THE SURE FIRE WAY TO MAKE MONEY WITH A

THE SURE FIRE WAY TO MAKE MONEY WITH A

PERSONAL COMPUTER

Edward Bulwer-Lytton stated "The pen is mightier than the

sword." These days, not may people use the pen to write with.

More often they use typewriters or, even more frequently,

computers and word processors. But make no mistake, the written

word is still very powerful, and if you own a word processor

you are sitting on top of one of the most powerful money-making

machines ever created.

Most people use their computer to do simple tasks, such as their

taxes. Or they buy a word processor so their children can write

term papers and get better grades in school. Very few people

realize that their computers can make them money as well as

fulfilling all of these other functions. If your computer is

taking up desk space but not bringing you any extra income, it's

time for you to put that machine to work for you.

Of course, the logical question is "How can my computer make

money for me?" Computers are extremely versatile and can be

programmed to do almost anything. Many different computer

functions can be incorporated into a home-based business, but

one of the easiest to master is the word processor. There are

dozens of word processing programs on the market, and you should

be able to master one in about five or six hours of practice.

And,if you don't have a computer, don't worry. You can still

cash in on this great business idea. many computer companies

make word processing machines which are like super typewriters,

combining the functions of both typewriters and computers.

Once you are familiar with your word processor, look out! You

will be ready to take on the world with your home-based, word-

processing business.

WORD PROCESSING RICHES

Using your word processor to make money is easy. In fact, it's

easy as finding someone who needs a document created and selling

your service to them. Once you've read through the following

suggestions, you will have lots of great ideas on how to use

your computer to make money.

NEWSLETTER WRITING

A successful company needs to keep their employees up to date on

company activities (such as corporate buy outs, company

recreational events, and policy changes) and trade news (such as

new legislation affecting customers, competition news and

manufacturer updates). The easiest and least expensive way to

do all of this is through an employee newsletter.

The problem with this is most companies especially smaller

ones, do not have the capital to hire a full-time writer. Many

companies attempt to designate someone within the organization

to write their newsletter, but this person is not a writer, in

fact the one in charge of the newsletter is usually the secretary.

Using nothing more than a typewriter, she tries to produce a nice-

looking newsletter in a few minutes she has to spare between

projects. Needless to say, the result is usually less than

spectacular.

That's where you and your word processor come in. Using your

computer, you can easily put together a newsletter that looks

very professional--with columns, bold headlines, graphs and even

pictures. Bring a sample newsletter into a business and have the

manager compare it to his current newsletter (if he has one at

all). Then tell him that by subscribing to your newsletter service,

productivity and profit will rise for two reasons. First, because

he will not be paying someone from inside the company to write the

newsletter. Second, his employees will work more efficiently because

they will be better informed.

Before you know it, you will have 10 to 15 companies paying you to

write their newsletter, and will probably be just about all you can

handle. Since each one will be paying you about $300 a month for

the service, you will need to make the decision whether to continue

to expand your service and hire more help, or simply relax and let

the money keep rolling in.

MAIL ORDER REPORTS

Fads and trends come and go, but one thing that will always sell

is information. With your word processor, you have one of the best

mediums for presenting information, and you can make a bundle

doing just that.

Just walk through your local book store or library and notice how

many self-help, diet and how-to books there are. This should give

you a feel how hungry consumers are for this type of information.

Once you've read through a few of these types of books, you should

know enough about the subject to write a brief five to ten page

report. With the computer, you can make the report look very

professional through the use of page numbers, double columns,

pull quotes in the middle of the pages, and a bold catch title.

When the paper is complete, it's time for you to begin the

marketing procedure. Take out an ad in the classified section

of your local newspaper. Word the advertisement so that customers

will be enticed to send you a check to learn more about the

subject. Here are a few examples.

Tired of reading through useless diet books? TRY THE SECRETS OF

CONTROLLING YOUR WEIGHT. Just send $3 to...

Plumbers charge over $100 dollars to make a house call. BE YOUR

OWN PLUMBER, a new informed book, costs only $5. To order, send

to...

Since printing costs will be minimal (between 25 cents and $1

per report) most of the money you collect will go directly to

profit. And, since these reports are easy to produce, you can

use some of that income to write and print a new report and

sell it the same way. See how easy it is to make the whole

thing snowball?

Here are some more subjects you can easily write brief reports

and sell through the mail:

* How To Grow A Garden

* Selected Mexican Recipes

* Stop Smoking

* How To Paint Your House

* Mail-Order Marketing

* Making Your Own Patio Furniture

* Camping Made Easy

* Easy Baking Techniques

If some of this appeal to you, think of something else.

Just remember, the idea must appeal to a wide arrange of

customers or you will not sell enough products to defray

your production costs.

TYPING SERVICE

When you begin to use your computer, you will quickly see the

advantages you have over a standard typewriter. You can easily

check your spelling and grammar, set your margins and type face

as you wish, and make universal changes throughout the document

without retyping the entire thing.

Because of these extensive features, your computer saves you time

and effort when typing documents, and you can pass those savings

on to your customers. With your computer, you can easily input a

document, proofread it, give a draft copy to the customer for

approval, make changes, then print a final version--all in less

time than it would take a standard typist to type a single copy.

This is one of the easiest businesses to run once you master your

word processor because all you need to know is how to type, no

other talents are required. If you have a modern (telephone hookup)

for your computer, you can even send documents across the country

or around the world just as easily as you can deliver them across

the street.

Your main concern in this business is finding customers who need

typing done. Here are some customer suggestions and tips on how

to get in touch with them:

Writers: There are literally thousands of people in this country

who enjoy writing either for a hobby or as a source of extra

income. By running an ad in one of the many writers magazines

(such as Writers Digest or The Writer) you will get responses

from writers all across the country who want their manuscripts

typed.

Professionals: Small businesses often cannot afford the luxury

of a secretary. Larger businesses sometimes have large projects

to type but do not wish to hire someone extra. In either case

an outside typist can be a valuable service.

Students: Many high school and college students don't have the

time to type their own papers even if they do have the ability

to. Especially during mid-terms or finals, a typing service can

really make money at a school. Post flyers in every classroom

and every bulletin board you can find.

The only requirement you need to stick to in this business is

accuracy. No matter who you are typing for, they will stand for

less than 100 percent perfect documents. Always check, double

check, then triple check your work before you send it to your

clients.

COMPUTING THE POSSIBILITIES

As you can see, with a computer or word processor, you can open

up a whole new world of business opportunities. If you are one

of the few business people who are still operating without one,

you really should look into making that big purchase. While the

initial capital outlay may seem high, a little ingenuity is all

it takes to make the computer pay for itself.

END OF ARTICLE THE SURE FIRE WAY TO MAKE MONEY WITH

YOUR PC