of being drawn.

Keep playing the numbers that get drawn the most frequently. Although they may not come up immediately, since they do come up often, over time you will eventually see a win. This may not mean you’ll win the jackpot, but you’ll likely win a consolation prize at some point.

Using the Same Numbers Over and Over

Some people choose numbers based on lucky numbers, significant dates or birthdays of family members. There are stories of individuals who have won after choosing the same numbers for the past 20 years, and finally having their lucky day.

If you frequently buy lottery tickets, purchasing two tickets is advisable when employing this strategy. One ticket should have your “lucky” numbers, while another should have tickets chosen from a different strategy.

You may even repeatedly enter the same set of lucky numbers to double your chances of them coming up eventually.

Choose Numbers That Haven’t Come Up in a While

While all numbers, statistically speaking, have the same chance of coming up, choosing numbers that are overdue can also be a significant strategy.

Using the same statistics, you can tell which numbers come up least often, or which numbers have not come up in years. In some lotteries around the world, statistics state that they haven’t had some numbers come up for over 70 years. That doesn’t mean the number is actually due to come up, or that it ever will, but it is still a strategy some people employ.

The numbers will come up eventually, however. And it might be you who gives them their moment to shine.

Don’t Toss Away Second-Chance Games

Many lotteries offer second chance games. These can be in the form of scratch-off, name draws and a variety of other contests. Some people get annoyed when they don’t win and toss their tickets, which can mean they have actually lost out on a chunk of money.

While you may not win the $300 million jackpot, you might still be in the running for $100,000. While it’s a pittance compared to the jackpot, for many, $100,000 would be a life-changing amount.

Double and Triple Check Your Numbers

Make sure you double and triple check your numbers. This may sound like common sense, but people have thrown out their winning lottery tickets because they misread them. Imagine realizing that weeks later!

Go over each number as carefully as possible, and make sure you’re checking the correct lottery. There are several lotteries that operate at once, and it can get confusing. Double check the name of the game as well.

Enter as Many Games as Possible

As mentioned above, there are many different lotteries going on at one time. You can go to this website to check out what’s going on in the United States. But if you have family that lives abroad, or you’re going abroad, you can also enter the lottery there.

This increases your chances, and also means you have several amounts you can win.

If you do this, you need to be extra vigilant about which numbers you’re checking. Read and re-read the names of the lotteries so you don’t check against the wrong ticket. Again, you don’t want to lose out because you misread it.

If You Find a Ticket Dropped or Thrown Out, Don’t Discard It

They say one man (or woman’s) trash is another man’s treasure. This couldn’t be truer than when it comes to lottery tickets. Often people misread their tickets or check them against the wrong lotto, and then throw their tickets out.

Later, a stranger finds the ticket in the trash or on the ground and it turns out to be their ticket to riches.

If you do find a lottery ticket on the ground or discarded, don’t just leave it. Check it against the lotto it is for and see if you’ve won. You might be a winner without even having to buy a lotto ticket.

Use a Random Number Generator

Although not as exciting, using a random number generator can help you reap rewards. Use Random.org, which is programmed for 280 lotteries all over the world. Simply plug in which lottery you’re looking to win and it will generate the required amount of numbers.

This is probably as statistically sound as any “quick pick” you get when you buy a randomly generated ticket, but many people prefer to use this system. This way, they can see the numbers first, and then approve them before they take them to purchase their lotto ticket.

Buy Lotto Tickets Frequently

Don’t go overboard, or you might go bankrupt while trying to play the lotto. Most people, however, don’t win on their first try. Instead, many play week after week, month after month, and even year after year before they see results.

Continue to enter the lotto as much as possible, if you can afford it. Don’t charge lotto tickets to a credit card if you can’t afford it, as it might not be a profitable pay-off in the end.

You can also ask for lottery tickets for special occasions, such as having them tucked away in birthday cards or for the winter holidays. This will be a cheap gift for someone to purchase for you, in addition to giving you yet another chance to win the game.

Although you may never win the big jackpot, if you continue to play, you’ll likely one day win some money. It might be a few thousand dollars, but that is a better payout than absolutely nothing.

Use the Ticket That Has Performed the Best in the Past

Statistically speaking, there are tickets that have won frequently in the past. There are some numbers that would have garnered someone a few million dollars by now if they had continually played them in every lotto for several years.

Although this strategy is similar to picking lucky numbers, it involves simply finding out which ticket has performed the best in the lotto you’re playing.

Over time, you’re bound to win some money, even if it isn’t the whole $100 million jackpot.

Use Statistics

There are some statistical approaches that work well, and if you learn them, you might be able to increase your chances.

The Delta Method, for example, involves choosing numbers between certain digits, adding them together and randomizing them to create number sequences.

The Wheeling Approach involves purchasing several tickets and using every single combination of one set of numbers. While this method is incredibly popular, it can become expensive relatively quickly. In the UK lottery, for example, any one set of numbers can have as many as 5005 combinations.

