A Quick Way to Make Money via the Kindle by Sharbing

   Did you know that there is currently no Kindle books on Sharbing? If you have any sharbing experience then you need to type it up and load it onto the Kindle ASAP. Amazon talk you through everything you need to do. Just click the "Self Publish with Us" option at the bottom of the home page. You don't need to go through War and Peace. Just do a quick chapter on how to prepare (and include your Betfair referral code). Do a chapter on the Maths behind sharbing. Do a chapter on the actual procedure and rules and then do a summary of your successes. I'm sure 9 out of 10 sharbers could do this better than me.

   A business cliche is "Find a need and fill it". Someone needs to do a Sharbing Kindle book now! At the moment the only relatively close title I can find is:



But this is too cheesy and American to be counted as competition.

Get off your arse and make cash now! You could write the book in just a couple of hours and have it bringing you in cash within a couple of days!

By the way, my Betfair referral code is VC6F3UGNL

Start a Terry Nappy Business

 

   According to “Real Nappies for London”, Terry Nappies are better for Babies, save people money, are sustainable, reduce waste, look good and encourage earlier potty training. My plan is to offer a service where Nappies are delivered and collected daily from a defined area. Let’s take Clackmannanshire as an example. I would imagine that there are probably c. 1250 Nappy wearers in Clackmannanshire. Our aim would be to get just 1% using our service (13 kids). We will bring fresh Terry Nappies to the door every day. On delivery we will take away any dirties that the address has from previous days – always making sure that the customer has a balance of 3. The customer pays us a sum every week by direct debit. Sign-up would be 3 months at a time with automatic roll-on and a 2 month cancellation notice period. Plastic nappies are roughly 30p a pop so 3 per day would cost a Mum £6 per week. We’d therefore charge £5 a week to give the mum a saving. With 13 customers that gives us an income of £3380 per annum. Terry Nappies can be bought for £3 a piece on Ebay. With 13 customers we’d need a stock of c. 60 meaning an outlay of £180.

   There are a few reasons why we can make this profitable:

·         We will be route planning and combining drop offs with other business journeys on the list.

·         If we are delivering by van it will be fuelled by LPG. Even better, if your round is tight enough, you could deliver by bike.

·         We will be guerrilla marketing and will therefore have a £0 publicity spend.

·         We might be washing the nappies via Hotpoint Willie machines (powered by Solar) or we might even build our own pedal powered machine (see next post).

A message to "The Hub"

   Long time readers will know my love of local resuse centres. In Alloa we have "The Hub". Here is a note I have recently sent them touting for Amazon stock.

Hi,




I note that the number of books you are carrying has increased greatly from my last visit. I have a small Amazon business and would be intersted in buying stock from yourself in bulk. At the moment I buy 500 to 1000 books at a time. Does this sound good to you?



Kind regards,



Ross Taylor.

Check out Super-Jam

   Super Jam is a good example of how a Cottage Industry can take of:

SuperJam™ is a range of 100% pure fruit jams; sweetened with grape juice and made using Super Fruits, such as blueberries and cranberries.
SuperJam was created by Scottish jam-maker Fraser Doherty, after being taught to make jam using his Gran’s secret recipes at the age of fourteen.

From humble beginnings, the company has gone on to sell millions of jars, has won a variety of awards and is even exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland as an example of an ‘Iconic Scottish Food Brand’...

Calendar Club

   I fancy a bit of this:

Calendar Club was formed in 1993 in the US and has since opened in many other countries in the world, including New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.


Calendar Club UK was started in 1998 (with 12 stores) and has proven a huge success. This year we are planning to expand even further.

Calendar Club operates shops and mall units. The shops range in size from 300 square feet to in excess of 1,500 square feet, while our mall units come in a variety of sizes and configurations.

In 2010 we also introduced 2 new Puzzle Shop stores specialising in jigsaws and puzzles.

Our self employed operators and corporate staff are known throughout the industry for their dedication to strengthening relationships with shopping mall managers and landlords, through everything from streamlined lease negotiations to thoughtful store design to smooth store openings and closings.

Operating a Calendar Club store gives people an oportunity to run a business as their own, with the support of an experienced head office team behind them throughout the season.

