Category: Make Money

How to Make More Extra Money Before Christmas

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Make more extra money before Christmas.

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner.

But you might already be looking for moneymaker ideas so you can get more cash for those Christmas presents for family and friends.

Look no further. We have made a list of some ideas to make more extra money before December 25th!

make money for Christmas

1. Work from Home

Working from home might be your holy grail if you want to work from the comfort of your own home. There are countless companies hiring customer representatives, and there are other attractive options. Check this article to find out about the 10 best work-from-home jobs to make money now. And if you are new to the world of working in your pajamas, check this Remote Newbie Guide to work from home that we created for you.

10 Best Work-From-Home Jobs to Make Money Now

The Remote Newbie Guide to Work-From-Home

2. Make Money with Your Car

You can start driving for Uber or Lyft. But newsflash, if you offer your riding services with Utility Avenue, you can transport people, but you can also deliver groceries, parcels, lunch. The sky is the limit.

3. Declutter and get rid of pre-loved items.

Our houses are full of items we don’t use anymore. This might be an excellent opportunity to declutter and Mary Kondo your home and make extra cash in the process.

4. Become a Website Tester

For this, we would recommend UserTesting. Most testing tasks last 15-20 minutes, and you earn 10 dollars per review. Definitely handy.

5. Become a Pet Sitter

We have mentioned it in several blog entries. If you love pets, you can make extra money when you pet sit, especially for the holidays when there will be traveling involved.

6. Sell your crafts 

The sky is the limit when you are creative. You can make and sell your crafts: jewelry, personalized ornaments, Christmas wreaths, gift baskets, watercolors, printables, candles. Anything that can be personalized is a great Christmas present. You can open a store on Amazon, Etsy, or Shopify to reach more clients.

7. Turn your hustle into a business.

Check this blog post to find out if you can turn your hobby into a moneymaker. And, if you are already monetizing your hobby, read this article to find out if it’s an excellent time to turn your side hustle into a business. To start, or not start, a business. THAT’s the question.

12 Hobbies that can be Moneymakers

To Start or Not To Start a Business: That is the Question

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

You can help small businesses with anything from project management to social media marketing.

9. Become a Copywriter or a Proofreader.

Most businesses need to create sales pages, whitepapers, articles. It can be a good niche for you to specialize if you can provide copywriting or proofreading services, and you can do that from home.

10. Find Work On Side Gig Apps

You can find several side gig apps to offer any service, from photography to proofreading, for example, Thumbtack, Fiverr, and TaskRabbit. You can also check Utility Avenue and find out if it’s a fit for you. Our platform only charges a flat fee of 0.50 cents per service sold, so you can make more money when you provide a service. Read this article if you want to know more details about our platform.

10 Reasons to Make Money with Utility Avenue

11. Reduce Your Bills.

A good option would be to save money. Find where you are spending money unnecessarily. For example, eliminate those subscriptions you always forget to use and call your service providers to find out if there are current deals so you can reduce your bill payments.

12. Get Cashback with Rakuten.

Earn cashback when shopping at your favorite online stores. For example, with this Rakuten affiliate link, you’ll get a $30 bonus when you sign up and make a qualifying purchase.

13. Save Your Change.

We live in a pretty much cashless society, but sometimes, you receive some cashback. You could save that money. At the end of the year, you might save a fair amount.

Final words about how to make extra money before Christmas.

As a last piece of advice, I would also suggest thinking about what makes a great Christmas present. This has been a challenging year for most of us. Maybe material things are not what your family and friends need. Perhaps, they need the gift of experiences or help with a bill—just food for thoughts.

Profit First: Transform your Business into a Money-Making Machine

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Profit First: Transform your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine

Managing finances is a challenge. Often, being a successful and profitable business owner takes a lot more than being great at making your product or providing your service. You need to be good at the business side of things.

The most crucial step for any business owner is education.

For a healthy financial future, you need to learn and understand the necessary skills needed to run a small business. 

I just finished reading Profit First, by Mike Michalowicz. It was everything the reviews said and more. If you are a small business owner or want to manage your finances more healthily, you want to learn about this system.

 

Profit First Author
Michael Michalowicz is an American author, entrepreneur, and lecturer. He is the author of seven business books including Fix This Next, Clockwork, Profit First, Surge, Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

Why Profit First?

