Earn Quick Money: Rent Out a Room in your House

Do you live in a house and have a room that you do absolutely nothing with but store all your crap that you need to throw away?

Do you rent an apartment with an extra room that you use as an office but you never go in there?  And for you people with a one-bedroom apartment, do you have a couch someone could sleep on?

But most importantly, do you live in or near a big metropolitan location where plenty of people like to travel to sightsee or attend educational or business conventions?

If you have any of these options and you need to make some money, then you should think about renting out a room, a bed or a couch to make extra money.

I personally have a friend that bought a two-bedroom one and half bath house in a nice university town in the Bay Area that rents out her room maybe two weekends out of the month on average which gains her 60% of her mortgage payment.  If you have room to spare you should really think of taking advantage of the many "vacay rental" or "couch surfing" sites like AirBnB.

It's very simple (not easy, just simple) and lucrative as long as you follow a few tips:

1.  You have to be okay with people living in the same space you live in.  It's important to get your mindset right.  Even if you have a separate space with a separate entrance to offer, you will still hear noises or have to deal with occasional requests and problems.

2.  Take all your personal effects out of the room. Think hotel room when you are cleaning and clearing the room.  Have useful items in it for a guest staying there, but those are the only items that should be in that space.

3.  Make sure your landlord is okay with this if you rent.  Make sure your home association will permit this activity if you own.  It's a good idea to check your local zoning laws as well.

4.  Clean the place, or better yet have a professional cleaner come in and do a deep clean.  Make sure everything in the space works (windows should open easily, doors should close tightly and locks work, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, etc.)  Even if you have all kinds of things not functioning in the rest of the house, make sure wherever the guests are placed everything is working well.

5.  Light the room well and take great photos.  If you are not very good at taking photos, get a friend that it's into photography or even a photography student from your local community college to come in and take some shots.

How to get the highest ratings and make the most money

There is one word that that will get you more money and high-star ratings:  AMENITIES.  There are three things you need to be concerned about.  Cleanliness, Safety, and Amenities.  Think about investing in a professional cleaning service.  Make sure the space you are renting out is super clean. You can add a "cleaning fee" to your rate on your room to recoup that expense.  Safety is key, make sure you have smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, first aid kit and fire extinguishers fully functional.

But what will put things over the top are the amenities in your room.  When you think of amenities, think of these items:

Electronics
Wi-Fi access
Television with a Firestick attachment (Netflix)
Small Electric Fan
Universal (international) Charging Station
Bluetooth Speakers

Work Station
Small table with desk supplies (could be a TV table with chair)

Grooming
Hair Dryer
Non-Frangrance shampoos, soap, and lotions
Extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, and tissues
Iron and Ironing board
Full-length mirror
One size fits all bathroom robe
Simple suitcase stand

Snacking
In-room coffee maker
Coffee, teas, cream/sugar, honey, etc.
Bottle opener
Bottles of water (in an ice bucket for cold water)

Sleeping/Bedding
Pillow mattress topper
Hypoallergenic/waterproof mattress cover
High-quality white bed sheets
Great pillows + two extra pillows (2 soft and 2 firm)
Extra blankets
Earplugs and Eye-masks

The wow factor
Complimentary welcome basket (with local treats)
Fresh Flowers
Local area books and magazines
Card with a personalized message for guests

Consider listing every amenity you provide.  This will allow you to compete with top-ranking host properties.

You can make even more money if you are able to rent out an entire apartment, condo or house.

Articles to help you prepare:

How to prepare your room for guests.

How to set up every type of space to rent on AirBnB

How to Prepare Your Home for Airbnb, VRBO or other Short Term Guests

7 Tips to Make Bank with AirBnB


Places to list your space:

AirBnB

They began in 2008 when two designers who had space to share hosted three travelers looking for a place to stay. Now, millions of hosts and travelers choose to create a free Airbnb account so they can list their space and book unique accommodations anywhere in the world. The experience hosts share their passions and interests with both travelers and locals.

