by Curtis D. Tucker

Start your little crumb crunchers out early by helping them start their own entrepreneurial business. Here are 5 quick and easy businesses that most any young executive could start.

1.) Lemonade Stand – of course I was going to mention this one. But don’t have them set up just any lemonade stand, make it fresh squeezed lemonade with small pellet ice in a nice styro cup with a lid. And while they’re at it, why not add a few cookies or crispie treats?

2.) Candy Bar Sales – have them buy candy bars in bulk to get a good discount. Have the young entrepreneur deliver them to local businesses displayed on a unique plate with a money box along side. Charge $1 per bar and have a slot in the box for payment. Every few days go back to each business, empty the money box and replace the candy bars.

3.) Caddying – let the golfers in your area know that your entrepreneur will caddy for them. Carry their bag for a reasonable fee and earn extra in tips. Also turn them into golf ball hunters by collecting balls that get lost in sticky areas of the course. Sell the balls back to the course.

4. Magician – buy a magic set or two and your young entertainer can start their own magic act performing for toddler parties. Add balloon animal design or juggling and they might even get a few bigger gigs.

5.) Astronomer – if you have a telescope in the house you can put it to use. Have your young scientist learn everything about the visible stars and planets. They can then hold neighborhood star gazing events during full moons, meteor showers and other galactic events. Charge a small fee to get a simple print out and the ability to look through the telescope.

BONUS IDEA!

6.) Geekologist – have your tech savvy kid teach your co-workers and friends how to get the most out of their iPhones, iPads, computers and also teach the basics of Facebook. Twitter and MySpace. Most people don’t even know what they don’t know about gadgets. Set up a class or do it individually.

SUPER BONUS IDEA!

7.) Web Master – okay, every church, club, organization and society has or needs a simple website. If your youngster can figure out WordPress they can build and maintain almost any site possible. A great job that can be done from home. Your child could even start their own blog and give other kids advice on something they are great at.

Be sure and check with your city to find out about sales tax, permits and any ordinance that might apply to the business.

by Curtis D. Tucker

Looking for a fun time or wanting to start a business that will tickle the funny bone? Laughter can not only be great medicine it can be very profitable. Some of the most successful TV shows and movies are comedies. What does that say about our thirst for humor?

Why not put your colorful thinking cap on and try to create a business filled with humor? To get you started I’ve brain stormed a few ideas. Let me know if you have some funny ideas of your own.

Here are a few hysterical businesses and services:

1.) Joke writer – write humor for comedians, greeting cards, fortune cookies, etc.
2.) Prank rental – rent pink flamingo’s, fake tombstones, coffins, surfboards, etc.
3.) Yard logos – mow logos or funny designs into lawns or fields
4.) Dog dating – start a dog dating service where you take two dogs out together
5.) Lemonade stands – don’t sell lemonade, sell the lemonade stands!
6.) Terrible art – actually paint and sell your own terrible framed art
7.) Bloopers – create funny family videos using homemade bloopers
8.) Ugly bikes – using mismatched bike parts, build cheap ugly bicycles
9.) Statue – act like a statue on a busy street with a money jar nearby
10.) Snow cones – sell wacky flavored and named snow cones

Be sure and bookmark this page as I will be adding more ideas and will keep it updated as I find more creative services.

by Curtis D. Tucker

I don’t believe just anyone can be an entrepreneur. Well, anyone CAN be an entrepreneur but not everyone will have the motivation to become one. The traits below can be found in just about anyone, but the people that put them into practice are the ones that will become entrepreneurs.

All entrepreneurs won’t have all of these traits, but if you fall into a few of these categories you might have a future as an entrepreneur:

1. Positive attitude. Negative people are most likely not going to make very successful entrepreneurs. A positive attitude will rub off on fellow employees, clients and customers. Show some excitement about your business and others will see it and want to be a part of it.

2. Dreamer. An entrepreneur has dreams. They are not content with the everyday and mundane. Deep down they want more and they are always thinking of ways to get it. They expect more than they have and see a path to getting there. Entrepreneurs do not settle for what everyone else has, they strive for more.

