In reviewing 2015 goals and laying out 2016 goals, I’m hearing and reading many respected business people say that publicly stating your goal provides motivation and accountability. I’ve also read that the opposite is true—that if you tell people your goals they’ll shoot holes in your ideas and discourage you from moving forward. I’m debating which tactic is best. In fact, I had a blogpost written outlining some of my six-month goals, but didn’t pull the trigger to post it.

Question for you—is it better to share with the world or keep your goals to yourself?

Create your own user feedback survey

In the midst of all the holiday cheer, an evil lurks. A villain awaits, knowing you’ll slip up on your diet, your budget or the new habits you’ve worked so hard to set up this year. The enemy will be there to remind you each time you slip. The nagging will begin during the long Thanksgiving weekend. At first the voice will sound comforting, like a friend saying, “with the incessant commercials and sales fliers and feasts, of course you ate a little extra and spent a little too much.” And “how could anyone avoid spending money on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.” And suddenly we’re in December, life is a blur of holiday parties, decorating, shopping, baking, eating and gifting. No time to catch our breath, no time to reset our habits.

One morning in early January we look in the mirror, our checkbook or scheduling calendar and feel terrible. That voice in our head is now telling us, “see this happens every year. You just don’t have what it takes to be healthy and wealthy. Give it up.” We fight back by making a list of what we’ll accomplish or change in the new year. Unfortunately, most of our New Years Resolutions don’t make it past March.

Sorry for the downer heading into Thanksgiving. But it’s true, right?! What can be done?

1. Know this WILL happen. You know it will. It’s a month and a half of events and visiting and emotions. Walk through in your mind the temptations you’ll be up against before each event. If you know that the enemy will be there you can prepare to win.
2. Plan ahead of time which parts of the party mean the most to you. If you have a soft spot for pumpkin pie, rather than fight it, plan to have a piece. Look forward to it all day. If you love spoiling your kid with gifts, pick one that you know she’ll be ecstatic about and decide to spend money on it. You flip the program in your head when you consciously decide to do something. By planning it out ahead of time, you shut down that nagging question of “should I or shouldn’t I?”
3. You’ve been looking forward to the pie. You’ve decided to indulge. Savor every bite. Don’t feel guilty. You’re not breaking a commitment. You’ve made a conscious exception. Don’t just enjoy the pie. Enjoy the whole day. Be present with your friends and family. You might just learn something.
4. Positive self-talk. The thing about that internal grinch that interrupts the holiday magic with well-timed jabs about how terrible we are at keeping our promises is that we can convert him. We can get his heart to grow a few sizes. Continually feed your mind positive quotes, inspirational books and reminders of the best parts of who you are and who you are becoming.

Remember that most of us overestimate what we can achieve in the short-term and underestimate what can be done long-term. Your decision to be financially free or physically fit is a lifestyle decision. You won’t become wealthy or fit in an instant. Small decisions over time define us, shape our bodies and determine our financial status. We WILL frequently slip up, get off course and make mistakes. When this happens take a deep breath, forgive yourself for being human and get back on track. Long-term you’re on track for financial freedom. You ARE on the path to living the life you choose. Don’t give in to the dark side!

Oh, and enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years!

In the past few weeks I’ve had several conversations with friends who are starting their own businesses. I think that’s fantastic and always have ideas for them. These tips are for people who have already jumped in. If you told me you were just considering your own business I’d have a different set of tips. When run correctly, businesses can provide their owners tremendous financial freedom. Run badly, they can suck up time and money. Here are a handful of tips to get you started on the right foot. I can go deeper and give detailed examples on any of these if you’d like. Comment below for further discussion.

