These days, nearly everyone has a side job. It’s a fun way to make some extra cash! Some people write blogs, some sell artwork on Etsy, and some run drop shipping businesses from the comfort of their own homes

Whether you’re looking to supplement your income, gain financial freedom, or simply seeking more work-life balance, becoming a wholesale supplier is a great way to pay the bills and be your own boss. But how do you do it?

Let’s start with the basics:

A wholesale supplier partners with manufacturers to provide customers with the manufacturer’s products. This happens two ways: the supplier has a warehouse, in which they store, manage, and ship the product; or the supplier manages an online store, where they take orders from customers and arrange for the manufacturer to ship it directly (also known as drop shipping).
 
Becoming a wholesale supplier is not as challenging as it sounds. In fact, you can become a successful supplier in as little as 30 days - as long as you follow a few simple rules:

​Before you can start supplying, you have to decide what you will sell. Are you interested in novelty toys? What about party Supplies? Will you be a wholesale cleaning supplier? Once you choose a niche, you can begin.
 
Take some time to learn about various markets, including B2B and B2C (business-to-business and business-to-customer, respectively). Look for something with room to grow your business, a consistent demand, and - arguably the most import aspect - something that you’ll enjoy.

Once you’ve decided what you will sell, you’ll need to create the place to sell it. If you are a dropshipping wholesale supplier, you will need a website to showcase your products, take orders, and communicate with customers.
 
You will also need an Employer Identification Number (EIN) in order to establish an official business with the IRS. Apply for this ID number online, and make sure to obtain a resale certificate and state sales tax certificate.

Let’s say that you have decided to sell cleaning products. That’s a great choice - but now where can you turn? You can find your products and start selling your wares by heading directly to the source: the manufacturers.
 
If you want to be a wholesale janitorial supplier, get in touch with manufacturing companies that sell bulk-quantity cleaning products. Ask if the company is looking for a wholesale supplier, and do your best to build a partnership. 

As I mentioned before, drop shipping is not as hard as most people believe. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that it is easy. A wholesale supplier has to wear many hats, acting as a marketer, accountant, head of shipping and receiving, and customer service representative.
 
Time management is paramount to success as a wholesale supplier. Make sure you are carefully planning your days, giving yourself time to accomplish your goals without overworking yourself. If you’re not organized, you put your whole operation at risk.

The folks at Emerge recently said that distribution businesses had been “done to death.” In some ways, they’re right; there are thousands of wholesale suppliers all over the country, operating in various consumer and product sectors.
 
So, the question is: what will make your business different? The best way to make your business stand out is with superior service. Build strong, friendly relationships with manufacturers and customers alike. If you treat the people you work with kindly and with care, you’ll have repeat business as long as you’re in operation.
 
Now that you know these tips and tricks, get out there and become the best wholesale supplier you can be. Who knows - you just might find your true calling out in the world of commerce.

Looking for a way to make some money, or just want to express yourself in a blog? Don't know where to start?
​Let me show you how I got started.

First you'll need a website:
There are lots of web hosting sites, either free or for a low price, depending on what you are planning. I use Weebly's starter program. It's an easy "drag and drop" setup where you drag design options to your page and fill them in.

​Next you'll need an idea to write about:
I use several Apps and websites to get writing inspiration and ideas. Here are the Apps I use:

Now here are the websites I use:
HubSpot's Blog Topic Generator
Portent
Tweak Your Biz Idea Generator
Blog Title Generator

​Then you write:
If you just want to blog on your own site, you just need to share your posts across your Social Media links. Maybe even start your own Facebook Page for your blog and link them.

If you want to be a freelance writer, you'll need to find places to submit your articles. To start out you can start small at content mills such as:
​​BlogMutt
​Contently
​MyBlogU

You can also do an easy web search using "(your topic) write for us" and it'll tell you different blogs and e-zines that accept freelance writer submissions. Some will be non-paying, and some will be paid. Don't shun the non-paying ones as this is a good way to build up your portfolio for other jobs.

Here's a great article that gives a large list of websites looking for writers.

You can also get started writing for my blog too! Here are my guidelines.

Happy writing!

I came across Dealspotr while looking for coupons sites.

I was pretty impressed as Dealspotr is way different than the average coupon site. It's monitored by it's own members (over 30,000 of them) who add, edit, and police all the deals to make sure the deals are accurate and complete. 

​Dealspotr has the highest coverage and reliability of coupon codes compared to Retailmenot, Coupons.com, Groupon, or other coupon site. 

So you can be sure the coupon and deal you see are up-to-date and current. Quite different from other sites where I'm glad to find a certain coupon, but find out it expired in 2014!
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Another bonus I like is that you can personalize what types of deals and coupons you want to see. You can skip all the baby products if you don't shop for them, or hardware, etc. etc. It has a Newsfeed of your personal selections plus it shows what's "hot" now which is the most popular deal happening.

I can post my own deals and coupons I find as well, check other members deals out and "verify" them, and the nice bonus is I can earn points for doing this and then turn those points in for a gift card! How cool is that! Look for shopping deals, earn points, get a gift card! Win/Win!!

Here how it works:
- Members post deals they find on the internet.
- Deals show up in your Personalized Feed
- You can "spot" deals, meaning you up-vote them, and you can redeem the deal for yourself.
- Popular voted deals turn "hot" and if it's one you "spotted" you earn 200 points. If it's a deal you posted that turns hot, you earn points again.
- You can "repost" deals you like to your own subscriber's list (followers).
- You earn points by: posting deals, validating deals, spotting deals, doing the daily checklist, becoming an influencer, and referring members.
- Reach 10,000 points and then redeem them for a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

It may look like a lot and a long time to get there, but I've only been a sporadic member since this summer and I've already earned my first gift card!

So, if you like coupons and deals, go check them out & tell them Rusty_Coyote sent you!
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With the job market still struggling with a 5% unemployment rate, it can be hard to find a steady full-time job.

​You might have to consider alternate ways to work and earn  money, here are 6 of them:

1. Using Apps

Some Apps will pay you for using them. What you can earn varies but it may be useful to do in combination with other alternate earning methods.

Such Apps as: GigWalk, Field Agent, Easy Shift, or Moonlighting may bring in some extra money that you may need in between other jobs.

2. Sell Your Services on Fiverr

Selling services such as website design, logo creation, writing resumes, creating pictures or videos, paint or draw pictures, and a million other things you'd do for $5. Five dollars might not seem like much but offer a variety of different services and "extras" will add up. Check out Fiverr for other ideas.

3. Sell Your Crafts on Etsy

Are you good at making crafts? Consider setting up your own shop on Etsy. Anything from greeting cards, paintings, jewelry, sewing and needlecrafts and the like. You can set up your own prices and time frames. 

4. Become a Lyft Driver

If you have a reliable car and live in a good size city, becoming a Lyft driver might be a good idea. Earnings vary from city to city, but the average earning is about $19/hour. Again you can set your own hours here and work in between your own errands.

5. Become a Freelance Employee

If you have skills such as design, development, coding, editing, administrative work, and pretty much anything else, you can find work on such websites asUpwork, Freelancer, or Guru.

Sometimes the competition is strong on these sites, but if you're talented it may not be a problem. You may have to start small and gain a reputation first, or you can consider joining a "team" on these sites.

​6. Become a Freelance Writer

If you have a good command of English and have a way with words, you may consider becoming a freelance writer.

You may need to start out working for a content marketing site such as BlogMutt to gain experience. (Don't forget to enter my name in the Referral box when you sign up).

Earnings from freelance writing can vary from $5 up to $100 or more per article. A good  way to get started is reading this list of websites that will pay you to write.


Being a remote, or home, worker has a lot of benefits: create your own hours; save money and time without the office attire and commute; work from anywhere; and considerably less stress.  

On the downside it can mean an inconsistent schedule; working odd hours; unsteady income; and burnout. Here's a great article by TopTal on watching out for & what to do about burnout.

Having an alternate job may work for some people and with some lifestyles but may not be for everyone. These options may also suit people wanting a little extra work on the side while they work full-time too.

Alternate employment working from home or abroad is a valid option when regular employment is hard to come by, or isn't feasible for your situation.

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Yep, it's tax time again!

Luckily for those who haven't started yet, the deadline is extended to Monday, April 18th. Need to get started? Try this easy filing site.

Need ideas for what to do with your refund? Check out this infographic for great ideas:

We filed early in January and have received our refund already.

What we did with ours:

• Paid for things that couldn't fit in our regular budget.
• Paid down debt.
• Put it into Savings.

Here's an explanation:

Paid for things - Those extra things that couldn't be covered in our regular budget: like new tires for the SUV; in-depth car repairs; and home improvements. They had to be done, but could be postponed long enough until we got the refund.

Paid down debt - Any bills that accumulated over the last year we paid down, or paid off. Read #7 in my article on MoneyPantry.com on how to pay off your debts.

Put into Savings - We put the rest into Savings as a cushion for any emergencies and any "extras" we'd like to have over the rest of the year.

That's it, we kept it simple. What do you plan to do with yours?

Tracy,
​ ​​"One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon

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Like I said in an earlier post, I'm always on the look out to save money, coupons, entering contests, and getting free things.

How about trading in your unwanted stuff on Amazon? They've got a Trade-In program where you can trade in your used items for Amazon Gift Cards, regardless of where the items were originally purchased. 

I think it's awesome! Have fun selling!

Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon