Business ideas

Reading this post simply means you have one thing in mind; and which is You want to make money online.

Everyone may not have the time to be committed to starting a business or a side hustle.

That’s why i love making money Apps!!

Did you know you can use apps to earn money for answering surveys, taking pictures, watching videos, or even downloading more apps?

One exciting thing is that most of these apps are so quick and easy to use. Even while you are waiting for a bus, you could open up one of these money apps, and see how much you can make!

You would surprised how much you can make in a bit.

Lets get on with this, here are my all time best money apps that I use to put a little extra money in my pocket each month.

Shoppix

With Shoppix, you can earn money just for uploading pictures of your receipts after shopping. Once you get enough points you can cash out to PayPal or vouchers for various shops.

iPhone / Android

Sweatcoin

If you need some extra motivation to get active, Sweatcoin is for you. The app tracks your step count each day, and rewards you with coins. You can cash out your coins as Amazon vouchers or various free goods. I find this one does take a long time to see any decent reward, but I just let it run in the background until I have enough for something fun.

iPhone / Android

CitizenMe

CitizenMe is a survey app that’s very easy to use. Each survey typically only has three to five questions and only takes seconds to do. The best thing is, they pay you instantly to your PayPal as soon as you submit your answers!

iPhone / Android

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is the king of money making websites, and now it has its own app. You can get paid to do surveys, watch videos, or even shop thanks to the cash back feature. I recommend signing up online first so you can see the whole range of ways to earn money, then you can use the same account on the app.

iPhone / Android /

Job Spotter

Job Spotter is one of my current favourite apps! This is an app that pays you to take pictures of job adverts that you see out and about. The more obscure the hiring sign, the higher the payment. If you live in a place with a lot of shop, cafes, hairdressers etc I would say this is one of the easiest ways to earn cash fast because the points really do add up quickly and they pay out fast. Also, if you don’t see any signs near you, you can earn extra points by verifying other submissions. Pays in Amazon vouchers.

iPhone / Android

Curious Cat

Curious Cat is another survey app. It pays to PayPal. You can cash out from as little as £1, which you can normally earn in just a couple of surveys. There are always loads of surveys available. This is one of the best apps to earn money if you need cash fast.

iPhone / Android

FeaturePoints

Love apps? Why not get paid to download apps! FeaturePoints pays you to download apps – usually games. You usually have to play with the app for a couple of minutes to validate, then you’re free to delete. You can cash out your points to PayPal or as various vouchers.

iPhone / Android or sign up here for 50 free points

VoxPopMe

VoxPopMe is a survey app with a difference. Instead of typing your answers, you record a short video of yourself answering the question. The app usually asks for your opinion on various brands. A very easy way to earn money from your phone and fun to do. Pays well too!

iPhone / Android

Roamler

Roamler is a slick tasking app that often has well paid jobs. I’ve seen a lot of mystery shops in bars on Roamler – you get your drink paid for, as well as making extra money! You will need an invite code to sign up but there are always a few floating round the web.

iPhone / Android

Streetspotr

Another tasking app. Doesn’t seem to have quite as many jobs, but they are quite well paid. You can sometimes get reimbursed for your supermarket shopping through this one!

iPhone / Android

At the end of this article, I’ll give you a Premium video course on Instagram sales secrets. Yeah that’s right…a Premium course for Free!

However, i’ll love you to go through this article first before getting the video course. I promise i won’t bore you…Let’s get started.

In recent times its no news that Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for brands, marketers, advertisers, and consumers.

Instagram has reached over 1 billion monthly active users and that number has continued to grow year after year! There is absolutely no sign of this slowing down at all and that’s why it’s important that you and your business get on Instagram and get the pie!

When you take a quick look on Instagram and do a search for hashtags related to your business, chances are your competitors and competitions are already on Instagram. If you haven’t created an Instagram account for your business yet, i suggest you go on Instagram and create one now.

Getting an account on Instagram is not the end to it, however it’s a good way to start. Once you have gotten an account you will need to have a marketing strategy to increase sales on Instagram.