VRBO

In 1995, VRBO introduced a new way for people to travel together, pairing homeowners with families and friends looking for places to stay.  We were grounded in one purpose: To give people the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together.

Since then, we've grown into a global community of homeowners and travelers, with unique properties in 190 countries around the world.  VRBO makes it easy and fun to book cabins, condos, beach houses and every kind of space in between.


NoirBNB

"Noirbnb is global travel community that provides experiences and events with a focus on including and celebrating travelers of color. Our accommodations take our guests all around the world to popular destinations and events inspired by the African diaspora. Noirbnb was born in October 2015 after our co-founder, Stefan's experience while booking a stay in Atlanta. We realize his experience was not an isolated case and more importantly, that there was an opportunity to create a better, safer experience for travelers."


Inclusive Vacation

Bringing the global community together - Travel the world with dignity and love. Innclusive was founded as a result of the discrimination marginalized groups were facing on other rental platforms. We're building a place where you can travel with respect, dignity, and love, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity or any of the other things that humans use to discriminate against other human beings.

PERSPECTIVE: The quick money series on Telecommuting Millionaire? is to help you find funding so you can take your first steps to following your dreams.  After you read a few of my Quick Money articles, you will realize that Money is Everywhere. Don't use these quick money ideas, unless you understand that you are using these ideas  . . . not to pay off debt, not for extra salary, not for "fun money" . . . but as a stepping stone to financing the first steps of your dreams.  Dog-gone it, we are going to gain our financial freedom together! Read: Money is Everywhere to get the proper perspective.

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Just FYI:  Some of my posts contain affiliate links.  That simply means that if you buy something through one of my links, you won't pay any additional costs, but "Telecommuting Millionaire?" will get a small referral fee that helps me pay some of my business expenses. 
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Start Your Morning Off Right

Want to start your day off right?  I have the solution.  It's not hard, but I bet it will be challenging for you to do this simple thing for 30 days.

I promise you, however, if you do this for 30 days, your whole entire life WILL CHANGE.  Everything will start going your way.  Your work will be easier.  The people around you will be nicer.  Money will flow to you (if that's what you want) and love will grow in places you never dreamed!  You will embark on adventures that leave you utterly satisfied.  And most of all, you will be happier with yourself than you ever could imagine.

Every day, as soon as the alarms rings or as soon as you wake up .  . .

1. Lay on your back
2. Don't reach for any electronic device except the OFF BUTTON on the alarm.
3. Take 5 deep and calming breaths
4. List all the things you are thankful for . . . until you run out of things you can think about.
5. Ruminate on all the things you just listed for an entire minute, take 5 deep breaths again.
6. Start your day, get out of bed.

Do this every day (don't skip any days) for 30 days.

Come back and leave a comment on this post and let me know what happened to you after the 30 days.


But Telemill, what if I don't have anything to be thankful for?

• Let me help you.  You can start with these:

• I am thankful that I am alive and I woke up today

• I am thankful that I can take 5 deep breaths

• I am thankful for my bed

• I am thankful for my working alarm

• I am thankful for my loved one

• I am grateful that it is a new day

• I am grateful for the breakfast I will eat 

• I am grateful for sleeping last night

• I am grateful that the sun came up again

• I am grateful for opening my eyes this morning

• I am grateful for the air around me

• I am grateful for the warming that surrounds me

• I am thankful about the peace that is surrounding me right now

• I am grateful for the exercise

• I am thankful that I've done this exercise XX times in a row

There, that should get you started!  Don't forget to come back and let me know what happens to you after 30 days.

I'm rooting for you and wishing every success my powerful and influential friends!

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IF YOU WIN THE LOTTERY: A simple way to keep your riches

There are so many stories of how people lose their winnings when they have a windfall, such as winning the lottery.  Here is a simple way to keep your windfall working FOR you for years!

It's really simple.  Ready?

Let's say you've won the lottery.  Let's imagine the smallest win in California which is $7 million.

