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Tips for Your Boomer Years

Helping Boomers Find Wealth, Health and Happiness in Your Boomer Years

Archive for the ‘Starting a Home Based Business’ Category

Looking for New Ways to Make Money Online in 2010?

Posted by JE Jones on Dec-31-2009

The New Year is almost here and it could be time to start a new business sideline to make some quick money or even start a whole new career. Baby Boomers all need extra income so they can retire in style. Other reasons for needing quick money might be that a car that breaks down, or you’d like to start traveling or maybe just pay off some bills and provide basic household needs. Whatever reasons you might need money fast, here are a few ways to use the Internet to get that flow of cash into your bank account.

The Internet can provide anyone unlimited, legitimate opportunities to make money online. Choosing your money making method is the first step to earning an online income. Many of these online income opportunities require having your own blog or website, which I can also show you is easy, and inexpensive, to do.

Method #1 — Provide a Service to Businesses

One way to make money using the Internet is to provide a service online to businesses. There are many out there that are looking for people to drive traffic to their websites by posting on forums or on blogs or to write articles for them.

This is a good option if you have studied a little bit about Internet marketing and know how to do these things. You’ll probably earn a fee per hour or per job depending on how you make arrangements.

Method #2 — Affiliate Marketing

Many companies spend a lot of money on advertising. Part of this advertising budget includes paying affiliates to send traffic to their website. You can sign up for free with product or service, receive your affiliate links, which include banners, and post it on your blog or website, use it as your signature in emails and forums or simply let your friends know about these products. You are then paid a commission for any purchases made.

Many companies with affiliate programs are well known to you, such as Amazon.com and Google. Many pay immediately through pay pal so you get your money quickly.

Method #3 — Selling Your Own Information Product

If you are able to quickly create an e-book or other kind of information product, you can make quick money. You can simply drive traffic to your website through Pay Per Click, or by promoting your ebook on blogs and forums and you can start earning money right away.

You can see a common thread among these ways of making quick money is that they are all made possible through blogging.You can blog about your services or make a sales page for your services or ebook. You become an “expert” in your field by posting blog entries, which go up in the search engines. You add articles about the products you are promoting as an affiliate and add a link to the product.

Once you have your blog set up, with all the proper plug-ins to drive traffic to it, the rest is easy. If you know nothing about blogging, or if you’d like to set up a professional blog to help you earn money quickly through many avenues, you need The Niche Blogger Program. The Niche Blogger is a subscription site that takes you day by day through every single step to set up your first blog, then, using the same steps, you can create multiple blogs and begin earning real money fast. It even helps you choose a profitable topic, or several of them.

The Niche Blogger is affordable (in fact it can save you weeks or time and energy trying to figure things out on your own!) and you can cancel once you get your blog up and running. However, besides setting up a blog, The Niche Blogger program also teaches you to write and sell your own ebook, set up an automated email campaign and many other more advanced techniques to get you to where the real money is in blogging.

The program is set up like a blog, with steps to take each day and place for comments so you can get instant feedback if you have questions. There is also a helpful forum where you can get advice and tips.

To create a good retirement income for my husband and myself, I used The Niche Blogger program to set up several very profitable, self-hosted Wordpress blogs, including this one. You too can begin earning quick money on the Internet in 2010, by using The Niche Blogger Program.

Support Your RV Lifestyle - Book Review

Posted by JE Jones on Dec-29-2009



Want to retire and live the RV lifestyle? Full time RVing can be a rewarding way to spend retirement,

Support Your RV Lifestyle by Jaimie Hall

Support Your RV Lifestyle by Jaimie Hall

filled with fun and adventure. My husband and I are planning for full time RV living as soon as he retires in a year or so. Although people of all ages would love to live the RV life, retirees and others also need to make money on the road. Believe it or not, there are many ways to so this.

When we began our search for ways to support full time RVing, I purchased Jaimie Hall’s book Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider’s Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd Edition I highly recommend this book at a great RV lifestyle resource. Jaimie interviewed full time RVers for over 10 years and put together their tips and advice for working on the road.

It’s possible to take your job with you using her recommendations and resources. First, you need to evaluate how much money you need to make, what sorts of qualifications you already have for making money on the road and setting goals for yourself.

