The Proactive Pro

Image Credit: Morgue File

"I don't have the time" seems to be the most well-worn excuse in the world.  If this excuse were a shirt, it would be faded and badly frayed at the seams.  In fact, I'm ashamed to say that this was once my favorite excuse — and maybe still is (which explains why it took me a year to update this blog).  However, I've realized that, more often that not, we have the time to do the things that we've always wanted to do, but we just don't know how to find it.  If you want to build your online business, having more time is not the solution, but managing time may well be.  Twenty-four hours is all you get in a day, so you need to be able to manage it and use it well.

First, you may want to sit down and take a few moments to think about how you have been spending your time.  You might be shocked to learn that you have been actually wasting a lot of the precious minutes that you have been given in a day.

A lot of people think they need to quit their day job in order to start an online business.  This is a dangerous mistake.  Like brick-and-mortar businesses, an online business has inherent risks.  You should not expect to earn a full-time income on your first month in the business.  You may even have to fail before you can succeed.

If you are relying on your day job for survival, meaning if your job pays the bills and feeds you and your family, don't pass that resignation letter yet (or tell your boss to shove it).  Keep your job and then slowly build your online business empire.  Start growing your business part time.

There are many ways to find time to work on your online business.  First, you can get out of bed earlier than usual so that you can work.  Instead of whiling your lunch break away chit-chatting your co-workers, why not use the time to work on your business?  Since your business will be online, you can work anywhere.  You can invest in a laptop and find a cafe with WiFi access.  You can also buy a USB modem so you can work anywhere you want as long as the modem is able to pick up the signal from your Internet service provider.

If you commute to work or if someone else is driving for you, you can use the time to work on your business.  However, if some circumstances do not allow you to work, then you may use that time to brainstorm.  If you don't feel comfortable bringing a laptop in a public place, you can use your smart phone to visit websites, send emails and even post articles on your blog.

At home, you may want to give up watching television or at least reduce the time you spend in front of the boob tube.  You may also want to delegate some of the chores you do at home so you can spend more time growing your business.

You can start growing your business part time, but you need to be consistent with your efforts.  You also need to be patient.  Work until you reach the level of income that will allow you to comfortably let go of the job that you now have.

There is no better time to start your online business than today.  Start with what you have and what you know and build from there.  Learn from mistakes and discover new things.  Allow your new discoveries to excite you.  Remember, time is one of those things that you will never get back once you've lost it.

Stay tuned for more moneymaking tips and more information about starting your online business.

Fiverr is a site where you can offer services or products for a flat rate of $5. It is open to everybody around the world.  Every offer is called a "gig."  You can offer services like writing, transcription, logo design, Wordpress installation and a whole lot more. You can even sell tangible items and mail them to buyers who will have to pay additional fees for shipping. You can also offer to do something wacky.  You'd be surprised to know that a lot of people are willing to pay someone to shoot a video of himself or herself singing a message in the shower for 30 seconds. If you are a hottie, you can get paid for taking a picture of yourself holding a sign or having a name, a slogan or a message written on your cheek or, if you're a woman, your cleavage.  (Of course, that's as far as you can go when it comes to exposing your body.  You can't show your nipples or your private parts. Don't push the envelope or you'll get banned!)

I have earned some good money from Fiverr as a freelance writer.  I offered to write a 350-word article for $5 and got a 100% positive gig rating from my customers.  Unfortunately, my gig had to be taken down because I posted my email address, which I later learned was a no-no.  Ah, well.  Lesson learned.

Here are some tips on making money on Fiverr:

1) Offer a gig that will take minutes to complete -- 20 minutes at most.  If it will take longer than that, then it's not worth it.  Your customer will pay $5 for your gig, but you will only get $4 because Fiverr gets a 20% cut from whatever you earn from the site.

2) Look for popular gigs.  To do this, filter the gigs on the home page by clicking the link shown below:



You can offer a gig that has never been offered before, but if you want to be sure that you are going to make money off your gigs, you can offer gigs that are similar to those that are already popular. Spy on your competition and find ways to outdo their offers without having to spend a lot of time on a gig. For instance, if your competitors say they can deliver within two or three days, you could tell buyers that you can give them what they want within 24 hours. Never, ever break your promises though or you could get negative ratings and/or comments from your customers.

3) Craft an attention-grabbing headline for each of your gig.  Make sure that you include a strong benefit.  A good example of a gig headline would be "I will write a well-researched, entertaining and completely original 350-word article for $5."

4) Make sure that your gig description is enticing.  Write a brief summary of your gig. Tell prospective buyers what sets you apart from others who are offering similar gigs or list the benefits that they will get when they order your gig.

5) Do your best to be a top seller on Fiverr.  Follow the rules and stay out of trouble.  Deliver on time and make your customers happy.  Why be a top seller?  Top sellers on Fiverr enjoy special privileges.  They can offer gig extras and value-added deals. Buyers can also order more than one of the same gig through the quantity option, which is not available to non-top sellers. On top of that, top sellers also get VIP support, which means that their support tickets are prioritized.

For more information about being a Fiverr top seller, click this link.

Since Fiverr launched in February 2010, there have been a lot of Fiverr clone sites.  Here some sites that are similar to Fiverr:

GigBucks


TenBux


Zeerk


FittyTown


Tenyt

You may post gigs on these sites and charge more than $5 per gig.  However, buyers visit Fiverr more than any other website of its kind.  In other words, you are more likely to see sales on Fiverr because it gets more traffic than its clones.

Be sure to have your PayPal account ready before you sign up on Fiverr.  You should also know that you have to wait approximately two weeks from the date of sale before the money is transferred to your PayPal account. You should also remember that  buyers may cancel their orders if you fail to deliver on time.

Posting a gig on Fiverr is a good way to earn some extra money.  You just have to be creative. Now, go make some dough and have fun!

Please share your opinion on Fiverr in the comments section and let me know if you have questions.  I'll be happy to answer them.