Christmas - the business opportunity

6 Easy ways to make money from the Christmas rush I’m not really all that keen on bringing this up in September. But if I didn’t you could miss out on some great opportunities. So here goes! Like it or not, Christmas is one of the biggest money making opportunities of the year, if not the biggest – in fact, many businesses make most of their profit over Christmas. So, here’s not one but six simple ideas for how you can make money this Christmas… 1. Sell Christmas gifts on eBay This is so easy almost anyone can do it! Do some research into the predicted top 10 (or 20) Christmas gifts this year - then source some stock ASAP; before all other sellers get around to it. You’ll then be in pole position to add Christmas-related listings as the festive season approaches. Here’s a special report for you on which toys are likely to be trending this year: What Will Christmas 2012’s Top Selling Products Be? 2. Set up your own Christmas website or blog During the autumn the Internet search traffic from consumers looking to find Christmas gift/present/food/decoration/party ideas and so on soars into the billions. You could tap into all this by setting up your own blog or website. (You could even do a Pinterest or Instagram page if you’re interested in the newest social media tools.) Post up some Christmas tips, news, recipes, makes, product reviews and so on. Next, how to monetise your Christmas website? It’s simple. You don’t need any stock. Just use affiliate schemes that will pay you a commission every time your visitors buy a product or click a link. For example, Amazon’s affiliate scheme would be ideal for this. 3. Make and sell Christmas cards and decorations Come the autumn the shops will be packed with cards and decorations. But there’s a lot of the same-old-made-in-China stuff. There are plenty of buyers out there who are looking for something different... and handmade cards and decorations are perfect to supply this niche demand. There are lots of free ‘how to’s’ for cards and decorations out there on the Internet. Here’s another useful article on making cash from crafts at Christmas and all other times of the year too. 4. Christmas decorating service Everybody likes their home/shop/office/restaurant/pub to look festive at Christmas. But many people don’t have the time or inclination to do it. If you do, how about setting up a Christmas decorating service handling all the trees, baubles, lights and garlands for your customers? Tip: To make the best profits from this service aim it at commercial premises and big houses in affluent areas, where you can charge thousands of pounds a time. Here’s a service that does just this, to show you how it works: The Christmas Decorators. 5. Gift wrapping service Gift wrapping is another thing that lots of people don’t like doing, or don’t have the time to do. But let’s face it, it’s not really difficult. If you don’t mind wrapping gifts you could easily offer this service. You could either run this service from home. Or, rent a stall in a busy shopping mall. Tip: Use good quality wrap, bows, tags and so on and buy them from a wholesale source to keep your costs to a minimum. 6. Crafts and gift fairs Car booting is pretty much done come the end of the summer. But that’s when crafts and gifts fairs get more popular. They’re indoors, and the best ones attract thousands of shoppers keen to find original and unique gifts. Get your stalls booked as early as possible. Then spend some time scouring the Internet for the latest craft and gift ideas and sources of stock. Or, like I said, if you’re crafty you can also make your own handicrafts to sell. This is a great resource!  If you’re looking for ideas for new and exciting products to sell, actual sources of them, and great advice on buying-selling for profit then I strongly recommend you take a look at Amanda O’Brien’s brand new The Source Report membership website, just launched. The Source Report website is an absolute treasure trove of product ideas and sources. While first and foremost it’s intended for eBay you could really use it as a source for just about ANY buy-and-sell business. And the really great thing is, it’s updated in real time - so you could find out about products and sources within hours of them being discovered – BEFORE almost anyone else! Find out how to sign up here: The Source Report Now on with this week’s latest news and articles… How to make money organising parties This could be an ideal little biz opp not just for Christmas, but all year round! If you’d like a business that’s fun to run and profitable – and which you can run part time from home – then you might look at becoming a party organiser. Here are some tips on setting up your own professional party organising service.