If you take the cash value of that win, you can say goodbye to 50% of the winnings.  So, you actually get a lump sum of $3.5 million.  Oh but wait, you have to pay your taxes!  If you consider Federal and State Taxes subtract 40%.

So, take your $3.5 million x .40 = $1,400,000.  Now $3,500,000 - $1,400,000 = $2,100,000


So, ultimately you will receive a check for $2,100,000 (they actually wire it to your account, but I digress).  Now let's create simple steps to make your life better for the rest of your life.


Step 1.  Hire a tax advisor, financial advisor and attorney.  It's very important that you do this first because these guys can help you avoid taxes & fees and keep people who will try to take your money (troublemakers) away from your winnings.  This should cost you no more than $25,000 initially (warning: if they want more than that, find another advisor)
($25,000)

Step 2. Get rid of debt.  Most U.S. Citizens have no more than $100,000 in debt.  Let's just say for this exercise you have $100,000 in debt.
($100,000)

Step 3.  Charity brings good karma and is a great tax deduction, so take 10% of your winnings and give to charity.
($210,000)

Step 4.  Play time!  What good is winning anything if you don't take some of that money and play with it.  You have permission to spend (some) of your winnings on frivolous things you've always wanted.  Take 10% and play, play, play
($210,000)

Step 5.  Now take the rest of your winnings and put it in a safe investment yielding at least 6% per annum. Your financial advisor will be able to tell you were you can find investments that will yield 6-10% in interest SAFELY.  For this exercise we'll calculate with a conservative 6%, your financial advisor may be able to help you gain a higher yield.

You have $2,100,000 (cash winnings) - $545,000 (Steps 1-4) = $1,555,000

So,  $1,555,000 x .06% = $93,300 per year.

If you keep this cash winnings in this investment, never touch that $1,555,000 million and leave it in that account you will receive at minimum $93,300 per year.  This is your yearly salary, without working a 9-5 job, automatically.  With no debt, could you live on $93,300 a year?

I don't know about you, but I sure can!

And as long as you take out $93,000 a year from your account or LESS, you will always be a millionaire.  If you decide to take LESS than $93,000 a year  . . . say $75,000 a year, you will grow your million into multi-millions within a few years!

And THAT is how you win the lottery, live well and still have millions YEARS later.

Now that you have a concrete plan if you win the lottery.  Go buy a ticket!  And good luck.

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How do music stars go bankrupt?

We are continuing with the lesson on BIG MONEY and how NOT to become bankrupt.  

Music stars, yes, music stars live a very glamorous life right?  

They ride in fancy cars, wear the latest clothes, diamonds, houses, jet planes, champagne . . . all in front of the camera.  Yes, it's great.

But what they don't tell these stars is when the cameras stop recording and they are sitting at home alone, they better break out the Excel Spreadsheets . . . or better yet, the pen and paper and calculator and make sure they have money left over.

Here is the Late Great Lisa "Left-eye" Lopez of the singing group TLC explaining how a group that should over 10,000,000 records in one year (yes, that's 10 million) can be in bankruptcy.  

Listen carefully, because all this information can be controlled from the beginning if you work your CONTRACTS correctly (which most people that gain a big wad of money do not do).  When someone starts talking to you and mentions money that is in the millions.  Time to talk to a lawyer and make sure that lawyer is getting you EVERY ADVANTAGE on that contract.  

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What should you do if you get BIG MONEY!

Josh Childress explains: What Happens When You Sign A $11 Million Deal In The NBA 

There are a lot of people (more than you are aware) that fall into money.  Yes, this can happen to you.  You could win the lottery, become famous, become a sports star or win a settlement . . . and of course you could inherit [it can happened!]

If you are going to have big money, you have to be ready to manage BIG MONEY.  The stats show that people that have a "wind fall" (i.e. a lot money gets dropped into laps) are broke within 3-5 years.  We are NOT going to have that happen to you.

Here are some people that know what it's like to have sudden money.  Listen to their story and take notes of what they did.  You, my dear, are NOT going to be them.