While this certainly ups your chances of winning, it also means you’re spending a big chunk of your paycheck on lottery numbers. However, the Wheeling approach is good for those who are going in together as a group and plan to split the winnings in several ways.

Go in As a Group

You can pool money together with coworkers, family or friends and purchase hundreds of lottery combinations. This method, however, involves the promise that you will actually split the money if you win and can cause serious issues among people in the event of a winning ticket.

But, it can be a good method for jackpots that are hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Takeaway

There is no clear answer to the question of how to pick winning lottery numbers. There is no science, as ultimately, it is all up to chance. Winning, though, can change your life if you’re one of the lucky ones that manage it.

Check out our blog for more information on saving money and how to make your paycheck stretch as far as possible.

When you find yourself short on money for upcoming bills or simply want extra spending cash, you need a way to make easy money fast.

But where do you even begin to find it? Is there such a thing as “easy money”?

Lucky for you, there are many options for earning extra money that doesn’t require a lot of work. Though they’re not a get rich quick type deal, they will earn you enough to cover bills or a night out on the town.

Let’s look at 10 ways you can make easy money fast and leave those money troubles behind you.

1. Sell Your Stuff

Chances are you’ve got several things in your home you no longer use that you can sell for cash right now.

You can do this in several different ways. Such as using online marketplaces, selling to a consignment shop, using a pawn shop, listing on eBay, or having your own garage sale.

Look around your house for items that you don’t need and are in good condition. Then research online how much you may be able to get for them.

You likely won’t get as much at a consignment shop then you would if you sold it yourself. But it’s up to you to decide how much effort you want to put into it.

2. Get Paid to Take Surveys

When companies want to understand their target consumers better, they turn to surveys to find answers. And if you’re willing to take the time to fill out these surveys, you will get paid.

Sites such as Survey Junkie pay users to take easy surveys, most taking less than 5 minutes to complete.

And new surveys are added every day. Which can keep the money coming in when you really need it.

3. Walk Dogs

Dogs lovers, rejoice! There’s an easy way for you to make money AND spend time with those precious pooches at the same time.

You can join a service such as Rover and have people in your area hire you to walk their dogs. Or if you don’t want to go that route, simply advertise your services on social media or talk with your neighbors.

And once you have a proven, solid track record of good reviews, you’ll be able to easily find quick work whenever you may need it.

4. Drive with Uber or Lyft

If you’ve got a car and some extra time, you can make some extra cash fast by driving for Uber or Lyft.

This option is great because it allows you to work whenever you want, on your schedule. Which means you have the ability to bring in a good chunk of change when it’s convenient for you.

And you don’t have to pick just one service to drive for. Sign up for both so you can keep yourself busy and compare fares.

5. Photography

Do you love to take photos and have several amazing, high-quality ones you wouldn’t mind selling?

Websites such as ShutterStock and iStockPhoto allow users to upload their photos online and sell as a download to customers. In return, you get a commission.

And it’s easy because once you upload your photo, that’s it. You get paid as your photo gets a download, so it’s a continuous passive income.

6. Trim Your Bills

Take a hard look at your bank account and your monthly bills. Chances are there’s some fat that can be trimmed to save you some money.

Have subscriptions that need canceling? Can you negotiate that cable bill down, or even cut the cord all together? Are you eating out too much?

Knowing where your money is going and how to save on your bills is a smart way to keep your budget in check. And if you need help, there’s an app called Trim that may be able to locate savings that you couldn’t find on your own.

7. Rent a Spare Room on Airbnb

Turn that spare room you don’t use into much-needed income. You can list your room on Airbnb for short-term renters.

And if you know how to be an amazing host, you are sure to start racking up positive reviews that will keep renters, and the money, coming in.

8. Find Unclaimed Money

Wouldn’t it be great if there was money sitting out there for you and all you had to do was claim it? That could very well be your reality.

Unclaimed.org can help you find money you didn’t know you had. This could be in the form of a deposit from a utility service you had a long time ago. Or money in a bank account from when you were a kid.

Who knows, you may be surprised at what you find. It may feel like winning the lottery, but it’s more about finding what’s rightfully yours.

9. Freelance

Do you love to write? Are you a whiz at graphic design? Or specialize in accounting?

Lots of freelance work in a variety of industries can be found on websites like Upwork and Fivver. All you have to do is apply for the task you want and get approved.

If you don’t like that option, try pitching to companies and bloggers in the industries you want to work in. Many of them are willing to pay a pretty penny for high-quality work.

But if you’ve never done freelance work before, you can try to gain experience by doing projects for friends and family. Ask around! You never know who’s looking to outsource some work.

10. Start a Blog

Starting your own blog can not only be a creative outlet for you but earn you money at the same time.

And the best part is you get to have total control of it. Write about the things you love! Share it on social media and create a following.