1. Getting Profitable Sales is your #1 priority. Invest your time accordingly. All other activities take a back seat to getting sales. Profitable sales. No time to surf the net. No time to watch cat videos on Facebook. You need sales to fund your new business.
2. Build a website. You need something simple that describes who your prospect is, what you do to help them and how to sign up to learn more. Your website is your hub for collecting leads and disseminating information. Having a Facebook page is fine, but you don’t own that. Facebook changes the rules often. Don’t get caught not being able to communicate with your customers and prospects. You need a website on your own domain and you need a customer list that you own.
3. Be clear and effective, not just fancy. This goes for your website as well as your fonts, logo, business cards, signs, office space, advertising, etc. It’s not about being artistic. It’s about profitable sales. After you’ve grown, if you want to spend frivolously on vanity signs and business cards for “branding” be my guest. Just don’t show me. I have an aversion to money being flushed down the toilet.
4. Use a lead magnet. Lead magnets are used in online marketing to attract readers to sign up for an email list. A prospect will give you their email address in exchange for a report, infographic, video or ebook that you’ve developed to as a valuable tool for them. The same concept works offline. Create an informative video, report, etc. for those who come to your website or request a mailing. Then use a one page flyer or even a business card to attract physical contacts to your website where they sign up for the free gift.
5. Set up a follow-up process for your prospects. Load their contact information into your spreadsheet or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Send them the Lead Magnet. Then follow up with an email or letter. Give valued information several times before pitching a sale.
6. Create ongoing relationships with your customers. Just as you scripted out a sequence of follow-ups with your prospects, you’ll want to add value to your customers. Put them on a regular mailing list to receive valuable information in a newsletter. Thank them for their business. Maybe a hand-written postcard. Birthday cards. Donuts. Or some other care package. The little, consistent touches mean a lot.
7. Consider a reduced rate for guinea pigs. You’ll need to test your systems, find the flaws and streamline before you roll out your product or service in a big way. Find a few folks who will let you test on them as your first customers. Then give them your best. Give them extra love.
8. Deliver amazing customer experiences. How can you go above and beyond what’s expected to delight your customer? Do that.
9. Collect endorsements. Social proof is extremely persuasive when a prospect considers your offer. Now the extra care you gave your guinea pigs will come back. Get well-scripted endorsements from clients as quickly as you can. Highlight them on your website and in all your marketing.
10. Publish content that your prospect finds valuable. Videos, podcasts, articles, even social media posts will work. The key is finding your ideal customer and posting content in places she’ll find it. You can probably reach your prospect through one of these channels: chamber of commerce newsletter, rotary club meetings, newspaper articles, trade journals, complimentary websites or blogs. Remember the content must add value to your specific prospect.
11. Only spend marketing dollars in high-return venues. That means direct response advertising, not branding. If you use billboard advertising it must have a clear call to action (CTA) and you must measure the results against the cost.
12. Test everything before rolling out (or nixing). Must businesses won’t get great ROI from billboard advertising. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Test a unique CTA, measure and you might be surprised. Test newspaper ads. How many responded? What was your profit on those sales vs. the cost of the newspaper ad? If it was a successful test, put ads in other newspapers. Test the ideas you have that you “know” won’t work AND test the ideas that you “know” will be successful. Sometimes the exact opposite of what you thought works. You’ll be glad you tested before rolling out an expensive campaign.
13. Find or form a mastermind group. Being around other ambitious entrepreneurs is motivating. Entrepreneurship can be lonely and non-entrepreneurs don’t understand what you’re going through. As I mentioned in the Mentoring article, be discerning. Not everyone in business is optimistic, helpful or strategic.
14. Stay focused. Commit to 12 months of eliminating distractions and prioritizing success. Go all in on your new venture. Evaluate periodically but don’t get distracted before you’ve given all you have to THIS venture.
15. Watch your checkbook. You didn’t think I’d skip the money part, did you? It’s easy to get caught up in the daily activities and ignore the unpleasant (for most) task of keeping up with the money flowing in and out of the business. Just remember…Cash IS King.

Best wishes on your new business. May it enhance your financial freedom and the life you choose to live. If you have specific challenges or struggles, feel free to bounce them off me. I love talking to entrepreneurs about their businesses!

Also, comment below if you have tips to add or questions about the ones I’ve listed.

Don’t wait for a teacher to appear. When you’re ready to be a student, teaching is available in many formats.

How many times have you heard this? “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Is that statement true? Maybe. Sometimes. However, I’ve learned not to bet on that kind of serendipity. When it happens, I’m in awe. I’ve had some really cool things occur that felt too perfectly timed to be coincidence. Then again, I have other times when I really want to learn something but I have to slog through bad advice and multiple trial and error sessions before I finally get the lesson.

