How to Lower My Comcast Bill in 5 Quick Steps

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If you’re here trying to find out “how to lower my Comcast bill,” good for you! Not every customer knows this, but it is definitely possible if you know how to do it.

This post details several methods existing Comcast customers have successfully lowered their monthly bills.

How to Lower my Comcast Bill or Xfinity Bill

FYI, it doesn’t matter if you still call your plan Comcast (like I do) even after the company has rebranded to the Xfinity name since 2010.

Note that I’ll be using both “Comcast” and “Xfinity” throughout this guide, so as long as you feel you’re paying too much for your cable and internet service, you have to read on and see which method would work best for you.

1. Check Errors on Your Bill

Comcast has admitted to making a mistake and erroneously charging some of its customers an unintended fee back in 2014 and in 2019.

The company was also charged (and ordered to pay over $9 million) when it was found to be violating a law 445,000 times by charging customers in Washington an extra fee for a service protection plan without their permission.

With Comcast’s history, it’s only natural for existing Comcast/Xfinity subscribers to be wary of unnecessary fees added to their bills. Check your bill every month and make sure you understand all details and charges you pay for.

The types of fees can be tricky. You can check this Xfinity hidden costs guide to learn about which fees you can avoid.

If something doesn’t look right with your bill, such as:

  • Services you don’t recognize
  • Double entry of service fees
  • Services you didn’t use/receive

…call 1-800-Xfinity (1-800-934-6489) immediately, select prompt #2 for Billing and Payments and request the customer service representative to double-check your account and have the charges removed or get credited for the erroneous billing.

2. Buy Your Own Equipment

Most Comcast Xfinity plans come with a $14/month wifi and router fee, which totals to around $168 a year.

Only one or two plans (like the 25 Mbps Xfinity Internet Essentials) include WiFi equipment for free, so there is no need to pay wifi lease fees on a monthly basis.

Xfinity has also been pushing subscribers to opt into their in-home mesh xFi pods, which adds an extra $25/month.

If you’re unsure if you’re currently paying a continuous lease for Wifi modem and router, check your monthly bill.

Look under the “regular monthly charges” section, where you’ll likely to find information about modem rental. If there’s nothing like this on your bill, then there’s a good chance you subscribed to a plan with free equipment.

If you find the wifi rental fee on your bill, you can remove this monthly fee by buying and using your own modem and router combo from a list of approved devices on Xfinity’s website.

Most of these devices cost about $100, so if you stay with Comcast Xfinity, you’ll be saving a lot more than what you invested in the wifi equipment upfront.

3. Downsize or Modify Your Plans

This method will vary significantly based on your use and preference.

Do you still use your cable? If so, what channels do you watch the most? Have you compared new streaming offers since you first signed up?

Many people subscribe to cable and internet at Comcast years ago and just pay religiously for the services not knowing that there are better plans that are not only more affordable but could also fit better to your actual media consumption.

When it comes to downsizing or modifying your existing plans, here are several ways I discovered when searching for ways how to lower my Comcast bill:

  • Cut your basic cable and upgrade to live streaming (compare Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV, Philo, Sling TV, and others to learn what you’d most likely enjoy the most).
  • Remove your TV plan completely and sign up for Xfinity Mobile (the company’s cell phone service).
  • Subscribe to Xfinity TV for a special rate (Paying less to sign up for TV is actually surprising to many subscribers).

There are many more possible options that could cut your Comcast bill, but because every plan is different, you need to communicate your requirements.

Trust that when you call Comcast’s hotline, take all the time you can to talk about your plan, remove services you no longer use, upgrade to newer services, and modify the plan that would eventually lower your bill in the future.

But if you LOVE everything about your Comcast Xfinity plan, except for the increasing monthly fees, the next method would be your next possible solution.

4. Negotiate Your Existing Contract

Just like most telcos, the first point of contact is regular customer service.

Unfortunately, customer service reps are not responsible for negotiating with you. Because they’re not incentivized to keep you as a customer, they will just do the bare minimum in addressing your concern.

The bad news is that you can’t call the retention department directly.

You have to pass through the customer service department first. If you go through the automated menu, pick the “disconnect service” option, so you will be directed to the retention department.

If you get a real person on the line, tell them that you wish to cancel your plan – there’s a good chance the rep would transfer you to the retention department.

If the rep doesn’t direct you to retention, tell them the rep you wish to talk to “Customer Solutions.”

Here are some guidelines:

  • Double-check your contract. See if you can actually get out of your contract before negotiating. You may just be paying additional fees (like cancellation fees) if you try to renegotiate now.
  • Renegotiate your contract every year. Comcast usually rewards loyal customers, so if you stayed for a whole year, this is a good time to renegotiate your contract.
  • Be friendly. You can’t be angry when communicating.
  • Be prepared to negotiate. You should know the services and prices of competitors, so you can compare with Comcast Xfinity more accurately.
  • Dig deeper. Don’t just check out competitor websites. Instead, call them and get an actual offer.

And if you do get an offer from Comcast that seems like a better deal, don’t just decide quickly.

Instead, study the deal first. For example, if your deal includes a free subscription to streaming services like Peacock TV, note that this could still count against your data cap. And if the plan has the usual 1.2 Terabyte data limit on home internet plans, this can easily eat up the data.

5. Switch to a Comcast Competition

Sometimes, we won’t be offered the deal we want. If you tried your best to renegotiate a better plan, but isn’t 100% happy with the offer, maybe it’s time to move on and find an alternative.

When comparing competitor’s plans, make sure to check the following considerations:

  • internet speed and data cap
  • number of channels
  • equipment rental fee
  • overall cost and freebies
  • customer support (try to call each one and see how quickly you get answers to your inquiries)
  • Frequency of discounts

Other Money-saving Tricks You Should Add to Your Budgeting

If you’re looking for more ways to cut back on expenses and save money on a monthly basis, here are several awesome techniques THAT WORK:

Also, if you have no money but want to start a business, I wrote a guide about that here.

20 Online and Offline Summer Jobs for Teachers

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Students cannot wait for the school year to end and summer to begin, but little do they know that teachers are just as excited because they can now earn extra income with summer jobs for teachers.

If you’re looking for a part-time gig this summer, you’ve come to the right place. Let me tell you all about the opportunities you have both online and offline.

Note that when creating this list, I assumed the teachers would eventually go back to teaching full-time after the summer break, so expect these jobs to be seasonal or somewhat temporary.

10 Online Summer Jobs for Teachers

The easiest way to save money throughout the summer is to work from home. No commute. No fast food lunches. No tempting shopping on the way home. The following online jobs are perfect for teachers taking their summer breaks:

1. Online Tutoring, ESL, and other teaching jobs

If you love teaching to the core, you can still help students out even during your break.

You have quite a few options online, such as tutoring (SAT tutoring), and teaching people English as a second language.

Tutors can make between $20 and $50 an hour, depending on the tutor’s experience and skill level.

Check organizations like Lindamood-Bell or Catapult Learning, which offer summer programs to students who need to catch up with their studies.

2. Bookkeeping, tax prep, and other accounting jobs

If you’re good with numbers, you can get a job bookkeeping, preparing taxes, and other work-from-home accounting jobs.

You can even become a financial advisor from home and earn by commissions.

3. Writing Jobs

If you have a knack for writing, you’ll have plenty of job opportunities online. Here are just examples of gigs that pay you to write on the top of my head:

My favorite: these 7 weird, but legit work-at-home writing jobs that involve writing fortune cookies, gravestone writing, and adult content.

You can earn writing by the word (1 cent to $5/word), by article, hourly, or on a project basis.

4. Editing and Proofreading jobs

Those with advanced writing experience are likely to have editing and proofreading skills as well. Here’s a guide on how to turn proofreading into a lucrative summer job.

5. Transcription Work

In our ever-expanding digital world, companies require data saved in databases every day.

As a transcriber, you get to help these companies with a wide range of tasks, from updating personal medical records (for medical transcription) to booking your flight details with a particular airline.

Here are other transcription jobs you can check out.

6. Test scorers

Online test graders read and score assessment tests, papers, or essays done by students (from high school to college students and even professionals taking specialized tests).

The job pays $10 to $25 an hour, depending on the companies you apply for.

7. Lesson plan & textbook creators

It would be easy for you to create lesson plans since it’s part of a teacher’s responsibility.

But if you wish to get paid, check out Teachers Pay Teachers and other sites you can sell your lesson plan-making expertise for cash.

8. Social Media Expert

If you know your way around Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media platforms, and would love to earn some cash helping brands get their products and services spread to their target markets.

If you don’t know what it takes to be a social media specialist, here’s how to do it and the types of social media jobs available for you.

9. Counseling

Teachers can easily transition into other counseling jobs. Share your wisdom and become a part-time life coach, a spiritual therapist, or even an online dating consultant.

10. Travel agent

The cool thing about becoming a travel agent is that you can do the job from home, part-time or full-time.

If you dipped your toes in the industry and achieved success during the summer you spent working, you can even do it full-time as an agency business.

10 Outdoor Summer Jobs for Teachers

Let’s say you don’t want to get cooped up inside your house the entire summer vacation. If you want a job that gets you out and about, check out the following gigs:

1. Local tour guide

It’s perfect for teachers who LOVE meeting new people, teaching about local history and sharing your beloved town or city with tourists.

As a local tour guide, you’ll likely be traveling along with a group of people, so prepare to be on your feet during the trip.

2. Pet-walking or petsitting

If you love pets, walking the dogs (or cats) can be a hobby that pays cash.

If you’re not physically in shape to walk big dog breeds, you can stick to petsitting instead.

Both kinds of pet-related gigs pay well based on the number of pets you can call your clients. There’s even an app – called Rover – to help you find clients.

3. Food delivery driver

If you have a car and want to deliver food, you can apply to become a Door Dash delivery person and earn up to $20 an hour.

4. Drive for Ride-share Apps

Unlike delivering food, where you’d have to line up to restaurants or wait by the takeout bay, driving for ride-sharing apps like Lyft or Uber is more convenient and technically less tiring. You’ll be staying mostly in the car, waiting for your next customer to ride.

5. Summer Jobs for Teachers at Summer Camps

Summer camps welcome teachers with open arms every year.

After all, summer camp is just like a “more fun” version of school with socialization and personal development instead of sciences and maths. Here are some programs you can check out:

6. Six Flags, Disney & Other Jobs at the Theme Park

If you love the smell, sound, and environment of theme parks and want a change of scenery, there are various jobs available at Disney, Six Flags, and other theme parks for teachers.

Look out for hosting duties, operating rides, selling tickets, or other tasks you think you’d enjoy.

7. Sports Coaches

PE teachers can try their luck at US Sports Camps (USSC), America’s largest sports camp company and the licensed provider of the NIKE Sports Camps.

There are also organizations like Happy Swimmers, which are looking for instructors or lifeguards to join their team during the summer months.

8. Barista

Coffee-loving teachers who want to have a change in pace could get a temporary job as a barista.

Check your local cafes or national chains like Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Coffee Beanery, Caribou Coffee, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and others. Most of these companies pay $15 an hour or more.

9. Zoo or Museum Help

Working in the zoo and museum can be peaceful and inspiring for most people.

If you’re a teacher who wants to take a break from teaching during the summer and needs a change in scenery, these places could be the haven you’re looking for.

10. House-sitting

Taking care of other people’s homes while they vacation somewhere else can be something you might be interested.

It’s like you’re vacationing yourself while getting paid for your time.

Here are 10 sites that will pay you to house-sit for other people.

Non-teaching Summer Jobs for Teachers

If you’ve got other skills, summer is the perfect time to use them to earn some cash.