I will go over the best ways you can get good strategies and tips to increase your sales on Instagram.

Just follow the steps carefully and you will be on your way to a productive and massive increase in sales.

Post-New Contents

You will have to be consistent in posting new contents. An inactive Instagram profile is a dead profile. You would want to keep your followers up to date, by posting at least once a week. Inconsistency in posting on your Instagram profile will make your followers forget about you.

Consistency in posting keeps your viewers or followers on their toes and in anticipation, alway thinking for the next post.

You should have a strategy to posting on your profile. You should also post clear pictures, and use hashtags when you are posting.

Be timely with your posts, you could post

You should post Three times a week and make sure to keep up. Consistency is what keeps you on top of the chain.

Don’t Focus On The Number Of Followers

Don’t be too particular about getting followers, here you should be quality conscious rather than quantity conscious. Having a lot of followers may look impressive, but what good is it if none of those followers are actively engaged with your content? In other words, you should focus on the relevancy of your followers. If you’re selling fitness supplies, you wouldn’t want people who are searching for iPhone accessories following you.

Just be more particular about your audience, let me ask a quick question, do you want some random followers? or people that are actually in need of your content. I guess you would want to make sales so my guess is that you want followers that will engage your account for your content sake.

Here is a good way to get started with this: A good way to increase your followers is by letting your existing customers know about your Instagram account. You can get started by sending out a message to your email subscribers. Let them know that they will receive some sort of incentive for being a follower on Instagram.

Tell your email subscribers that you will offer special discount codes exclusively for Instagram followers on a regular basis. It’s a great way to create more sales as well as increase your Social Followers.

Add Eye Catchy Photos And Videos To Your Instagram Story

It is very easy to locate the instagram story mode and a good place to add your contents as well, for your followers and Instagram viewers to see.

Unlike a regular post, you can post different stories throughout the day and it won’t annoy your readers by spamming their timeline.

All the contents on your story can be assessed by one click, and that’s quite interesting right? but you shouldn’t overdo this. Most people won’t check out 15+ Instagram stories from you, that’s just the way it is.

You should know that the Instagram story feature your content only last for 24hrs, so you should be strategic and creative enough to utilize this opportunity to promote your business.

Give A Great First Impression

People are most times moved by the first impression you present. Your business can be made or unmade just by the first Impression. It’s exactly the reason why having captivating titles are so important. It’s more important than the content itself!

You should apply the same mentality to your Instagram. Use your profile to show; what they will perceive you as and how they should see your business.

This is entirely up to you as the popular saying goes “first impression is all that matters”.

The first impression your viewers, followers, or people get on Instagram is usually going to be your profile picture as well as your biography.

What I recommend is either a picture of yourself or your business logo plus a detailed biography that sums up what your business is all about.

In your Bio you can also include links that direct your followers back to your website.

Focus on giving a positive first impression! Just keep it simple and keep it real!

Use Hashtags With Your Content

When making a post you should look out for hashtags related to your business and use them for your post.

You can either use existing hashtags that other people are using or you can create your own hashtags. For example, let’s say you’re running a special campaign for the promotion of love, you can use #NoHate.

Or you can also use a hashtag for your brand name!

If a lot of people use your hashtags you will get more followers and views.

Partner With Other Social Influences

Reaching out to celebrities is quite a difficult one on Instagram, my guess is that they wouldn’t even respond to you.

However social media platforms like Instagram have their own celebrities and they are called social influencers. These people usually have high engagement rates and an awesome relationship with their followers..

Just imagine they tell their followers to either check out your post or they mention your business in a post. Most certainly will and you’ll see a surge in the sudden increase in traffic.

Pay For Instagram Ads

You can create your own Instagram advertisement by checking out business.instagram.com.  It’s not free, but it’s a great way for new brands who are struggling to build an audience. An advertisement will help increase your brand’s exposure which can potentially increase your followers as well as customers.

