Anyone reading this post has probably wondered at some point if freelancing is the right move for them.

It’s a difficult question that only you can answer, but I will give you some direction as to what it really takes, character and personality wise, to become a successful freelancer. If the idea of working for yourself appeals to you, keep reading to find out the critical traits and characteristics that most (if not all) freelancers share.

Freelancer Education

As you probably know, there is no set educational or vocational path to freelancing. There are many directions you can take, mostly based on what type of freelancing interests you. Some of the college majors that lend themselves towards freelancing include:

• Journalism
• English
• Business
• Graphic Design
• Information Technology
• Communications
• Programming

While a degree is certainly not a requirement for freelancing, it can help especially in the beginning of your career. Having a degree sets you apart from the others in the same niche as yourself. It shows that you are both serious and dedicated to your vocation.

The bottom line is that freelancing does not require a degree, but it can be helpful as you get started.

Freelancer Experience

No matter what area of freelancing you choose, having some prior work experience will be beneficial. In most cases, freelancers don’t become freelancers until after they’ve put in several years at a traditional job in their field.

Having this work experience gives you more credibility as someone who really knows the ropes and can get a job done. Those with work experience often have a better skill set and are seen as more dependable and reliable. Furthermore, if you have prior work experience, you can also use your completed projects as your beginning portfolio; especially helpful in graphics, writing, and programming work.

If you have prior work experience, it can be very beneficial for you to get testimonials from your past employers and colleagues, so don’t be afraid to ask for these.

Of course, prior work experience is not a requirement for freelancing. Some people start their freelance career right out of college or high school. Some begin freelancing while attending school as a means to make spending money and find that they like it so much they simply continue and expand their freelance business after graduation. Just realize that without job experience in your field, it may take somewhat longer for your freelance career to really take off.

Freelance Sales Skills

In their dreams of working independently of a boss or controlling company, many potential freelancers don’t take into account one critical skill that freelancers need…sales skills.

No matter what type of freelancer you are, you will always be selling your skills and abilities to potential clients. Because sales skills are not something most people are born with, this causes many freelancers to quit before they get a chance to really taste success.

While freelancers are often seen as “loners” because of their decision to work from home, often alone, you still need to be comfortable and confident in your dealings with others.

Your lack of sales skills may make it difficult to become a successful freelancer, but there is hope. According to Inc. Magazine there are only 8 sales skills you need to perfect and they are really quite basic and easy.

Freelancer Technical Skills

Even if you’re not in a technical field you will need some technical basics. A web presence is a necessity for freelancers in the 21st century. If you aren’t online, the chances of prospective clients finding out about you is very limited.

The majority of freelancers will need a minimum of two important online spaces: a website or blog and participation in social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc). Those in graphics heavy professions and writing will also need an online portfolio.

In addition, you need to become proficient at monitoring your online reputation. While it is crucial to ensure that clients can find out about you online, it is even more crucial that what they find is positive.

Finally, you need to periodically update your blogs and portfolios to show that you are active online. No client wants to hire someone with a portfolio that hasn’t been updated since 2009.

Freelancer Persistence

This is perhaps the most important trait of all. While it would be nice to think that you can begin freelancing and become immediately successful, often it can take months of work before you begin to see success. If you are a writer looking to fast track your freelance business I highly recommend my recently written book: Freelance Writing Freedom in 90 Days. It will show you exactly what I did to go from $0 to $2500 per month in just 90 days. It also covers many of the frequent questions and concerns of freelance writers.

Even if you get off to a great start and have regular work now, every freelancer is subject to occasional work slowdowns. It is good to have both a plan to overcome these slowdowns and the persistence to keep from giving up when things look dismal.

What do YOU Think?
I know I haven’t covered ALL the essential traits for a freelancer, but I think those above are some of the most important. I would love to hear from YOU below regarding any other crucial freelancer characteristics, traits, and skills.

The post Is Freelancing Right for You? appeared first on Money Infant.

The following 10 ideas are all proven side hustle jobs that can give you those extra hundreds per month that take you from struggling to cruising more comfortably through your life.

