Everything You Need to Know About Making Money with Apps

Reading Time: 4 mins

Apps are the way of the future, especially since more people than ever before use mobile devices more than they use desktop computers. In truth, you can make an app for almost anything, which means you can also make some money if the app is valuable or provides real services for its users.

Not sure how to make money with apps that you design and build? Let’s break down some of the best ways you can generate revenue through your mobile platform now.

• Free vs paid app monetization methods
• Paid app monetization methods
• Free app monetization
• Extra money-making strategies

 

Free vs. Paid App Monetization Methods

Making an app can be an intense and expensive prospect, but it doesn’t have to be. If you don’t know how to create an app you can always get the help of app development platforms. They can make your vision come to fruition fairly simply and your app will be live in no time.

But, while working with these platforms, you’ll face a lot of questions about the app’s development goals and end-users. Sooner or later, you’ll face a big question: will the app be free or paid?

This isn’t a question with a cut and dry answer. It might be tempting to go with a paid app to recoup the initial costs of app development, however it’s not necessarily more profitable to make a paid app. In fact, statistics show that free mobile apps are downloaded more commonly than paid apps, indicating that free apps may provide access to a wider array of paying customers.

With that said, there are moneymaking strategies you can pursue both for paid and free apps.

 

Paid App Monetization Methods

Advertising

Paid apps are great platforms for ads but you have to be careful not to irritate your user base. Many people purchase apps expecting them to be ad-free by default, so be sure that ads are understood to be a part of the purchase your customers are making, or make your ads relatively unobtrusive or skillfully woven into the actual product so they aren’t annoying.

Single-Payment Purchase

Of course, paid apps can also help you make money by requiring a single purchase at download. Whether or not a single payment purchase will fit with your app’s development goals and overall user base is dependent on what the app is supposed to provide for those users.

Subscriptions

A much more common moneymaking tactic is the subscription model. Most paid apps these days start off free with a trial arrangement, then eventually require users to pay regular monthly subscriptions if they want to keep using the app’s feature set.

This extends to games, fitness apps, communication apps, and more. However, you’ll need to be careful that your subscription price isn’t seen as exorbitant or unfair. People have to feel like they’re getting a deal by paying for a regular subscription for them to download your app in the first place.

 

Free App Monetization

Advertising

As with paid apps, you can add advertisements to any free apps that you develop. Unlike with paid apps, though, people expect ads to be a part of any free app package as the exchange for not having to spend a penny, at least initially.

Therefore, you can be a little more aggressive with your ad campaigns when trying to make money with a free app. Advertisers are always looking for new free apps on which they can place their ad campaigns because they know that mobile marketing can be extremely profitable when done right. All in all, your advertising should be targeted and any ads carefully placed to draw in as many users as possible for your ad partners.

In-App Purchases/Unlocks

Many free apps also draw in revenue by offering various in-app purchases or unlocks. Some of the best examples of this are game unlocks for mobile entertainment apps.

For example, many mobile games have artificial barriers in place that prevent free players from progressing to their end or at least making them progress slowly compared to players who pay in-app. This is a great source of profits if you can design a fun app with logical price gates that don’t seem unfair or unbalanced.

In-app unlocks might also work for general app features depending on what exactly your app is designed to do. Many people may even prefer this payment method since it allows them to purchase only what they’ll need instead of having to buy features of your app that they would never touch otherwise. 

Transaction Fees

If your app is based on some sort of financial services, such as stock trading or banking, you might be able to add a transaction fee arrangement to your platform. Transaction fees are small charges that people accept in order to use your platform or service for overall low costs.

Merchandise

Lastly, you might consider looking into merchandising arrangements. Merchandise can extend to everything from T-shirts to coffee mugs to other memorabilia or trinkets. It’s a great moneymaking strategy if your app is primarily for entertainment and you have already built a solid brand around your business.

 

Extra Money-Making Strategies

Sponsorship

If you own your app, you might be able to find a sponsor who is looking to capture the same target market. Sponsorship involves either your app or the competitor app joining brands and one brand going under the other’s greater business, helping both app owners to corner the same market without lowering profits through close competition.

Note that this moneymaking strategy will require you or your competitor brand to change certain aspects of your app’s identity and aesthetics, such as its logo and/or features.

Affiliate Marketing

One other good moneymaking strategy is affiliate marketing. In a nutshell, your app provides value and you offer some amount of revenue from any purchases should your customers come from affiliate marketing sources, like bloggers, and content creators.

With this revenue model, mobile advertisers own the apps or platforms in question and affiliates carry out advertising on their behalf, such as weaving affiliate links through WordPress blog posts or other marketing or content creation methods.

 

Summary

As you can see, the sky is the limit when it comes to finding ways to make money with apps. The only thing that might limit you is your imagination.

Your best bet is to think hard about what your app provides to your target users and determine how you can make money off of your target audience in the most efficient and sustainable way. You don’t want to turn off your target audience through obnoxious advertisements or high initial costs, for instance.

Try any of the strategies above to find the perfect moneymaking methods for your app and hopefully you’ll see great success.