At least 50% of businesses fail in the first five years due to a lack of profitability. Many continue struggling, burning cash, and accumulating debt before collapsing. Entrepreneurs start a company to do what they love and gain financial freedom. They work hard, invest their life savings, but, in the end, they still don’t make money.

Most businesses use the traditional formula (Sales – Expenses = Profit).

Profit First is a cash-management system and it proposes this new accounting formula: Sales – Profit = Expenses. 

The solution is so profoundly simple and so genius: Take your profit first!

Make profit your focus, not an afterthought.

James Clear summarized the book for us. If you don’t have time to read more, read this.

“Before you pay your expenses, take your profit first. Run your business based on what you can afford to do today, not what you hope to be able to afford someday. When profit comes first, it is the focus, and it is never forgotten.”

Summary

Here, some core ideas from the book, according to James Clear.

  • Profit First Author“Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, and cash is king.”
  • Money is the foundation. Without enough money, we cannot take our message, our products, or our services worldwide. Without enough money, we are slaves to the businesses we launched.
  • Growth is only half the equation. It is an important half, but still only half.
  • Remember, your business is supposed to serve you; you are not in service to your business!
  • Profit is not an event. It is not something that happens at year-end or at the end of your five-year plan or someday. It isn’t even something that waits until tomorrow. Profit must happen now and always. It must be baked into your business. Every day, every transaction, every moment. 
  • Profitability isn’t an event. Profit is a habit.
  • Take profit first. You can’t grow out of your profit problem. You need to fix profit first, then expand.
  • You must figure out the things that make a profit and dump the things that don’t.
  • Sustained profitability depends on efficiency.

The System

Use small plates

 When you put all your money in one account, you feel wealthier and spend more. Reduce the amount of available cash, so you’re forced to be smarter and more innovative with how you use each cent.

Change your meal sequence.

Never pay bills first. Allocate your business income into sub-accounts in this sequence: Income => Profit => Owners’ Pay => Tax => Operating Expenses (Opex). 

  • If you get a $1,000 deposit, starting today, transfer $10 into your PROFIT account. If you could run your business off $1,000, you can indeed run it off $990. If you get $20,000 in deposits, you transfer $200 into your PROFIT account. If you can run your business off $20,000, you absolutely can run it off $19,800. You’ll never miss that 1 percent. It is a low bar. But something magical will happen. You will start proving the system to yourself. You won’t get rich overnight this way, but you will get a wealth of confidence.
  • When less money is available to run your business, you will find ways to get the same or better results with less. By taking your profit first, you will be forced to think smarter and innovate more.
  • Also, eliminate unnecessary expenses. It will bring more health to your business than you ever imagined.

Remove temptations

It’s human nature to seek convenience. Once you’ve taken your profit, remove temptation so you won’t use it for your business or yourself.

Mike suggests opening two bank accounts at a different bank.

Enforce a Rythm

Do your allocations and payables twice a month. Mike suggests doing this task, specifically, on the tenth and the twenty-fifth.

A few extra tips to stay on top of your finances.

  • Pay yourself first.
  • Have a good billing strategy.
  • Spread out tax payments.
  • Monitor your books.
  • Focus on expenditures, but also ROI.

Final words

If you apply this approach to a new business, you can make profits from day one. Set up good financial habits from the beginning and establish internal financial systems to protect your business’s financial health. 

If you’ve been losing money for years and can’t even pay yourself a salary, then it’s time to transform your business.

It is also a lifestyle. 10/10 I would recommend it for a healthy financial life.

Seriously. Buy This Book. Read this book. Implement this book. You will thank us later.

_______________________________________
Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight

Social Media Marketing Success Stories

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Social Media Marketing Success Stories

As we have discussed, marketing teams and social media marketing can be beneficial for the development of a business. Both big enterprises and small companies have relied on social media marketing to grow and expand their reach. There are many inspiring stories of companies that have found success while using these strategies.

Who are they? What has been done differently? How have they done it?  There are many questions but it is essential to understand that what has worked for a car dealer might not work at all for you if your business is a small restaurant. 

 

Be different

Everything changes. The target audiences might not be the same and should be targeted differently. Besides, every business has its interests, and according to their products or services, they should have other types of advertising. 

Marketing through your social media accounts alone does not guarantee success. It would be helpful to be creative, unique, and appealing. It would also be useful to make your audiences feel that you are talking to them and catering to their needs. Proper hashtags, trending topics, and other elements will not be enough if you don’t use them with intention and timing.

