Obviously, I ended up choosing a different career path but I have designed and wrapped my own candy bars for family baby showers. They are ALWAYS a hit! Awhile back, I wrote an article about candy wrapping but removed it from my website a few years ago. So here it is again, for those of you looking to start your own candy wrapper business.

As a side note, I have design clients who run this type of business and they must be doing well, they afford me! LOL

So exactly what does a “Candy Wrapper Designer” do you ask?

They create custom designed candy wrapper covers for a variety of candies including chocolate candy bars, lifesavers, gum, tic tacs, mints and many other treats and products (even popcorn bags!). Many candy wrappers also create wrappers for non-food items like bubbles and matchbooks as well. The possibilities are endless – if you can wrap it, you most likely can market it! While the most popular events to create wrappers for are weddings, birthdays and new babies, most candy wrappers also create designs for anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, businesses, holidays, religious ceremonies, graduations and more.

You will need the following supplies to start your business:

Computer: No special type of computer is needed. If you can afford it however, try to find one with a good amount of memory (or upgrade your current memory) to keep your computer running quickly while you work with your design files.

Printer: Regardless of what brand you choose, you will need to have a color printer. An ink jet will work fine although, if you can afford one, you may eventually want to upgrade to a laser printer. Ink for laser printers cost less than ink jets and laser printers are less likely to smudge your wrappers.

Paper: You can use any type of paper you wish, regular white paper will work for your wrappers , or you can use glossy or matte paper. You can also use a specialty paper like metallic paper. Whichever you choose, keep in mind that you will want to charge an additional fee to your customers when you offer more expensive papers as they do cost more.

A Cutting Device: If you are just starting out or are on a limited budget, scissors will work just fine for cutting out your wrappers. As your business grows, you will most likely want to purchase a good quality paper cutter. This will save you a lot of time.

An Adhesive: You will most likely want to test your options and decide which works best for you. Glue (a stick works best) and tape are the most common adhesives used. Make sure that whatever you choose is acid free and photo safe.

Software: Possibilities include Paint, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Microsoft Publisher, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop, etc.

Candy: The candy you purchase will depend upon the kind of wrappers you sell. You might want to start out only offering regular and miniature size candy bar wrappers and then add other candy as your business grows. Candy is of course optional as you could opt to sell your wrappers only. But for handing out samples (as well as testing your wrapper sizes) you may want to keep some candy on hand. Sam’s Club or Costco (if available in your location) are good places to purchase candy in bulk at a low price.

In addition to the above supplies, you might consider having on hand a scanner (for adding photos), a digital camera (for adding photos) and a fax machine (for receiving orders and sending wrapper proofs to customers).

Here are dimensions for some candy you may want to wrap:

Standard Candy Bar
5.5 inches x 5.5 inches
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar or Nestle Crunch Bar

Miniature Candy Bar
1.45 inches x 2.99 inches
Hershey’s Assorted Miniatures

Lifesavers Roll
2.25 inches x 3 inches

If you are interested in starting your own candy wrapper business from home, I recommend you download the Moms Talk Biz Guide to Start Your Own Candy Wrapper Business. This eBook includes instructions and information on pricing your products, finding customers, candy wrapping tips and more.

The ebook costs under $17 to purchase and comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. If you have wanted to learn more about this business, here is your chance WITHOUT spending a lot of money.

Gerae Lindsey

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I later went online and found out how to start mystery shopping myself. At the time I was not looking for anything full-time, just a way to earn a few extra bucks or maybe a free dinner. An that is exactly what I did. After weeding through different companies (many want you to pay them for access to jobs), I found one that kept me busy for months. I visited hardware shops, restaurants and other local shops. I usually had to make a purchase (save your receipts, your costs are refunded) and then go online afterwards to answer questions and leave comments about my experience.

I was either paid by check a few weeks later, or via free dinner (which was really fun for my husband and I – eating at nice restaurants for free).

I no longer mystery shop myself as I just do not have the time to do so. But if you are looking to earn some extra money, mystery shopping is a lot of fun. 

But is it right for you?

As a mystery shopper, you can go to restaurants, stores, hairdressers, grocery stores, amusement parks or any other businesses as a customer. The purpose of these visits are to evaluate the customer service (actual service, knowledge of staff, cleanliness, etc.) that is being offered.

Mom’s Talk Network recently released an ebook about mystery shopping titled How to Become a Mystery Shopper. It covers important topics including:

What a mystery shopper does and WHY
Demand for mystery shoppers
What it takes to be a mystery shopper
How much can you earn as a mystery shopper?
How to get mystery shopping jobs
What scams to look out for

This guide would have saved me a lot of time back when I was looking to start mystery shopping. The price is low (only $13.97 – MUCH less than many leading websites are charging for mystery shopper info.) and you download your ebook after making payment. It is also backed by a 30-day money back guarantee.

Mystery shopping was really fun for me and helped me earn between $50-$100 a month working very part-time hours. If you enjoy shopping and have a good eye for detail, mystery shopping might be a good fit for you.

[tags]Mystery Shopping, Start Your Own Business, Work at Home, Get Paid To Shop[/tags]

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A transcriptionist can work for various companies and individuals transcribing voice recordings into text.  It takes a computer, inexpensive equipment and you can set up your own home transcription office.

What does it take to become a transcriptionist? 

Along with good typing skills there are other traits a transcriptionist needs:

Ability to apply common sense.  Often times you won’t understand what the dictation is saying and you’ll need to try to put the phrase into context to figure out what the speaker means.

A keen eye for detail.  This will help in proofreading and editing to ensure you turn in the highest quality work.

Strong work ethics. You’ll have to meet deadlines and be extremely reliable.

Good organizational skills.  If you have a lot of clients it’s important to stay organized.

Good communication skills.  For marketing your business and dealing with clients.

Professionalism and discreetness (often times you’ll be transcribing very sensitive documents which require full confidentiality).

Basic computer skills and the ability to get around a word processing program.

A good grasp of the English language, good spelling and grammar skills.

Who uses professional transcription services?

College Students – Students will often record lectures on hand-held recorders.  Many times they like to have these lectures and recordings transcribed. 

Realtors – Realtors may record a variety of letters which then need to be transcribed.

Insurance Companies – Insurance companies need an accurate record of all claims made.  The loss adjusters will often record notes about the claims and you will need to go through a standard template and transcribe these notes for the client’s records.

Charities and similar organizations – Many charities make an audio recording of their meetings and then like to have these transcribed for their official records. 

Book Publishers – Although book publishers often have personal letters and meetings they like transcribed, they also often have work to be edited.  Good transcriptionists are also good at editing as it goes hand in hand with the job.  Book publishers need people with a keen eye for detail to help edit transcripts.

If you are interested in starting your own transcription business from home, I recommend you download the Moms Talk Biz Guide to Starting a Transcription Business. This new eBook includes step-by-step instructions, resources and inside information to start your own transcription business from home.

The ebook costs less than $15 to purchase and comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. If you have been wanting to learn more about this business, here is your chance to do so WITHOUT spending a lot of money.

[tags]Work at Home, Home Business, Medical Transcription, Transcription, Start Your Own Business[/tags]

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