I recently attended a wedding, and on every single table, there were chocolate kisses and miniature candy bars. Each of the candies were wrapped with personalized messages with the bride and groom’s names and the wedding date.  Such a simple idea, with such huge possibilities. I came home and did some quick research and found out that the candy wrapper business is booming, because not many people are in the business, and so many people find the products irresistible. But the candy wrapper business isn’t limited to just weddings. I’ve seen them used on full-size candy bars announcing the birth of a new child, for children’s birthday parties, graduation parties, and as business promotions. The possibilities are endless.

Here is an ebook about starting your own candy wrapper business that not only gives you tips and suggestions for starting your own candy wrapper business… it gives you one-of-a-kind, privately-created software with templates for various sized candies and candy bars. Also includes many, many images and fonts that will help you create exactly what your clients are looking for.

In order to start this business, you’ll need basic business supplies. Other possibilities for your candy wrapper business:

• Graduation parties (with images of the school mascot and grad year)
• Children’s parties
• Gifts for children to pass out to friends at Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, & Easter
• Make slightly larger labels and affix them to boxes of crayons, for party favors and school gifts
• Business promotions for businesses to give to customers or employees

If you are ready to move beyond your neighborhood and town, and want to take the online plunge and create a website in order to sell your baskets online, read about the candy wrapper business for information about how to get started.

The NFO My Survey company is actively seeking new members to participate in online surveys and focus groups. They are specifically in need of participants in the United States. This company is 100% free and 100% legitimate (they’ve been around since the 1950s). They pay participants to complete online surveys and focus groups (sometimes over $100). They also send out full-sized samples of products for you to try and evaluate. I have personally used the site for over 10 years, and have nothing but positive things to say about them.

I have lived in my house for 8 1/2 years. Every year, I add a few new plants to my home and yard, and keep them as healthy as I can. Imagine my surprise when I found out that some people make money at home doing exactly what I do: growing plants at home.

A family who lives near me grows plants at home, and use that side business for extra income each month. They bring in approximately $1000 per month with their plants. No, it’s probably not enough to support themselves with right now, but that extra $1,000 per month sure comes in handy for the “extra” things they like to treat themselves and their kids to. And considering that they only dedicate a few minutes per week working this side business, it’s a can’t-lose situation.

I did some research on the subject, and found that more and more families are starting plant businesses from their homes. There are very few things needed to start the business, and in some cases, some of the expenses are not recurring.

So what do you need to grow and sell plants from home?

• Potting mix (because it’s better for growing plants, and you don’t want to be digging up holes in your yard)
• Containers to grow your plants in. You don’t need to get fancy here. Anything that can hold dirt and let water flow out from the bottom can be used as a container for a plant
• Seeds or existing plants
• Sunlight (free!)
• Water

To sell them, just place signs around town or place ads in local papers advertising your plant sales. It’s just that simple.

Now, I”m not an expert gardener so I can’t go into the how-to’s of growing and caring for the plants that you grow. But I know that if you want to be successful at this, you can.

A found a couple who earn $1,000 per week growing and selling plants in the UK. If you’re interested in learning more (as well as learning exactly how to grow and care for the plants, and maximize your profits), you can read about them and the “grow and sell plants from home” ebook they wrote.  If you prefer a reading real books (instead of ebooks), check out “Plants for Profit,” which details several different ways to use your garden to make money from home. Good luck! And if you end up starting your own business growing and selling plants at home, drop me a line and let me know how it’s going for you!

My best friend’s niece recently moved into town. Her husband is a nurse, and I was surprised at how much money they seemed to have. With three kids, the family is still able to afford a nice condo, two new cars, nice clothes, and two vacations a year. I asked her how they managed, and she told me that she makes money as a medical transcriptionist at home. While her kids are at school or in bed, she works to transcribe doctors’ dictation tapes.

I asked her how she does it. Here’s a transcript of our interview:

How Did You Become a Medical Transcriptionist?

Believe it or not, I never went to school for it. We have a junior college and university in town, but I just fell into it. A friend of mine was doing it, and I watched her do it once. I figured if she could do it, I could do it. Now, I guess I’m proof that I was right.

What Tools Do You Need to Be a Medical Transcriptionist?

All I use is my computer, a transcriber, and a printer. I bought the printer and transcriber second hand. And I have a couple of books, like medical dictionaries, to help me if I get confused about spelling or something.

How Much Can You Make as a Medical Transcriptionist?

It depends on who you work for, and how you charge. My friend started out doing pool work for a transcription company. So the doctors would pay the company, and the company would pay my friend. Then she figured out she could do it on her own, and she’s making more than double what she used to, even though she is doing less work. Me, I started out charging 14¢ per line of transcription. I’m a pretty fast typist, so it came out to a good deal. Then I listened to other transcriptionists who told me I should charge a flat rate. So now, I charge doctors a flat rate. So I get paid the same, no matter what. Some weeks, they might have 100 patients, but other weeks they might have 20 patients. And no matter what, I get paid the same amount.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to make money as a medical transcriptionist at home, and how to find doctors who need your services, vist the Medical Transcription Work From Home site.

Opinion Outpost–one of the sites that I have included on my online surveys and focus groups page–just informed me that they are looking for new members. Registration is free and open to anyone. I have personally used Opinion Outpost (I ALWAYS test a site before I post it here for my readers), and it’s a very easy site to use and maneuver. They pay you with points, which you then redeem for money. They send you a check when you cash in your points. My friend takes surveys for them regularly, and uses the money that she earns there to pay for baby diapers and formula every month.