 

The post Everything You Need to Know About Making Money with Apps appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

5 Cost-Efficient Ways Of Communicating With Customers

Reading Time: 3 mins

It used to be that getting the word out about your products and services meant setting aside massive funding for television ads, radio mentions, newspaper and magazine spaces, and large billboards—but that was before the Internet boom.

Today, there are various affordable ways of reaching out to your target market. The following are methods you can exploit to fit your communication needs. 

• Social media
• Electronic fax
• Fax by email
• Web conferencing
• Messaging apps

 

Social Media 

So many people are on social media. Statista estimates 3.78 billion social media users worldwide. By 2025, it may rise to a 4.41 billion. By January 2021, those at the ages of 25–34 are the largest group of Facebook users in the United States alone. Social media is one of the best cost-effective ways to market your business. It presents an excellent opportunity to market your business on social media platforms.  

Users also tend to look out for recommendations, and businesses that utilize social media ads are generating leads, sometimes even for free. Take photos of products, create graphics for promotions, or even add videos—social media allows you to easily create a buzz for your products or services. 

 

Electronic Fax 

Fax machines were an effective means of communication for a long time. It enables individuals and businesses to send copies of documents as long as senders and recipients both have legacy fax machines. Today, users can send a fax online through digital software solutions. Instead of hardcopies, businesses can communicate with their customers by sending fax copies like email. You don’t even need fax machines to do it because people can access this software through your smartphone, tablet, and computer. No need for separate machines and paper supplies! You can choose from affordable packages for how many you want to send and receive per month.  

 

Fax by Email 

Another means of communication you should learn is how to fax with email. It allows you to send documents without software and hardware, printing or scanning just using your preferred email address. It’s affordable because you don’t need a dedicated line, fax machine, or paper stacks. Just attach documents and send to up to five recipients. You can access the service through mobile devices even when you’re on the road as long as there is Internet connection.  

 

Web Conferencing 

Virtual meetings are becoming popular because of the pandemic (I think we’re all a little sick of online meetings!), as it’s one of the best solutions to conduct face-to-face discussions with teams remotely. Services such as Skype and Google Hangouts are free to use and anyone who has online access can meet up with several people. You can also use the free phone service feature with your number. They are accessible through mobile devices through a high-speed internet connection.  

 

Messaging Apps 

Messaging applications are not just for communicating with your team daily. You can also use them to meet with single or multiple customers or clients. These apps allow the attachment of files, links, and media uploads for online presentations. Slack, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp are just some of the popular messaging apps you can use to make money via your smartphone. Simply download the apps and use them for free. All you are paying for is your Internet service without incurring additional costs.  

 

 

The Bottomline 

Customer engagement has never been so easy and affordable. With apps and software services costing from little to none, you can engage a vast number of customers simultaneously. It’s also affordable on their part because they offer a win-win solution. The best thing about these communication methods is that you can use all of them, allowing flexibility so that you can reach more people with little trouble.  

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Make Easy Cash Renting a Parking Space

Reading Time: 4 mins

You’ve got an empty driveway or garage. You need extra cash. Put the two together and: voila! Rent a parking space. It’s a really easy way to make money – and now’s the time to cash in as the summer looms.

• Why Renting Out Parking is Ideal
• Who Can Do It
• Finding Trusted Customers
• Using easyParking
• More Ways to Make Money from Your Home

 

Why Renting Out Parking is Ideal

Making money from your parking space isn’t a new concept. It is, however, going to be far more in demand this year than ever before. So, that’s why it’s a good time to jump on and start earning cash!

More people than ever plan to spend their summer in the UK this year. Booking international travel has become a no-go for the near future – while it looks like the national lockdown will be lifted in time for summer holidays at home. On top of that, many will want to drive to their UK holiday destination – so they don’t need to use public transport and risk being in close quarters with lots of people for extended periods of time.

That means you can make the most of these driving holidays! Your parking space is the perfect offering for those looking for somewhere to pop their vehicle safely for a few days (or longer) while they holiday in your area.

Longer term rental options

Of course, if you live in a prime location, such as near a hospital, you can make the most of renting your parking space the whole year round, too. You can either make money from a regular commuter who wants to park near to their workplace – or from those regularly visiting the area (have you SEEN hospital car park prices?!).

 

Who Can Do It

As long as you have a parking space that’s not in use, you can rent it out. If you have a designated parking space in a residential car park, or a driveway, you can make cash from that space.

The more space you have, the more cash you can make! For example, if your drive fits two cars comfortably (without blocking one in), that’s double potential income.

You don’t even need to be a people-person or present at the time of parking! It just takes a little bit of communication to set up the parking agreement, then it’s money in your pocket. No business experience required!

If you want to rent a parking space on your property, it’s worth checking your home insurance policy first to make sure doing so won’t invalidate your insurance.

What type of parking space rents out well?

Anyone with a parking space can offer it for rent. The places that will see regular customers – especially during the summer holidays this year, are likely to be:

• Coastal towns
• Historical towns and cities (particularly those with pedestrianised city centres and only out-of-town parking options!)
• Areas near popular holiday sites or tourist attractions
• Parking spaces near train stations (you could score a regular customer with this one!).