Hall covers setting up your own business that you can take with you while RVing, like writing, or how to find jobs at campsites, state parks or through tourism bureaus or temporary or seasonal work for RVers. She even has a section on managing your RV expenses and lifestyle considerations which are taken from stories told to Hall by other RVers.

The resources for those who want to live the RV lifestyle are worth the price of the book. Get a complete listing of state parks and tourism offices, tax information, grocery shopping and budget work sheets, websites for job searches, budgeting, using computers on the road, how to do a job search for the type of job you want, how to get hired at parks or resorts and so much more! I refer to this book again and again in our planning.

Since I like to write, I am already planning an RV blog about our travels. If you’d like to make money blogging about your experiences or some aspect of the RV lifestyle, visit the The Niche Blogger - a terrific resource that I used to help me set up my five money-making blogs. The Niche Blogger is a subscription site but you can learn all you need to learn in about 3 months of the subscription. You can cancel at any time and keep reusing the information to set up more blogs.

Jaimie Hall also has a free ezine and blog about her RV lifestyle experiences.

At present, my husband and I are RV shopping and downsizing our possessions so we can hit the road in another year. I’ll keep you posted on our progress.

How to Make Money at Home Online with Niche Blogging

Posted by JE Jones on Nov-13-2009

Would you like to make money at home using your computer? In the current economy, everybody could use some extra income, or maybe even a new career. Working at home means you can get out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and head for your computer to put in a couple hours work. This sort of extra income sounds great and it IS possible for anybody wanting to make money online.

Jumping out of bed, throwing down a cup of coffee and scampering to your car to face bumper to bumper traffic, while trying desperately trying to motivate yourself do do work you don’t like may be something you would love to eliminate from your life. Some of you may be sitting at home with no job to go to and no money coming in.

The good news is that you can make money at home online to supplement or even replace your income. It’s all made possible through blogging!

You probably read blogs on all sorts of subjects all the time. There are literally millions of blogs out there on every conceivable topic which are called niche blogs. They find a niche and fill it, while making money online.

You might think it’s difficult to become a blogger but, with the right help, it’s possible to make a great income online by blogging and change your life for the better.

Instead of sneaking a peek at your favorite blogs during your 9-to-5 job, you can be the one sitting at home and writing these blogs that other people read! You’ll not only be providing great content for people, you’ll also be pulling in some great money that can literally change your life and having fun too.

Getting rid of the doubt that you can do this is going to be an important first step. As long as you are able to compose and send an e-mail, you can be a professional blogger!

What you need to help you learn the art of blogging is a tutorial that will show you step-by-step how to do this. It’s also important to have motivation and encouragement. The absolute best place to get this online is The Niche Blogger.

This membership site is great for the beginning at blogging and also for the intermediate marketer who wants to learn more about how to build a successful, money-making blog. In fact, many of the people who join the membership site are brand-new at blogging and have little computer knowledge.

The good thing is that there is a whole mix of experience levels so you are sure to be able to find help among the community whenever you need it.

The startup cost is incredibly low as well — making sure that those who want to join learn about blogging and making money online to escape their jobs are able to do so. Even if you’re happy with your job, it never hurts to have extra money coming in. Blogging is fun!

You already know that companies spend millions and millions of dollars in order to attract customers. Part of their advertising costs online go to a affiliates. These affiliates place ads on their websites and blogs and their readers often make purchases. When readers make purchases, the blog owner makes money! It’s as simple as that.

All you need to do is have your blog in place, with affiliate ads relating to your content and you can be the one whose links customers buy through.

The main difference between making money at home online and going to a 9-to-5 job is that you are now in business for yourself - a professional blogger.

There is no reason to limit yourself into thinking that you have to stay at a job you don’t like forever. Become your own boss and work at home in your PJs so you can do what you want to do, when you want to do it.

Try The Niche Blogger for FREE! Click Here for a FREE 3 Day Trial and see for yourself what a great blogging program it is.


