Posted on

EPISODE 10 ~ MAKE MORE: Sell Stock Photos: Pictures You’ve Already Taken Could Bring In Extra Income

How would you like to make money —good money— as a photographer? It’s totally doable. Shooting stock photos is our “make more” idea for this episode. Thanks to websites that post people’s photos for sale online, selling stock photos is a way to make some extra, passive income OR transition into photography full-time, like Blake Bronstad.

Blake, you’re a professional photographer now, but you weren’t always. Tell us what you were doing just a few years ago and how photography fit into that.

I was working at a tech start-up for three or four years and photography was a hobby. While I was at that company I started doing more paid photography gigs on the side. I generally got them from friends. But during that time Snapwi.re started up. I knew one guy from Instagram who was involved in the launch and he asked me if I wanted to beta test the service before they released it. I agreed to do so. They are based in Santa Barbara, where I live, so it was easy to do.

For someone like me, not yet a professional photographer, it was a way to find little paid jobs, make a few bucks here and there before I was ready to commit to photography full time. In the beginning I didn’t get paid as much. Maybe $100 here. $75 there. Lifestyle stuff.
For those who don’t know, explain what SnapWi.re is.

Snapwi.re puts dollar amounts on photos based on the credibility of the photographer. You get points, and as I rose through the ranks of the app, my photos became more valuable.

First let’s talk about how you had all sorts of photos already on your hard drive that you uploaded to Snapwire. How did that go?
I had a large amount of photos on my computer with nowhere to put it. —Someone blowing birthday cake candles
—a table of food.
—Palm trees.

For me I shoot a lot of Southern California summery warm vibe stuff. For a number of years I just shot my friends whenever I was at a birthday party, pool, beach or traveling. Snapwi.re started to get the ball rolling. I sold a few things and realized I made a few hundred bucks with fairly little effort. I realized if I uploaded a bunch of images to the Snapwi.re platform. It created a pool of stock images that I had and then those started getting the attention of buyers.
Snapwi.re would choose the ones they thought were top shelf and put a higher
price on those. They take 50% if it’s a stock image in your portfolio or archive – low compared to other stock services. Existing images I have, I could get up to $500 for one photo.

Snapwire also does something unique, giving customers the ability to
request images they need. How is that good for you and other
photographers?

If a buyer creates a request with a specific photo need, that request can be open to the public for any photographer on the app or can be a private request. I get to keep between 70% and 80%. I’ve had jobs that pay up to $1000 an image for
specialized requests. If you have the right client it is very easy. The amount of time spent for what it pays generally is easier than other photography work I do.

At this point you started actually shooting photos just for Snapwi.re, right?
And had some pretty funny experiences?

It was pretty funny. At one point I had to put up a Craigslist ad for models and I ended up taking pictures of people I never met in weird settings – like holding up fruit or climbing on each other’s shoulders, doing cartwheels in a yard. I had someone sit on one of those toys in front of a grocery store and that picture sold.

Of course, stock photographers are always asking their friends and family to pose. How does your wife react?

My wife sometimes says…stop taking my picture. When we first started dating she would happily pose, but now I have to prove to her that it is worth it for an important client!

In 2015 you quit the start up job and became a full-time photographer. How does shooting stock photos for Snapwi.re play into that?

It’s not the largest stream of revenue for me but a large motivator. I’m a full time photographer. Snapwi.re is one of many ways I make money. Majority of income is typical photo shoots with brands. But Snapwi.re is what motivated me and pushed me into the professional realm. Gave me some momentum and a confidence boost and a little bit of income that helped me with what I had saved.

Snapwi.re has helped me become savvier. They’ve put me in touch with a couple other photo shoots in town. I’ve done corporate headshots and that’s been very helpful. Snapwi/re elped me jump ship and do what I really wanted to do full time.

How much money has you made on Snapwi.re and what kind of difference has it made in your life?