1. Take Out Car Ads – I don’t mean you should list your car for sale in the classifieds. What I am referring to id actually putting ads ON YOUR CAR. I’m sure you’ve seen cars on the road with ads on them for insurance companies or the latest snack foods. You might have thought that this was some sort of company car, but there are advertiser who will pay to put client ads on your car.Depending on the ad company, the ads, your driving habits, and the area you live in, you could make up to $900 per month by turning your car into a mobile billboard. In some cases, the company will even provide you with the car. How cool is that?Just head over to one of the advertisers (here are two – Autowrapped and Free Car Media, but there are others) and sign up through their driver form. When there is an ad promotion in your area you could be contacted to plaster your car with ads and get paid! Don’t get too excited yet though. In some cases it could take years to get contacted and there is no guarantee you will EVER be contacted. If you are, this is an easy way to add hundreds of dollars a month to your income.
2. Become a Direct Sales Superstar – Before all the get rich online hype, there were companies like Amway and Avon who made many people rich as direct salespeople. You probably know about Amway and Avon, but did you know that there are literally hundreds of direct sales companies? Most focus on beauty products and health products, but there are companies that also operate in the travel, technology, and services sectors among others. Of course most people don’t get rich, and Amway admits that the average monthly income of their representatives is just $115.These companies operate by employing people like you and me to sell their products directly to consumers, bypassing normal retail distribution. Sales reps make commissions on all the products they sell, plus commissions on sales that anyone else they recruit as a salesperson makes. There are also volume bonuses, higher commission tiers as you and your reps sell more, and contests to sweeten the pot.Many people have derided the whole direct sales industry calling it a pyramid scheme, but the Federal Trade Commission ruled in 1979 that the Amway business model is legitimate as it does not require sales reps to pay membership fees or purchase large quantities of wholesale goods. While all this may sound like a good deal, and it could be if you are an excellent salesperson or have a large network of friends and acquaintances, the truth is that becoming successful in direct sales is a lot of hard work.
3. Become a Barrista at Starbucks – Sure this is a traditional part time job, but Starbucks offers such an impressive array of employee benefits that it bears consideration as a side hustle job. Most of the benefits require you to work 20 hours per week so if you can’t do that, then this might not be the right opportunity for you. Starbucks offers comprehensive health benefits, paid vacation, access to the company’s 401(k) plan, and discounts on purchases of company stock. With a current dividend yield of 1.61% and a dividend that keeps increasing that could end up brewing some serious passive income for you.Starbucks also offers tuition assistance and you get to take home 1 pound of coffee each week for free so you’ll have plenty of caffeine to keep you going with your primary job and your side hustle.
4. Freelance Writing, Design and Marketing – The one small benefit of the Great Recession has been an increase in job opportunities for freelances of all kinds. Many companies that once hired full time employees to fill positions are now outsourcing those tasks to qualified freelancers. This saves the company millions in benefits and salaries and puts money in the pockets of freelancers hungry for work.A study by the Human Capital Institute earlier this year shows one third of the American workforce is now comprised of such freelance or contract workers.Freelance pay is typically higher than hourly pay at the same firm, so you can take advantage of this and rake in some extra cash. Just be sure that your freelance work is not creating a conflict of interest with your current employer or you could find your side hustle has become your full time job.If freelancing sounds like something that would be a good fit with your current skills and talents, or you want to transition into the freedom offered by freelancing you can check out this post from Eric Rosenberg over at Personal Profitability.  It’s a great guide for beginners looking to get started in world of freelancing and builds on Eric’s own experiences in freelancing.

1. Sell Your Unworn Jewelry – As most everyone knows by now, gold prices have been on a tear for at least the past 4 years and they show no signs of slowing any time soon. If you haven’t already rounded up all the gold jewelry in your house, now might be a good time to do so. Just understand that since jewelry quality gold is not 100% pure you won’t be getting the current $1673.60 per ounce that gold is fetching.When selling your old jewelry be aware that you will typically get more from a jeweler versus a scrap gold dealer (you know that kind that advertises on TV and in the newspapers). If your gold is considered scrap or broken though a scrap dealer could be just fine. Current rates for scrap gold range from $31 a gram for 14 carat gold to $54 a gram for 24 carat gold (the most pure). Also, avoid the mail in gold places as there have been too many complaints and besides you should easily be able to find a buyer locally.
2. Work at Trade Conventions – If you live in or near a major city you might find a niche working at trade conventions. Many companies hire local people to staff booths at the trade conventions as well as other jobs such as handing out samples or simply attracting attention to the booth. Pay for these jobs is hourly and the best way to find these types of jobs is through staffing services. Bear in mind that event sponsors often use appearance as a determining factor in their hiring decisions, so if this is troubling to you, then you may want to look elsewhere for your side hustle cash.
3. Mystery Shopper – Mystery shoppers are paid by research companies to report on their experience in retail establishments. The company will tell you which store or restaurant to go to, what to buy, what to look for and possibly even some questions you will need to ask. You report back on your experienced based on what the research company is looking for and you get paid. The company will also reimburse you for anything you may have been required to buy. Pay typically ranges from $15-25 per assignment and you can also get free meals, movie tickets, gas or whatever else you might be required to purchase as part of the assignment. You can find a list of reputable mystery shopping website at the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.
4. Rent That Spare Room – If you are a homeowner with extra room in your house you might be able to rent the room to add some extra money to your monthly coffers. Depending on the area in which you live it is possible to rent a room for as much as $1000 per month. Check the classifieds in your area to see what others are charging.Keep in mind though that renting a room in your house isn’t as simple as just kicking back and collecting rent money each month. You will need to operate your rental just as any landlord would, and that means performing credit and background checks on potential tenants, following anti-discrimination laws, maintaining your home in compliance with any federal, state, or local housing regulations, and drawing up a proper lease. Also consider what might happen if you need to evict a tenant in the future. Plus, there is always the issue of having a stranger living in your home.
5. Donate Eggs and Sperm – I’ve talked in detail about both sperm donation and egg donation in the past. Both can pay quite well, but there is always the issue of having your DNA out there in some person who you’ve never met. Learn more about each:Egg Donation: Is Donating Eggs for Cash OK?Sperm Donation: Getting Paid for the Gift of Life
6. Take Some Bed Rest – How can you make money simply lying around in bed? Become part of the NASA Space Flight Simulation Study, that’s how! They are paying test subjects $5000 to lie in bed for 70 days. These tests are meant to simulate the experiences of astronauts in space and during the 70 days you’ll be in a bed 24 hours a day with your legs slightly elevated in a head down position. You can watch TV, read, use a computer, anything at all that doesn’t require you to get out of bed. In total, you need to spend 97 or 105 days living at the NASA Flight Analogs Research Unit (FARU) at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX.

There you have 10 ways to make some extra cash on the side, in some cases a serious amount of cash. These are only 10 out of potentially hundreds of cash earning side jobs and businesses you can do, so what are you waiting for? Cutting your spending can be fun, but making more money is even more fun!

The post 10 Side Hustles to Make Extra Money appeared first on Money Infant.

