I know we haven’t got the Christmas rush out of the way (quite) yet – and yes, there are still opportunities to make money from the yuletide trade if you’re quick. But in business it’s always important to plan ahead, and that means thinking ahead to how you might make some money in the first quarter of 2013 – long after Christmas presents have become but a distant memory.
So here are a few ideas for opportunities you could follow up in the early part of next year:
Self improvement products. Once January 1st arrives it will be New Year’s Resolution time. Okay, not many people stick to them, but they still spend millions of pounds on products and services they think might help.
So choose a popular self-improvement area and think about products you could sell into this market. How about self improvement books, ebooks, video or audio products including courses. Try to target niches within a popular area – such as weight loss, fitness or stop smoking.
Hobby products and services. January is also one of the main times of the year for taking up a new hobby. So have a think about the sorts of things you could sell into the hobby market at one of the busiest times of the year? Information products are ideal, as are kits, components, tools, equipment and accessories.
What to choose? If you already have a hobby then that might be the perfect market to sell into. You can promote yourself as an established expert selling what you know to newbies, and your enthusiasm for the subject will shine through. How about collecting, photography, or some kind of sport?
Regifting… with twist. You might know a little about what regifting is. It’s basically passing on an unwanted Christmas gift to another lucky recipient next Christmas or birthday.
How could you cash in on the regifting vibe? Well, look for unwanted Christmas presents you can buy up cheaply – perhaps from local sources like press ads., window cards and online markets like Preloved or Gumtree. Now look how you could sell them on in bigger marketplaces where they could attract more interest and higher prices – eBay for one. It happens at all times of year, but in January there’s generally a glut of unwanted Christmas presents for sale and so prices are low. Focus on – clothing and toys.
Accessories. This might seem an odd area to be going into in January. But it makes an awful lot of sense. Think of all those people who will have got a new gadget for Christmas – especially technology products such as phones, tablets, cameras and so on – and maybe even some Christmas gift money burning a hole in their pockets and ready to lavish on their new gadget.
Accessories are perfect for selling into this market. They’re easier to get hold of than things like mobile phones and games consoles and offer high margins. Explore opportunities like cables, cases, memory, software and guides.
Other ideas. Post-Christmas is a time when many people plan their holidays for the coming year. So have a think about travel products and services – these are a great opportunity for affiliate marketing by the way. It’s also a time when people like to plan an Easter time house move – so can be a good time to think about property-related biz opps.