Probably about $15,000 since I started. My life is a lot better. The 9 to 5 thing is not for me. I don’t drive a Lamborghini and haven’t bought a house yet. But I am very comfortable. Live in nice city. I am married. My schedule is so flexible. Flexibility is invaluable to me. Being able to take dog to beach whenever I want.

Going on trips with friends.
You’ve got advice for aspiring stock photographers. First, you say take
lots of photos everywhere you go. Why?
Over time you realize what sells. Could be your sister or your dog. Scenes on a sailboat with friends. You start picking up what is commercially viable and sure enough these random pictures will start to make money.

I’ve heard stock photos can’t show brand names and you have to get releases from any people or properties in them. How do you handle that?
You only have to worry about legal things if the shot is of recognizable personal property at someone’s house for example. I started carrying around release forms for models and if I get a picture I think will sell, I will ask if they are willing to sign it for me. I offer to throw them a few bucks or a free headshot if it gets bought.

And finally, you point out that there is a possible tax benefit to shooting
stock photos.

Technically you can write off trips if you shoot stock photos on those trips and they get bought. I do it as much as my accountant recommends. I know my deal is sweet so don’t want to push too far but you can do that.

Interested in shooting and selling stock photos like Blake? Snapwi.re is his preferred stock photo site.

Please follow and like us:
Posted on

EPISODE 9 ~ MAKE MORE: Selling on Poshmark: Which clothes sell best and make you most money

TODAY’S ‘MAKE MORE’ SEGMENT IS ABOUT SELLING CLOTHING ON POSHMARK, THE
POPULAR FASHION APP THAT IS USED BY 1 OUT OF EVERY 50 WOMEN IN AMERICA.
POSHMARK “SELLER STYLISTS” MARKET THEIR OWN SENSE OF STYLE AND ALSO CURATE
GREAT FINDS FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. MY GUEST TODAY IS ONE OF POSHMARK’S BIGGEST
SUCCESS STORIES. PLEASE WELCOME JESSICA CRADDOCK TO THE EASY MONEY SHOW. HI
JESSICA!
JESSICA, EXPLAIN WHAT POSHMARK IS AND HOW YOU FIRST GOT STARTED.
Poshmark is an app for women and men too. It is a place where you can sell
designer clothes and fashion out of our own closet or things you buy to resell or boutique items. I started on Poshmark right after the app launched in 2012.
Friend downloaded thru Facebook and said she listed a purse and sold it quickly.
I graduated from a top ten law school and I was poshing my way through law
school. Throughout law school I used Poshmark to sell items from my own closet
on occasion. I’ve always been into fashion and having a hustle and making
money.

BUT THEN, SUDDENLY YOUR LIFE CHANGED. TELL US WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW THAT CAUSED YOU TO CHANGE HOW YOU APPROACHED POSHMARK.

My fiancé who worked while I was in law school, he got injured at work. It started to play a full-time role in my life when my fiancé became disabled at work. He took a cut in pay when disabled. I was left as the sole provider for the two of us.

I had sold some of my items casually and when he got hurt at work I
thought this is a good avenue for us to still be able to pay car payments. I started selling my own clothes. I had recently lost 296 pounds. So I had all kinds of clothes I held onto in various sizes. It started doing really well.

NEXT YOU CROSSED OVER FROM SELLING YOUR OWN CLOTHES TO BUYING CLOTHES TO SELL ON POSHMARK. WAS THAT A GOOD GAMBLE?

I had always been into designer fashion so I started going to stores when I ran
out of my own clothes. Lived in Chapel Hill at the time. A lot of college students and they tended to donate stuff so I would find nice designer clothes at thrift stores and local Goodwills and sell it and making a decent profit. I could buy pair of jeans for 3.79 at Goodwill and sell for $30 to $75 or upwards of $100 if really high end brand. Now I reinvest a third of my profits into buying more things to
sell.

WHY POSHMARK, AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING LIKE EBAY THAT MAYBE
LISTENERS ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH?