My brother asked me a few weeks ago for my thoughts on mentorship. I’m hoping you might be interested too. I was recently talking with a woman who is on her own at 72. She can’t afford a decent house or apartment. She barely affords food and clothes. Of course, she could tell you all about what’s on television. When I looked at her I saw a mostly healthy, friendly, talkative lady who could be working at any number of jobs that she’d enjoy. She shouldn’t be spending all her time alone watching TV anyway. She’s too much of a people person. By being a Wal-Mart greeter, Cracker Barrel hostess, tour guide or home care companion she could solve two problems. Financial stability and loneliness. It’s clear she and most other Americans have never been told they don’t have to be victims. Financial Freedom is available for everyone. Upon deciding to change one’s life, whom would one talk to get better solutions?

I started writing down my thoughts and doing a little research and I ended up with way too much writing for one post. I might follow up in future posts with specific ways I’ve been mentored for financial freedom. For now, I’ll layout a framework of what mentoring can look like in the 21^st century.

Webster defines a mentor as a trusted counselor or guide. If you can find a mentor who embodies just what you are trying to learn and is willing to spend one on one time teaching you, by all means, jump on that opportunity. But there are many other ways to follow a trusted counselor or guide. I’ve listed some examples below:

• Classes/courses (not just school): I’ve taken some fantastic courses to learn specific things from people who already accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. In fact, I’m in the middle of a five-week class right now. Sue Anne Dunlevie teaches the basics in Successful Blogging School. I’ve been learning so much faster than I could from researching out each topic on my own. I may not get college credits for taking her class, but I get a streamlined, step-by-step guide on the latest tactics to start and grow a successful blog.
• Books: I read LOTS of books. Nonfiction books with specific how to knowledge, motivational books to inspire me to action and biographies of great achievers all line my bookshelves. I learn from the top experts in the fields that I’m interested in. They’ve compiled their best advice and experience into pages that I can review over and over. (Until it sinks in.) I’m reading Linchpin by Seth Godin this week.
• Events: I love live events. The energy in the room, the people I meet, the excellent speakers…all of it contributes to a unique learning experience and often new friends.
• Podcasts: Tom Bilyeu from Inside Quest recommends listening to podcasts at higher speed. That way I can learn more faster. I’m comfortable listening to most at 1.5x speed. That lets me get through more Eventual Millionaire, Ask Altucher, 10x Talk, Fizzle Show, SPI, I Love Marketing episodes.
• YouTube: I learn from Marie Forleo, Tom Bilyeu, Brendon Burchard, Eric Thomas on a regular basis. I also search ANY specific problem I’m struggling with from website coding to clogged drains and I find a “mentor” to walk me through my challenge.
• Blogs, magazines, newspapers, etc.: This one can be a time suck if I’m not careful. I believe it was Ryan Holiday who asks himself “Will I definitely use this information for something immediate AND important?” I’ve adopted that question for my own practice. I keep a sign near my desk with that question. In our age of information overload, it’s a constant battle.
• Masterminds, meetup groups: I’ve been in a couple masterminds that were okay but not exceptional. They fizzled out within a year. I like the concept of mutual support and learning, but all members need to be committed at a similar level. I’ve also been a part of some church groups that were very useful. When multiple people are engaged and energetic on a topic you can learn much faster. My favorite group to be part of in the past few years was a local Toastmasters chapter. Toastmasters is an international organization that helps people become better at public speaking. The clubs are very supportive and learning is self-paced. Mentorship is built into the program at Toastmasters. Within the organization you’ll always find someone just ahead of you on the road to mastering public speaking and everyone I met was eager to help.
• Coworkers: I’ve been blessed to work with some people over the years with various skills. Along the way I’ve tried to learn from some that were better in areas than I was. For example: Dave is great at establishing memorable relationships. After meeting someone he’ll follow up by sending them something unique that he picked out after hearing their interests and passions in the first meeting. Tom is great at connecting with people via his passion and energy combined with country-style story telling. Don is strong at hearing the long story and zeroing in on the one action that can be most effective the quickest. Joe is great at customer service and follow-through. Mabel is a wizard at making Excel produce any report I can think of.
• Coaches/Mentors: Traditionally, we think of mentors as one on one advisors. I’ve had some of these too. While in college I spent some time with a guy named Ray who talked to me about the power of compounding interest, the rule of 72 and the avenues I could go with my accounting degree. I wouldn’t have pegged him as a mentor since he was working in the machine shop at a factory, but I truly received valuable career advice from him. Early in my current career I spent a lot of time with Ed, a local CPA who helped me advance my knowledge, skills and position in the real world. I’ve spent time with some amazing pastors over the years who have taught me that it’s okay to question my faith and they helped me rethink some of my religious beliefs. However, I didn’t ask them about financial freedom. That wasn’t their area of expertise. Remember Jim Stovall’s advice, “Never accept a map from someone who hasn’t been where you want to go.”

