Make Money This Holiday Season; Don’t Just Spend It
By Liz Folger
What if you could make more money than you spend this holiday season? Sounds like a pretty good idea, you say? If you’d like to be on the making money end during the holidays, now is the time to start preparing. Below I’m going to give you several money-making ideas. Pick the one or two that interest you the most and have fun!
CRAFTS
It doesn’t matter if you’re into woodworking, sewing, painting, pottery, or creating handmade paper. More than ever, people enjoy giving that one-of-a-kind special gift. You can sell your wares via the Net, at holiday bazaars or craft shows, or even consignment style. Once you become known for your crafts, word-of-mouth will keep you very busy.
RUBBER STAMPING
One idea is to create your own line of holiday cards with rubber stamps. Melissa Duquette has found this to be a profitable business. She explains, “The card season is upon us and everyone will soon be searching for the perfect holiday card to send to family and friends. This is your opportunity to break out into business and create unique hand-stamped holiday cards. Or why not offer a class teaching this great hobby? Rubber stamping can be worked into so many different businesses.”
I’ve been to a rubber-stamping party where we were able to create our own cards. I had a great time hanging out with my friends and making my own unique cards. If you are into rubber stamping, seriously consider having a rubber stamping card party. You would supply everything needed, and could charge either a flat fee or charge per card made.
T-SHIRTS
Kim Moya runs a T-shirt business and finds this a way to make extra cash during the holidays. She says you can create inexpensive holiday sweatshirts, and long- and short-sleeved T-shirts. And she doesn’t stop at T-shirts, but also includes tote bags, felt and cloth ornaments, advent and traditional calendars, aprons and many other items that you can purchase wholesale and sell at retail prices!
FLEECE BLANKETS
I don’t know about you, but I love fleece blankets. I was really excited when I found out I could make these awesome “Snuggly” blankets without having to sew a stitch. Cinda Louden has been making these types of blankets for a while now and explains, “These blankets are made out of Polar Fleece material. They are soft, warm, cozy, durable, and wonderfully ‘Snuggly.’ There's no sewing or needlework involved; all you do is cut and tie. Making Snugglies is a great way to start and create a business, make a little extra cash, or just make them for gifts. It's all up to you!”
SANTA LETTERS
Tamaira Sandifer, the owner of Fun Mail For Kids, has been creating Santa Letters for a while now. “I thought, what child wouldn't like to get a letter in the mail full of goodies just for them from Santa Claus. Once I informed family and friends about starting Fun Mail For Kids, the letters practically sold themselves. Last year brought in approximately 680 requests, which is pretty phenomenal since I don't do much advertising.” Tamaira says that running this type of business is fun because it allows her to do something she really enjoys. “So it doesn't really seem like work,” she says.
ONLINE AUCTIONS
The hype of eBay has not gone away, but has only grown. When among a group of people, I can usually find someone who has either bought or sold something in an online auction. Colleen Wallace has made it her business to sell merchandise online. “The holiday season is the best time of year for me. People are always looking for unique and interesting gifts to give their loved ones. What better place to find something different than the online auctions,” says Colleen. Start thinking about what you might have that you could sell online. Colleen has found that the items that sell well are those that can be used for stocking stuffers, are limited editions, or are signed items.
BAKING
Then there are the people who cannot stop baking during the holidays. Are you the type of person who finds that at the close of the season, all of your neighbors’ refrigerators and cookie jars are bursting at the seams because baking is just your thing? Believe it or not, this is not the favorite activity of some people.
Stacy Robinson has found that A Holiday Home Boutique is a fun way to network with others who provide a holiday-related product or service. Each vendor displays her product or information about her service, and friends and neighbors are invited to come to shop and share fellowship.
“As a cake decorator, I sell gingerbread houses, as well as display and serve a holiday-themed decorated cake - which the hostesses love because this becomes part of the refreshments! Visitors to the boutique get a chance to taste and see my cakes, and I take orders for holiday party cakes. I also display a few ‘dummy cakes’ to showcase my designs for birthdays, weddings, etc.”
The niche market that has been Stacy’s holiday bread and butter since 1991 is selling gingerbread houses to real estate agents. She leaves a gingerbread house with order information in large real estate offices for a few days. She also offers free delivery to the real estate office, or delivery for a fee to their home-buying customers and other colleagues, such as mortgage brokers, closing attorneys, etc.
Additional Resources:
Ebooks are available on each of the subjects listed above, and each ebook contains more information on starting that particular business. They include:
* Bizy’s Guide To: Making Snugglies! A Step-by-Step Guide to Making and Starting Your Own Fleece Blanket Business - By Cinda Louden
* Bizy’s Guide To: How to Create a Profitable Cake Decorating Business “From Scratch” - By Stacy Robinson
* Bizy’s Guide To: Making Money With Online Auctions - By Colleen Wallace
* Bizy’s Guide To: Starting Your Own Personalized Letter Service For Kids - By Tamaira Sandifer
* Bizy's Guide on How to Start and Operate A Home-Based T-Shirt Business - By Kimberly Banfield Moya
* Bizy’s Guide To: Starting a Rubber Stamping Business - By Melissa Duquette
You can purchase any of these ebooks at: http://bizymoms.com
What if you could make more money than you spend this holiday season? Sounds like a pretty good idea, you say? If you’d like to be on the making money end during the holidays, now is the time to start preparing. Below I’m going to give you several money-making ideas. Pick the one or two that interest you the most and have fun!