The great thing is active selling versus passive selling. On Ebay it is passive
selling they list and it is out there. On Poshmark, you pull out your phone. Snap
8 pictures of the item. Brand, description and size and put a price and it’s out
there. With Poshmark if you put In time, share items, communicate with people
you can do better. Poshmark takes 20% . Higher than Ebay’s 10% but you don’t
have rules and regulations. Also, there are no returns with Poshmarks after 3
days, which really helps sellers.
SUDDENLY, THIS HAD BECOME A REAL BUSINESS FOR YOU. IN FACT
YOU NAMED IT ACQUITTED APPAREL. HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE
HAS POSHMARK MADE IN YOUR LIFE?
It saved us. We were going to have to use our credit cards for paying our car
notes and rent and it has been an amazing life changing experience for us. Now
that we are more financially secure and he is back in school and we have a
steady income we are using the posh funds to pay for our wedding and pay off
our student loans, which are pretty hefty. Jessica’s closet has transformed into a
full-time business, enabling her and her fiancé to finally pay for trips, medical
bills and everyday life expenses.

SO DO YOU THINK YOU’LL EVEN BOTHER TO USE YOUR LAW DEGREE
AND PRACTICE LAW?
I am trying to decide whether I want to be a lawyer or stick with this. I took the
bar and didn’t pass the first try. I missed it by 3 points. I will take the bar again
and pass it, but not sure if I will practice. I do enjoy what I do. I have fun with it. I
get to spend time with my family. My father almost passed away 2 years ago.
Parents will go with me to the thrift store, which I couldn’t do with a regular law
job. For me it isn’t about getting the big bucks of the corporate world. It’s more
meaningful to spend time with family.
WOW, IF YOU’RE CONSIDERING DITCHING A CAREER IN LAW, I HAVE TO
ASK, WHAT KIND OF MONEY ARE YOU MAKING SELLING FASHION ON
POSHMARK?
In 2012 until early 2014 I was doing $500 to $700 a month. Then it started
really taking off. 2015 got even better. I was making $1,000-1200 a month. Now a bad month for me is $1000. I took a break for a couple of months. I was still poshing and selling but not doing a ton of effort and I was still clearing $900-$1100 a month. If a person works at it you can do $10,000-$15,000 a month.

HOW MANY LISTINGS DO YOU HAVE, IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT KIND OF
MONEY? AND HOW DO YOU STORE ALL THOSE CLOTHES?!
I have a huge store. I have 3000 listings total – including my sold items. At any
given time I try to keep between between 900 and 1000 items online. They are all
in my house. We converted a 1500 square room in basement to a Poshmark
room. 9 z racks with inventory hanging. Organized by brand and size like in
department store. I have bins full of unlisted inventory. I have between 5000-
10,000 items that haven’t listed. My goal is to list all that by summer.
I KNOW YOU MENTOR HUNDREDS OF OTHER POSHMARK SELLERS ON
FACEBOOK, SO LET’S SHARE SOME OF YOUR ADVICE WITH PEOPLE
WHO MAY WANT TO TRY THIS. FIRST OF ALL, YOU SAY ASK FOR HELP.
Jump in feet first. Sell your own items and pay attention to veteran sellers. A lot
of us on the app are willing to help you.
YOU ALSO SAY PEOPLE NEED TO BE PATIENT.
Things can take a while to sell. Fastest sold item sold in a minute or two but
some things have sat for six months to a year. Some things are a long-term
investment.
NEXT TIP: GROW A THICK SKIN.
Learning to deal with people is important. You have to grow a thick skin because
people will drive you up the wall.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU SUGGEST PEOPLE WHO TRY SELLING ON
POSHMARK SHOULD HAVE FUN WITH IT.

Have fun with it because there are so many jobs out there you can do in life that you won’t get joy out of. To me, this is one of the things you can get joy out of and spend time with your family and take a leap of faith if it is what you are interested in doing.

