What a great time of year! Summer has come to a close, the kids have gone back to school, and Christmas is coming.

Yes, you read that right. Now, let me explain where I'm going here. Who spends money at Christmas time? Pretty much everyone would be the correct answer. What would be your thoughts on making some of that money during the Holidays, and not just spending it?

If you'd like to be on the making money end during the Holidays, now is the time to start preparing. Below I'm going to give you some money - making ideas. Pick the one that interest you the most!


CRAFTS
It doesn't matter if you're into woodworking, sewing, painting, pottery, or creating handmade paper. More than ever, people enjoy giving that, one of kind special gift at Christmas time. You can sell your wares via the Net, Holiday Bazaars, Craft Shows, consignment style and once you become known for your wares, word of mouth will keep you very busy.

Up until now, your crafting interest may have been no more than a hobby. It's now time to turn that hobby into a full-fledged business. Now this isn't always a smooth transition. I asked Barbara Brabec, the crafting expert and author, what's the best way to turn your hobby into a home business. She says, "Change your attitude if you want to get serious about it. You need to decide you want to make money, and you need that money. The only people who can make a living in a crafts business are those who decide to get serious about money and profits." So if you've been tinkering with the idea of actually selling your crafts, but haven't really put your heart into it, now is the time to decide if you want to continue as a hobby or make it a business."

For a complete article on starting a crafting business, check out "Secrets To Making Money With Crafts".

Helpful Resource: "The Crafts Business Answer Book & Resource Guide -- Answers to Hundreds of Troublesome Questions About Starting, Marketing & Managing a Home-based Business Efficiently, Legally & Profitably" Written By Barbara Brabec.


SANTA LETTERS
Personalized Specialty Letters are primarily a whimsical treat for children. You've seen the delight in your child's eyes when there was a piece of mail for them. You remember how special you felt when you got mail as a child.

When well planned, authored and marketed, these letters from Santa become keepsakes in the child's memory book. They are little things that evoke smiles for years to come, as the child and the parent recall the excitement and interest in the mail itself, and then the sheer delight when the child discovered where the letter came from.

Success, and repeat orders, for Personalized Specialty Letters is achieved by one's ability to remember the age of 4 or 5. To produce a quality letter, one must be able to think like the child, and also be prepared for some diligent work.

The rewards of this type of business are very exciting. Hooking up with retail stories and charities can help increase your profit.

Helpful Resource: An excellent how to resource on starting and running a Santa letter business as well as other personalized specialty letters.


GIFT BUYING SERVICE
The facts are these; we are all busier than ever. Everyone from companies to families are in need of someone to search out the perfect Christmas gifts for colleagues, clients and friends. Now is a good time to start planning out this business so you know who you'll be contacting, and how you'll contact them. This is an awesome business for those who love to shop! Thanks to the Internet you can now buy from the comfort of your own home. You could advertise your new business on bulletin boards, newspaper ads and of course, word of mouth. Don't be shy about your new business that will provide relief from the holiday stress for your future clients.

Helpful resource: "Get Paid to Shop: Be a Personal Shopper for Corporate America" By Emily S. Lumpkin


CHRISTMAS DECORATING
I know there are many of you out there who LOVE to decorate for the Holidays. I know this, because I've been in your homes during Christmas. There are those of you who cannot help but pull all the stops when it comes to turning your home into a winter wonderful. And why stop there? Homes as well as businesses need you to create that same sort of Holiday atmosphere for them. You can decide if you enjoy decorating the inside or the outside of homes. Just pick what you like the most and start spreading the word today. Get those business cards printed up and start making friends with businesses and be sure to tell your friends what you're up too. We need your help.

Helpful Resource: "Opportunities in Interior Design and Decorating Careers" by Victoria Kloss Ball


CATERING
Then there are the people who cannot stop cooking and baking during the holidays. At the close of the season all of your neighbors refrigerators and cookie jars are bursting at the seams because once again, cooking is just your thing. Believe it or not, this is not the favorite thing of some people. Your future customers need someone like you to help them with their Holiday parties.

A word of caution, your kitchen needs to be approved by the county health department. Now don't get discouraged by this. You can find these kitchens. They're out there. Just start asking around. Churches, schools, restaurants are usually approved for this type of task. You can make this happen! Bake yourself some dough this season! :-)

Helpful resource: How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business by Denise Vivaldo


PLAN IT RIGHT
These are just a few ideas of what you can do to make a little extra cash this holiday season. Use your imagination. Remember, people are more than willing to spend money for that special gift and holiday service. Why can't you be the one who pockets that money? This is such a good time of year to make your business work. If your kids are a little older, they are in school. You have those extra few hours a day to rush around like a mad person and make your business a success!

Another great idea about this type of seasonal work, if you plan it right, you shouldn't be working too close or on the actual Holidays. Being your own boss has never sounded better, now has it?

Start thinking now if you want this to be seasonal work, or if you want to continue at your business after the holidays. All of the business ideas I listed above can be run through out the year. This could be the start of something very profitable!

About the Author
Liz Folger is Work-at-Home Mom Expert and author of, "The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To Making Money". Liz has also created a resource site for work-at-home moms at: http://www.bizymoms.com. When you visit don't forget to sign-up for the free Bizy Mom e-newsletter.

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