Two years later, in 2012 you can find collaborative consumption working in a wide range of sectors from housing and transportation to banking and food. It all makes me wonder; could you support yourself simply through collaborative consumption? What would it take to live a natural life free of work constraints simply by sharing, trading, bartering and renting the assets you already have? Let’s take a closer look at all the ways to make a buck collaboratively.

Banking:
Here’s one area most of you are probably familiar with. Peer to Peer Lending (P2P Lending) has a large following and is actually become more and more mainstream with sites such as Prosper and Lending Tree and the U.K. based Zopa having pretty large followings and advocates. The basic model is that everyday people who haven’t been able to get credit through traditional means (banks and credit unions) can use the P2P lenders to source small loans from their peers. Those lending the money get the principle back as well as interest payments. So far the model seems to be working with default rates ranging from 5.2% (Prosper) to a mere 0.9% (Zopa). And with ROI’s ranging from 4.3% (Lending Tree) to 9.3% (Prosper) investors are making out like bandits compared with the interest rates being offered by banks and on short term treasuries.

Housing:
Here’s another strong area in collaborative consumption and it all started with CouchSurfing. Back in 1999 Casey Fenton, the founder of CouchSurfing, sent an email to 1500 students at the University of Iceland looking for a place to crash after an unexpected flight from Boston to Iceland. Over 50 students responded and thus the idea of CouchSurfing was born (although the website didn’t come along until 4 years later).

While CouchSurfing provides free accommodations, a new and rapidly growing service called Airbnb let’s you post your spare room, apartment or house on their site for potential renters from around the world. One of the co-founders of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, says that the average New York users of the site makes $21,000 per year. Maybe not enough to live in the Big Apple, but certainly not chump change either.

One further addition to the travel collaboration field is startup Roomorama (launched in 2009). They are extending the travel collaboration experience by adding special rates, tours, laundry service, even language classes to their offerings. I suppose they are the upscale version of collaborative travel.

Transportation:
If you have a car you may be able to make some profit from it as well. Getaround.com let’s you list your car for rental on an hourly basis. It’s in Beta and the selection isn’t huge, but there are plenty of different models on there. Those looking for a splurge can rent a Tesla Roadster for just $75/hr or if you are more frugal look into the Volvo V70 rental at just $5.75/hr. Most cars rent in the $6-10/hr range. One other downside is that it appears to be limited to California right now.

If you are looking for more flexibility then ZipCar is another option. I believe they were the first on the scene to offer car sharing and as of now Zipcars live in 50+ cities across North America and the UK as well as 100+ university campuses across North America. They have an interesting model and a pretty large selection of cars too. Rates vary from city to city so you’ll have to check out their website to see rates for your area, but they seem pretty reasonable to me. The ZipCars are parked in various locations (usually off street parking) throughout each city and access to the cars is through the ZipCard you receive when you become a member. Rentals can be by the hour or by the day and can be done either online or by phone. ZipCar isn’t a way to make money (they own their own fleet), but it can be a good way to save money by foregoing traditional car ownership.

ParkatmyHouse is a unique collaborative consumption startup that offers users the ability to rent out their driveways or other parking spaces. Rental rates for spaces in major cities run about $12/day to $200/mo with rates in outlying areas about half that. If you have an unused parking space this is a great way to utilize an untapped asset. ParkatmyHouse is currently available in the UK, Ireland, Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and The Netherlands and considering their partnership with BMW, I can assume they will continue to grow.

Food:
If you have cooking skills or extra land you aren’t using you can even make some extra cash there. Housebites is a site where you can order gourmet food delivered to your house, or if you are an enterprising chef (or chef wannabe) you can join up and cook for others. Small downside…it’s only available in the U.K. at the moment.

Another food focused U.K. site is Landshare (they are also in Canada and Australia and are looking to expand) where you can rent out land for others to use as garden space. Or if you aren’t interested in the cash you can barter for a share of the produce. What a great way to utilize unused growing space AND get fresh produce for free.

If anyone knows about sites similar to Housebites or Landshare operating in the U.S. please leave a comment below.

Education and Tourism:
As you might imagine, there are plenty of opportunities to use your existing skills and knowledge to make a side income. Those who are good teachers can sign up for sites such as Tutorspree and make cash in their spare time tutoring students in any subject you can imagine. The site claims that top tutors make $1,000- $2,000 a month on a part time basis. If you are more interested in teaching in groups you can also do that at sites such as Skillshare whose tagline is “Learn anything from anyone”. There are already thousands of teachers doing just that in over 90 cities around the world.

Another interesting concept in learning is SideTour which lets you share unique one of a kind experiences with others. Current SideTours include a day long discovery of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, learning how to make fresh pasta from a Brooklyn chef, a consignment store trek hosted by a fashion reporter and many other walking tours focused on museums, neighborhoods, food and drink and photography. Currently SideTour is only available in New York. Pity.

If you are looking for a tour guide in other parts of the world though you do have an option. The site is called GuideHop and it gives you a way to find experienced locals in places such as Egypt, Belize and Italy to act as your personal tour guide.

Other Collaborative Consumption Sites:
TaskRabbit is a site where you can get paid to do tasks for others. This includes running errands, shopping, event planning, house chores, research and many other tasks. It works on an auction type system, so when you place a task that needs to be completed all the qualified Task Rabbits are free to bid on your task. The lowest bidder gets the job task.

If buying and selling for a profit are your thing there are now alternatives to Craigslist and eBay too. Called “hyperlocal” exchanges because they operate on a local scale, these marketplaces bring people together to buy, sell and barter goods and services. Included in this growing list are NeighborGoods, Zaarly and TradePal.