AND FINALLY, YOU SAY IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT WILL SELL.
I’ve grown a lot and that is something people have to do on their own. At the
beginning I bought cheap mall brands that are hard to sell. I am still stuck with those items. Sell your own items but also pay attention to other sellers and what is working for them.

GUEST: Jessica Craddock, Poshmark Seller Stylist
CONTACT:
Instagram: @Acquitted_Apparel
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/PoshmarkSellerTips/

Poshmark: @JCradd or Poshmark.com/closet/jcradd

GUEST BIO:
Jessica Craddock is the owner of Acquitted Apparel, a pre-loved designer
fashion boutique. Jessica is a UNC Law School graduate who has always had a
serious love of fashion. She has turned that love of fashion into a real business by giving designer clothing a second chance at a new life, an acquittal if you will.

She and her other half, Tyler, have been running Acquitted Apparel since late
2013 on Poshmark, and have saved thousands of designer clothing pieces from
their untimely demise. For Jessica, there is nothing better than helping people,
whether it is using her legal education, or saving them major money on fashion
through Poshmark. Jessica also runs a Facebook Group to empower others to
start their own Poshmark businesses called Poshmark Seller Tips. Jessica lives
in Atlanta, GA and is the mom to one grey fashion-forward kitty.

Please follow and like us:
Posted on

EPISODE 8~ MAKE MORE: Go Undercover As A Mystery Shopper And Test Products, Services

TODAY in our “make more” segment WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BECOMING A MYSTERY SHOPPER. ACTUALLY, MYSTERY SHOPPING IS AN AMAZING WAY TO “MAKE” MONEY AND TO “SAVE” MONEY, SO I’M DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE UNUSUAL AND SPREADING THIS TOPIC OUT OVER BOTH SEGMENTS OF THIS SHOW. HERE TO TELL US HOW IT WORKS IS PAMELA OLMSTEAD, PRESIDENT OF THE INDEPENDENT MYSTERY SHOPPERS COALITION AND A MYSTERY SHOPPER HERSELF. PAM, WELCOME TO EASY MONEY!

FIRST OF ALL, EXPLAIN TO OUR LISTENERS, JUST IN CASE THEY DON’T KNOW, WHAT IS MYSTERY SHOPPING?
Mystery shopping is where companies hire you to test their product or service, usually without their front line employees knowing you are checking up on them.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET STARTED IN MYSTERY SHOPPING?
I was working at a school district in California and another employee came in and talked about a mystery shopping job she had that night. I said, “what is that? What do you do” She explained she would be going out to dinner with her husband and would get reimbursed for the meal and paid for a report. I said, “that sounds like something I would love to do part time.” She gave me the name of one company because she didn’t want to give me all of her contacts.

I applied to that company that night and they weren’t accepting shoppers. So I researched and saw lots of ads. Lots had fees attached. But I researched and found a company and started. That was the year 2000. I didn’t take another day off for 7 years. I worked full time and mystery shopped nights and weekends —even Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It became an absolute addiction for me.

In 2001 I realized I was making almost as much mystery shopping as I was for the school district and I would like to be home with my daughter, who was 8 years old at that time. I wanted to pick her up from school. So I stopped working at the school and went into mystery shopping full time.

YOU MENTIONED LISTINGS WHERE PEOPLE WANTED *YOU* TO PAY TO BECOME A MYSTERY SHOPPER. THAT’S A SCAM I WORRY ABOUT AS A CONSUMER REPORTER. HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND LEGITIMATE MYSTERY SHOPPING WORK?

Never pay anybody anything. Mystery shopping should pay you not the other way around. We have a membership where shoppers pay $25 to become a member and get help from me and other groups. But brand new shoppers that come in I say make money first. I believe in holding up the ladder so others can climb too. I don’t believe in competition. I have neighbors I have brought into mystery shopping. There is so much work out there ,there is no reason to worry about competition and some have rotations once in a lifetime or once every six months. So find the organizations that will help you for free. We are one of them.

GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL MYSTERY SHOPPING ASSIGNMENTS.

WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW LONG DO THEY TAKE?
It is a huge variety. The key is finding out where companies are and who to work with.

There are almost 400 companies out there and you are independent contractor. There is work for everybody. A hotel report could take 6 hours. A cruise job could take 3 days. A grocery report could take 10 to 15 minutes. A drive thru report is an easy 5 to 8 minutes. There are companies that have super easy jobs or fun jobs. I did Disney Land for several years and inside that there were 8 or 9 reports that took an hour a piece. But going in they would send me tickets to California Adventure and Disney Land.

They reimbursed us for eating and parking. There was a secret club that I got to go to. It is a lot of work but for me it is rewarding and it is an addiction. Even when people go to other jobs, the always come back.

YOU’VE HAD SOME HILARIOUS AND DRAMATIC ADVENTURES ALONG THE WAY. PLEASE SHARE!
I’ve had people chase me out of gas stations with brooms because I’m taking photos. I had people threaten to call the police on me because if a gas station isn’t in compliance, the owners don’t want that info out. They will bribe you or threaten you.
Some mystery shopping jobs involve shooting undercover video and that can be nerve wracking!

OK, SO LET ME ASK THE QUESTION EVERYBODY IS WONDERING ABOUT: HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU MAKE AS A MYSTERY SHOPPER?
—Individual jobs pay between ___ and ___, depending on how complicated and lengthy a job it is.

— In a good year, I do $65,000 in payments. And nearly double that in reimbursements.
*Elisabeth’s Note: Be sure to read the Episode 8 “Save More” blog for more on mystery shopping, because mystery shoppers can save 6 figures a year through reimbursements!

Please follow and like us:
Posted on

EPISODE 7~ MAKE MORE: Like, 30 Percent More, BY Investing In Another State’s 529 Plan

WE’RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE BY INVESTING IN AN OUT-OF- STATE 529 PLAN. OF THOSE WHO INVEST IN A 529, 80 PERCENT CHOOSE THE ONE IN THEIR OWN STATE, ACCORDING TO THE INVESTMENT COMPANY INSTITUTE, WHICH DID A STUDY. MANY PARENTS DON’T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ELSE IS POSSIBLE.

THAT’S WHY I COVERED THIS TOPIC IN ONE OF MY WASHINGTON POST COLUMNS AND WHY I’M BRINGING IT UP HERE. YOU SEE, SOME STATE 529 PLANS FEATURE HIGHER RETURNS AND LOWER FEES THAT CAN HELP YOU SAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FOR COLLEGE. SOME NUMBERS FROM NERDWALLET.COM DRIVE THIS POINT HOME: IF YOU INVESTED $5,000 IN OREGON’S PLAN IN 2010, FIVE YEARS LATER YOUR ACCOUNT WOULD HAVE GROWN TO $7,714. BUT IF YOU INVESTED THE SAME $5,000 IN MICHIGAN’S PLAN, FIVE YEARS LATER YOUR ACCOUNT WOULD HAVE GROWN TO $10,017. THAT’S $2,303 MORE AND JUST ON 5- THOUSAND BUCKS OVER 5 YEARS! TO BE CLEAR, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT 529 PREPAID TUITION PLANS, WHICH ALLOW YOU TO LOCK IN TODAY’S TUITION RATES, USUALLY AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN ONE OF THE 11 STATES THAT OFFER THEM. NO, I AM TALKING ABOUT 529 SAVINGS PLANS, WHICH ARE INDIVIDUAL INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS THAT GROW TAX-FREE AS LONG AS YOU USE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE COSTS.

IT’S TOO BAD THAT BOTH TYPES OF PLAN HAVE THE TERM “529” IN THEIR NAME. THIS CAUSES A LOT OF CONFUSION AND LEAVES MANY PARENTS THINKING THEY CAN ONLY START A 529 IN THEIR OWN STATE OR USE IT TO PAY FOR IN-STATE TUITION. AND THAT’S TOTALLY WRONG! OK, SO NOW YOU KNOW YOU CAN INVEST IN AN OUT-OF- STATE 529 SAVINGS PLAN. NEXT DILEMMA: WHICH STATE DO YOU CHOOSE? HERE’S THE KEY: WEIGH ANY TAX DEDUCTIONS OFFERED BY YOUR OWN STATE FOR INVESTING IN ITS PLAN, AGAINST THE HIGHER PROFITS AND LOWER FEES THAT MAY BE POSSIBLE IN ANOTHER STATE’S PLAN. HERE ARE THE CATEGORIES —AND THE STRATEGIES— YOU SHOULD BE KEEPING IN MIND.

States that offer a tax deduction or credit for investing in their 529 plan: States: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. THE Strategy WITH THOSE 27 STATES PLUS DC IS TO Assess how valuable THEIR tax deduction really is. THERE ARE BIG DIFFERENCES. the website SavingForCollege.com SAYS a couple making $100,000 a year and PUTTING $100 a month INto their child’s in-state 529 plan would get a TAX deduction of $360 A YEAR in Indiana, but just $37 in North Dakota. If your state’s tax

deduction is worthwhile, one strategy is to invest the maximum deductible amount in its plan and also invest in another state 529 plan to take advantage of low fees and high returns. This is also a way of diversifying your portfolio. States that do not offer a tax deduction for investing in their 529 plan; States: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey and North Carolina.

NINE STATES DO NOT OFFER A TAX DEDUCTION. THE STRATEGY THEN, SINCE THERE’S NO PAYOUT FOR STAYING IN-STATE, IS TO CHOOSE A 529 SAVINGS PLAN WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH RETURNS. FEES VARY DRAMATICALLY, FROM JUST .05 PERCENT OF YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCE FOR ONE MASSACHUSETTS 529 PLAN TO 1.09

PERCENT FOR ONE ALASKA PLAN. States with no income tax, so no 529 income tax deduction: States: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. ANOTHER NINE STATES DO NOT HAVE AN INCOME TAX SO CAN’T OFFER A DEDUCTION AGAINST IT. IN THAT CASE, ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS NO MONETARY INCENTIVE FOR STAYING IN-STATE, SO YOU CAN CHOOSE A 529 SAVINGS PLAN WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH RETURNS.

States that give you a tax deduction for investing in any state’s 529: States: Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Montana and Pennsylvania.

AND FINALLY, THESE FIVE STATES WILL GIVE YOU A TAX DEDUCTION FOR INVESTING IN ANY STATE’S 529 PLAN. GOD LOVE ‘EM. IN THIS CASE, LUCKY YOU, YOU’RE GOING TO GET A TAX DEDUCTION REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU INVEST, SO PICK A STATE 529 SAVINGS PLAN WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH PROFITS. HAVING STATED ALL OF THOSE STRATEGIES, I KNOW IT’S HARD TO FIGURE OUT ON YOUR OWN WHETHER YOUR TAX DEDUCTION IS WORTHWHILE AND WHICH STATE 529 PLANS OFFER THE BEST BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH PROFITS. FORTUNATELY THERE ARE MANY RESOURCES ONLINE.

RATING SERVICE MORNINGSTAR RANKS 529 PLANS EITHER GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE, NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE, BUT WITHOUT LISTING THEIR FEES OR PERFORMANCE, SO CONSIDER THIS RATING AN OVERVIEW. NERDWALLET HAS A CALCULATOR THAT ASKS YOU YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCE AND THEN SUGGESTS WHETHER YOUR OWN STATE PLAN IS WORTH LOOKING AT, PLUS OTHER PLANS TO CONSIDER. I LIKE NERD WALLET’S TOOL BECAUSE IT TELLS YOU HOW ITS RECOMMENDED 529S PERFORMED OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD AND HOW MUCH THEY CHARGE IN FEES.