 

Success stories

Several small businesses are currently being very influential on social media, according to a piece just published in Small Business Trends. The article focuses on 30 unusual social media campaigns. These fascinating examples could be handy for a business like your own. We now offer the list with some takes from the site:

 

Maes Beer

maes beer

Strategy: Giving a barrel of free beer to people with the last name ‘Maes.’

Reaction: 7,000 people changed their last name to ‘Maes’ on Facebook.

Result: 75,000 Facebook likes in a day and a half million visits in six weeks.

 

Sevenly

Strategy: Using social influence to raise awareness for charities and nonprofits as well as the Sevenly brand, teaming up with a different charity every week, creating a design to promote the charity and selling online, and giving $7 to the charity for every T-shirt sold.

 

Ushuaia

Strategy: Giving a free RFID wristband to guests of the Ushuaia hotel. The wrist band allows them to: share all their activities within the hotel on social media at their will. It also allows them to chat, play games, enter contests, or create playlists.

 

Uniqlo

uniqlo

Need: Raising awareness for their ‘Dry mesh T-shirts.’

Strategy: Using Pinterest to promote and hijack the streams of pinners that were logged on at the time.

Result: Users got to see Uniqlo’s T-shirts turning, flipping, and changing colors as they scrolled.

Reaction: 55 million impressions and 6,000 mentions on Twitter.

 

Plated

Strategy: Using its YouTube channel to show customers how to make the recipes (chef style) with the ingredients they deliver.

Result: Users feel attracted by the food and thus order the ingredients from Plated.

 

Tippex

Strategy: Creating a 30 second YouTube video entitled “Hunter shoots a bear” to let viewers choose the ending.

How it works: Not actually harming any bears, the hunter reaches out of the frame to grab a Tippex and whites out of the word ‘shoot.’ The viewers decide what happens next by typing.

Result: More than 21 million views on the video.

 

Folly Theater

Strategy: Allowing audience members to keep their phones during the show, using an app to help direct the show.

How it works: The audience can vote on everything, from outfit to songs.

Result: Immediate buzz for the theater.

 

Burger Revolution

Strategy: Keeping fans informed on the number of burgers left for the day.

Result: Sense of urgency among users.

Other Strategy: Post a ‘comment of the day’ in a picture with a comment made by a user.

Final Results: Over 2,000 likes on the burger joint’s Facebook page.

 

Airbnb

Strategy: Creating a short film named “Hollywood and Vines” using videos submitted by users (Airbnb paid $100 to the chosen 100) following the director’s instructions.

Reaction: 750 submissions.

Result: First short film directed via Twitter. Wide exposure. Attention and retweets of actors like Adam Goldberg and Ashton Kutcher.

 

Tweet-a-Beer

Strategy: Waggener Edstrom teamed up with ‘chirpify’ to develop an app to share a beer via Twitter.

How it works: Users can send $5 to any twitter handle they decide.

Results: Countless face to face meetings. National attention and mainstream media coverage.

 

Baublebar

Idea: Opening two locations combining real-world shopping with the web.

Strategy: Integrating social media, allowing users to see how other women (not only models but also other customers) look with the jewelry on by pulling them from Instagram.

 

JustBought.it

Strategy: Encouraging users to tweet every time they purchase to let others see it and get information about the product.

Result: JustBought.it is currently integrated with Shopify, Microsoft.net, Magento, and more.

 

The Quechua Experiment

Need: Raising awareness for their hiking gear.

Strategy: Posting over 300 sequential images of a man hiking up a hillside. 

Impact: Fans could get an experience seeing everything the man did before and while hiking.

 

Sidecar

Strategy: Teaming up with bloggers, designers, and fashionistas to take over and decorate three sidecars. Giving special attention to commuters who end up in one of the three cars. Adding a contest in which the user posts a picture of themselves in the sidecar on Twitter with the hashtag #tastemakertakeover for the winner to win one month of free rides worth $1,000.

 

Burger Records

Strategy: Promoting shows held by fans all over the world. 

Result: Numerous shows are promoted all over the world.

Reaction: 34,000 Facebook fans, 20,000 Twitter followers, nearly 18,000 Instagram followers.

 

Body Form

Strategy: Releasing a video response to an angry man’s comment on Facebook.

