Unemployed...Be an Affiliate - Do You Need Any Money...

Now that you are unemployed, you still need to make money.  Bills are coming in and your checking and or savings is dwindling.  What can you do that may not cost you any money, or very little money.  Why not try affiliate marketing?

What is affiliate marketing?  This is when you promote another person's service or product with a small percentage of the profit going back to you. As an affiliate you refer back to the seller's site directly. So basically you are are the "referring" person not the direct seller.  At least that's how I would describe it.

You do not do any shipping or handling of the product itself.  That stays with the seller.

There are ways to be an affiliate without shoveling out any money.  Here are some main points to consider:

• Sign up with an affiliate marketing service. I have never seen a charge for this.  As an affiliate, you can pick the available products or services that you would like to represent or promote.
• Establish a base from which you will promote as an affiliate.  The best free one to do this from is signing up as a blogger.  This blog you are reading from and thousand other blogs through Blogger (Google blogspot) cost nothing.  

• Write a blog about something you are knowledgeable about and or passionate about.  The more experience you have, the easier it will be to post articles.
• You can promote your blog on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networks.  Bringing the reader back to your site will allow them to see what affiliate products you are promoting.
• When one of your readers clicks on the link on your site, they will be taken to the product or service being promoted. They will then have the opportunity to buy the item.
• Once the person clicks on the product and "buys" a small commission will go back to you.

My sidebar shows a link to the affiliate network I like to use, ShareASale. If you sign up, I get a small commission.  Better yet, check out all the merchants on the site and see which ones you would like to promote.

Affiliate marketing might just be what you need to make some extra money.

Making Money With a Small Business

Sending out an endless amount of resumes with no positive response can be discouraging.  In addition, the longer you are out of work, it may be increasingly harder to find profitable work.  However, have you ever considered starting your own small business?

Starting your own business does not have to be an elaborate and difficult achievement.  If you have the desire to make money and the courage to brave something new, you could be in for a great experience. Here are a few areas to consider in starting your own business:

• Landscaping 
• Cleaning (residential)
• Pet Sitting/Dog Walking
• Personal Shopper
• Sewing
• House Painting
• Pressure Washing Houses or Buildings
• Resume Writing
• House Sitting
• Laundry (include ironing)
• Babysitting
• Crafts for Sale
• Car Washing
• Window Washing
• Snow Removal 

Now is time to tap into your inner and outer resources.  Get out of your comfort zone and try something new.  You may not make a bundle; however, every little extra you do make will help pay those never-ending bills.  

Here is a link to my kindle book on amazon, How to Start a Cleaning Business on a Poor Man's Budget.  Some of the steps for this small business can be applied to many other smaller-type businesses.  Since you may not currently be working at the job of your dreams, why not try working for yourself.  You may even come up with another idea for entrepreneurship.  Just go for it!