Sneed, Christopher

Wise, Dena

English

University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Trace

University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Family UT Extension Publications 6-22-2011 PB1662 Turning Personal Resources into Income Dena Wise Christopher Sneed Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_agexfami  Part of the Other Life Sciences Commons Recommended Citation "PB1662 Turning Personal Resources into Income," Dena Wise and Christopher Sneed, PB1662 , https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_agexfami/82 The publications in this collection represent the historical publishing record of the UT Agricultural Experiment Station and do not necessarily reflect current scientific knowledge or recommendations. Current information about UT Ag Research can be found at the UT Ag Research website. This Parenting, Children and Teens is brought to you for free and open access by the UT Extension Publications at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Family by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact trace@utk.edu. 1Economic Turning Personal  Resources into CashPB166223Economic Solutions …Turning Personal Resources into Cash Dena Wise, ProfessorChristopher Sneed, Extension Agent IIUniversity of Tennessee ExtensionFamily and Consumer Sciences     Face it! Whether employed or unemployed, we all could use a little extra money. Most people think that they need a “job” to make money. While a job is a great source of a steady income and perhaps benefits, that steady stream of income can quickly be reduced or even eliminated.      More and more people are finding they need more money that their regular job provides or that they have to come up with money without actually having a job. There are ways to make money that most people may not have thought of. This publication will help you identify the personal resources you have and give you ideas about how to—legally—turn those resources into cash. What is a Personal Resource?    A personal resource is something you already have    that can be used to get other things you want or need such as income, employment or job training. Exam-ples of personal resources include • Time• Skills• Start-up capital4Time    When you think of personal resources, time may not be the first one that comes to mind. But, time IS money.     When your time isn’t structured by outside employment, it’s easy to use it in ways that are not productive. If you’re going to turn personal resources into cash, you can’t get distracted and waste time on other things. The activity below will help you do this.    Think back to yesterday. Around the clock face, make notes about what you were doing during the different times of the day. Be honest. Take a realistic look at how you spent your time and ask yourself these questions. Make notes about your answers. 1. Were you able to account for all your time?2. What surprises you about how you spent your time?3. What activities occupied the largest chunks of time?4. Will those activities help you make extra money?If you are not satisfied with your use of time yesterday, make a plan for being more productive today.Don’t worry! This painful exercise won’t take too much time! Employed or not, at least eight hours of your day should be devoted to work–looking for a job, updating your re-sume, getting new training or figuring out how to turn your personal resources into cash.NOTESTip #15SkillsThe skills you have are not shared by everyone. Your unique skills are worth money! If you are good at … Make money by …Using new technologyUploading music on iPodsDesigning/maintaining websitesCreating online surveysGiving your opinion Taking online surveysWritingBloggingFacebooking/TwitteringWriting technical publications CraftsMaking and selling jewelryDesigning holiday decorationsScrapbookingWoodworkingCreating personalized greeting cardsFixing thingsRepairing furnitureRefinishing furnitureDoing minor home repairsSewingDoing alternationsRecovering furnitureRepairing clothingMonogramming DecoratingStaging homes for real estate companiesMaking floral arrangementsDecorating homes for the holidays or special eventsBargain huntingSelling yard sale finds onlineFlea-marketingWorking with childrenBabysittingEntertaining at children’s partiesLeading children’s activitiesCleaningStarting a cleaning service for homes or businessesCleaning swimming poolsDoing laundryOrganizingCleaning out and organizing storage spacesFilingGrowing thingsGrowing and selling fresh produce or herbsSelling flowers or plantsWeeding and fertilizing gardens or plantingsTrimming hedges and pruningMoving and liftingCollecting metalsHauling junk to recycling centers or landfillsHelping people moveRearranging furniture in homes or businessesStudyingLeading study groupsTutoringDoing researchTaking class notes and selling themArt, graphic design or photographySelling paintingsScreen printingDesigning promotional brochuresMatting and framingStretching canvasesSelling stock photographs onlineDocumenting family activities through photography6Ideas for Businesses with Low-cost Start-upGrocery shopping and deliveryMeal planning/grocery shoppingComparison shopping serviceErrand runningDistributing flyers and promotionsFlower/balloon deliverySinging message deliveryWorkplace lunch deliveryDiaper/formula delivery serviceFresh meat/produce delivery servicePharmacy delivery servicePersonal chefCake decoratingCateringAlterationsSewingWindow treatmentsMaking cushions and pillowsMonogrammingDecorative paintingHoliday decoratingGift shopping serviceGift wrapping serviceOrganizing garage salesResale clothingCloset organizingGarage organizingHome weatherproofingHome dust and allergy controlWindow cleaningGutter cleaningErecting fencingIn-home sick child careIn-home child careRecuperative careElder careTutoringAfter school child transportation/careChildren’s taxi service for working momsElderly taxi serviceHerb gardening7Note: Some of the businesses mentioned may require special training, licensing or insurance.  