I’ve read many articles lately about how Americans are scaling back their lifestyle because of the economy. They are using coupons, shopping sales and expecting price cuts before they will shop. Americans are now cooking at home more to save money, buying items at Goodwill and finding out they don’t need as much money to live. Another article I read said that many looking for new careers or are changing careers, now opt for making less money but creating or taking a job that is more spiritually fulfilling to them personally.

I really think the current economy is offering people a glimpse of a new way to live their lives. Perhaps the economic downturn forced many to cut out eating in restaurants several times a week or shopping for expensive clothing, but I believe people are discovering a certain financial freedom in being able to live on less money and not risk falling into debt again. Eating home cooked meals around the family dinner table, learning to shop sales and find bargains or finding a designer jacket at a yard sale or a Goodwill store creates a satisfaction in people that their lives were missing before in the mindless rush to spend more and more money.

Now the economic downturn is perhaps offering people a second chance to do something fulfilling with their lives. They are taking jobs that pay less but offer more satisfaction like working with non-profits or volunteering. I know of some women who lost their jobs recently and so decided to pursue other, more artistic careers. One woman lost her management job but now knits and crochets baby items to sell on the internet. Another sells things she makes at craft fairs and art shows after losing a better paying job through lay offs. Now that they have learned to live on less through necessity, they are thrilled that they scaled back their lifestyles. This has allowed them to do what they truly love.

Baby boomers have also been forced to rethink their retirement plans, remaining in the workforce for longer. If they find work they love to do, though, this could help them actually live longer, more fulfilling lives. My husband and I have scaled back our retirement plans but we’ve decided we would rather live on less and be financially secure in our senior years.

I know another person who couldn’t find a job, trimmed back his lifestyle to the bare bones and now he is able to work part time and volunteer with local animal shelter groups. Another took a less paying job working with a local non-profit.

Some of these people thought they would scale back temporarily and then go back to their previous way of life once times were better. However, now that they have found more satisfaction in life and the way they manage their finances, most say they would never return to working only for money and finding their life’s satisfaction in spending sprees.

From what I’ve read, economists and businesses don’t really expect people to ever return to the spend, spend, spend lifestyles they had before. To me, this seems like a good thing.

Perhaps the bad economy will spur people to rethink how they live their lives and help them find more satisfaction, both spiritually and financially.

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How to Make Your Own Recipe Book with Tastebook

Posted by JE Jones on Sep-6-2009

Would you like to make your own recipe book in minutes? Are you looking for a unique home business, fundraiser or holiday gift idea? Do you have dozens of family recipe favorites or your own creations you’d like to share with family or sell on your cooking blog or website? Even if you don’t have your own recipes with Tastebook, it’s always easy to create your own recipe book to sell or give as a gift.

With Tastebook, you can also create your own recipe page and browse through thousands of recipes from contributors and Tastebook partners like Southern Living, Food Network and Better Homes and Gardens.

Tastebook also offers a terrific recipe website. Sign up with Tastebook is free and includes a free recipe newsletter too.

There are over 50 million foodies and culinary enthusiasts on the Internet, creating a ready market for you to sell the cookbook your cookbook. With Tastebook, you can:

  • Create and Publish beautiful hardcover cookbooks in minutes.
  • Create a widget to sell your cookbook on your blog or website. Recipes book prices start at $19.95 and you receive a 15% commission on all your sales.
  • Also, if you upload recipes to the site, you get links back to your blog or website for each recipe.
  • Or Make your own recipe book and give the gift of your family recipes to friends and relatives.
  • Create a Tastebook recipe books as fundraisers too!
  • Shop from other Tastebook users cookbooks as well.
  • Create your own recipe box on Tastebook to organize all your favorite recipes.

Now is the time to start making a unique holiday gift for friends and family - and for yourself too. Organize those family recipes and make your own recipe book for relatives, your children and grandchildren. Plus, a Tastebook is a great way to make some extra money with those family favorites.

Join Now - It’s Free - and start creating your own Tastebook Recipe book in minutes.


