Big Earners Do These Things

What does it take to be a top earner?  Although everyone’s path is different — it’s not surprising that  earning a high income is usually  achieved by working harder than most.  And among high rollers, you’ll find many entrepreneurs who have created something special to offer in the market place.

Beyond creating a special product or niche – when you look a little closer at the personality and character traits of those in top income tiers you’ll find certain things in common.  Most have been able to:





Follow their passion in life:  The old saying, ‘Do what you love and the money will follow,” looks to be very true.  High earners – everyone from Warren Buffet to the Kardashians followed their passion with unwavering confidence and persistence.   For example, Warren Buffet made his first investment at age 11 with $1,000… and never stopped.  And from an early age the Kardashians were encouraged to follow their passion; no-one ever questioned  their love of fashion and make-up as being too frivolous

Establish clear goals and follow though with an actionable vision.  It helps to start young.  But at any age, establishing clear goals is an important first step to becoming a high earner.  Even if it only means writing down how much money you’d like to earn in the next year.  Progress by setting goals for specific time periods and then lay out a plan for achieving your vision.  It helps to write things down.

Show hard work, resilience, and persistence.  One of the richest men in the world, George Soros, wasn’t endowed with a silver spoon upbringing.  He began his career selling products at an open air market.  But he wanted more, and once his education was complete – he persisted with job applications until he finally secured a position at a Merchant Bank in London.

Stay fit and maintain a disciplined lifestyle: Most big earners are high energy people who are in top physical shape.  Evidence suggests  that keeping fit and healthy can benefit your job performance, which may in turn impress the boss and help you climb the ladder and get that raise.   Yet Professor Cary Cooper,  professor of organizational psychology at Lancaster University Management School, cautions against concluding that just working out at the gym will necessarily translate  into success at work.  He adds: ‘People who are driven to succeed at work are driven in every other aspect of their lives.”  So you’ll often find them at the top when it comes to physical fitness.

source: smarterlifestyles.com

8 Great Sources for Work-at-Home Jobs

If I had a buck for everyone who asked me how to successfully work at home, I’d be a wealthy woman. Assuming you have the tenacity and temperament to structure your day and stay on top of projects, the main things you need are space, tools and gigs. These eight resources will point you towards a variety of work-at-home jobs. The rest is up to you.








Media Bistro

Many people assume you can only search for jobs in the television industry on Media Bistro, but the truth is there are a number of writing gigs that are up for grabs as well. Online blogging gigs, news stories and even magazine assignments make the listings from time to time. If writing’s how you make your living, this online resource may be your ticket to work-at-home success.

 Hub Pages

 Granted, with this option you need to be willing to earn your cash through affiliate links and ad clicks, but many have found Hub Pages to be a great way to build passive income. It’s also a side gig you can start without having to front any cash whatsoever, provided you have internet access and already own your own computer. Since this option, like so many others requires you to spend a great deal of time writing, you will definitely want to research some fitness exercises you can do at your desk.

ESL Café

If English is your first language, then you may be able to pick up a part-time gig at ESL Café. Granted, many of the jobs are for overseas teaching opportunities, but a fair number are for online companies which let you teach from the comfort of your home, provided you have reasonably-fast internet services, a web camera and a headset.

Serious Teachers

Similar to ESL Café, Serious Teachers is a web site that lists employment opportunities in the field of international education. Again, there are many out-of-country positions but the database allows you to filter for online opportunities that may suit your needs. I’ve noticed that the online options listed here aren’t always the highest paying, but if you’re in a situation where you’ll be making the same as you would at a minimum wage McJob, why not work from home and use the saved time from your lack of a commute to start your own affordable small business or find other higher-paying clients?

1099 Mom

A work-at-home blog started by a veteran personal finance blogger, 1099 Mom lists professional blogging gigs on a weekly basis, along with savvy solutions for invoicing, client interactions, balancing work with family and more.

Freelance Job Openings

Heavy on listings for media-related jobs like photography, blogging, design training and copy editing, Freelance Job Openings lists only those opportunities that pay. I’ve seen everything from well-known media corporations and magazines listed on this site, to smaller copy editing gigs. If you can type like the wind and have a reasonable way with words, chances are you have a good shot at securing paying work with this resource.

Flex Jobs



Anything from newborn photography to answering support calls from home shows up on Flex Jobs, along with many keyboard-related opportunities as well. Some of the jobs listed only allow telecommuting part of the time however, so it’s important to look at the fine print before responding to a listing.

Virtual Vocations

Similar to Flex Jobs with more of a web-based focus, Virtual Vocations is a work-at-home job resource for those wishing to operate outside of traditional employment parameters. You’ll find consulting positions, field research gigs and even development and investigative contracts.

Comprehensive listings for at-home employment options can be cumbersome. This article was designed to provide a lengthy enough resource for newbies to sink their teeth into, while remaining short enough to avoid being overwhelming. Have you ever successfully landed a work-at-home job? What resources did you use?

source: financialhighway.com

How to Make Money on Amazon

I think I have found my next ridiculous money maker. Not only does it cover the spending requirements on my latest application spree, it actually is generating a profit by itself.