Result: More than 5 million views on the video. More than 104,000 likes and 5,000 on the comment made by the user (whose name is Richard Neil).

 

Sensu

Problem: Needing to have a crowd for a music video of Artist Ben Howard.

Strategy: Creating a Facebook event page telling people there was going to be a free concert with free beer.

Reaction: 500 people attended.

Result: Newspaper, radio shows, and blog coverage. Over 1 million views and 8,000 likes on YouTube.

 

Tweet Bra

Need: Raising awareness about breast cancer.

Strategy: Ogilvyone created the tweeting bra, which tweets when unclasped, reminding women that they should get monthly breast exams.

 

PODZEMKA

Strategy: Allowing user-generated content on their website.

How they did it: Creating a page within their website where users can upload pictures using templates and pre-written slogan.

Result: a 50% increase in traffic, 1,000 new advertisements created.

 

Razorfish

Strategy: Giving a Twitter account to 20 bikes available for free in the annual SXSW festival in Austin.

Result: Creating buzz as bikes shared their location while people rode them.

 

Thinkable Digital

Strategy: Creating “Guess the Campaign,” a contest on its Facebook page to have fins identify the brands behind social media campaigns.

What they did: Give a full social media evaluation to the winner, a Twitter evaluation to the second place, and feature on the company’s Facebook page to the third place.

 

Threshers

Problem: Sending a 40% voucher to its customers, then noticing a loss.

Solution: Saying publicly, it had been sent out “accidentally,” and the vouchers were for suppliers use only.

Result: Local buzz.

 

Blendtec

Strategy: “Will it blend” campaign with videos in which incredible things were pureed in a blender.

Result: Millions of views and imitators.

 

Recruit Military

Strategy: Creating Facebook events to be used as job fairs to find work for military veterans. Holding the ‘Find a job Friday’ event.

Result: 68,000 likes on the page.

 

Canadian Tire

Strategy: Creating “The Canadian Way,” a digital catalog of their products using user-generated content.

Result: More than three million page views (15 on average per visitor).

 

Tourism Australia

Strategy: Creating the “Best Job in the World Campaign,” offering jobs to six people for six-month salaries of $100,000.

How it worked: Applicants had to make a short video explaining why they had to be chosen.

Result: over 330,000 entries from 196 countries. Facebook page growth from 400,000 to 5.5 million.

 

SmartBear

Strategy: Creating a game similar to ‘Where’s Waldo’, having visitors find a SmartBear developer by the name of Dain in different spots on SmartBear.com.

How it worked: Users had to send a Twitter message including @SmartBear and a unique hashtag.

Result: Increase of 120% in traffic.

 

Optimal Run

Strategy: Creating a personalized video for each shoe they sell, providing detailed information, and answering questions taken from their Facebook and website.

Result: Increase in traffic of over 150%.

 

Cloak

Strategy: Allowing you to see if any friend is nearby using information from a social network.

Why they did it: Helping people avoid unwanted run-ins.

 

Morton’s Steakhouse

What they did: Respond to a tweet from entrepreneur Peter Shankman, in which he asked for a porterhouse to be delivered to Newark Airport, by sending someone 24 miles away to make the delivery—doing a lot of things on the sidelines to accomplish it.

Result: Exposure and reliability. Shankman shared the story, and it has over 6,700 tweets and 10,000 shares on Facebook.

 

Final Thoughts
About Social Media Marketing Success Stories

There is one variable that remains constant. Customer satisfaction comes first. If we look into any of these 30 examples, the follow-up to comments (of happiness or complaints) is essential and brings results.

Marketing on social media implies giving a lot of attention to each customer or potential customer. Answering their comments or messages, paying close attention to them, and providing meaningful answers to each follower (whether a customer or not) with a lot of attention. Being bold and adventurous can also help a lot.

These companies have proven how specific innovative and unusual social media campaigns brought them success. Many of these strategies could work for you. But more importantly, they will give you an idea of things you can do to draw clients and audience to your social media page. 

Remember that the more people you attract to your social media channels, there more potential clients there are going to be. Right now could be an excellent time to start your social media campaign.

Which one will it be?

Utility Avenue in a Nutshell

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

utility avenue app

 

Utility Avenue in a Nutshell

Utility Avenue is a community marketplace for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners to promote and sell their services.

