Lazy Man and Money

How to Work Less and Make Money from Selling Online Courses and eBooks

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The following is a sponsored post by Brenda Peterson of Ning.com. I usually don’t include sponsored posts on the website, but my curiosity was piqued because I remember Ning’s tools from 10 years ago. I also see there are a lot of bloggers making serious money selling courses and eBooks, so it’s definitely worth looking into.

Many people are starting to realize that working for a company is not the only way to ensure a steady income. Technology has made it possible for anyone to create online courses and eBooks which can be effectively sold online. The truth is, all you really need is Ning’s Professional Website Builder with proper monetization tools to make it all happen.

Even though selling courses on the internet and writing eBooks might look like a difficult job to people who are not technically skilled, it is in fact not as daunting as one may think. Here are a few ideas that can help you get started.

Passive income is your goal

The great thing about eBooks and courses is that you can keep making money from them for many years after creating them. For instance, an eBook that took you forty hours to write can actually sell for the next forty years. All you need to do is just make small amendments so it stays relevant over time.

If you are really good at what you do, and your online course or eBook is in demand, you will be able to make money literally while you sleep!

Use the skills of others

What if you don’t have the skills to write an eBook or create your own courses and websites? Things have changed and you no longer need to be a jack of all trades to earn money online. Start with finding a cheap website builder for business. There is no need for intricate technical skills to create an impressive website anymore.

Then, search the internet for places where you can hire professional content creators. You will be amazed to know how easy it is to get someone with the right knowledge to create a great course or eBook in any subject. The main advantage of using other people’s skills is that you can create eBooks and courses in various niches even if you are not an expert in them.

However, while you may choose to take this path, the reality is that you’re running a business and should be able to manage its different facets. You’ll need skills to manage people working for you in various locations, ensure that your customers are happy, and distribute the finances.

Give people what they need

Another skill you’re going to need is the ability to identify challenges, pain points, and problems that people are facing in different areas of their lives. You will need this knowledge to create the right content for your courses and eBooks. The fact is, people don’t mind paying for the valuable information which can make their lives better and easier.

Just remember that while eBooks and online courses can provide you with a steady income, it is vitally important to catch up with the trends and ensure that your content is relevant. However, no matter how much work this can involve, it will never be as demanding and exhausting as a regular nine-to-five job.

How to Fix Personal and Couple Financial Issues with the Help of Books

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So it seems I was so sick that I reposted an article that I had already posted months ago. So here’s another blog post by Kostas.

When it comes to personal finance, there are many problems that people experience. In fact, many individuals and couples find it very difficult to manage their finances effectively, which can lead to all sorts of issues. When personal and couple financial issues rear their heads, it is vital to take early action to avoid the problem getting any worse. Fortunately, there are various resources that you can turn to in order to do this.

Couples’ finance is a very important issue in terms of ensuring everything continues to run smoothly. If problems arise with finances it can also lead to problems in the relationship, as money issues can create a huge amount of stress and puts couples under immense pressure. In this article, I will talk about some finance books that can help to guide you through.

Some of the top books to turn to for personal finance advice

There are a number of tips that I provide for both individuals and couples who want to improve their personal financial situations, and I believe that books can be hugely beneficial. Many of the books relating to personal finance offer invaluable advice that is both practical and effective when it comes to improving finances. They can become a go-to guide for many individuals and couples, so they are always useful to have around if you want to keep your finances on track.

You will find that some of the best personal finance books can help you to not only get your finances back on track but also enjoy better financial health moving forward, which means greater peace of mind and better quality of life for you. So, let’s take a look at some of the books that can help with individuals’ and couples’ personal finances:

· The Total Money Makeover: This book, which is by Dave Ramsey, is a guide that helps you back to financial fitness. The approach used is effective and practical, which makes it easier for readers to follow in order to get their finances into shape. In addition to this, there are various success stories that can provide you with inspiration and hope when it comes to money problems and debt. This is a book that really focuses on getting to the root of the matter, providing you with information on what you should and should not do in order to achieve financial fitness.