It is also the best time to start a business if you’re not really short on cash. This is because starting a business doesn’t necessarily translate to income right away – you’ll need to set up the business first.

All the jobs included in this post: Jobs for Retired Teachers would be a perfect fit for any teacher wanting to explore other opportunities during the summer break.

It’s safe to say that summer jobs for teachers do not necessarily have to involve teaching. You can be a virtual assistant, customer service representative, and 16 other online jobs for teachers to make extra cash.

How To Start A Brewery Business and Make Money

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Humans have been brewing beer for 10,000 years, and we’re not likely to stop now. If you love drinking beer, you might have wondered about creating your own brew, and possibly even how to start a brewery selling your own creations.

Homebrewing a batch of beer is one thing, but starting a brewery for a business is not a simple endeavor. Between sourcing the raw materials, buying the equipment, and navigating the legalities, you have your work cut out for you.

In today’s blog post, I guide you through how to start a brewery: factors to consider, conditions to meet beforehand, and the steps you need to take to build your business.

Factors To Consider When Starting A Brewery

So you’re probably here because you love drinking beer and you’re thinking of turning that love into creating your own brews and even turning it into a business.

Here are some factors to consider when making your decision to start a brewery.

Is a brewery business the right fit for you?

A brewery business can be lucrative, but it takes more than a love of beer to be successful.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before you dive head-first.

  • Are you willing to work more than 40 hours a week, including weekends?
  • Do you have good sales and marketing skills? If not, are you willing to learn?
  • Are you willing to spend most of your day cleaning?
  • Can you keep decent financial records and inventory?
  • Do you have a lot of money you can afford to invest? If not, are you comfortable looking for sources of funding?

If you said yes to all, then you understand that running a brewery is much, much more than brewing and drinking beer all day.

But if not, I suggest you do plenty of research and soul-searching to really know if running a brewery is for you.

Federal And State Laws

Homebrewing is legal in all 50 states, but only if it’s for personal use (i.e., less than 100 gallons of beer a year). This means you can perfect your brew at home and have family and friends taste-test it, but you can’t sell anything you brewed at home.

The federal authority for all alcoholic beverages is the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).

This bureau sets the rules for the production, distribution, labeling, advertising, trade and pricing practices, credit, container characteristics, and alcoholic content of each alcoholic beverage.

Aside from federal laws, you’ll also need to adhere to your individual state laws. Make sure to look them up.

Brewery Location

Because you can’t sell your brews from home, you need to find a space for your brewery that you can rent.

Consider the following when scouting for a location to start your brewery.

  • Brewery requirements. At the very least, you’ll need a continuous water source, reliable electricity source, and facilities for drainage and exhaust.
  • Zoning laws. Always check with your local government if your prospective location is in a zone where industry is permitted.
  • Space. Will your equipment fit (especially height-wise)? Is there room to expand operations (like a tasting room)? Is there enough parking for delivery vehicles and for you and your eventual employees?
  • Safety. Stay up-to-date with OSHA requirements, starting with non-slip, easily washable floors and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This OSHA resource hub by the Brewers Association is detailed and helpful.

Investment

I can’t and I won’t sugarcoat it: you would need a substantial amount of investment to start a brewery.

Brewery investment

And it’s a high-risk investment, too.

As you’ll see in the next sections, you’ll need to have your equipment and facilities set up before you even apply for your license to sell.

As you know, applying for a license can go either way. If your license is disapproved, you’re out all the costs. Of course, you can always sell the equipment, but that’s probably at a loss.

Don’t have enough capital? Raise funds via crowdfunding, or try to get venture capital funding for your business.

If you still can’t scrape together the funds needed, you can maybe try to apply for one of these small business grants so you can get your business started.

Business objectives

Starting a brewery is not easy and it’s not cheap; having clear business goals and knowing exactly what you want to achieve with your business helps you keep your focus.

Write down your business objectives and keep them with you. In fact, it’s even better if you can integrate this into your business plan.

Ideal customer

Visualize your ideal customer and write up a profile: their income bracket, jobs, likes, dislikes, wants, and needs.

When you have this snapshot of your ideal customer, weigh your brewing skills against their preferences and determine if you have enough skills to give them what they want.

If not, consider your willingness to invest time and money to hone your existing skills and learn new ones.

It all comes down to a single question: what type of person do you want to buy your beer?

Things To Do Before Starting Your Brewery

When you’ve considered all the factors, begin getting your ducks in a row.

Here are the things you have to accomplish before you start your brewery.

Perform Market Research

Market research involves studying customer data and behavior as well as market trends.

The aim is to learn who to sell your beer to, what they’ll like, and how to market your products to them.

Here are some questions to answer so you can get a good sense of the market.

  • Demand. Do people want your product? How much do they want it?
  • Market size. How large is your audience?
  • Economic indicators. What income bracket do they belong to?
  • Location. Where are your customers? How wide is your reach?
  • Market saturation. What does your competition look like?
  • Pricing. How much are your potential customers willing to pay?

Find Your Niche

A craft brewer is defined as a small, independent brewer, and you technically fall under this category.

This is still a broad definition, so let’s break it down further.

According to the Brewers Association, there are six distinct market segments:

  • Microbrewery – Less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year; sells 75% or more of beer off-site
  • Brewpub – Restaurant-brewery selling 25% or more of its beer on-site with food services
  • Taproom Brewery – Selling 25% or more of its beer on-site without food services
  • Regional Brewery – Between 15,000 to 6,000,000 barrels
  • Contract Brewing Company – Business that hires another brewery to produce beer but takes care of everything else: marketing, sales, and distribution
  • Alternating Proprietor – Tenant “rents” brewery and becomes the brewery of record in terms of taxes, label approval, and formula approval

If you’re only starting out, the simplest market segment to start with would be a microbrewery. A taproom brewery can also be worth a try but would require a bigger space to accommodate your customers.

Draw Up Your Business Plan

Brewery Business Plan

Once you’ve decided which niche is the right fit for you, create your business plan to lay out your business goals and give you a clear direction for your brewery business.

This article from the US Small Business Administration shows you two ways to write your business plan.

Perfect Your Technique

Planning your business will be all for naught if you only know the bare basics of brewing.

A thriving brewery business has to sell beer, and that means having a high-quality product line that stands out from the rest of the competition.

Perfecting the art of brewing, from choosing the right ingredients to its final presentation, is crucial to your success.

Look for classes you can take to add to your knowledge of brewing.

The oldest and most popular brewing school is Siebel Institute of Technology, which offers a 12-week diploma course in brewing technology, as well as a la carte offerings of courses if you only want to refresh your knowledge in certain subjects.

However, Siebel Institute is located in Chicago, Illinois. If you don’t live near there, or have no plans of relocating to Chicago even for just 3 months, you can check out the courses offered by American Brewers Guild. It’s not 100% online, though; you’re required to work for one week at a local brewery.

If you have a choice, select a course that offers a certificate.

This will give you an advantage when applying for your licenses and permits.

Network With Other Brewers And Suppliers

Connecting with other brewers and suppliers helps you gather more knowledge about brewing, marketing, and distribution, and allows you to learn where to find the best materials and equipment.

A couple of associations you can look into are Brewers Association and American Craft Spirits Association.

The Beverage Trade Network (which you can also join) has a list of brewers association in the USA, but this page was last updated in 2013.

Find Raw Materials

First, familiarize yourself with the raw materials you need:

  • Water. Purified water is the best water to use; any impurities may affect the taste of your products.
  • Cereal Grains. The preferred grain for beer is barley, although you can use corn, rice, rye, or wheat as well.
  • Hops. Hops are the flowers of the hop plant Humulus lupulus..
  • Yeast. If you’re making ale, you’ll need to use a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae called brewer’s yeast (not to be confused with baker’s yeast).

Look for local suppliers of these raw materials first so you can more easily source them.

You can also look for online suppliers who deal in wholesale purchases.

Set Up Workspace And Equipment

Unlike other businesses, you’ll have to have your equipment and workspace in place before you even apply for the necessary licenses and permits for your business.

Here’s a list of equipment that you may need to set up depending on the business model you’re going to follow.

  • Brewhouse
  • Fermentation Tank
  • Beer Filters
  • Boiler
  • Fermenters
  • Mashing Tuns & Kettles
  • Refrigeration Machine
  • Water Treatment

Suppliers from China such as Alibaba can supply this equipment to you. However, remember that importing from overseas adds significant shipping charges, and the wait time for delivery is also longer.

Alternatively, look into the members’ directory of the associations you’re a member of and look for equipment suppliers.

How To Start A Brewery

Once everything is in place, you can now start building your business.

Here’s how to start a brewery business.

1. Develop your product line.

Brewery tasting

Because you’ve done your market research, you should know what products your target audience would buy.

Develop one drink first and let your family, friends, and acquaintances taste this and give you their feedback.

If you can afford it, host a free tasting session in your brewery or set up a kiosk in a mall or a beer festival to have random people taste your beer and rate them (for free, of course).

Once you’ve perfected that specific brew, think about whether you want to sell just this one thing or if you plan to expand this and develop different variants.

At this point, consider how you’re going to package your brew: bottled or canned. Bottles carry the flavor better, but cans preserve brews better and are so much easier to store and ship.

2. Define your brand.

Having a tasty product (or products) isn’t enough.

To be seen and noticed by your potential customers, you’ll need to define your brand identity.

The aim is to be able to connect to your niche through your brand, including your business name, logo, label designs, and even your online personality should all be on-brand.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that can guide you create your brand identity.

  • What personality do I want my brand to project?
  • Who do I want to see drinking my beer?
  • What is unique to my brand that my customers can’t get anywhere else?
  • What experience do I want my customers to have?

3. Compose your labels.

When it comes to beer, “label” doesn’t just mean that sticker on the bottle or that design on the can. It refers to the words you use to describe the contents of that bottle or can.

The TTB takes the labeling of alcoholic products very seriously and may require you to pay a fine or revoke your license if you don’t comply.

Below are the essential components of your product label.

  • Location. Indicate the production facility, as well as the city and state where it was produced.
  • Alcohol by volume. Never use the abbreviation “ABV;” write the whole thing out (X% Alcohol by Volume) or shorten Alcohol to Alc and Volume to Vol.
  • Contents. Indicate the volume in imperial measurement of liquid in the container: fluid ounces, pints, gallons.
  • Designation. Beer, ale, lager, porter, stout, or malt beverage are acceptable names as long as the 4 main ingredients (water, grain, hops, yeast) are present; any additional ingredients or treatments need to be included.
  • Allergens. If your product contains allergens or is bottled where allergens are also present, it must be stated on the label. Allergens include milk, egg, fish, shellfish, nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans.
  • Prohibited words. You can’t use the words “strong,” “full-strength,” “low-carb,” or any other words that imply unsubstantiated claims.

Aside from the TTB guidelines, consult your local and state laws for specific labeling requirements.

Of course, aside from being truthful, the visual elements of the label will need to be attractive to potential customers. Plenty of services can design this for you, or you can hire a freelance graphic designer.

As stated above, you need to consider your branding when you design your product labels.

4. Register your business.

Forming a limited liability company (LLC) business entity is essential to separate your personal assets from your business assets (same for liabilities).

This means if you ever get sued, get into debt, or file for bankruptcy, your personal assets cannot be used to pay for any damages or debt.

You’d also need an LLC when applying for licenses and permits, as well as registering to pay taxes and applying for insurance.

5. Organize your business financials.

Again, the point is to separate your business records from your personal records.

Your accounting, your books, should be impeccable and more importantly, add up. If you must, use bookkeeping software to keep your records spotless.

6. Obtain all necessary licenses and permits.

This is easier said than done.

