Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Author Kembala Evans on Her NEW Book: 'Get Your Money Right!"


I'm so excited to bring to you my fellow #FINCON pal and financial coach, Kembala Evans, the author of 'Get Your Money Right: The 7 Keys to Unlocking a Better Financial Future!'  Kembala's passion was evident as we shared our experiences as finance professionals and I knew she'd be a great guest for the #MoneyChat family. Enjoy our interview below and be sure to purchase the book at www.kembalaevans.com or on Amazon.com

Why did you write Get Your Money Right: The 7 Keys to Unlocking a Better Financial Future?
I wrote Get Your Money Right to help everyday people turn their finances around. As a financial coach and former banker, I’ve witnessed the challenges many people face managing their money. Especially when you’re trying to make it on less and everyday cost keep rising. There is a need to teach people about personal finance in a simpler, less intimidating and more meaningful way. I wrote my book to do just that. 


You mentioned your financial coaching and banking experience. Will you tell us more about your experience?
Yes, I have over 14 years experience as a financial coachhelping people achieve goals they never thought possible. I spent a few years working as a personal banking specialist. I also have nearly 12 years of business consulting experience at a leading consulting company, where I worked with Fortune 500 clients to improve their business performance. As a consulting senior manager, I held a number of executive positions and managed multi-million dollar projects/programs. But I left consulting to pursue my passion for helping everyday people improve their finances.

What makes Get Your Money Right different than other personal finance books?
Get Your Money Right simplifies the most important financial principles that can make the biggest difference in your life. It’s written in everyday language and breaks down each principle in an easy to understand and inspiring manner.

And it’s written from the heart. As a financial coach, I know behavior plays a large role in how we handle our money. So with that in mind, I used many of my financial coaching techniques to inspire readers to change. My book takes you back to the basics and focuses on the financial areas people struggle with the most. It has a positive message and includes real life success stories, words of wisdom and practical tips you can put into action now for a better tomorrow.

Who should read Get Your Money Right?
I recommend Get Your Money Right for people who are tired of living paycheck to paycheck, who need a money makeover or who want to learn the secrets of how the rich, stay rich.

What do you believe is the biggest issue people encounter after they decide to improve their finances?
They don’t know what to do or where to start. That’s where building the knowledge and finding a support system (e.g. financial coaching/counseling, mentor) can really help. If this is you Get Your Money Right shows you how to take control, eliminate debt, save money and more. Best of all, it’s an easy read, uplifting and packed with practical tips and information.

What can people learn from Get Your Money Right and put into action now?
There are many things people can learn and put into action now. In fact, every key gives readers an interactive experience. For example, in Key #2 Establish Your Vision and Goals readers discover how to create a vision and set goals. This key provides inspiring success stories, real life examples, and a step-by-step process to create your vision and goals. It also gives you useful tips to make your goals a reality.



Kembala Evans is the founder and president of KP Evans Financial, a personal finance education and coaching firm focused on educating, motivating, and empowering people to take control of their financial futures. Kembala speaks to audiences from all walks of life about personal finance. 
Buy 'Get Your Money Right' at www.kembalaevans.com or on Amazon.com!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Earn Extra Money! Tips from MochaMoney.com

Alonzo Peters is founder of MochaMoney.com, a personal finance website dedicated to helping people achieve financial independence. (Link: www.MochaMoney.com) Alonzo is part of our #MoneyChat FAM and always offers practical financial insight. In this post he shares tips he has used to earn extra money! Sit back, relax and take notes!


A $1,200 BOOK? WHO KNEW?
As a graduate student I made extra money by reselling the books I found at thrift stores on Amazon. Amazon allows people to sell their used books. You can check the bottom of their webpages for more info. Of course you have to sift through the books and you're not always guaranteed of finding something. Using a smartphone you can type in a book's 10 digit or 13 digit ISBN code in the Amazon search box. The returned results show you how much the book is selling for new and used. Use the used price to determine if the book is worth buying for resale. 

You can also use a professional scouting tool that reads the ISBN bar code with a laser allowing you to know instantly if a book is worth buying to resale. Check out neatoscan.com or asellertool.com

I'd generally at least find a few books at each thrift store that I could sell for $10, $20, $50 or more. One of my best finds was a rare business title which I bought for a dollar and was able to sell for $1,200 on Amazon. Of course I was in a big city so I had over 30 thrift stores to chose from. 

EBAY'ers?!
The second way I saw people make serious cash was by reselling handbags and upscale clothes they purchased from thrift stores. I called them professional Ebay-ers. One older gentleman I got to know would routinely buy Gucci and other name brand handbags for $30 or $40 bucks and sell them on Ebay for $400, $500 or more. Of course he had to know his handbags and had to be able to differentiate the real thing from the knock-offs.  