Then you can start to create e-books, tutorials, and other digital products you can sell online. You can even use affiliate marketing to bring in more income.

This won’t earn you money overnight, it will take some work to get going, but it has the potential to pay well if you work hard enough at it.

Now You Can Become an Easy Money Pro

Finding yourself in a financial pinch is never a good feeling. But now that you have options to turn to, you can avoid the worry and earn easy money fast the next time you need it.

Want to learn more about working from home? Click here to access our blog posts all about it!

Being a stay at home mom is a job in itself. Between parenting, cleaning, preparing meals, chauffeuring the kids everywhere, and taking care of yourself, you definitely have your hands full.

But being a stay at home parent doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice having a career as well. There are careers that can be done from home or that can easily assimilate into your life as a mom so you can succeed at work and at home. And the extra money doesn’t hurt either!

We’ve compiled a list of 7 great jobs for stay at home moms. See if any of these pique your fancy!

1. Remote Writer or Editor

If you like writing and reading, this could be the job for you. Blogs, businesses, and other websites always need writers to create content and editors to make that content perfect.

Some jobs will pay you per article and some will be per word. It can also be on a per hour or per project basis.

This type of work has a lot of variety. You could be a copywriter, a proofreader, a content creator, a copyeditor, and more. Some of these jobs require more creativity while others are more technical. Think about what skills you have and excel in to decide which path is right for you.

If you think that you can quickly create quality written content, then this career could be lucrative and fun. You could even specialize in writing for parenting or stay-at-home mom advice blogs!

While you don’t necessarily need a degree for this type of work, it can’t hurt. You can also get some more info on furthering your education to make you a more attractive hire.

2. Tax Preparer

Tax preparers do exactly what you think they do: they help prepare all of the papers, files, and forms for people to file their taxes. This job won’t be the best stay-at-home jobs option for everybody because it requires much longer hours during January through April (a.k.a the dreaded tax season).

What makes this a great job for stay at home moms is that tax preparers can usually take the rest of the year off once tax season is over. This will free up almost the entire year for you to focus on being a mom, while 4 months will have a more work focus.

This is another job that doesn’t require a college degree, and it’s still one of the best high paying home jobs.

3. Social Media Specialist

Social media specialists are responsible for overseeing and running a business’ or website’s social media pages and accounts. You’ll create content, optimize those posts for search engines, and drive traffic to the business or website.

This type of job requires past experience working with social media and usually requires a degree. If you have the experience and the background, you can easily telecommute as a stay at home mom.

4. Pet Care

If you love animals and have the ability to be active, then pet care could be the job for you. Between dog walking and pet sitting, this type of job is fun, active, and definitely a necessary commodity for people.

You can join dog walking apps to easily connect you to nearby pets and owners that need dog walkers. You can also simply ask around your neighborhood to see who needs help with pet care during the day, especially if the owners are gone to work each day.

If you don’t mind having pets in your own home, pet sitting is also a great option. You could earn hundreds of dollars per month simply by hanging out with cute 4-legged friends. Not too shabby!

5. Tutor

Whether you opt for online or in-person tutoring, this type of job is super flexible and can help you earn some significant cash. You’ll be responsible for creating lesson plans, explaining concepts, and helping kids complete their assignments.

Some tutors charge 25 dollars or more per hour, which means you can earn an easy 25 dollars while your kids are at a playdate or even napping. This type of work can be done on your own schedule and can fill up as many hours as you’d like.

Getting clients could depend on your previous teaching experience along with your background knowledge in certain subjects. But since tutors are needed in every and all subjects imaginable, there’s almost definitely a subject you could tutor in.

6. Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are usually responsible for a number of tasks that will slightly vary depending on the company you’re working for. These tasks could include:

• Social media management
• Data entry
• Organization
• Scheduling
• Invoice management
• Customer service

Becoming a virtual assistant doesn’t require a degree and it can be done remotely, which is perfect for many stay at home moms. Those with previous experience as an assistant or in an administrative role might be more likely to be hired, but many places will provide training to new hires anyway.

7. Personal Stylist

If you have an eye for fashion and enjoy picking out outfits for your friends, and even for your kids, then a role as a personal stylist would be perfect for you. This job is another option that is super flexible and can be catered to your specific schedule.

You can work with companies and brands to put together outfits for websites, clothing subscription boxes, photoshoots, and even for customers directly. This job requires an eye for design, style, size, and comfort. If you think that sounds like you, then this is a great flexible and fun job for stay at home moms.

Top 7 Jobs for Stay at Home Moms: Wrapping Up

Adding a career on to the already tough job of being a stay at home parent can be tough, especially if you’ve been out of the “career game” for a while. Hopefully, one of the 7 jobs for stay at home moms piqued your interest and is getting you excited about going back to work.

There are tons of ways to earn extra money as a stay at home mom. Check out our blog for more tips on earning money as a mom.