If you’ve got more space than most, you could even attract overnight parking for motorhomes and campervans!

 

Finding Trusted Customers

Some people rely on putting a notice in their local newsagent, on a Facebook group or the NextDoor app. This is fine, but you could find you’re out of pocket. For example, someone might refuse to pay up after using your space. You’re also unlikely to guarantee a regular income going this route.

With so many out-of-towners expected in busy tourist areas like the coast and historical cities in the UK this summer, posting local notices won’t attract a regular customer base, either!

The best way to make sure you’re advertising your space, getting reliable customers, and (most importantly) getting paid, is to go through a hosting service.

 

How EasyParking Works

The easyParking app hooks up parking spaces with those who need them! As a host, it’s really easy to use. You register with easyParking and include your payment details via Stripe.

Then, your space is listed on the app. When someone wants to park in your area, they can select your space – and they pay upfront. That means you get guaranteed payment for every parking booking. It also helps you manage parking bookings – avoiding calamities like double-booking.

Using a hosting service like this connects you to the customers you’re looking for – without requiring lots of legwork on your side. Once your space is on the app, it’s there for anyone looking for parking in your area to see! The booking process is easy for parking customers, and hosts (that’s you!) get paid straight away, so there’s no quibble over money.

What does it cost? A tiny 10% of your booking. When you consider how much it costs (let alone the time and effort, too!) to regularly find customers on your own, it’s well worth the fee!

The renters

The benefit of the easyParking app for renters (and therefore for you as a host) is they can search for your space whilst they’re on the move – perhaps even on the journey to the area they want to park in itself!

All they have to do is search for parking, book with a few easy clicks, and then park up. Couldn’t be easier.

You can download the app on the App Store here, or on Google Play here.

 

More Ways to Make Money from Your Home

Want more ideas for making money from home (or with it)? Try these next!

• 7 Crazy Money Making Ideas That Might Actually Work
• 8 Ways to Make Money from Your Postcode
• How to Make Money from Your Shed
•  Rent Your Garden as Allotments
• 9 Ways to Money Money from Your Living Room

The post Make Easy Cash Renting a Parking Space appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Best Side Hustles in 2021

Reading Time: 4 mins

There has been an incremental rise in the UK’s appetite to find some ‘additional income’ in recent months, this is represented below in rise of people searching for the term ‘side hustle’ on Google within the UK.

January 2021 saw peak search levels for the term, almost double that of any previous peak in the last 5 years! If this is taken to be an indication of the interest, then we are at an all time high for people looking for a side hustle!

Increased time at home, over 10m people furloughed and redundancies rising has led to a ‘perfect storm’ for people seeking some security in extra money they can make in their spare time.

We put together a summary of some of the ways you can make money online.

• Matched betting
• Dropshipping
• Surveys
• Freelancing

 

Matched betting

In terms of time for profit to hit your bank account from a side hustle there are few if any that can rival matched betting! With a few clicks you will be in profit and withdrawing it back to your bank account from the platforms ready for you to spend or save.

So what is it? Let OddsMonkey spokesperson Peter Watton explain:

“In short matched betting is the process of extracting real profit from the free bets that bookmakers offer to people that sign up.

A typical offer might be “Bet £10 Get a £30 Free Bet” – matched betting shows you how to place the £10 bet so you make little or no loss and then how to turn that £30 into real profit.

So you can walk away from this offer with around £24 in profit! Obviously there are hundreds of bookmakers in the UK with similar offers so imagine the amount of profit that can be made.”

One of the only things you need to be cautious of is checking the odds for the bets to make sure it all matches up with the instructions on OddsMonkey, so pay attention and reduce the risk of human error.

The obvious upsides to matched betting make it a very accessible starting place for additional income.

 

Dropshipping

Dropshipping went through a real ‘golden era’ around 2016-2018 when many savvy online entrepreneurs figured out that they could purchase items from online platforms such as aliexpress and ask the supplier to ship them straight to the customer – but of course marking up the product in the selling process.

As this mirco industry exploded so did certain ecommerce platforms and tools such as shopify and Orbelo that made becoming a dropshipping entrepreneur much easier and much more streamlined.

The barriers to entry for dropshipping are an obvious time investment in building a website, learning the processes, fulfilment platforms and costs to set up.

If you do manage to find a ‘hit product’, expect the sales to come in fairly quickly if you get your marketing efforts right but success can be shortlived as others start selling the product and creep in on the same marketing channels.

One line summary – there is a steep learning curve but if you are early on a product you can make decent profit, just fully expect others to saturate the market quickly.

 

Surveys

We all know the score with paid surveys through a vendor like Swagbucks or Google rewards. Answer a survey for a certain number of questions to completion and get paid either in cash, points or vouchers.

Building up profit can be slow for the amount of time invested, the monetary reward is usually low and whilst the barrier to entry is low, many find that simply time vs reward is low. Completely fine if you are after a few pounds (literally) each month but do not expect it to be a significant amount unless you spend copious amounts of time into it.