I practice intentional learning. Darren Hardy recommends that each quarter you choose a topic you want to learn about. Then you get the five top books and three top audio programs on that topic and attend a seminar, workshop or conference. I loosely follow that model. My biggest challenge is staying focused on the topic I’ve chosen. I might pick a topic like investing or couponing or car buying or real estate or entrepreneurship or mental toughness if I’m learning financial freedom.

As you can see mentors come in all shapes and sizes. Be discerning in whom you accept counsel and guidance from, but know that the knowledge, skill or experience you seek is abundant. Don’t wait for a teacher to appear. When you’re ready to be a student, teaching is available in many formats.

There are many variables to financial freedom. You can master each challenge that comes at you on the journey. In the process of learning from and about that challenge you’ll free yourself to live the life you choose.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned HGTV’s show Fixer Upper. One thing I love about the show is how it’s a great metaphor for becoming financially free.

First off, they start with a mess. The messier the better. The show tries to capture as startling a transformation as possible. Some houses look like they’ve been condemned. Financially, some of us start worse off than others. But we all start in a place that is less than ideal. We all have work to do. One of my favorite lines from John Maxwell’s book, Sometimes You Win Sometimes You Learn, is “Everyone who got where they are, started where they were.” It’s easy to be overwhelmed when looking at multimillionaires. They seem so accomplished. They appear to have abilities, talents, patience and timing that we just don’t have. The truth is that most millionaires, multimillionaires, even billionaires started at the bottom. They started with little and worked hard, made mistakes and became successful through experience.

Chip and Joanna Gaines come into an absolute wreck of a house and see the potential of what it WILL be, not what it is now. Seeing our potential financial freedom and not the wreck we find ourselves in is the outlook we must adopt. Having a vision of what’s possible is key to transformation. If you can’t envision a better version of your finances, you won’t have the energy to push through demo day, let alone the construction that has to happen before the big reveal.

And sometimes it must get worse before it gets better. They have to strip away old siding, popcorn ceilings and shag carpet before painting and laying hardwood floors. In fact, some places are so bad the foundation needs repaired and new support installed before anything else can be done. For financial freedom, some of us need to replace bad spending habits, dig out of massive debt, and change our thinking about what’s possible before we can begin to build a financial freedom house.

No matter the house, there is inevitably some unseen problem that gets discovered and has to be dealt with. Unforeseen issues always pop up. Electricity needs rewired, siding needs replaced, there are rotten beams under the floor! The same will be true for your own journey to financial freedom. How many unforeseen issues pop up in our financial lives? Medical needs, emergency trips to attend funerals, automobile breakdowns, job loss–just to name a few. You will encounter unforeseen financial setbacks and this is why I recommend building and keeping an emergency fund on hand.

It takes a team. Chip and Joanna rely on general contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, plus babysitters. Just be sure you ask the right people for the right help. Asking your debt-ridden sister what to do about your financial stress is like asking the plumber what to do about a roofing issue. In his book, The Millionaire Map, Jim Stovall says, “Never accept a map from someone who hasn’t been where you want to go.” Build a team of advisors based on what your goals are. Maybe you need a real estate mentor, a business mastermind, a savvy banker and a seasoned CPA. You can find them all, just be picky.

Each episode wraps up with the big reveal. The Gaines get to show off the property remodel to the homeowner. Emotions are visible as the new homeowner is overjoyed seeing the transformation. You should take pride in your financial milestones as well. Enjoy the moment. Reflect. Celebrate.

Then go tackle another big project. Always be growing. Work on projects that challenge you. Help others with their finances. Use your financial freedom to invest time and money into mission-oriented projects that are meaningful to you. Reduce hunger, reduce diseases, reduce abuse–there are thousands of worthy projects to focus on!

No matter what condition your financial house is in, the good news is that it can be turned around and made into a dream house. A place of rest, safety and joy. What does a financial freedom dream house look like to you? The tagline of the show is “Do you have the guts to take on a fixer upper?” So I’m asking you, do you have the guts to fix up your finances so you can be free to live the life you choose?