As you can see, collaborative consumption is a strong trend and has been expanding rapidly over the past few years. You can literally make money from almost everything you own and any knowledge or skills you have. Currently the largest opportunities are in urban areas, but this trend is expanding into smaller suburban areas as well. Perhaps in 10 years time we will all be sharing and bartering in lieu of the rampant consumerism that the final decades of the 20th century saw.

The post Making Money with Collaborative Consumption appeared first on Money Infant.

I am definitely not an expert on using eBay to make money, although I have used them in the past for small sales such as video games, dvd’s and books. To get a good idea of how to really use eBay for profit we need to turn to the experts. So rather than give you my tired hashed over idea of how you can make money using eBay I am going to just send you right to the source to learn how to sell on eBay.

The first place you want to stop is eBay’s own guide to getting started. This will give you everything you need to register, set up an eBay seller account, researching price points and dealing with buyers. For more basic tips you can take a look at this article from JD at GetRichSlowly. It is somewhat dated (2006), but still relevant.

Once you have the basics under your belt you may want to expand your knowledge and eBay actually offers classes in the eBay University. Topics covered include:

• Selling Basics for the new seller
• Building your Business on eBay for the more experienced seller
• eBay Stores

To get some ideas about what you are going to sell head over to this article from Flexo at Consumerism Commentary.

And for a complete look at the process of selling on eBay, including interviews with staff members and power sellers check out this guide from Ramit at I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Complete with a case study and podcast for those who are tired of reading

And possibly the best resource of all for prospective eBay sellers is this blog from Skip McGrath, a long time eBay power seller who shares tips and tricks for your eBay business as well as some tidbits about selling on Amazon and using Facebook to increase your profits.

And because it is always a good idea to diversify here is a list of 17 other auction sites to use in addition to your eBay business.

And there you go. The articles above will give you more than enough information to get started learning how to sell on eBay and start creating your own online business selling whatever you like from the comfort of your own home. eBay wasn’t for me, but some people love the thrill and challenge of selling (and buying) on eBay. If running an online auction business or ecommerce store is appealing to you then these are the learning resources you will need to get started.

The post Make Money Selling on eBay (A Roundup) appeared first on Money Infant.

I said it’s easy to get started and that’s true, but don’t expect to make big bucks immediately. It takes time to get your name recognized as a writer of quality content. The nice thing is that there are several places you can write to get paid immediately while you are creating your own list of clients. I’ve tried it on a full time basis and it is possible (for me) to make $2000/mo writing for these sites.

Your numbers will of course vary based on how quickly you can research and write. I am not the fastest researcher/writer out there by any means and a 750 word article usually takes me an hour to research and write. Depending on various factors that article is worth $15-150 depending on where it is being sold. Not great pay, but if you are living cheaply it can either make a nice supplement to your income or get you through a tough period. For enterprising types it can be a springboard to bigger and better things.

Getting Started as a Paid Web Content Writer

Before you get started you need to make sure that you can write at least at an average level. Spelling mistakes are not acceptable and grammar should be at least adequate. You don’t have to be a Pulitzer prize winning writer or even good enough to get a job at a print publication. If you received A’s and B’s on your high school and/or college compositions, your writing skills are adequate.

You also want to be sure you love writing enough to be able to do it easily day in and day out. If you are thinking of taking this on at a high level you will be writing 5000-10,000 words on a daily basis and trust me, combined with research that is a lot of writing! I generally find that I start to burn out when I get above 6000 words a day, but your mileage may vary.

You should also have at least a passing understanding of writing SEO optimized web content. Most of the articles at the sites I am going to tell you about will require you to write keyword focused titles and articles and may even specify a keyword density (% of the total text that uses the keyword). If you can’t easily fit “small blue widgets” 6 times into a 500 word article you may struggle as a web content writer.

With these three requirements addressed it’s time to take a look at my 4 favorite sites for picking up writing jobs easily.

The Top 4 Freelance Writer Sites

1. The Content Authority – This site is personally my favorite and the one I used to write for the most. The instructions are typically clear, the payment is weekly and the staff is easy to work with. A fairly new site it has been growing rapidly and bringing on new clients. That being said, the better jobs (those for tier 3 and 4 writers) are typically in short supply for most of the week. Sunday-Tuesday is very good and the rest of the week much slower for these higher paying writing jobs. The site does allow for direct orders from publishers though and this is where I’ve found the best assignments to be. You can specify your rate per word and the publisher then connects with you directly to write their orders. It will take some time to build up a list of publishers who like your writing, but once you do the work becomes fairly steady. I haven’t been writing here regularly for over 3 months and I still get direct orders most weeks, anywhere from $50-100.
2. Text Broker – Text Broker is one of the oldest (the oldest?) site of its kind around. That being said, they are definitely not as easy to work with as The Content Authority. They work around a star system for their writers, 2 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Honestly the 2 star orders aren’t even worth your time and the 3 star orders are just barely worth it, if only to get a body of work in place so you can get promoted to levels 4 and 5. Unfortunately you will find very little work available at the 3 star level, though there is plenty at the 4 and 5 star levels. Perhaps most frustrating is the fact that it takes Text Broker 4-5 weeks to review each of your articles and assign a star rating to them so if you are looking to get promoted it can be a long process.
3. iWriter – iWriter is not too bad, with the exception of the fact that you are going to have to write 30 articles for peanuts before you can get to the higher paying content writing jobs. Everyone at iWriter starts as a standard writer and each article is rated by the clients on a scale of 1-5 stars. Standard articles pay a measly $2.43 per 500 words. There are two higher levels, Premium and Elite, which pay $4.05/500 words and $8.10/500 words respectively. Obviously you want to get to the Elite level as quickly as possible. To do so you must have written at least 30 articles and have a star rating of 4.6 or higher. Premium level requires the same 30 articles, but a lower rating of only 4.0 or better. It’s not bad once you get to Elite status as fast writers can make $25 an hour or so, but it is painful to get those initial 30 articles written for peanuts.
4. Zerys – Zerys is a bit different than the other sites because their clients can offer much higher pay. While the maximum is up to $0.16/word I’ve never seen a job listed for that much. I have however seen jobs listed as high as $0.056/word which is a pretty decent rate. The downside is you do have to watch their job board closely as jobs get snatched up pretty quickly. I’ve only written a few articles for them and the review process seems fair (you are assigned a rating from 2-5 stars – higher ratings give you access to higher paying writing assignments), but it can be lengthy. I’ve waited as long as a week for an article to be reviewed. Because Zerys only pays every 2 weeks that can delay your payment. Overall though it is a good writing site to have in your list.

