- <ul> <li>The end of the year is quickly drawing to a close. How’s your savings account doing? If you’re slightly strapped for funds, want to boost your cash reserves, or could just use some additional holiday money, <em>now</em> would be a great time to generate some extra income.</li> <br> <li>I recently shared <strong><a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/10/19/ask-the-money-coach-5-ways-to-earn-more-money/">five ideas to bank some extra bucks</a></strong> by year’s end, including finding seasonal or temporary work. But you don’t have to take on a part-time job or consider changing jobs when you can set up a side business using your skills and talents. A few small projects could give your savings account the boost it needs to get your budget back on track for 2012.</li> <br> <li>Here are five <em>more</em> ways to earn some extra cash before the end of the year. <em>—Lynnette Khalfani-Cox</em></li> </ul> <em> </em>
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- <ul> <li><strong>Become an affiliate</strong></li> </ul> Affiliates are sellers who sell a product someone else created for a commission. If you have some basic Web skills and are comfortable with marketing and promoting products online, consider signing up for an affiliate program and jump right in. If you already have a blog or Website, consider selling items on <strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/ " target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></strong> through their <strong><a href="https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/" target="_blank">affiliate program</a></strong>. Also, take a look at <strong><a href="http://www.cj.com/" target="_blank">Commission Junction</a></strong>, one of the leading affiliate sites on the Web. You’ll need to provide some basic information about an existing Website and can qualify for different types of products.
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- <ul> <li><strong>Start a blog</strong></li> </ul> Are you passionate about cooking, politics, sports, business, fashion, or some other subject? Start a blog and begin building a strong readership and following. Run ads on the blog to earn revenue for every click you generate. This isn’t the fastest way to earn money online but can be a great way to turn your passion or hobby into something lucrative. My professional passion is personal finances and teaching people about money matters. So even though I operate my blog, <strong><a href="http://askthemoneycoach.com/" target="_blank">AskTheMoneyCoach.com</a></strong>, as a free advice site for consumers, my blog does earn considerable ad revenue, too.
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- <ul> <li><strong>Launch a podcasting series</strong></li> </ul> Do you have specialty advice or knowledge about a subject, a unique point of view, or tips to share with the world? Launch a podcasting series to either sell a product where you earn a profit from sales, or to build a following on a blog and earn money through ads. You could also set up a podcasting event where people pay to attend each session or buy a subscription to your podcasts. You will need to be fairly Web-savvy to make this work and also know how to market yourself to your niche community online.
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- <ul> <li><strong>Market your skills to a college or university</strong></li> </ul> Are you a marketing, sales, or other creative professional? Pitch an idea to a college or university’s marketing department that would attract more college students in the upcoming year. It could be anything relevant to the college community, like an online college/department review service, an app for a streamlined college scholarship, or even a must/concert series. It wouldn’t hurt to also try to get to know and work with the head of a department at the college or university on your new project. Depending on your idea, you might score an honorarium as a guest lecturer or even secure a part-time job as an adjunct professor.
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- <ul> <li><strong>Sell items on eBay </strong></li> <li>Use auction sites like eBay to sell off furniture, like-new clothing, and household items to generate some quick cash. Be creative with your listings and make sure you include some high-quality photos of each product. Look up similar listings so you’re pricing items competitively for a quick sale.</li> <br> <li>Your ability to earn extra dollars is limited only by your imagination and the time you’re willing to put into making cash now and into the New Year.</li> </ul>
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