FINALLY, COLLEGESAVINGS.ORG OFFERS THE MOST DETAILED COMPARISON TOOL. YOU CHOOSE PLANS YOU WANT TO COMPARE AND IT MAKES A CHART FOR YOU, WITH DETAILS LIKE WHAT THEIR FEES ARE, WHETHER THE STATE MATCHES 529 CONTRIBUTIONS (A FEW STATES DO THIS FOR LOW INCOME CITIZENS.) AND ALSO MINIMUM STARTING CONTRIBUTIONS AND MAXIMUM LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS. IF YOUR CASHFLOW IS TIGHT, YOU MAY WANT TO CHOOSE A STGATE LIKE UTAH THAT ALLOWS YOU TO START BY INVESTING AS LITTLE AS A PENNY. BY CONTRAST, ONE NEW YORK PLAN REQUIRES $1,000 TO GET STARTED. YOU SHOULD ALSO THINK ABOUT MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTIONS PARTICULARLY IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD WILL GO TO GRAD SCHOOL.

SOME MORE EXAMPLES: TWO OF VIRGINIA’S PLANS ALLOW YOU TO CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS $500,000. BUT ONE OF MICHIGAN’S 529 PLANS ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO SOCK AWAY $88,000.

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS COMPLICATED BUT THERE’S BIG MONEY AT STAKE SO IT’S WORTH DIGESTING THIS INFO. IF YOU’RE STILL WORRIED YOU WON’T GET IT RIGHT, THOUGH, RELAX, MANY 529 PLANS ALLOW ROLLOVERS, GIVING YOU THE CHANCE TO TRANSFER YOUR MONEY FROM ONE 529 TO ANOTHER. PLUS, INVESTING IN ANY 529 IS BETTER THAN INVESTING IN NONE AT ALL.

Please follow and like us:
Posted on

EPISODE 06~ MAKE MORE: How To earn More Than A Million Dollars Editing Resumes

TELL US WHAT YOU WERE DOING PROFESSIONALLY BACK IN 2009.

I was a recruiter. I did resumes to get my candidates jobs. I had a little side business to help with writing resumes but nothing full time. Recruiting was the full time job I did. AND THEN YOUR HUSBAND, A TECHIE, FOUND FIVERR, THE WEBSITE WHERE FREELANCERS POST GIGS THEY’LL DO FOR AS LITTLE AS 5 DOLLARS. I KNOW ABOUT FIVERR BECAUSE I’VE INTERVIEWED ONE OTHER FIVERR ENTREPRENEUR. SO YOU DECIDED TO POST A GIG. DID YOU THINK ANYTHING MUCH WOULD COME OF IT?

My husband found FIverr back in 2010 when I was recruiting. It was just something in passing. I put a gig up there and orders started coming. I was making nothing in the beginning. Maybe $5 to $15 a resume. It was low. But I had no credibility or feedback. I was just starting out.

AT FIRST YOU KEPT WORKING AS A RECRUITER AND YOUR FIVERR EARNINGS WERE SET ASIDE FOR A VERY SPECIAL PROJECT, RIGHT?

We have been trying forever to have children. We started putting money aside for an adoption. We put every penny aside for that. We were trying to save $60,000 for travel and other expenses. I Worked on people’s resumes for about a year to a year and a half on FIverr and we got the money.

YOU ADOPTED YOUR DAUGHTER IN 2013. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

Six months later my husband said “you should do this full time.” I stopped recruiting.

Starting in 2015 is when it really took off and we started focusing full time, really asking for referrals. Most of our money was made in the last 2 ½ or 3 years.

NORMALLY I WAIT UNTIL LATER IN THE INTERVIEW TO ASK THIS QUESTION, BUT I CAN’T STAND IT! HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU MADE TO DATE EDITING RESUMES, LINKED IN PAGES AND COVER LETTERS VIA FIVERR?