Low risk but low rewards and highly time consuming.

Find out more about online surveys here. 

 

Freelancing

If you have an in-demand skillset like content writing, digital marketing, graphic design, for example, you should definitely consider freelancing as a way to side hustle. There are some great platforms out there like Upwork or even sites like fiverr if you are looking for shorter term projects.

With freelancing, remember your reputation in whatever field you are choosing to freelance in is at the forefront so it is not a simple ‘pick up and play’ side hustle. You want to maintain a level of service and output to get further work through good feedback.

Find out more about freelancing here. 

 

Which side hustle is best for you?

This is not an exhaustive list by any means but provides a few options to earn additional income right now in 2021. If you want to get a few pounds with the lowest barrier to entry then surveys looks like a good option but, as mentioned, the ‘fruits of your labour’ will be extremely low. Matched betting has some learning attached to it but OddsMonkey take you through step-by-step with full support too, the profits are much higher than surveys, tax free and ongoing too.

The remaining two options are much more ‘serious’ and time intensive. Freelancing is project based and can grow into retainers with regular ‘clients’ and dropshipping arguably is a ‘business’ and not a ‘side hustle’, time will be spent running the operations on site, customer service, marketing spends so it is by no means passive or ‘pick up and play’.

If ‘side hustling’ has been on your to-do list for a while hopefully we have presented some different options that may suit your time, skillset and lifestyle in 2021. 

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How Can I Make Money From The Comfort Of My Own Home?

Reading Time: 3 mins

The global business community emphasises that in 2021 we are faced with a lot of rapid change and innovative technology that would normally take years to assimilate. Not long ago we wouldn’t have imagined that 90% of industries would be able to work from home. Today, a great deal of technological progress has made that possible.

With the pandemic, working remotely has become an everyday occurrence and a necessity. Maybe you already used to work from home because you were raising a child, had difficulty communicating socially, or simply preferred to stay in your comfort zone. But today the world has finally and irrevocably changed. Working from home has become the accepted norm.

Looking for ready ways to make some extra money right now? We’ve got some workable options for you.

• Test websites
• DIY
• Start your own e-commerce business
• Entering the freelance market
• Numismatics
• Work as an operator in a chat room

 

Test websites

You can usually earn between £5 and £60 an hour by testing websites. You don’t need to have advanced technical skills to do this. You get paid for your feedback on the design, functionality, and layout of a website.

Enroll is an example of a place where you can test websites.

Find out more about making money testing websites here. 

 

DIY

If you like working with your hands, then this is the way to make money for you! And you don’t have to think long and hard. Handmade goods are always in high demand and have a good income. Start making jewellery and souvenirs, for example, from polymer clay or beads. The advantage of this kind of earnings is it’s a reasonable upfront investment (for tools – not too expensive) and a potentially high income.

But in order to make a lot of money, you must first practice and hone your skills. It’s not easy to master the technique, but it can be done.There are many video tutorials on the internet that can help you get started. You can sell your finished crafts on social media, in E-Commerce shops, and at street fairs. Don’t limit yourself either — if you make original creations, take a chance and try selling them. Turn your hobby into a way to make money.

 

Start your own E-commerce business

An effective and often reliable way to make money from home is to have your own e-commerce website. With solutions like Shopify, BigCommerce, or WooCommerce, it’s incredibly easy to set up and promote your own shop. However, you need to do some work beforehand and have patience – you’re not going to become the next Amazon overnight! Determine which products you’re going to sell and how you are going to market your online shop.

 

Entering the freelance market

Regardless of your skill level or experience, there are jobs out there waiting for you: from virtual assistants and writers to graphic designers and marketers.

Of course, the more experienced you are and the more specialised and professional skills you have, the more you’ll earn. Newbies can quickly find work on freelance job exchanges such as Fiverr and UpWork.

Find out if freelancing is for you.

 

Numismatics

Are you a specialist numismatist (coins and currency)? Then you can put your knowledge and experience to good use by investing in your hobby. Or you can organise webinars and develop online courses.

You have to start small and simple to gain experience and knowledge. You cannot buy anything on the numismatic market with your eyes closed. Once you have chosen a specialisation, study the history, look through catalogs, study silver coins. Communicate with numismatists and get reliable dealers-consultants. Preferably – not knowing each other. The world of numismatists is not so big, and you will very soon work out which dealers are trustworthy.

 

Work as an operator in the chat room

Wages start at £11 per hour. But if you’re a fast typist and have strong customer service skills, it’s another easy, affordable, and legitimate way to make money from the comfort of your own home. Plus, you don’t have to talk to people on the phone (which we know for some is a huge bonus!)

 

The post How Can I Make Money From The Comfort Of My Own Home? appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Make Money from Your Appearance

Reading Time: 6 mins

Whether you like it or not, our looks take up a lot of our time and energy. Rather than see this as a drain on your finances, why not make money from your appearance instead?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to have model looks to be able to make money from your appearance. Although, modelling of course is one of your options!

