entrepreneur

Custom Made T-Shirts–Bonfire

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

I recently came across a website for making custom made attire, http://www.bonfire.com. The website provides everything you need, they do take a base cost as they provide you with all the material you need.

The first shirt I have had in mind for a long time, I just didn’t know how to design it. Its based on a baby and a daddy both drinking their own versions of their bottle. The front shows a baby with his/her bottle and a dad with a beer bottle, and says “Bottoms Up.” The back says how they both love their bottles.

Click here to order!
The second shirt is about channeling your inner strength and spreading your wings like a butterfly. Comes in 3 different colors, red, blue, black. 

Click here to order!

The third design I’ve completed thus is all about choosing kindness. This design is available in t-shirt or sweatshirt.

Order here!

I would immensely appreciate your support! I would love to make custom designs for anyone interested, or if you’d like to design your own shirts, please visit this link here.
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Kylie Jenner–Social Media Self Made Billionaire.

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

Hello!

On the cover of the upcoming issue of “Forbes” magazine, Kylie Jenner is the youngest to date self-made billionaire. For anyone who watches ABC’s “The View” there were differing viewpoints on how much work Kylie Jenner put into making her business successful vs her success handed to her. Meghan Mccain talked about how she definitely benefited from her father’s political career, however, in order to prove that she deserves her career success, she had to work 12 times harder.

My thoughts.

Whatever your viewpoint, everyone knows who the Kardashian family is; they have their own family brand business, along with individual businesses the Kardashian “kids” own and run. Kylie Jenner, I’m confident, is a very hard working business owner, however,  her customers/fans are mostly from her social media. It wasn’t hard for her to gain a very large social media following; in her interview with “Forbes”, Kylie talked about how social media is her selling tool. She gained her following being a Kardashian daughter, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it has been an easy tool to reach her customers, resulting in instant sales.

Marketing your brand is hands down one of the hardest aspects to making a business successful and strong. I am a very active social media user, as social media has expanded from simply being a personal networking tool, it is now the brilliant and convenient  digital marketing venue most, if not all businesses utilize to drive sales and promote products and services. This is how Kylie Jenner has been successful, her social media gives direct marketing of all her products. If an unknown like myself were to sell similar cosmetics that to what Kylie Jenner is producing, who would have more success, me or Kylie Jenner? The answer is obvious. Unless I became a worldwide known name, Kylie Jenner of course is going to be much more successful. This isn’t a bad thing, just the predicted and most logical outcome.

As an aspiring entrepreneur, I look up to any and all self made successful business owners; receiving aide is great, keeping the success is where the true hard work comes into. You need to have a product that people want and will purchase, with client loyalty. Some people have a lot of ease with creating their brand, starting with an established and known name, while others really do start from the ground up.

I would love thoughts on this; are Kylie Jenner, and any other individual with an established name have an easier time and success in making a brand work vs people who start out with nothing?

Check out the article from “Forbes” here.

Thanks for reading, and I would LOVE for you to subscribe, its free!

Xo,

Amanda

Starting an Online Business

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

Hello readers!

I want to bring about a topic or a rather large topic that is near and dear to my heart…..

Starting an online business….ahem….!

I have had a passion for being an entrepreneur; I have always loved the idea of being my own boss. I completed an internet marketing class my senior year of high school; it really opened my eyes to what the internet was capable of. Keep in mind, when I took this class, the internet had definitely been around for quite some time, but the concept of actually conducting business online through different marketing strategies was a growing concept that has developed into our digital world.

When people say they have an online business, there are several facets to that statement, as the sky is the limit. There are many different online businesses: major companies like Amazon not only is the massive empire that it is, but adding on to its revenue with individuals who make side income or more from selling as an individual or professional seller.

There are pros and cons to selling on Amazon: the pro as a professional seller is that you have access to many different resources, however, there is a $39.99 fee each month. That fee isn’t a lot if you are consistently selling which in return brings you a ROI. One of the cons that I do not like about selling on Amazon is the very specific product information you need for data input. I have very gently used items that are still in excellent “like new” condition, but because I don’t have exact information needed (UPC); so the chances of selling that item becomes much more cumbersome. Don’t let me take away motivation from becoming a seller, I’m always striving to learn information and have success with selling on Amazon, currently though, as an individual seller which does not require any high monthly fees.

Another aspect of Amazon which I really do love is its affiliate marketing program. For those who aren’t familiar, affiliate marketing is when a user advertises a product or service and when a customer purchases from the associated link provided, the individual providing the link receives a small commission percentage from the sale.

So…. I’m going to plug my own affiliate link. My family LOVES these Nugo Slim protein bars, they are vegan and gluten free for people with dietary sensitivities. They are low in sugar, high in protein and fiber and come in differing flavors. Get them, they’re good! And to make them sound even better, they are dipped in dark chocolate, so what’s not to love about them? Yum!