With Instagram Ads, you have the following options:

• Video Ads
• Photo Ads
• Carousel Ads
• Story Ads

Since this method does cost money, make sure you know your marketing budget before you proceed!

And you could also ask for the help of a digital market in this wise to help you get the best analysis for your audience.

Rolling the curtain

The main aim here is to have good content, ensure your page is organized and have a posting plan.

You need to let your audience know that it is not all about the money, so always post some motivation or cartoons it goes a long way to tell them the kind of person you are.

Also, make sure your profile gives off a positive impression otherwise you risk losing potential followers.

Follow the tips I gave earlier and you will be on the blast in the increase of traffic to your Instagram account and sales at large.

Are you’re currently using Instagram? is it generating sales from your followers? If you are, please share with us your strategy if it’s not already listed in this article. And please leave also in the comment section your questions we ensure to get back to you.

….and yes, i didn’t forget my promise. CLICK HERE to download the Premium video course on Instagram sales secrets

Cheers!!!!

At the end of this post, I’ll give you a Complete video course on INSTAGRAM SALES SECRET. Yeah. I’m nice like that.

If you have a great homemade product or a growing collection of vintage clothes you would like to sell online, but don’t know where to start.

Here is a great news; while setting up your store is pretty easy, there’s something even simpler – selling your stuff on Instagram.

The Instagram app started out as a popular platform for posting mouth-watering food snaps or wanderlust-provoking travel shots, it’s matured into a multi-faceted online ecosystem with its own informal marketplace.

Here at Idea Honcho, we spent some time exploring popular #instasellers from around the globe and – based on our findings, we’ve came up with a quick guide for selling stuff on Instagram.

• Why sell stuff on Instagram?
• So, how does it work?
• What to sell?
• Who should sell on Instagram?
• How much can you make?
• Top tips for getting the most out of your Instashop

WHY SELL STUFF ON INSTAGRAM?

It may seem odd to try and ply your trade on Instagram instead of trying to fight spots so many online platforms, dedicated to selling – such as Etsy and eBay
Well, firstly, I must say; it needn’t be a choice between any of these platforms – you can use all of them in different ways and even for different platforms.

However, there are some clear advantages for you to enjoy selling on Instagram.

• NO TRANSACTION/PROCESSING FEES

On any official shopping platform, a token is charged as commision by the platform for sales made. With eBay, you currently pay 10% of your final transaction value (this is capped at £250 per item, however) and also a small fee of £0.35 per item once you exceed 10 listings. Etsy, on the other hand, you pay a small listing fee of $0.20 USD per item, a 3.5% transaction fee, and a 4% + £0.20 payment processing fee.

But when you sell on instagram, you bypass all of these fees, as you’re dealing with your customer directly via DMs.

• IT’S EASY TO USE FOR BOTH YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMERS

If your customer is on Instagram already, they are probably as familiar with the platform as you are and more likely to complete a transaction because of this. Unlike shopping sites that can be quite difficult sometimes to navigate and even intimidating to those who aren’t 100% comfortable with the idea of making purchases online.

• YOU GET TO BUILD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS

Instagram allows you to build a personal customer relationship because it is also a social platform, and as such gives you the privilege to create that relationship by, liking their posts, commenting on it, and maybe even contacting them personally when you have something you think they might like to buy.

You could also get testimonials from your customer by encouraging them to share photos of themselves wearing/using the item/s they bought from you and then feature their posts in your own feed as a sign of gratitude as well.

This sort of personal interaction almost feels like the good old village market days, creating community, encouraging customers to return for more purchases later on.

• SO, HOW DOES IT WORK?

Launching a shop on instagram is as simple as just setting up your own Instagram account. However, i would like you to just have these two things in mind.

• Name & handle – Ensure to come up with a catchy username for your shop that says something about your product and try securing a @-handle that is as close as possible to this.
• Bio – Use this opportunity to be detailed about how your purchasing process works.  E.g. “Quirky mix of vintage, second-hand and pre-loved items for sale. Birmingham-based. Free delivery/pick-up in Birmingham. £4.40 delivery throughout UK. £8.60 for international shipping. Comment SOLD to buy.”