We actually just crossed $1.2 million dollars on Fiverr. It’s important for people to know that you can make a million dollars. Fiverr can back that up. They earn the commission. It’s the platform they created for us. They bring in the clients and have developed an infrastructure to allow sellers like us to perform. Their customer service is amazing. You can’t start out expecting to quit your day job tomorrow but hang in there and it will happen. SO HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED?

This is all I do. This is full time. I work in my pajamas at midnight, Take a day off and take my daughter to the zoo. Our daughter Karen is 3. She is our world. My husband has always been a consultant. He quit his main job and helps me take of messages and does his programming.

It has changed our life. We now work from home. Our daughter is in day care and will go to a wonderful private school. We travel 4 to 5 times a year. That is best part. Take our computers and work from a cruise or DisneyLand. We are able to experience a lot because of this. I am forever grateful to Fiverr.

And now we have raised enough money thru Fiverr for a second adoption that we hope will be possible.

I CAN VERIFY THOSE VACATIONS BECAUSE IT WAS HARD TO REACH YOU TO ARRANGE THIS INTERVEW. BUT I JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND. HOW HAVE YOU MADE SO MUCH MONEY ON A SITE THAT MADE IT’S NAME BASED ON $5 SERVICES?

Now that I am established, I charge way more per gig. I got resume certifications and have credentials to back up my pricing. I will do deals for teachers and others. But resumes for most executives, those can go for $300 to $500. It depends on the client and their specific needs.

And I don’t just edit resumes any more. The services I provide are resumes, Linked in profiles, cover letters and career coaching. Also, at this point, I think 50 to 60% of our business is referrals, so that part is easier than getting new business.

HERE’S A QUESTION THAT WILL BE HELPFUL TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO EDIT RESUMES AND PEOPLE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THEIR RESUMES. PEOPLE PAY YOU GOOD MONEY FOR YOUR HELP. WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 THINGS YOU CHANGE ON PEOPLE’S RESUMES?

1. A resume needs to tell a story. Not just a list of tasks, but accomplishment-driven.
2. I create an introduction, a first paragraph that sells you, sort of the “elevator pitch” but on paper.

3. I add data and details. You should detail projects you’ve done and revenue you've created.

(To see a resume Charmaine has worked on “before” and “after,” check out the Episode 6

YouTube video, where I analyze the differences. Or click to see the “before” resume here and

“after” resume here.)

ALRIGHT, TIME TO SHARE THE WEALTH BY GIVING LISTENERS TIPS FOR HOW THEY CAN SUCCEED AT THIS LIKE YOU DID. FIRST, YOU SAY, UNDER-PROMISE AND OVER-DELIVER. THAT COULD APPLY TO ANY SERVICE JOB. EXPLAIN.

For example, you can promise to complete a project for a client in 3 days but then do it in two.

I THINK PEOPLE CAN ALSO LEARN FROM YOUR EXAMPLE AND GET CERTIFICATIONS THAT PROVE THEIR VALUE. WAS THIS A GAME CHANGER?

Get the training you need to be confident, charge what you’re worth and do a good job for people.

YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU STARTED PROACTIVELY ASKING FOR REFERRALS.

HOW DO YOU DO THAT EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT SEEMING PUSHY?

When I deliver an order I will say “If you are happy with the order, please refer me onto your friends. If not, of course let me know, so I can improve the work I did for you. AND FINALLY, YOU SUGGEST GIVING PEOPLE SOMETHING FOR FREE. WHAT DO YOU GIVE AWAY YOURSELF?

I send free tips – unique job searching strategies, questions to ask during an interview and the lowdown about “Behavioral Interview questions.”

CHARMAINE POCEK, RESUME REWRITER AND CAREER COACH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING MY GUEST ON EASY MONEY! And please see Charmaine’s Guest post where she shared those same tip sheets she gives away to clients.

Guest Name: Charmaine Pocek
Guest Title: Award-Winning Resume Writer and Career Expert
Credentials: PhDc, MS, CPRW, CIEP, PRC
Guest Contact: fiverr.com/boomsa;
linkedin.com/in/charmainepocek

Please follow and like us: