Make money and make an impact, too | February 26, 2009

This economy is forcing a lot of people out of jobs. More than 3.5 million so far — and that number is growing rapidly. That means a lot of people are desperate to find some kind of way to bring in money in a tough economy. Here are a few tips to help you start thinking about bringing in some money now — whether you are looking to start a whole new career or just pick up a few extra dollars on the side.

These two tips can produce income, if you approach them the right way. I shared this and other important information with college audiences recently when I spoke on their campuses, so I’m sharing a small bit of it with you here, to get your mind turning about the possibilities for you:

Lean on your talent. Each of us has some kind of talent or ability. Figure out what yours is and use it. Develop the talent, then sell it. How do you sell your talent? Do a brainstorming session - -just 20 minutes will do, if that’s all you can spare today. Write down your talent(s), then write down things people will pay for involving that talent. For instance, if your talent is writing, write down things like — copywriting (advertising, marketing, etc), books, articles, descriptions, blurbs, stories, jokes, reviews, devotionals, case studies, reports, Web sites. The list can go on.

All of these involve writing, and people pay to have others write these things for them. Once you have a list of things pay for relating to your talent, start looking at opportunities to get paid. I’ll give you some ideas for finding gigs that pay you to use your talent tomorrow.

Use your experiences. None of us gets out of this life without going through some things. And sometimes we can use those things as lessons or launching pads for other things. Maybe you went through a terrible divorce or you surivived a painful and devastating medical situation. Perhaps those experiences now give you a perspective and skills others don’t have. Consider finding a way to use your experience to help, teach, train, reach or relate to others. Maybe this could provide a new career for you as an author, speaker, trainer, coach, consultant, counselor or some other professional.

These are just two tips for thinking outside the box and using what you know to prosper and grow — and that’s the point of Knowledge Wealth Series. I love sharing this information, but two tips are enough for now. So, how will you use what you know to bring in a little extra money — or start a whole new career?