In the current bad economy, one of the money making ideas that is on the rise is work at home or direct selling. I saw a news report this morning that women especially, who have lost their jobs, are turning to direct selling and work at home businesses like Avon and other companies. Here are some tips on choosing the right work at home opportunity money making idea for you and a couple of ideas:

1. What are you interested in?

Do you like cooking and baking? Companies like Watkins offer quality cooking and baking products, as well as eco-friendly cleaning products. Are you interested in health? There are many great health products, like The Whole Wellness Club, which sells Holy Tea, out there that truly help people live healthier lives, and the sale of health products is on the rise, even in this bad economy.

2. Once you choose 4-5 companies you’d like to promote, check out the sign up fees involved.

If you’re building a new business, even if it’s working at home, you’ll have a few start up costs. However, don’t invest hundreds of dollars in any business until you find out if it’s for you and if you can be successful at it. Certainly don’t spend money on business building programs or advertising right away either. There are many ways to promote your business for free so try these before you spend any money.

Some work at home business opportunities are free to join, others have a fee, whether it’s a one time cost or an annual fee to belong to the business. Decide what you can spend, if anything, and stick to that. You may want to invest in a few catalogs or perhaps a website, if you plan to sell on the Internet but again, many of these money making ideas can be done on a shoestring budget. For instance, you can create a blog to promote your business for free.

Using health as an example, you could create a health tips blog like mine chat with others who also love health or are looking for ideas for healthy weightloss for instance, or healthy recipes. Blogspot blogs are free to create and you can put ads on them with no problem.

Some business opportunities offer free websites, just for joining, and the moment you sign up, you have your own business website. One such work at home health business is The Whole Wellness Club, which offers Holy Tea, Cinnamon 6 and a Coral Calcium product.

3.  Check out the company’s reputation. How long has it been in business? Check with forums to see if there have been complaints about the company. I was recently researching Acai berry products and found several people talking about the downside of belonging to MonAvie - namely the products are expensive and the ingredients are undisclosed. Look for an honest and straightforward company to deal with.

4. How do you want to market your business? Do you like giving home parties or would you prefer to sell your products online? Watkins has an entire set up for home parties, called “Good Tastings” and even awards for representatives who have the most in a month or sell the most products. Mary Kaye and Tupperware also offer home party systems for selling.

You can also sign up for a company website and then link it to your blog. Most companies, however, charge a set-up fee of anywhere from $40-$60 and then about $20 per month to maintain it. Also be aware that these “replicator” sites do not do well in the search engines so you need a blog or website with original content to hook your business site to.

Also be aware that most companies have policies about what you can say about them on your blogs or websites so read these thoroughly before deciding on either the company or an internet promotion as a way of doing business.

5. What is your personality? Do you like people and selling? If you’re passionate about your products and you like talking to people, you’re well on your way to a great money making idea. or you like the idea of running your own business and working for yourself, making your own hours? If you aren’t a self-starter, then working at home isn’t for you.

Despite the economy and perhaps because of fears about what is happening with health care reform, more and more people are interested in health products. More people are also cooking at home so businesses like Watkins and Tupperware are doing well.

6.  What sort of products to you use and enjoy? With the right money making idea for you, you can also get your own products at a discount. I save on Watkins products for my cooking and baking, I use Watkins natural dish soap, hand soap, laundry soap and Watkins shampoo, all at a savings. It’s the same with belonging to the Whole Wellness Club. I like drinking a gentle detox tea daily and with the commissions I get from selling Holy Tea, I can purchase my own products and also make money.

7.  Consider affiliate programs for products you use and would enjoy promoting. Are there products you like? The company probably has an affiliate program which will offer you links and banners to post on your website or blog. Companies like Linkshare and Commission Junction have hundreds of companies to choose from and your earnings go into one lump sum to be paid to you, rather than many small checks.

If you’re looking for money making ideas, (and who isn’t?), it’s even possible to create mulitple streams on income from several different sources, like I have. Just remember, though, to be successful at working at home, you must be ready to commit time and energy to making it work. No money making idea works by itself but it is possible to earn several hundred dollars a month to supplement income with about 25 hours a week.

Boomer Blog - Get Healthy With Whole Food Nutrition

Posted by JE Jones on Apr-18-2009

I’m a whole food nutritional supplement convert. I used to take a pile of vitamins every morning, mostly isolated vitamins, like B complex, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. These were isolated nutrients and possibly even  artificially created. There is a new trend in nutrition and healthy living, however, that advocated whole food nutrition and whole food supplements to give you all the hundreds of micronutrients, phytonutrients, omega 3 fatty acids and probiotics, all as they occur naturally in whole foods.

