ASLU 048: What Can You Do To Earn $100 Right Now?
Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash
What could you do to earn $100 right now? All self-employed creatives have days where it feels like cash flow is non-existent or nobody will buy from us ever again and we'll never see another client. That can batter our self-esteem and our confidence.
But what if you could do something right now that could earn you $100? And what if you could turn that into something that earns $100 every day? And then... what if you came up with a second idea that could make you $100 in a day... and so on? Soon you could have multiple, achievable revenue streams that are bringing in three or four hundred dollars a day and that, friends, is a 6 figure a year creative business. This week Melissa and guest Heather Travis are talking about figuring out what you could create right now that could earn you $100 and how that small but still significant number can boost your confidence, take some pressure off your shoulders and propel your business forward.
If you just want the links to the resources mentioned in this episode, scroll down to the bottom.
Listen To the Episode
Here’s a direct link to Episode 47 - or you can listen via the players below:
How Can You Earn $100 Right Now?
The idea for this episode came from an old episode of The Being Boss podcast. One of the (now former) co-hosts, Kathleen Shannon, mentioned that when she’s feeling stuck or worried about money she thinks about what she could do that would earn her $100 that very day. (We’d love to tell you which episode but it was years ago and it’s an idea that’s been bouncing around in the back of our brains every since! Kathleen has mentioned this on multiple episodes).
When you break it down, $100 in a day is actually less than minimum wage. And all of us, every single one of us, is worth more than minimum wage. Having said that, there is something about the number 100 that’s both significant - would you turn down a crisp $100 bill if it was offered to you? - and achievable. If you really think about it you could probably come up with a list of things you could do that could make you $100 right now.
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Clear out your studio or office space. Do you have furniture or supplies that you no longer need that you could sell?
Offer a flash sale to clean out old inventory
Create something: a new card design, prints from a painting, a small ebook or PDF resource, digital templates or resources that others can use. And then launch it!
What can you teach? We all have a skill we can teach. Can you do a short on-line course or a live course on zoom or plan a workshop?
Freelance or, if you already do that, find a new client.
Raise your rates (this one is so obvious it’s easy to overlook!)
Offer your services on other platforms. Could you sell your services on Fiverr, Upwork or Freelancer?
Look into Print on Demand services like Printify or Printful, Red Bubble, Society Six, or Printed Mint. Load your designs up and create products that you can sell but don’t have to hold inventory on or ship yourself
Investigate stock sites. Stock sites aren’t just for photographers anymore. They also carry illustrations, vector files, video clips and sound and music files. If you’re a designer, check out stock platforms like Creative Market or even Etsy for selling design templates and illustrations.
Investigate revenue streams that are recurring or passive like affiliate programs or links or ad network revenue
If you already sell something, where else can you sell it? If you sell on Etsy, can you launch your own site? If you have your own site can you investigate wholesale platforms like Faire and get your products into bricks and mortar locations. Can you create subscription boxes or mystery boxes? Have you tried selling directly on social media through FB, Instagram or Pinterest?
Bring people together. People crave connection and community. Provide it for them. Create a membership program or a private, paid Facebook group and cultivate that community. Give them resources and a place to safely and effectively connect.
Make that $100 day recurring
Can you make that $100 you earned today recur? Once you’ve made that greeting card, new earring design, photograph, or mini workshop how can you sell it again and again? Where else can you think of to sell it?
Can you expand on the idea? That print you made or earring design you created - can you make others and create a themed collection? Can you turn the prints into greeting cards or postcards? Can you take that new candle scent and introduce complimentary products to go with it? Can you sell them in new locations and reach new people?
Ad revenue and affiliate income can work for you consistently in the background every day if you create useful, well trafficked content that supports it.
Add Another $100 Day Revenue Stream (and another)
Once you’ve got one revenue stream consistently earning income for you, what else can you do that can earn you $100 in a day? Go back to the list and add something new. And go through the process again. It only takes 3 $100 a day revenue streams before you have a six figure a year business!
Making six figures a year might sound intimidating but when you reverse engineer it and work backwards in small increments, it becomes very achievable.
$100 A Day is More Than $100 A Day
What’s special about the idea of thinking of something you can do that could bring you $100 right now is that it puts the power in your hands. It’s not just about the $100. It’s about the confidence it gives you in your ability to make a living creating and to bring revenue into your business. It can remove the weight of having a poor cash flow situation, which can lift a lot of pressure off your shoulders.
It’s not a big number but it’s not an insignificant number either. It is an achievable number. And that’s what matters. If you break up a seemingly impossible goal into small tasks, or small increments of revenue that you achieve consistently day after day, before you know it, that impossible goal is well within reach.
So… what will you do to earn $100 in your business today?