HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM CHOCOLATE...

Watching the 2nd episode of Give it a Year on ITV this week was one I didn't want to miss as I enjoyed the first episode last week. This week Karen Brady meets more brave people who decide to go it alone and start a new business. Two sisters embark on making their own chocolate so bespoke that the boxes would start at £15. Their ambition was to be in top stores in London like Selfridges, Fenwicks, and Harrods. One year on the ambitious pair already had their bespoke chocolates in Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, and Fenwicks. Anyone who has ever thought of starting their own chocolate business would be inspired to give it a go after watching this program.

If you love chocolate like me then you need to know about craft chocolate online.  They say chocolate arouses our passions and tempts our senses. Chocolates are loved by most and they come in various forms ranging from dark chocolates to milk chocolates and they leave memories of happy moments.

Chocolate is tasty and delicious but making your own chocolate at home can easily be done if you know where to buy your ingredients. Before making your own you need to check that you have the right equipment to make your chocolate in.

Some essential tools include digital thermometers, various sizes, and shapes of molds, a dipping fork and other utensils. Buying the right products to make your chocolate is also something that you need to investigate. Principally start your chocolate making with buying cocoa beans from a reliable source.

With so much chocolate available on the high street you will have to think outside the box and develop a recipe that will be unique as well as tasty.

If you get the right ingredients and utensils, making edible gifts really doesn’t get much easier than making craft chocolate bars.  Get your juices working on handmade gift ideas you could make with your own chocolate. You could start a new trend and even put kits together for people to create their own chocolate.

After making the chocolate, the next challenge is where to store it as they advise you not to store in a refrigerator full of other foods. They suggest you store the chocolate in a tightly closed container away from direct sunlight. This will help your chocolate to last longer.

Chocolate making is an art and a science. The best way to create your own delicious chocolate whether you want to make it for personal use, for friends or even to sell is to go to Craft Chocolate UK who say they ‘make the dreams of chocolate lovers to come true’ by teaching the art behind the chocolate making. For anyone looking for a place in the craft chocolate art, Craft Chocolate UK are the ones to contact.

Anyone can put a few ingredients together but knowing how to make it the correct way has to be the best way forward. All this will take time and money but if two sisters on a £5,000 loan can get their chocolates in 3 top department stores within 12 months it makes you realise that it's worth giving it a go.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM PINTEREST...

The money site Lifehack say there are several ways you can make money on Pinterest.

The first one is to follow your passion then build your audience then sell to them. Get followers to your boards then create a mailing list. They say that you don’t need that many followers to your account to sell to your audience. So, for instance, if your passion is floristry then you could write lots of posts on your boards on the type of flowers to buy and then sell them to your followers.

Another way they say you can make money on Pinterest is by targeting a group then build your Pinterest followers like above. Then select the companies offering products that appeal to your audience. So with the example above you could approach companies that sell flowers. You then need to share your Pinterest accounts statistics with the companies that you approach and ask for sponsorship maybe by offering them to put their brand on your site for a year.

In order to make any money on Pinterest, people have to be able to find your pins and boards so Lifehack stresses that you must use SEO strategies. That way you will also be found on other search engines like Google. Make the most of your About profile and use keywords you would expect searchers to use to find you. Another tip is to us Sep strategies on your pins. Each pin allows you 500 characters (around 100 words) of description, so make the most of it by adding keywords and links. Include keywords naturally, rather than in a spammy way.

Another great well to sell on Pinterest is to have a competition for people to get some of your products and create interest.

Pinterest is all about pinning so an easy way to get people is to be very active and pin others pins, in particular, those people in your target audience. That way they will notice you and they may then start following your boards.

Another way to make money is to teach your money making ways to others by writing an ebook or course to explain to others what you have learned and how you have succeeded. Create a board dedicated solely to ways to make money. One board on Pinterest on money making ideas has over 100,000 followers.

Cash Blog site says that you can also make money by cashing in on the social media goldrush by becoming a Pinterest consultant. This requires a little marketing but the multitude of freelancing platforms make it easier than ever to connect with companies that need your help. They say that you can use your personal presence on Pinterest as an example of what you can do. Highlight your pins that have done well on your account like blog posts, infographics, quotes etc. When you get about 200-300 followers then start applying to Pinterest Group Boards as this is the best way to grow your followers and get traffic to your blog.  Use the Pinterest search function or pingroupie.com to search group boards in your field. Or just look up what groups your competitors belong to and apply there too. Also, apply to Pinterest tribes to get more pin exposure and traffic with the help of other bloggers.

It is important to optimize your profile with keywords as this will make it easier for people to find your content when they are searching on Pinterest.