· The One Page Financial Plan: In this personal finance book author, Carl Richards, provides a simple solution to being sensible about money. People often find it difficult to create a financial plan, and this can all be part of the issue when finances start to fall apart. With this book, you can develop an understanding of why you need to create a plan and how it can help you when it comes to your finances. You will come to understand how to prioritize effectively when it comes to money, which in turn makes it easier to make informed decisions.

· Home Finances for Couples: Author, Leo Ostapiv, provides a wealth of information in this book, which is targeted toward couples who want to stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to financial matters. It is an excellent tool to help you to manage your finances effectively as a couple and avoid the pitfalls that many couples fall into when it comes to money. You can learn more about how to work toward shared financial goals and how to overcome money issues as a couple.

· The Couples Guide to Income Power: This book is by Jason G. Miles and is all about showing couples how to increase their income, get rid of debt, and even retire at an earlier age. You will find a huge variety of valuable information in this book, making it a great guide for couples that want to benefit from complete financial fitness. If you have financial goals and are struggling to reach them, this book can be an inspiration. In addition, you can benefit from the step by step guide that makes implementing the strategies far easier and helps you to enjoy greater financial freedom.

· The Couples Guide to Financial Compatibility: Author, Jeff Motske, clearly knows how personal financial issues can affect couples and result in arguments and even breakups. In this book, he provides information and advice that will enable couples to work together when it comes to both spending money and saving it. As a certified financial planner, the author has the expertise and experience to offer sound and very effective advice to couples that want to be able to put their money related issues behind them.

· First Comes Love, Then Comes Money: Bethany Palmer, the author of this book, focuses her attention on the importance of communication between couples when it comes to financial matters. Many couples fall into financial ruin because of their inability to communicate over financial matters. However, this book provides invaluable advice and suggestions that will make it easier for couples to discuss and agree about issues that affect their financial situation as a couple.

· The Heart of Money: A Couple’s Guide to Creating Tue Financial Intimacy: We all know that intimacy is important in a relationship. Well, in this book the author, Deborah L. Price, also focuses on the importance of intimacy when it comes to finances between couples. As a financial coach, she has helped many couples to overcome financial issues. This book is designed to provide the same benefit, with practical information that couples can implement.

Making finances work for you

The one thing that these books all have in common is the ability to help individuals and couples make finances work for them. With the range of expert advice and step by step processes, you should find that getting your finances back into shape is not as difficult as you might have thought. Better still, the advice given in these books will help you to keep your finances in good shape.

Environmentally Friendly Money Saving: Make Your Home Energy Efficient

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The following is a guest post by Kostas Chiotis. He is an economist who shares tips on how to save money and manage finances at FinanceBlogZone.com. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Every time we think about home improvements, the first question that comes to mind is, “ Will this save me money”? Your goal might be getting out of debt, or saving money or just keeping your budget in place, but did you know that you can save money while being kind to the planet? I will talk about how we can make our homes energy efficient without hurting the environment.

In recent years, many people have become sensitized of the need to conserve the environment and save money at the same time. The perception that eco-friendly homes must be newbuilds is misleading because you can start making small changes to your home with the few bucks that you have. Such improvements can be done with any budget, without breaking the bank. If you want to make a start, here are suggestions to reduce your energy bills and help the planet.

Top 10 Eco-friendly Home Improvements to Save you Money

1. Seal Leaks and Drafts

Sealing air leaks during winter and summer will help you save some dollars off your energy bill. Check your house for possible drafty doors and windows, that bring in cold or hot air, forcing your air HVAC system to work extra hard to maintain desirable temperatures. Overworking the air conditioners or furnace means that more energy will be used up, putting a strain on your wallet. Test for leakage in draft-prone areas such as window frames, doors, baseboards, pipes and chimney and use weather stripping or caulk to seal them.

2. Roof restoration

Investing in roof restoration will save you money in the long run, although the price for the restore services could be high. During the summer, roof restoration will prevent heated air from entering your house, thereby reducing strain on the cooling system. It also helps in keeping the house warm during winter. You can lower the cost of roof restoration by using green roofing products and hiring a local contractor.

3. Use wood-framed windows

Replacing your UPVC and metal windows with wood-framed windows will save you money and protect the environment. Wood-framed windows last a lifetime, are more insulating and less polluting than the popular UPVC windows which emit toxic compounds. Also, wood-framed windows are easy to repair.