Last night at dinner I sat spellbound listening to the stories a very wise man was telling about his life. He had grown up poor in the mountains of Virginia. He learned at a young age to be entrepreneurial if he wanted anything out of life. The local industry was coal mining. Not a high-paying career and not a safe career in the mid-1900’s.

This man worked at, then owned many businesses—ultimately earning and saving millions of dollars. Last night he shared with me that there are only four uses of money:

1. Necessities: food, shelter, clothing, etc.
2. Peace of mind: building a cushion of savings for emergencies.
3. Comfort: earning and saving enough to live a nicer lifestyle beyond the necessities.
4. Giving: sharing resources(time, money, knowledge, things, food, etc.) with others is deeply rewarding.

The opportunities that open up when you have the first three covered are fantastic. At an age that most people are retired, this man is working more than full-time running a non-profit. One thing the non-profit does is provide scholarships for college. Some recipients are from families who’ve never had a college graduate in the family. He shows kids a way out of generational poverty. He has helped countless people through the non-profit and directly mentored dozens or hundreds of college and early-career young people.

In fact, one young person was with us at dinner. He had been mentored as a college student in the late 1990’s. Graduated college in 2000. Now works in Washington, DC in government AND owns a couple very successful businesses. He spoke glowingly of his mentor and what was poured into his life.

What a legacy! What a great use of money and time.

I really need your help.

• Why are you reading this?
• What can I help you with?
• What do you like about my writing, my viewpoints or my style?
• How I can be more helpful with what I write, how I write or how the website looks or functions?
• What topics are you interested in?

I know this is a strange way to start this little note. Here’s the story behind my odd requests:

Breaking the two-month daily writing habit I’ve recently established, for three days last week I didn’t write any new content. I was back “in my head space” as my friend Dixie says. I still don’t know exactly what to write so I decided to spill the beans and dump out what’s in my head and ask for your help.

Last week I talked with an internet marketing guru about my writing and this site. He was very blunt in his observations and opinions. And while I was and am seeking honest feedback, his words gave fodder to my fears.

He informed me that my writing and this site lacked personality. It is bland. I need a hook. Something to grab attention when a visitor comes to the site or receives an email. He asked why a reader should listen to me instead of Ramit Sethi or Dave Ramsey.

I didn’t have great answers. And to be honest, I believe you should listen to Ramit and Dave. I think a lot of their advice is fantastic. Go check out iwillteachyoutoberich.com and daveramsey.com.

I don’t want to compete. I’m looking to help in different ways. While I agree with a lot of their advice, my own experience differs from some of their admonishments. We all have different paths, don’t we. So I’m deep into research, my old notes, understanding what makes my take on things unique and even old memories of what excites me.

I would love your feedback even if it’s negative. I really want to be helpful. It seems easier to be helpful in person. I want to have the same conversation online as we would have sitting across from each other at a coffee shop. It’s different somehow communicating through email and blogposts. I’m still “finding my voice.” Or maybe I’m still finding my ears.

I hope this makes sense. At any rate, I truly welcome your comments, suggestions, even hate mail right now.

I’m a big promoter of frugal lifestyles. However, depending on your situation, saving more money may not be enough to dig out of your financial hell. Sometimes you save everywhere you can and you still have debts to pay and mouths to feed.

Or maybe you have big goals for your financial freedom and your day job just won’t get you there within the timeframe you desire. When you still need or want to bring in more money, here are some ideas.

1. Pick up a second or third job. I started this in high school (grocery store clerk and funeral home worker). I kept the habit going through college (factory janitor, shipping warehouse and dock worker, and retail clerk). I continued after college (day job plus video rental store clerk and tax preparer). I also married someone with the same work ethic I had. We both worked extra hours. I guess we still do. Our work is different now. Her job as wife, mom and homemaker is a 24/7 gig. And she takes it seriously. She is always studying how to do better. Reading magazines, Pinterest, books to make the house even more of a home, how to save more money, how to prepare new recipes, events for family time and kid time. My extra hours are spent more on studying and expanding my knowledge and skills. Writing and learning everything I can about finance, business and personal development.