1. Make Money From Your Appearance in TV and Film
2. Make Money Modelling
3. Become a Hand or Foot Model
4. Make Money From Your Appearance as a Life Drawing Model
5. Become an Influencer or Vlogger to Make Money
6. Try Personal Training Online
7. Become a Celebrity Lookalike or Impersonator

Make Money From Your Appearance in TV and Film

There’s plenty of ways to make money from your appearance in TV and Film – and who doesn’t want to see their name in lights?

Become an Extra

Becoming an extra is remarkably easy. You don’t need any professional training, just a few well-lit photos of yourself, and an idea of your measurements and you’re good to go.

It’s not always glamorous – you’re often working for long hours, with early call times, and wrapping late – but it can be great fun and a good way to make some extra cash.

Usually as an extra you’ll only be needed for a maximum of a couple of days on each production and work is booked on day-by-day requirements.

You can usually expect to make between £80 and £100 for a 10 hour shift, but this can increase if you’re needed to work nights or have any interactions with the main cast.

For more information on becoming an extra click here.

Be a Body Double

Body doubles are models that act in scenes that actors don’t want to do, like nude scenes.

To be cast as a body double you must share the basic physical attributes of the actor, such as height, weight, body type and hair colour.

If you are interested in being a body double, your first step should be to join an agency who can help you find work. For UK-based roles, GBM Casting is a good starting point.

Become a Stunt Double

OK, this one isn’t for everyone and won’t happen overnight. But, if you love an adrenaline rush why not try stunt doubling?

You’ll usually need to apply to the British Stunt Register’s Stunt Grading Scheme. You’ll need qualifications and skills across at least 6 different sporting areas in 4 of the following groups:

• Fighting – martial arts or boxing
• Falling – trampolining or high diving
• Riding and driving – horse riding, driving cars or riding motorcycles
• Agility and strength – gymnastics or rock climbing
• Water – swimming or sub-aqua

Make Money Modelling

Modelling is the obvious choice when it comes to making money from your appearance. Don’t be put off by the Victoria Secrets runways, though. You don’t have to be Cara Delevingne to make money from modelling.

For most agencies where good looks are required, requirements are generally height (for women, the shortest height requirement is around 5’6” and for men it is usually 5’10), slim for catalogue modelling, toned and rubenesque for plus size.

Character modelling is excellent whatever your size if you have interesting or unique features from being very short to having a lot of tattoos or piercings.

Agencies will state on their website how to contact them. Usually, you fill out an online form with your measurement details and attach a photograph.

Rates vary wildly depending on your experience and the client you are working for, but you can make around £40 an hour.

Unfortunately, the industry is rife with scams, so stay alert. Fake photographers and scouts are always taking advantage of wannabe models. Never agree to pay to get a job!

Do your research and don’t be sucked into any scam agencies or studios. Think their client list is too good to be true? It probably is.

Become a Hand or Foot Model

All it takes to be a hand or foot model is blemish-free skin and even nail beds.

But you will need to check with specific agencies, such as Hired Hands. Body modelling agencies can also work with bottoms and legs for advertising campaigns, jewellery, accessories or retail products.

Your body parts need to be well maintained. A paper cut on your finger will mean you won’t get the gig!

Body part modelling also uses models as faces for makeup campaigns, so you can even model your eyes or lips alone.

Make Money From Your Appearance as a Life Drawing Model

Life modelling is simple. You get your kit off and pose while artists paint you. You can make around £10 an hour doing it.

Before you jump in however, you need to consider if it is really for yo

• You’ll have to be comfortable with people staring intensely at you whilst you’re naked!
• Sessions tend to go on for about three hours, with a couple of breaks, so you’ll have to be ok holding the same position for a while.

It’s not uncommon to be asked to model with someone of the opposite sex.

If you’re happy with all of this, then your first port of call should be local art colleges and education centres. Also keep an eye out for adverts in shop windows, newspapers and online.

Many are currently running sessions on Zoom, so you’ll be able to pose from your own home.

There’s also a great website – The Arts Model Register – which acts as a sort of unofficial modelling union and features jobs from all over the country.

Make Money from your appearance as a social media influencer

This will take some commitment and won’t make you thousands straight away, but it can be a great way to make money from your appearance.
If you have a social media following of 1000+ you could class yourself as a micro influencer.

From here, you can start reaching out to brands to collaborate on partnerships. Not all brands will pay you, but you should at least get some free samples.

As your following grows and you become more established brands might start reaching out to you directly and offering a larger payment.

Developing a niche helps you gain a following and means brands are more likely to want to work with you. To make money from your appearance you could focus on makeup or fashion perhaps.

Try Personal Training Online

This is the perfect option for anyone that loves to keep themselves fit. Personal training allows you to share this passion with others, while making some cash. Of course, it will be easier to get clients if you’re physically fit yourself.

Gyms may be closed at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still become a personal trainer. There’s a lot of demand for online sessions.

You MUST be legally registered with insurance and be fully qualified to protect yourself from claims.

The National Register of Personal Trainers recommends certain companies who offer personal training qualifications.