When you first hear about it, you might believe there is a trick. The truth is that gig-economy platforms have damaged popular faith in the free digital economy. Yes, they are valuable as they provide a platform to get clients, but most of them keep a significant cut when service providers are the ones who actually do the job. They should make the most amount of money, right? Nobody likes to lose money to intermediaries, so we removed them. To help service providers increase earnings, we created Utility Avenue.

Yes, we are a gig platform, but we only charge 0.50 cents to make it possible for YOU to make the most profit. We have kept our costs low, so we can better serve you. At Utility Avenue, you can sell your services directly to the clients so you can make more money for less work.

Who is Utility Avenue for?

Utility Avenue is for the service provider who wishes to become a successful and autonomous business owner.

  • Are you an entrepreneur or a small business owner?
  • Are you a freelancer or need extra income?
  • Do you have a business idea, but don’t have clients or don’t have the platform?
  • Do you work for someone who takes a high percentage of your service?
  • Do you have a service company that hires associates instead of employees (for instance, HVAC companies that subcontract AC technicians).?

Then, Utility Avenue is for you.

What’s in it for you? 

  • You can buy and sell services with Utility Avenue and turn hobbies and skills into cash.
  • You can make money and save money easily on the same platform.
  • You can make more money doing less work as you are not giving up on a high percentage of the price.
  • Get seen. Reach more clients and be the first person they think of when they need service:  At Utility Avenue, it is the consumer who discovers the provider. You can also share smart links that open your services in the app to enhance your social media reach.
  • Manage your offers effortlessly: you create the service, set your rules, and decide the service fee. You manage your services and change prices, description, availability, etc. You also control the orders and identify your clients.
  • It is free to download. You pay 0.50 cents only when you sell a service: there isn’t a single platform that provides everything Utility Avenue brings to the table for only $0.50 per sale.
  • You communicate directly with the client and vice-versa.
  • You get paid, fast and easy, directly to your account.

What’s the cost of not using Utility Avenue?

You can keep using the other platforms, but you would be giving up on a high percentage of the service price, and you would not be able to reach out to clients directly.

Final Words

Close your eyes and think about your ideal business. How successful are you? How fulfilled do you feel? How happy are you?

That feeling. Right there. Hold it.

Let’s make it come true.

Here’s how it works: you download the app, you list your services, and you get seen and hired. It’s that simple.

We will be with you every step of your way to success so you can stop losing money to an intermediator and start thriving.

This is Utility Avenue in a nutshell.

To Start or Not To Start a Business: That is the Question

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

to start or not to start a business

To start or not to start a business, that is the question. Many people who wanted to open a small business before COVID-19 found themselves in limbo, hoping for things to change or a miracle. The healthcare situation hurt most companies, big and small, and many have had considerable financial losses.

However, some businesses have thrived during the pandemic, which makes us wonder.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a list of businesses that have done pretty well. Among those experiencing growth: cleaning services, delivery services, drive-in movie theaters, grocery stores, liquor/wine stores, meal prep delivery services, canned and jarred goods companies, game makers and sellers, fitness equipment companies, landscaping and yard care, bread-baking companies, coffee subscription companies, gardening suppliers, mask makers, telehealth services.

Opening a related business might be an excellent decision to make.

So, is it a good time to start a business?

According to Adam Singolda in Op-Ed: Analysis of 8 billion page views shows where the next hot start-up can thrive, it is. “The news cycle is a direct reflection of what’s grabbing consumer attention in real-time,” he says. “Successful businesses will heed its advice and use it to “look outside” in times of crisis, but also how to “look inside” effectively to determine where to save costs and make responsible business choices.”

His piece describes industries that show massive growth after the COVID-19 pandemic started.

  • Consumer interest in Home Improvement has increased by 140%,
  • Consumer interest in Pet Products has increased by 50%,
  • Consumer interest in Home Beauty has increased by 36%,
  • Consumer interest in Gaming has increased by 145%,
  • Consumer interest in  Fitness and Health has increased by 2,000,000 %.

Some of these activities will only need time, courage, and dedication. For some others, you will need more significant savings, or trustworthy investors because banks are reluctant to offer loans due to the crisis.