It is important to research business ideas fully before you decide what you will do.Flower-scapingGarden consultingVegetable gardeningFlower gardeningIndoor plant maintenanceHome and office fresh flower deliveryYard workPacking and unpacking serviceLocal moving serviceInternet researchFamily tree researchBookkeepingDisc jockey serviceWedding coordinationPreparing and sending newslettersCalendar and reminder serviceResume preparationIncome tax serviceWord processing serviceVideo serviceBartending for private partiesWedding photographyInformal family photographyCreating menus for restaurantsSupplying specialty herbs and vegetablesSpecialty food preparationBusiness travel managementServing at private dinners or receptions   Walking toursReunion organizingPersonal travel planningEvent promotionClowningWindow treatmentsMaking cushions and pillowsMonogrammingDecorative paintingHoliday decoratingGift shopping serviceGift wrapping serviceOrganizing garage salesResale clothingCloset organizingGarage organizingHome weatherproofingHome dust and allergy controlWindow cleaningGutter cleaningErecting fencingIn-home sick child careIn-home child careRecuperative careElder careTutoringAfter school child transportation/careChildren’s taxi service for working momsElderly taxi serviceHerb gardening8Remember, you are worth it!      When you use your unique skills, you deserve to be compensated. While it is OK to help out friends and family from time to time, remember that it is OK, even practical, to expect to be compen-sated for the work that you do.       Setting a price to charge for your work may prove to be the most difficult part of turning your assets into income! (Hey, even the “pros” have a hard time with this.) While there is no hard and fast rule for what you should be paid, you should expect no less than minimum wage for the work you are doing. In the case of work that is highly skilled, you can and should ask for more than minimum wage. Check out the following examples of how to compute your worth.EXAMPLE 1 - Scrapbooking      You have been asked by a friend to create a small,  five-page scrapbook for her mother’s birthday. In deciding how much to charge, you should consider:Your Time (including time spent shopping for supplies, time plan-ning the scrapbook pages, time working on the pages, time cleaning up after the project) Your Fee (let’s assume you are going to charge $7 per hour of your time)Your Supplies (cardstock, glue, embellishments, stickers, letters, etc.)TIME: 10 Hours X Fee  = $70.00  + Supplies  = $95.00     $7.00/hour     $25.00If you decide you want to be paid for something you’ve been doing for free, be sure you’ve made this clear to friends or family.Determine how much you want to be paid and negotiate your terms up front before you actually do any of the work.Tip #29EXAMPLE 2 - Photography      A neighbor who knows you’re good with a camera has asked you to take pictures at her child’s birthday party and make six memory books for relatives.Your Time (including time spent photographing the party, editing the photographs and designing the  memory book) Your Fee (given your special skills and equipment, you feel a fair charge is $20 per hour of your time)Your Supplies (you estimate that each 24-page memory book will cost $25)TIME: 10 Hours X Fee  = $200.00 + Supplies  = $350.00     $20.00/hour     $150.00Photographing :  2 hoursEditing: 2 hoursDesigning: 6 hours10Start-up Capital     Don’t let this business term frighten you. Start-up capital simply refers to the money, equipment or space you need to begin turning your resources into income. The equipment and supplies you’ve purchased for personal use may be just the start-up capital you need to begin performing paid services for other people. Take inventory of your possessions and decide which ones might be used to generate extra cash. Reliable carTruck or trailerBoatRecreational vehicleWoodworking equipmentWelding machineMechanic toolsHome repair toolsExtension ladderScaffoldingAir compressorPressure washerSnow blowerLeaf blower  Lawn mower Garden tractor or tillerHedge trimmersWeed eaterGardening equipment and suppliesLeft over seeds and fertilizerExtra yard plantingsFarm machineryHorseLivestockWagon or carriageEarth moving equipment11ScannerCopierComputer and InternetMP3 playerVideo or still cameraCD burnerSewing machineSergerEmbroidery machineMat cutterCraft suppliesFabric scrapsGift wrapping suppliesArt suppliesFlower arranging suppliesLaundry equipmentSteam cleanerCarpet shampooerDishes and service wareCake decorating suppliesCanning equipmentBaking equipmentKeyboard, guitar or other musical    InstrumentKaraoke machineSpeakers, microphones, sound board12     The most important start-up capital you may need is money. If money is tight, you can always start small. Starting small allows you to get a feeling for what you are undertaking before you make a major commitment. The following chart show places in your current budget where you may be able to generate the cash you need within a few months.Item Cost Each Purchase # Per Month Cost Per Month Cost Per YearSoft Drinks $.75 30 $22.50 $270Pack of Cigarettes $5.00 15 $70.00 $840Lunches Out* $5.00 12 $60.00 $720Music Downloads $1.50 12 $18.00 $216Movies $7.00 4 tickets $28.00 $336Snack Food $1.00 15 $15.00 $180Total $213.50 $2,562As You Begin . . .      Before you spend lots of time or money, find answers to the questions below by researching them on the Internet or contacting agencies that can assist you.     