3. Hard worker. Most entrepreneurs ignore the 40 hour work week. They do what it takes to get ahead and the create the steps it will take to reach the top. Entrepreneurs don’t complain about having to work hard to achieve their dreams. Hard work is the foundation that leads to a life of leisure once the goal is achieved.

4. Never give up attitude. Failing is a part of success and an entrepreneur can see that fact. Small failures help you see where the successes are. A true entrepreneur most likely couldn’t give up even if they tried. It’s in their blood. You really only fail when you have given up.

5. Doer. An old friend always told us that there’s talkers and there’s doers. An entrepreneur does more than talk, they actually put a plan into action. The best time to get started is immediately. The longer you wait the more chances there will be for interruptions.

6. Creativity. Entrepreneurs are by definition out-of-the-box thinkers. An entrepreneur has to innovate a new way of doing something or improve upon an existing product or service. Entrepreneurs also create things that have not been thought of before. If you are a creative thinker you most likely are an entrepreneur.

7. Multi-tasker. I believe an entrepreneur is a multi-tasker. When creating a business, service or product there are many facets involved. An entrepreneur has to perform many duties while creating their dream and they must perform multiple tasks at the same time.

8. Self motivated. Entrepreneurs do not need to be pushed. They push themselves and want to strive for success because they can’t help it. Self motivation separates entrepreneurs from pretenders.

9. Passionate. If an entrepreneur isn’t passionate about their business they most likely will lose motivation. An entrepreneur usually creates a business out of something that really interests them. Passion creates drive.

10. Luck. The wild card of entrepreneurial traits is luck. Some people make it to the top on pure luck. They create the right product at the right time or they get to meet the right person to help market their ideas. Luck doesn’t always play a role in creating an entrepreneur but it can never hurt.

If you have all or many of these traits you might the next great entrepreneur. There are many traits that I left off because I do not believe they fit the everyday typical person. For example, risk taking. I do not believe you must be a risk taker to become an entrepreneur. If you have a plan and follow it there will not be much risk at all.

Innovative is another trait I left off. I don’t believe you have to innovate anything to become an entrepreneur. Most products and services are already there. If you’ll just improve upon one of them you can become an entrepreneur.

And as stated above in trait number 10, sometime it’s just pure luck that creates a sensation. But luck will not help you if you’re not creating something. So get out there and start thinking of ways to become the next great entrepreneur!

by Curtis D. Tucker

Welcome to the website fellow entrepreneurs! I’m glad you found me and I hope in some small way I can help you create your future and become this countries next entrepreneur.

I’m going to start out with a quick and easy idea. This money earning system, once created, becomes a cash cow that continues to earn money while you move on to other things or go on vacation. It involves buying a domain name, finding a web host and learning to create a simple website or blog.

The system is called Google AdSense. I use it to create almost one half of my yearly income so I know it can work. It does take effort, time and hours of trial and error. But once perfected it is an awesome supplement to any online entrepreneurs career.

In the simplest terms you earn money by creating a website that generates a good amount of traffic. 1,000-6,000 unique visitors a day would be a good amount of traffic. The secret is to create a website that is built on keywords that are being searched for but do not have so much competition that you do not stand a chance of reaching the top spot in the search engines.

From my experience, my research and seeing the stats of fellow AdSense publishers I would say that you can earn about $100 a day for every 20,000 page views you get. That’s an average. A limited number of publishers earn tens of thousands of dollars a month with Google AdSense.

Once you have an idea you build a website around your keywords. You then begin to fill that website with as much great content as you can. All of the content should relate to the keywords chosen. Generate as many pages as possible and add new pages every week.

As soon as your site is up and running you will want to open a free Google AdSense account. Google will supply you with a code to place on your website. Place this code on every page of your site. Immediately your site will begin to display small text ads that relate directly to your keywords.

