http://www.positivemoneyideas.com Hundreds of money making ideas, home based business ideas and small business opportunities. en-us Everyday, thousands of baby blankets, booties, sweaters, scarfs and afghans are knitted with love and given as gifts to friends and family. More than just offering warmth and practicality, these knitted gifts have an heirloon quality and are often treated as treasures for life. If you've been investing lots of time and effort crafting such items for your friends and family, why not consider turning this craft that you love into a small business that will make your a little money and allow you to meet people? Teaching others the craft of knitting/crocheting requires patience and an eye for detail. Since you should already know how much time it takes to complete a project and you can read intricate patterns, the trick is not to transfer that knowledge and skill into easy do-it-yourself lessons that someone else can follow. This isn't as difficult as it seems - you first have to list the basic skills and patterns in knitting and write simple notes to describe how to do it. If you can manage it, simple diagrams can enhance your notes tremendously. You'll want to keep any "secret techniques" out of these notes because these are what will set your knitting lessons apart from all the Do-It-Yourself books on the markets. If you've been practising the craft yourself for years, you most likely have all the equipement you need - needles, crochet hooks, yarn, simple patterns, books and scissors. Initally, your students can use your scraps of leftover yarn for practice. Pick an easy pattern, then have your students purchase the appropriate supplies before they come to your next class, that way you won't have to shell out your own money and wait for reimbursement. Plan on grossing only about $5000 per year; this is a sideline business and not a full time career. You'll most likely have the greatest success marketing your availability through craft shops and networking with friends and family. Sell some of your handmade creations at art and craft shows to showcase your abilities and always have plenty of business cards on hand. If you're the sort who loves to travel, then you don't necessarily have to confine your lessons to your studio or home. You can always set up a mobile class, packing all your material into a small trolley trunk that you can fit into a car and roll right into your class wherever it may be - at a community college, retirement home or even to your clients' homes. Lots of people would love to learn knitting and crocheting but would rather do it at a place where they're comfortable. Of course you will charge a higher fee if you are required to travel to your students' homes. Be prepared to hold class at hours that are convenient for your students, including weekends and evenings. Try to fill your classes with more students than you think you can accomodate; there is always the possibility that more than one may drop out without notice. This can be a very relaxing venture to do in your home. It's an opportunity for you to be creative and to pass down these centuries-olf technique to others. You never know - this simple small business could very well open the door to much bigger things for you. If people find your crafted designs and patterns so unique, you could even compile them into a book or series of books and market them. There's always more than one way to make money from a skill. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=484&moneymakingidea=Knitting/Crochetting-Lessons New mothers often find they have a world of adjustments to make as soon as their little one comes into the world. From diapering to bathing baby, there seems to be a thousand and one new skills that they are suddely expected to have. Among them is one of the most crucial and womanly art of breast-feeding. Contrary to what people may think, breast feeding is not as simple as putting baby to breast and letting things happen naturally. New mothers often find out the hard way that there are lots of factors that contribute to the rewarding and relationship-bonding experience of breast feeding. For one thing, many new mothers are frightened by the prospect of having to be completely responsible for another human being; for another, many hospital professionals are simply not well trained in teaching new moms how to breast-feed properly. As a result, there are many young women out there who are breast-feeding incorrectly - and quite painfully so. Your prospects look good for this consulting business if you are patient and caring enough to show them the way, and with hospitals increasingly being forced to release mothers and their newborns in a short period of time after birth, there will be plenty of room (and need) for outside professionals. Since many new moms like to share their positive experiences, word-of-mouth could bring in quite a few referrals. Being a mother yourself and having successfully breastfed your own babies is a crucial credential to have. This alone enables you to empathize with your new mom clients on the many subtle nuances (and discomforts) of breastfeeding. Your start up costs are minimal; mostly you'll need to make sure you have an adequate amount of resource materials and dependable transportation. For marketing materials, invest in professionally designed business cards - something that gives off a warm, caring feeling. Your fees should start at $40 per hour, collected at time of service, although this may vary depending on your location and/or schedule. It can be stressful dealing with frightened new mothers and helpless fathers; you'll need a cool head to deliver this service. On the bright side, once you've taught the mother how to feed her baby properly, the stress level will sharply drop and you'll have three happy customers! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=483&moneymakingidea=Lactation-Consultant Avid readers often have their own private collection of books that they treasure. This collection of books will often include rare and unique items that are valuable. Like any other connoiseur or collector, they will go to great lengths to find the books that they desire - and that include hiring a Rare Books Dealer to locate an item for them. A Rare Books Dealer service can be run as an extension of an existing bookstore (most do it this way) or as a separate business. You'll need to be very detailed and organized if you want to venture into this business, let alone make it profitable. Other requirement include a love for reading, and a good memory to remember things like books titles, publishers, authors and the background of books. People who go into this line do it more for the love of reading and books than the money, although the monetary rewards often justify the effort that they put in. You will need to deal with a lot of information in this business. Fortunately, there are lots of publications you can subscribe to so that you get monthly listings of what's available currently from publishers and dealers. The Internet and book clubs can offer a lot of resources so you will want to use them frequently. Sign on with web based services such as abebooks.com or expedite your searches as well as to automate your sales. Sometimes, you'll be lucky enough to work out an even trade (and maximize your own profit on the book you're selling to the customer). Most oftern however, you will derive your income from a search fee ($10-$15 in some areas) and a sales commision on the book itself, which you will have priced accordingly to suit your own needs. The older and more rare the book, the harder it is to locate. But if you can manage to drum up one yellow paged copy, your earnings could be quite high with just one book. It will take between $5000 and $10000 to get started with your computer and online searches. Expect to spend $1000 or so on advertising in your first year. If you are good at what you do, you could earn between $20000 and $40000 per year. The stress level is actually quite low n this field and you can search for a book at your own pace for the most part. However, you don't get paid as much for looking as you do for finding. Good part-time business for the book lover witha penchant for treasure hunting! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=482&moneymakingidea=Rare-Book-Dealer Home entertainment systems are really wonderful things. They can tranform a plain old boring room into your own personal mini cinema, disco or concert hall! While we used to have to be content with simple speakers over twenty years ago, today you can get ready-to-assemble home theater and sound systems that blow your mind away. People are so enamored with Home Entertainment Systems that they have become true aficionados of highly sophisticated speakers, amplifiers and visual displays. They are willing to fork out good money to transform their homes into a veritable boom box. If you are the kind of person who's familiar with terms like Anamorphic, Bi-Wire, Bass Reflex, know the difference between a Sub Woofer and a Super Tweeter, and you're good at hooking up a electronic gadgets and gizmos, then you are probably the kind of person who would make a great Home Entertainment System specialist. Your market is anyone and everyone who wants to have a Home Entertainment system installed in their homes. This is a business that you can run part-time. Hook up with fellow hifi enthusiasts and stores to network with suppliers. Get to know what's the latest in the Home Entertainment Systems market. With your knowledge of the best pieces of equipment, you'll come up with Home Entertainment System packages that suit different types of budgets. You can advertise your service with flyers and posters, but a listing in the Yellow Pages and regular ads in your local classifieds and HiFi magazines will help drive customers to you. Once you've gotten customers, your next task is to procure the components needed for your clients' Home Entertainment System. You don't necessarily have to own a store or keep stock of Home Entertainment products (although that would help). You can act as an agent or distributor for numerous suppliers. That way, you can have the best of every store or brand. Remember that the difference between going to a store and buying an out-of-the-box Home Entertainment System and engaging you to set things up IS personalized service. You'll want to visit your client's home, take whatever measurements you need of the room where the Home Entertainment System is to be set up, note any peculiarities about the place and then work out the best configuration for the system. Be mindful of your client's special requests - they may have specific likes and dislikes. It's recommended that you agree on some sort of two-part payment before you carry out any assignment. The first payment should be considered a deposit for the purpose of purchasing the Home Entertainment System's components and the second payment would be made upon completion of the setup. The deposit is a necessary safeguard to protect you from fickle clients who may change their minds AFTER you have paid for equipment that was agreed earlier and to protect youself from clients who "run away" after making an order. Becoming a Home Entertainment System specialist means that you have a large but focussed market. Your service doesn't end after setup. Since your client's Home Entertainment Systems are customized setup, they will eventually need you to do repairs or modifications to keep their systems in fine running condition. Each successful job ought to lead to referrals. Referrals from individual custoemrs will take you far, and a relationship with a dealer for service and repairs would also be an excellent marketing tactic. Increase affluence and the ever expanding entertainment and Hifi industries should keep you in demand for a long time! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=481&moneymakingidea=Home-Entertainment-System-Service It's a growing trend today - people are realizing that they're not realizing their full potential working for others when they could be calling the shots and being their own boss. And so, we are seeing a growing increase in business startups. Along with that comes a real need for fast and affordable help in forming business corporations. Most people who consider starting a business have the same basic questions and one of the most frequently asked questions is - Which form of business is the most advantageous?. As a Business Incorporator, you can point out the many benefits of incorporating, not the least of which is the the company's owner(s) are personally protected from any possible legal action against the company. In other words, if the company is sued, the owner is protected and will probably not lose his or her home and car. Being a Business Incorporator means networking with entrepreneurial groups and members of chambers of commerce to find clients in need of your services. To obtain a steady stream of calls, you will also need to place ads in your local newspapers, Yellow Pages, business magazines and perhaps online publications. Another great way to get referrals would be to network with people in the accounting sector. Many businesses start up as small home based entities but they still require someone to manage their bookkeeping for them and when they're ready to expand and incorporate, these accountants will probably be the first to know. You'll meet with client(s) to fill out the necessary (and usually straightforward) forms required by the government. You may also assist in setting up your client's Employer Indentification Number, and you'll present him or her with a complete corporate package, including easy-to-fill-out forms for such necessary items as the Articles of Incorporation, minutes from board or director meeting, stock certificates, etc. Essentially, you'll be helping a company get started on the road to greater growth or expansion potential. Advertising will be your largest expense. You'll also need to have business cards for networking and make sure you have a dependable mobile phone so clients can reach you not matter where you are. Your fees can range from $175 to $300 depending on the area you serve and the size and complexity of the client company. If you don't mind working day in and day out filling the same forms, this bsuiness could be just what you are looking for. If on the other hand, you thrive on excitement and variety, you may want to look for additional ways you can help fledgling businesses, such as putting together plans and designing comprehensive marketing programs. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=480&moneymakingidea=Business-Incorporation-Service When organizations downsize, they generally don't retain full-time staff to handle the administration of government contracts even though these contracts bring in a fairly substantial income. Being a government contract consultant means you guide your corporate clients through the complex web of opportunities that come with securing government contracts. To be a Government Contract Consultant, you need to be familiar with the lingo that government agencies use. You also need to know the red tape involved in every transaction like the back of your hand. This specialized, but lucrative field also calls for you to have a wide network of contacts in the various departments and agencies in the government. Very often, success in this field is just as much about WHO you know and WHAT you know. Once you secure your first government contract, you will gain much experience to smooth the way for future work. Your reputation grows with each Government Contract that you secure for your clients, and with that reputation comes the ability to name your price. There will never be a shortage of companies willing to pay good money to find help in securing those hard to get government contracts. Your main startup expense will be equpping your office. You don't need a very big space to work in (since a lot of your work will take you out meeting your contacts) but you will need to make sure your office is cosy yet professional. You want to project the image of a competent and knowledgeable Government Contracts Consultant. Communication equipment should also be tops on your setup list because your business is about communication - sending it and receiving it on time! Remember we said earlise that when it comes to securing government contracts, who you know is just as important as what you know. Hopefully, your're an insider already; if not, you'll need to sell yourself as one. Don't worry - as you begin to achieve success, you will definitely earn the title. To ensure positive relationships with your clients, you need to exercise good business sense from the get-go. Always remember to ask yourself the following questions: What approach to obtaining a government contract would be most appropriate for this particular client? How can I guide this specific business organizatioin through the process? YOu may often find yourself under a time crunch, but the fact that you are doing a lot of good for your clients each time you are successful should more than make up for the frequent and stringent deadline pressures. Not many people will have the skillset, knowledge and contacts to be able to succeed in this field, so if you do, you're in a business that could potentially make you very rich indeed! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=479&moneymakingidea=Government-Contract-Consulting In today's fast paced world, people are so "always on the go" that they forget the little things like good manners. Good manners it seems, is only reserved for fancy dinners and special occasions where the big wigs gather. So learning good manners, proper etiquette and correct protocol ends up low on the list of things to do. Until they're actually needed that is! By then, you might find you have a hundred and one questions : Which fork do I use first? When do I use that spoon at the top of the plate? How do I address a person of royalty? How long and how should I respond to an official invitation to a formal dinner? How do I call the Duke of York's nephew? As an Etiquette/Protocol Consultant, you will teach people anything and everything from the basics of table etiquette to tips and advice on proper conduct when in the presence royalty. Being an Etiquette/Protocol Consultant requires that you are not only familiar with the hows and whys of proper etiquette but also that you practice what you preach. The best way to make money as an Etiquette/Protocol Consultant is to compile your knowledge into specialized training modules for example, proper etiquette for formal dinners, protocol for written communication and protocol for dealing with royalty and VIPs. You'll want to market your courses to corporate clients and people who need to attend or host formal functions or even home dinner parties. Since your Etiquette/Protocol traning course are segmented into specialized modules, you can teach them in easy to manage one or two hour sessions. There's no fixed way on how to charge for these types of training. It woud largely depend on how comprehensive your course is and your reputation. Your startup costs are so minimal, you needn't worry about whether it's proper to launch into business. Just make sure you have good reference materials for the questions that stump you - and leave a little extra so that you can actuallydo some entertaining that will allow your students to practice what you've preached. There's nothing like facing up to a real place setting with three forks and five spoons so separate the socially savvy from the clods. You'll love the authority and power of being a moral authority - but try not to let it go to your head. The last thing any one of your clients needs to encounter is a know-it-all. Be matter-of-fact, and try to inject some humor into your presentation. This is after all, only etiquette, not a matter of life and death! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=478&moneymakingidea=Etiquette/Protocol-Courses Most people know that eating right and proper nutrition is important. The problem is that people don't have a sound understanding of how to achieve it. Hectic schedules, uncompromising commitments at work and family responsibilities keep us so busy we hardly have time to have a proper meal with our loved ones, let alone prepare a nutritionally balanced and tasty dinner. And so it goes on and on until the problem manifests itself in health problems. That's where a Personal Menu Service can come in. If you have a solid background in nutritional science or experience in the food industry, you have the first ingredient to being a Personal Menu Service provider. Your job is to create weekly or monthly meal plans based on the specific requirements of your clients. Not only do individuals need such services, so do hospitals, retirements homes, schools, universities and restaurants. Admittedly, this is a service that everyone is going to want to pay for, so your target market may very well be the upper middle class or those with enough money to spend of a personal service like this. Other than the cost of a computer an advertising, this business can be started on a shoestring. Surf the web for a wealth of recipes and menu ideas. Creating a steady stream of new menu ideas on a constant basis can become tedious, so look for creative away sto vary your menus with unusual foods and seasonal themes. Be aware that unless yo have a degree and the necessary credentials in dietetics, you may have difficulty selling your services so some institutions such as hospitals and schools. Any business that relates to food consumption has legal and health ramifications; be sure to check out your state's licensing requirements before embarking on this career. Having said that, it's still possible for anyone who doesn't have the "paper" qualifications to get into this niche. You could provide your Personal Menu Service online for FREE. Create as many types of menus as you can for as many different categories of folk. Create menus for specific diets - carbo rich or protein rich for example. You could also create a resource-rich website and newsletter and offer your Personal Menu Service to your email subscription base for a nominal monthly fee. All those little amounts of money make up a huge mountain in the long run. Even if you don't want to charge any fee whatsoever for your menus and information, then you can earn money from sponsors and advertisers. The Health and Diet niche is a very lucrative one and if your Personal Menu Service or (website) is popular enough, you could be making healthy amounts of money! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=477&moneymakingidea=Personal-Menu-Service There used to be a time when having a college Degree would guarantee a solid secure job. Then things changed and these days, Degrees are so common that to stand above the crowd, you need to have at least a Masters Degree, if not a PhD! Most parents don't realize that the cost of higher education has escalated to the point where even mortgaging a home may not even be sufficient to put one child through college. Even though there are many types of financial aid for education available, finding them is not as easy as your would think. Families need lots of help and guidance to prepare the paperwork and in locating the many sources of funding for which they qualify and can apply. As an Education Finance Consultant, you will be in great demand once you've established yourself as a solid, reputable service provider. Although some families seek financial aid to cover secondary and even elementary school tuition, the bulk of your business will focis on students entering college. Word of mouth from satisfied parents and students you have helped should bring you a continuous stream of new business year round. However, before you consider going into this field, you need to meet with 2 basic requirements - familiarity with all the financial aid options (where to find and apply for them) and excellent people skills. You will need to do lots of research both online and offline, so being comfortable with computers and the Internet is as important as being comfortable working with people. You will need to always be on the lookout for organizations, foundations and companies that offer scholarships and financial aid for education. That means scouring your local newspapers, education magazines and going to education fairs to speak to college admissions personnel. Your main expense will be on computer equipment and broadband connection. You will also need the basic office communication tools - a phone and fax. Although the bulk of your business will come from networking and referrals, you will need to purchase a Yellow Pages listing and a few classified ads. Working part-time you could easily earn $15,000 by setting your flat rates for a financial aid search at anywhere from $150 - $500 per job. But be careful. You can eat up a lot of time surfing the Web, you may soon find that charging an hourly rate is more profitable. Many parents are shocked when they first realize how much it costs to put a child through college. Financial aid is available, but the sources can be obscure and even the so-called "simple" forms for determining basic financial need are far from easy to decipher. With your extensive knowledge and better-than-average research skills, you can indentify the multitufe of special scholarships available to students with a specific cultural heritage, special academic interest, or other unusual characteristic. This is a rewarding money maker that you can run part-time, although as your reputation grows, you might just find that the income from being a Education Finance Consultant is far better than your day job! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=476&moneymakingidea=Education-Finance-Consultant If you're someone who loves to travel, got loads of experience in foreign countries and you have a knack for finding those special out of the way places that make a trip so memorable, then you would probably make a great Travel Consultant. Using your personal knowledge and experience of a particular city, country or region combined with research that you do on the Internet and in guidebooks, you will create customized travel itineraries for clients, sharing your experience with others who are bound for distant shores. Depending on the needs of your client, you may be required to compile everything from a one-page overview of must-see chruches in Milan to a detailed hour-by-hour itinerary for a 2 week driving tour of Southern France. You may also be asked to book rental cars or accomodation, or even bicycles for that matter, but be prepared just in case, and adjust your rates accordingly to cover the cost of long-distance phone calls, faxes and deposits. Startup costs will include a computer and Internet connection to do your research and communication with travel agents, airlines, car rental companies and hotels. Network by asking everyone you know if they know someone who could use your expertise; your clients will come to you largely by word-of-mouth. You might also try contacting a few travel agents for referrals. Visit travel fairs and distribute your calling card. Hanging around the travel guidebook section of your favorite bookstores and striking up conversations might also help pull in a couple of clients. Anyone with a computer can put together a pretty complete travel itinerary these days. You'll want to set yourself apart by offering services and expertise no one else can. Take the time to get to know your client and be ready to make those special suggestions that show you understand and appreciate his or her unique preferences and travelling style. You'll want to know your destinations backwards and forwards, of course, so be prepared to plow much of your income righ back into your own personal travel funds. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=475&moneymakingidea=Travel-Consultant >Chess is a popular game that has millions of enthusiasts around the world. I don't play chess very well, but I DO love looking at chess sets. In fact I have friends who are more interested in collecting chess sets than they are in playing the game. Chess sets comes in all sorts of designs. They even make chess sets following recent fads like the ones with Transformers pieces in the shape of the Autobots and Decepticons. Making Hand Crafted Chess Sets is a niche that not everyone can get into, but if you have the creative skills and patience, it can be a financially rewarding hobby turned business. Hand Crafted Chess sets can be made from wood, stone, marble, crystal or even scrap metal. It's more about producing works or art than it is about the game, but there have been stories about people who pay tens of thousands of dollars to have custom Hand Crafted Chess Sets made for friends, family and VIPs. Hand Crafted Chess Sets also make wonderfully classy (and expensive) corporate gifts. Remember that your Hand Crafted Chess Set is a unique work of art. That means there is NO set price standard for it. If your designs are unique enough, you can set any price tag that you want. However, there are marketing costs that you need to consider and factor into your asking price. Good places to list your Hand Crafted Chess Set for sale would be eBay, hobby and chess sites and also gift sites. You can also offer your Hand Crafted Chess Set to be displayed in art exhibitions or chess related events. You could then place a little discreet sign that says "For sale" and make sure your contact details are displayed. Reputation comes with each Hand Crafted Chess Set that you sell. With any luck, you will get referral business from previous buyers (remember to include your contact details with each Chess set that you sell). If you're open for orders, there's good money in being able to produce custom orders. Such orders can be for specific designs of places, animals, people or family and friends. This is a business that you can run right from your home. All it takes is creativity and you can turn a hobby into a really nice side income. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=474&moneymakingidea=Hand-Crafted-Chess-Sets Childhood is a time to be treasured - for both parents and children. Time goes by so fast and we get caught up in our busy day to day hustle and bustle that we often forget to stop and smell the flowers. Before you know it, our kids have all grown up and gone off to college and then to lead their own lives. When that happens, we begin to treasure all the memories and little things we've kept as reminders of that wonderful time. Suddenly photos, baby shoes, art projects and stuff that you did together become priceless objects. One of the best ways to capture and remember our children as they were is to make ceramic hand prints. This is a technique where your child's hand or footprints are embedded into soft clay. The ceramic print may be customized any way you want, including any phrases, poems or designs. They are then baked in a kiln and glazed - exactly like other ceramic products. The result is a special moment frozen in time (ceramic) which you can keep. Ceramic Hand Prints can be turned into a full time business, but they are usually offered as an added service by gift or craft stores. However, if you plan to run this as a side business during the weekends, then it can be a really fun way to make money and provide people with a treasured memory. You will need a kiln, supply of clay, art materials and sample designs to begin with. Making Ceramic Hand Prints requires a bit of learning at first, but the good thing is you can learn the skill. Pawprints and Pitterpats are two business opportunity providers that teach you how to create and market Ceramic Hand Prints. It's possible to set up shop in a number of ways. If you run your Ceramic Hand Prints business part-time you could set up a small workshop in your garage where clients can drop by. Another way to increase your orders is to set up shop in a mall. The amount of space you need will also depend on the size of your kiln so remember that a large space also means your fixed cost increases. One work around to this problem is to set up a small kiosk where you can do the actual hand imprints on site. You can also perform any customization on the spot. The only difference would be that after your customer gives their okay, you will carefully pack their clay imprints in a crush proof container, to be tranported back to your home workshop for kiln firing and glazing. Your customer can then pick up their finished Ceramic Hand Imprints a couple of days later. Working this way also allows you to correct any mistakes that you may have missed in the imprints. You can market your Ceramic Hand Prints with a Yellow Pages ad, flyers and posters. An occasional ad in popular parenting or family magazines will also help. Another great way is to work with local maternity clinics or hospitals. Offer to make imprints of little newborns at half price or at a discount. These can either be given to the new parents as a gift from the clinic. They can also be labeled with the baby's name and placed in strategic places in the clinic. Just remember to place a discreet label with your contact number on each Ceramic Hand Print. This is a fun way to make money and help parents preserve wonderful memories. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=473&moneymakingidea=Ceramic-Hand-Prints Obesity is a big problem not only in the United States, but all around the world. With modern day living comes convenience and process foods that are over sweet, over fat and tempt us to over indulge in empty calories. Most people WANT to lost weight, but just don't have the right program to follow and more importantly, they don't have a support group or buddy to make sure that they stick to the program. Health and nutritional experts agree that the most effective approach to fighting obesity is to combine exercise, proper nutrition knowledge, behaviour modification and personal accountabililty. A Personal Weight Loss Consultant helps people shed unwanted pounds by providing all four of the essential components to proper weight loss. Personal Weight Loss Consultants are the one critical ingredient that diet books, programs, pills and supplements do not have - personal attention. You will work closely with your clients one-on-one to come up with tailor made diet and exercise plans that cater to your personal needs. These plans take into account, your personal lifestyle, work schedule and personality - something no diet book can ever provide. You will meet with your clients on a regular basis, in your home office to weigh them, set program goals, answer questions and assess individual progress and concerns. It takes a patient and understanding nature to work with people who have weight problems. You will preferably have experience and knowledge in nutritional science and physical education. The ability to listen is crucial - you will spend lots of time understanding why your clients are the way they are and what makes them tick. Having some understanding of psychological problems can also help you determine if your clients weight problem is a result of physical or emotional conditions. Expect to spend between $500 and $1000 getting your business off the ground. At the very least, you will need business cards, a brochure, a direct mail campaign, ad a Yellow pages ad. Netowrk with physicians and other health care professionals, personal trainers, wellness instructors and dieticians for referrals. You may want to consider giving talks or writing articles on weight management and healthy lifestyles. Develop a print or online newsletter you can distribute to clients and prospects. Require all clients to bring written approval from a physician before agreeing to accept them as clients. Avoid making promises about the number of punds or inches a client can expect to lose within a specific time. Try not to focus on the numbers; instead, stress the importance of changing behaviours and developing lifestyle changes. And by all means, practice what you preach. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=472&moneymakingidea=Personal-Weight-Loss-Consultant More and more parents are considering home schooling their children as an alternative to the stressful and often maddening paper chase of regular schooling. With the increase in violence and social problems in public schools, it's understandable that parents would be wary and want to ensure that their children get the best schooling that they can in a safe and secure environment. There is also a growing acceptance in the religious community for home schooling as a means to protect fragile young minds from the "unsafe" secular teachings of the world. Even as more and more parents seek to be actively involved in their kids' daily lives, home schooling has become a welcome was to be directly involved in their personal and academic development and as a way to strengthen parent - child relationships. However, there are many types of home schooling methods and syllabus and finding the right one can be a daunting task. Communication, organization and the ability to juggle several things at once are needed in this field. Your job will be to set up the school curriculum and schedule classes for parents who seek to teach their children at home instead of in public or private schools. You could consult for a parent who doesn't want the child in the school system for religious or intellectual reasons or whose child has to be out of schools for a long period of time due to illness or injury. If you are establishing a new curriculum, you will need the ability to evaluate the child's skill level. If you are helping the sutdent who will be out for a long period, you will have to communicate wiht her school on a regular basis. Start up is low after you have obtained your degree. Be prepared to buy books up-front and be re-imbursed for them later. Charging $45 per hour on a regular basis could earn you up to $45K per year. You may need to join a national, state or local education association program in order to get a job. This business allows for excellent, high standard teaching without all the hassles of dealing with a classroom. You don't have to answer to a boss and if you find you don't care for the environment, you can quit. Networking is a definite necessity, but with enough contacts, you could find yourself with year-round work. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=471&moneymakingidea=Home-Schooling-Consultant We live in a really stressful world right now. People always seem to be in a rush and we always complain that there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day to do all that we need to. However, when you think about it, there are lots of people who DO seem to get a lot more done than us! We all get 24 hours everyday to do the stuff that we need to, so how come they do more? It all boils down to time management - or knowing what to do and when to do it. As a time management consultant, your job is to bring relief to people under inordinate stress. You help to make their workplace a little less of a sweatshop by helping your clients set goals, define priorities, set action plans and scheduling and delegating tasks. You could operate as a full-time specialist in time management, identifying problems for harried company executives to help them achieve higher productivity or your could offer a broader range of services such as seminars on workplace management and productivity training. There are many opportunities to make money in time management consultancy. You just need to send out the message to those in need of your services. You need to charge appropriately for your time and expertise, but since this is a low overhead business, profitability comes quickly. Word or mouth advertising keeps intial costs low in this business because it's usually based on credibility and trust of the consultant. However, to succeed in this business, you must obviously project the right image. Professional business cards, letterheads and brochures are a must. Invest in good equipment and services to allow you to communicate with your potential clients. And the most important characteristic a Time Management Consultant must possess AND practice is time management! Nobody is going to trust a Time Management Consultant who is late for appointments and forgets details, so before you consider going into this, do yourself a favor and critique yourself - are you a time-conscious and detailed person? Do you like working systematically? Do you like working with people? The art of managing time is relatively new to businesses. Hence competition may not be a significant problem. If you enjoy leading others to dramatic results in a short period of time, this career can be extremely enjoyable. But you should be advised that this work demands a lot of your times and energy to get started; are you able to practice what your preach? It may take as much as a year or two before you are able to make a full-time income. One last tip : don't forget to offer periodic refresher course to former clients. You'd be surprised how many of them would welcome the opportunity plus it gives you an opportunity to build on repeat business. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=470&moneymakingidea=Vacation-Rentals-Broker A vacation rentals broker keeps track of all the details related to renting property for distant owners. Many people with second homes rent them for the better part of the year, reserving a week or two for themselves and their families. Renting helps with the costs of this additional residence, but it also creates a number of headaches and problems that are very difficult for somone who lives far ways to deal with. YOur service finds renters, writes the rental contract, and makes sure that the agreementsa are carried out. You collect the rent, check for any damange, answer the million and one questions renters always have and generally keep an eye on things. Costs are minimal ; you just need an effective way to keep track of information and money. Your income depends directly on how mucht itme you put into the business. If you work hard and full time, expect to earn between 45K and 60K or more. Consider becoming a vacation rentals broker if you live in an area that has a high appeal for renter and a large stock of available summer or winter homes to rent. Once you develop a reputation for dependability, referrals willbring other home-owners to you. The amount of advertising you will need to do will vary depending on your area and the presense or absence of competing services. Typical fees range from 10 to 15 percent of the rental. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=469&moneymakingidea=Vacation-Rentals-Broker This takes the Post-natal Care and Post Natal Catering ideas one step further. It's quite common these days for moms to require help with feeding, changing and caring for their newborn child. It's very common for Chinese families in Asian countries to hire a "confinement lady" to cook specially prepared food for Mom. These dishes are prepared in a certain way with lots of herbs in the belief that they will help Mom recover her vitality quicker. Other than helping to take care of the baby when Mom is resting, many confinement ladies are also hired for their skills in body massage, which is believed to help Mom regain her pre-pregnancy figure. Finding a reliable and reputable Post Natal Care giver can be difficult. They are usually hired based on someone's recommendation and may or may not fully meet with the expectations of new parents. A Post Natal Care Network will mean that you build a database of Post-Natal Care givers. You will contact these care givers and if they agree to be part of your network, you will compile data such as age, cooking skills, references, experience and expected fee. You make your money by taking an agreed percentage of their fee. A Post Natal Care Network presents many advantages to both new parents and the care-givers themselves. New parents will have a much wider selection of care-givers and can select the one that best suits their needs and care givers do not have to look for clients on their own. Once your database of care givers and clients is established, it is just a matter of making sure it's continually updated. Another advantage of a Post Natal Care Network is that you include people who specialize in specific areas such as post-natal meal preparation, massage treatments, facial and skincare treament and fitness. With a wide network of specialist, you will be able to meet any need that a new Mother may have. Remember that you are the middleman. All negotiations are to be handled by you. Meetings may be arranged between clients and care-givers prior to the birth of the baby. Care givers are usually mothers who have their own families to care for themselves and they need to make their own personal arrangements. Billing should only be handled by you. If personal deals are made between the care-givers and clients, it can complicated matters. However, it is commong for new parents to give their care-giver a personal gift. This is entirely between the care giver and client. As your network grows, you will be in a position to make easy money. You only need to match clients to care-givers and facilitate a meeting between both parties. Once mutual agreement is achieved, you will bill your client after the agreed post-natal services have been rendered. You then make the agreed payment to the care-giver. Operating a Post Natal Care Network requires you to have good communication skills. It definitely helps if you are a patient and understanding person because you will be dealing with all sorts of people. Your clients will be more likely to be receptive to your recommendations if they feel comfortably convinced that you are a compassionate person who is places their well-being first before profits. Your money is in the database. A comprehensive database of service specialists and the ability to match client to care-givers is the key to profitability in this business. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=468&moneymakingidea=Post-Natal-Care-Network Organizations looking to work with federal of state governments, cities, counties and special districts usually need to to respond to a Request For Proposal (RPF), by submitting a formal plan in writing. It takes special skills to write effective proposals (especially when it involves official government contracts) so businesses usually contract out this task to a specialist Proposal Writer. Charity organizations are examples of those that hire Proposal Writers to help them establish relationship with private foundations. Whatever the case, the proposal must conform to the requirements set out by the RFP, outlining in detail the methods to be used, needs to be met, all the necessary financial information and expected outcomes of the project. Many Proposal Writers are generalists, able to write proposals for a wide range of projects, but some prefer to focus on a field where they have specialized knowledge, such as education or health care administration. To be a good Proposal Writer, you will obviously need good writing skills, clear organization, logical exposition and excellent grammar. Aptitude with numerical data in graphs and spreadsheets is also a necessary skill. You also need substantial knowledge of the regulations governing formal proposals, knowledge of technology and industy and the ability to write clearly and logically. Advertising your business is by networking, direct mail, web site with references or testimonials. Business savvy and good communication skills will come in handy as this work involves meeting with your client's staff who are planning the bid or funding request. Since you will need to produce professional documents that may include graphs, charts and tables, a computer and quality printer is a necessity. This is a very desk-intensive job, so make sure you have a comfortable work area. Skilled Proposal Writers facilitate the link between clients and funding, whether it is a grant for an non-profit organization or a contract for business. If you love challenging work that involves constant learning and creative solutions, then you might just want to consider being a Professional Proposal Writer. It's also a great retirement money maker, especially for those who have experience in senior or consultancy positions because you can draw on your many years of experience. If you don't have the neceesary knowledge and experience, it is still possible to be a Proposal Writer although you will obviously have a steeper learning curve. Pricing is always a challenge unless you set a sliding scale that reflects the complexity of each job, but for the most part, you can charge on an hourly or job basis. Your reputation and effectiveness of past proposals are a critical factor that determines whether you will have enough contracts to keep the work (and money) flowing in. The requirements to be a Proposal Writer may seem overwhelming, but one thing is for sure - for someone with the right knowledge and experience, this can be a lucrative money making activity - whether you do it full-time, part-time or freelance. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=467&moneymakingidea=Proposal-Writer As more and more people are living in double income famililes, there is a growing need for high quality home health care services for the elderly. While most of this care can be given on a as-needed basis for the able-bodied seniors who only need help from time to time, there are those who will need more attention. You may be working as much as five or six days per week caring, feeding, bathing, dressing and providing companionship even on a 24/7 basis for the elderly as they move on through the twilight phase of their lives. One of the most profitable ways to run a home health care business is to manage a team of home health care aides and take a percentage of their pay instead of doing the work and going out on calls yourself. This way, you have the flexibility of overseeing a bigger number of clients while juggling your own family's needs. Employing others allows you so much more freedom to concentrate on special cases or growing your business. However, there are problems with employing health care aides. The first is the screening process. You want to make sure that you employ trustworthy people. Make sure you do the necessary background checks. Don't take short cuts or scrimp on this phase. You want health care aides with a clean record. When you have a team of people you can depend on, you'll also sleep a lot better yourself, knowing that your clients will receive the best possible care from people who approach their jobs with compassion, understanding, kindness and empathy. When you find such people, make sure you keep them with excellent leadership, management and remuneration. Not everyone is capable of providing this specialized service effectively and reputably. The most important ingredient for your Home Health Care Service is a deep compassion for others. Yes, you are running a business, but you must remember that it is your level of compassion that will set you apart from other similar services. Growth of your business should come when people recognize you as a compassionate care giver. Organizational skills are also important to run this service effectively. You cannot manage a team of health care aides and clients plus their list of needs without a good way to store and track all the information. So even though you may be running this service from your home, you will need to invest in a good computer and some sort of database software. Another critical requirement is to make sure you and your aides have good, dependable transportation. When your clients need you, the last thing you want is to have your car break down. So this also means that you will need to consider some sort of transportation maintenance allowance for your team. Setting up a Home Health Care Service can take a lot of time and effort - although you will surely reap the rewards in due time. However if you don't fancy going through the set up process and dealing with competition yourself, there are many Home Health Care providers who offer franchise opportunities. Going the franchise way can eliminate a lot of headaches during your first year as the main franchisor will have proper training and systems already in place. Since it is such a competitive industry, name recognition and start up support can very well be worth the initial investment of joining a Home Health Care franchise. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=466&moneymakingidea=Home-Health-Care-Service Most people are familiar with daycare centers for children, but are not aware that there is a rising need for day care for adults. Adult day care centers are ideal to working people who want to care for their parents but cannot do so full-time. This need has become more evident as women seek full time employment to fullfil their own aspirations or just to help make ends meet. By having the aging parents cared for during the daytime, people can concentrate on their work and daytime commitments. If you love to be around seniors, you'll enjoy the opportunity to do so daily with an Adult Day Care Center. You will also fulfill a very urgent need for quality care for senior citizens. You can start up an Adult Day Care if you meet the zoning requirements set by your local government body or your community. This idea works best if you have a large yard and extra rooms (a furnished basement will do nicely) for indoor and ourdoor activities. Your main start up costs will be marketing your service. Classifieds advertising, bulletin boards, community and parent groups are an effective way of building word of mouth. You large expenses will come in the form of renovation to your home to meet with regulations. You may also need to apply for relevant permits and licenses and have your home inspected before your begin operating. It IS possible for you to opt not to be licensed or carry insurance. This means that you operate more or less on a "personal service" kind of way, but be cautious about taking this approach. In the long run, you are also in this as a business to make money, so it may be best to do things properly and cover yourself for any eventuality. The daily administration of your Adult Day Care Center may be easy compare with the challenges of meeting the "emotional" needs of your clients AND their children. Your clients WILL be fussy about how their parents are taken care of and about specific needs, so don't go into this business unless you are someone with load of patience who understands and can emphatize with people (seniors and juniors alike). Remember also to be very specific about your pick-up and payment due schedules. If you don't guard your personal time with your family, you can easily be taken for granted and be asked to care for parents at odd times and extended periods. Remember that this IS a business and you'll be fine. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=465&moneymakingidea=Adult-Day-Care Efficiency and effectiveness are hallmarks of profitable companies. Not every company is like that though. CEOs understand that the key to optimal profits in highly competitive markets is to make sure the company runs like clockwork. This is especially so if there are production goals that have to be met regularly. As an efficiency expert, you will station yourself at a company for any given period to carefully monitor how things are done and to analyze what their operational and/or administrative bottlenecks are. You will interact with workers of all levels to get to know their jobs, and if and how their productivity can be improved. Your job is to minimize the steps involved in processes. In a sense, you are a detective looking for answers to the big question : "How can this company achieve more in a more cost effective way". At the end of your appraisal, your will produce a detailed report to be presented to the management of the company on how operations can be improved. To be an Efficiency Expert, you should ideally have a broad background in business operations and management with a keen eye for detail. After all, your job may involve understanding the many small problems contributing to a larger operational bottlenecks that ultimately impact a company's profitabililty. You will need the ability to communicate effectively at all levels, and the ability to spot potential problems and time wasters before they occur. For your time and effort, you will be getting big buck so you have to convey the idea that your're worth every penny you are being paid - so watch your image and always give 110 percent. Patience is also an attribute that will come in handy as you will be dealing with people from all levels and with all sorts of characters. Start up expenses will be relatively low (in the 5-10,000 range) but you should do quite well when you consider what you might be able to earn if you're good at what you do. You'll need a basic office setup and lots of good resource materials to help workers achieve greater effectiveness. While some corporate moguls will hire you to tell them what's wrong with their organization, they may not acutally be willing to listen. You'll need to be clear from the beginning that you are offering your professional opinions and advice so that your personal liability will be kept in check. Typical fees can range from $75 to $100 per hour or on a weekly or monthly flat fee. To get your service rolling, you can advertise in trade publications, yellow pages, direct mail, business newspapers, banner ads on small business web sites. This is a business where your reputation counts. Do a good job by increasing a company's productivity and you will be sure that word of mouth will get you tons of referrals. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=464&moneymakingidea=Efficiency-Expert When winter comes, along with the cheery sight of kids having snowball fights and making snowmen is the problem of heavy snowfall. Then, that wonderfully white fluffy stuff becomes pesky, dangerous sludge that blocks the driveway, covers the yard and buries the car. Removing snow isn't really a problems if you have a small driveway and yard, but it certainly becomes a mega chore if you own a sizeable home. It's a tiring job but it has to be done unless you want to spend your whole day trapped indoors. It's one of those back-breaking jobs that people don't like doing. It's cold, it's tough and you have to do it over again when it snows. However, snow presents a great way to earn extra money for strong students on their winter break. All you need is a good sturdy snow shovel and salt. A strong back and muscle power (if you have it) helps an awful lot too. The shovel's for clearing snow from your customers driveways and anywhere else that needs clearing, and the salt's for spreading onto the cleared area. Simple but tiring job, especially if you have a full day's snow shovelling to do. You could get permissiont to place advertisement leaflets in your local convenience stores or community bulletins boards, but if you're thinking zero-cost, then the only other alternative is going door-to-door. To get a headstart on your competitors, why not do the asking before winter itself. Pass out your number to the homes in your neighbourhood and give them a discount for calling you. Good way to make cold hard cash... http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=463&moneymakingidea=Snow-Removal-Service If you love typing and the medical lingo, the medical transcription business is for you. A medical transcriptionist transcribes the medical records dictated by a healthcare professional, including letters, histories, physicals, progress reports, and chart notes. With the growing complexity of medicine, mounting threat of litigation and increasing demand on their time, the healthcare industry has relied on keeping dictated notes to document all aspects of their patient's history and pushed the medical transcription business into a $50 billion industry. Superior listening skills, fast typing speed, and aptitude for science and language are required to succeed in this business. You need to have an understanding of medical diagnostic procedures and the medical specialties you work with, enough to know the medical terms and spell them correctly. This business is a good fit for those with medical background. If you have not studied or worked in the medical field before, you can take home-study course, correspondence course or classroom training in a vocational or technical school. To get clients, check with your existing contacts, other transcription services or solicit clients directly. You can also check out Internet sites that contract medical transcriptionists and use the Internet to send out documents. You can charge for your transcription services in a variety of ways: number of lines (10-20 cents per line), number of characters, per page (typically around $5-$6 per page), minute of dictation (from $15 to $50 per hour depending on the level of difficulty to understand), or the number of kilobytes in a text file. While actual earnings depend on the type of work done and the equipment used, average earnings of a medical transcriptionist ranges from $30,000 to $90,000). One downside, though: the emergence of voice-recognition technology where doctors could sit down on their computers and dictate their notes while the computer types may reduce demand for the medical transcriptionists. Nonetheless, even with the presence of this technology, medical transcriptionists will still be needed as it allows medical professionals to dictate notes on the tape recorder or over the phone while driving, walking or in the elevator. In addition, such technology can even be a boon for transcribers as it allows them to focus on their editing skills instead of typing speed. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=462&moneymakingidea=Medical-Transcription-Service One of the easiest ways to draw visitors to an event is to provide lots of fun activities for children. And one of the most popular kiddie attractions is Inflatable Bouncers. These come in all shapes and sizes, from small 10 by 10 foot bouncer to huge play area bouncers shaped like castles and space ships. Kids love them - they get to run, climb and bounce in them to their hearts delight. Inflatable Bouncers are also a fun thing to have at company picnics and birthday parties. There are many companies that produce Inflatable Bouncers. If you're constrained by budget, then you could source for second-hand Inflatable Bouncers for sale. Second hand Inflatable Bouncers may be a good idea because you might be able to get a few for the price of a brand new one. This means you get to offer a variety of bouncers right off the bat. One critical thing to consider when you get second-hand Inflatble Bouncers is whether it's in good condition. Safety should be your primary concern. Brand new Inflatable Bouncers are better if you have the budget for it. There are many companies that manufacture brightly colored and creatively designed bouncers. They may cost a bit, but remember that this is a one-off expense. The rental fee that you charge over a few months should cover your initial cost and then, it's profit all the way - minus the occasional maintenance and miscellaneous costs. The beauty of this business is that you can run it from home. You DO need a fairly large storage area though but if you have a large garage or a couple of empty rooms, they can be used to store your unused Inflatable Bouncers. An alternative would be to build a makeshift shed to store them, but you need to make sure that they're cool and dry. Even though Inflatable Bouncers are made of highly durable material, high temperatures and weather CAN slowly affect them. Two other costs that you will have in running this business is staffing and transportation. Inflatable Bouncers even when properly packed, are pretty large and take up a bit of space. You might be able to transport one (or two if you're lucky) in you car or van, but you if you want to transport them all in one trip, then be prepared to invest in a fairly large van or truck. Setting up and storing Inflatable Bouncers usually requires at least 2 people, so you will need some help. If you have multiple rentals at any one time, you will obviously need more staff to be on standby. They need to be trained how to deal with any problems that occur with the Inflatable Bouncers - although this doesn't happen often. Making sure children use the bouncers properly will probably be your biggest headache. Kids like to rush and too many children on the bouncers at any one time can be dangerous. Sometimes, the event organizers will have helpers on duty to watch over the children. If not, then it is your responsibililty to ensure there are people on standby. Inflatable Bouncers can last many years with proper handling and maintenance. And since this can be run as a part-time business, you will be raking in large profits after settling the initial cost of your Inflatable Bouncers. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=461&moneymakingidea=Inflatable-Bouncers Button badges are universal. They're small, unobtrusive, but they also make a big statement about whatever it is you want to make. They've a popular promotional item that people give to their customers and clients and at events, fundraisers and gatherings. Many people also collect button badges as a hobby. They come in all sizes, are mostly colorful and can be either hand printed or embossed with a standard design. Manual badge machines are relatively cheap to buy. Firms who supply them can usually supply the blank badges and designs you require as well. There are a couple of ways to make your button badges stand out. If your're located in a popular tourist spot, you might want to consider hand-painting them. It's more difficult to paint button badges by hand, but the great thing about doing it this way is your customers get to personalize them in whatever way they want - from the type of picture, to the choice of colors to what they want to say. Another way would be to print your designs with a computer and then insert them into the button badges. These images can be anything from popular places to even personalized photos of your customers. The thing to remember about button badges is that "different" sells. Everyone can produce millions of cheap, unimaginative badges, but the button badge that's been customized and hand painted - those are the ones that fetch a handsome price. If you intend to go into it in a fairly big way, that will mean investing in automatic or semi automatic machines that can produce anywhere up to 1000 badges per hour. These machines can cost up to a thousand dollars but you will probably be able to source for a second hand unit on the internet. Going into this business in a big way also means finding corporate clients or sourcing for large orders. You might also need to take on a helping hand or two. A typical small shop setup will include your badge maker, your badge supplies, a laptop and software (to easily create your designs for the various sizes of badges) and a color printer. You'll want to display as many of your badges because their colors will help attract customers. However, if you just fancy a fun, weekend money maker, a simple button badge maker is small enough that you can carry it in a large bag or trunk and lug it to wherever you want to set up shop. Any way you choose, making button badges for money is simple and can be done by anyone. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=460&moneymakingidea=Button-Badges Everyone loves to take a dip in a swimming pool every now and then, especially during the summer months or when the whether's hot and humid. People often go to the nearest swimming pool but the problem with most public swimming pools, is you have to keep to their schedule. Maybe all you want is a medium sized pool that you can soak in after work or for the kids to splash in during the holidays. Wouldn't it be great if you could have a pool anytime you wanted? That's where this money making ideas comes in. A Swimming Pool Rental service means you provide small to medium sized pools to clients who only need it for a couple of weeks, months or for a special occasion. You would be targetting families during the school holidays, couples during the summer months, parents who want to provide a splash pool during a birthday party and company picnics. Medium sized pools measuring anywhere from 10 to 20 feet in diameter can be obtained from your local sports store. They can cost up to a couple hundred dollars (depending on size and set-up) but it's a one-time investment. You will easily cover this cost with about 5 rentals. Thereafter, it's profit all the way. It's easy to market your Swimming Pool Rental service. Flyers and posters are a start, but placing an ad in your local paper or popular magazines will probably get you more calls. When people see how economical and fun it is to rent a pool only for the months that you need it, they'll be sure to give you a call. Remember to imprint your contact number on the side of the pool where people can easily see it. The good thing about these kinds of pools is that they can be folded, so when they're not needed, you don't require much storage space and they can easily be transported in a car boot. Depending on the size of the pool, you may need a helping hand to do the set-up. You don't need specialized knowledge in how to set up these portable pools, but being a DIY type person will definitely help. Next, you must consider the legal aspects of providing this service. You should provide your clients with a copy of the pool's maintenance and safety instructions. Be sure to run through the critical points with your customers and ask them to sign a declaration stating they have received a set of the instructions and understood them. Have your customers inspect the pool's structure and setup and ask any questions they may have. Remember to write down all the adjustments that they have requested and you have made. Also remember to include a disclaimer and have your customers sign a waiver that states you are not to be held responsible for any mishap that arises out of the improper use of the swimming pool. Seems like a lot of paper work, but this paper work will help to protect you in the event a mishap occurs due to misuse or abuse of the pool. You might also want to consider getting insurance that provide limited coverage to you and your customers. This way, if anything happens to your pool and it is rendered unusable, you are covered. Another good point to remember is to disinfect your pool after each rental and before filling it up with water. This gives your customers added assurance that you've covered the safety and health aspects. This is a great business you can run part-time. Since the pool setup won't take much time (other than waiting for the water to fill up), you can keep your full time job and make your setup appointments in the evenings or weekends. Make sure you store your unused swimming pools in a safe place where they won't be accidentally damaged. After the first couple of rentals and you've covered the cost of the pool, you'll be swimming in money! Plus, you get to use any unrented pool for yourself during the summer months! http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=459&moneymakingidea=Portable-Pool-Rental It's a tough world we live in. It seems like there are a thousand and one skills that we are expected to master in order to perfom effectively at work and in our relationships. Now, we all know that its impossible to be perfect, but we also know that there are lots of areas in our lives that fall short of our expectations. If we can live with these shortcomings, it's okay, but very often these imperfections become an obsession and a stumbling block to our enjoyment of life. Personal coaching has become very popular in the past decade and it continues to be extremely popular. A personal coach offers one on one assistance, advice, encouragement and other forms of personal support to individuals. Your job is to help your clients gain confidence and competence in areas such as social skills, time management, personal productivity, anger and stress management and even public speaking. You basically provide a live, personal, self-help course to your clients and help them achieve things that they otherwise might not be able to achieve without the guidance, motivation and planning of a coach. As a Personal Coach, you basically act as a mentor and confidante to your client. While there are no certification or guidelines to pass to become a personal coach, you DO need to have empathy, excellent learning skills and the ability to inspire, motivate and encourage others. Start up costs can be minimal, depending on the kind of equipment you already have (computer, fax, Internet access are a must) and the marketing strategy that you will employ. How you determine your fee depends on how you organize your program. You could charge a basic fee for the first session of the first set of sessions. During these initial sessions, you gather all the information you can about your client and talk about his or her needs. The fee for subsequent consultations can vary based on the length of program. First year personal coaches have been known to earn between $40,000 to $70,000, but these depend on many factors. http://www.positivemoneyideas.com/idea.php?ideaID=458&moneymakingidea=Personal-Coach