Make Some Money

October 1, 2009 · Comments

money You know what’s great about money? You can use it for lots of things: eating, clothing children, giving to charities that matter to you, paying for the mortgage every now and again. Pretty flexible, huh? I thought I’d write one for those of you wondering how to make money with social media (be that blogging or beyond). For the rest of you who are thinking, “it’s not about money,” just skip this one. It’s okay.

For the rest of you, a note up front: never wring your hands about charging for experience. Your mechanic doesn’t. Your dentist doesn’t. Your housepainter and landscaper don’t.


Make Some Money

Make Money With Ads – There are a few ways to do this. You can write a blog, build all kinds of content value, do all kinds of work to get a big audience, and earn money with either a standard CPM (cost per thousand) advertising rate, or CPC/CPA (cost per click and cost per action) rate by sticking ads on the site. This is a slog. You can make money doing it, but it’s one of the slowest going and hardest ways to make money. You need some serious volume to make it pay off. The other downside of having ads all over your site is that people complain that it looks messy and cheap. Go sparingly, if relationships matter to you.

Make Money With Affiliate Marketing – Affiliate marketing is when you sell a product that’s not yours and not actually in your possession. For instance, I am an affiliate for the Thesis WordPress Theme, created by Chris Pearson. I’m also an affiliate for Teaching Sells, a program on how to build educational content projects created by Brian Clark (aka copyblogger). The first program is paying pretty well. I haven’t done enough with the second to talk about it yet. Affiliate marketing is really worth checking out, if you have the chops to write about products and/or help your audience know what’s useful and what’s not.

Make Money Helping Others – I get about four requests a week from someone asking me to set up their blog for them. That’s not my ideal client, but it might be the perfect project for you to make some spare money and be helpful at the same time. Does your website have a “work with me” page or a “how I can help” page? Why not? There are plenty of people who might be able to use the skills you have to offer, but they don’t know the system for working with you.

Make Money Banding Together – I see lots of solo players out there who’d do well to get together, complement each other’s skill sets, and go out and make a business. The other thing I see a lot of are people who are great at marketing using the new tools, but who don’t have anything to market. Go find a business that needs you, locally or otherwise, figure out pricing, and get to work. Being solo is fine too, but there are lots of times when putting a partner or a collaborator or another external element into the race makes all the difference in the world.

Make Money Creating Products – This might be the most difficult (but most rewarding) way to do it. You could potentially package your own information and sell it yourself. Or maybe you sell information plus a service. Or information plus a service plus a solid product like software or merchandise. There are lots of ways to get at this, but don’t forget that it’s an option. Just make sure the products are worth something.

And What You Need Above All Else When Trying to Make Money Online

Trust. If you’re going to ask people for money, be worth it, be consistent, be reliable.

What about you? How are you getting it done?

photo credit borman818

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  • Another option, if you have the time for it, and you don't need to make money instantly, is to find something you have an absolute passion for and love doing. Whatever that thing is, do it for the fun of it, crush it (as Gary V. would say), and after a while you may be surprised at the offers that start coming in. Partnerships, freelance work, job offers, consulting requests, etc. At that point, it's your choice where you want to take it.
  • You were quick here Nate!

    I'm totally up for "Make Money Banding Together" - I'm running the Like Minds conference next month on Social Media - and the whole aim is to do exactly that.
  • I just happened to be on Twitter when I saw CB's tweet come through. :)

    Shoot me a link to the Like Minds conference when you get a second - I'd like to check it out.
  • http://alikeminds.org

    First one on Friday 16th October, 2pm - 6pm in Exeter, England, with Trey Pennington and Olivier Blanchard from the States!

    Hoping to do more next year, and possible across the world. The aim is "collaboration over innovation", so we put competition and money aside, and get together to do something remarkable which benefits us all.
  • tkm
    I'm new to Chris Brogan's blog and I love it!