2. Freelance your skills. Websites like 99Designs, Fiverr and Upwork make finding extra work online super simple. Seriously, check out fiverr.com just to see what kinds of things you can make a buck at. From graphic design to accounting you can find work from your bedroom while sitting in your jammies.

3. Mow lawns, babysit, clean houses and offices on Saturdays. If you think freelance jobs are only online these days, guess again. Think about going old school for your extra income. People gladly pay for reliable hands-on services like the ones I mentioned as well as mechanical or handyman services.

4. Sell things on Ebay, Amazon and Etsy. I know a single mom who raised her two kids by finding bargains at local auctions, yard sales and retail closeout sales then selling her finds on Ebay. My brother buys used books at thrift stores and yard sales then sells them on Amazon. My wife’s friend makes purses and sells them on Etsy. This type of business can grow into something a lot bigger if you find a product that you can keep selling. Once you have the listing prepared and have figured out the packaging and shipping process the hard part is done. For example my friend has expanded his insulation sales to Amazon. He packaged the insulation into different consumer uses like garage door kits. The listings stay the same and he just ships out the orders that come in each day. Tens of thousands of found money for his business.

5. Use your local consignment shop to recycle clothes, toys and household goods. Not only are you helping the environment by not throwing your used items into the landfill, you will make a few bucks. Actually, we consistently earn over $100 every three months from things we drop off at consignment shops. Those quarterly checks add up. We’ve recouped thousands of dollars over the years. Since Becky buys a lot of our stuff at yard sales to begin with, sometimes we actually make more money than we spent!

6. Make/create items to sell. Baked goods, canned foods, crafts and furniture are only a few examples. One of Becky’s close friends has a screenprinting machine in her basement. She makes super cool, unique designs and prints them on tshirts, cutting boards—almost anything. She also uses her machine to print tshirts for local sports teams and other groups. It’s an excellent source of income. My dad and brother make flyfishing rods. I know some people who make beautiful furniture in their spare time. Also, as 3D printers become higher quality and lower cost more and more possibilities are available for an imaginative person to make money with his/her creations.

7. Ask your employer if you can take on a couple sales accounts for a percentage of sales. I’ve done this before. I met some wonderful people. I also found that sales isn’t so scary. And I learned some new skills. Oh, and I made more money! Selling is a skill that you can use to enhance any of these suggestions. You’ll find it to be a valuable life skill. We use selling tactics consciously or unconsciously in our conversations every day. We are trying to persuade nonstop. Might as well get good at it and make extra money.

8. Information marketing—teach a skill. There are many, many online ways to do this. You can teach through blogs, books, videos and podcasts then sell a course on your own website, Udemy or even a live event. Don’t discount running some physical workshops in your hometown. Outline the lesson plans for teaching and for worksheets. Visualize or storyboard the teaching session then go for it. Record the workshop. If it goes well, sell the recording and workbook as a course online. If the session didn’t go well, learn from the recording, make improvements and run another workshop.

9. Upload videos to Youtube. If you’re an aspiring movie maker, you were born at the perfect time in history. Not only has there never been an easier time to record, edit and share videos, there are now more ways to monetize your craft. Youtube will actually pay per view on your videos. If you sign up, they’ll put an ad at the beginning of your videos and pay you every time someone sees the ad. You can also use your videos to send traffic to your website to build a list of people interested in your art or teaching. You can sell directly to your list if you have merchandise. My son watches a lot of gamers. They demonstrate playing various video games. Because they build a following to their Youtube channels they get paid nicely to sit at home and play video games all day. Some have even built enough relationship with their subscribers that they can sell merchandise. Check out stampylonghead on youtube. Other people demo products which they happen to sell on their websites. By providing entertaining or practical (ideally both) demonstrations for products, they get the sale instead of WalMart.

10. Book some gigs. I know a few people who play music gigs on the weekends. They love music. Whether they perform in a band or solo, they would be playing or singing anyway. Might as well get paid to entertain. This is one where you can combine several of the above. #6 create a product(cd, downloads, merchandise), #4 sell your music and merchandise on iTunes, Amazon, ebay, etc., #11 Youtube is a great place for musicians (see Justin Bieber).

I can keep going. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Depending on your skills and timeframe, maybe none of these possibilities work for you. By using this list as a prompt to come up with your own ideas, you will find dozens of options. We live in an amazing time. Many income sources don’t even require leaving the house.

What suggestions do you have to earn more money?