WHAT TO SELL?

Always have it in mind that – people are scrolling through their feed in search of inspiration or while taking a time out and not necessarily looking to spend money. They also would love to be a part of purchasing when they feel it’s a giveaway.

However, if they spot something quirky, limited edition and affordable, they may just feel inspired to part with a couple of pounds.

Here we’ve made a list of products that work well and divided it into those that would be easy to send via post/shipping and those that are better suited to hand-delivery.

EASILY-SHIPPED:

These items are all relatively easy to package and would be safe to send off via the postal system/courier, which obviously broadens your client base quite dramatically – perhaps even beyond the borders of the UK. A good idea is to add a disclaimer in your Instagram bio that shipping costs are for the customer’s account and will be added to the sales price of the item.

• Vintage clothing
• Hand-made jewelry
• Vinyl records
• Second-hand books
• Homemade beauty products
• Artworks and illustrations

HAND-DELIVERY:

hand-delivery or pick-up from wherever you’re selling from are preferable option in the case of more fragile items. This might mean that your client base is limited to your city/town/municipal area, but if you find a few loyal customers who spread the word, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

• Potted plants
• Baked goods
• Vintage décor
• Handmade pottery

WHO SHOULD SELL ON INSTAGRAM?

• MAKERS

It doesn’t matter if you make jewellery, soft toys, clothing or baked goods, this is a great way to get your brand out there, selling to friends and family initially and then expanding your reach as they help spread the word.

This is also true for the green-fingered individuals out there who are great at propagating plants – if you pop them into attractive pots (even ones you paint/make yourself), you could get a whole virtual nursery going in no time!

• MINIMALISTS

Anyone who’s trying to declutter their home may want to turn to Instagram to sell some of their more stylish items. It’s a great way to get rid of unwanted stuff, but make a bit of money in the process.

• CURATORS

Lastly, If you a collector, and you love collecting a specific thing or item type.  (e.g. vintage clothing, vinyl records, second-hand books), but don’t necessarily want to keep every single item that finds its way into your lair, Instagram offers a good offset option. This is very true for those that have an eye for really beautiful, well-preserved or unique items.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU MAKE?

How much money you make totally depends on what you are selling, whether you made it yourself, what you spent on buying it initially and how unusual it is.

However, you wouldn’t expect making all your earnings by just selling on instagram alone. But it is a great option for anyone looking to make a bit of pocket money through the pursuit of a passion.

TOP TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR INSTASHOP

You should know that selling stuffs on instagram isn’t just as simple as posting a few photos and having people falling over their feet to purchase said items. It sure takes some effort to get a popular shop running. Not to worry much about that here are some few simple steps you could use to help you rise above the rest:

• POST REALLY BEAUTIFUL SHOTS

Instagram is mainly a visual platform, so you should concentrate on getting beautiful clear and beautiful image. The more beautiful your photos are the more attention they get. So, it’s  of utmost importance to set up shots that show off your product clearly, but are also really appealing. Ensure to Post only the very best shots you have.

• FOLLOW LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE

When you set up your account and posted a few good pictures, it is necessary you start building a community. So ensure to first follow friends and family who know you and support your new business. The next step is to follow people who are doing similar business with you, also you can delve into their their ‘Followers’ lists to follow a few of their fans, in the same hope that they may be interested in what you are selling too. You will be surprised at the way words spread fast and the speed these steps will contribute in making you become a standard feature in relevant people’s feeds.

• CONSIDER DOING A LITTLE SHOOT EVERY NOW AND THEN

It doesn’t matter what you are selling on Instagram, whether it is vintage clothing or potted plants, having a styled shoot every now and then could provide you with loads of beautiful photographs to use over a period of time. If you don’t want to spend money on this, just rope in your most talented and photogenic friends to help out.

