1) learn how to spell words correctly
2) diligently and consistently, correctly spell the words you use
3) find things of value that other people are throwing away, and sell those things: you're out whatever it cost you to locate the item(s), whatever you spend cleaning and repairingor modifying the item(s), and whatever you spend marketing the item(s).
When I was 14, Mississippi let me get my motorcycle driver's license, and I had a Yamaha RD125B that was easy on gas. Using that, I drove around one section of my city and discovered many people were discarding their (window unit) air conditioners.
Sometimes, the garbage pickup got them before I could return, but usually, I was able to get people to hold the units until I could return on a Saturday to pick them up.
I cut my dad in on the action in exchange for him riding with me and helping me on my route (the MCDL worked like a Learner's Permit for everything but motorcycles). On a productive weekend, I'd get 30-40 units and it would take me most of one day to get them all.
Most repairs were simple to diagnose and inexpensive to repair (typically something electrical, and the cost of parts was much less than $5).
I gave a 12-month, unconditional and non-prorated, money-back guarantee on each unit I sold: if for any reason, the customer's unit failed to perform satisfactorily, I would refund the customer's money in exchange for whatever was left of the unsatisfactory unit.
I also gave free delivery and installation to old people and to the infirmed, and when I could, I gave free evaluations and consultations to needy people that didn't know for sure if they could use a window unit.
Within a few weeks, I was getting 10-20 calls per day from people wanting to buy one of my units. I had not advertised, but my customers were telling all their friends and family what a great deal they got.
I probably averaged 30-40 minutes per unit to disassemble, clean, troubleshoot, repair and reassemble my products. Not all of the discarded units were worth saving: some compressors were bad, etc.
Also, I spent my afternoons 5-6 days per week looking for discarded units, so I had a lot of time and effort in the units that wasn't directly attributable to any specific unit.
Nevertheless, even after paying for my insurance and gas and oil and all the other stuff, and the tools and parts and all that.
My prices varied between $125 and $175 per unit (a lot less than a comparable new unit) and though I stayed busy and made a profit, I didn't get rich in the pecuniary sense. I just enjoyed doing that sort of recycling and it taught me a lot.
The bottom line is this: find something that you (1) want to do, (2) that will provide a genuine value to others if you do it, and (3) that you either already have the resources to do, or that requires resources that you can readily obtain.
Also, get an objective opinion regarding your prices (which for a kid usually isn't all that easy). Dad asked me for how much I intended to sell my first unit (on which I'd spent 20-25 minutes), and I realized I didn't know.
At first, I thought maybe $25, but then he asked about a warranty (and he pointed out the potential problems in trying to honor a warranty).
Pretty soon, I was at $50 -- and then he started asking about how I was going to keep up my business (he wasn't going to buy my gas, insurance, etc.). After a bit of his grilling, I realized I'd seriously underpriced the unit -- so I went with $125.
Dad felt the price was a little low (but not much), and he just about had a stroke when he found out about my warranty -- but I knew I did a top-notch job, and I trusted my customers. In Mississippi, an air conditioner isn't a luxury.
My interests changed over time, and I started 2 more successful businesses before I turned 16 -- but this is about the least expensive startup that I can suggest.
Landscaping and lawn care are honorable professions, but if you don't have a genuine aptitude for doing that sort of work, you'll probably lose money in the long run; moreover:
(a) your work will reflect poorly on you, which
(b) will cause your customers to think badly of you, which
(c) will undermine your reputation and give you a sour attitude, which
(d) will aggravate the animosity between you and the people in your community, and
(e) jeopardize your future success in any other venture, regardless whether you have an aptitude for the latter work.
Student loans are a scam, as is almost every form of financial aid except a full scholarship. Save your money when you're young, and spend it wisely when you're older.
You'll likely discover you didn't really need a PSP/Gameboy/X-Box or whatever the latest video game thing is -- and, interestingly, that you don't really want one.
When you're 15 (or whatever is the age requirement for a regular driver's license in your state), the temptation is to have a car that looks fast (or worse, that is unusually quick/fast).
Don't blow your dough on a ride, and when you're 30, you'll have enough to make that dream a reality -- plus, you'll probably have the maturity and skill to enjoy it responsibly (and safely). In the long run, reliability and consistency always beats speedy and flashy.
2006-09-11 13:56:32
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answer #1
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answered by wireflight 4
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Very annoying!!!!!!!!!! confident, it handed off to me a twelve months in the past with a former Yahoo identity. question: "Which comes first: rooster or egg?" My answer: "rooster (alphabetical order!)" yet another answerer used my same answer when I submitted it. His replaced into chosen perfect answer. became out to be a collection of two persons who had somewhat game going the place she could pose a question; he could answer; and no remember how inane (or insane) the respond, his could be chosen for the ten factors. An occasion -- she asked the question: "Who invented the 24 hour day?" He spoke back "Rolex proprietor", and he or she chosen that as perfect answer.
2016-11-07 03:20:20
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answer #2
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answered by ? 4
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