If you plan to start your own business, is there a market for your product or service? The “market” for a product or service is the number of people who would pay money for it, and the amount of money they would pay. A good way to start researching your market is to ask people in your community if they might use your product or service and what they would pay. You will need to be flexible and willing to change your ideas for a business as you learn more about what people need or expect. Lots of experimenting with different ways of doing things will help you learn what works.Small Savings Add Up*In excess of bringing food from home.     Is special training required for what you plan to do? Some jobs require special training or certifications. Check with your local career center (http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/cc/cccounty.htm) to see if what you plan to do requires training, and if you qualify for training assistance or free training.13     If you are making a product to sell, does it meet health and safety requirements? If you are making a food product, health laws require that your food preparation area be inspected and certi-fied. You may be able to certify your home kitchen under Tennessee’s Domestic Kitchen Regulations (http://tennessee.gov/sos/rules/0080/0080-04/0080-04-11.pdf). Also, some communities have certi-fied kitchens in community centers or churches that can be rented to prepare food products for sale. Check with your local health department and your Extension agent to learn if your locale has a com-munity kitchen and what safety precautions you need to take when preparing and packaging food or other products.     If you plan to provide a service for pay, do you need special licenses or insurance? You can find information about state or local licensing requirements on the Internet, including some of the sites below. You may want to talk with people who are doing similar businesses about these requirements.      What are the tax implications of your extra income? Registering your business name will trigger tax requirements and the need to report sales. In addition, you are legally required to report your income from all sources on your Federal Income Tax forms. Be prepared to share some of your extra cash with the government, and understand what implications small business success may have on your record-keeping and cash flow. This site can provide more information: http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/manage/paytaxes/index.html      Do you need help with your plans? A very good way to get help is to talk with people who do or have done similar businesses. Retired business people can often give you excellent help and advice. Some state and local agencies and organizations also offer help. These may include:• State of Tennessee www.tn.gov/topics/business• Tennessee Career Centers http://www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/cc/cccounty.htm  • U.S. Small Business Administration http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html • Tennessee Small Business Development Center http://www.tsbdc.org • eXtension http://www.extension.org/entrepreneurship• UT Extension http://utextension.tennessee.edu/pages/offices.aspx • UT Center for Profitable Agriculture http://cpa.utk.edu• Your local Chamber of Commerce http://www.tnchamber.org • Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) http://www.score.orgStart now! If you wait until you have “enough” money or “extra” time, you may never begin. Outline a plan and commit to making daily progress toward your goal.Tip #314A Word of Caution About Work-at-Home Offers … “Sometimes you gotta’ create what you want to be a part of.” (Geri Weitzman)Creating ways to generate cash outside of a regular job may be challenging at first. Don’t worry! Help is all around you—maybe a mouse click or phone call away. The time you spend educating yourself before you actually begin can be the most important factor in your future success.     Type “make money at home” into any In-ternet search engine and you will be amazed at the “opportunities” available. While the Internet is a great place for generating, researching and locating ways for making money on your own, not all offers on the Internet are legitimate or even legal. To avoid falling victim to a “make money at home” scam, consider the following:• Type the name of the work-at-home website or company along with the word “scam” into your Internet search engine. Chances are if others have been taken advantage by a com-pany, they will have been more than willing  to post their bad experiences online.• Never commit a large sum of money up front in return for the promise of a large return. Legitimate companies should require little if any money upfront. If the work-at-home company you are con-sidering requires the purchase of inventory up front, make sure you can be refunded for any unsold inventory.• Be realistic. No one is going to give you a large paycheck for doing nothing. The amount of com-pensation and the effort required on your part should make sense. If not, perhaps the “opportunity” IS simply too good to be true.• Read the fine print – all of it. Read and understand the terms and requirements. The glitz and appeal of work-at-home opportunities are often overshadowed by the truth buried in the fine print.• Check it out. The Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) is an excellent resource for investigating work-at-home offers.  Tip #4Adapted from:Wise, Dena. 2000. Turning Personal Resources Into Income. UT Extension. PB1662.15Notes:16PB1662    3M    5/11 (Rev.)    E12-5345-00-052-11    11-0214Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee  Institute of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

PB1662 Turning Personal Resources into Income

http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=utk_agexfami

PB1662 Turning Personal Resources into Income

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Trace