Then create great blog posts that have at least one affiliate link in it. Then pin an eye-catching graphic to your Pinterest boards that lead to your affiliate blog posts. Canva is a great site to create eye-catching graphics. It’s free and they also have a Pinterest template to help you get started. Keep in mind that you must always disclose your affiliate link in the pin’s description. You can do this just by saying ‘affiliate’ or ‘affiliate link’ in the Pin description.

FREE TICKETS FOR THE THEATRE & OTHER EVENTS IN THE UK...

If you live in London then this great way of getting free tickets for the theatre and other events is perfect for you.

The company Central Tickets, have a FREE membership as a seat filler. By becoming a member of Central Tickets you get the opportunity to attend an amazing selection of different events including the West End theatre, fringe theatre, dance products, operas, classical concerts, pop and Jazz concerts, comedy nights, movies, sporting events, informative talks and workshop for a fantastic price.

Your ticket is completely FREE, all you pay is a small booking fee per ticket to Central Tickets to help cover their running costs. Your first year of membership is completely FREE and they don't even take any bank details from you. Other ways to get ticket offers from them are -

Share a video trailer on social media for the show
Write a brief review of the event
Answer 6 multiple choice questions about the event
Purchase a programme
Purchase drinks
Purchase snacks or food
Purchase merchandise

You could start a blog and write reviews of all the events you attend and make money from your blog. It's a win, win situation as you will be able to attend a wide variety of events in London at a heavily discounted rate. Even your family and friends can save hundreds of pounds a year. They obviously have a few T & C's which are -

Not share your account or forward our emails or ticket offers to anyone.

Always attend any events that you book with us.

Always direct any enquiries to us, not the venue.

Accept the seats you are given, graciously. Be friendly and respectful towards all staff.

Don’t mention complimentary tickets in or around the venue.

Do not make any social media posts referencing free tickets.

Read the collection instructions on the booking confirmation.

Collect tickets at least 30 minutes prior to the event beginning.

Show a printed copy or screen shot (using a tablet or smart phone) of your confirmation booking to collect tickets.

Always collect your own tickets, do not send someone in your place.

Dress smart-casual.

Be willing to stay for the entire show.

Applaud heartily and generously.

We also ask you to bear in mind that as the account holder with Central Tickets, you are responsible for the behaviour of your guests.

Booking fees for cancelled bookings are non-refundable.

If you cancel more than 3 bookings per year, your membership will be withdrawn.

HOW TO GROW THEN SELL YOUR OWN VEGETABLES/AND OR FRUITS...

A great way to get a little something extra coming in during the summer months is to grow your own vegetables then sell them on. Package them in paper or cardboard which will be a winner with everyone trying to cut down on plastic.

Vegetables and or fruit can be grown in your own garden or on an allotment (or if you have a neighbour who has a big garden you could ask to use some of their space for free vegetables for them). A scheme has been set up to help local communities to encourage members to exchange produce so they can enjoy a variety of goods.

The Flower Pot Man has some great information about growing and selling your own vegetables and includes a list of places where you could sell them - "Get the timing right for car boot sales, display the produce on a stall at the gate or driveway to your house, grow old fashioned and rare varieties of vegetables plants from seed, sell to local greengrocers, specialist restaurants and delis or even swap produce for a service."

A great magazine which has information on every type of vegetable and fruit is the Grow Your Own Fruit and Vegetables Magazine, which has great offers if you subscribe to the magazine, it's also available as an app which is great if you need to check something about a particular crop while working on it.

A best selling book on Amazon, "Allotment Month By Month: How to Grow Your Own Fruit and Veg" by Alan Buckingham has over 250 customer reviews.

A NEW YEAR AND NEW WAYS TO MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH...

With Christmas well and truly behind us now and all the credit card bills coming in, it's no wonder that this is the most popular month for people to seek out ways to make some extra cash to help pay off their bills.

To kick start the new year I thought I would give you some quick and easy ways to get some quick cash back.

Please tell me that most of you already use a cashback site as this is the quickest way to get some 'cash back'. Most of the transactions you will have bought through this site over Christmas will now have gone through so your total amount of cash back should show on your statement. One of the best cash back sites is Top Cash Back which is the UK's highest paying cashback site.

Another quick return is to sell any unwanted gifts online through Ebay, Craigslist or Gumtree, even Ebay offer free listings or nothing to pay until you sell for January.

Pop over to The Money Saving Expert's site and head to the 'Boost Your Income' forum boards which have lots of ideas on how to boost your income.

According to Save the Student site the best survey sites are - Toluna, Vivatic, MySurvey, Valued Opinions, IPSOS, Global Test Market, The Opinion Panel, You Gov, Pinecone, One Poll and more.

Changing your bank account or credit card can also give you instant cash and the best site for these deals is The Money Saving Expert.

Check out the site Task Rabbit which lists jobs such as picking up parcels, flat pack assembly or moving and packing jobs in your area.