• SET UP SURPRISE FLASH SALES AT ODD HOURS

Just in case you find some of your stuffs not selling as well as expected. It is very considerate for you to a price slash. However, you would have to be very clever about this. Don’t just mark the item down, put them up for sale for a limited time as well, Pick periods when people would be most liable to buying stuff online.  These include 11am – 2pm (lunch hours), 5pm – 7pm (commuting hours) and 10pm – 2am (post-dinner, pre-bed, stretching over into the time when only the tipsy socialites and impulsive insomniacs will be browsing online).

• USE RECOGNISABLE HASHTAGS

One of the best ways for new followers to find you on Instagram is to use appropriate hashtags to describe your image. Now instagram also allows you to follow Hashtags.

While this depends entirely on what you’re selling, a few generic good ones include:

#instaseller

#instashopuk

#instaselleruk

#instashopping

#instashop

#onlinestore

#instadeal

Researching about hashtags used by individuals, shops and businesses similar to your is  very essential.

• DO TROUBLE WITH YOUR PACKAGING

It’s the final touch in the business and delivery process and such any diplomacy implied here could win you a customer for life. An express example is; Instead of just sending off/delivering your parcel in a generic manner, make it up in a pretty package of sorts and even add a hand-written note to thank the buyer for their purchase. This kind of personal touch makes all the difference in the way people approach your brand.

No doubt the world is in the social information era. With the internet/computerized age and Social media platforms at the forefront, connecting billions of people around the globe.

There are a lot of social media platforms and a lot of people almost every one with access to the internet have a social media account on at least two platforms around the globe with the one aim of connecting.

Connecting to either humans, businesses or products the whole essence of social media is to connect and this has proven to be one of the most effective tools for the digital business world.

Let’s get on with why we are here, in this article I will show you 3 things social media can do to grow your business and give you that increase in sales.

You must know that there are more than 3 things but in this article, I will be going through three important things.

Landing Page

Landing page here simply refers to where your customers can get hold of you on the internet. Not getting hold of you like you are a wanted man! (Lol). I mean getting hold of you to see your products and know more about your company, product or business.

Social media platforms like facebook and Instagram now have business accounts and fan pages on their platform that can be used as a landing page for your business.

Trust me this works like magic, I have used it before and I still use it to promote my business.

If you don’t have a website for your business Social Media platforms is a great way to channel people to your business and give your business that presence needed online and if you do have a website you can still leverage on social media platform to refer people to your site.

Most people wouldn’t have the time to check out any business that doesn’t have an online presence.

So if you don’t have a social media fan page, I suggest you go on to Facebook or Instagram and get one opened for your business it is totally free and your fans, customers and clients can connect with you from on there.

Generate Traffic

Your social media account can be used to generate traffic for your business.

The essence of every product is to reach its audience, consumers and end users.

Social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to mention a few have business accounts that enable you to promote ads for your business.

All you need do is simply go to the social platform login to your account, upload what you want to promote or products you want to promote, get the required audience ( that will be interested in your product), then you go on to promote it, it even gets better as you can choose the particular city or state you want your post to be displayed in.

Social platforms have made it a lot easier now, you can start your business online without a website a domain name, or a blog.

Customer Support

The good thing about social media is that it is very flexible.

Social Platforms like Facebook have included an autoresponder (auto messages) for anyone that comments or messages you about the product you are promoting or the business you displaying.

You see it just gets easier even if you are away on a meeting and can’t access your social account, you don’t have to worry much all you need do is configure an auto message that keeps the nerve of the client or customer calm until you finally arrive, and you can even configure an auto message that can redirect them to your site if you have on by simply dropping a nice message alongside the link to your site.

You can even carry out a one on one interaction process with your customer and it gives them joy and confidence about your product or business.

You should always try to be polite and as considerate as possible, avoid using slangs or insultive words because a customer could easily comment wrongly about your product and critics goes a long way to reduce the integrity of your product.

Conclusion!!!

Excuses are not needed now in our world today, you can’t say you don’t have a website or money to create one, all you need now is simply follow these simple ways i have shown you, after all owning a fanpage is simply free.