When getting licenses and permits for your brewery, you have to have a product line established along with the recipes, the equipment and facilities set up and ready for production, product labels ready to print, and a marketing plan.

If you plan to serve your products in your brewery (i.e., on-site), you’ll also have to get a license to do that. You’ll need yet another license if you intend to serve food on-site as well.

Waiting times for operating permits can take up to 6 to 8 months to be approved, so keep this in mind especially if you’re transitioning from a day job or a different business.

For a guide on the licensing process, check out this article.

7. Formulate your distribution plan.

Taproom

Focus on formulating a distribution strategy that allows you to maximize your sales and marketing efforts while staying true to your brand.

Below are the most common distribution channels.

On-site. Currently, for most independent brewers, tasting rooms (or taprooms) are a major source of revenue. Not only does it provide a new place for the community to engage (not a coffee shop, not a bar, a tasting room!) but you also get to interact with actual beer drinkers.

This is also a good way to introduce your products to bigger players, i.e., distributors and retailers.

Self-distribution. If your state allows self-distribution, you’ve established at least some success in your tasting room, and you have extra room for storage, consider selling your brews yourself.

The increased legalities and logistics may well be worth it if you have a successful product.

Ecommerce. You should already have a website by now. Why not sell your products there as well?

Other brewers have also started to work with online subscription programs where your brew can be included in “this month’s brews” or something similar.

The point is to put your products in front of your customers, and the reach of online retail is simply too good to pass up.

Third-party distribution. Or, you can simply walk the road well-traveled and sell your brew to a wholesale distributor. This may make it easier for your product to get to retailers, especially outside of your local market, without having to establish a sales department.

They also take care of marketing and advertising, so you may have to relinquish control in that department.

8. Draw up a pricing strategy.

By now, you should already be aware of how much investment you’ve put into your brewery, as well as how much you intend to invest as well on expansion or increased production.

Monetary investments include the money you’ve spent on raw materials, equipment, space, license and permit applications, training and classes, packaging, distribution, and other incidentals.

Aside from the money, factor in the time you spend making a batch of beer and assign a value to it. Calculate how much you’d want to pay yourself for every hour of work you do and divide it by how much beer (in volume) you can make per hour.

Lastly, your artistry, skills, and the time you spent developing those need to also have a value assigned to them.

Now, have a target profit per unit, and determine the selling price per unit by adding your target profit to the cost per unit based on the above investments.

9. Establish your online presence.

Whether or not you want to sell your products online, you’ll need to build an online presence for your brewery.

It’s virtually impossible to reach potential customers when you don’t have at least a social media presence.

Keep your branding in mind and open up social media accounts for your business, as well as your own website.

Even if you don’t want to sell your products through your website, having your own website helps you increase your reach, market your products, and advertise them.

Potential customers will want to look for you online and find out more, and you need to be ready for it.

Start a self-hosted blog and write about your brewing process, review new materials and equipment, and inspire others to get started on their own dream of starting their own brewery.

Aside from your online presence, make sure you have a separate business email and business phone so that you can completely separate your personal life and contacts from business-related ones.

Final Thoughts On Starting A Brewery Business

Aside from significant investment, you’ll need to have a genuine love for beer, dedication to your brewing process, and the skills to create high-quality products if your brewery business is to prosper.

I can’t guarantee that you will be successful, but hopefully, our guide on how to start a brewery helps you be on your way.

If you think the investment is too high to risk, we have a list of 50 ways to start an online business that involves less capital.

Or maybe you’d like to monetize your love for beer in another way: by getting paid to drink beer.

A Quick Guide on How to Make Candles to Sell

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If you’re looking for information on how to make candles to sell, you’re on the right track.

Market research is the first step to any business planning, no matter how big or small the business you plan to launch.

This post will talk about everything you need selling candles from home, whether you plan to start as a hobbyist or build a full-scale candle-making business.

Learn How to Make Candles to Sell

You have several paths to this industry.

  • Make candles to sell to brands. You’ll be making candles in bulk based on the specifications of another company. In this case, you no longer have to take care of branding and marketing the products.
  • Make candles to sell yourself. If this is the route you want to take, you need to think of production, marketing, distribution (if you wish to go big), packaging, and shipping.

Of course, whichever route you decide to take, it’s important to dip your fingers into the actual making of the candles first.

Types of Candles

The materials you’ll use in the business will vary slightly depending on the type of candle you wish to focus on.

For example, tea light candles and votives are small and come in different colors, but tea lights are designed with a metal cup, while votives are bigger and are often paired with a glass container.

Paraffin candles can be turned into BIG, glorious pillar candles or finger-shaped taper candles.

They can also be non-scented or scented, which will require extra oils and fragrance and in turn, add to your cost.

Aside from paraffin, some candles are also made of other materials.

Examples of these include beeswax candles, gel candles, and soy candles – all of which use different materials to create the candles.

Sourcing Materials: Things You Need to Begin Making Candles to Sell

Your first batch of materials will cost about $50 to $100, depending on how many you plan to “try out” or if you’re ready to sell immediately after making candles.

The good news about not being the first to think about candle-making as a business is that there are TONS of suppliers.

You can even choose to buy candle-making kits from sites like CandleChem or Candle Science if you’re starting small, or buy the materials in bulk.

Basic materials for candle-making include:

  • Beeswax, paraffin, soy, gel, or another type of wax as your main ingredient
  • Wicks and wick stickers
  • Jars, tins, glass, or other containers
  • Melting pot, thermometer, scale
  • Essential oils for fragrance and dye as coloring agents
  • Caution labels, branding labels, packaging/shipping supplies

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Make Candles to Sell

The basic steps of candle making will vary slightly depending on the type of candle you’re going to make, but here is the general instructions:

1. Measure and Melt Your Wax

Because you’re turning this into a business, you have to be specific with measurements.

Believe me, it will help you with accurate costing.

Regardless of the type of wax you chose, the first step is to measure your wax to fit the container you’re going to put the candle in.

Note that if you’re adding dye or fragrance, this should be counted toward the total measurement.

Once you’ve measured everything, melt the wax in a double broiler. Each type of wax will have heating instructions. Paraffix, for example, needs to be heated to around 185° F temperature.

2. Add Fragrance and Dye

Add the fragrance first once your wax reached its melting point.

Stir in the oils until dissolved completely.

If you need to color your candle, this is the time to add the dye into the mix.

3. Attach Wick, Pour Melted Wax, and Secure Wick

Attach the wick into the container and make sure it’s secured.

When the wax is around 135° F, pour wax properly into the container or mold. Double-check the wick if it is situated upright.

4. Let Your Candle Cool

Place your candles in a safe spot for cooling. Be patient – they need several hours to cool. For big and chunky candles, it could need overnight cooling.

If the wick ends up too long (the ideal length is about 1/4-inch), trim it to the perfect length.

5. Brand your Candles

If you’re selling the candles yourself, label the candles and package them as you wish.

If you’re selling the candles for another company, brand the candles based on their requirements.

Ready to Formalize the Candle-making Business?

Have you decided to continue with your candle business? Planning is essential to your success.

Business planning

You should decide on:

  • Distribution channels (where you’ll sell the candles)
  • Shipping and logistics (are you going to fulfill the orders? how are you going to ship them?)
  • Manpower (are you going to do everything from making the candles to shipping the product?)
  • Marketing (decide if social media/online marketing is the way to go or traditional marketing)

The most important thing about your candle-making business is standing out: candles are very general and most people are already loyal to a specific brand.

Also, anyone can make them.

However, if you find a way that makes YOUR product unique (maybe turn them glow-in-the-dark, or create your own fragrance, and so on), this will ensure your success in the market.

If you’re not branding your candles and are distributing instead, be on the lookout for the most affordable materials for your product so you could always offer the best pricing to your customers.

Licensing and other legal requirements

Do you need a business license to sell online?

As explained by Amy Beardsley of NextInsurance, the answer isn’t as simple as “yes,” or “no.”

It’s because not all candlemakers are required to obtain business licenses, permits, and other legal requirements. This will depend largely on your location and sales volume.

Local zoning laws, insurance requirements, and other business-related laws that may fall under candle-making can vary from state to state.

As such, the best way to ensure you’ve got all legalities in place is by talking to your local Small Business Administration (SBA) office about your business.

How to Sell Candles Online

Where do you sell your candles once you’ve produced them?

You have 3 common options: a website, a seller’s account on an online marketplace (such as Amazon, Etsy, eBay), and traditional places like art and craft festivals, exhibits, and shows that may cost $50 to $100 a day per table/booth.

Selling candles on your own website

A website is always recommended.

These days, people can set up a website from sites like Shopify or Wix in just a day.

If you want specific customizations, you’ll need to hire a web developer and pay several hundred dollars. Plus, you might need to pay for website themes, hosting, domain names, and so on.

Selling candles on Amazon

Amazon Handmade welcomes an Artisan-only community of sellers.

Joining this community requires a Professional selling account which costs $39.99/month. However, this monthly fee will be waived for approved applications. Once you sell a candle, sellers pay 15% of the sale price per listing (or a minimum of $1.00 per listing).

Selling candles on eBay

It’s free to list on eBay, but if you list more than 250 items per month, you’ll start paying a $0.35 insertion fee per listing.

The problem with eBay is that there are millions of products listed here each day, which means competition will be fierce.

Imagine competing with mass producers of candles from overseas that sell the same candles as yours for 1/4 of the price.

Selling candles on Etsy

If you’re going to choose just one place to sell your candles (aside from your own website), Etsy is perfect.

It’s the go-to online marketplace when it comes to crafts, homemade items, and other hobby-turned-business products.

It costs $0.20 to publish a listing on the Etsy marketplace.

A listing lasts for four months or until the item is sold. Once an item sells, there is a 6.5% transaction fee deducted from your sale.

I talked about Etsy before in the past:

How to Make Candles to Sell Successfully

The secret to succeeding in this niche is to stand out and create an excellent business plan around it.

How much can a candle business make?

Making a typical pillar candle costs anywhere between $2 and $10. If you can sell your candle for $20, that’s a profit of $10 to $18.

If you’re able to sell 50 candles a month, you’ll be making $500 to $900 monthly. If you sold 100, the amount will double, of course.

What similar home-based businesses are there?

If you’re not ready to commit to candle-making and want to check out other craft-based businesses that you can do totally from home, check out this guide I wrote about making and selling crafts online, the crafts that are easiest to sell, and hobbies that make money.

60 Side Hustles for Men to Try

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If you need extra cash but cannot commit to another full-time job, these 60 side hustles for men can be the perfect way to get the funding you need.

Of course, since every person has their own life, profession, needs, and preference, this big list should give you at least a handful of options.

Side Hustles for Men Online

1. Get paid to listen to music – It’s the dream job of music lovers!

2. Create cool stuff and sell it on Etsy – Etsy is the haven for creative people who creates all kinds of stuff from movie replica weaponry to paintings, sculptures, music boxes, pottery, jewelry, and much more.

3. Sell your services on Fiverr – Fiverr is a good marketplace to dip your fingers into the side-hustling economy. You can start small here (yes, you can offer any service for $5…hence the name of the site). But once you decide to go big, Fiverr can also accommodate your growth.

4. Test sites for cash – If you have a background in web development, this seems like an easy job. Visit sites, observe errors, and report them.

5. Get paid to watch Netflix – Who says being a couch potato won’t get you anywhere? These days, you can earn cash even while relaxing and streaming shows on Netflix. Note that you might not have control over what TV show, movie, or documentary you have to watch.

6. Lend your voice to advertising and other work – If you have a unique voice that you feel would sound good in ads, cartoons, YouTube videos, and other content, you could have a career in voice-acting.