It is also worth checking out the Register for Exercise Professionals, who offer qualifications and can equip you with all the tools you need to get started.

Become a Celebrity Lookalike or Impersonator

If you’re friends are always telling you that you look like a certain celebrity, then this could be the job for you. If not, a bit of makeup and some props could have you looking the spitting image of a celebrity in no time.

You’ll need to get into character and take some pictures first, to make sure you resemble the celebrity and to promote your services.

If you’re serious about getting started, check out the agency Lookalikes. You can contact them and they may then take you on and help you get bookings as a lookalike.

Pay can range from £350 upwards for a day’s work. This will normally depend on your character and how popular they are, but will also be down to your location.

To make the top rates you will need to be a very close likeness to a celebrity and maybe even have some special skills, like being able to sing, too.

More Ways to Make Money

If you’re not confident with your appearance, there are plenty of other ways to make money! One of the best approaches is to invest your spare capital in various ways – it’s a long game, but the payoff is worth it (compared to low interest rate savings accounts).

• Pensions for Babies: Tax Efficient Inheritance!
• How to Invest When You Don’t Know Anything
• 3 Ways to Make Money Telling Your Real Life Story
• 50 Top Tips for Day-to-Day Savings

The post Make Money from Your Appearance appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Ways Your Organization Can Manage Fleet-Related Expenses

Reading Time: 3 mins

Establishing your key performance indicators, otherwise known as KPI’s, is essential to ensure your fleet performs effectively. You can collect them from your vehicle assets and the fleet organization. Collecting this data lets you analyse trends over time and ultimately find ways of cutting costs.

• Installing dash cams
• Reduce the vehicles lifecycle costs
• Ensure you get the highest resale value

 

Installing Dash Cams

Transportation comes with a risk of fraud. For instance, a driver might claim that one of your employees hit their vehicle. Or they might get in an accident on purpose to try to extract money from your organization. Insurance and accident fraud run’s rampant in today’s society, especially when vehicles of any type are involved. Do you recall those “how is my driving?” stickers that we see on the back of commercial trucks and semi’s? There is a reason for those. Technology like dash cams let drivers show they were innocent, proving liability…or the lack thereof. You can use the information to help law enforcement officials understand the crash’s circumstances. They offer you more control over your fleet’s safety since the features can increase visibility and reduce accidents, ensuring smooth roads ahead.

You can also use cameras in the cab to protect your drivers and ensure compliance with the organization’s policies. For instance, you obviously don’t allow your drivers to use phones while driving, and dash cams can help ensure your employees follow these rules. Or the camera could show what drivers did before an accident, showing if anything they did impact the outcome.

Lastly, there is the aspect of the ever present blind spot on nearly all large commercial vehicles. Try as you might, there are simply areas around large trucks that remain unseen by the driver. Dash cams allow for additional visibility when backing up the truck, as well as in poor weather conditions. These trucks can do seriously property damage or worse, bodily harm or injury, when not driven properly.

 

Reduce the Vehicles’ Lifecycle Costs

Executives at your company may feel that frequently replacing your vehicles is an unnecessary cost and encourage you to keep them until they are practically ancient. However, it’s easy to keep vehicles past the optimal economic life. That means you’ll end up spending more on maintenance and fuel since the car or truck will no longer run as efficiently.

Reducing your vehicles’ lifecycle costs means you need to understand how to optimize the cycle of replacing older cars or trucks. The best organizations use planning tools so they can economically see the ideal lifecycle for replacing their truck or car. When considering the relevant costs, such as the resale value, cost of a new car, projected repair, and planned maintenance, you can create both long-term and short-term replacement plans. Also, companies should understand that while vehicle replacement costs are a negative impact to free cashflow, they are essentially a zero impact to EBITDA. This important financial metric is also known as Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation & Amortization. While routine and expensive maintenance costs degrade an organizations EBITDA targets, replacement vehicles are capitalized and held on the balance sheet.

 

Ensure You Get the Highest Resale Value

It’s crucial to manage depreciation so you can sell the vehicle at the optimal place. Many corporations sell some vehicles to employees. You will often see companies who recycle their rental inventory, and sell their fleet to companies, employees, or 3^rd party individuals alike. The advantages of selling company cars to your employees include:

• Transportation and auction fee savings
• Higher resale value
• Faster receipt of the money
• Better care is taken of the vehicle

It’s best to have tools in place, so you stop your drivers from spending on cosmetic repairs, so you do not diminish the savings. Other ways of increasing the final sale value include selecting colours that give you the best return. So, you’ll want to choose neutral colours instead of bright ones. When you have a potential buyer, offer the maintenance records to show the vehicle was well cared for. Try to reduce the cost of the sale as well. For instance, you won’t want to do any repairs unless it requires a bit of cleaning. When you manage the transportation or auction fees, you might gain several hundred dollars on the sale. Look through industry-related information to benchmark your sales.

The post Ways Your Organization Can Manage Fleet-Related Expenses appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

8 Ways to Make £500 This Month

Reading Time: 6 mins

If you’re looking for some extra cash this month, don’t despair. There are plenty of ways you can make up to £500 in the month. If you don’t believe us, keep reading to see the proof.