Just need get on any social platform get an account, edit it to suit your business description, and i will advise you use your company/ business logo as your profile picture.

Incase you were waiting to get a website first before starting out your business, no need just get started with the social platform and get an account, you will be good to go.

e-Commerce is no doubt a place of high profitability, Only if you have the right informations, products and market to sell. In this industry analysis and demands helps to boost your sales.

To succeed in ecommerce you need three things: profitable, in-demand products to sell, the skills to market them, and the drive to succeed.

I have no doubt you already have the winner’s mindset. You’re constantly learning, researching and preparing for success. But 2019 is the year of action. This is the year to commit to starting a business: the year to test new products, create new ads, and market, market, market. It’s time to implement everything you’ve learned over the past twelve months.

To give you a head start, we’ve compiled a list trending products in 2019 that you can consider selling and what you can do to market those products.

All the trending products on this list can be found in Oberlo.

Men’s plaid shirt

In September 2018, shoppers went mad for plaid, making it one of the biggest fashion trends of the year. But that doesn’t mean this trend is showing signs of slowing down. Just take a quick look at Google Trends.

very year in the autumn and early winter months, plaid searches re-emerge as a seasonal trend. But don’t be discouraged if you’re starting your store in spring. You’ll need a few months anyway to build up your search rankings, especially if you’re starting from zero. That way you can capitalize on sales towards the end of the year at a fraction of the cost—organic traffic from search engine optimization (SEO) is cheaper than paid advertising in the long term.

The best thing about selling plaid fashion products is that you can create a standalone category in your fashion store called “Plaid,” or adopt the trend subtly in your collection of shirts. Either way, you can capitalize on the seasonal trend while allowing yourself the freedom to promote other trending fashion styles as well.

When it comes to trending products with a plaid pattern, start with the simple designs first. Plaid shirts like this one follow the traditional style, making it one of the most popular plaid shirts to date. It may seem counterintuitive to choose the same best-sellers that everyone else is selling too, but you’re far more likely to sell a proven product, especially if you’re just starting out.

Shapewear

For the second year in a row, this product category has made the list. By 2022, the shapewear market is expected to skyrocket to about $5.6 billionin sales. What started as an undergarment has transitioned to a piece for everyday wear.

Fashion retailers are also stocking their stores with bodysuits which help create a slimming silhouette. The shapewear niche offers women a variety of different styles that can either be worn under clothing with different cuts or as a top, though shapewear is still popular within the lingerie industry where it first emerged.

What makes this product worth considering is that it offers retailers a lot of versatility: whether you sell lingerie, women’s fashion, or want to add this category on a store for general apparel, you’ll be able to find shapewear in different colors, styles, and sizes to meet the needs of your diverse customer base.

You can sell trending products like this breathable shapewear, which has been skyrocketing in sales in the past 30 days. It’s anti-slip and it creates a visibly slimmer figure for your customers.

Smartwatches

Around 1.2 billion watches are sold globally each year. And the number keeps rising. Last year we saw the rise of minimalist watches. For 2019, smartwatches will likely continue trending upward. December tends to be the peak month for watch sales—while you can sustain year round sales with a watch store, it would be wise to include a relevant summer accessory to ensure higher profits.

Facebook and Instagram tend to be the most popular channels for growing a watch store. Many watch retailers have influencers take lifestyle shots from where they are in the world, with the typically outdoorsy and luxurious images being perfect for use on social media. Dropshipper Tim Kock launched a watch store and was able to make $6667 in roughly eight weeks.

You can start your first watch store by selling this bluetooth smartwatch which includes a built-in camera, sound recorder, step counter, sleep monitor, calendar, and more.

Minimalist jewelry

Some people prefer the finer things in life. Fortunately, minimalist jewelry has been seeing strong sales growth for online retailers in the jewelry space. Even Google Trends shows there have been more frequent, high volume searches from consumers for this type of jewelry. Despite an expected annual growth of 2% until 2021, there has actually been an overall decline in the number of jewelry businesses available.