Everyone knows about Ebay. I’ll be honest, I really thought Ebay wasn’t going to stick around after Amazon became what it is today. Upon further research, Ebay appears to be much more user friendly for sellers like me who are getting started and are selling personal items as an individual seller vs an established business. There aren’t as many restrictions and listing inventory is a lot easier. Check out my listings page here!

Moving on to another aspect of online businesses; rebate selling apps with an accompanying website. There are a variety of selling apps you can download to your phone/use the website to sell your own personal items. I have used the Poshmark app and website to sell my own gently used, like new items. Poshmark allows you to sell clothes, shoes, accessories and more. They do take a commission around 30%, which covers your shipping label. Visit my personal Poshmark account here!

Facebook, is always updating their software and user interaction capabilities; they added a new feature last year called the marketplace which allows for users to sell items as well. The inventory categories are endless, and it appears thus far there are no selling fees, which is great! My personal Facebook selling place is here, check it out!

As you can see, there are a variety of different ways to sell exclusively online from your own personal inventory of items taking up space in your house that will be a treasure to someone else. Thanks for reading and hope you find some treasures from my various sites.

Xo,

Amanda

Fiverr

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

Have you all heard about Fiverr? It’s an online gig market place you can go to, to not only offer services of your own work, but conduct business with professionals in different fields like Graphic Design, Digital Marketing, Writing and Translation, Video and Animation and more. From my understanding, Fiverr is all about selling and purchasing these different services at an affordable price. Services start at $5 and can go up to a maximum of $5000. It can be a great way to get a small side business going of your own, marketing all of your professional talents.

Sooo, allow me to give my own plug of business.

Audio recording: I have audio recording experience, and a friendly voice. I will record anything upon request, (I do reserve the right to refuse topics that aren’t in accordance with my comfort zone.)

Transcribe: I will transcribe anything in English.

Blog: I will personally give a shout out or promote anything that you would like to be marketed (I reserve the right to refuse anything that I don’t believe in and/or are not comfortable with.) I need to be able to fully understand what I am marketing before I put my name to it.

Hand written services: I will personally hand write anything needed, up to five pages, in straight hand or cursive.

Custom orders available upon request. Please visit my personal page to set up a gig! I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you!

Xo, Amanda

Make Money with Reading!

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

Hello readers!

Over the past year, I have joined up with a wonderful company called Usborne Books and More. It is a book publishing company that sells excellent quality books at a very affordable price.

The books are designed for children beginning at a very young age, all the way up until high school, though anyone who likes the books can benefit and enjoy them!

You might be wondering from the title how you can make money from reading. Well let me explain. I became a consultant because not only can I read the books and enjoy them, but I now sell them. I signed up under a neighbor; she is my go to consultant when I have questions, or just overall want a team partner. Signing up is a one time fee, and you receive a welcome kit with all the information that you need, plus starting inventory of books, catalogs, and more. There are no quotas you have to meet per month, no minimum in sales, nothing. Just the amount of work YOU as the consultant want to put in, is what you get out of it. There are many different ways that you an earn money: web sales, Facebook parties, home shows, community fairs and more.

An added bonus, the more you sell, the more free books you earn, which then makes your inventory greater for future sales. This is all the while you can help encourage your student to want to learn to read and to make it a fun learning process. Everyone needs to learn to read, why not make it enjoyable!

Visit my consulting website to shop the catalog, and if you would like, become a consultant with me, that way you an start your own business, promoting a wonderful cause, LITERACY!

https://j5126.myubam.com/

Launching a Business…Baby Steps

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

Hello readers!

I am writing this post as a novice when it comes to launching a business. You see, I am a born entrepreneur, I love the idea of being my own boss, making my own rules, and helping others. I’m sure many of you are thinking the exact same thing: wouldn’t we all love to be the boss in our line of work. Well, I have a question for every single business owner out there:

How did you actually launch the business?

What I mean by this is, literally what steps did you take to get the business going. Yes, I understand about having a business plan, marketing and of course the finances to cover all of the start up costs. What I mean is, when someone says that they started from nothing and then built a very successful business, how did you go about marketing, and going from perhaps the basement in your home to an actual business office. How did you go from being a one person, or a literal family business to having the recourses to pay your staff. I have read many different articles about how people have found a situation that they wanted to solve and thus created a product or business (I watch “Shark Tank a lot as well) and they have said how they “launched” their business. Well, I am one of those individuals who needs to know the EXACT steps these entrepreneurs took to make a success.

I recently thumbed through a book about how a mom wanted to have it all: a family, career and overall enjoy life. Well once again, she used that word, “launched.” Its a great word in the business vocab, but again I ask HOW.

Please feel free to comment how you business folk started. Trial and error always happens, share your thoughts. Please and thank you!

Usborne Books and More

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

I am so happy to announce that I have signed up and am now an Independent Consultant through a wonderful company called “Usborne Books and More.” Usborne is a company promoting literacy starting at birth up until high school. The books are wonderful in content, very high quality, and not to mention VERY AFFORDABLE.

The reason I decided to join this amazing company is because everyone, and I mean everyone needs to learn how to read, and enjoy literacy. Bonus: you start making money helping students today develop literacy skills.