Others did the same thing for high end clothes. One of their tricks was to wait in the back of the store near where the employees sorted the donations. Then as the donations were wheeled out to be placed on the store racks the Ebay-ers would intercept them picking out the best merchandise before it even got on the shelves. Eventually the employers would just park the rack with the newly sorted donations right in front of the Ebay-ers and return to take the rack to the floor after the Ebay-ers were done. This happened at most of the thrift stores I frequented. 

E = MC^2, There vs. Their 
Finally, tutoring is a great way to make money. Parents are always searching for ways to help their children do well in school. It can cover the basics from simple algebra or English all the way up to AP Chemistry. Almost anyone is able to tutor something and the pay can be pretty decent. I would suggest that people tutor at a neutral site just for safety reason. Libraries make a great location. 


Dorethia's note: When you think of tutoring also think about other skills/talents you have. Example - excellent at football, basketball, soccer, swimming, etc.? Parents and young athletes are looking for people like you to work one on one at a discounted price. 

Be sure to connect with Alonzo at MochaMoney.com! Now - GO FORTH and MAKE THAT MONEY!!! 

Join Alonzo and the rest of the #MoneyChat FAM every Monday night 8-9p. ET. Real talk about all things money and business!



Thursday, February 2, 2012

Earning Extra Cash! #MoneyChat'ers Share What Works!

Even if you have been fortunate enough not to have ever faced a financial emergency (WOW), at some point in all our lives we've needed to increase our income for one reason or another. It could have been to cover our monthly bills, get out of debt, go back to school, plan a vacation, etc. On Monday night's #Moneychat we shared what has worked for us when times get tight. Check it out..

 I had a typing service. I made a KILLING typing papers for MBA & nursing students.   (Wow - I forgot I did this too! You can charge $1.50 - $2.00 per page!)
  I know this is old fashioned but I do sewing and tailoring!
(not old fashioned at all - people still need these services! Great skill to have!)
 is a great site. I know a few people who have earned good $$$. 

 Put your lawnmower & blower to use by doing a little neighborhood yard work.  
 A good way to make extra money is by crafting. People are always looking for unique personal gifts and you may find a niche. Also if you know how to put together a good resume you can do it for others. Some people would just rather not do it themselves. 
 Serving at a friend, colleague, or others' party adds pizzazz and a little cash! 

 I used to troll thrift stores for books to resell on Amazon. 'Friends of the library' sales are also great place to find great books to re-sell  
Reselling thrift store designer handbags and clothes on Ebay is also quick way to make some $. Quick tip - thrift workers usually have area in back where stuff is sorted. Here is where all the Ebay "entrepreneurs" wait so they get the first crack at the 'good stuff'. 
 I must agree. Setting up shop with EBay or Amazon could be easy money. Just be aware of shipping costs 

@DWesterberg I think freelance work has much potential - offer a try & buy - target potential customers.  Do micro marketing - watch a business: web, social media, content, optimization, etc. and make a suggestion w/offer to help. Important to know what you're competing against (e.g. pricing, quality of work) and articulate your competitive differentiator.

 Good at math? Good with kids? Tutoring in  subjects can make you $$$  
 has done voice overs and background singing      (she did a voice over on a project for me too, she's great!)
: seriously, little things: brew your own coffee- save $60/month. Put that in savings. Rechargeable batteries, etc. Find out when trash day is in rich neighborhoods. People throw out perfectly good stuff you can resell. I've done it!
 If you know Wordpress, Excel, Photoshop, etc. there are people who would pay you to teach them those skills 
 Babysitting sill works. Parents or a single parent who need a night out for themselves. Watch their kids Sat. night & earn $$. 
 I also recommend overnight babysitting - kids sleep, parents pick up after work in a.m.  
 Ohh! Paid experiments or focus groups are a great way to make xtra $$. I did that ALOT in college. Paid my cell bill w/ it. 

 I did a post on focus groups!    

  I've done babysitting, piece meal assembly work, after-school pickup & dropoff, retail - all easy to do when bigger goal in mind.
(That's right, no time for pride, only time to MAKE IT HAPPEN!)
: Something else you can do is offer a good deal to existing clients. ex., Pay for 3 months, get 1 free  

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, enough from us - what have YOU done to earn extra cash to reach a goal? Disclaimer: No spammy stuff please, thanks ~mgmt~.


Why don't YOU join us every Monday night 8-9p. ET for #MoneyCHATReal talk about money and biz! 

Your Financial Coach!
-Dorethia

On Twitter? #Follow: @DorethiaConner & @MoneyChatLive