Each time a visitor to your site clicks on one of these ads you earn money. The amount will depend on the keyword targeted and the budget of the business buying the ad. The average click can range from one penny to $6. Every month Google will send you a check for the total you have earned.

After creating your first money making site, start again and create another. The key to making big bucks is to create as many of these content rich websites as you can. Some will fail and others will only earn a few bucks a month. The combination of many sites will begin to earn you real revenue.

There is an entire industry built on teaching you how to earn Google AdSense money. Read as much as you can online and keep after it! I will post more AdSense tips from time to time.

Here is a related Google AdSense Article

by Curtis D. Tucker

October 2011

The holidays are quickly approaching and many people are looking for ways of making a little extra spending money to make it through the season. Here is a quick list of part-time holiday businesses you can easily start and maintain through the season. Good luck and enjoy.

1.) Gift Wrapper – Pick up, wrap and deliver other peoples gifts. Many people are strapped for time and would gladly pay a responsible person to do their Christmas gift wrapping for them.

2.) Gift Shopper – Offer to do the holiday shopping for those busy people in your city. Customers could give you their list and money and you can go fight the crowds and save them the headache. Market this right and you could shop for multiple people at once.

3.) Sell Baked Goods – Everyone needs to take a cake, pie of cookies to some party during the holidays. Why not help out by doing the baking for them? You can offer your yummy treats for not only office type parties but for family events like Thanksgiving as well.

4.) Light Decorator – I love having Christmas lights up every year but I hate having to hang them. Start your own light stringing business and solve the same problem hundreds of others are having.

5.) Decoration Rental – We’re always buying new decorations during the close out sales and then forgetting that we ever bought them. We also love having something new and different every year. Why not load up on end of year Christmas yard ornaments and decorations and then begin setting them up and renting them to clients?

6.) Holiday Card Service – We all love to write and send Christmas cards every year but many years we just run out of time and never get any sent. Offer to help families solve this problem and you could have a easy money making business in no time.

7.) Window Decorator – Do you have talents? If you can do a bit of drawing and painting you could start a window decorating service. Most businesses pay to have the large windows painted each year. Even if you don’t have skills you can create stencils and use them instead.

8.) Event Planner – Families and businesses will all be having parties and get-togethers. Each of these will need planning and coordinating. Help others with invitations, bookings and all of the other details associated with such an event.

9.) Craft Designing – Why not create your own line of gifts? There are many gift ideas you can create on your own without much skill. Stop by your local hobby shop and find all of the supplies needed. Sell your crafts to individuals, businesses and at craft fairs.

10.) Toy Assembly – One of the most painful parts of the season is having to put together a complicated swing set or bicycle. Offer to assemble toys and outdoor recreational equipment before and after the actual holiday.

11.) Snow Shoveling/Leaf Raking – The holidays bring on many problems associated with the weather. Offer your area the service of raking leaves during the Fall and shoveling snow during the Winter. Get people to pay you a deposit to guarantee you’ll be at their house first during the snow storm.

12.) Candle Creator – Making candles is not the most difficult hobby in the world. Learn how to make great candles and sell a great assortment of sizes all scented with the most popular holiday smells.

13.) Musician/Singer – Do you have musical talents? Many businesses would love to have a holiday piano player or singer to help bring the spirit into their store. Offer your talents to parties and churches as well.

14.) Christmas Tree Disposal – Advertise a “Green” solution for Christmas tree removal in your area. Ask a local farmer about replanting trees, placing them in ponds or using them as mulch.

15.) House Cleaning – You don’t have to have a complete cleaning service to help families prepare their homes for the holidays. Help individuals and businesses clean up before company arrives and the parties begin.

16.) Build Gift Baskets – All you have to do is buy the gifts and supplies, put everything together wrapped nicely and you’ve got your own gift basket business.

I hope at least one of these part-time business ideas gets you some extra income this holiday season. Check back from time to time and bookmark this page. I’ll add any new ideas I come up with and will post them here. Much success!!