Frequently Asked Questions


Will I be the store owner or manager?

■As a Calendar Club operator, you will be both

■We provide you with the location, training, product, displays and all shop fittings

■You build and merchandise the store with your helpers

■You employ your own staff and manage your own stock

How will I learn about the business and what support will I get?

■We offer comprehensive training to all of our successful applicants

■We provide operators with both an Operator's Guide and a Store Operations Guide

■You will be assigned a Territory Manager, who will visit your store and contact you regularly

■You will also receive full head office support throughout the season

How do I get my store and where do I get the calendars from?

■When your application is accepted, we will do our best to find a store local to you - we cannot guarantee to find one - but we will try our hardest

■If we have found a store for you, we will supply you with your opening calendar stock and replenish the stock you sell

When will I be required?

■This varies from location to location. Generally stores are open from mid-October through to mid-January, although some sites may open earlier and/or close later

How do I earn my money?

■Operators are paid a commission rate based on various factors including turnover, site rent etc

■The more calendars you can sell, the more money you can earn

What happens if I don't sell all the calendars you send to my store?

■They will be inventoried at the end of the season.

■All surplus calendars are taken back to our warehouse or redistributed to other stores

Why will Calendar Club be right for me?

■Calendar Club is a suitable option for people in a number of different circumstances - seasonal summer workers, retired people, business owners already located in a shopping centre

■Calendar Club operators often return to us year after year

What's the cost to me?

■An annual registration fee payable in December from your commission (No more than £500 subject to store budgeted turnover)

■A refundable deposit returned at the end of January (No more than £500)

■Your own till float (We suggest £100)

■For Ireland, the costs are equivalent in euros

From Stirling Trading Standards:

Dear Mr Taylor,

In order to operate a business of this type the premises where the alcohol is dispatched from will require to be licensed. Could I confirm if your premises will be in the Stirling Council area?

You will require a premises licence and a personal licence for the person who is named as manager. Please telephone me and I can discuss the matter in more detail with you before I send out all the required forms.

Regards

The Singing Handyman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUURwZMpfFw

I came across “The Singing Handyman” for the first time on Saturday. Having got back to my Laptop and checked him out on Youtube etc, from what I can gather this geezer drives around London City Centre in an Old Fashioned Van, singing hits and blowing bubbles out of the side of the van. I must say that he did draw a crowd. I found myself reaching into my pocket to throw a quid in his bucket – but then I found out that he didn’t collect cash at all. It seems that the whole thing is just a publicity stunt for the handyman.co.uk website.


This got me thinking. If you had any fancy vehicle, such as an Ice Cream Van, Red Double Decker Bus – even a Hearse (in certain circumstances), and you wired it up with a Bubble Machine and a Karaoke system, you could hire yourself out for events (the Hearse would obviously be for Marilyn Manson concerts or something like that!)

Imagine how cool it would be to get a souped up Ice Cream Van to appear at a Kids Party. The Van could come down the street blowing bubbles and blaring out the Kid’s Favourite tune and then park up outside the party to present the Kids with a cone each. Or, you could time it for the van to do a drive past Wedding Venues singing the Bride and Groom’s favourite song.

I love it!

Local Bargain Finder - Steptoe's Paradise

   I've mentioned "Local Bargain Finder" on here before, but having been banned from Ebay (again) it's been a little while since I savoured its delights.

   I'm moving house soon, which gives me a chance to get back on the auction site, so I decided to have a quick nosy at what Local BArgain Finder threw up. I was impressed. Take a look at the bargains that are on here today within 50 miles of my house:

Local Bargain Finder 31.1.12
• Upright Piano with stool 99p
• Prima Breadmaker 99p
• Mobility Scooter £1.20
• Adult’s Punch Bag 99p
• Quad Bike 99p
• Electric Cooker 99p
• Ribena Branded Fridge 99p
• Double Futon 99p
• Ab Circle Pro 99p

Now, you and I both know that not all of these will go for the prices given above, but you'd only need to hit a bargain like this every now and again to make all the bidding worthwhile.

If you put your mind to it, the opportunities available via "Local Bargain Finder" are endless. Just from the examples given here I'm thinking:

• Form a band.
• Rent out Mobility Scooters.
• Open a thrift shop.
• Beds Beds Beds.
• Appliance Spares and Repairs.
• Cheap Appliance Rental.
• Open a gym.