I recently launched a new (and totally unplanned) business as an Amazon FBA Seller making money online. Here’s how it happened.

Background

I randomly stumbled on the book Selling On Amazon Simplified: Learn How I Make $2,700 Every Month. It’s free on Prime, and I had some time to kill one evening.

I never had any intention of selling things on Amazon, I was literally just reading it because it was free, the kids were in bed, and none of my fall shows had started on TV yet. However, as I read, I realized this arbitrage strategy is right up my alley!

Long time readers know I have a huge obsession with finding deals. Combine that with my love of making money off of arbitrage situations, and a need to hit spending requirements on my latest app spree and the next thing you know, I have a new business up and running!

How it Works

Essentially, you buy retail items at dirt cheap prices. Think Target clearance, Kohl’s 30% deals, and any other deals you find on Slickdeals or Fatwallet. Then you box it up and ship it off to Amazon. The strategy has earned the name Retail Arbitrage. (There’s even a book with the same name: Retail Arbitrage, but I haven’t read it yet, since it’s too expensive for my taste!)

Here’s the fun part, where the Amazon FBA (or Fulfilled by Amazon) program takes over…

When I used to sell my old textbooks on half.com or eBay back in college, having to ship each item as soon as it sells was a very tedious, time consuming process. Not to mention dealing with customers. The Amazon FBA program actually eliminates all that junk. After getting the merchandise, you box it all up together and ship it off to Amazon. They store it in their warehouse, they ship it out, and provide all of the customer service. In addition, because Amazon is fulfilling the orders, the merchandise qualifies for Prime and free super saver shipping.

Profitability

For my very first test run, I bought 6 items and sent them in. Within 4 hours, the first 5 items sold! The sixth item sold a few days later. I spent $294 on the items, which sold for $472 on Amazon. After the Amazon fees, shipping, and sales tax I made $137 profit.

Once I realized how simple this actually was, I’ve gotten better with each box. Now I aim for items that will net me 100% on the profit margin on costs (profit / cost).

Add in all the extra things we know about deal hunting, like cash back on the purchases, coupons, credit card cash back, and meeting the spending requirements for sign up bonuses… and I’m starting to feel like I’ve found a legitimate way to print money.

Tools I’m Using

Here are the tools I’m using to run the show:

• Amazon seller program: Amazon FBA and 1 month free trial
• Phone app for looking for products: Free Amazon Price Check App or the $15 Profit Bandit app which shows net profit
• Comparison Tool when searching online: Amazon browser bar or Invisible Hand
• Helpful Yahoo discussion group: FBA Forum

There are some more additional tools that help sellers, but since I’m just starting out, I’m doing it on the cheap.

Other Thoughts

There have been a few additional side benefits. I hired my kids to box up the stuff to send off to Amazon. I pay them a quarter per box, which is a great way for them to earn money, and quite possibly a good way for them to fund their Roth IRAs at tax time.

In addition, I now have a huge stash of stuff that I can shop myself, which was great for my second son’s birthday this month!

I don’t know if I will continue after all the spending requirements on the credit cards are met (but I could, it’s very addictive… I just sent off another box of 37 items and purchased another 87!)

Stay tuned, as I’m working on an article of tips and tricks to save money when we buy on Amazon from all the information I’ve learned during this process!

source: mydollarplan.com

Personal Finances: How You Manage Your Finances

Do you find it difficult to meet all your commitments due to personal finances ? Are monthly bills a problem for you ? If 'yes' is the answer you need to check how you manage your finances. Which of these two categories best describe you : a) A careful manager of funds, keeping your monthly budget in control so that you can deal effectively with any unforeseen money issues, or b) A bad finance manager who tends to spend their monthly income without considering the possibility of getting into debt with monthly payments.

If you answer b ... you can learn to keep your personal finances under control.

You may need financial advice if you have never planned financially before. You need to find out exactly what your monetary situation is, by getting as much information about it as possible. This information will give you an idea of your net worth financially, you should include assets, savings and property - then you will see more clearly what is left over for future savings. A personal finance budget is invaluable, this budget should include all of your income and expenditure. Accuracy is important as this will help you to realize your goals and future plans. All monthly expenses such as credit card payments must be included and scrutinize your statements so that you understand exactly where your money is going. This will aid you in prioritizing your expenses so you can make any tough decisions that may be necessary.

Do you have savings ? many do not bother about this until later in life but thinking about savings sooner is a good way to regulate your personal finances .. but don't forget that you have to meet your monthly requirements first ! Once you can do that, start saving, remember that you can't do it the other way around.
Also, consider your job, do you have a steady job with a reliable income ? This is not always easy to determine, for example if you work in retail there is always the possibility of job loss. Having a steady income may mean getting into a more secure job or, if possible, become your own boss. Above all be concerned with your personal finances these have to take priority over everything else.