You might also want to read:

7 Businesses You Could Start Today

by Curtis D. Tucker
One of the most sought after ways of making extra money these days is using your computer and the Internet. There are literally dozens upon dozens of different ways to make Money and the Internet has created thousands of online entrepreneurs.

I am one of those lucky guys that is able to make a good living working online. I’ve built a small entrepreneurial business using websites, blogs, quality content and my cartoons. I am proof that you can make money online although it may not be as easy as some think it is.

One of the biggest complaints I hear from my visitors and friends online is that they just aren’t making nay money. Some have been online for years and don’t make enough to earn a part time living. What’s the secret sauce? Is there a 100% recipe for success?

The answer to online marketing is that there is no magic bullet. Every niche, every website and every web designer are different. There are so many factors that go into creating a successful business online, much like a brick-and-mortar business, that no one system will work for everyone.

I have learned a few things about making money online and thought I would share those thoughts with anyone that is thinking about it or is currently frustrated with their low earnings. I’ve created a post on my just launched, making money online blog and I’d love for you to read it.

Find out some of the truths, lies and tips by reading: Things You Should Know About Making Money Online.

As a child, Steven Le Vine always had a solid work ethic. Maybe he learned it from his family of hard workers. His grandparents, Sally and Ed, had started their own well known rug business in the 1950s and worked tirelessly to keep it going for forty years. And his father Marc, a councilman and Human Resources specialist for many years, also started his own business in his mid-40s. Or, maybe it was the fact that he grew up in Freehold, N. J., the blue collar town that birthed Americana rocker Bruce Springsteen.

Throughout his adolescence, Steven worked odd jobs, whether it was for his grandparents’ rug stand, his parents’ weekend cigar stand, or a friend’s pet store, all located inside the Englishtown Auction, a well known New Jersey flea market. And during his high school and college years, Steven juggled many retail jobs. But he always had a gut feeling he would somehow end up in the entertainment industry, even though he didn’t believe he had any recognizable artistic talents.

Nearing the end of high school, shortly before the digital music boom, Steven would spend countless hours recording copies of bootlegged concerts of artists he enjoyed, and trading them via the postal service with other fans throughout North America. He would also record copies of albums he liked, usually from Tori Amos and Madonna, and share them with friends in his high school classes. It was one afternoon when a seed was planted that would change the rest of his life. His father recommended he think about becoming a publicist, because he recognized that Steven liked to promote the things he enjoyed.

Steven began studying Public Relations, and throughout his college years at William Paterson University, in Wayne, N. J., he devoted his free time to writing about musical artists for the college newspaper, reviewing albums for a national indie music publication, and lending his PR skills to various organizations on campus. And in May of 2006, he graduated with his Communications degree.

It wasn’t even a month later when Steven accepted his first internship with a local, internationally recognized pr/marketing agency, Allen Consulting, founded by sales guru Sylvia Allen. Sylvia, herself, had gone off on her own at a young age at a time when women were relegated to taking menial positions. Sylvia’s fearlessness and indomitable spirit would soon prove to make quite an impact on Le Vine — and she would soon become one of Steven’s most profound mentors and friends. It was only two weeks later when Steven scored his first client, a sultry jazz singer named Sylvia Pilar, and formed GrapeVine Promotions, a music PR agency.

After six months, Steven accepted a position with one of the largest PR firms in the area, that had a specialty in real estate. There he was scoring clients brass ring media placements in publications like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the latter being a success that until then had only been attained by VPs, not assistant account executives. However, his team would continue to only assign him busy tasks, such as clipping and other intern-level work. This was when Steven began to feel unappreciated and realized the stuffy corporate environment didn’t suit his personality.

He soon fired up the engines, and began sending out email inquiries to popular personalities he admired, in hopes one would need his PR services. In April 2007, he received a response back from a TV/film actor Michael Carbonaro requesting a meeting. Soon after, Carbonaro decided to enlist the services of Le Vine’s agency, which was then renamed grapevine pr.