1. Online Website Testing and Mystery Shopping
2. Make £500 This Month By Selling Your Stuff
3. Sign up to Shepper to Make £500 This Month
4. Check Your Tax Status
5. Claim Money Back From Your Energy Supplier
6. Set Up a Side Hustle That Helps In The Community
7. Freelance Online to Make £500
8. Become a Part-Time Virtual Assistant
9. The Final Breakdown

 

Online Website Testing and Mystery Shopping

Seeing as we’re all online anyway, you might as well make money surfing the web.

There are many ways to do this from online website testing to mystery shopping. Some of these are more complicated and time consuming than others.

One way that requires you to do very little is an app run by Ipsos Mori, the respected market research company – in fact they’ll pay you just for signing up!
The Ipsos Iris UK app quietly collects user behaviour in the background while you use your phone or tablet. It sends the info to Ipsos without you needing to do anything at all.

The Ipsos App pays you £5 per month plus £10 for signing – so that’s £15 in your pocket

Make £500 this month by Selling your stuff

Do you have old clothes in the back of your wardrobe you never wear? Or maybe books you don’t read or needed for courses you’ve now completed? Rather than leaving them to gather dust, get some cash for them instead.

Sites like Depop are great for selling clothes, while eBay and Facebook Marketplace are perfect for selling anything and everything – from books to wardrobes.

If you sell 5 items at £10 a pop, that will make you £50 in a month. Don’t forget to account for shipping and postage costs if you’re selling though, as these can eat into your profits if you don’t add them to your selling price.

Of course, there’s no limit to the amount you can sell or the amount you can make from this. The only limit is the amount you have to sell!

Sign up to Shepper to make Extra Cash this month

Shepper is a service for businesses across the UK that runs checks on their marketing, retail displays, even rental properties, to make sure everything is running smoothly.

The app uses Shepherds to undertake tasks for businesses. This saves the business so much money, gives you the opportunity to make extra cash in your spare time, and improves service for customers.

You can get paid between £2 and £20 for a task. Shepper says you can expect to earn around £10 for a 45-minute task. So, if you decide to do two 45 minute tasks a week you could earn £80 in a month.

Check your tax status to see if you can get a refund

Tax isn’t usually seen as a way to make money – more a way to lose money! But, you may be entitled to a tax refund.

There’s a surprising amount of reasons why you could get a tax refund, so check here to see if you fit the criteria. More people than ever could qualify for a tax refund this year, thanks to Covid-19 impacting working hours (and even redundancies). If you’re self-employed and made Payments on Account in July for your current tax year, you could also be due a refund if it turns out you overpaid.

Each situation is unique, so it’s hard to say exactly how much money a tax refund could make you. However, if you’re entitled to a refund it’s likely to be at least £50 in a month.

Are you due a Council Tax refund?

One lesser known thing is that if you’re the only person living in your home, you’re entitled to a Council Tax discount of 25%. If you’re now receiving Universal Credit or some other benefits, your low income could mean you’re entitled to additional Council Tax support. Some councils have a backlog at the moment – so your refund will be backdated to the date you applied.

Due to Covid-19, local councils currently have the power to give council tax reductions of up to 100 percent on bills – meaning you’ll pay nothing – for many people on benefits. They also may offer one-off grants to low income households to reduce the bill by £150.

Some people have managed to negotiate a Council Tax refund by getting their home re-evaluated for the Council Tax banding. It’s a complicated process, starting with lots of legwork and research with the VOA – but if you think your property should be in a lower band (based on similar houses around you), it’s worth claiming. You could get thousands of pounds refunded if your property is moved into a lower tax band.

Claim Money Back From Your Energy Supplier

A staggering number of people overpay their energy bill and actually have a surplus on their account.

According to 2019 research, around 12 million of Britain’s households are in credit to their energy suppliers to the tune of £1.5 billion collectively. One in 10 that were owed a tax refund were owed over £200.

You can claim this money back or use it to lower your next bill if you are in credit.

There’s also a number of people that have missed out on money left in their account when they’ve switched suppliers. If you’ve switched in the past 6 years while you were in credit, you could be able to claim an average of £50 back from your old supplier.

If you’re on a low income and you’re struggling to pay your bills, you could also be entitled to receive an energy grant to reduce or eliminate your energy debts. Find out more here.

Taking the average you could claim back £50 this month. Of course, you may be entitled to far more, so make sure you check carefully!

Set Up a Side Hustle That Helps in the Community

Making money can often be seen as a self-focused act that only benefits you and your family. But, you can also help your community.

There are plenty of side hustles that can help your neighbours and make you some cash on the side. Popular options are dog walking and car washing – both things many of your neighbours will really appreciate.

For more suggestions of how to make money ethically in your community click here.

These odd jobs can quickly add up for you too without taking a large amount of your time.

If you walk a dog twice a week while charging £10 an hour, you’ll have an extra £80 in your pocket at the end of the month!