4. Install a Programmable Thermostat

If you use an old air conditioner at home, you are likely to see inflated utility bills during the summer, since these systems have to do extra work to maintain the home temperatures. Ideally, you have to turn off the AC when there is no one at home or lower the temperatures when people are asleep. You can quickly forget such actions.

With the programmable thermostat, you can regulate your home’s temperatures depending on the settings you choose for specific times of the day. Plus, it is inexpensive to install, and it will shave off some bucks from your bill.

5. Buy Energy Efficient Electric Appliances

When purchasing new appliances or upgrading your home equipment, check if they have the Energy Star label. The label means that the devices have been certified by Energy Star and meet a high level of energy efficiency. They offer significant energy savings without compromising on the performance. Also, some electricity providers offer incentives for replacing old appliances with the energy star rated models.

6. Install Solar Energy

Solar energy power is a renewable source of energy that is provided naturally from the sun. Although solar panels are expensive to purchase and install, they can result in huge savings in the long term, making your home green.

To take advantage of solar power, make sure you locate it in a place where it can collect as much energy as possible. Hire a local contractor to advise you on the best location for the solar panels. Also, you can benefit from tax breaks, grants, and incentives from the government, as they continue to encourage the public to utilize the natural power around us and bring down electricity consumption. If you are in debt, getting advice on how to manage debt and taking advantage of such government grants and incentives is good for your wallet.

7. Use Sustainable Building Materials

Did you know that you can use eco-friendly materials when building every part of your home? Using materials such as recycled plastics, recycled glass, reclaimed lumber, bamboo, and cork will help reduce the impact of the construction on the surrounding. They can be used as building materials, roofing materials, floor insulation and sealing air leaks in your home.

In addition, insist that your contractor recycles old wood floors, doors, and windows instead of sending them to the landfill.

8. Eco-friendly Lighting

Replacing your old bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) will lower your electricity bills over time. CFLs and LEDs have a longer lifespan than the traditional bulbs, even though they are pricey. They are an ideal option for eco-friendly home improvements.

9. Add heavy curtains over windows and doors

Although they may seem cumbersome, heavy curtains or drapes will help conserve energy by trapping warm air inside during cold weather. Also, the curtains will keep the sun’s heat out during the summer, thus reducing an overwork on the air conditioner. This helps to reduce energy bills in the long term.

10. Water Saving Improvements

Moving from high flow to low flow faucets and showerheads will contribute to water conservation and cutting down your water bills. Also, you can help the environment by taking a shower rather than a bath that requires a lot of water.

Collect rain water by installing a water harvesting system and storing it in a tank. Use the rainwater for household activities such as watering your landscaping and flushing the toilet. Also, using tankless water heaters instead of hot water tanks will help save space and energy, since it heats only water that is passed through the electric coil. The extra space can be used for holding the rain barrels that store rainwater.

No matter how limited your budget is, you can make your home energy efficient and save the planet. The best part is, you do not have to make complete upgrades to be eco-friendly. Instead, start making small improvements, and your home will be green. In the course of the year, plan to make small improvements such as replacing your old bulbs with LEDs or CFLs, upgrading your electrical appliances to Energy Star rated models and sealing the air leaks around your window frames and doors.

Photo Credites: Pixabay

How Much Does Creating a Website Cost?

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The following is an article from Trent Anderson. It’s especially timely because I’ve spent the last couple of days dealing with a pile of other work. So while this isn’t a typical personal finance article, I think it can be helpful for small business owners. I hope to get together my monthly financial review for tomorrow.

If you run a business, you need to have a website that performs well. After all, a website is your global shop window, so you need to make sure it’s designed effectively. There are options such as WordPress available, which you can use to design and host your own website. This limits the amount of cost involved, but is time and effort intensive; if you want to do a good job.

It makes sense to search for a web design company or a professional SEO agency, to cater for all of your web design needs. They can handle the creation of your website, and the ongoing hosting and maintenance. But, how much does all of this cost?

The cost of a high end website

The costs of creating and maintaining a high end website have risen in recent times. This is due to the use of technology such as responsive web design. You may think that paying an average of around $9000 is a substantial investment, and you would be right. That being said, if you have the budget to invest, it can be worth it.