CRAFTS
It doesn’t matter if you’re into woodworking, sewing, painting, pottery, or creating handmade paper. More than ever, people enjoy giving that one-of-a-kind special gift. You can sell your wares via the Net, at holiday bazaars or craft shows, or even consignment style. Once you become known for your crafts, word-of-mouth will keep you very busy.
RUBBER STAMPING
One idea is to create your own line of holiday cards with rubber stamps. Melissa Duquette has found this to be a profitable business. She explains, “The card season is upon us and everyone will soon be searching for the perfect holiday card to send to family and friends. This is your opportunity to break out into business and create unique hand-stamped holiday cards. Or why not offer a class teaching this great hobby? Rubber stamping can be worked into so many different businesses.”
I’ve been to a rubber-stamping party where we were able to create our own cards. I had a great time hanging out with my friends and making my own unique cards. If you are into rubber stamping, seriously consider having a rubber stamping card party. You would supply everything needed, and could charge either a flat fee or charge per card made.
T-SHIRTS
Kim Moya runs a T-shirt business and finds this a way to make extra cash during the holidays. She says you can create inexpensive holiday sweatshirts, and long- and short-sleeved T-shirts. And she doesn’t stop at T-shirts, but also includes tote bags, felt and cloth ornaments, advent and traditional calendars, aprons and many other items that you can purchase wholesale and sell at retail prices!
FLEECE BLANKETS
I don’t know about you, but I love fleece blankets. I was really excited when I found out I could make these awesome “Snuggly” blankets without having to sew a stitch. Cinda Louden has been making these types of blankets for a while now and explains, “These blankets are made out of Polar Fleece material. They are soft, warm, cozy, durable, and wonderfully ‘Snuggly.’ There's no sewing or needlework involved; all you do is cut and tie. Making Snugglies is a great way to start and create a business, make a little extra cash, or just make them for gifts. It's all up to you!”
SANTA LETTERS
Tamaira Sandifer, the owner of Fun Mail For Kids, has been creating Santa Letters for a while now. “I thought, what child wouldn't like to get a letter in the mail full of goodies just for them from Santa Claus. Once I informed family and friends about starting Fun Mail For Kids, the letters practically sold themselves. Last year brought in approximately 680 requests, which is pretty phenomenal since I don't do much advertising.” Tamaira says that running this type of business is fun because it allows her to do something she really enjoys. “So it doesn't really seem like work,” she says.
ONLINE AUCTIONS
The hype of eBay has not gone away, but has only grown. When among a group of people, I can usually find someone who has either bought or sold something in an online auction. Colleen Wallace has made it her business to sell merchandise online. “The holiday season is the best time of year for me. People are always looking for unique and interesting gifts to give their loved ones. What better place to find something different than the online auctions,” says Colleen. Start thinking about what you might have that you could sell online. Colleen has found that the items that sell well are those that can be used for stocking stuffers, are limited editions, or are signed items.
BAKING
Then there are the people who cannot stop baking during the holidays. Are you the type of person who finds that at the close of the season, all of your neighbors’ refrigerators and cookie jars are bursting at the seams because baking is just your thing? Believe it or not, this is not the favorite activity of some people.
Stacy Robinson has found that A Holiday Home Boutique is a fun way to network with others who provide a holiday-related product or service. Each vendor displays her product or information about her service, and friends and neighbors are invited to come to shop and share fellowship.
“As a cake decorator, I sell gingerbread houses, as well as display and serve a holiday-themed decorated cake - which the hostesses love because this becomes part of the refreshments! Visitors to the boutique get a chance to taste and see my cakes, and I take orders for holiday party cakes. I also display a few ‘dummy cakes’ to showcase my designs for birthdays, weddings, etc.”
The niche market that has been Stacy’s holiday bread and butter since 1991 is selling gingerbread houses to real estate agents. She leaves a gingerbread house with order information in large real estate offices for a few days. She also offers free delivery to the real estate office, or delivery for a fee to their home-buying customers and other colleagues, such as mortgage brokers, closing attorneys, etc.
Additional Resources:
Ebooks are available on each of the subjects listed above, and each ebook contains more information on starting that particular business. They include:
* Bizy’s Guide To: Making Snugglies! A Step-by-Step Guide to Making and Starting Your Own Fleece Blanket Business - By Cinda Louden
* Bizy’s Guide To: How to Create a Profitable Cake Decorating Business “From Scratch” - By Stacy Robinson
* Bizy’s Guide To: Making Money With Online Auctions - By Colleen Wallace
* Bizy’s Guide To: Starting Your Own Personalized Letter Service For Kids - By Tamaira Sandifer
* Bizy's Guide on How to Start and Operate A Home-Based T-Shirt Business - By Kimberly Banfield Moya
* Bizy’s Guide To: Starting a Rubber Stamping Business - By Melissa Duquette
You can purchase any of these ebooks at: http://bizymoms.com
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