Some whole food nutritional supplements even contain superfoods like acai berry, noni fruit and chia seeds.

Where can you buy powerful whole food nutritional products and still save money too?

I use Dr. Mercols’s Whole Food MultiVitamin Plus Minerals as my favorite whole food nutritional supplement. As a reader of my Tips for Boomer Years Blog, you’ll know I advocate adding superfoods to your diet like green veggies, broccoli, kale and spinach, nuts and berries like blueberries and probiotics. Dr. Mercola’s Whole Food Supplement contains 25 whole, live foods like fruits, herbs and veggies

Whole food nutritional supplements offer great health benefits such as:

  • Helps slow the effects of aging
  • Helps protect the body from illness and diseases
  • Works at the cellular level to build optimum health
  • Gives increased energy
  • Helps build strong tissues, bones and muscles
  • Keeps the brain healthy
  • and More!

I trust Dr. Mercola’s products because they offer the best quality for the money. Whether it’s whole food nutritional supplements, digestive enzymes, safe cookware, natural health books or anything else related to health, Dr. Mercola backs up his products with research and information. Dr. Mercola also offers a terrific email newsletter with the latest in natural health information. Sign up for the newsletter is free.

More about whole food supplements

How to Succeed with Your MLM Company

Posted by JE Jones on Mar-10-2009

Every once in a while a friend tells me about something they are doing and I’m so impressed, I want to let others know about it. My friend Jerry Collins is part of a great mentoring program to help others succeed with their MLM businesses, no matter which business it is.

Here’s a great little blurb from Jerry about his Mentoring business, Success in Any Business

One Of THE Biggest Reasons People Succeed In MLM…

Jerry Collins

Jerry Collins

They have a Mentor.

  • What
  • How
  • Why

WHAT

Ever since we came out of the caves, people have followed successful people. First, for survival….Second, for survival….Third, for survival….It’s the same, today. Pioneers blaze the path, most people follow that established path to success. Success In Any Business is such a path! A group of mentors willing to give freely of their time and effort. It doesn’t matter what online or offline business you are in.

HOW

Down load the fr.e.e eBook, read it immediately, absorb it, and write down any questions. Success In Any Business

WHY

Your burning desire is all the why needed. Most people will do what’s necessary to succeed. But some don’t. They let their doubts and fears prevent their success. Just Do It!

Success In Any Business

Want to know more about me. Find it at my blog url below.

The be$t to your success.

Jerry L. Collins

http://rascallyalways.blogspot.com
http://facebook.com/JerryLeeCollins
http://twitter.com/jerrylcollins

Jerry L. Collins
Know truth; Be Fr.e.e

P.S. George Carlin - “Weather forecast
for tonight: dark.” Find the light for your
online business at:
http://tinyurl.com/amn6y6

If you watch the news, you see endless talk of the bad economy and financial crisis. Now, I see stories too about how the bad economy is causing health problems as stress takes its toll. Worry, depression and stress can wear you down, no matter what the cause and finances are a part of our lives, let’s face it. What you need is a 30 day plan to financial freedom. Many people thrive in this and any economy and here’s how many of them do it.

Instead of worrying about economic crisis, try this 30 day plan to financial freedom:

1.  Start by evaluating your financial situation to see if there is something you can do to put yourself on a sounder footing. I would recommend reading Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker. This book will give you a new, no-nonsense way of planning your finances so you, too, can be a millionaire, no matter what the current economy is.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

2. Keep a gratitude journal – To keep your spirits up and focus on more positive things, there’s nothing more uplifting than realizing you have much to be grateful for. Instead of dwelling on economic crisis, think of all the good in your life. “What you focus on expands” so what do you want more of in your life?

3. When your mind turns to negative thoughts, and it will just out of habit, return to your gratitude journal. Reach for a better feeling thought. Remember, it takes 30 days to break a habit and for many people, negative thinking is just a habit they can break. Focus on positives to create more of that in your life.