    Nate - I totally agree with you about doing something you're passionate about, and I recently wrote an article about how to make money from your hobbies. I'd love you guys to check it out: http://www.freelancestudents.co.uk/690/make-mon...

    tkm
  • suzigurl
    Chris, thank you for this. In my younger, more impetuous days, I spent way too much time (and money) looking for the next "get rich quick online" scheme. Over time, you have earned my trust, and I am grateful that you are out there (and in here) being honest about what works if you want to be real. (Does that sentence even make sense?) I'm doing everything amateur right now, but with an eye to monetizing someday, and when I'm ready, I'm glad that to know there is a middle way.
  • It makes sense. I do everything amateur all the time. : )
  • Hey suzigurl, I'm in the same boat and I am also grateful to have a resource like Chris out here coaching those of us just getting started. It seems like when others see that you've done it yourself (even if amateurishly) they have more respect for what your doing.
  • Good post. I think out of all the suggestions, the one to band together and create complimentary services is the best. Going solo is tough, and even the one's that are great on their own can sometimes benefit. If you're solo, and you don't think you're the one that needs help, then maybe there is someone out there that could benefit from your expertise.

    I think the key here is to work with like minded people to create quality and trust.

    @sbowmann
  • I agree with you Scott and Chris about finding like-minded people. That's been the core of my business, Networlding, for the last nine years. We focus on helping people build values-based networks--kind of like BNI groups. The community has grown through the years and now I have six licensees and growing. I am still working hard after nine years of teaching the Networlding process to turn it into a big success but it is on its way.

    Now I offer the process through an online program that people pay for with partners such as 6 Figure Jobs (the price point is $79 and I split the earnings with the company - So far I have sold about 20 programs in two months) but I also give it away (it's an e-program so it is not hard) to kids just graduating from college and others in need. I also have formed a publishing company to help others who want to do something similar with their knowledge and wisdom create similar products (e-books, books, e-learning programs, guidebooks and more).
  • fabulousphotogifts
    Oh chris - where to start?

    Like many others, we fell into what we do presently at Fabulous Photo Gifts. It started with Mandy looking for new ways to sell her own artworks - pretty abstract stuff, I wonder if I can get jigsaws made? she thought.

    So she sourced a few samples and quite by accident, a teacher friend called round whilst the samples were out on the table and asked "Oh I like those, can you do one with a picture of my kids?"

    And so it started - see a need, fill a need. That was 3 years ago. 6 Months web building and plotting and the first incarnation went live just selling personalised photo jigsaws.

    Of course, we don't stand still and have steadily increased the choices on offer to visitors ever since.

    It's funny but perhaps one of your points should be along the lines of 'be prepared to change direction along the way' because you never know quite where somethings will lead.

    Jonathan.
  • Now that's GREAT advice, Jonathan. I should find another post out of that. : )
  • Kind of a Who Moved My Cheese scenario.
  • fabulousphotogifts
    Hi Will

    Exactly!
  • Buy a cheap computer with LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP), sit in your basement for 12 months coding like a madman and create something AWESOME.

    Dale - EchoQuote
  • Hi Chris,
    we all like it when things are free. And this is OK. We all like to help our friends and close related people when they need us and we have the feeling we actually can help them.
    But then again we all need money to eat, get clothing, give to charities and pay for the mortgage.
    So I am with Mack Collier on this one. I'm glad to help whenever I can. But people also need to understand that it takes quite some time to gain the experience and knowledge and skills we all have. So when companies ask for our advice they have to understand we can't do it all for free. It should be OK to earn some money with what we're able to do good.
  • Never wring your hands about charging for experience. Your mechanic doesn't. Your dentist doesn't. Your house painter and landscapers don't.
  • I'm just starting out on my own (got laid off in June and really don't want to head back to the corporate world). I've been working on some sites and giving out marketing advice for free, but am at the point where I've got a couple of projects that may actually pay. And with all the value of the social web and the tools available to even the smallest of businesses, I think I can really help people make money while I'm making money. Money is not a bad thing, and when you provide great value, everyone wins.

    Thanks for all the great advice!

    Chuck Smith
  • I've gone the "How can I help?" route. Thus far, it's been fairly successful. (Not huge...but definitely successful.)