Finally, watch TV and get paid for it. At this time of year the nights are long and we do tend to sit in front of the TV for longer so why not make some money while you are watching by joining The Viewers you can earn £40-£70 for a group discussion on specific programmes.

ARE YOU BORN TO BE LUCKY...

Are you born lucky?

Well, actually scientist think that they have found a link between certain conditions, including personality traits and birth months.

By looking at people who actually considered themselves lucky and the month they were born, they found out that those born between March and August believe themselves to be luckier than those born between September and February. Well, that includes me and I must say I do not think of myself as lucky at all.

May is the luckiest month, so if you are planning to have a family, plan to conceive in August......

HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR HOME POSTCODE...

According to Money Magpie you can make money from your postcode, and one such way is to add your address to the Free Postcode Lottery.

It is totally free and you could win £800. Jasmine Birtles (founder of Money Magpie) says there is no catch, all you do is sign up with your email address and your postcode and then check back on the site every day to see if your postcode has won.

It couldn't be easier, just don't forget to check the site daily.

The reason there is no catch is that of the way the website works which is that the more people who check the site every day, increase their traffic, which then increases the amount of money that they can make from advertisers. Simple really.

They are on a win, win, business and are making a huge profit from people just checking the site where you get a share in that profit by winning a prize here and there. The site also has lots of other ways you can make money which I will post about on another day.

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HOW TO MAKE MONEY KNITTING...

Knitting is one of the most popular hobby's which has had a big comeback recently with knitting groups setting up all over the Country.

You would be surprised how easy it is to knit something as simple as a scarf or cushion covers, blankets etc and these are also some of the easiest things to sell. Once you've mastered the scarf, you can move onto bags, cushion covers, and blankets, with just a few rectangles stitched together and a button here and there, they're very satisfying to make.

If you can't make it to a class or a group to master the art there are lots of online courses.

You can buy cheap wool from charity shops, eBay and some magazines give freebies or simply undo a jumper that you do not like anymore.

Places you could sell your knitting from are car boot sales, online Carboot Junction or Your Booty and of course eBay or craft fairs, and with the countdown to Christmas 2017 soon starting there are plenty of events and craft fairs that you could also rent a table from.

Other online options are Etsy, CQuot, Ebid, or Preloved.

MY TOP FIVE LOYALTY CARDS THAT GIVE SOMETHING BACK...

Store cards are everywhere at the moment but which is the best pic for saving up some well-earned money?

Boots Advantage Card is probably the first one I had but I love it, I only buy when they are either offering 2 for 1 offers or extra points then I leave it until December and happily buy lots of presents and it cost me nothing. It gives you four points for every £1 you spend. Each point is worth 1p so 1,000 points are the equivalent to £10.

The Sainsbury's Nectar card is very similar. You get one point on your Nectar card for every £1 you spend at Sainsbury's and other stores. You can also collect if you buy online through the nectar e-shops. Each point is worth 0.5p so 1,000 points are worth £5. You can either use the points up buying products or you can use them up on days out or cinema tickets.

Tesco has a Clubcard where you earn points at a rate of one per every pound you spend at either Tesco or at partner sites like energy company E.on. You need 1,000 to get £10 off your shopping but swapping your vouchers for Clubcard Boost tokens makes every £10 voucher worth up to £40. These can be put towards days out, holidays, hotel deals and other special offers. For the last couple of years, the amount I have saved up has bought me a year's Senior Rail Card.

Morrisons is another supermarket chain that has Morrisons More loyalty card which I have only just started. It gives you five points for every £1 you spend in-store and online. You even get 10 Morrisons More Points per litre when you buy fuel at Morrisons and 24 points for every £1 you spend on Gift Cards in the store. When you reach 5,000 points you have £5.

Superdrug offers a Beauty Card where you get 1 point for every £1 you spend and each point is worth 1p which you can use both in-store and online.

MAKE SOME MONEY FROM OLD TAX DISCS...

I know it seems unreal but old tax discs are passing hands on ebay from £200- £400 for 10 discs from the same car and single old car discs selling from £250.

So check your desks and anywhere you keep your paperwork for you car and hope you didn't throw away every one you have. They are selling to collectors so it's up to you if you sell now or keep them for a while longer as they say the value will only go up.

A recent survey showed that 48% of people just simply threw away there tax disc every time it ran out but some kept hold of them as a keepsake so this means that there are less tax discs in circulation.

Ebay is definitely the site to sell them on.

HOW TO MAKE SOME MONEY FROM A SPARE ROOM IN YOUR HOME...

Following on from my previous post about working from home or finding a desk somewhere else to work from. What about expanding the idea and if you have a spare room at home which could double as an office space or desk space for someone else then you could advertise this as office/desk space to rent.

It targets the growing army of freelance workers, looking for a short-term, space to work in. Prices seem to start at £17.20 but there are a number of websites who offer this so it would be best to research price in your local area first. Some of those websites include Office Genie, Desk Near Me, and Deskcamping to name a few.

The best thing is that you have the property to yourself in the evening. Obviously wifi would have to be available but how many houses can you think of that don't have wifi. Some US companies have even jazzed up their rooms with yoga mats, settees and flip-boards.

Having somewhere easy to park and no fees for a parking space is another factor in the why this has become popular and ideal for someone who is setting up on his/her own in business.

WHAT IS A SOLOPRENEUR?

What is a solopreneur  - well according to Wikipedia the word does not exist, but some say it means starting out on your own.

It takes a lot of guts to set up a business on your own and can be extremely lonely but more and more people are giving it a go.

Research says that they are seeing a huge growth in the number of fifty something's (women in particular) who are setting up as one man/woman bands,

Many who start up don't know their own value but setting the right rate is the key first step and something you should review and research well before going on your own.

If you cannot stand to work alone at home and only need a desk then there is always the option to hire a desk, companies like neardesk.com, and deskcamping,com to name a few can help with available spaces where you can work from.  Of course a library is another good free place to set up your space and not feel alone. The Independent Newspaper has written a great article on 'Don't want to work alone, rent a desk instead'.

One important thing to remember when you are working alone is to make sure you have time off, book it into your diary, have a coffee break and a lunch break otherwise you will just burn out and begin to think it was not the best idea to work alone.

Don't forget when you start up that you need to register your business with HM Revenue. Another place for advice when setting up is the Gov UK who offer free help for start-ups.

MAKE MONEY FROM PET SITTING...

Pet sitting has become big business throughout the world with celebrities all carrying their smaller pets around with them. But none of us like leaving our pets in kennels, so set yourself up as a pet caring service for when people are away or at work for the day.

You can either house the pet with you or pop around to their home once or twice a day and feed and walk their pets. These include cats and dogs. Fish and caged birds and all manner of other pets, it's up to you where you draw the line.

Clients are also benefited by this type of service as it reassures them that someone is keeping an eye on their home. There are also agencies that you can join but you will need to provide references for these, some of which are Animal Angels, Platinum Petcare and Nina's Nannies for Pets. You could also set up your own agency and can see how it's done from the above sites. 

How much to charge for your pet care varies greatly from area to area so your best bet is to ring around and see what other people are charging first. You will also need to take our insurance not only for yourself but for the pets you are caring for but it easily available online. 

                        

TURN YOUR COMPUTER INTO A #MONEY MACHINE, BOOK REVIEW...

Turn your Computer into a Money Machine by Avery Breyer, 'How to make money from home and grow your income fast, with no prior experience' 

He says imagine being able to earn a bit or a lot of extra money each month, without having to get another job !!!!!!!! Yes please......

Avery's system (that's what he calls it) is easy to set up and can be done in one week and can put cash in your pocket quicker than other options, plus has very little start up costs. He says he's 'earned money everywhere from home, on his couch in suburbia to a cozy coffee shop overlooking a gorgeous marina in the tropics', and this book will show you how...

It all started when Avery joined an online community of people who were all about learning how to earn a living from any where in the world, using nothing but their laptops and the internet.

It didn't take him long to figure out how to earn more money and so he tweaked the method he learnt to maximum effectiveness and it worked.

A great book which you will find difficult to put down, so don't read it if your tired as your adrenaline will definitely kick in while reading it. Good luck...

TOP FIVE UK WEBSITES ON "MAKING EXTRA #MONEY"...

These are my top five UK websites which have the best information on 'Making some extra money'online or from home.

The Money Saving Expert site is the UK's biggest consumer website, with about 15 million users a month. The founder and editor Martin Lewis created the site in February 2003 for just £100. The site's ethical stance and consumer revenge approach have made it the UK's official No 1 money site. It has won many awards and is now a constant port of call for consumer and policymakers alike.
It also has a great forum which covers lots of online making money boards.

Moneywise is another great site for information on making money and has a free guide on 50 ways to make money. Since its launch in 1990, Moneywise magazine has informed and educated millions of people about how to make the most of their hard earned money, by helping people to identify the right investment products.

Money Magpie written by Jasmine Birtles who is a journalist and TV presenter. She set it up in 2007 and is said to be the country's leading site for sale and legitimate money-making opportunities.

My Family Club has lots of information and making money from home and was set up to help families save, manage and make money. It was set up by Gemma Johnson six years ago when she was on maternity leave and found it a struggle to manage on a reduced budget due to the decreased income and increased outgoings that a new baby brings. Something which I am sure resonates with many a new Mum.

Finally, Survey Money Maker  is another great site which it says is the internet's best guide to making money online. It covers survey sites that you can make money from in great detail.