Antoine Walker Lost $110 Million Dollars

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Your Environment and Circumstances . . .

The other day, one of my friends asked me if I really believed some of the things I write about.  In particular that one's environment and circumstances are a reflection of one's thoughts.  He went on and on pointing out all the obvious reasons why I should discount this belief that I espouse.  

He pointed out that I was born on the lower-economic echelon of Great American economic ladder; that I was African-American and a female in a male dominated world; my education was not the best; I know very few people of influence; I was the statistical fatherless child growing up --  the list went on and on.

Yes, I agreed, all those things are true.  And most people would be angry at all the unfair treatment that a little black girl from the poor side of town, who didn't know her father, received on a regular basis all through her life.  But, I had a whole extended family  of 30+ people who loved and supported me.  My primary education wasn't the best, but I pushed myself through college and hold a degree in a field that I love.  Through hard work and money management skills, I'm no longer in the lower levels of the economic ladder.  And I'm part of a wonderful nuclear family that has a dedicated mommy and daddy and three bright kids. I do the work that I love.  And all through my trials and tribulations I have had wonderful friends, family and fans of my work that keep me motivated and smiling on a daily basis.

Yes, the world can be rough and brutal and I've seen some really messed up stuff and people have done some terrible things to me and near me, but I can still hold on to the principal that your mindset determines the condition of your environment and your circumstances.

Shaking his head, he still could not understand how this could be.  How I could think this way . . . so, I told him a story. That made this very clear to him, I think.


 There is an old fairy story about the Sun and Earthly Creatures.

One day, the Sun was listening to some earthly creatures 

talking about a very dark place they had found. A place of 

deep, dark abyss. A Stygian darkness, of gloom and 

forbidding. Each creature told how terrifically horrible and

dark the place had seemed. They went on and on about this 

place they had found, describing it in great detail.

Curious, the Sun went and looked for this place. He went to 

the exact spot they had described. He searched 

EVERYWHERE, but he could not find even a tiny shadowy 

spot.

He came back to tell the earth creatures he couldn't find it, 

and in fact, he did not believe there was any dark place.

For you see, we only see our reflection - the energy we give 

off. Darkness is the absence of light. Evil is merely the 

absence of good.

BE THE SUN my friend.

P.S. I failed to point out to my friend one thing on his list that was very, very wrong. I DO know people of influence and power.  YOU!  Stay powerful and influential my friends!



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Now that you are awake . . . creating money out of thin air.

The hidden secrets of money. Does this ring true to you, or do you think these guys are blowing smoke up your butt? Watch this video and tell me what you think.

I do agree very much agree with what these guys said when they said actual wealth equals "your time."  Your time IS truly your wealth.  Your time, you effort and your creativity . . . this is truly your wealth, not vehicles, not real estate, not currency, not net worth.  Your TIME!  Check it out. . .

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We are soooo doomed, if we don't WAKE UP!

Wake up America! Wealth Inequality in the U.S.

People, when are we going to wake up?  It's time to look a reality, figure out what's wrong with our current economic situation and fix it.  This is not the way an equitable economy is suppose to work.  The bad news is . . . we let it get this far.  The good news is, we still have the power to change it.  Let's throw out some ideas.  What can we do to change this?

MY IDEA:  

Get the money out of American politics.  There are several lobbying organizations that are working to get "big money" out of politics which will allow the "common man" to win elections and legislate higher offices in the U.S.  I follow these guys WOLF-PAC - an organization that works for free and fair elections. What ideas can YOU come up with that can help us get back to the "ideal" state of U.S. economics?

Watch the video and drop your comments below!


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Luxury Living: Rent a Mansion

OK, castles are for the old world countries.  They are big, and clunky, cold and damp, and ghosts actually live in them.  You are a modern type of guy or gal and would much rather enjoy luxuries that are slightly more cosmopolitan and modern, right?