Increasing Your Client List

While these are my favorites, they may not necessarily be yours. There are a multitude of other sites you can use to find paid writing jobs and web writing clients. In general patience is a key with these sites though. You may have to wade through dozens of crappy offers and you might even find yourself writing articles for $1 a piece just to get on the publishers radar and have a chance at higher paying jobs. Here is a list of other sites where you can find work for freelance web content writers:

• Freelancer.com
• oDesk
• Yahoo Content Network
• AOL Seed
• Helium
• Warrior Forums
• Fiverr

Striking Out on Your Own

While writing for the content mill type sites listed above can provide a steady stream of income, it is never going to be as profitable as writing for your own clients. It is possible to build up a client list through direct orders on each of the 4 sites I discussed and that works well for some. If you want to be the master of your own destiny however you need to strike out on your own as a true freelance writer.

Freelance writing presents challenges all its own from creating your own web presence to marketing to attracting and retaining clients. You’ll also have to deal with bookkeeping, receivables and deadbeat clients so it isn’t all fun and games working from home as some would have you believe. The full freelancing experience is definitely beyond the scope of this article, but I will write more in the future for those who might be interested in taking their writing in this direction. In the meantime you can check out Freelance Folder, Freelance Switch and this beginning freelance post from Personal Profitability for more in depth information geared towards freelance wring as a career.

The post Strike it Rich as a Freelance Writer appeared first on Money Infant.

First off, the requirements for egg donors are similar and yet different from those for sperm donors. The basic health requirements are the same as is the requirement to be STD free. That’s where the similarity ends though. Egg donors typically do not need any special physical characteristics as do their male counterparts (although some things related to high intelligence and other factors can mean higher pay). Egg donors must be between the ages of 21 and 29 meaning there is a much smaller window of opportunity for women egg donors.

While the medical and psychological background of the women is taken into account, the requirements are not nearly as stringent as those for men donors. Additionally, even when a woman is chosen as a suitable egg donor there is no guarantee that she will ever make any money.

How Egg Donation Works

The first step for a woman looking to donate her eggs is to find a suitable fertility clinic near where she lives. There is a comprehensive listing to be found here. Once a fertility clinic is located the woman applies and undergoes a rigorous battery of medical and psychological questionnaires and tests. The woman must be free of STD’s and genetic abnormalities, must meet the FDA guidelines for tissue donation (no tattoos, body piercings or residence in certain foreign countries) and must be in good physical health.

If the woman passes this screening she is then listed in a registry of egg donors. This registry is used by prospective egg recipients to choose an appropriate donor. There is no guarantee that the woman will ever be chosen to donate and even if she is typical waits can last months or even years.

Because the economic problems since 2007 have seen a surge in potential donors it is becoming more difficult to be chosen as a suitable egg donor since the pool of prospective donors has ballooned. Prospective recipients are becoming more and more selective about who they get their eggs from. One factor that does improve your chances of being selective is if you’ve donated previously and that donation has resulted in a pregnancy.

Once You Are Chosen As An Egg Donor

If and when you are chosen you will be brought into the fertility clinic to begin a course of hormone treatments meant to synchronize your menstrual cycle with that of the recipient. This regimen begins with a 1-2 week cycle of gonadotropin releasing hormone which causes your pituitary to halt the production of eggs.

Once production is halted and the cycles are synchronized an injection of follicle-stimulating hormone is given to stimulate the egg producing follicles to produce several eggs. Then a final injection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is given to mature the eggs.

The final maturation of the eggs typically takes 36 hours at which time a hollow needle is inserted through the vaginal wall to harvest the eggs from each follicle.

Other requirements are that the donor remain drug and alcohol free during the hormone treatment period. Some clinics will even require this during the period of time the donor is on the waiting list. It is also required that the donor practice safe sex at all times and abstain from sex during the hormone treatment period. This is actually to protect the donor from potentially getting pregnant with multiple babies (remember the fertility drugs will produce numerous eggs).

Dangers of Becoming an Egg Donor

While there are no conclusive studies, several potential risk factors have been identified. First is the aforementioned potential for a multiple birth pregnancy if the donor engages in sex during the fertility treatment period. The primary risks are procedure related and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Both can cause infection as well as abdominal pain and swelling. And while there is nothing conclusive there is a suggestion that fertility treatments may increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Aside from the physical risks there are also moral and ethical risks to consider. In effect you will be giving away an unborn baby, not unlike being a surrogate mother. It certainly isn’t a decision to be made lightly, especially since DNA testing may mean that your future adult biological child could come looking for you.