    Then again, I'm trying to build a business and attract clients via my blog and not every method listed here would necessarily feel right if I implemented.
  • Exactly. This was more of a list, not a canned methodology. Pick the ones you like. Like tapas. : )
  • 10-4. (That makes way more sense looking back.)
  • What's with the negative opinion on making money? Do you know what it feels like to pay for a fresh water well in Malawi that provides water to 2,000 people? Wishing doesn't get that, money gets that!

    Work hard, make money and do great things with it.
  • LOL - I must forward your post to all of my healer colleagues...lovely caring people who want to help others and provide pages of copy and never asking directly to help for money.

    I personally am recalling a day when an email arrived in my inbox from a potential client who was a web designer/developer BEGGING me to put a link on the home page for registration and payment. "Why are your torturing me to buy a service with you. Why do I have to read 5 pages of detailed copy before finding the pay here button!!" It was a huge shift in feeling and thinking to be so outrageous as to suggest I get paid for offering my products and to put it on the home page. It was great advice, that felt more comfortable as registrations increased.

    Thanks for an inspiring post.
  • Re: "Trust. If you’re going to ask people for money, be worth it, be consistent, be reliable."

    That's a BIG part of the formula. Then of course I adhere to the "solve, don't sell" philosophy. Being consistently helpful to others helps build a pretty good reputation which ultimately leads to new sales/referrals.

    With respect to affiliate programs, I have an Amazon account (which doesn't do all that much) and I've sold other people's affiliate programs (usually those have faired off much better).
  • Amazon doesn't make me a ton of money. I've made about $200 - 300 most months with it, which buys a few fine meals, or in my case, lets me pay for charity. : )
  • Ha! Ignore my post up above. This Amazon thing has already been covered.
  • Finally, someone talking about what they really make. I don't make that much with Amazon--about $40 a month, but I keep hearing about people who make thousands and I don't believe them.
  • Chris,

    Another great post. This is certainly an overview, but a good list of options. I met a guy on Twitter via @yarostarak that actually setups up blogs for his business. His name is @andrewrondeau and his site is http://www.webuildyourblog.com/ Maybe he can be a redirect for your 4 daily requests.
  • You know, I'm not kissing your butt, but I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading your posts so much because I don't feel stupid when I'm done. That's not a knock against anyone else or anything of the sort, but I feel like you have a friendly, conversational tone and you really want to help people out. I enjoy your posts.

    I'm especially appreciative of you pointing out that trust is the most important factor. Sure, I could try to hook up with someone to sell something and get more traffic on my blog or whatever, but I'd rather do something honestly. That's kind of the reason I don't like advertising - or don't want to do it, rather - cause I'm not sure if it's worth people thinking I sold out.
  • I work hard not to make people feel stupid. Know why? Because you deserve better for one, but also, because this isn't rocket science. You're on the right mindset, Mondi.

    And my butt doesn't feel kissed.
  • Good. :-D

    Thanks for the reply!
  • Yes, and Top Tip #7: Get on with it!
    I get really inspired reading. Now it's time to get on with the doing.
    I know if I just start with one, the rest (may) follow... Trust.
  • ktplant
    The "band together" route works REALLY well for me. I had bee doing well as a freelance writer, but when I got together with graphic artists, web designers, other copy writers, and other marketing people, my business REALLY took off!
  • glenallsopp
    Right now all of my income comes from the internet. Around 5 months ago I passed the $10,000 per month mark and it is constantly climbing. Just short of $20k is my best month so far.

    Most of my income comes from promoting the products of others (as an affiliate on networks like Motive Interactive and Clickbank) and another portion of my income is from launching my own products.

    Enjoying the discussion here!
  • Hi Folks,

    Affiliate products get a bad rap, but if you find quality products and then offer them to people who actually want them – you're onto a winner.

    Fwiw – Amazon has been the most disappointing affiliate program
    I've used re the time/effort I put in.