Freelance Online to Make £500

The internet can be a big distraction but also offers lots of opportunities to make money.

Sites like Fiverr and Upwork can be great for picking up freelance tasks as they have thousands of listings from all over the world.

They have a range of jobs on offer from copywriting to graphic design and even social media. Whatever your skillset, you’re bound to find a job that fits.

The amount you’re paid depends on the job and your experience, but you could make at least £10 an hour.

Working two hours a week could therefore make you £80 in a month!

Become a Part-Time Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants (VA) are essentially freelancers who work in an administrative role for a company or client remotely. They hire out their administrative or creative assistance to various clients and businesses and assist with their needs from home.

Some people hire VAs full time, but you can also work on a part time for a number of clients depending on their requirements each week. This gives you the flexibility to work when you want and make some extra cash without overwhelming yourself with too much work.

You could earn around £25 an hour as a new virtual assistant. Working just 2 hours a week, you could realistically make £200 a month.

The Final Breakdown

Still not convinced this adds up to over £500 in one month? Here’s the maths:

Online website testing – £15
Selling your stuff – £50
Signing up to Shepper – £80
Claiming back tax – £50
Claiming from your energy supplier – £50
Setting up a side hustle – £80
Freelancing – £80
Becoming a virtual assistant – £120
Total – £525

More Money Making Tips

If you need to set up a passive income (or two!) for continued extra revenue, try these articles next.

• Ten Ways to Get Free Money
• Dirty Ways to Make Money
• Make Money Selling Empty Boxes
• 30 Ways to Make Money Online

The post 8 Ways to Make £500 This Month appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

How You Can Attract More Money To Your Business

Reading Time: 3 mins

Bringing money in as a business is obviously vital. If a business has no money, its liquidity falls rapidly and it’ll end up going bankrupt. Unfortunately, many businesses encountered this issue during the coronavirus pandemic. Especially those in the tourism or travel sectors. The main income stream was shut down.

It’s why businesses are looking for additional streams of income and other ways they can survive. People are trying to ensure their business can weather any future form via diversification and hedging. There are always more ways to make money off your business, it just depends what time you have available. It also depends on which industry you’re in.

Here are some top tips for you to think about implementing. They may not all apply to you but they’ll at least help you shift your mentality to one which tries to scope out new opportunities.

• Project confidence
• International opportunities
• Sell more products
• Cut back on those supplier contracts

 

Project Confidence

If you and your business project a certain aura, customers and other businesses will feel safer doing business with you. It’s an age-old trick used by sole traders right the way up to the biggest businesses in existence. Project confidence and look the part. This means your stationary had the name of your business on it. You use a top quality designed letterhead. Consider a good invoice example to base your own off so that customers see you as the professional business you’d like to portray. If customers feel confident shopping with you, they’ll be far happier putting money into your business. If they don’t feel confident, then they may just navigate to your customers website instead.

 

International Opportunities

Covid has taught the business community how certain countries have been able to bounce back faster than others from certain setbacks, meaning their industry has picked up pretty fast. It means a lot of businesses have looked for opportunities abroad. This isn’t something that only works in the aftermath of covid either. It’s something that can workout going forward. Essentially, if there’s a market for whatever you’re selling in your own country, there’s probably one abroad. Before you go jetting off to Japan with your bright idea, it’s important to get a notepad out and start researching. You need to look into your new target country and consider how your product or service will land there. Will it fit in with the cultural norms and can your product compete with items already there. If everything is good, there’s no harm trying a bit of market research. 

 

Sell More Products

Obviously! But it goes a bit deeper than that. How established is your selling platform? What kind of traffic are you getting? It might be that your products are amazing, but that your website is just struggling to pull traffic in. So, maybe you consider setting up on another selling platform. Amazon for products, Alibaba if you’re a supplier. The key here is to ensure that whichever platform you’re using has a good reputation and is pulling in far more web traffic than you are. You’ll lose some profit due to fees, but it will increase your brand awareness meaning that more people are going to be interacting with you as a business. As this increases, so might your traffic – especially if you ship each item with a business card directing to your website for other products. If you can sell more products, you’ll pull in far more money and be able to invest in other products and income streams going forward.

 

Cut Back On Those Supplier Contracts

It isn’t always about attracting money. Stopping money going out can pretty much do the same thing. You’ll still be left with a net increase. Cutting back on the supplier contracts can be a surefire way to save you money. Even if you need what they’re selling, you can still probably renegotiate pricing. This is mainly because of coronavirus. A lot of the pricing has come down, with suppliers ever conscious that a lot of businesses have lost their buying clout. Even if it’s just for a short period of time, you might be able to get a reduction on your rates. You might also be better off singing up to a different supplier. A lot of business owners make the mistake of staying with the same one. There is certainly something to be said for loyalty, and for reliability, but not if you can get exactly the same somewhere else for a lot cheaper. Think of it like car insurance, the prices might creep up but it’ll be cheaper elsewhere if you put the effort in.

Read articles in our small business ideas section for more tips and tricks.

The post How You Can Attract More Money To Your Business appeared first on MoneyMagpie.