7. Get paid to watch TV – Here’s another watch-for-cash gig you can do if you want something that doesn’t need you to exert much effort.

8. Play games for cash – If you love Fortnite, go here. If you’re not picky with the game title you play, there are plenty of video game testing jobs you can do for side cash.

9. Write for someone else – If you have a flair for words, beginner writers can expect to earn around $.10 to $.20 per word written.

10. Sell preloved items on eBay, Craigslist, and other online marketplaces – From baseball cards to VHS tapes and everything in between, as long as the stuff you have still has value, you can sell it online and earn cash.

11. Manage social media accounts of other people or companies – Almost every business these days has an online presence on major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. And behind those accounts are real people who write posts, edit photos or videos, and answer inquiries from people. This could be you.

12. Create courses for teachers – Udemy lets teachers and other educators help fellow teachers with ready-to-follow courses. If you’ve got the experience, apply with Udemy and enjoy its revenue-sharing model. You can get paid again and again as long as new teachers pay for your course.

13. Get paid for your musical abilities – If you’re a musician, you can use your skills to earn some serious cash.

14. Create memes for cash – Are you always up-to-date with the latest memes? If you love pop culture and want to get a good laugh while earning extra cash, learn how to create memes in exchange for cash.

15. Make unique fonts to sell – For those with graphic design skills, making fonts is easy money these days because of technological advancements like drawing tablets and pens.

16. Get data entry gigs – This is a very in-demand job since it doesn’t really require a lot of brain power. But if you’re interested, click on the list of legitimate companies that offer data entry gigs.

17. Make up songs and get paid for them – If it’s easy for you to make a jingle or makeup songs, this is your chance to take your skill to the next level and earn from it.

Side Hustles for Men via Phone Apps

18. Drive kids around via HopSkipDrive – Earn up to $40/hour + bonuses as a Care Driver who drives kids around on behalf of families who need assistance with picking kids up and driving them to and from school, doctor’s appointments, sports practices, events, and other afterschool programs.

19. Use Cashback Apps like Ibotta and eBates – Sometimes, you don’t need to “work” to earn extra cash. You just need to change some things with your online activities and shopping habits.

20. Become a mystery shopper – The task is similar across market research apps like CheckPoints, Mobeye, Streetbees, Shopkick, Field Agent, Roamler, and EasyShift. You just have to check in-store products, check prices, inquire about promotions, grade customer service and perform other tasks requested by the business partner.

21. Get paid for your uploaded photos – Foap and Snapwire let users upload photos and earn from them when someone buys the pictures. You can earn from $5 to $20 per photo this way.

22. Become a Gigwalker– Download the app, wait for gigs near you and accept the job. You have control over how much work you want to accept or not.

23. Share your personal info, shopping history, location, etc. to get paid – Market research apps like MobileXpression, Neilsen, and Panel App pay you in exchange for specific user data.

24. Traveling somewhere by car? Download Roadie and get paid to transport items – Earn $50 for local deliveries, but if you’re crossing states, you can earn hundreds of dollars to deliver heirloom furniture or other valuables.

25. Answer surveys on SurveyJunkie – This is the most popular survey app around. It’s an online market research community wholly owned by consumer insights platform DISQ. With SurveyJunkie, you earn $0.50 to $3 for each survey you take, and you can cash out via PayPal when you reach at least $5.

26. Do small tasks for points via InboxDollars and Swagbucks – The tasks here are easy, from watching videos to playing new game apps, anyone can do them during their spare time. The earnings aren’t big, but it’s cool to know you’re earning something even if you’re just fooling around with the app.

27. Got a truck? Become a Lugger and help other people move large stuff – If you have a larger-sized vehicle like a van or pickup truck, you can offer moving services to people who are moving houses. Apply to become a “Lugger” and accept gigs via the app.

Quirky Side Hustles for Men

Are you open to trying new things to earn money? These side jobs aren’t as traditional, but it could be a fun (and legal) way to earn cash on the side.

28. Get paid to lose weight – Maybe you’re already planning to get rid of the last couple of pounds. This can be the push you need. Earn cash while losing weight.

29. Sell Feet Pics – This isn’t exclusive to women. If you have the confidence to model your feet, you can make big bucks selling pictures of your feet.

30. Get paid to cuddle other people – Not a gig for everyone, cuddling strangers for cash may sound weird, but it’s a legitimate side gig that some people enjoy.

31. Sell hair for cash – Got a long hair now that you wouldn’t mind cutting for cash? If you answered yes, click the link to learn how to sell your hair for cash.

32. Donate plasma for money – Save someone’s life while getting paid for your valuable plasma. (Warning: Not for those who faint with the sight of blood)

Side Hustles for Men in the Real World

For those who are willing to go out into the real world to earn cash on the side, these jobs (traditional and modern) are up for the taking!

33. Walk dogs via Rover – You can get paid up to $20 per dog, so it’s best to find as many as you can physically handle to maximize your walk.

34. Deliver Cannabis with Eaze – This California-based company hires delivery specialists to deliver cannabis products from a licensed retailer directly to consumers. You can make over $30 per hour across hourly wage, mileage reimbursements, and tips.

35. Flip furniture – Do you have carpentry, upholstery, and other similar skills? If so, you can buy old furniture, fix it up and then flip it for cash.

36. Get in line on behalf of other people via SOLD – Same Ole Line Dudes (SOLD) is a New York-based professional line sitting service, which charges $45 for a minimum of two hours of waiting in line and an additional $10 for every 30 minutes added to the wait.

37. Deliver Food for DoorDash – Most drivers can make about $20 an hour working for DoorDash.

38. Get paid housesitting – You take care of another person’s house while they’re gone. How easy can this job get, right?

39. Drive for Lyft or Uber – Here’s a guide specific to making money with Uber, and other ways you can make money with your car.

40. Get paid to drink beer – Go bar-hopping and try out beer at an assigned location. Check out other jobs that you can do that involve drinking beer.

41. Deliver Amazon packages – With millions of orders being processed in and out of Amazon warehouses daily, you could deliver goods to Amazon customers and earn about $18 to $25 per hour. Download the Amazon Flex app to join and receive bookings.

42. Offer mobile car detailing – You can do it on the weekend, or by schedule. Cleaning other people’s cars can give you up to $200/car, depending on the location and other factors.

43. Share your organizing skills – Do you have exceptional organizing skills? Become a personal organizer for people who need help and earn $55 to $100 an hour.

Business Side Hustles for Men

The following side hustle ideas can be turned into a full-scale business if you want to. You can also keep it small. It totally depends on how much you want to commit to these money-making opportunities.

44. Blog as a business – Blogs can have multiple revenue streams if you do it right. This guide should help you if you want to be your own boss and if you’re OK with earning months or years after all your hard work.

45. Open a travel agency – Get to work from home and earn commissions by becoming an independent travel agent. You can also plan trips and earn money as a travel consultant or tour planner.

46. Become an online personal trainer – Although traditional personal trainers that go from one home gym to the next still exist, the potential of an online personal trainer business can be super-tempting for people who understand how they can diversify earnings this way.

47. Become a bartender– Bartending skills can be learned after a workshop and practiced on the job. Earn up to $30 or more per hour. If you own a mobile bartending business, then your share would be 100%.

48. Turn your Dance skills into a business – From offering choreography services to opening up an online dance lesson program, your business opportunities as a dancer have never been better thanks to the internet.

49. Open a Pet-sitting business – PetSitter.com connects pet owners looking for pet sitters, who are experienced in walking, feeding, and taking care of pets.

50. Become a Virtual Assistant – If you pride yourself as the Jack of all trades, you can be lucrative as a virtual assistant. There are different kinds of VAs with varying pay grades and job descriptions, so check here before embarking on this job.

51. Turn your car into an ad space – Car wrap sites like Wrapify, Carvertise, Nickelytics, or MyFreeCar will pay you up to $400/month if you end up wrapping your car with an ad.

52. Try your luck as an Influencer – There is no age or gender requirement to influence people online. If you’re an interesting person, you’ve got a unique skill and talent, or can entertain people on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you may have a chance at becoming an influencer.

53. Create YouTube or TikTok videos – Earning money from both platforms does not come overnight, but once get rolling and produce engaging content religiously, you can turn this into a lucrative business. Check out my YouTube or TikTok guide to get started.

54. Start a podcast – There’s a reason more and more celebrities are launching their own podcasts: if you do it right, your business can revolve on the podcast alone.

55. Build an agency from home – If you’re a copywriter with awesome editing skills, build a content company, hire other writers and offer your team’s services to clients. If you’re a web or app developer, hire programmers to help you with jobs you find for the team. Find the niche based on what you know and turn it into a full-scale business from home. It’s possible.

56. Turn your place into an Airbnb – If you can rent out your place to tourists and other people who need accommodation every weekend or every time it’s free, you just need to keep your home guest-ready and post your home on Airbnb.

57. Invest in learning Affiliate marketing – This is a massive business that requires a lot of reading, planning and “doing.” The good news with affiliate marketing is that if you commit to making it work, the rewards you reap will equal to the work you invested.

58. Sell services on Upwork – Upwork is similar to Fiverr, except most Upwork jobs are more long-term that you can actually make a killing doing it full-time.

59. Begin a Beekeeping business – If you have a lot of free space at home, you can start a beekeeping business and earn from honey and other byproducts.

60. Start your own brewery – The rise of craft breweries and brewing communities all over the country has made this business an exciting one to start. You have to be passionate about brewing first, so you can enjoy your brewing experience every step of the way.

The Bottom Line

The cool thing about the side hustle ideas above is that you can mix and match them to fit your schedule.

Need more ideas? Here are 100 more no-gender side hustles for everyone.

If you’re financially stable, but need a side hustle that would bring rewards in the long run, you’re looking for passive income opportunities.

30 Age-Appropriate Jobs for 10 Year Olds

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It’s never too early for kids to dream big, learn new skills, or find passion projects on the side, so if you’ve got a pre-teen kid, these 30 age-appropriate jobs for 10-year-olds should help you guide your kid.

But before we tackle these jobs, please be reminded that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) strictly regulates the employment of minors in the country.

Under the FLSA, it is legal for employers to hire workers 14 (or above), but they cannot work in offices, storefronts, restaurants, mining, manufacturing, and other hazardous jobs.

In addition, each state has its own child labor laws, so it’s best to check them out.

The good news is that FLSA allows kids to work unrestricted hours in a business that is solely owned and operated by their parents.

If you have a teenager, check out this post instead. For parents of 10-year-old kids, this post is for you.

30 Jobs for 10-Year-Olds

The following jobs can be part-time or full-time (during summertime).

They can also be paid and unpaid.

After all, both paid and unpaid jobs could teach your kids valuable lessons. It will totally depend on a case-to-case basis and your kid’s disposition – Are they looking for experience? trying to save up on something they want? Networking for future jobs?

PETCARE

If you have pets that need caring, many 10-year-old animal lovers could easily help feed, take care and clean the mess of domestic pets like cats and dogs. Even neighbors would have the need whenever they go out of town, or for older neighbors who may find it challenging to clean the backyard.

1. Dog or Cat Cleanup

Clearing out the cat’s litterbox or picking up poop of your dog from the backyard can be done even by 10-year-olds. And the neighbors would often pay top dollar for others to pick up pet droppings, especially when snow begins to melt.

2. Feeding the pets

Maybe your neighbors are going on a month-long trip overseas and would need someone to feed their birds, cats, dogs, and any other pets.

3. Dogwalking

10-year-old kids would do well walking the neighborhood dogs, but only if the breeds they’re responsible for are suitable for their size and weight. Remember, every dog counts as 1 fee, so the more dogs these kids can handle, the bigger income they can earn.

4. Pet Sitting

Pet sitting services for friends and family can be lucrative for kids.

5. Pet Grooming

This can be a regular weekly or monthly gig for 10-year-olds, but adults should be around to assist particularly for unfamiliar pets. Compare the prices of pet clinics to see how much to charge.

YARDWORK, CLEANUP, AND GARDENING

If your kid would prefer to work outdoors, here are some jobs they can do in your own backyard, or for the neighbors.

The good thing about these kinds of jobs is they could also be a good exercise for kids.

6. Mowing lawns or raking leaves

Once you teach your kids how to handle a rake or lawnmower, yard work can be a fulfilling side gig for 10-year-olds.

7. Shoveling snow from driveways

This job is only available a few months a year in some states, but it can be a fun job for kids who love snow.

8. Pulling weeds

It’s an intro to gardening and landscaping for kids who are into playing with soil and growing plants with their hands.

9. Cleaning garbage cans

A kid actually turned cleaning garbage cans of their neighborhood into a business, so why couldn’t your kid do it for your neighborhood, right?

10. Collecting Recyclables

If your kid is passionate about the environment, this job is a good hands-on experience for kids to bring their passion into reality.

11. Gardening

Give your 10-year-olds a summer job and maintain your veggie garden in the backyard or the community garden. They can also help elderly neighbors in de-weeding, planting, watering, or fertilizing plants.

12. Carwash

Kids who grew up helping out their parents wash their cars at an early age would be ready to tackle this chore by themselves by the time they turn 10.

13. Fruit-picking or farming

If you live near a farm, kids can work picking fruits and helping around the farm.

INDOOR CHORES

If you’re a parent of 10-year-olds who want to earn some cash, but you prefer them to stay indoors, they could turn chores into cash.

14. Doing the Laundry

Washing dirty clothes and folding the laundry happen once or twice a week in every household. Parents can tick this chore off from their to-do’s and give 10-year-olds this responsibility for a fee.

15. Sweeping and mopping

These chores may seem easy for 10-year-olds, but they can offer kids a routine and a sense of responsibility at an early age.

16. Doing the dishes

Loading and unloading the dishwasher will be super easy for young kids. Parents can turn this daily chore into something they’ll be excited to do if you pay them some change every time.

17. Cook simple meals

Cooking is a useful skill for any age and no one is too young to learn to cook simple meals.

TEACHING AND COACHING

If your 10-year-old kid is an old soul, mature enough for his/her age, and loves teaching other kids, they can do it on the side to earn cash.

18. Sports Coach

Maybe your 10-year-old is good at basketball, chess, or other sports that another neighbor kid would want to be coached on. Maybe someone in your community needs a tennis partner. Whatever your kid’s beloved sports could be made into a side gig.

19. Babysitting

Most cities make babysitting classes available for 11-year-olds and above, but if your 10-year-old kid has been caring for younger siblings and would gladly take on babysitting duties for your neighbors, assist them with this guide on how to start babysitting.

20. Tutoring

Is your 10-year-old good with math? science? programming? If they are skilled with a particular subject in school, your kid can offer tutoring services to younger kids.

Entrepreneurial Jobs for 10-Year-Olds?

Maybe you’ve got a kid who’s a fan of Shark Tank, or you were inspired by my feature about millionaire kids, but the modern society supports 10-year-old business owners (and it’s perfectly fine to support your kids too!)

These businesses are the perfect intro to entrepreneurship for kids:

21. Lemonade Stand

No business-minded kid should ever skip running their own lemonade stand and a 10-year-old is the perfect age to try one.

22. Bake Sale

For the little bakers, a weekly bake sale or pre-order baked goods can be a good-paying business.

23. Face Painting

If your child is a fan of makeup tutorials and face painting, he/she can offer face painting services at children’s parties in the neighborhood.

24. Newspaper Delivery

Even if most readers prefer to read their news online these days, there are still many people who get their papers traditionally, so the demand for newspaper delivery boys and girls remains.

25. Soap and candle making

Kids can experiment and make candles or soap on weekends, then sell their products to neighbors, in school fairs, or even online.

26. Inventor

If you have a kid who never runs out of good ideas, he/she might just be the next big inventor. Encourage them to create, create, create, and join contests to showcase their inventions.

27. Children’s Book Author

Got a child whose vocabulary and imaginations run wild? They might love to write their own book! Help them put it together and decide if self-publishing online or getting a publisher is the right way to go.

28. Jewelry and clothing designer

Got a little fashionista with an eye for style? Your child can become a clothing or jewelry designer even if they’re just aged 10. You just have to assist them in finding collaborators who would sew or create their designs for them.

29. Print-on-demand Designs

Any child with design skills could print his/her work on clothing, shoes, framed prints, mugs, pillows, keychains, and other items if they join a print-on-demand service.

30. Artwork

It doesn’t matter what kind of art your child specializes in, whether it’s a caricature, painting, sketch, landscape, or others, if your child has a passion for art, he/she could turn this into a business.

Online Jobs for 10-Year-Olds

For 10-year-old kids who don’t want to go outdoors, they could embark on an online adventure instead by becoming a photographer, video game tester, TikToker, blogger, a model, YouTuber, social media influencer, podcaster, and voice artist (check out how people are paid for ASMR.)

Of course, the payments for online jobs aren’t as black-and-white as traditional jobs, so if you’re the parent you might need to explain to your kids that their earnings from online gigs could come months or years after they’ve done the job.

If this is a problem for your kid, it’s better they stick to the 30 jobs for 10-year-olds listed above.

30 Different Jobs Where You Work Alone

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Interested in jobs where you work alone?

Embrace your inner introvert! Our economy has space for all kinds of personalities these days, so you don’t need to sacrifice your energy in socializing to be able to earn an income.

If you came from my post about jobs for introverts, consider this a continuation. Read on to learn more types of solo jobs where you work by yourself.

Real-World Jobs Where You Work Alone

You love dressing up for work, your scenic drive to/from the office, and the ability to run errands on your way home from work, but you don’t like the gossiping or office politics involved in your office-based job.

Fortunately, some professions do let you work alone.

Here are some you can check out:

  • Accountant – With a salary that starts at $50k a year, most of the tasks of accountants are done independently. There really is no need for a team or assistant for regular accounting work, unless you’re employed by a big corporation.
  • Actuary – You can earn at least $115k a year from this high-paying field, but you’ll need several years to master the job.
  • Petsitter/dogwalker – For animal lovers, pet-sitting and dog walking are two jobs where you’re not expected to work with other people. This job pays per dog, per hour, so you can maximize your earning potential by scheduling properly.
  • Housesitter/Housecleaner – This is similar to petsitting and dog-walking, only instead of pets, you take care of other people’s houses.
  • Driver – Whether your experience gets you a job as an Uber driver or a professional truck driver, you can enjoy peace during most hours of your workday.
  • Photographer – The best thing about most photographer jobs is that you can work almost anywhere in the world. Of course, you still have to communicate with teams, especially if you’re doing photoshoots, but you can pick a niche that doesn’t require a team, such as nature photography.
  • Park ranger – Some people find being embraced by the forest quite alarming, but for those who love jobs where you work alone, the park ranger job is perfect. The salary of park rangers can start at $40,000 and go as high as $75,000.
  • Research scientist – This is another high-paying profession (that starts at $110,000) and allows you to work by yourself experimenting and exploring specific studies, recording data, and analyzing findings.
  • Electrician – Depending on the company you work for, electricians are sent to customer houses to fix appliances, or you handle repairs at the company garage.
  • Home stagers – Staging homes may involve a lot of heavy lifting, but planning, designing, and organizing do not really need a team of people.
  • Market researcher – With about $75,000/year salary, market researchers gather and analyze data on consumers and competitors – a job that doesn’t really need teams to be successfully completed.
  • Butcher – Butchers can be a satisfying career for people who want to be alone and just focused on their jobs. This job pays about $30,000 to $50,000 a year.
  • Architect – There will be team and client meetings involved in this job, but the chunk of an architect’s work is completed alone.
  • Economist – Often hired by big companies, economists spend most of their work hours alone, studying the economy and reviewing available data to prepare reports that predict consumer trends.
  • Personal shopper – Yes, you’ll have a client or company to work for, but shopping for the client or account is done mostly by yourself. You’ll need your budgeting skills, creativity, and foresight to do the job, even without a team backing you up.

Home-based Jobs Where You Work Alone

When it comes to home-based jobs, you have the option of becoming employed by a company remotely full-time, wearing the hat of a consultant, or becoming your own boss (and controlling your work hours and everything else involved in running the business).

Check some of the jobs that fall under this category:

  • Translator – We’ve talked about online translation in the past before, so you’d probably have an idea that this gig is perfect for people looking for solo jobs.
  • Music editor – Music editing tools are no longer exclusive to big music production companies. Even freelancers can invest in them for their own computers and perform editing jobs virtually anywhere in the world.
  • Software developer – Many programmers work in teams, but the actual writing of code is divided into phases or specialization. As such, software developers are able to work independently for periods of a project and enjoy working by themselves.
  • Transcriptionist – Paralegals and closed captioners fall under this category. You’ll be doing most of the work with your transcribing skills to fulfill your role.
  • Voice acting – Many people these days begin their voice-acting careers on YouTube and expand to bigger horizons. Like voice actors of big-budget animated films, you don’t really need to work with other people when you’re hired to do voice work.
  • Animator – This is also the case for modern animators. You can collaborate with anyone online these days and the need to go to the office to draw and animate has become less and less of an option for creative professionals.
  • Digital graphics – Instructions for graphic design jobs are often in written form and forwarded to artists for execution. Whether you work freelance or own your graphic design company, you’ll likely be working solo on these projects (except if it’s a big-named account like Nike, Coca-Cola, and so on).
  • Medical coder – Medical terms can be hard for the ordinary man/woman, which is why medical coders are such an in-demand role with an attractive salary (of about $25 to $40 an hour). The job also doesn’t require you to socialize with co-workers or brainstorm with a team.
  • Video editor – Like music editing, video editing is a profession that thrives on working solo. As a video editor, you’ll be able to zoom in on the smallest details when you have zero distractions.
  • Chefs – The income potential of chefs is in the evergreen category, so you can get hired as a personal chef and manage another household’s meal plans, or open up your own food delivery with your specialty.
  • App developer – Many app developers on Android and Apple stores have invented their apps by themselves. If you’re interested in this career path and you’ve got an introverted personality, you’ll be glad to know that this is one of the jobs where you work alone and still have the potential of succeeding on a global scale.
  • Affiliate marketer – This profession is highly in demand and highly paid, which means you can decide to be employed or create an affiliate marketing empire for yourself. The job also doesn’t involve group thinking, since decisions are made only by you (the affiliate marketer).
  • Blogger – Blogging/writing requires a different kind of concentration. Many writers work well alone because the train of thought does not get interrupted by outside forces like people, background noise, and other similar distractions.
  • Therapist – The qualifications to be a therapist isn’t simple (it would require several years of study and practice to be qualified to be one), but once you’ve finished all the requirements and licensure, you can be your own boss and work by yourself most of the day.
  • Travel agent – You can build your own travel agency at home, or work for an agency remotely. It’s totally up to you. Either way, you get to enjoy your space at home and be able to help people plan their trips more effectively.

The Bottom Line

Jobs where you work alone give some people more comfort and flexibility with their schedule.

It’s been proven to increase productivity and improve making independent decisions for other people.

But if you’re like me, who works more effectively alone than surrounded by groups of people, then I hope the list above helped in choosing career paths.

If not, check these posts about all the jobs that pay 15 an hour, making money online fast, passive income ideas, and legit paid online surveys if you’re looking for something else.

12 Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts

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If you’re familiar with the real estate industry, it’s understandable why you’re researching the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts (REIT).

After all, REITs are publicly-traded companies that own, operate, finance, and manage income-generating commercial real estates, such as apartment complexes, office buildings, shopping centers, warehouses, hospitals, motels, hotels, condominiums, and even commercial forests.

REIT jobs focus heavily on real estate investing, which means these professions are highly-skilled and trained in commercial real estate and high-value investing.

What Can You Expect from the Best Paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts? 

People who work for a real estate investment trust (REIT) are going to be managing rental properties or be involved in real estate investing without using their own money.

As a worker for REITs, you will be involved in: 

  • Analyzing investment opportunities
  • Overseeing the development of commercial real estate projects from start to finish
  • Managing rental properties on behalf of multiple owners/investors

REIT jobs require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree and work experience in finance, accounting, or real estate with extensive corporate real estate knowledge and corporate finance expertise.

12 Best paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts

The following jobs in REIT are just some of the highest-paid jobs in real estate investment trusts and do not include ALL possible jobs within the industry.

1. REIT Analyst

  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, real estate, or related field
  • Salary: $80,000 to $92,000 per year

REIT analysts work under the finance department. They’re responsible for researching, analyzing, and monitoring real estate market trends.

They also produce reports and help companies make informed property acquisition decisions, and use tools to continuously assess existing assets and acquisitions of the company.

2. Property Developer

  • Requirements: A master’s degree in real estate or an MBA with a real estate concentration, or a bachelor’s degree in management, business or engineering with comprehensive real estate background.
  • Salary: $85,000 to $94,000

Property developers have a crucial role in any commercial real estate project.

They are responsible for managing contractors from start to finish and collaborating with the planning and inspecting with all subcontractors involved in the project.

3. Real Estate Property Appraiser

  • Requirements: A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any field of study is also required.
  • Salary: $60,000 to $80,000

As an appraiser in the real estate sector, you have to calculate the market values of assets.

Depending on the REIT the real estate property appraiser is employed with, a background in the medical field, hospitality, warehousing, and other industries could be necessary.

4. Property Manager

  • Requirements: high school diploma or a GED with extensive real estate experience, or a bachelor’s degree in real estate, business administration, public administration, accounting or finance.
  • Salary: $80,000 to $124,000

One of the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts, becoming a property manager for REITs means overseeing the daily operations of REIT-owned properties and assets.

Depending on how big the REIT is, a property manager may handle just one asset, or oversee an entire portfolio with numerous properties.

The REIT property manager job involves everything from collecting rent, enforcing lease paperwork, ensuring property maintenance, dealing with evictions and security, and a whole lot more.

5. Real Estate Investor

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business administration, computer science, statistics, mathematics, or a similar field.
  • Salary: $124,000 to $150,000

Real estate investors are the go-to person who does the actual purchasing of assets.

They weigh the pros and cons of whether a particular property is worthy of development or not. Real estate investors also decide if an asset is ready for resale and dictate pricing based on existing market values and other factors.

Some investors work for REITs, while those with their own funding work for their own portfolios instead.

6. Investment Analysts

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in real estate, accounting, business management, finance, statistics, or a related field.
  • Salary: $100,000 to $120,000

Investment analysts work in the finance department of REITs and work with financial analysts in maximizing property and asset acquisitions into income-generating real estate assets.

They weigh financial factors, conduct a cost-benefit analysis and prepare market reports to help in deciding if an asset is prime for development, improvement, leasing or resale.

7. Foreclosure Specialists

  • Requirements: Associate degree in legal studies, finance, or a real estate-related subject
  • Salary: $65,000 to $90,000

Foreclosure specialists are experts in the process of foreclosure. Either they lead a team in all the foreclosure stages or they are responsible for acquiring or selling foreclosed properties.

Sometimes, these specialists may also be assigned to help clients in avoiding foreclosure, find potential buyers for a foreclosed property, or assist in loan modifications for both buyer or seller sides.

8. Real Estate Attorney

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degree, plus a license to practice in your state.
  • Salary: $119,000 to $125,000

This kind of attorney is one of the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts.

As a real estate attorney for REITs, you handle million-dollar property ownership, transfers, foreclosure, and a plethora of paperwork that involves documentation, title issuance, transfers, and other real estate legal issues.

REIT attorneys serve as the mediator between the company, buyers, and sellers with the goal of coming up with the most lucrative ending for all parties.

9. Asset Manager

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, real estate, business management, or a similar field
  • Salary: $84,000 to $124,000

Jobs in REIT asset management deal with the financial and operational performance of all properties and assets of the REIT.

As an asset manager, you’ll be collaborating with other department heads such as accounting, finance, acquisitions, and real estate development.

Many REIT asset managers begin in the industry as a member of the acquisitions department or property management associates until they get promoted to this leadership role.

10. Real Estate Acquirer

  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, capital markets, real estate, or related field
  • Salary: $120,000 to $200,000

REITs trust your judgment as a real estate acquirer that you source new investment opportunities and decide which of them have the most potential.

As such, this position is rightfully one of the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts.

11. Leasing Consultant

  • Requirements: a Bachelor’s Degree in real estate, business, communications, psychology, or a similar field
  • Salary: $96,000 to $147,000

Leasing consultants employed with REITs help clients or the company find properties for leasing that fit their budgets and preferences.

Because you will know the market values of a given city or state, real estate trends, legalities involved in leasing, and fair pricing for a particular type of asset, the REITs will seek your judgment for such assets.

12. Investor Relations Manager

  • Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, law, accounting, business management and other similar fields with a comprehensive real estate background
  • Salary: $86,000 to $115,000

Investor relations managers are great communicators.

They have one of the best paying jobs in real estate investment trusts because they handle the communication of the REIT firm on their behalf.

You can be their spokesperson in front of all the investors and portfolio owners under the company.

The role isn’t just a communication role. Investor relations managers should also be well-trained in executive management, accounting, real estate law, and marketing.

You are the go-to person for shareholders and investors under your REIT company.

Not Looking for Best paying Jobs in Real Estate Investment Trusts?

Interested in the real estate sector, but not a fan of stocks, bonds, and investment trusts?

You can still join the real estate industry with these professions:

Starting a real estate firm is doable from home. I covered it as part of the many ways you can start a business and operate it completely from home.

15 Best Paying Jobs in Energy for 2022

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In the past 50 years, there has been a continuous demand for the best paying jobs in energy.

After all, many industries are hard to predict, but the energy sector has always been consistent.

The main difference is that companies used to focus on using coal, gas, and oil for electricity, but these days, the future of the energy sector will have a bigger focus on renewables over the next 20 to 30 years.

Best Paying Jobs in Energy: Are they in demand?

The global energy demands are expected to rise by about 30% between now and 2040, so it’s safe to say that the best-paying jobs in the energy sector will continue to be in demand.

In a 2021 report from the U.S. Department of Energy, 2022 (and onward) is expected to bring an anticipated:

  • 10.1% job increase at companies connected with energy efficiency operations
  • 8.1% rise in companies tied to electric power generation
  • 5.5% increase in jobs throughout the fuels sector
  • 4.2% job growth in the transportation, distribution, and storage sector

15 Best Paying Jobs in Energy

You can find more jobs within the energy sector that will be best suited for your skills and experience. These 15 are just a handful of jobs known to pay higher than average.

1. Petroleum Engineer

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering or a related field, such as mechanical, civil, or chemical engineering.
  • Average Salary: $140,000 to $210,000

This type of engineer is high in demand within the oil & gas production.

The petroleum engineer’s role is extremely important since he/she leads the drilling of new oil fields and oil extraction projects.

2. Materials Engineers

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering or in a related engineering field.
  • Average Salary: $98,000 to $148,000

Materials engineers are educated with a mix of IT, mathematics, and chemistry.

They are responsible for modernizing infrastructure materials and making equipment in the energy sector more fuel-efficient.

3. Geoscientist

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in geology, geoscience, geophysics, or in a related field.
  • Average Salary: $80,000 to $100,000

As someone who is highly educated in the physical properties of the earth, geoscientists play an essential role in the energy sector.

They are responsible for deciding prime drilling locations and ensuring the earth is stable in time to siphon natural gas and oil.

4. Renewable Energy Consultant

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in Renewable Energy Management
  • Average Salary: $66,000 to $88,000

As a renewable energy consultant, you’ll assist in providing energy solutions from small-scale renewable energy projects like solar PV systems to large-scale commercial energy-reliant complexes.

5. Nuclear Technician

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering, nuclear science, or a relevant field.
  • Average Salary: $66,000 to $88,000

These technicians usually become proficient on the job at nuclear power plants.

They ensure the plants remain in a safe environment by weighing risks, monitoring equipment, and machinery performance, and conducting tests on soil, water, and air to keep radiation levels low.

6. Environmental technicians

  • Requirements: Associate’s degree in environmental science technology or related field.
  • Average Salary: $60,000 to $80,000

As an environmental technician, your loyalty is to mother earth and to ensure the energy sector (or the company you work for) minimizes or removes pollution with day-to-day operations.

Environmental technicians are familiar with environmental regulations and laws, so they enforce them on the job as well.

7. Civil Engineers

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Mining & Energy Resources Engineering, and other relevant fields.
  • Average Salary: $87,000 to $115,000

Civil engineers are essential in building new power plants.

They’re responsible for the study, design, drafting, and estimates of any kind of power project. These engineers will be key to the energy sector’s shift to renewable energy.

8. Information Systems Manager

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in computer or information science, or a related field.
  • Average Salary: $150,000 to $200,000

Information systems managers are crucial to the energy industry because they upgrade, improve and maintain the technology side of the industry.

They will also be the experts who will assist in the modernization of power plants and energy systems.

9. Power Plant Operator

  • Requirements: Electrician or engineering field, plus professional certification and licensure requirements
  • Average salary: $86,000 to $107,000

A power plant operator often learned the tasks on the job, which means he/she has been in the energy sector for years.

The role of power plant operators is to ensure that the energy is flowing continuously by being on top of equipment checks and performing preventative care of the entire power plant operations.

10. Chemical Engineer

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a related field
  • Average Salary: $120,000 to $180,000

This sector deals with different kinds of materials and chemicals, which is why chemical engineers are one of the best paying jobs in energy industry.

They test new methods, solve oil-, gas- and fuel-related problems, and help in the shift towards renewable energy.

11. Atmospheric Scientist

  • Requirements: A bachelor’s degree in meteorology or related physical science.
  • Average Salary: $95,000 to $150,000

This profession is in high demand in the renewable energy sector, specifically in wind energy.

They are trained in understanding weather patterns, which is needed in making predictions that could improve the harvesting of wind energy.

12) Service Unit Operator

  • Requirements: A high school diploma or equivalent combined with extensive on-the-job training
  • Average Salary: $40,000 to $80,000

In the oil, gas, and mining industries, a service unit operator job is expected to be in demand until 2030.

These operators are responsible for operating equipment that increase oil flow and remove stuck objects from the wells.

Because the conditions for the job are somewhat dangerous due to the heavy equipment, machinery and environment they work in, companies often hire extremely experienced operators.

13. Industrial machinery mechanic

  • Requirements: GED, on-the-job training, and extensive knowledge of electricity, electronics, hydraulics and pneumatics.
  • Average Salary: $42,000 to $85,000

Industrial machinery mechanics have an evergreen job outlook up to 2030.