    Ivan,
    Beijing, China

    www.ivanwalsh.com
  • richanddaveshow
    We create original "Twitter inspired designs" and launch them them on www.RichandDaveShow.com! (100 Twitter Shirts & IM gear)
    We don't make much off each sale because we use zazzle, but we get to create & ship real products with no cost to us other than time. We're not even a year old but we're able to test our marketing and the product popularity with the hopes of developing a "real" business model later ... you know, just like Twitter:-)
    @richanddaveshow <sucking the wit out of Twitter
  • By selling Google Wave invites on Ebay.

    Nah, really, for little people like myself the only way to make money is to go to work in the morning.
  • I was little people for 16.5 years, and it took me 8.5 years to get to where I am now. Not an excuse. Work is just seed money for your next move.
  • Guest
    Seed money?
  • meditationblog
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  • I am using some of these techniques such as advertising my affiliate products on my blog, but I agree that the most rewarding way is to sell products that you yourself own, because then you can have affiliates sell your product and make more money that way.
  • I have an online directory for local businesses, so we fall into advertising and marketing budgets for some businesses....and although the company is doing well, this is NOT where I make money. Anyone that knows or follows me on Twitter, and elsewhere, knows that I only promote my area and the businesses on my site, never myself. I began using social media to grow our reach, nothing more. I just wanted to drive some traffic and attention to our clients, and this has worked out very well. Since this thread is not about getting good at, or navigating social media, but about getting paid from it, I'll cut to the chase.

    **I offer 2 hour consultations to anyone who'll have me. I do some basic research about a company's online presence before I meet with them, print up some supporting docs, and ponder on the ways that they could perhaps grow their presence and reach online....this OFTEN means using social media where they are not already doing so. I give them the best explanation and advice I can in this time. *I save the last 10-15 minutes to enlighten them about how I would implement some pro-active strategy,...how I might begin if I were them. I offer to give them a proposal and a quote for my services if they are interested in going further,...if my excited rant about what they "could" do excites them too! There are times when they'd like me to coach and train them in using social media, and other times they'd like for us to manage this part of their marketing. Either way we make money and help someone take a step up and into social media.

    **I do contracted SEO and SEM for companies. These are 6 month minimum contracts, and I ALWAYS introduce social media strategies into these contracts. I bill them for all of the time, some of which has me living vicariously in different places, having fun on twitter, etc. It does not always work out, but I ALWAYS try to get someone from their staff on-board to pick up and follow what I myself am doing...telling them along the way the "why" "how" and "effects" of the effort.

    **we host tweetups, and do seminars about social media. We release informative video series about useful small business tips and tricks. We always try to invite a local "authority" to be interviewed. I can't tell you how great an impact this has on our level of credibility and "trust" around here! All of these open doors and present opportunities for the means of income listed above.

    **I convinced my partners that we would benefit from using social media for ourselves. I spent much time setting it all up....even more time doing it for free. After some time, and when the results could be calculated and shown, I can now draw a paycheck for doing what I do for us in social media circles. My partners actually brought this up, feeling that what I did had real value, and should be compensated for.

    **I should note that I still do much, and spend much time doing things that I've yet to figure out how to work into a neat billable and scaled format. I'm still learning as I go, but I consider it an investment in myself, a way to make what I do and what I know more valuable! This whole "getting paid to play on twitter" ideal that some new media experts are shooting for still baffles me.

    That's all I have time to write for now, though I actually have volumes to say about this. I'm glad you brought it up Chris!
  • scottclark
    Regarding "help me" services to make money...

    People who are giving away services are lowering the perceived value of their work and their industry as a whole. And they usually regret it. A full book of money-losing clients is pretty worthless, and it is very hard to negotiate pricing upward later on. It's the way many companies go out of business.

    I've been doing search/usability work for almost 15 years, and would be willing to put my knowledge and skills with anyone in the industry. It may sound cocky, but keeping a pumped-up attitude is essential to staying motivated when the potential client is on the phone asking for a big discount.