The way Usborne works is that you pay a small start up fee, mine was $135 with everything included as a welcome kit. My welcome kit was a medium sized box full of books from different interest and reading levels, a catalog, order forms and information on how to get started. Once you learn how the company works (I learn something new everyday), you can get your business rolling. Basically, you sell the books, and then make a commission on  your sales.

Why not get started in a thriving business that keeps our children educated and learning for life. It all starts at a young age, and the earlier they start learning how to read, the better. The goal here is for children to learn to love to read (and making money while doing such a great thing!) Did I mention that you can work as much or as little as you want. There are no minimums or even maximums on sales, and there are a variety of different ways to make sales (web sales, Facebook parties, book fairs, school programs and more!)

If you are interested in joining, please sign up under me, and we can have a wonderful business to promote childhood literacy! Join me! Happy reading and money making! Here is my personal consultant website,  please visit, learn, shop around for your student and even join! Click Usborne Books and More!

The end of one, beginning of another

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

A lot has happened since I last wrote. I will admit, I’m not the best at keeping these blogs up-to-date, though I do follow a lot of others on social media, so you would think I would know to post more often, right? I just find it hard to find content that is worth posting, content random strangers will be interested in reading.

One huge change for me is my job. I will fully admit that I lost my job; it wasn’t fun, and never is fun. In the process of dealing with this loss, I decided to read Barbara Corcoran’s book, “Shark Tales.” Its all about how Barbara (one of the investors on “Shark Tank”) started out with nothing and lived in a very crammed home with her large family. She decided to pursue a real estate career, getting started with a $1000 loan from her boyfriend she met at a local diner she was working at. Through all of her ideas and work ethic, she has made a success.

A major point that stuck by me from reading her book was about what makes a great sales person, entrepreneur, employee in general. It’s not a matter of how good of a sales person you are, or a hard worker, whatever your achievements are; its a matter of how you handle a loss or a rejection. The people who bounce back the quickest are the ones that are successful.

Within this past month of being unemployed and applying for various different jobs and trying to figure out a new path, I accepted a new position today! The first 2 weeks I felt very sorry for myself because I did not see my previous job ending as soon as it did, but you know what, it was a good thing for me. It helped kick me in the pants and start something even better. I now have given myself the opportunity to work for my “day job” all the while leaving time for my creative goals in creating my own business. It took a loss and feeling a little bit down, to create the opportunity for goals that I have been wanting for a long time, I just didn’t know how to do it.

Moral of this post: how quickly and positively you handle rejection and how quickly you bounce back. YOU CAN DO IT!

Paying for Life Skills

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

As an aspiring entrepreneur, and a young career female with many interests, its hard to pin point what I call an actual “career.” I am the proud co-owner of my start-up family business called “ABC 4 Higher Ventures.” Our business will be specializing in Consulting and Sales, so it leaves it open to be an umbrella company. There are many skills that can be included in our business.

My individual interests  have a hefty leaning on sales. I currently work in a sales job that is about getting the best design for your budget. Sales isn’t always about just trying to “sell” a product, but knowing what you are selling and all the options that can be included and alternatives available.

Being in a sales position is a wide variety of fields, from real estate, to a sales associate at a local or franchise business, and many in between.  Real estate, I’m learning as I have family working the in field, is more than just selling a home. Its’ about knowing the zip code areas, what the interested family is looking for, and all of the in between steps that involve the actual move. I have strongly thought about becoming involved in real estate as property values in my hometown of Tyson’s Corner in Northern Virginia are skyrocketing with all the the added business and transportation construction.

Another area of sales that people may not know about is affiliate marketing. Long story short, a business will reward a person if they advertise through linkage of a product and another buyer clicks on the link. You can read a more detailed description at the link provided above.

My point with all of these different types of sales is that learning these life skills can lead to more money in the bank and overall knowledge of a variety of different life interests You can have a career that involves many different components, so expand your horizon and don’t be afraid to have many interests, I’m not.

Happy New Year!

/ Amanda Hodson / Leave a comment

To all of my followers, Happy 2016! 2015 was a great year for me, from my professional aspirations, to beginning my own personal website/blog to everything in between. I read articles all the time about how to make money online, or just spare side income and how to use digital media in it’s fullest potential. I have a major entrepreneurial fire in my blood, and understand that before in order to get started in the “being your own boss” world, you must have your day job in the very beginning. I love my day job. I work with a  wonderful family owned business; a very creative job that involves imagination, teamwork and fun; I work in a locally owned florist.

Keeping with the entrepreneurial theme, I was reading an article in a magazine, “Women’s World” and always love reading the ways to make extra cash. Some only pay a few bucks here and there, but that eventually adds up after consistent work. I always look to see moral, legal and fun ways to make more money. After all, the bills need to be paid, and a little pampering is always fun.

I would love to get some more ideas on how to make more side money, and to see how other bloggers do it. Leave a comment and share with me your passions and successes (or trial and errors!)