These highly-skilled workers are responsible for keeping the machinery and other industrial equipment within power plants in good working condition.

As such, they regularly conduct maintenance on equipment and perform repairs when they break down.

14. Solar Installers

  • Requirements: high school diploma and specialized solar installation training.
  • Average Salary: $35,000 to $76,000

Solar PV system installer jobs will continue to have an impressive demand through 2030, especially since people and companies are making a conscious switch from fossil fuels and other gases to solar energy.

Unlike other professions on this list, solar installers do not require a college degree. But once they train how to install solar panels, they can work in transforming the roofs of buildings and residential homes have the ability to convert sunlight into usable electricity.

15. Wind Turbine Installers

  • Requirements: high school degree, GED, or vocational training in wind turbine installation
  • Average Salary: $47,000 to $68,000

The job outlook of wind-turbine installers will remain high until 2030, so expect job stability if you land a job in this career.

Wind turbine installers collect data for research, create reports, and work on wind turbine equipment, repairing, cleaning, modifying, and conducting preventative tasks.

Education Pathway for the Best Paying Jobs in Energy

If you’re interested in the best-paying jobs in energy, oil & gas production, power generation, or other energy industry sectors, there are numerous educational pathways you can choose from.

Here are just the most common ones:

  • Math and Engineering – Algebra, geometry, calculus, engineering, and other mathematical disciplines can help solve real-world problems in the energy sector.
  • Sciences – Background in chemistry, Physics, Biology, and other sciences are the heart of the energy sector. These are the professionals who are responsible for deciding on materials, equipment, and processes involved in the energy sector.
  • Information Technology – Even the energy sector undergoes modernization, which is why many IT-educated professionals are needed in the industry.
  • Business – Management and leadership positions usually require a Master’s degree in any business-related course. The cool thing about managers and high-level executives is that they can jump from one industry to the next, so even if you don’t have a lot of experience in the energy sector, you potentially can lead here if your qualifications fit the bill.

As you can imagine, the list of best paying jobs in energy (listed above) doesn’t encompass the entire sector.

There are plenty more energy jobs to explore, but if you’re not interested in embarking on a career within this industry, check out these posts that tackle jobs that pay 20 an hour and jobs that pay 15 an hour.

7 Ways You Can Sell Pictures of Yourself Online for Money

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A while back, I explored how you can sell feet online and had been wondering about other ways to sell pictures of yourself online for money. If you’re in the same boat, you’re in luck.

Here’s what I found out with further research. There are 3 ways people earn money from selfies:

  1. Taking pictures of yourself, then selling them as stock photos
  2. Modeling and selling the photos via apps
  3. Creating your own brand on social media and your own website

We’re going to avoid the obvious way with this post because, let’s be honest, if you were looking to do THAT you would have searched something very different.

Instead, we’re going to stick to much more traditional ways, starting with…

7 Sites to Sell Pictures of Yourself Online for Money

You don’t need to be a professional photographer.

You just have to be passionate about photography, have a decent phone with a high-quality camera or an actual camera, a niche that separates you from thousands of people selling their own photos, and join any of the following sites:

  • 123rf.com – This site lets you list your photographs non-exclusively (you can also upload the same photos on another site) and earn between 30 to 60% commissions.
  • 500px – Gain exposure and get paid for your work with 500px Licensing. You’ll earn 60% royalties when you license your photos exclusively with 500px’s global distribution partners.
  • Alamy – This stock photography site is open to anyone. When you upload a picture, it will quickly be up for sale at Alamy within 24 hours. Any sale gets you 50% of royalties.
  • Picfair – You can set your own prices for your photos, then Picfair will add 20% of your price as their commission rate.
  • PhotoShelter – This site gives users like you your own photo gallery for $10 a month, markets your photo galleries on your behalf, and offers you access to partner print labs that would print your photographs when someone buys them from your store.
  • Scoopshot – If you upload photos or videos to Scoopshot, you have two ways to earn money. Either someone buys one of your content (then you’ll be paid directly to your account) or someone chooses your content to be used on other online publishers (then you’ll take a share in the advertising revenue whenever someone browses through your photo or video).
  • Smugmug – Anybody can create an account for free, pick a niche (feet pics, hand modeling, beach selfies), then set your own prices. Set up your photography business on SmugMug in as little as 15 minutes and offer prints and products backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Note that many of these websites would ask you to sign a release form. If your photos include other people (aside from yourself), you might also need their signatures as well.

How much can you earn from stock photos? Crestock should give you an idea of pricing your photos.

5 Apps to Sell Pictures of Yourself

Apps work differently from stock photo sites.

Some apps will ask you to buy clothes and model them before uploading them on the marketplace, while others are more straightforward and just ask you to upload any photo of yourself (as long as you own the copyright).

Check out how to get paid for pictures of your body with these apps:

  • Foap – Take photos with your phone and sell them at the app for $5 a pop.
  • EyeEm – This vibrant community has over 25 million photographers. To earn from your selfies, you need to upload your pictures into the marketplace and wait for people to buy copies of your work. You retain the copyright of all your photos and receive 50% of the commission every time the photo sells. The minimum licensed photo they sell is $20 a pop, so you get to earn at least $10 for each picture. The amount you earn will also depend on where the buyer will use your photo (and the corresponding license they’ll pay for) such as:
    • Social license = $20/photo
    • Web license= $50/photo
    • Full Commercial license = $250/photo
  • miPic – Available only from the Apple store, the miPic app is a print-on-demand app that lets you showcase your work and let buyers decide to have it printed on t-shirts, pillows, towels, face masks, and framed prints (among others).
  • Snapwire – Download the app, and choose between selling your shots in the marketplace (where buyers can purchase them directly) or joining challenges and winning the posted payout.
  • Stockimo – Developed by Alamy, this app lets any users sell stock photos and receive 20% of every sale. The average sale price is about $90, but the downside is that it’s only available for iPhone/Apple (sorry Android users).

There are also hybrid companies like Canva, which offers both a desktop version and an app.

You can join the 185 million contributors here and receive 35% of your every content license purchase.

Sell Pictures of Yourself on Your Website and Social Media

Okay, let’s be clear here: creating a website doesn’t reap rewards overnight. This is especially true for photography sites, no matter how good your photos are.

However, if you push at it and know how to do it properly, this website could be a passive income-generating project that could surprise you.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Build a website, showcase your photos and decide if you’d like to offer these for prints. (Make sure to check my guide on running a Print-on-Demand store). You can also promote your work for direct buyers or receive commissioned work through the site.
  • Use social media to reach out to would-be customers. People are attracted to talented people, so if you showcase your work on social media, you’ll be able to attract followers organically. Check New York-based photographer Silva (@JnSilva on Instagram) on how he uses social media to further get new people to his website. Don’t discount Pinterest and Twitter when planning for social media marketing.
  • Leverage YouTube and TikTok. Even if you’re not selling videos, you can create snippets of your process or showcase how you do your makeup for a shoot or any promotional videos. You can then post these on YouTube and TikTok, which could help bring your work into the limelight as well.

Yes, these will take a lot of work to do, but if you have the skills and unique vision, success online will be inevitable.

Other Ways to Get Paid for Selfies

You can also sell your own selfies on online marketplaces like Fiverr and Etsy.

If you’re a professional photographer whose niche is self-portraits, giant stock photo companies like Getty Images (15-20% commissions), Adobe Stock (33% commissions), Shutterstock (15-40% commissions), iStockphoto (15-45% commissions), or Dreamstime (25-60% commissions) would also accept photos. If you have photography and editing skills, you can earn up to $80k with these brick-and-mortar jobs.

Contests may only be rare, but you can join companies like Agora Awards which are known to host some of the best photo contests around and earn up to $25k a pop.

For those not interested in how to make money selling photos of yourself, you can always check these jobs that pay $15 an hour, these weird ways to make money or get paid to lose weight.

If you prefer online jobs instead, you can dip your toes into paid online surveys or Nike product testing. You can also work from home with Amazon or Disney remote jobs once you’re ready to go full-time.

12 Best Paying Jobs in Consumer Durables

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Consumer durables are products that are not replaced so easily, but you’ll be surprised to know that the best paying jobs in consumer durables are here for the long term.

What are Consumer Durable Goods?

Also known as “final goods,” durable consumer goods are considered:

  • Products that last for over 3 years,
  • Items that can be rented out or bought,
  • Products that people can use repeatedly, or
  • Items that have long periods between successive purchases.

Not many people know this, but the sales of consumer durable goods are an economic indicator.

The more consumers buy hard goods from domestic manufacturers, the more positive and healthier an economy is deemed to be.

(Check out my other post on the best-paying jobs in consumer non-durables and head on over there to get more career ideas.)

12 Industries with Best-Paying Jobs in Consumer Durables

As you can imagine, there are numerous industries producing durable consumer goods that you can explore as your career paths.

Check out the industries below and the best-paying jobs showcased within each industry.

1. Luxury Fashion Industry

Clothing, bags, and shoes are non-durables, but many other products (such as watches and jewelry) continue to be a driving force in making the luxury fashion industry an $80 billion market.

Companies like Rolex, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Chanel are beloved brands that have been around for decades and no pandemic or any other global issues would stop their productions. High-paying jobs within the luxury industries include:

  • In-store sales representatives ($49,000 to $87,000 per year plus 5% to 10% commissions of every item sold)
  • Fashion forecaster ($50,000 to $100,000 a year)
  • Luxury brand marketing specialists ($100,000 to $150,000 per year)
  • Visual merchandisers ($60,000 to $98,000 a year)

2. Automobiles, Aircraft, Bicycles, Trucks, Mobile Homes

All kinds of automobiles (cars, trucks, pick-ups, e-bikes, motorcycles, and so on) fall under durable goods. After all, these last for over 3 years. Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, GE Aviation, and Champion Homes (among many others) lead the automotive industries.

Some of the best paying jobs in consumer durables within the automotive industry include:

  • Automotive designer ($90,000 to $120,000 a year)
  • Dimensional Engineer ($79,000 to $93,500 per year)
  • Dealership Sales managers ($130,000 to $165,000 a year)
  • Automotive Engineer ($70,000 to $83,000 per year)
  • Quality testing engineer ($90,000 to $110,000 a year)

3. Furniture and Home Appliances

The household appliances industry generates several hundred billion U.S. dollars in sales every year. LG, Whirlpool, Midea, BSH Home Appliances, and Electrolux are just a handful of companies leading the pack.

If you’re interested in a career within this industry, seek out positions such as:

  • Advanced design furniture engineer ($62,500 to $80,000 a year)
  • Interior designers ($60,000 to $130,000 a year)
  • Furniture, fixture & equipment (FFE) buyer ($73,000 to $90,500 a year)
  • Electronics engineers ($100,000 to $120,000 a year)

4. Computer and Software

Computers, accessories, and software have a long life and are not easily used up or destroyed, so they fall under the consumer durable goods category.

The biggest paying companies in this industry include Apple Inc, SM&A, Adobe, and MITRE with jobs ranging from something more general software architects to jobs that are highly specific like blockchain engineers.

  • Data scientist ($100,000 to $140,000 a year)
  • Computer support specialist ($55,500 to $89,000 a year)
  • Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions Architect ($116,500 to $180,000 a year)
  • Computer hardware engineer ($102,000 to $128,000 a year)
  • Database administrator ($90,200 to $127,000 a year)

5. Jewelry Industry

Basic or raw materials, such as copper, are not considered consumer goods because they have to be transformed into usable products before use.

However, end-products like necklaces, rings, and similar products from companies like Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, and David Yurman
fall under consumer durables.

