Is your income from your day job not enough? Or you want to just explore other opportunities while you still hold a full time job? Here are some ideas for you.

PARTY FAVORS, CORPORATE GIFTS AND GIVEAWAYS

What is it:  Putting together specialized items to commemorate occasions.

What you may be up against: Lack of quality control. The risk of being too cheesy or tacky with gifts.

What to consider:  Ask yourself:  will the recipient really appreciate what she’s getting? Will this gift be a useful one? You can have ordinary items like mugs and towels customized to your client’s preferences at a minimum cost and ensure on time delivery of their orders.

How you can be different from the others: 

  • Research for new designs and non-traditional items. A website lists the most popular business giveaways: pens, Post-it notepads, badge holders, portfolio, laptop bags, insulated mugs, padfolios (appointment notebooks), and tote bags.
  • Keep your promotional items functional, your commemorative items beautiful and durable, and your all-occasion giveaways (for birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries) personal and trendy.
  • Upgrade the quality of materials you use especially if you see exporting as a future option for your business.
  • Consider manufacturing your giveaways yourself to maximize your potential profits.
  • Be prepared to offer more than what your client wants. Big companies especially are traditionally conservative and inclined to go for the tried and tested, like mugs or commemorative cutlery or plates. Be prepared to show them new designs and more variety.
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ACCESSORIES

What is it:  Hours-long and a labor-intensive involvement with a load of beads, crystals, shells, stones, wires, clasps, magazines, books, and doodling before coming up with creations to supply the ever-growing market for trinkets.

What you may be up against:  Muscle strain in your fingers or wrists, a bad back, bad eyesight if you work in insufficient light, a mess if your toddler upturns your bead bin, and competition in the deluge of other accessories makers.

What to consider:  Not to get too obsessed during work. Get up and stretch! Specialized plastic containers for your materials. Industry-quality pliers and pincers so your hands don’t get strained too much. Also, don’t let creativity overwhelm practicality. If those earrings you’re making are sure to weigh a pound, then why make them at all?

How you can be different from the others: 

  • Travel for designs and material. Cambodia has semi-precious stones. If you travel as far as Czechoslovakia, you may be able to get their own brand of glass beads.
  • Make sure your sources are in place before putting expansion plans into action.
  • consider using other materials, too, such as shells, stones, animal bones or horns. The western market loves this indigenous stuff! But be sure that you’re not using protected or banned materials when you choose to go this route.
  • Hire help to assist you string the beads.
  • Create eye-catching and recyclable packaging for good product recall.
  • Check out trade shows where you can showcase your products and spot trends, benchmark and compare how your products stack up against competition.

GIFT WRAPPING SERVICE

What is it:  Bundles of paper, wrapping skill, and bubbly PR for people too busy to have their gifts wrapped themselves.

What you may be up against: Wrapping and labeling the wrong gift.

What to consider:  delivery service, special patterned wrapping paper or materials such as gauze; embellishments such as beads and dried flowers; new techniques for wrapping irregularly shaped items with round or cornered silhouette; offer customized cards for multiple job orders.

How you can be different from the others: 

  • Find out, if you can, the gift recipient’s personality in order to more appropriately choose the color, material and additional touches like cards, ribbons and trimmings.
  • Promote your services right away. If you’re truly resourceful and aggressive at networking, you would have started to find gift wrapping jobs as early as June or July, tapping those people who do their Christmas shopping early.
  • Expand your services to include selecting and buying the gifts yourself or tying up with suppliers, or an importer-trader who travels to Bangkok, Hongkong and other bargain havens.

More on: 

Hot Extra Income Ideas for Working Moms (Part 2)

Hot Extra Income Ideas for Working Moms (Part 3)

I also have links to my other articles through my blogs: Sharing my Thoughts and Lifestyle Magazine for Moms

Want to know how to earn extra dollars through writing articles like this? Just visit: http://www.jejeizahfaye.com/2010/01/earning-through-writing-articles.html