Over the next six months, grapevine began signing an influx of new clients, and Le Vine was soon working his job during the day, and dealing with a two-hour commute each way, and managing his own clients at night. But there was one problem: they were all pro-bono, meaning no income was being generated for grapevine. And even though he felt it in his bones that he was destined to be an entrepreneur, many of his family members and friends were telling him he wasn’t ready, that he lacked experience, that he wasn’t making any money and that he would fail if he went out on his own. They told him to give it at least 10 years before going off on his own. But Steven rejected these claims and this negativity continued to fuel him even more.

Shortly after, Le Vine started to procure quite a bit of press for himself, and was soon faced with a major dilemma. He had done an interview with the Asbury Park Press, the second largest newspaper in New Jersey, and realized it was only a matter of time before his face was planted on the front page of the Business section. He knew that once his bosses witnessed it, he would be at a critical juncture. And in September 2007, just as he had expected, he was called into the office.

But what he saw surprised him. His boss and his HR director didn’t quite know what to make of the situation. There was a sense of confusion, yet admiration presented in their body language, as they began to ask Le Vine about this company. Normally in situations like this, Steven would have been shaken up and anxious, but instead, he sat across from them with his back up straight, a confident smile and the impending sense of relief that either way, he would now be forced to sink or swim. That is when he was given possibly the biggest ultimatum of his life. They gave him the choice of ditching grapevine and staying with their company, or keeping it and leaving. Le Vine stated, “I’ve worked too hard for this over the past few months and have come too far. I would hate myself forever if I gave it up, so do what you have to do.” They wished him well and he was soon on his way.

Since then, grapevine has definitely had its share of struggles. For one, its formative years have been under the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. However, grapevine has profited every year over the prior year and has acquired close to 100 clients in its five years since 2006. The firm has represented a diverse range of clients from notable TV stars, like Danny Pintauro (“Who’s the Boss”) and Project Runway’s Jack Mackenroth, to filmmakers, musicians, swimwear brands, gyms, spas, charities and a slew of other entertainment artists and international consumer brands.

Le Vine maintains his company’s philosophy is simple: That any good PR firm can get you press, but grapevine strives to go beyond that — to offer clients personalized and personable service, flexible terms, reasonable rates and always delivers, and never over promises.

“I’ve met with so many clients who have told me that they weren’t sure what their former PR firm even did for them month after month, and because of that they were hesitant to sign with another,” says Le Vine. “Many of them didn’t even know what a ‘clip’ was, but were shelling out thousands of dollars a month for PR services.”

And at 29, Le Vine continues to follow his company’s mission, whether it’s by going after edgy, innovative brands or launching specialty niche PR departments, such as for the $835-billion per-year LGBT market, which has helped earn the firm recognition as one of the first to do so.

“I’ve always looked up to entrepreneurs like Sir Richard Branson, who always goes above and beyond with whatever new brand he’s launching — and I felt that if we were to remain in a highly competitive market, we not only had to deliver on our expected deliverables, such as standard press services, but become the PR firm that does provide added value, does provide exceptional service, and doesn’t scare others away with inflated fees, stuffy personas and intimidating, nickel-and-diming contracts. We want to be the first ‘way of life’ PR firm.”

For more information on grapevine pr, visit the website at www.theprgrapevine.com, or contact Le Vine by email at info@theprgrapevine.com.

I have not promoted many items on this website but I feel there is a great way to create a passive income empire. Collecting a passive income month after month is easily possible with the right information, a niche and a website.

by Curtis D. Tucker
As an entrepreneur, I make a large part of my income using this method (a 5 figure income). The system is the very popular Google AdSense. AdSense has helped thousands of people make great money online with quality websites and blogs.

I have long wanted to write my own eBook on how I’ve made great money with Google AdSense but I have never had the time. I’m going to break down and send you to read Joel Comm’s AdSense eBook rather than write my own. I’ll eventually get around to writing my own using my personal experience and ideas.