    You can vary the number of services you're providing to adjust the costs of these "help me" clients, but never the hourly rate for your time. Focus on the benefits and outcomes of your work. What will it mean to the bottom line? What is the "lifetime value" of the work you're doing? Etc.
  • You saw the banding together in motion on Tuesday. The kinship is what makes it work for me when launching new ideas. Absolutely no way to do it alone in these times. Things are changing too fast to try to go it alone. Besides its not good for anyone to be an island.
  • And what a great bander you were. : ) I appreciate all that you do. Send me a link to your company, by the way. I'd love to check out your recent stuff.
  • eileenpaulin
    Chris,
    The site which needs some attention (the cobbler's children going without shoes story works here) is www.redlips4courage.com
    Be good to yourself on this next leg of the journey.
    E
  • How did you get your first affiliate account? Did you approach them or did they approach you?

    To fill you in:
    My end goal is to get craft and design companies on my site. As I work to achieve that caliber, I would like to partner with businesses that would donate supplies for the projects I work on. . .
  • You can go to cj.com and linkshare.com and shareasale.com and find all kinds of companies who offer affilliate programs. Just sign up, and you're halfway there.
  • Thanks, Chris! I'll go to those sites. Knew you'd pull through!
  • Good post. This is exactly what I am attempting to do with my new company that I setup. By choice I left my 9-5 job and decided to go out on my own. I am going to actually take a multiple pronged approach.

    1. I will do some software consulting - I see lots of software consulting requests on Craigslist. And while you will not get every gig it does increase awareness of you and your site.

    2. I am going to create products that I can sell. These will be smaller software packages like Wordpress Plugins, Drupal Plugins or small scripts that people can use on their site.

    3. Affiliate marketing - I have been doing this for a while now with eBay and make a couple hundred dollars a month at this. One the the tools I use I hope to turn into something I can sell (see item 2)

    I would be interested in talking with people who have the same mindset or vision that I have. What kind of web scripts/plugins are you looking for?
  • OK, a nice post, but really not that much information. I would love to see some strategies.
  • You might mean tactics. Those were the strategies. Those were five approaches to making money. I give those every day. : )
  • Been thinking about this a bit since you posted Chris...

    Some thoughts:
    - i _love_ some of the concepts from say garyv - work your butt off on something u love and eventually, community, fame, $$ will follow...and i plan to pursue this on 1 main topic/idea on a part time basis...issue i have is that it takes a _long_ time and that inherently means u have some decent $$ up your sleeve or already coming in to afford you that time....in gary's case, he had the wine biz...not sure about your case or other similar....

    - in reality - i need to make $$ a bit sooner than that model...i looked for quite a while at the standard internet marketing models...affiliate, ecommerce etc...for 90%+ of this though, i have no interest/passion in the typical 'find a pain, solve it' advice...for the few interests of mine (ie wine) that i could see myself building information of physical commerce sites around; the competition was already pretty embedded....

    So - what am i doing - venturing to the offline world and helping them with the online stuff i know and like...targeting specific offline business types....I will be doing this while i start, grown and build something ala the garyv model mentioned in my first blurb...
  • Dr Richard Pitts
    Great presentation at Chapman University in Orange-
    Dr Richard Pitts
  • I'm not gonna lie, I've been waiting for this post. Ha! Thanks for sharing your insight and experience, Chris! I've actually been considering running ads on my site, even though it's still new and doesn't generate a lot of traffic yet. I've decided to place them in my RSS feed but not on the main site (for now).

    I'm very interested in affiliate sales and signed up for Amazon's affiliate program. Have you had any experience with this? I know you do a lot of book reviews and talk about the music you listen to. Maybe it would be something to consider. I placed an affiliate link to your book at Amazon on my site so that when it's clicked I'll get a small percentage of the sale. You can do this with anything on their site.
  • Chris,