As Annie Lowrey puts it in The Small-Business Die-Off Is Here, “… banks have been prioritizing applications from bigger clients; some have even developed “concierge treatment” options for wealthy firms.” She adds, “Much of the help (referring to the government relief package) has gone to the companies that need it the least, among them firms with employee counts just under the SBA caps, franchises of major chains, and publicly traded firms, which are by definition able to raise money from investors.”

Here are some pros for opening a business in related fields:

  1. These businesses will work even if COVID-19 gets contained. So, don’t worry about losing clients when scenarios change.
  2. People need these services, which makes you an asset to your clientele.
  3. Some potential new businesses will not open because their owners are still afraid, which will give you more opportunities.
  4. Some established businesses are closed, and their owners are reluctant to reopen because of the pandemic.
  5. People are eager to try something new and to help small businesses.
  6. These industries are booming right now.
  7. If you succeed, you will succeed BIG TIME.
  8. How you adapt now will work for you even past the pandemic, and also prepare you for further contingencies.

Of course, there are cons:

  1. People might still be reluctant to use certain businesses out of fear of contagion.
  2. People might be reluctant to spend money.
  3. Some people are engaging in DIY activities at home.
  4. Some people in your area might have beat you to it.
  5. It will be hard to get bank loans to set up your business.
  6. In case of not being successful, there is little chance for recovery.

With these things in mind, it is up to you to make a decision. If you open a new business, it is crucial to adapt to the current situation and make your business more attractive to people from the get-go.

Final words

Life is not going to be the same after COVID-19, at least, for the foreseeable future. Starting a new business or not, it is necessary to adjust to the new reality. If you want to start a new business, thoroughly analyze the pros and cons. You decide. Creating your safety guidelines based on the CDC instructions will help you out. You might also want to do proper research on the market capabilities of your area and your potential clients regarding the business you want to start.

Hellen Keller said: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Taking risks will always bring uncertainty, but it will also take you places. If you want to start a new business, do everything necessary, be creative, and don’t be afraid. Give value and serve people.

So, what kind of business do you want to build?

12 Hobbies that can be Moneymakers

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

hobbies can be moneymakers

Some hobbies can be moneymakers! Have you ever thought that what you love doing can also make you money? A job can take up your time and energy, but a hobby is something you usually do for fun. It takes out the stress and serves as an escape valve for the daily pressure, but you could make a living with it. Some people have turned their passions into real professions, and have succeeded.

Last week, we talked about the reasons why making money with Utility Avenue is a good idea. This week, we have brainstormed some hobbies that can also be moneymakers. Some of them might be limited due to the COVID-19 situation worldwide, but others can be put into practice right now. Maybe YOUR hobby can make you money! All you need is a little bit of imagination and the will to get it done.

Hobbies that can be moneymakers

Athlete/Coach:

If you are a baseball player, a tennis player, or a swimmer, there are many ideas. How many times have you heard your coaches repeat instructions? How many times have you practiced those routines yourself? You can start passing all that valuable knowledge onto others. Also, you can easily set up your webcam and do it through video online. Check what  Billy Ripken has done, and that can give you an idea. You can also be a judge, umpire or referee since sometimes school or local championships need a person to call the game.

Chef/Cook:

If you love cooking, creating a Youtube chef show to teach how to cook is an option. You could prepare unique family recipes, or invite potential students to your kitchen, and have them assist while they also learn from you. Another idea could be having people make requests for what they want you to prepare and pay for you to have the final product delivered to them.

Bartender:

Apply the same concept can to a bartender. It is easy to find recipes online, but if you have that magic touch that makes a drink “The Drink”, and you can prepare it with style, check this. You could create a Youtube channel to teach people how to make them YOUR way. It would be a fun experience that could also help you earn some cash.

Fishing:

If you love fishing and you have a boat, you can host a “fisherman invitation” to have guest fishermen with you. If they are professionals, you could charge for the ride. But if they are amateurs, you can also charge for teaching them the little tricks that make you get that big catch. Don’t you have a boat? In that case, be the instructor for those who don’t know much about fishing and have a boat.

Dancing/Music:

Dancing and music are perhaps two of the most popular hobbies ever. Some people also have a natural gift to teach. So, how about taking your dancing or music skills and help those who are eager for a patient professor? You can do this either in person or online, so don’t let COVID-19 discourage you. You can make the popular salsa and tango available online. And if music is your gig, you can teach people how to play your instrument.

Handyman:

Loose power plugs, stuck window frames, stiff doorknobs: nothing gets in your way when it comes to fixing things. And you enjoy it. If you enjoy doing stuff around the house, put your name out there. Someone might need your expertise: either making renovations or helping people move, a handyman is always necessary. So, you can start making money out of that hobby.

Teaching/Tutoring:

Having teaching skills is not enough to succeed at that. People need to love it. If you are among those who do, you could help others. Right now, elementary school kids are not the only ones who need it. Some more advanced students can need help with math, writing essays, reviewing essays, and some more. If you have the time and you enjoy this, you can help others while you also help yourself make some extra money.

Interpreting:

Your language skills are unique. Your grammar is perfect in two or more languages. You have a good memory, and your delivery rate is incredible. So, you can turn all that into an interpreting gig. You can easily offer your services to people needing someone to interpret a formal meeting or a hospital visit.

Photography:

Photography is an excellent example of hobbies that can be moneymakers. It is a great privilege to be able to give people the gift of memories. You can focus on street, landscape, portrait, wedding, or macro photography. In time, you can start offering photography services. At the same time, you can also give photography tips to photography enthusiasts. Everyone needs some guidance when they start, and you can be that person.

Video/Video editing:

Video making can be an excellent way to generate income: all you need is a camera with video capabilities, the skill to do it, and a computer to edit the footage you take. You can also help others with their videos. Editing can be annoying for some people who don’t have a lot of free time and are willing to pay for someone to do it.

Writing/Blogging:

Some people have the passion and the skill for putting thoughts into words. If you have an in-depth writing knowledge, you could start your blog and post about your preferred subject, from arts to politics, to sports. A good platform option could be WordPress, but you can also use Blogspot or Medium, among others.

Dog-sitting/ Dog-walking:

For the god lovers out there, dog-sitting or dog-walking could be a hobby that can also be a moneymaker. After all, you love the company of pets, and you will get paid to work surrounded by love.

Final Words

If you have any of these hobbies, it might be a good idea to start a new venture. You never know, right? As Bill Gates once said: “Paul and I, we never thought that we would make much money out of the thing. We just loved writing software.” He never expected to become a millionaire by doing something he loved.

These are some ideas of hobbies that can be moneymakers, but there are more. Let us know in the comments about others.

Hobbies can also be moneymakers. Don’t forget that you would be getting paid to have fun.

And that is priceless.

10 Reasons to Make Money with Utility Avenue

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Making money and promoting yourself is one of the biggest challenges when you start a new business. While looking for alternatives, many questions come up: Which is the right platform? How much will I have to pay? How much control will I have over how I manage my clients? Will it be useful?  Emerging businesses usually do not have much to spend. The fear of wasting money on meaningless investments is big. If you are searching for an effective way to promote your business/side hustle and make money, you have come to the right place. Utility Avenue is a community marketplace where you can turn your skills and hobbies into income. Make money with what you love and know.

At Utility Avenue, we believe the people providing the services should obtain the most benefits. We believe those who get the job done should get the lion’s share. That is why you pay only 0.50 cents when you successfully sell a service. We are in the business of helping you increase your revenue. Last week, we shared a list of reasons why you should use our platform. Now, we present to you ten benefits of using this platform to promote and sell your services.

Make more money when you sell your services with Utility Avenue.

You don’t lose money to an intermediary.

None likes to lose money. That’s why we obliterated the middleman out of the equation. With Utility Avenue, you can sell your services directly to the client and get paid immediately. 

You make more money

Some platforms will take up to 60% of the price, which is not fair. Because there is no intermediary, Utility Avenue can charge only 0.50 cents when you successfully sell a service, and you keep the rest of the money. This way, you can double your profit. 

You are the boss

Utility Avenue grants you full control to sell your services in a way that is suitable for your business/side hustle. First, you set pricing, availability, and every single detail of your services. Third, you establish your policies. Last, you can also decide how to manage your business and which clients to accept or reject. Perhaps, the most significant impact Utility Avenue can have on is that it brings control, flexibility, and better earnings. It gives you freedom and independence. 

Your clients are YOUR clients.

Communication between providers and clients is direct. As a result, if the platform disappears — We are not going, though. We are here for the long run–you keep your customers. That is our guarantee. You earn your clients’ trust and grow your network by providing excellent customer service. Clients will respect you because they understand you are a business owner.