4. Resist the urge to TALK about how bad things are. Take any action you may need to take to better your personal situation but nothing is gained and much is lost by dwelling on negativity with friends and relatives.

5. Picture yourself in a great economy! Your customers are spending money on your products, they are visiting your website and liking what they see, money is flowing in and YOUR economy is in an upturn. If you need to make extra money to fill in your budget, during these tense economic times, many people are looking for extra income and work at home opportunities. Maybe you’re a person who wants their own business. If so, start working at it on the side. Marketing your business opportunity in a bad economy is actually easier than it is in a perceived good economy when things are going well for people.

6. Rent uplifting or funny movies. Watch The Secret, if you haven’t already. Other good movies, The Peaceful Warrior, What the Bleep Do We Know? and Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life. What sort of comedies to do you like? Go rent some today and watch them frequently.

7. Read books on the law of attraction: Any book by Ester and Jerry Hicks, who also have a new book on the law of attraction and money), or read books by Dr. Wayne Dyer. If you go to Amazon and look for “law of attraction” dozens of titles will pop up. If you don’t want to purchase them, try the library or discount book stores. Read a chapter a day.

8. Avoid stress – Take care of your health - get plenty of sleep and exercise to relieve stress and make sure you’re eating right. Stress lowers the immune system and you don’t want to get sick.

Remember, you can CHOOSE to think better thoughts, to see the positives in your life instead of worrying about financial crisis. “Nothing is good or bad. But thinking makes it so,” said William Shakespeare. I read that in a positive thinking book years ago and I think of it often. It isn’t what happens to us in life that is either good or bad, it’s how we interpret it with our thoughts and how we choose to act on it.

Follow this 30 day financial plan and see what inspirations come to you. You will begin to see ways to improve your financial situation. It’s your thoughts, moment by moment, which create your future. Control your thoughts and feelings NOW, in this present moment and these, in turn, create a better financial future for you and your family.



Do you want to start your home business to build retirement income but have no clue how to find the right business for you? When I wanted to start my own home based business, I was lucky. I was already using products that provided a home business opportunity and they were in a area of health, where I had some knowledge and a passion for knowing more.

I liked helping people to have better health, so expanding to selling these health products seemed a natural to me.

Are you currently using any product that you might be able to build a business around? Or perhaps there are products you would like to use which offer a home business opportunity. This is a great place to start.

However, if you have no clue about which business you want to get into, here are some tips on choosing the right home business.

1.  Make a list of your interests. I know this was mentioned in goal setting but it’s also a good strategy when you’re starting your own home based business. You want to choose a business that you will enjoy. Is there a hobby or craft you’ve always had a passion for? Are you interested in health or sports?

2.  Once you have a list of your interests, research the market in this area. Are there hundreds of blogs, websites and products relating to this? Do you think there is a demand for products or information in the area of your interest? Do you think there is potential for profit in this area? It’s important, besides loving your home business, to actually make money at it.

3.  Don’t settle on the first business that comes to mind, research lots of options. Read books and articles and check out all sorts of business ideas. Researching how to start your own business has never been easier with the internet at your fingertips.

4.  Once you’ve done your research on your areas of interest, make a list of the types of businesses that interest you. Check out forums and social networks. It’s important, if you sign up for an MLM type home business, that you have a good group of people to work with who will support you and provide you with information.

5.  Make a list of the sorts of equipment you’ll need to start your own home business. You will probably find you have most of what you need if you own a computer and printer. You may also need a fax machine. Remember to keep records of any money you spend as these will be tax deductions for you.

6.  If you’re going to sign up with an MLM business and sell a product, check into the company thoroughly. Does it cost to sign up? Is there a required auto ship policy? Do they provide a free website and training for you? I wouldn’t advise jumping into any product as a home business that wants to charge you an exorbitant fee up front.

7.  If you are starting your own home business as retirement income and your spouse wants to be part if it, discuss all aspects of the business with him or her so you both know what to expect. You want to find a home business you’ll both enjoy and which meets both your criteria for what you want to do in retirement.

Starting your own home business requires good research upfront so that you choose the right now for you. Once you lay your groundwork, then you can change your focus from finding a business to creating success in your business.