Here are some tips on how _not_ to make money, with the smart thing to do instead written under each one.
- Go with the crowd.
When you hear about it, it will probably have reached its highest point. The best way to find a niche is to look around you, see what people want, and give it to them quickly. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), Internet Marketing, eBooks, Paid-to-Surf, and High Yield Investment Programs are all things you should avoid (HYIP). All of these will make money for the people in charge, not for you.
Find out things on your own. The past, not the future, is talked about a lot on the Internet. You can learn how to do your job, but you can't learn the latest fad. You think that if someone has a great idea, they'll tell everyone about it on a forum? Only if they are arrogant or dumb. Or, they've already done their part and the idea has run its course, so they try to get new people interested in it to make one last profit.
Before you hear about it, everyone else will have spammed the crap out of it.
- Not Going With the Flow.
Sometimes the herd is going to the edge of a cliff. Sometimes it means going to a better place. You can't start a revolution by yourself, because it's too hard. So find something that people already want and set up a booth where you can sell it for less, faster, or better. Or all of them!
Tip: Do a lot of research on the Internet before starting a new job. It's likely that at least part of what you're thinking of has already been done. You could follow the path they made instead of making your own.
- Do Something You Dislike.
You can't really give your all to a job you don't like. You won't be able to call up the energy. The old ideas just don't come. Why? When you get a McJob, your brain turns into a hamburger. Even if your head tells your subconscious (your heart) to do something, it won't do it if it doesn't want to.
Take the time to find something you really enjoy doing. This is your vocation.
- Don't do something that pays well.
If you're just getting by, you'll go broke one day. All it takes is one bad break, and "bam!"
There are lots of jobs that pay just enough to get by. That's how business owners get rich: they make the money, and you do the work. And it should be that way. You want to make lots of money? Be a great salesperson or a business owner. They take all the risks, so it's only fair that they get the money.
Like most workers, I didn't like and was afraid of my boss, who had a lot of power over me. Then, when I was my own boss, I knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't interested in my small problems. He owed me nothing more than my pay and a nice word. He didn't pay much attention to my rebellious grumbling. He just wanted me to show up on time, do the work, and leave when the day was over. He started the business, so he should get the most money from it. He had to worry about how to keep everything going.
How kind would you be to your employees if it was your money and you were their boss? Oh yeah, suuuure! I bet you also leave a lot of tips.
Find a job that pays well if you want to work for someone else and be happy. Easy!
- Try to be bad at something.
It's easy to be just okay at a lot of different jobs. It takes years, and sometimes a lifetime, to become a master.
Solution: You know that you're good at something. If it's something you like, can get paid well for, and are good at, you might want to do it instead of fuming in your cube. You will at least enjoy the ride.
If you're not sure, find a long list of job titles somewhere and skim through it: Who knew that there were jobs like "chicken-sexer" and "house-sitter"?
