“I would not pre-pay. I would invest instead and let the investments cover it.”

– Dave Ramsey

Turn $20 into $20,000 (A guide to investing in yourself)

Last week I was going to buy almost $500 worth of camera and lighting equipment. A professional green screen, high quality lights, a special microphone, and tons of other really expensive stuff.

Then I sat down and did the math. $500 worth of camera equipment isn’t a good investment for a project (my YouTube channel) that hasn’t even earned a cent. It’d be an uphill battle from the start.

I’d need to monetize all my videos right away, recommend products, and work to recover my money.

The project would start out as a loss. If I got bored, or nobody watched my videos, I’d be out.

I scrapped my big budget. On Wednesday my $10 camera stand arrives. That and a few thrift store paintings are my only investments. If things go well I can scale up. If the project flops I’m out nothing.

How to invest in a project

When I started my professional writing career there were all kinds of people trying to offer $300 workshops and seminars. They all claimed that “you’d never make it” without one.

I was making $10 an hour and didn’t have $300 to blow.

Instead I looked around at easy freelancing gigs and copied the people who were successful. That was enough to get me started.

In the beginning you should never invest in anything extra.

Hands-on learning will never cost you

My first business folded after six months. It had grown so fast that I couldn’t keep up anymore.

When I shut the doors I actually came out ahead. I’d learned how to make money, market a service, and run a company. Plus I was getting paid to do all of it. My entire education was subsidized.

A weekend writing course would have cost a lot of money with very little practical return. Meanwhile, I was getting the same information as I made money.

Paying for seminars and classes doesn’t guarantee anything. Jumping into the fray and testing things out on your own will teach you far more. Practical knowledge always trumps conference room speeches.

The difference between a wise investment and frivolous spending

Before someone nitpicks or says “you have to spend money to make money,” I want to clarify my point. Spending money should be something you hold off on until you start to succeed.

Launching a $10,000 advertisement campaign for a product making you $30,000 is a lot different than betting $10,000 on a product that hasn’t earned anything.

Spending money without any evidence of a return is never a smart idea.

Going into debt for a business is even worse.

There are obviously some exceptions to this, like designing high-tech medical equipment or developing a new gadget, but 90% of businesses don’t require anything fancy.

Unless you’re trying to create a fusion engine or design the next major communication platform you can get by with a tiny investment. Usually less than $500.

Two real life examples of good investments

Bold and Determined is a website that makes tens of thousands of dollars every single month. Its owner, Victor Pride, has never spent a penny on advertising or hired an SEO firm. He built an entire empire from scratch.

If Victor had hired marketing teams and social media consultants he probably wouldn’t be as big as he is today. Those groups chase after what’s trendy. They’ll never carve out their own niche and build something with longevity.

As I mentioned before, my first writing business cost me absolutely nothing. I made $2,000 in my second month of business and the profits went straight into my pocket. Had I gone to writing seminars and hired an adviser I’d be broke.

Since then I’ve launched a lot of different ventures and none of them have ever cost me more than a couple bucks. If they all failed tomorrow I really wouldn’t be out much.

Try and start every single business with a budget of $100. This might sound tough when you’re getting on your feet, but you’d be surprised at how little starting a company actually costs.

Closing thoughts

Don’t spend money unless you know that you’ll make it back. Gambling thousands of dollars on “a good idea” is about as smart as flying to Vegas and betting your life savings on roulette.

Unless you really know what you’re doing taking a huge risk is never a good idea. Try to make smart moves that allow you to continuously expand.

Steady growth might not sound exciting, but you won’t go broke from it. Take advantage of opportunities that you can easily capitalize off of.

Don’t leave your entire future to chance.

You can always grow and acquire better stuff. Let your earnings cover new expenses. Don’t dip into your own pocket to finance unreliable endeavors.

“Today is always the most productive day of your week.”

– Mark Hunter

How to make money this afternoon

I don’t spend money. I invest it. Everything I buy is purchased in cash and it always makes me more money.

Also, I never dip into my actual savings account.

When I want something I generally come up with extra money for my purchase. This way I never run out of cash.

As you may know, I’ve been setting up an area to shoot YouTube videos. And one of the things that I need to do this is a camera stand. The stand I want is $20.

For fun I decided to jump on oDesk and see if I could sell $20 worth of work in half an hour. I started at 8 o’clock and had met my goal in just over 20 minutes.

How to make $20 in 30 minutes on oDesk

The number one key to winning job proposals on freelancing sites, like oDesk, is the false time constraint.

This is some kind of special offer that you promise the client. However, the bonus is only around for a limited amount of time. If they hire you right now you’ll throw in something extra to sweeten the deal.

While you could probably go crazy and do a bunch of stuff, the easiest promotion is free same day delivery.

That’s it.

You spend an hour completing the project, most stuff on there takes no time at all, and then you deliver it. In all likelihood you would have done this anyway, but now you’ve marketed a standard procedure into an exciting feature. Everyone else just writes the article, you compose and deliver it in less than 24 hours.

How this trick can benefit anyone (and not just freelancer writers)

You clicked this link because of the headline. What sold you on reading this article was the time constraint. “How to make money this afternoon” is finite and powerful. “How to make money this year” wouldn’t have the same punch.

If you own a lawn care company and can mow lawns in two hours, make that a sales point. The speed t which you can complete a task should always be something you bring up. “If you hire me today I’ll do [X] in an hour” will draw in a whole slew of new clients.

If you’re having trouble with your business try to offer a limited time offer and be sure to showcase how productive you are.

These might sound like no-brainers but most people never do them. If you incorporate both you’ll see a significant increase in profits.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

– Chinese Proverb

Why you aren’t making money

Three months ago someone emailed me asking for advice on starting a blog. I sent them some pointers and went back to doing my own thing.

During the next 90 days I grew traffic on my own website, started a few new side projects, and continued working with a handful of business clients.

A few days ago I got another email from the same guy who’d wanted help. Over the past 90 days he hadn’t even launched his blog and yet he wanted more advice.

This might sound like I’m being a bully and picking on one person, but it happens almost every month. I get swamped with people who are always going to do something. Yet they never actually take that first step to get started.

The best business advice I can give you

Get up and start doing something.

Sitting on your hands and speculating about some theoretical business will get you nowhere.

The worst blog on Earth is still better than being empty-handed. The reason why you aren’t making money is because you haven’t even tried.

You can upgrade and tweak your business once you get it running. You can’t make up for all the time you wasted sitting on your hands. I’d rather spend a week fixing mistakes while I got paid than waste seven days pondering my future business ideas without earning a thing.

Great products trump everything else

Last week I wrote a post with a major typo in the headline. It was about making $2,000 before November 31st. There are only 30 days in the month, so I was going to look stupid.

Do you know how many people picked up on this glaring error (that was right in the headline)?

Two readers and my mom.

That’s it. Less than 1% of the people who saw that post picked up on the issue.

The content was engaging enough that the typo went undetected. And, while you should always correct your work, things like this are fairly common occurrences.

Most people aren’t operating with a dream team that never falters and doesn’t make mistakes.

Do more before 7 A.M. than most people will do all week

Before the sun was out this morning I had already applied for two writing jobs, finished up a project, and written 1,500 words for my upcoming eBook. And I haven’t even had my protein rich breakfast yet.

Meanwhile, there are a hundred thousand wantrepreneurs who will wake up at noon, read one Tim Ferriss post, and then loaf around all day. On Monday morning they’ll head back to the cubicle farm wondering why they aren’t financially successful yet.

If you want to make money and be your own boss, stop wasting time. Go make a business that fails. Then start over and try again.

You’ll get more from an afternoon of real experience than you will from a weekend of reading business theory blogs.

“The solution often turns out more beautiful than the puzzle.”

– Richard Dawkins

Three easy ways to instantly make yourself more successful

Today’s post is going to be a quick one because I’m writing it from a bench at the Miami airport. If you want to read something longer check out my complete guide to making an extra $2,000 a month. Otherwise, stick around and learn about the only three “lifehacks” that ever actually work.

Each of these activities is easy to do and will yield some major returns.

1. Carry a crisp $100 bill with you while out on dates

Go to the bank and get a fresh $100 bill. If you’re going on a date, or meeting someone important for lunch, bring it with. If you’re paying for anything, like drinks or ice cream, use the hundred bucks. It will stand out more than a debt card or crumpled up $20.

This is especially effective if you’re still in college. Ordering Starbucks and paying with a newly minted $100 will get compliments.

Additionally, having cash on hand is always useful. They’ll come a day when you run into trouble and can’t use a card or visit the ATM. When this happens you’re already prepared and won’t look like a fool.

2. Start a blog

Blogging doesn’t have to be an impressive endeavor.

I have a friend who has a blog he updates roughly once a month. He’s not making tons of money or getting mobbed by fans, but he puts out great insights into stuff that interests him. I have another friend who wanted to meet him.To get an idea of what the guy was about, my other friend visited his blog.

A 500 word monthly blog post that takes half an hour to write still increased someone’s social circle.

Everyone should, at the very least, make a free WordPress blog. A blog lets people know about you and gives them insights into what you’re like. It’s the cheapest, and easiest, form of public relations.

Invest an afternoon into writing posts and get a lifetime of free advertising in return.

3. Take notes and ask questions

About 10 days ago I started a book called The Education of Millionaires.

In it is a section on networking and meeting new people.

The author gives the following advice:

(Click here to learn more about The Education of Millionaires)

It amazes me at how many people never ask anyone anything.

If you meet someone, get them to tell you about themselves.

Silence never earns friendships or opens new doors.

If you meet someone who you’d like to learn from, ask questions and try to engage them.

“Can u read my book an review it. I will give u fiv doolers.”

– My first paying customer

How to make $2,000 by November 31st

(so easy a child could do it)

Last year I made almost two grand writing book reviews during the month of November. Between this and working at a Christmas tree farm I was able to quit my job and have quite a bit of extra spending money for the holiday season. And today I’m going to show you how to do the exact same thing.

Make big money reviewing books and products online

During the holiday season there are all kinds of people who want to sell their products. And many of them are looking to hire reviewers who can give their content a positive endorsement.

Sites like Fiverr, oDesk, Craigslist and other places get swamped with people looking to buy product reviews. You can easily capitalize off this.

Between the end of October and the beginning on December is when review season is in full-swing. If you act now you can earn some serious dough.

You are now a professional book reviewer

When you hear the term literary critic, you probably envision some snooty old prude in a tweed jacket. The book’s he dissects are “dense and rich works, exploring the complexities of modern man.”

Your job is much easier, all you need to do is write a few hundred words explaining why you liked someone’s book. You’ll be using terms such as “enjoyable,” “a good read,” “fun,” and “fast paced.”

Actually you aren’t even a critic. People are paying you to say nice things about their work, not find fault with it. The day you call out The Lusty Lawmen as shlock is the same day you find yourself out of a job.

How do you know what to write?

Most customers will send you gift cards to purchase their books with, however some make you review the book without reading it. This is usually alright, since there’s typically enough material in the book’s description to formulate something.

However, there have been occasions where I was left empty-handed. In these instances, I had to do a little detective work. By analyzing the cover and being vague enough, I managed to cobble together a “review.” It was thin, but it did the job.

Do all the books suck?

Not every book is awful though. I’ve had a few orders for downright awesome reads. Whenever this happens I make sure to contact the customer and let him know that I actually enjoyed his work. Usually I’ll become his go-to guy for any future releases.

The overall quality of what you review sits around “average.” Most books aren’t terrible, but the ones that are really stick out, and there is the occasional gem as well.

What if I can’t write?!

Even if you’re a “bad” writer, you should still be able to pen a decent product review. When you write a review you aren’t producing great literature, so there’s no need to worry about your talent level. If you can produce something that’s readable, and lacks glaring typos, you’ll do fine.