When it comes to marketing trending products like these necklaces, the ideal place to find customers will likely be on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. A simple way to elevate your jewelry store’s presence is to create videos featuring your products. Videos tend to get bigger slots in Instagram’s Search and Explore pages, which will likely create more visibility for your posts. Also, most jewelry retailers tend to post pictures, giving you a competitive advantage if you’re willing to put in a bit more work.

It might interest you to know that new entrepreneurs make some terrible, dumb mistakes that can even crash their business before it gets started.

This mistakes are not made because they are unintelligent, have low IQs or possess little experience.

New entrepreneurs allow these blunders because they don’t see them as issues. So, they fail to invest their resources into fixing the problems until the problems bulldoze their companies.

Without further ado, let’s go through the top three dumb mistakes new entrepreneurs make, and a lasting solution to each oversight.

1. Superficiality

We must first acknowledge our world today as one that could been seen as a Superficial, shallow, pays little attention to details and doesn’t focus on satisfying our customers.

The current trend for many in the market is now “build and sell fast” other that concentrating on the quality of the product the produce.

Many entrepreneurs, especially the newbies, fall into this superficiality trap.

These would-be entrepreneurs refuse to sharpen their skills, ship broken products and provide terrible customer experience. That’s why many startups don’t see the light of day. What’s the solution?

Obsessive attention to detail.

Pay attention to details of products, before you ship or build one. Don’t settle for minimal. Ensure your products reaches the desired quality before it hits the market.

Customer obsession.

Your startup exists to serve your customers. Be obsessed with always pleasing them with your product.

Constant learning.

To break loose from superficiality, i must tell you that knowledge is the antidote.

You must keep up with developing both your skill and your self, in order for your product to get to the top base.

Keep learning, so you can satisfy your customers with unstoppable value and become the go-to person in your industry.

Dumping the superficiality habit requires a change in mindset. You can get rid of it with constant practice and obsession with quality.

So keep the pace high with taste and follow with the pursuit of knowledge and self development. And you will see how your product becomes the best in a bit.

2. Ignoring “minor issues”

As for new entrepreneurs, paying much attention to details is one thing that is very much neglected, they always have the i am just a “beginner attitude”.

A comma splice in their home page copy is not something to worry about. “It’s just a minor issue,” they say. A broken link in their Facebook page is no big deal. “It’s just a minor thing,” they say. One negative customer review? Well, that’s just a “hot-tempered customer,” they say. “It’s just a minor thing.”

On a second thought, is it?, yes, in reality they are not minor issues. These are big issues. Remember, all problems start small before they gradually metamorphose into big, uncontrollable setbacks.

That little comma splice on your homepage can lead to a tsunami of credibility issues.

All you need know is that those things you call minor issues actually make your brand either look fake or be seen as an amateur in the business world.

As a new entrepreneur do well to ensure that you are, very much attentive to details and it goes a long way to tell the world your level of maturity in the world of business.

You may say but i am just starting, and no body might really notice, people do well to the faults or critics first before really applauding you.

See your brand or business as a very big one and treat it as such.

3. Chasing two rabbits at a time

Chasing two rabbits at a time will lead to, in most cases confusion and in another frustration.

Most times Amateur founders are quick to craft multiple ideas, bloating their online stores with a vast array of products and constantly rewriting their missions to accommodate their offerings. But, is that the brilliant idea they think it is? No, it’s not.

As Confucius beautifully said, “Man who chases two rabbits catches neither.” Don’t offer two services or products at a time.

You should concentrate on one service per time, become an expert in that and be know with that, then you may decide to add others.

Many new entrepreneurs actually add many services to their cart, and they some time become a jack of all trade and master none.

The main thing is that you should put all your focus into one category and you will generate strength and energy to be master at it.

The first thing I need to say about freelancing is: it requires a lot of hustle, hard work, perseverance and dedication. You may earn next to nothing in the first month, a little bit more in the second one, and it won’t be until 6 months later of hard work that you’ll see good results. If you are a blogger, then you understand this well enough.