Is Egg Donation Worth It?

Despite the risks, women are lining up to become potential donors. The combination of the economic downtrend and increasing student loan burdens has many young women opting to become egg donors to get their financial lives on track. And some donors don’t even consider the monetary compensation, but rather donate the eggs for altruistic reasons.

Helping an infertile couple experience parenthood can certainly be considered a good reason to consider donation. While that is true, you still need to think carefully about how you will feel once your egg delivers a baby into the world.

How do you feel about egg donation as a means for making extra money to pay off student loans, eliminate debt and save for a down payment on a first home? How much is enough to pay for an egg or is it even ethical to pay someone for donating her eggs? Would you consider it for $4000? What about $10,000, $20,000 or even $50,000? If you’re a guy reading this how would you feel if your wife or girlfriend decided to sell her eggs for cash?

The post Is Donating Eggs for Cash Ok? appeared first on Money Infant.

The truth of the matter is that there are plenty of women out there who are struggling to get pregnant, either with their partner or as singles, and they are more than willing to pay a hefty premium to get some good genetic material. If you meet the criteria set by the sperm banks you could potentially be looking at as much as $18,720 extra dosh per year. That’s enough to fully fund your 401(k) with a bit left over for fun money.

While this may sound like a great deal don’t get too excited yet. It certainly isn’t all fun and games and you will be working for your money, no matter what you might think.

Getting Started Donating Sperm for Money

The first thing you will need to do is find a sperm bank in your area. Most banks want their donors to live within a 1 hour drive from the facility, so there’s a good chance that alone will rule many of you out. There’s a large database of sperm banks located here

You should start by giving them a call during which they will ask you a set of questions to determine if it is worth your time and theirs to have you come in to the sperm bank. Some of the qualifications they are looking for may include (these differ from bank to bank)

• Male between the ages of 18 and 44
• Specific hair or eye color
• Height over 6 feet tall
• Caucasian
• Minimum high school graduate. Bonus points for college education and masters or doctoral degrees.
• No addictions or criminal history
• Special talents such as mathematics, music, sciences, athletics, etc.

If everything checks out during the call they will set you up with an appointment to come down to the sperm bank for a more detailed grilling questionnaire.

Let the Questions Begin

When you arrive at the sperm bank you will be expected to fill out lengthy and detailed questionnaires, not just about your health and medical history, but about the health and medical history of everyone in your family (parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles) going back at least 3 and sometimes 4 generations. There are over 50 genetic and medical conditions that can disqualify you as a donor, have a look at a sample questionnaire here.

Anything from a history of genetic diseases like Crohn’s or Parkinson’s to something as minor as a food allergy can remove you from the acceptable pool or donors. If you have ever had any STD at all don’t even bother to start the process, you will be disapproved. If you can’t provide a detailed enough history, that can disqualify you as well. And don’t think you are off the hook once you are finished filling out the questionnaires because there is a very good chance you will get a follow up call to delve more deeply into any medical anomalies in any of your or your relatives past.

Assuming you can make it past this grueling screening process the next step will be to bring you back to the sperm bank for an interview. Yeah this is a real job and you will have to undergo an interview process before being hired.

Getting the Job

If you’ve made it this far congratulations! The vast majority of wannabe sperm donors have been culled from the herd before this and you are the “cream” of the crop. After a basic physical and some blood samples (similar to what you would give when donating blood or plasma), you will be escorted into a room for the job interview.

Believe it or not the interviewer will ask you similar questions to what you would experience on any job interview. What are your strengths and weaknesses, where do you see yourself after 5 years, why do you think you would be a good fit with the bank, etc. If you impress the interviewer suitably you’ll move on to the next phase, samples.

You aren’t out of the woods yet as these sample deposits will be used to determine if your little swimmers have what it takes. They will be evaluated for total sperm count (higher is better), motility (they want strong swimmers) and morphology (two heads are not always better than one). Be warned that even though you are one of the top candidates at this point, between 50 and 90 percent of candidates who made it this far are eliminated based on their samples.

You will be escorted to the donation room which looks quite similar to any examination room with a few small modifications. For one thing, instead of an exam table there is a TV and DVD player flanked by a couch or armchair. And secondly, you are the one who will be taking care of the exam in this room. Oh, and unlike most exam rooms this one is stocked with magazines and videos to help you in your quest for excellence.

Once you are done giving your sample it gets lidded and placed into the small bag given to your prior. You are then instructed to wash your hands and wipe everything down with the antiseptic wipes provided and you then take your sample back to the reception desk. Expect this to be the most embarrassing part of the whole job since the majority of staff are female and they know what you’ve been up to. Of course they see this all day and they are professionals, so get over it already.

Delayed Gratification – Don’t Spend That Money Yet

If your samples pass muster you will be invited to become a paid donor. This isn’t as simple as donating plasma; you shouldn’t expect to get paid for the next 6 months at a minimum.

If you agree the sperm bank will have you sign a contract with them, obligating you to donating anywhere from 1-3 times per week for the next 6 to 12 months. And because some diseases take a long time to show up in your blood you won’t be paid during the first 6 months. They want to wait for your follow up blood tests after 6 months to be sure you are fully cleared of all diseases. If so, you will get paid your back wages at this time.

Payments can range from $20 all the way up to $125 and are specific to each sperm bank. You will need to contact the bank nearest to you to find out what the going rate is. One thing I can say is that if you want to make the most money doing this you will have to opt for open donations rather than closed donations. A closed donation is one in which your information is never shared with the recipient, but in open donations they will share all of your medical history and other information.