    I love the topic of making money. Well, who doesn't?!!! And I like the way you treated it here. In particular, I like the reminder that if you're going to ask people for money, be worth it! As part of this, you really need to know who you are and what you have to offer. You need a sense of confidence, and this isn't easy to have or hold on to, especially when you're a rookie entrepreneur starting your own solo gig. Working on wow projects and making wow money... that's the goal!! You really need confidence and perseverance to back it all up! In any case, thanks for the great post.
  • thnx Chris for broaching the subject...helpful tips!
    -making money is oddly often "the elephant in the room" ...especially for "online purists"...but, the reality is...we all need to "buy groceries"...
    for the spiritual among us...the bible doesn't say that "money is the root of all evil..." it rather says "the love of money is the root of all evil..." Perhaps, a topic for another post.
  • Chris,

    It's all true! Trust is what it is all about. I was a pleasure to hear you speak at Chapman University the other evening. Cheril was right, you are human. I like that you start out with listening. You are consistent and have an integrity with online and in person - a social media sage.

    Thank you for putting together something worth while reading. I have already started to implement your ideas from "Trust Agents" and I think it is working! I am tuning into the Kristine Simon channel of all things I am passionate about; engaging and listening.

    Best of Luck to you!

    Kristine
  • I like what you said.
  • Not so good at charging myself.

    In the same boat as Suzi and others. Just cranking it out, doing what I love which is writing and helping people. I'll do it as long as I can. If I have to get a "real job" then, well, hopefully people will have found it all useful in some sense.
  • I'm intrigued by your "band together" suggestion. I know collaboration can create so much more than individuals. I think one of my goals for 2010 is going to really explore this idea.
  • A "how can I help page!" Wow. slap 'o the head simple. I think I will start with a how can I help button on every page...

    Banding together is the way to go. More fun too.

    Thanks Chris. I always enjoy reading what you have to say.
  • Now I'm still "discovering my voice" but everything you mentioned here are things I've been checking in to! I'm already a fan/customer of Brian Clark's "Teaching Sells" and love it! I have over time built relationships with other business owners who have complimentary skills and we are looking at launching a combination of combined workshops and an online e-learning site to teach simple strategies for using social media for different types of small businesses. So I can definitely see how "Banding Together" works!

    Due to my work with small business owners, I am planning on building my own information products, so I'll have to let you know how that goes, however, I'm also a fan of affiliate marketing and here's why: When I find other's that I have given trust to consistently over time and they have proved that what they deliver has strong value, I WANT to promote it to my audience! I'm CONSTANTLY hounded by business owners that I meet who want to learn more about how to use the web to grow their businesses. Right now I simply point them to those that I trust and to articles/posts that I know answer their questions, however, now I've learned to point them to products from those that I trust and I've learned to be "Okay" with wanting a "finder's fee" for driving sales to those individuals (hey, as a business owner myself I've got to feed my family too!)
  • Chris, great post. these days because budgets are tight for small businesses, i have been shifting to targeting larger prospects. But will have a coaching program for the small businesses. ( i am very passionate about helping small businesses as you know and have been for many years) so this is the only way to scale it and still fulfill a need in the marketplace. As for products, i am working on a book called the "relentless entrepreneur" which tells about my 10 year entrepreneur career, mistakes i made, lessons learned, and how now is the best time for people to start an internet business of some sort (and try to be a part time entrepreneur) because at the end of the day- you have to look out for yourself. You cannot rely on companies as much anymore and especially not expect the governments help. Keep up the good work- and i am trying to finish your book and will have a video review. Let me know if you'd like to interview me anytime about your book- i will make myself available-
    Justin
  • HI! NICE ONE AND ITS A GREAT CREATIVE ONE,THANKX FOR THE COOL POST.
  • Good post. I think out of all the suggestions, Thanks for such a great information.
  • Thanx for such type of advanced post. It's vry creative one....many useful absorbed here......keep blogging....
  • This one is the blog which I like most,I would like to thanks that master brain who make all this for the readers like me.I keep seeing articles like these. Thanks a bunch for sharing.
  • Launching a new watch brand, Charles David Watches, and accepting ideas on expanding my customer following. Accepting orders for my new product. It would be great to confirm that my shopping cart is processing orders properly.
  • I love the topic of making money & the way you present the post.Very clear and useful for a newbie like me.All of your tips are so good.Thanks for sharing this useful post with us.
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  • I don't want to skip this topic.I want to make some money.As i am a newbie this tips are really going to help me a lot.Thanks for sharing!!
  • annewalshcoach
    Hm, reminds me of an email I got today from Michael Neill :
    The First Mastery:
    Creating Money

    One of my favorite stories told to me by my coach, Steve Hardison, was of his first job as a young child. His mother arranged with a neighbor for Steve to mow his lawn and to be paid for the work that he did.