You get a website that is designed for use by users of all devices, including mobile users. Given that more people browse the Internet using a mobile device than using a desktop, you can see why this is a valuable advantage.

Lower priced websites

The fact is that not every business can afford to invest in a high end website. The good news is that website design priced at the lower end of the market has become more affordable. This is partly due to the fact that there are many more web developers and designers out there, and competition has led to price reductions. There are also more free design tools that are accessible online.

This means that you should be able to have a good basic website designed for an average of around $2000. You need to remember that basic means just that, and your website is unlikely to be optimized for viewing using a mobile device.

[Editor’s Note: I disagree with the author here. If the website is created in WordPress it is easy to choose a theme that is optimized for mobile users. It can be as easy as just clicking a few boxes. If you are paying $2000, you should demand that it is mobile-optimized.]

Ongoing website hosting and maintenance costs

It’s not just about the initial cost of setting up a website; it also has to be maintained and hosted on an ongoing basis. The cost of this varies greatly depending on aspects such as the functionality of your website, the type of maintenance and the choice of hosting option. Generally, you can expect to pay anything between $75 and $1000 per month.

An effective web site is a vital tool for any business. You need to make sure that your website is designed and maintained to have the optimum potential effect. Obviously, the performance of your website can be affected by the amount of money you pay for it; generally speaking you get what you pay for. There are options available for most budgets though. You should seek professional advice about how to make the most of your budget, to create a website that works for you.

Request Financial Risk Tolerance Assessment Software from Your Advisor

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[The following is a guest post by Mark Friedenthal, the founder and CEO of Tolerisk®. Tolerisk is a risk tolerance assessment tool that is created for financial advisors and those in the wealth management industry. Prior to launching Tolerisk®, Friedenthal started Friedenthal Financial, where he worked as an investment advisor for private clients.

I think financial risk tolerance is a very big deal that doesn’t get a lot of attention in the personal finance space. Having witnessed the dot-com bust in 2000 and the subprime bust in 2008, I know that they can be painful for those who aren’t prepared. We’ve gotten close to another 8 years without a big collapse. Maybe the next one is around the corner.]

Whether you invest a significant amount in the markets, or you’re simply trying to grow a nice retirement savings account, you will want to work with a financial advisor who can provide expert insight and guidance. That being said, it is essential that you and your advisor agree to the amount of risk that is right for you, as you manage your investments.

Don’t feel like you have to attempt to figure out your risk tolerance level on your own. Instead, request that your financial advisor use advanced risk tolerance assessment software, such as Tolerisk®, in order to create the right plan of action for your specific situation.

Top Reasons Why Clients Request Tolerisk® Financial Risk Tolerance Assessment Software

  1. They want to know the right level of risk to be taking — and how it will likely evolve over time. Risk tolerance questionnaires are not new. Most financial advisors have been using these questionnaires with their clients for years, but most of these questionnaires lack a scientific approach. The majority of these questionnaires provide clients with a vague ‘moderate’ risk level. This leaves lots of room for interpretation by Advisors and clients alike. With good risk tolerance assessment software, scientific calculations are used to provide advisors with personalized results for each individual client. Ultimately, the assessment results provide clear guidance as to the next steps that should be taken with your particular portfolio risk.
  2. They want to understand how differing decisions (how long they work, how much they save, or how well they live) will impact risk level and how long their money will last. Your basic risk tolerance questionnaire is going to ask you a lot of questions about your personality. While this is one thing to consider when determining your risk level, there are also several other important factors that must be incorporated into your decisions. Request that your financial advisor use good risk tolerance assessment software that evaluates both your willingness and ability to take risk. There is a non-linear relationship between these two factors that must be analyzed in order to deliver expert results.

Ultimately, by working with a financial advisor who utilizes good risk tolerance assessment software, you can receive the expert care and guidance that you need as you maneuver through the financial markets. Tolerisk® is risk tolerance assessment software that takes into consideration both your willingness and ability to take risk. After the assessment is complete, your advisor will review a report that incorporates all of your unique information and produces very personalized results. This report, which is easy to read and interpret, can be used as a valuable resource when it comes to managing your investments and your expectations.