This opens a huge can of worms because it means that both the recipient and the eventual children could contact you at any time. This is enough to scare many men away from becoming donors and I certainly can’t blame them. Do you really want to take a chance that 20 years from now a biological child of your (or maybe 2 or 3) will show up out of the blue? Scary stuff if you ask me and even if you opt for closed donation you aren’t off the hook. DNA testing could very well lead little Johnny or Janey to you even though you thought your identity was safe.

Say Goodbye to Your Sex Life

One final point I haven’t mentioned that is relevant to those of you in a relationship; you need to keep your sperm count high if you want to continue to get paid and that means abstaining from sex for 2-3 days prior to donating. If you are donating 2-3 times a week this means at best you’ll have 1 day out of the week to share with your significant other. Needless to say this can be frustrating for both parties and has even been known to lead to jealousy.

You can also say goodbye to many potential future mates, assuming you are honest and upfront about your donating history. Here’s a good place for you ladies to chime in; let us know in the comments below if you would be willing to date and/or marry a guy who is currently donating sperm or has even donated in the past.

The Good With the Bad

I know up to this point I’ve probably made what some would consider a dream job sound downright horrendous. There is definitely a silver lining though. Your donations are giving the gift of life and parenthood to those who might not otherwise get to experience the joys that children bring. That in and of itself could be enough to make you overlook the downsides of donating sperm (if the money hasn’t already). In the end this is one side hustle that requires some deep thought on your part before jumping in whole heartedly. While it’s true that you can make significant money, there are challenging moral and ethical questions that only you can answer regarding sperm donations.

Since I’ve invited the ladies to comment, let me invite you guys to comment as well. Have you ever donated sperm or considered it? Did you know all the ramifications at that time? Now that you do know everything involved would you still consider donating?

The post Getting Paid for the Gift of Life: Donating Sperm appeared first on Money Infant.

While it would be nice to just start taking on customers, there are actually quite a few things involved in setting up a dog waking business. How to incorporate, do you need a permit, what should I charge, do I need insurance and how to market the business are just a few of the questions you will need to answer before starting your dog walking business.

First Things First – What Does A Dog Walker Do?

As you may have guessed by now, dog walkers are employed to walk dogs. There are many reasons for people to employ a dog walker such as:

• The owner works long hours and doesn’t want the dog inside for extended periods.
• The dog is a puppy and can’t go for longer than 4 hours without relieving itself.
• The person is incapable for physical reasons of walking the dog.
• The person is just too tired at the end of the day to walk the dog.

Obviously there are other reasons, but these are the most common. Your main job will simply be to take the dog out for a walk around the neighborhood for 15-60 minutes. You can also add additional services such as pooper scooper, doggy playtime, pet grooming or administering medication. Each additional offering is a chance for you to upsell your customer and make additional revenue, so consider carefully what you will offer and how much you will charge. Which brings us to…

How Much to Charge for Dog Walking Services

I’ve looked at the rates for cities from 150,000 to millions in population across the US and there isn’t much difference in general to the prices being charged for dog walking services. In general a 30 minute single dog walk is $20. If you choose to do pack walks the typical fee is around $15 for 30 minutes. Be aware that the chances of poor behavior are increased with pack walks. You also need to coordinate the locations of your clients, however if you have several clients in the same vicinity it can make sense to do pack walks.

As I mentioned above there are additional services you can offer as add-ons and these should be priced accordingly. You can also offer discounts if people purchase multiple walks at one time. This can be a good way to level out your income as well as creating a reliable stable of clients.

What About Permits and Insurance for Dog Walking?

Currently the only city I am aware of in the US requiring a dog walking permit is San Francisco, who passed into law a requirement for dog walking permits on Jan 1, 2012. Toronto in Canada requires commercial dog walker permits also at a cost of $226 annually. The UK also has some areas which require a dog walking permit if you walk more than 4 dogs, however the permits are free.

Of much more concern to the potential dog walkers out there is insurance. You definitely don’t want to get caught uncovered in the case of an accident in your client’s home, a dog attack or any other unfortunate event. Luckily you do have several options for insuring yourself when working as a dog walker or pet sitter.

In the U.S. you have several options all tied to pet sitter associations. Membership in the Pet Sitters Associates runs $174 per year and includes basic insurance coverage. To get insurance for your clients personal property costs an additional $100 per year. Both Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters give you the option of purchasing insurance through Business Insurers of the Carolinas once you become a member. Their insurance starts at $470 per year. Additionally, members of the International Association of Canine Professionals can get general liability insurance coverage through Royal Sun Alliance Insurance as well as professional liability insurance underwritten by Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America.

Those living in Canada also have two options for dog walkers insurance. Canadian Pet Pro offers coverage starting at $600 per year. Those who are members of the All Canadian Pet Services Network can get coverage through Horizon Insurance for $575 per year.

Those in the U.K. have perhaps the most insurance options at their disposal. National Pet Sitters offers insurance as part of their membership dues. You can also get coverage through Pet Secure and Pet Business Insurance.

Those thinking of starting a dog walking service in Australia can contact Barker Meier Insurance for their coverage requirements.

Organize Your Dog Walking Business

While you could certainly begin with your client with a verbal agreement and some hand written notes about their dog and their requirements, this is definitely not the best way to go. If you plan on expanding beyond a handful of clients you will want to get organized by using several different forms. It may be a pain to get these set up, but trust me when I tell you that they will save you countless hours of your time and will also help avoid potential problems later.