You would rather live in a mansion.  Am I right?  You want to experience the high-life.  You want to have a maid, a chef, concierge services, a fleet of luxury vehicles (on water and land), limo service with a chauffeur and perhaps a butler.

There are many places the provide mansion rentals that offer first class services at reasonable prices. If you want to experience living in a mansion, you can do it a number of ways:

(1) Vacation in a mansion by renting out a room in a mansion.  There are many places that will rent out rooms in mansions for comparable or BETTER prices than a hotel!  The cool part of this is, you can enjoy all the amenities of a luxury mansion for a price of an over-night stay.  For example, the Mexico Mansion in Acapulco have very great room rates, because the location is in Mexico your dollars are stretched further (less than a luxury hotel stay), and you have a butler serving your drinks and good 24/7.  No closed kitchens! Cool huh?

(2) Renting a mansion with friends or in a group.  If you can get a group of people together to share costs, you can have the mansion all to yourself.  Let's just say you have a group of family and/or friends and you'd like to enjoy a long vacation with them -- say one month or maybe a whole summer.  You can rent a mansion (with full concierge services) that sleeps 30 people for $15,000 a month. Let me break it down for you, that's $500 per person per month!  And you are living like kings.

Here are the resources that will let you do that:

Luxury Rentals

Trip Advisor Vacation Rentals

HomeAway.com

International Property Listings

Mansion Minders

IHA

(3) Home tending or what I like to call MANSION SITTING, where a renter occupies a luxury home while it's on the market, keeping the property in excellent condition to show to buyers and helping make sure of the security of the home. It allows you to live in a mansion for the cost of a small apartment. It's a pretty good deal. Check out these resources:

Mansion Sitters

Luxury House Sitting

Trusted House Sitters

Contemporary Home Sitters

My Home Tender

(4)  Instead of applying to become employed by a home tending service, you can learn all there is to know about home tending (by doing some research on the internet on the topic) and set yourself up, in a small business type of way, as a Mansion Sitter Consultant or or an "Executive Home Manager."  Provide management services that keep the mansion looking pristine . . . set up your website and market yourself to Real Estate Agents.  You also may want to look in Craigslist in your area for "home tender" "home care taker" and "home sitter".

Okay, people now that I've told you how to do it, I'm ready for you to take on this adventure and tell me all about it!  I've always wanted to have powerful and influential friends that live in mansions.



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Real Money vs. Fake Money

Why do I love my friends and followers on Twitter?  Let me tell you . . .

I was talking to Paris Nichlaides @OdysseusCA on Twitter, telling him about how I always tell my children, when they exchange coins for paper at the bank that they are trading Real Money for Fake Money.  You understand that don't you?  That when you give up your coins you are giving up REAL MONEY.  You DO understand that the paper money in your pocket/purse is just "Monopoly Money," right?  

Paris immediately sent me to a video that talks about the difference between "real money" and "currency" and it is really good, really entertaining and filmed in a way to hold your interest while explaining complex ideas.  I love it!  

I just had to share this information with you guys and found this video an excellent education on money, wealth and freedom . . . all the things I love to talk about on this blog so it fits right in.

Man, I love my friends and followers on Twitter. 

You can get more information at this webiste: GoldSilver.com | YouTube Channel

Like this article? Then you will probably like these articles too:

• Opportunity vs. Money
• Money and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
• Wealth- What is it really?
• Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford

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Why SHOULDN'T Marissa Mayer (CEO of Yahoo!) get $36 Million Dollars?

Man, what's going on with people!  There are so many articles about the female CEO of Yahoo! Inc. and how much she is getting paid -- like what she's getting paid last year is a big thing in the CEO world. It's not.  

Other top executives (CEOs, COOs, CIOs, etc.) get a lot more compensation with no proof that they are doing any innovating, changing or creating value for their perspective companies.  If you really look into the world of CEOs and their salaries & compensation -- I venture to say that Marrisa Mayer isn't even getting paid fairly compared to her fellow CEOs.  Let's see what CEOs are getting each year:

CEO's Salary & Compensation

 The average salary package of a S&P 500 Index Company is $12 Million in 2012 according to AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch. 