Until then, I highly recommend Joel Comm’s AdSense Secrets 5. He has recently updated his top selling eBook for 2011. This is an inexpensive look at how AdSense works and how to position yourself to make a steady passive income. Everything that I’ve learned on my own over a ten year period is wrapped up in this one eBook. Reading this one eBook alone can save you literally hundreds of hours of searching for information and tips online.

I’m looking at a 5 figure income that gets deposited into my bank account whether I work or not. This will most likely be my retirement. This passive income is generated from adding a very simple AdSense code to each of my websites and blogs. Once it is in place you can ignore it! After that it’s nothing but trying to generate traffic. AdSense 5 explains how everything works and how to do it.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a way of making money from home, this could be the easiest way to do it. But! Using AdSense is not a way of making instant riches and does take tons of effort! Read this book, start now and I guarantee down the road you will be making money.

Learn more about AdSense 5.
P.S. Another way that I make money online is by promoting items found at ClickBank.com. AdSense 5 is a ClickBank product so I will earn a commission if you purchase the book. Let me say that I would promote this book even if it wasn’t on ClickBank.

“YEAR, n. A period of three hundred and sixty-five opportunities.” – Curtis D. Tucker

As you get older you’ll find that time seems to move much faster. Before you know it you’ll be stuck at a job that pays the bills and gives you security. My advice to you is start creating your own business now! The longer you wait the tougher it will be.

Every year you’ll get to wake up 365 times and make the decision to work towards what you want or to be content in what you have. That’s 365 opportunities you’re letting pass you by.

Grab opportunity by the hand today!

by Curtis D. Tucker

Looking for a business to start that helps people in your neighborhood? Here is a great list of yard related business ideas. You can start most of the services on a shoestring budget.

These are also great businesses you can run out of your home. Don’t forget to report the earnings from your home business when you file taxes. I suggest you use a free IRS efile site and save some of your hard earned money. Good luck!

1. Lawn Mowing – a pretty simple idea. Get a mower, rake, broom, leaf bags, edger and you’re on your way! This is a great yard business that is simple enough for a kid to start and yet big enough that an adult can clean up themselves. This is a very expandable business that you can eventually run with hired help.

2. Yard Signs – create yard signs for local businesses, garage sales, for sale by owner, new baby, etc. Create custom, one of a kind yard signs and you could make a nice amount of cash. Almost any neighborhood business would love a little extra advertising and your neighbors might get a kick out of an original happy birthday sign. Use unique material and sign holders. Get creative!

3. Gardening – most everyone loves a beautiful garden but hates to do the work. Hit up everyone in the neighborhood and find out exactly who will need some gardening help. Educate yourself and teach your neighbors when and what to plant where.

4. Poop Picker Upper – most neighborhoods have dogs and dogs leave surprises in the yard. Build up a list of homes that would love you to come by and pick up the dog poop. This is a very hot business idea at the moment.

5. Fence Building and Maintenance – most white picket fences need painting and repair at least once a year. Build garden fences, dog runs and other types of fencing. You may need to go door to door but I’m sure there are dozens of people that need fence repair that they will never get around to fixing.

6. Tree and Bush Trimming – a simple idea but very lucrative. Take out stumps, trim trees along the roof line, shape bushes and more!

7. Pond Building and Maintenance – learn to install and maintain backyard ponds. Ponds have become a big industry and many people would be interested if they knew someone that installed them.

8. Outdoor Kitchen – plan, build and maintain outdoor kitchen areas. Cooking outdoors gets bigger every year. Many people want to spend more time outside and would if they had their own out door kitchen. Learn to design unique layouts and use fun, creative materials.

9. Playhouse Building – parents love to buy swing sets, trampolines and playhouses but they HATE putting them together. A great handyman job that doesn’t take many tools. Spread the word through the PTA and childcare centers.

10. Sprinkler Installation and Repair – learn how to install sprinkler systems and how to repair them. There are many do-it-yourself packages at the local hardware store.

11. Yard Lighting – every yard looks better with great lighting. Install lights to highlight trees, bushes and features of the home. Use multiple colors. Also install Christmas lighting!