Try Etsy

Whether you have the skills of
an artisan or craftsman...or not...there
are still ways that you can offer
items for sale on Etsy.

The list of Etsy catagories include...
Art
Bags and Purses
Bath and Beauty
Candles
Ceramics and Pottery
Clothing
Dolls and Miniatures
Furniture
Geekery
Holidays
Housewares
Jewelry
Music
Paper Goods
Patterns
Plants and Edibles
Supplies
Toys
Vintage
Woodworking


Here are links to some items
in a couple of different categories...

In Plants and Edibles
including these yummy candies.

In Everything Else.

In Geekery.

In Vintage.

Or go to the Etsy home page...check out the front page
display...and all of the other information
that can be found on Etsy.

It is a good little site and growing very quickly.


NOTE: -- This post was updated July 25, 2009.

How do you make money online?

I have a number of things online
'going on all at once'.

A couple of Etsy Shops,
(for my art related businesses)
an Imagekind Shop,
a Zibbet Shop,
Three Zazzle Shops
and it doesn't stop there.

I have about
ten mini-websites, all of which
I have attached some affiliate marketing links
somewhere on each site.
And, at least that many blogs,
also with affiliate links attached.

Each site is very 'niche-specific'...and the intent
is not as much about making 'lots' of money per...
but rather, a little of money on a lot of different sites.
My mindset....the more streams of income I have
going...the better.

Now...to top all of these sites...I also have
about 15 Squidoo Lenses and a couple of Hub pages...
and I write numerous articles,
some for my 'bum' marketing
and some for CASH.

The point I'm trying to make here is...
not that I am advocating seeing how 'thin' one can 'spread' themselves...
but...

I NEED to make $57.00 a day/ 7 days a week....
not all that much..right???

A few years ago I was sticking to pretty much
one venue...
selling my original art on eBay...
and everything was going just fine and DANDY.
I didn't need to make as much in those days...
and I was making what I needed
which..in turn...made me an eBay Power Seller.

Okay...sounds great...and then.......?????
eBay changed the rules in the middle of the game.
Not only could I not afford
to 'play with the big boys'...
I saw my sales take such a plunge
that I could no longer afford to continue on eBay.

So...what happened?

I put all of my eggs into
(1) one eBay basket...
and when it dropped...
my eggs broke!

I learned not to trust any (1) one thing
for my entire income.

Now...I work my behind off...
trying to get everything all set up.
I've stumbled a few times...and fumbled a few more...
but, I'm finally seeing income coming in
from multiple sources.
Once all of the set up and promoting of each site
has been taken care of...
most of the hard work is out of the way...
then, it's just a matter of maintenance.

So...I've got money coming from
Etsy (from art sales)
Zazzle (three shops worth)
Affiliate sources (as affiliate items begin to sell)
Referral fees (from buyers who click on my affiliate links and then buy something else)
Article marketing (directing buyers to my sites and blogs where they purchase something through my affiliate links)
Article writing (outright article sales)

It's what I have to do to
make a living.
But...I'm finally beginning to get it all down
to a science!

Things I've Learned!

I'm glad I decided to do this blog...I'll admit I thought

it was a little 'ballsy' of me, since this blog is

about 'how to make money online', using methods

I haven't used before.

In my 'quest' to do this, I have run across

some of the best information to help me to know

what I should do...and what I should NOT do.

I wrote a 'warning' post yesterday, about a site I

found through an email I received. I might not have

researched the site...until it was too late...had it not

been for the information I've found while looking
for resources for my blog posts and for some 'minor' charges

that came back to "bite me", though, thankfully, not for an amount

that would make or break me.

To recap what I've

presented thus far...

oDesk...a work at home job source.

(To date...it has now been a couple of months since signing...

I have not only NOT worked one job,

I haven't even received an invite to interview for a job.

*I did receive one invite...it seemed a bit odd though...as I had

not yet taken the tests that were required for me to

be considered a candidate for any position.*

Since, taking the tests and applying for numerous positions,

I have yet to get an interview.)

oDesk is not high on my list of valid

'work-at-home-opportunities'.

I signed up with Associated Content

to write articles for them.

I have written 6 articles,

this is the only article for which I received

upfront payment---though not a lot...it was something!

I am accumlating 'pennies' on my other

articles, depending upon how many people 'find' my

articles.

This is my most 'popular' article..for hits...

and I've made almost as much for this piece as I did

for my 'paid' piece. Just a few more hits should do it.

I'm surprised at how much I've made, just letting

people find the articles without any promotion..

I'm about to begin promoting...

we'll see what kind of hits I get

as a result.

Another 'opportunity' I'm reluctant to pursue is..

'Project Payday'.

I'm just too 'sketched-out' by anything

that I have to give a credit card number to..

and then,

I have to remember to 'cancel my order/ subscription/ etc'

before I am charged for something I really don't want.

I know the people who belong to the site

do seem to like it, I just have a problem with the

way it works.

Now..about Clickbank.

I signed up in October...

I've only 'promoted' two of their products

to date..and..my earnings are 0.

True, I don't 'promote' like those

that are really 'into' Clickbank and write

all kinds of blogs, lenses...etc..

to promote each different product. I'm considering

finding a product that I'm really 'in' to...and see

if I can be more aggressive in promoting..I'll

let you know how that works out.

I've received a little payout from one of

the survey sites that I've tried.

But, I've done about 35 surveys to make $5.00...

I'd probably get more 'pay' if I would

complete those that 'credit card is required'

but, I WON'T do those..Just not going to

take any chances with my

fragile finances.

I'll be getting my payment from Zazzle

any day now. They show they've sent it but,

it takes about 7 to 10 days to appear in my

PayPal.

This was the first time...in the 4 years I've belonged..

that I've made a 'performance' bonus..which boosted

my payout by almost 25%.

My Etsy sales were pretty good at year's end..

with the New Year though...things

have plummeted...

I'm currently looking for

new ways to market these sites...

I need the sales.