Note: They are accepting all applications right now for a limited time, but are particularly looking for male and Hispanic members. If you are male, register by clicking here. If you are Hispanic, register by clicking here. All other groups, click here to register.

Survey Spot is looking for new members to participate in online research studies that match your interests and demographics. Earn prize draw entries every time you participate in a survey, with a chance to win up to $12,000 in our quarterly prize draw. One of my readers won several hundred dollars in their prize drawing last quarter. Personally, I took surveys for Survey Spot back in the mid- to late 90s, and earned a consistent amount of cash. Click Here to start getting paid to take surveys.

Join now (and persuade your significant other to join too) because marketing research companies often contact me when they need new members, but they will sometimes close their registration after a few days.

Several companies that hire employees to work at home conduct job interviews. Prospective employees for home jobs are usually called at home for a phone interview. If the company that you’ve applied for contacts you for a phone interview, there are a few things you need to do in order to make sure your interview runs as smoothly as possible.

Silence is Golden

The interviewer wants to hear you –and only you– during your conversation. For this reason, it’s important that you turn off all stereos and televisions. If you plan to sit in the kitchen, make sure the dish washer isn’t running during your phone interview. Also, it’s of utmost importance to keep your kiddos quiet while you’re on your phone interview. Preschool kids and older can safely watch a video in another room while you’re on the phone. For younger children, try to schedule your interview during the child’s nap time to ensure peace and quiet.

Know Yourself

Have a copy of your resume –or at the very least, a handwritten list of your previous employment and education– in front of you. If your interviewer asks you a question, it will help if you have your employment and education history in front of you. Sometimes, people being interviewed get flustered and find it hard to recall dates and duties, and having it in front of you in black and white will help.

Be Alert and Well-Rested

Even though your interviewer can’t see you, exhaustion can take a toll on your interview. Exhaustion affects your memory and mood, among other things. For best results, get to bed early the night before your interview. If you have an infant who doesn’t sleep through the night yet, be wise and don’t schedule your phone interview for 8AM. Instead, schedule during the day, after you’ve been able to get a power nap.

Be Prepared

Just as with an interview done in person, you should be prepared for your phone interview. For several days in advance, prepare for how you will answer common questions. Decide what questions –if any– you will ask the interviewer about this work at home job. For a few tips about preparing for your test, you can read this FREE book excerpt called, “Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions that Will Get You The Job.”

Purex — the laundry soap company — has a great offer for my readers, since most of you are parents of young children. They are offering my readers a full year of Parents Magazine for $4. That’s 12 issues for just $0.33 each! Get your ridiculously cheap Parents Magazine subscription here. Enter promo code PX1962 (you won’t get the discount without it). Let your friends and family know about this offer!

Hurry, because it’s for a very limited time.

I know you’ve seen online ads and commercials promising to help you make  money fast online. With a small investment, you can be making upwards of $10,000 to $30,000 per month! I have been at this for a long time, and I am here to tell you that yes, you can make money online. But those ads are full of nothing but lies. If you fall for one of those ads, the only people who will make money fast online are the advertisers. They will make up to $1000 within the few seconds that it takes you to give them your credit card number.

I have people contact me often, asking how they can use the internet to make fast cash online. I have researched this for a while, and there are a few options that I have come up with.

How to Make Fast Cash Online within a Week

Sell unwanted or unneeded items on craigslist or eBay. If you need the cash fast, and don’t want to pay a payment processing company (like PayPal) a percentage of your earnings, go with craigslist.  In some cases, you can list an item for sale and have cash in hand within a couple of hours.

How to Make Fast Cash Online within a Month

Visit GPT sites, like Cash Crate to earn money within a month. Some people have reported income of over $1,000 per month with cash crate.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 18 years (and a work-at-home mom for 7 of those), and it’s always astounded me how some people react to the fact that I don’t leave my house every morning, stick my kids in day care, and come home in the evening. The people at Redbook Magazine really hit the nail on the head when they published “10 Things Never to Say to a Stay at Home Mom”

1. When the kids are older, do you think you’ll get a real job?

2. How June Cleaver of you!

3. Oh, so you don’t work?

4. Since you have extra time on your hands, could you whip up a few dozen brownies for the bake sale tomorrow?

5. All day with your kids? I can’t even imagine.

6. I’m jealous. I wish my husband were rich so I wouldn’t have to work either.

7. What do you do all day, anyway?

8. I’m sure you’re not the only one who’s ever wasted money on a college degree.

9. That explains why your son is so clingy!

10. Weird. I assumed your house would be superclean!

I think that I have heard every one on the list! Plus a police officer who once pulled me over for expired tags asked what I did for a living. I said “I’m a full-time mommy.” The officer smirked, chuckled, and said, “Oh, so you’re just a housewife.” When he handed me the ticket, I saw that he’d written, “HOUSEWIFE,” in all caps. That was 11 years ago, and it still makes my blood boil! Now that I work at home, I still get the same sort of assumptions and comments.

P.S. Redbook Magazine is available to my readers for just $8 for a limited time. This is a subscription for an entire year (12 issues). The cover price for the year is $42. Get your $8 subscription to Redbook Magazine today!