Google Inc. , Eric E. Schmidt made $100 Million
( Base: $937,500, Bonus: $0, Stock & Other Awards: $99 Million)

Oracle Corp, Lawrence Ellison made $96 Million
( Base: $1, Bonus $0, Stock & Other Awards: $96 Million)

CBS Corp, Leslie Moonves made $69 Million
 (Base: $3.5 Million, Bonus: $27.5 Million, Stock & Other Awards: $38 Million)

Discovery Communications Inc. David M. Zaslav $50 Million
( Base: $3 Million, Bonus $0, Stock & Other Awards: $47 Million)

Abercrombie & Fitch, Michael S. Jeffries $48 Million
( Base: $1.5 Million, Bonus $0, Stock & Other Awards: $46.5 Million)

Disney Co, Robert Iger $40.2 Million
( Base: $2.5 Million, Bonus $0, Stock & Other Awards: $37.7 Million)

McKesson Corp, John H. Hammergren $39.6 Million
( Base: $1.6 Million, Bonus $0, Stock & Other Awards: $38 Million)

There are more, but I was getting tired of typing so I choose these 7 . . .Please notice that these and approximate 100 more CEOs get in stock and other awards what Marrisa makes for her whole compensation package! Hmmmm.


Marrisa's Compensation:

So let's break down Marissa Mayer's take for 2012:
Base salary: $454,862
Bonus: $1,200,000
Stock Awards: $35,000,000 (which are not fully vested until 2017)
So basically, she can't sell most of her stock and realize a profit from having this stock until 2017. 

So, what does this tell me?  It tells me that unless she helps maintain the stock price or do things to raise the stock value up by the year 2017, she does not get much of the millions and millions you guys are crying "unfair" about.  So, currently she can only get her grubby little hands on $1.6 million dollars this year.  Hmmm.

Okay, so we're clear about how Marissa's pay & compensation doesn't even compare to the top 100 CEO's of the United States . . . let's look at what Marrisa brings to the table.

The Value Marrisa Brings to Yahoo! Inc.:

1.  Much media attention when everyone thought Yahoo! was dead because, face it, Google is GOD in the world of "Inter-webs".  And know this, Google is a jealous god. So good work Marissa for getting -- and continuing to get -- good media coverage for Yahoo! This is a tough task in itself.

2. She's revamping the company culture -- expanded benefits for Yahoo employees (except telecommuting), demanded employees take ownership of projects, gave away free technology to all employees so they can work faster and gain better response time to work. Marrissa and her team's goal is to make Yahoo! a great place to work and this push may be working because Yahoo! claims that people applying for jobs at the company has doubled in the year.

3.  Yahoo's stock increased by nearly 50% from July 2012 to April 2013, thereby creating $6.8 billion (that's a "B" people!) in additional value to the shareholders of Yahoo!

 4.  She just announced a new plan for generating more ad revenue using what they call "Yahoo! Stream Ads" and "Billboard Ads."

5.  Oh, and did I mention that she did all this while . . .birthing a freakin baby! And only took a couple of weeks off for maternity leave! But, she doubled the amount of paid leave Yahoo! gives their female employees (new mothers) from 8 weeks to 16 weeks.  And increase new father's paid leave to 8 weeks.

Okay, so let's look at the bottom line.  Marrisa Mayer in her first year (while having a baby) increased Yahoo!'s value $6.8 Billion while making $36 Million (of which she won't fully realize until 2017).

So in essence she's taking home .005% of the value that SHE CREATED for the company.  Look at that number folks, that's not even 1% that's not even .5% (half of a percent).  Excuse me but, compared to the other CEOs . . .I think that's freakin' fair!

Haters gotta stop hating!

Seriously, my dear friends, if you want to be rich some day -- if you are on the path of being wealthy and having millions, maybe even billions --you really have to stop hating on people and what they have acquired and do the numbers!  

If you could start figuring out your worth within your company, your association, your industry and actually show people that your skills, expertise and knowledge can gain them wealth -- you too can ask for .5% (half a percent) of the gain or profits.  You could even ask for 1% of the gain, profit or value with a good conscious and still be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.  We have to start breaking down what we can do and present them in cold, hard RESULTS (number,s usually).  It's the only language business understands, so we should start learning the language -- and stop hating others that are fluent in said language.

The moral of the story

The only thing I resent about Marrisa Mayers is that she realized that she was a value to a company and that she had the fortitude to take the risks, make the changes, and create great value -- and she recognized that she should be compensated for these skills.

And I freakin' didn't recognize this about myself!


So here's the question to you (my dear reader) . . .

When are WE going to realize this, so we can gain the wealth we want?

When are WE going to recognize our value and how it benefits others?

When we can answer that about ourselves.  Then we will no long waste energy questioning others and their success.  We will be to busy enjoying our own!

Like this article? Then you will probably like these articles too:

• Devaluing Your Skills and Experience 
• One Bad Apple . . . 
• Your Six Figure Income

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Devaluing your skills and experience . . . STOP THAT!

A while ago, I was working for a company that was in its infancy in using social media and developing their website to become an interactive marketing presence.  I was working in an administrative capacity then,  assisting the executives of the company.  They had little idea that I had some experience with social media, promotions and website design -- but I didn't make very much of it. It was a job and the pay was okay for what I was doing.

They seemed happy with what I could do but, they had no real idea that I had the ability to design websites from scratch using HTML.  They had no idea that I had years of online marketing experience.  They had no perceivable idea that I contributed to several blogs regularly.  They even had less of an idea that I continued to consult clients in building their social media presence.

One day a group of us at this company were having a meeting to discuss the social media efforts and the website of said company, when the Manager of Digital Communications, a person making about $15K above my salary, admitted that her knowledge of simple HTML coding was lacking -- among other rudimentary website design & coding practices -- in this case, she admitted she didn't know how to use tags and anchor codes.

What?!  I couldn't believe it.

As the meeting progressed, it became evident that  I clearly knew more then this person about digital communications, thirty minutes later I realized that I knew more about social media and website set-up than the majority of the people in the room!  And they all were making way more money then me! How did this happen?

Why had this happened?

Later, I had to admit to myself that this happened because I didn't let people know what I could do. I didn't market myself or my skills effectively, and/or let them know my rate of service.  The Manager of Digital Communications, however, did communicate all these skills to the right people and was therefore able to negotiate a better salary and a much more  prestigious job title.

Simply put, she valued her time, experience and expertise and knew how to put a lucrative price tag on it.  And I did not, therefore I lost out.  And for many of us, this scenario plays itself out over and over again.

So many of us feel like our employers do not appreciate our work.  We are struggling to pay bills and we are not earning what were are worth.  We must change this.  And to effectively change this, we  must first change our mind-set and our attitudes.

Each and every one of us have viable skills, experiences, and/or knowledge that can take us to the next step.  Dog-gone-it, each and every one of us has what it takes to get us to our very dreams. So why aren't we making the money we need to live, or to start our businesses, or to get out of debt?  Because we don't properly value what we know, what we've experienced, what we can do for others.

It's Time to Change Our "Value Attitude"

Seriously people, let's do a little exercise that can show you something powerful.  I want you to take an entire day and write down all the things that you do well.  No matter how silly it seems, just write down everything you know how to do.

Here is an example of a list of things I can do well

• Diaper a squirming, wet baby in 10 seconds flat
• Make homemade chocolate chip cookies
• Create and grow twitter accounts to over 10,000 followers
• Create a website from scratch (coding with HTML)
• Executive administrative duties supporting senior executives
• Write and self-publish a book
• Tile an entire bathroom
• Deep clean an entire refrigerator and make it look new again
• Sell and promote items on E-Bay 

Now take your list and begin looking for positions that ask for the skills associated with each of the things on your list.  For instance, what does a Twitter Account Manager make?  How much does an administrative assistant with 10 years of experience get in salary on average? How much does a tile job cost for the average-size bathroom?

Some things on your list are so big and complex that you have to cut it into smaller pieces to get a fair idea of the value.  For instance writing and self-publishing a book could be cut down into: Researching, Writing, Editing, Designing, Marketing & Promotion, Selling, etc.

Are you impressed yet with all the things you know and can do well?  Are you also amazed at how much people are getting in salary for skills, experience and knowledge that you have?  Good.  You are learning your value and you are changing your "value attitude" to reflect a more realistic appreciation for skills and experience.

You Are the Expert, Act Like It!

It's important that you know the value of your efforts, your work, your expertise.  See, that last word?  It means that you are the expert.  Yes, you are the expert on the topic of you and what you can do.

Too many times we wait for others to tell us our own value.  We need to change that.  We are the expert.  Therefore, we need to thoroughly research the market value of our skills.  We should know the value we bring to a team or project or company.  And most of all, we should be the expert/professional that convincingly outlines the cost to rent out our expertise/skill.

Let me say that again only a little louder: YOU ARE THE EXPERT.  And this is the attitude you should have when you apply for a job, or bid on a contract, or court a client.  Part of your job, as an expert, is to tell  the employer or the client what it will cost to get the valuable skills and experience they need -- the same valuable skills and experience you possess.

First Rule of "Value Attitude" Club . . . Don't Work For Free!

Never, provide free work thinking that the employer/client will be so impressed with your work that they will offer you a permanent job with loads of money. This almost never happens.  There are always exceptions, but these exceptions rarely involve YOU.

If you must provide work without monetary compensation, then you should get paid in another fashion, for example:

• You can work for testimonials -- make sure the name of your client/company name is prominent in the industry;
• Trade for needed services/expertise -- website hosting services, advertising, cleaning services
• Trade for rent
• Trade for equipment
• Work for anything of equal value to the charge for your service/expertise

Make sure what you trade is an advantage for you and will gain you more business, a higher salary or recognition.  Working for free is NOT marketing yourself.  Working for free is just that --working for no advantage.


Be Willing to be the Cool Guy

Cool guys never look back at explosions.  Be willing to let the opportunity or deal blow up behind you and don't look back.  In other words, if people are not willing to pay a fair market rate - which you have now totally researched - then be willing to walk away and pursue other opportunities.  NOTE TO SELF: Always have other opportunities in the works -- it's just good business.

If the idea of walking away from an offer -- no matter how poor the offer -- gives you the shakes, create a script for yourself like:

"You know, my normal price for projects like these is $5,000.  Take it or leave it.  To tell you the truth, I have other projects on my plate and if you are not interested or my price is above your budget, I totally understand and it's cool.  That's just what I charge for this type of work, and I don't go lower."

The same can go for salary negotiation:

"You know, I'm looking for a salary range around $75,000.  Take it or leave it.  To tell you the truth, I have other opportunities and if you are not interested or this above your budget, I totally understand and it's cool.  I've researched this thoroughly though and $75,000 is fair market value for the skill and experience I'd bring to this department (or company). I'm sorry but I can't go lower."

Now, repeat this script three times a day for the next 30 days, until you can recite your script in your sleep. Get comfortable with the statement, put it to music if you have to.  It will be what you will tell people and you will not deviate from it.  It isn't a pie in the sky number, it is something you have fully researched and as an expert, you know your value.


If You Are Frightened By The Word "No"

If you are in fear of rejection, then you have yet to read my blog post: Rejection is Your Friend.
Read it now.  And then, get used to rejection.  If you must, anesthetize yourself from the pain of the word "No" by having a friend tell you "No" a million times, to get you used to hearing the word. 

Remember, my sad story above.  I learned the hard way that it's the truth when people say, "Those who ask .  . . receive!"

Like this article? Then you will probably like these articles too:

Rejection Is Your Friend

Perfection Can Hurt You

The Key To Success

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