And because the value of the jewelry market is expected to increase from about $230 billion in 2020 to $307 billion by 2026, expect the opportunities here to remain in demand, such as:

  • Jewelry designer ($61,000 to $93,000 a year)
  • Quality control specialist ($63,500 to $88,000 a year)
  • Jewelry appraiser ($66,000 to $80,000 a year)
  • Steels and metal production specialist ($75,000 to $174,000 a year)

6. Medical Equipment Production

As we saw from the covid19 pandemic, the healthcare sector is a $170-billion-dollar industry with the best-paying companies like Abbott, Medtronic, Baxter, Danaher, 3M, and Stryker continuously providing jobs such as:

  • Biomedical equipment technician ($53,000 to $120,000 a year)
  • Health IT software engineers ($93,000 to $118,000 a year)
  • Biotechnology sales professionals ($107,000 to $165,000 a year)

7. Sports Equipment

The demand to get fit and healthy will never run out of fashion.

Even if sporting equipment can be a one-time-buy, the jobs within this industry continue to be in-demand thanks to companies like Franklin Sports, ProMAXima, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., Decathlon USA, and Bass Pro Shops (among others).

Examples of best paying jobs in consumer durables sporting equipment category include:

  • Sports psychologist ($90,000 to $120,000 a year)
  • Athletic director ($60,000 to $81,000 a year)
  • Sports Research Engineers ($94,000 to $110,000 a year)
  • Sports Data Analyst ($92,000 to $105,000 a year)

8. Books and Toys

Both the industries of books and toys feed the soul.

You can understand that even in this digital world, books and toys continue to be a thriving industry with companies like Harper Collins, Hachette Book Group, Penguin/Random House, Melissa & Doug, and LeapFrog leading these industries with high-paying jobs such as:

  • Communications managers ($100,000 to $148,000 a year)
  • Toy designers ($84,000 to $110,000)
  • Product brand managers ($107,000 to $115,000 a year
  • STEM toy concept artist ($68,000 to $80,000)

9. Consumer Electronics Manufacturing

Of course, some of the best paying jobs in consumer durables would fall under consumer electronics.

Yes, the manufacturing of mobile phones, TVs, mp3 players, DVD players, and other similar gadgets have brought billions of dollars in revenue to top US companies like Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, and Apple (among many others) offering high-paying jobs such as:

  • Principal electrical engineer ($109,500 to $145,000 a year)
  • Electronics communication engineer ($71,000 to $85,000/year)
  • Senior electronics technicians ($65,000 to $90,000/year)
  • Robotics engineer ($90,000 to $105,000 per year)

10. Tools

Manufacturing of machine tools, hand tools, woodworking tools, yard, and garden tools may be a surprising entry into these industries with the best paying jobs in consumer durables, but Black & Decker, DeWalt, Craftsman, and Milwaukee are just some brands to watch out for if you’re interested in a career in the industry.

Some examples of roles with good pay are:

  • Senior CNC Machine Operator ($76,000 to $84,000/year)
  • Production Line Operations Supervisor ($73,000 to $95,000/year)
  • Manufacturing manager ($95,000 to $122,000/year)

11. Construction Industry

Consumer durables in home improvement and the construction industry are tricky since not all materials can fall under consumer durables.

Wood, for example, is not considered consumer goods since it can be made into other products like furniture.

Bricks, however, are a good example of durable consumer goods as it is used as-is into a project.

Acme Brick Co and General Shale come to mind as the leaders in this niche with high-paying jobs such as:

  • Ceramic engineer ($65,000 to $80,000/year)
  • Engineering Services Specialist($56,000 to $78,000/year)
  • Manufacturing supervisor ($73,000 to $95,000/year)

12. Kitchen and Cooking Equipment

Jobs manufacturing pots, pans, knives, and other kitchen and cooking equipment is an evergreen career path.

Just take a look at jobs from US kitchen and cooking equipment manufacturers American Range, Cambro, Zwilling, and Cuisinart:

  • Robotic/engineering technician ($93,000 to $115,000/year)
  • Tool and die maker ($65,000 to $82,000/year)
  • Manufacturing cost analyst ($70,000 to $85,000/year)

Not Interested in these Best Paying Jobs in Consumer Durables?

If sales of durable goods within a city or state increase, it means the people living in that area are becoming more optimistic about the economy.

Having said that, even if consumer goods are only replaced or replenished after 3 years (or sometimes for longer), this doesn’t affect how

You might also be interested in future-proofing your career with this post: 12 best jobs for the future. Or if you’re interested in work-from-home opportunities, don’t miss:


40 Companies and Jobs that Pay $20 an Hour

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Hunting for jobs that pay 20 an hour? If you’re coming from a job with minimum wage ($7.25 to $15.20 per hour), it’s always the perfect time to make a change!

This post showcases over 40 jobs that pay 20 an hour from various industries. Some jobs do not even require degrees or work experience to land the job. Yes, even entry-level applicants are welcome.

40+ Jobs that Pay 20 an Hour

Although the federal minimum wage is expected to increase to $11/hour for existing contracts and up to $15/hour for new hires in many US states in 2022, it’s still good to aim higher and look for jobs that pay 20 an hour.

Here are good examples that these jobs exist:

Food Service

  • Taco Time NW – This locally-owned, Mexican-style restaurant chain founded by the Tonkin family has been committed to raising the wages of their crew to “livable wages” and last increased the crew’s salary at the end of 2021.
  • The Boston Beer Company – Brewers of this company earn about $24 an hour.
  • McCain Foods USA, Inc. – Production specialists at the food production company earn between $20 and $25 an hour.
  • Mccormick & Co Inc. – If you’re looking for factory jobs in the food production industry, you can earn over $20 an hour as a blending machine operator.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. – This farmer-owned food production cooperative pays machine operators starting at $20 an hour, while their maintenance mechanics get over $25/hour.
  • The Kraft Heinz Company – Quality specialists at this company earn at least $22 per hour. Kraft Heinz is home to over 20 food brands, so expect availabilities in factories near you.
  • Danone – One of the world’s largest food companies, Danone hires warehouse workers (for $20/hour), parts clerks (for $24/hour), and product packers (for $28/hour).
  • Conagra Brands – Join the Conagra Brands team as a production operator and earn over $22/hour.

Healthcare

  • Biogen – This biotech company develops therapies for autoimmune and neurological diseases. 75% of jobs at Biogen begin at over $20 an hour.
  • Merck – About 78% of Merck’s employees are happy with their jobs. QA specialists, for example, earn about $25/hour, while research scientists earn over $30/hour.
  • Pfizer – 37% of Pfizer’s employees work from home. Entry-level positions also earn about $28 to $30 an hour.
  • Gilead Sciences – 91% of employees here feel that their job has meaning thanks to childcare options, tuition reimbursement, and the ability to buy company stock. For example, interns here earn over $25/hour, associate scientists begin with a $30/hour paycheck, and sales specialists could earn as high as $70/hour.
  • AbbVie – This Illinois-based pharma company is known to pay its employees 6% above the market. Medreps at Abbvie earn $40/hour.
  • Johnson & Johnson – This global company is present in 30 countries with 130,000 employees. R&D jobs begin at $25/hour, while admin positions start at around $20 an hour.
  • Amgen – This company, which has developed several cancer treatments, is known to pay its employees high with educational opportunities and technical training. Average entry-level jobs at Amgen are paid around $23/hour.

Jobs that Pay 20 an Hour in Entertainment and Travel

  • FILMLESS – This growing production company produces video content for a TON of clients. Their video editors earn around $27 to $35 an hour.
  • Meta Design – With locations around the world, Meta Design employs multimedia artists with salaries ranging from $35 to $70 per hour.
  • Guitar Center – This leading retailer of musical instruments hires sound engineering technicians across the country. They earn about $20 to $55 an hour.
  • Chanel – When it comes to the fashion industry, Chanel is the most desired company to work for not only because of its renowned name but also because it takes care of its people. The mid-level fashion designers here earn about $35 an hour.

Retail

It is very rare to get paid over $20/hour in the retail industry, except if the positions or supervisory or managerial levels. As such, if you’ve got the experience, you can try your luck with these jobs that pay 20 an hour or more:

  • Hobby Lobby – Retail managers here earn between $27 and $36 an hour. The company’s full-time workers begin at $18.50 (a starting wage that’s way higher than many retail companies in the country).
  • Crate and Barrel – Customer service managers here earn about $50 per hour.
  • Walmart – Since late 2020, Walmart has increased wages for its 165,000 employees around the country. Store managers here can earn starting at $35 per hour.
  • Costco – Not only has Costco a reputation for being an exceptional employer, they also pay higher than average. Their Costco mid-level associates earn about $20 an hour.
  • Ulta Beauty – Purchasing managers at this makeup and beauty supply store earn about $60 an hour.

Jobs that Pay 20 an Hour in Business, IT, and Finance

  • Century 21 – As one of the biggest real estate companies in the country with over 122,000 real estate agents under their wing (as of Q1 2021), Century 21 is an in-demand company. Its real estate agents earn a minimum of $24 an hour.
  • SAP America – This company’s software sales representatives earn $55 an hour. But what makes this job super sought after because they also receive up to $100k commissions.
  • McDermott Will & Emery – This Chicago-based law firm is known to pay the highest in the industry. Even their paralegals earn between $22 and $35 an hour depending on experience.
  • Zco – This app development firm is a frontrunner in the field and hires the best mobile app developers for over $50/hour. (Note that entry-level mobile app developers earn $30 an hour in the industry).
  • Deloitte – The company has 55000 employees across 80 offices in the US. Their mid-level bookkeepers earn above $20 per hour.

Online Work-from-Home Jobs that Pay 20 an Hour

For some people, working from home is a priority. It could be because of convenience (no more commute), cost-effectiveness (no need to pay for childcare), or a newfound love for staying at home when they had to work from home due to the covid19 in 2020.

No matter what your reasons for hunting online work may be, these jobs that pay 20 an hour may sound appealing to you:

  • Buffer – If you know your way around social media, digital marketing, and the works, you can land jobs at Buffer that pays 20 an hour.
  • Intuit – Got experience balancing sheets, reconciling credit cards, and performing other bookkeeping tasks? You can earn up to $22/hour as a remote, part-time Intuit bookkeeper.
  • Magoosh – You’ll need a bachelor’s degree to help students with standardized tests, like the ACT or GED. The job pays $25 an hour.
  • nThrive – Experienced medical coders with AHIMA credentials and experience in a hospital setting can apply as an at-home medical coder and earn $25 an hour at nThrive.
  • Proofreading Pal – Earn $20/hour for proofreading if you have a graduate degree with editing skills and experience with APA, MLA, CMS, and other writing styles.
  • Scribe Media – Experienced editors can help authors with their work and be generously compensated $45 to $50 an hour.
  • TeleReach – Open only to US-based applicants, become a work-at-home appointment setter for TeleReach and earn up to $25/hour.
  • Chegg (formerly InstaEDU) – Become a tutor for Chegg and help college-level students with business, engineering, math, and sciences subjects to earn $20/hour.
  • Wonder – For excellent researchers and writers, you can earn between $20 and $30 an hour if you become one of the company’s “Wonder Researchers.”

The Bottom Line

Of course, it’s human nature to seek greener pastures, so enjoy browsing these jobs that pay 20 an hour. I hope you find vacancies available in these companies and industries.

If you’re looking for more opportunities with offers above minimum wage, don’t miss my post about jobs that pay $15 an hour as well.

If you can afford to take your sweet time looking for the perfect job, you can do these weird ways to make money online, make your car work for you by renting it out or getting paid to drive, enjoy nature jobs if you love the Great Outdoors, or embark on 10 of the best sporty jobs you can do from home.