At a minimum you want to have the following forms for your dog walking business:

1. Service Contract – This will specify your business name and address as well as the name and address of your client and will give you permission to be on the clients property in the course of caring for their dog. It should also spell out what service you will be providing, the schedule and duration of service, the price of service, cancellation policy and information about liability issues.
2. Dog Info Sheet – This is a basic document that the client will fill out letting you know the basics about the dog. The dogs breed and age should definitely be included along with any special needs the dog has and some information about the dogs personality. It should also include the dogs license or chip number as well as the name and number of the dogs veterinarian and any health history. Finally, the sheet should have a space where the client can write down their expectations for the care of their dog.
3. Veterinarian Release Form – Basic form giving you the right to take the dog to the veterinarian if necessary. It should also specify who is responsible for any veterinarian charges.
4. Report Card – This will be the form that you leave behind for the client after every visit. It should include the duration of the walk, whether or not the dog did its business, the mood of the dog during the visit and any other relevant information based on your agreement with the client.

Marketing Your Dog Walking Business

If you want to grow your little side hustle dog walking gig into a full scale business you will likely need to advertise or market the business at some point. Word of mouth is a great way to start spreading the news, but there are other ways that can reach far more people much more quickly than word of mouth. There are many options for advertising and while some can be quite expensive (yellow pages, Valupak) others are well within your reach as a small business owner. Give some of these a try, but be sure to track the response rates so you know if your time/money is being used well.

• Flyers – You can design and print a flyer advertising your dog walking business from your own computer, making this very cost effective. Print the flyers out and keep them in your car. Then whenever you are out and come across a bulletin board post your flyer. Not only does this get you some clients, but it also puts your brand in front of many people. They may not contact you based on the flyer, but they will now know your name and if they come across you a second and third time you will have an easier time getting them as a client.
• Website – Setting up an informative and locally targeted website will be a great way for you to advertise your business. It is also a great way for new clients to find you, assuming you are certain to target your local area with the website. You can make this option free as well by using Blogger, WordPress or one of the other free blog services. If you go the free route I recommend that you purchase your own domain at least because it will make you look more professional to prospective clients.
• Local Newspapers – This type of advertising can be a bit expensive, but it has the benefit of being very targeted to the area in which you work. Some have found it to be very effective while others claim they get very little return for this type of advertising. The best way to find out if it will work for you is to test a small ad when you have the income to do so.
• Veterinarian Referrals – This is one of the very best ways to advertise your dog walking business. A referral from a vet gives you credibility and makes your business appear professional and trust worthy in the eyes of clients. Start out by visiting area vets and asking them if you can display your flyer or a business card holder in their reception area. Improve your chances of acceptance by bringing a nice pet care basket with you when you show up.

Hopefully this guide has given you some ideas. If you love animals why not turn that love into a stream of income, maybe as a side hustle and maybe as a full time gig. You might not think you can make a good wage as a dog walker, but if you are reliable and professional you will soon have more clients than you can handle and that’s when things really get exciting. If you truly want to turn your dog walking into a business you can subcontract others to do your walking, literally getting paid even when you aren’t walking the dogs. And by expanding into other pet care services (pooper scooper, pet sitting/boarding, grooming) you can really grow your business just from your existing clients. So don’t poo poo the idea of becoming a professional dog walker. It is definitely “woorf” it.

The post Dog Walking: A Business Idea That’s Going to the Dogs appeared first on Money Infant.

In case you didn’t know, plasma is the part of your blood in which the red and white blood cells are suspended. It makes up 55% of your total blood volume and consists of 93% water as well as clotting factors, glucose, dissolved proteins, hormones, mineral ions, and carbon dioxide.

Since plasma contains the blood clotting factors it is very useful in surgery and other situations where blood clotting needs to be maximized (such as the disease hemophilia). It is also used extensively with burn patients who lose a great deal of plasma, even during their healing process. Oh and it is also used in the cosmetics industry.

I haven’t donated plasma in several decades, but I remember well donating plasma twice a week for several semesters when I was in college. I don’t have an aversion to needles so it was no big deal and for a poor college student it was an easy way to get pizza money. Back in the day they were paying just $10 for each session, however thanks to inflation you will now get paid $20-25 for each donation of plasma. Some centers will pay more for the second donation of each week. Since you can donate twice per week and get paid more for the second donation you have the potential to make up to $260 a month.

The process is pretty straightforward and takes anywhere from 60-90 minutes, although your first visit will take 2-3 hours to complete all the paperwork and screening. You will need a valid picture ID, your Social Security number and proof of address (utility bill, rental agreement, cable bill). You also need to be at least 18 years old and must weigh over 110 pounds.

Most plasma centers will have you reclining during the process and you can spend the time watching TV or reading. I actually found it to be a nice, quiet, relaxing time and would look forward to my quiet plasma time.

A needle is inserted into your arm and whole blood is extracted. The whole blood gets processed to separate the plasma from the other blood components and these uncollected components are returned to you in a saline solution to make up for the plasma volume. The collection is as you would expect if you’ve ever donated blood, but the return is a bit strange because the fluid is colder than your blood and body temperature. It can feel really strange until you get used to it.

There are plasma donation centers located all across America and even worldwide. The Plasma Proteins Therapeutic Association has a good search engine you can use to locate a donation center near you.

As I said in the beginning, donating plasma is not for everyone. If you do decide to use this money making technique though you can also feel good knowing that your plasma will help save lives and treat diseases that might otherwise go untreated. How often do you get the chance to combine altruism with a money making venture? And if you are really interested in plasma donation you could even consider getting trained as a phlebotomist (the people who are responsible for drawing blood) and work part time at a plasma donation center.

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