    "Make sure that lawn is beautifully mowed," his mother told him, and indeed he did a thorough and wonderful job.

    After he got home, his mother asked him if he had done the job and done it well. When he told her that he had, she said "What about the other neighbors lawns?"

    "But they haven't asked me to mow their lawns," said Steve. "And besides, they're not paying me."

    His mother just looked at him and said "Mow them anyway."

    As you might expect (although he certainly didn't), a couple of neighbors chased him away, a few watched him suspiciously from behind the curtains, and the rest were sufficiently appreciative of his hard work and their newly manicured lawns that he soon had a series of regular jobs and his first weekly income.

    This echoed something I once heard in a recording of Earl Nightingale talking about why most people struggled to make money:
    Your success will always be measured by the quality and quantity of service you render.

    Most people will tell you that they want to make money, without understanding this law. The only people who make money work in a mint. The rest of us must earn money. This is what causes those who keep looking for something for nothing, or a free ride, to fail in life. Success is not the result of making money; earning money is the result of success — and success is in direct proportion to our service.


    Most people have this law backwards. It's like the man who stands in front of the stove and says to it: "Give me heat and then I'll add the wood." How many men and women do you know, or do you suppose there are today, who take the same attitude toward life? There are millions.

    We've got to put the fuel in before we can expect heat. Likewise, we've got to be of service first before we can expect money. Don't concern yourself with the money. Be of service ... build ... work ... dream ... create! Do this and you'll find there is no limit to the prosperity and abundance that will come to you.
  • Thanks for the advices Chris. And hey, you defined some terms that I found confusing (i.e. Affiliate Marketing), so thanks for that too.

    Jeez... even the commenters are giving very insightful ideas. :D
  • After struggling for awhile with the "Creating Products" category, I have recently segued into the "Helping Others" category. This happened organically and it feels even more rewarding to be leveraging my experience to educate and work with others instead of just 'making a sale'.

    The "Banding Together" sounds like an idea worth exploring as well. Hopefully, in time, I will be utilizing a variety of the above methods to great effect (except for the messy ads-all-over-the-website approach, which I've never been a fan of).

    THANKS for the excellent ideas and options on this inexplicably touchy topic.
  • It is very interesting article and quite impressive too.These articles are greatly appreciated; very useful and informative blog and every body must visit this blog.Thanks a lot.Keep blogging.
  • Your way of writing posts is great and I think this was and will be your best strategy to win the attention of your readers. Content was king before but now I think link baiting contents are the ultimate king. Any way it's a great post. Thanks a bunch for sharing these valuable tips with us. Keep blogging.
  • Hi! Nice discussions for making money with different way,so this is the site which I really like.Its very informative and one of the nice post which I really like a lot.Thanks for the impressive one.
  • This is really very nice article for making money online. For new blogger adsense is one nice online income stream.
  • This one is the blog which I like most,I would like to thanks that master brain who make all this for the readers like me.keep up writing good job.
  • Chris,
    Right now I'm getting it done (not entirely too lucratively) by doing sponsored tweets on occasion, sponsored posts, some affiliate products and also some sponsored guest posts.I like what you and many others are saying about offering a product or service of your own. I know what I could offer but packaging it and selling it doesn't seem to be my gig. Maybe I should partner with someone who is a whiz at copy writing to help. The more I meet people at trade shows the more I've made contacts that I'd really enjoy working with. Much to think over. Thanks.
  • amiyakumardash
    i am an electronics engineer. i want to do embedded & vlsi design projects in my free time staying in my home for american companies. suggest me how to find american companies who can give me projects to do with reasionable price.
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