Online Layaway

   This ideas needs more development, but I love the thought:

   "Online layaway is layaway through the internet. It allows consumers to purchase items through scheduled deductions from a checking account.[8][9] Online layaway simplifies layaway for both merchant and consumer by removing the costly, time-consuming storage and bookkeeping processes. Layaways remain at the distribution center during the layaway period instead of taking up valuable retail warehouse space.[4] Just as consumers used layaway payment plans to purchase products at brick and mortar stores in the past, they can also use layaway to pay for online products and services which serves as an alternative budgeting tool and a means to avoid debt.[10] Products and services that have layaway offerings online vary from net books to home gyms and from concert tickets to layaway vacations.[11]"

Letter to "A Most Marvellous Place to Shop"

Hi,


I visited your shop whilst on a trip down from Scotland last weekend and I was really amazed! Congratulations on bringing something "new" to the High Street. I was wondering if I could pick your brains. I currently run a secondhand book business but at the moment I am completely online. I've thought about going "bricks and mortar" but only by means of doing an honesty bookshop (i.e. not always manned - for my sticky stock only) OR appointment only (for my high end stuff). One way I could progress would be to share space with other small retailers/ craft people. Without giving any of your secrets away, what is your deal with the concessions?

Kind regards,

Ross.

Man Cave

   Saw this image on a canvas today selling for £40. It was v large - probably 4ft by 6ft or something akin to that. It got me thinking, I wonder if there would be any money in getting iconic film images but on massive canvas and selling them on the street. I heard the term "Man Cave" for the very first time the other day. Perhaps a new niche to aim for.

This is the best shop I've been in for years

   Today I visited "The Most Marvellous Place to Shop" in Northampton. It had lots of interesting knick knacks. A good mixture of second half stuff plus cool brand new gifts and fashions. I will definitely be back.

   I think a shop like this would fit in perfectly with my system. Here is a cut from their own website:

A MOST MARVELLOUS PLACE TO SHOP COMES TO NORTHAMPTON!


A new shopping experience has arrived in Northampton. The Most Marvellous vintage, antique and retro centre is now open.

The centre is home to many individual trader concessions selling everything imaginable from antique furniture to vintage, on-trend fashion in a friendly and fun environment. Arts and crafts are also represented with local artists, photographers, potters and artisans showing and selling their works. There’s something for everyone.

The Most Marvellous company’s green trading philosophy is reflected in the fact that the shop -fit has been achieved using predominantly reclaimed materials and works carried out entirely by local companies. Owners Gilliy and Joe say ‘We wanted to do more than pay lip service to sustainable values. Wherever possible we have utilised reclaimed timber, signage and fittings- even our till area is made from a discarded workbench! The result is a shop that’s both quirky and lots of fun. The feedback from our customers has been amazing, they tell us they love shopping here. Most Marvellous is bringing much needed visitors to our town’.

The centre also includes a learning space where practical courses such as upholstery, jewellery making and flower arranging are held on weekdays. There’s also a tea shop open until 4pm daily.

Most Marvellous is located at 22-36 Kettering Road on Abington Square island opposite Guy Salmon Jaguar showroom and is just a short walk from the town centre and nearby St Michael’s car park.

Come and see us soon for a Most Marvellous day out!

Mr Frothy - I love it!

   This is one of the best ideas I've seen in ages. It's an outside bar housed in an old Ice Cream Van. Definitely one for me. Here's the details and a few pics:

Remember how exciting the sound of chimes were on a Sunday afternoon when you were young?


All of the children in the neighbourhood would chase Mr Whippy around the blocks until they could queue up and get their 99s! Mr Frothy offers all of that childhood nostalgia to big kids! As the clockwork musical chimes ring out and this cool 1970s Fiat 850 approaches, all of your anticipation will be fulfilled, but not with an ice cream! With a tasty, frothy beer!

Mr Frothy is an eye-catching, must-see mobile bar, with stunning retro design and bold colours. Available for hire all year round, Mr Frothy is occasionally present in the beautiful courtyard behind The Cross Keys in Leeds.