We can’t deny the fact that, freelancing is still great: you get to be flexible, you get to manage your own clients and you get to learn some new skills (writing, editing, design, programming, etc).

Here are some attractive steps to get the freelance ball rolling:

1. Determine what you’re good at

This is the first and most important thing to do as a freelancer. First of all, you need to figure out what you could offer to clients.  Just in case  you’ve always had a knack for writing? For designing? Even coaching? Pop onto Fiverr.com and see what other people have to offer. Some people do crazy stuff (yes, writing funny messages on your belly is totally freelancing), and many make serious money out of it.

Some classic freelancing could be: ghostwriting, pic designing, research, digital marketing, virtual assistant, teaching, etc.

Here is a piece of advise: if you haven’t determined what you are good at you could just move on to try many different thing, or a bit of everything and you see what you are good at or love best. But after that it’s good to focus on one freelance activity and get really good at it.

– You should know that, you’ll have a lot of competition out there.

2.Plan a portfolio

If you want to become a full time freelancer, i would suggest that you get a properly organised and well designed website and showcase all the cool projects you have handled. But i believe as a side income that wouldn’t be necessary.

The good question here is; How do you plan your portfolio? Its best you start with the first thing you could use when pitching a client. It could be an article you wrote years ago or a project you did back in time – Just anything that proves that you have done something.

If you have nothing, this shouldn’t be an issue – with enough push and hustle you will always get a client. You’ll be using this portfolio to show potential future clients what you’re capable of and what your experience is – You should make sure to show some of your best works.

3. Start simple

The most difficult part of this is usually with the first client: because you are not sure what to do, how to set it up and how to talk to them. My best advice is that you start small, start with  Upwork. They have lots of  contracts in place and it’s pretty easy to find people to work for, so you could get to know more about the job.

Yes, you may be a bit under paid and it is not expected to be the most interesting work. but it’s a really great way to get started on the job – it will give a lot of exposure and confidence and a feel of what freelancing is all about.

Go right on Upwork, set up a profile – make sure it looks professional and look for some quick and cheap projects people are willing to pay someone for. This will allow you to build up a portfolio pretty quickly and it’ll therefore be easier to get more clients in the future.

This is what i meant when i said you may not earn anything the first month: You need to focus more on building up your portfolio and work with clients. Not to worry, it gets easier to build up.

4. Work on connections

One major key to getting clients as a freelancer is a ”network”. Word of mouth is your friend, you should also be careful to keep a good track record of delivering what you say. As you get more clients on Upwork, you’ll slowly start forming connections (if you do a good job of course) and those same people will refer you to more clients. And just like magic, your client base doubles and you can decide to charge them more for jobs.

It is really important to keep testimonials any time you do a good job – it’s always more good proof.

You should be able to charge more normal once you move away from upwork and have your own client base . And that’s when you start making good money out of it. I suggest making a contract every time you do work for a client (outside Upwork), outlining the following clearly; what you’re doing, how much you’re charging and when they need to pay.

5. Build yourself up

Leave no room for mediocrity, once you have attained a great height in what you do and you feel you are good enough. Go on and get your own site, you could start up with something free WordPress/Blogger/Weebly, or go pro and get a domain name.

When you create this website, you will put all your projects, starting from your work at Upwork,  amazing testimonials and all the cool clients you’ve worked for. At this point in time, you will be getting more and more client requests – so you need to set a limit of hours to work during the day and be disciplined, or you’ll burn yourself out.

By now you should know that Freelancing is true independence. You are now setting your own hours and your own rates. You are the boss now and at such you are liable; if something goes well you get all the credit and if something goes wrong you are also at the forefront of that as well. This is why freelancing is not for everyone – but I still find that even as a side-income it can teach you a lot about people, yourself, and your work ethic in general.

Here is how i do it; Now that I have my own personal blog, I use that as my portfolio. Most freelance work I do is for other bloggers or people in the network, so a blog is enough to see that I can do what they want me to. If you’re a blogger, you can try that too!