Clients choose you

As communication is direct and transparent, at Utility Avenue, you will have the opportunity to make more money and grow if you do things right. You will get clients’ loyalty when you provide exceptional service, great value, and excellent customer service. That kind of work excellence will grant you more clients, partners, and allies. It will also open doors for future businesses.

You get flexibility

Utility Avenue gives you the power to have diversity within your services and widen the scope of your offer. This platform encourages and fosters evolution and diversification. When you diversify your offerings, you will get more clients, which means more income.  Both clients and providers can customize the service as much as needed, and they can also modify the price after negotiation.

You get visibility

Advertising is one of the most expensive investments. Utility Avenue provides free advertising so you would be more visible and accessible for potential clients. Clients come to you. Therefore, you would not have to worry about finding ways to advertise your services while saving money. 

You get value

Launching a platform like Utility Avenue can cost up to half a million dollars, but small businesses are not able to pay for that. That’s why we created it for you. So you can make money, save money, and focus on what matters most: family.

You reduce costs

Utility Avenue is always trying to find new ways to reduce costs for users. It dramatically reduces the value of client acquisition, marketing, and technology development. Also, when the amount of providers increases, there will come a reduction in expenses, because negotiations with suppliers should become more manageable.

You get social media support.

Utility Avenue integrates with social media. This enables you to promote your services and special offers. It also fosters the concept of social media support to help you create and cement your brand. 

Final words

French author, journalist, and philosopher Albert Camus once said, “Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” In Utility Avenue, we want to help you turn your skills and hobbies into income by creating your business/side hustle. Make more money while selling your services. So, don’t wait too long: download the app and start using Utility Avenue to promote your services. 

You have so much to gain.

Why Should You Download Utility Avenue?

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

 

utility avenue logo with peopleWhy Should You Download Utility Avenue?

Every time you run into a new online platform, the first questions that come to mind are “What is it?”, “Why should I use it?'” and “How will it benefit me?”. The most significant doubt is “What’s the catch?” as some platforms will start with generous offers, and then they change their approach.

 When you find Utility Avenue, the questions just pop up in your head. 

Hey, we get it. 

We would be doing the same thing. We would wonder: “Is it secure and effective?” “Is my information protected?” “Is it easy to use?”.

Our team has addressed these concerns. That is why it is our duty and our pleasure to give you a list of reasons why you should use our platform.

First of all, what is Utility Avenue? Utility Avenue is a community marketplace for you to turn your skills and hobbies into income, and to find service providers easily. It barely consumes battery, data, memory, or space. It allows you to use it efficiently, with speed, quality, and comfort.

There is no intermediary. 

A middleman controls the price and keeps providers and customers from making the transaction directly. Well, Utility Avenue IS NOT a middleman. As a result, prices drop to fair amounts. It also gives you total control of who renders the service. As the customer, you choose. 

There is no trick  

What you see is what you get, meaning that only government taxes and merchant fees will be added to the price. If there is an increase in price, it has to be negotiated directly with the provider. This will give you financial protection, and also the autonomy to decide whether you hire that particular provider or not.

 There is direct client-provider communication. 

With Utility Avenue, there will always be direct client-provider contact. That way, you can explain your request before choosing a provider. You will not be dealing with a computer, but with a person, so the services get humanized.

It is transparent

Providers are companies with a tax ID, something that makes them more responsible and protects you. Furthermore, both customers and providers have full access to the same app, so there is no catch.

 It is secure

Security is another primary concern, and Utility Avenue has understood the importance of providing high security. It does not store credit/debit card information. The app uses Braintree for process payments, so privacy is protected. Finally, Utility Avenue uses Firebase from Google. Anyone trying to hack the app will have to hack Google itself, not Utility Avenue. So, your banking information and your personal information are more than secured.

All of the above. Why not? 

Reasons why you should download Utility Avenue

Just think for a second. All of the above gives you enough reason for you to, at least, give it a try. Thanks to all the guarantees Utility Avenue provides, there is nothing to lose and a lot to gain. While it helps you find providers for the services you might need, you can also become a provider and promote yourself on the platform. That way, you will also be able to turn your skills and hobbies into extra income.

Frank Sonnenberg, in Soul Food: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, said, “If you don’t try, you forfeit the opportunity.” Give yourself a chance and use the platform. The results will help you decide.

 Next week, we will let you know the benefits Utility Avenue brings you as a provider.