For frame of reference, I’m going to show you an actual review I once wrote. Everything except the title, which I changed for legal purposes, was taken directly from what I posted on Amazon. Interestingly, the buyer later informed me that I was the best he’s ever hired. Keep that in mind while you read what I wrote:

“CYBER COMMAND does a great job combining high tech warfare with classic spy thriller elements. From the opening sequence in which America’s military raises it’s status to DEFCON 2 (something not done since the Cuban Missile Crisis), to the epic conclusion; I was enthralled.

The story is fast paced and tightly written. It reminded me of an old school Tom Clancy novel, packed with high tech military equipment and the serious threat of nuclear war.

The story follows a secret agent who must race to stop an impending war. As the story progresses the plot thickens and the tension builds. While I won’t spoil anything, I will say that there a quite a few shocking twists in the second half of the novel.

If you want to read something intense and gripping, I suggest you get a copy of CYBER COMMAND. It is exciting, smartly written, and genuinely suspenseful. I enjoyed this novel and recommend it to anyone who enjoys military thrillers and cutting edge weaponry.”

If I were in Seventh Grade again and submitted this for a book report it wouldn’t have scored above “D-.” When I was working on my CYBER COMMAND review I was so tired that I actually started drifting off to sleep as I wrote it. I was half-asleep, writing generic drivel, and I was still the best man for the job.

From browsing through some of my competitors “work” I’ve seen how low the bar really is. Most reviewers are located overseas and barely speak English. Their writings are near unreadable and often contain blatant falsehoods that instantly discredit the authenticity of their review.

I’ve seen “life changing,” “I can’t wait for the sequel,” and “best author ever” used to the point that their meanings are completely lost.

Anyone with half a brain stem could tell that the reviews are fake. At no point in history would the author of Extraterrestrial Love: touched by a martian be considered “the voice of a generation.”

How to write a product review (in five simple steps)

As long as you don’t write anything offensive, sexual, or negative about the product you’ll do perfectly well as a writer. However, if you still doubt your writing abilities, I’ve provided a simple template for authoring product reviews:

1. Header (this get’s pasted into the review’s title section)

2. Book title followed by complement (“Space Toads is a must have for any science fiction fan.”). I suggest writing three sentences worth material for this section.

3. Another compliment comparing the work to a more popular book/author in the same genre (“The Two Day Work Week is filled with helpful tips that fans of Tim Ferriss will enjoy.”).

4. Minor details about the book (“The story follows a desperate mother as she attempts to locate her lost daughter during a blizzard.”). This is a lot easier than it sounds and rarely requires picking up the actual book. Simply take something from the description and mention it in your review.

5. Conclusion/Endorsement (“I just couldn’t put it down, highly recommended.”). If you’re really lazy just write a handful of different conclusions and recycle them for every so many reviews.

The only tools you need

Since we’re writing reviews, we need some Amazon accounts. To get these we have to set up some new email addresses, register them with Amazon, and then use our personal account to send gift cards. You can get digital cards that are sent by email to the new review accounts.

I’d recommend making a new account for this job, because some of the products might be a bit embarrassing. You don’t want someone you know to see your review of Best Gay Erotica Volume Three. To spare yourself just make a new account.

To save time and money, I suggest entering your new email addresses into a Word document. This way you can’t forget them.

As I mentioned before, you’ll need to buy Amazon gift cards and send them to your other profiles. Amazon has a policy about not allowing reviews from accounts that haven’t bought anything. They also don’t allow reviews to be posted by anyone who’s first purchase occurred within the past 48 hours.

Simply purchase one $0.99 eBook per account. That way you’ll be ready to fill client orders.

Closing thoughts

Writing product reviews is a very simple way to make more money. There’s very little technical skill involved and you can crank out tons of reviews throughout the day.

I’ve personally moved on to other ventures, but I still think that this is a great starting point for new entrepreneurs who are looking to make a couple extra bucks.